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referring to fig1 there is shown a block diagram of an apparatus 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . an operator 15 , who is typically , but not necessarily , an animator of some artistic ability , works at a console which includes the devices illustrated within the dashed enclosure 20 . in the present embodiment , the console includes two input devices whereby the animator can input information to the apparatus 10 , viz . a data tablet 21 and a keyboard 22 , and three monitors on which information is displayed , viz . monochrome displays 23 and 24 and color display 25 . the data tablet 21 may , for example , be of the type made and sold by summagraphics corp . of fairfield , conn . which comes equipped with a data pen and operates to generate digital signals that correspond to the instantaneous position of the data pen as it is moved by the operator . the monochrome and color displays may be of the standard cathode ray tube type . the devices in the console 20 are coupled via a bus 30a to control circuitry 30 . in the present embodiment the functions of control circuitry 30 are implemented by an appropriately programmed general purpose digital computer , for example the model pdp - 11 manufactured by digital equipment corp . of maynard , massachusetts . however , it will be understood that alternate means , such as a special purpose computer or other suitable circuitry having logic and storage capabilities could be utilized to achieve the desired functions . in conjunction with the general purpose digital computer 30 there is provided a data base 50 which includes bulk storage such as magnetic tape memory 51 , fast access storage such as disk memory 52 , and random access storage such as ram 53 . typically , at least a portion of the random access memory will be included within the general purpose computer 30 , and it will be understood that the amount of each storage medium can be selected by one skilled in the art in accordance with considerations of desired processing times and cost . a frame storage means 60 is provided and is coupled to the control circuitry 30 and also , via a d / a converter 62 , to the color monitor 25 . in the present embodiment , the frame storage means is of the digital type , for example the type known as a &# 34 ; frame buffer &# 34 ; manufactured and sold by evans and sutherland company of salt lake city , utah . essentially , the frame buffer 60 is an addressable memory which stores a frame of video information . each elemental area ( also referred to herein as a point or &# 34 ; pixel &# 34 ;) in the video frame has a stored value ( referred to as a &# 34 ; pixel value &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; video content value &# 34 ;) associated with it , the stored pixel value being an eight bit &# 34 ; word &# 34 ; which has a magnitude representative of the video content of the particular point . given eight bits , there are 256 possible pixel values associated with each pixel in the frame , and this is sufficient to represent a wide range of color and brightness values , collectively referred to herein as &# 34 ; video content &# 34 ;. in the present embodiment , the eight bit binary word &# 34 ; 00000000 &# 34 ;, i . e . 0 in decimal notation , represents black level . the eight bit binary word &# 34 ; 11111111 &# 34 ;, i . e . the number 255 in decimal notation , represents white level . in a monochrome system , the intermediate 254 pixel value possibilities could represent shadings or gradations of gray level , whereas in a color system these remaining levels represent various color possibilities . any suitable encoding technique can be employed , a typical technique utilizing three of the bits to represent the contribution from one primary component , three of the bits to represent the contribution of another primary component , and the remaining two bits to represent the contribution of a third primary color component , the primary components being , for example , the commonly employed r , b and g color television representations of red , blue and green , respectively . the frame buffer 60 is coupled to the color monitor 25 via a d / a converter 62 which converts each digital pixel value to the appropriate r , b and g analog values for presentation on the color monitor 25 . as noted , the frame buffer 60 is coupled to the control circuitry 30 via the bus 30a so that the control circuitry 30a can be utilized to address any desired pixel in the frame buffer , for example to interrogate or read the pixel value contained therein or to write in a new eight bit pixel value at any point . a video tape recording machine 55 is coupled to each of the control circuitry 30 , the frame buffer 60 ( via a / d converter 61 ), and the color monitor 25 . a color television camera 65 , which views a scene 66 ( typically , but not necessarily , a frame of animation prepared off line ), is coupled to the frame buffer 60 via a / d converter 61 and is under control of the circuitry 30 . it will be understood that with this arrangement a frame of video information can be read into the frame buffer 60 from the video tape machine 55 or the color camera 65 , and the contents of the frame buffer can be displayed on the color monitor 25 or read onto the video tape machine 55 for storage therein . for example , if it is desired to display the contents of the frame buffer 60 on the color monitor 25 , the control circuitry 30 is caused to interrogate the frame buffer 60 in a raster scan pattern and the information therein is read out in a sequence which effects display on the color monitor 25 in a manner of conventional color television display . the same is true for transferring a frame of video information from the frame buffer to the video tape machine 55 . a new frame of video information can similarly be read into the frame buffer 60 , from either the video tape machine 55 or the color camera 65 . a remaining important further possibility , to be described hereinbelow , is where operator - selected pixel values are read into ( or out of ) the frame buffer 60 directly by the control circuitry 30 . for the time being , it suffices to understand that this operation is performed by interrogating a desired pixel in the frame buffer and either reading out the pixel value contained at such pixel or reading a new pixel value into the pixel . the operator 15 controls operation of the circuitry 30 via the data tablet 21 and the keyboard 22 . as noted , the data tablet is conventionally provided with a data pen . this data pen includes a switch in its tip , the switch being activated when the tip is depressed , such as during writing on the tablet . when the switch is on , the coordinates at which the pen tip is located are input to the control circuitry 30 . the data pen can also be utilized to input commands to the control circuitry 30 by utilizing the data pen and tablet in conjunction with the monitor 23 . in particular , when a decision is to be made by the operator / animator 15 , a &# 34 ; menu &# 34 ; of possible command decisions will appear on the control monitor 23 . the control monitor 23 is also adapted to display a cursor dot whose position depends on the instantaneous position of the data pen on the tablet . accordingly , when a menu is presented on the display screen 23 , the operator can select a desired command word from the menu by positioning the data pen such that the cursor dot moves to a position over the desired word , and then activating the switch of the pen by depressing the pen point . it will be understood , however , that alternate means of inputting operator commands into the control circuitry 30 , for example by using a light pen or other conventional means , can be utilized , or commands can be input strictly from the keyboard , if desired . the described techniques for inputting commands to a computer are all well known in the art and commercially available , and the description as set forth is intended to facilitate understanding for those not familiar with available data tablet control systems . referring to fig2 there is shown a flow diagram which , when taken in conjunction with the flow diagrams of figs . which depend therefrom , is suitable for implementing a general purpose computer to perform the functions of the control circuitry 30 as defined by the invention . in accordance with the present embodiment of the invention , a sequence of animated frames are generated and automatically colored , the colored frames being ultimately stored on video tape . in the present embodiment , an initial frame of a sequence , which shows the beginning extreme of some action , is drawn by the animator 15 on the data tablet 21 , although it will be understood that this and other frames could be entered by alternate means , if desired . the animator will later draw and enter a subsequent frame which defines an end extreme of the action , and socalled in - between frames will be generated to fill the action between the extreme frames , referred to as &# 34 ; key &# 34 ; frames . the index j is utilized to specify frame number in the sequence . the animator selects the number of the key frame f ( j ) to be drawn , as represented by block 100 of fig2 . for convenience of explanation it will be assumed that the first frame of a sequence of frames f ( j ) to be generated has j = 1 , so it is designated as f ( 1 ). as the characters of the frame are drawn , the points traversed by the data pen , designated p ( n ), of the drawn lines , designated l ( k ), are stored in the data base under control of the control circuitry 30 and the characters drawn are displayed on the line drawing display monitor 24 . ( as used herein , the term &# 34 ; characters &# 34 ; is intended to include any configuration of lines and / or points .) these functions are represented by the block 400 of fig2 and will be described in further detail hereinbelow in conjunction with fig4 . in the present embodiment , a line is defined by a stroke of the data pen without lifting the data pen . as will become clear , the sequence of lines in successive key frames is useful in obtaining the interpolated in - between frames , and characters to be interpolated should preferably have the same number of lines in successive key frames . fig3 a illustrates a character drawn by the animator 15 in key frame f ( 1 ). for ease of explanation , a simplified character drawn using three lines ( as defined ) is shown . the character is a square whose outline is drawn as a single line designated line f ( 1 ) l ( 1 ), and has diagonals drawn as lines designated line f ( 1 ) l ( 2 ) and line f ( 1 ) l ( 3 ). referring again to fig2 after a frame f ( j ) has been drawn , the block 491 is entered and the animator is automatically requested to select seed points , designated sd ( m ) for the m areas of the key frame f ( j ). the seed points designate the distinct enclosed areas to be colored and , as will become understood , provide a position reference from which color filling is initiated in the key frames as well as the in - between frames interpolated therefrom . in the example of fig3 a , there are four distinct enclosed areas to be colored , these areas being designated as area 1 , area 2 , area 3 and area 4 , and having seed points inserted therein which are designated as f ( 1 ) sd ( 1 ), f ( 1 ) sd ( 2 ), f ( 1 ) sd ( 3 ), and f ( 1 ) sd ( 4 ), respectively . the seeds can be inserted by the operator anywhere within the enclosed area . in conjunction with each seed point sd ( m ), the animator selects a video content value , hereinafter referred to as a color and designated as c ( m ) ( block 492 ). c ( m ) is the pixel value which is to be assigned to every pixel within the enclosed area m . accordingly , the color , c ( m ) for a given area m will be represented by an eight bit binary word which represents one of 256 possible color values . the color may be selected from an off - line chart and its value entered via the keyboard 22 . a more convenient mode of operation , however , is to display a palette including a sample of all 256 possible colors , using the bottom portion of the color monitor 25 . this is readily achieved by storing a small sample of all 256 possible eight bit word values in a number of adjacent points of the frame buffer ( preferably in the portion thereof corresponding to the bottom lines of the display ), and then calling up the palette for display on the color monitor 25 when necessary . the animator can select a particular color c ( m ) by moving the data pen until a cursor dot is positioned at the desired color sample of the palette and then depressing the pen tip to enter the selected color c ( m ) in the manner previously described with reference to the entering of commands . to reiterate , the animator enters a seed , for example seed f ( 1 ) sd ( 1 ) for area 1 of frame 1 by positioning the pen anyplace within area 1 and depressing the data pen . he then enters the color f ( 1 ) c ( 1 ) for area 1 of frame 1 by using the data pen to position the cursor dot at the selected color on the palette whereupon the data pen is again depressed . when seed points and associated colors have been entered for each area , inquiry is made as to whether the last key frame of this sequence has been entered , as represented by diamond 493 . if not , block 100 is reentered and the index number of the next key frame , f ( j ), to be drawn is entered . the frame is then drawn in accordance with the block 400 and the points p ( n ) of the lines l ( k ) of the present frame f ( j ) are stored and the line drawing presented on the line drawing display 24 , as previously described . ( it will be understood that , if desired , subsequent frames can be generated before any seed points are inserted or any colors selected , depending on the choice of the animator . in such case , earlier drawn key frames would be recalled later for insertion of seeds .) fig3 b shows an example of a character drawn for the end extreme key frame which , for the present illustrative example , is designated as being frame number f ( 4 ). accordingly , for this example , the animator selected the value j = 4 before the key frame was drawn . in the case of key frame f ( 4 ), the line f ( 4 ) l ( 1 ) is a circle and the lines f ( 4 ) l ( 2 ) and f ( 4 ) l ( 3 ) are perpendicularly intersecting diameters . again , there are four areas designated by the reference numerals 1 through 4 . the blocks 491 and 492 are then entered and the seeds for the areas of f ( 4 ) ( designated f ( 4 ) sd ( 1 ), f ( 4 ) sd ( 2 ) . . . etc .) as well as their associated colors ( designated f ( 4 ) c ( 1 ), f ( 4 ) c ( 2 ) . . . etc .) are entered by the animator , preferably in the sequence previously described . having generated the frame f ( 4 ), inquiry is again made as to whether the last key frame has been entered ( diamond 493 ), and since the answer is &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;, the block 500 is entered . block 500 represents the generation of in - between frames and the interpolation of the seed points sd ( m ). these functions are described in detail in conjunction with fig5 . however , to understand the overall operation , reference is made to fig3 c which illustrates the action sequence resulting from a superposition of the two key frames f ( 1 ) and f ( 4 ) as well as in - between frames designated f ( 2 ) and f ( 3 ) which were generated in accordance with functions of the block 500 . as will be described further hereinbelow , the in - between frames are obtained by interpolating from the key frames in accordance with parameters selected by the animator . in accordance with the principles of the invention , the seed points sd ( m ) for each enclosed area are interpolated and , as a result , each seed point remains within its associated enclosed area for the in - between frames . in fig3 c , the in - between frames f ( 2 ) and f ( 3 ) each has four enclosed areas with corresponding seed points designated sd ( 1 ) through sd ( 4 ). after the in - betweens and interpolated seed points have been generated , a &# 34 ; review &# 34 ; display of the action frame sequence is presented on the line drawing display 24 ( in monochrome ), this function being represented by the block 600 . if the action sequence , including the in - between frames , is deemed satisfactory , coloration of the enclosed areas is initiated by setting the index j to the number of the first frame to be colored ( block 690 of fig2 ), for example frame f ( 1 ) for the illustrated example . the selected frame f ( j ) is then automatically colored , as represented by the block 700 , and described in detail in conjunction with fig7 . briefly , coloration of each enclosed area is implemented by starting at a seed point and scanning each point within the boundary of the enclosed area . as this scan is performed , the color value c ( m ) associated with the particular enclosed area is assigned to each point within the area , the assigned value being entered in the frame buffer 60 . the described technique is performed for each enclosed area of the frame being colored . when all enclosed areas have been colored , the frame is stored on video tape by transferring the contents of the frame buffer 60 to the video tape machine 55 , in the manner previously described , and as is represented by the block 800 . inquiry is next made as to whether the frame just colored was the last frame to be colored in the action sequence . if not , the index j is incremented ( block 855 ) and the next frame ( frame f ( 2 ) in the illustrated example ) is automatically colored and stored on video tape as represented by the blocks 700 and 800 . when all the frames of the action sequence have been colored , the frames now stored on video tape can be reviewed by the animator , as indicated by the block 900 . referring to fig4 there is shown a flow diagram which details the functions previously described in conjunction with the block 400 of fig2 . in accordance with this routine , and as previously described in general terms , the coordinate points input by the animator via the data tablet 21 are stored and displayed . as noted , a series of points drawn continuously on the tablet with the data pen &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; are considered as a line , and lines as well as points are kept track of , the lines being useful in implementing subsequently described operations . the points of each line for a given frame are described by the notation f ( j ) l ( k ) p ( n ), where j is the frame number of frame f ( j ), k is the line number of line l ( k ) and n is the point number of the point p ( n ). each so - defined point has a memory location associated with it in the data base 50 , and the ( x , y ) coordinate of the point is stored at the particular memory location . the index number j of the frame being drawn was selected in accordance with block 100 of fig2 ( shown also in dashed line in fig4 ). the index k is initially set to zero before the first line is drawn , as indicated by the block 402 . inquiry is made as to whether or not the data pen is &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; ( diamond 403 ). if not , inquiry is again made after a given cycle time , as indicated by the loop back to the input of diamond 403 . if the data pen is down , inquiry is made as to whether the data pen was down during the last look ; i . e . the last cycle . the time period of the cycle depends on the basic cycle time of the particular control circuitry or computer being utilized . if the data pen was not drawn during the previous look , it means that a new line is being drawn and the index k is incremented ( block 405 ). also , since it is the first time that the pen has been sensed as being down , the first point of a new line is indicated , so the index n is set equal to 1 , as represented by the block 406 . the ( x , y ) coordinates of the data pen tip are stored at the memory location designated f ( j ) l ( k ) p ( n ), as represented by the block 409 . the newly stored coordinate point is also displayed on the line drawing display monitor 24 , as represented by the block 410 . the decision diamond 403 is then reentered for the next cycle . if the answer to the inquiry of diamond 404 has been &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; ( i . e ., the pen was down at the previous look ), then inquiry is made as to whether the pen has changed position since the last look ( diamond 407 ). in other words , it is determined whether the pen has moved sufficiently since the last cycle to be considered , within the resolution of the data tablet coordinate system , to be at a new ( x , y ) coordinate . if not , diamond 403 is reentered for the next cycle . if a new coordinate point is sensed , however , the index n is incremented , indicating a new point , and blocks 409 and 410 are successively entered for storage and display , respectively , of the new point . the routine continues until terminated by the animator indicating that the current frame is completed . referring to fig5 there is shown a flow diagram which details a routine suitable for implementing the functions of the block 500 of fig2 . examples of in - between frames are the frames f ( 2 ) and f ( 3 ) shown in the illustrative example of fig3 . in the present embodiment , in - betweening is generally performed by interpolating between points on corresponding lines of two key frames , such as the frames f ( 1 ) and f ( 4 ) of fig3 . the number of in - between frames is determined by the selected index numbers of the key frames so that , for example , by selecting the key frames as being frames f ( 1 ) and f ( 4 ), the operator is indicating that there will be two in - between frames . corresponding lines of successive key frames are determined by the order in which they are drawn . in the present embodiment , the operator has flexibility to determine the &# 34 ; rate &# 34 ; at which the character ( or characters ) of the first key frame changes to the character of the last key frame . this is done by apportioning the interpolation position as between corresponding points ( on corresponding lines ) of the two key frames . for example , in the case of a linear interpolation , the interpolated in - between frames will have their lines at equally spaced positions between the corresponding lines of the key frames . this is the case in the illustration of fig3 where it is seen that the in - between frames are evenly spaced between the two key frames and the nature of the in - betweens varies at a uniform rate as between the characters of the key frames . it may be desired , however , in some cases to have the in - betweens change at a non - uniform rate and retain the nature of a character of one of the key frames for a relatively longer period before it changes to the corresponding character of the later key frame . this is achieved by varying the interpolation in accordance with operator - selected input parameters . in fig8 a there is shown a graph of character position versus frame number . the dashed straight line is representative of a linear interpolation , whereas the solid line represents an operator - specified interpolation instruction which directs that the character retain the nature of the first key frame for a relatively longer time . full scale on the vertical ( ordinate ) axis is considered to have the value unity . reference positions representative of the intermediate frame positions are located at equal distances along the horizontal axis . for example , if two in - between frames are to be generated , their reference positions on the graph of fig8 a will be one - third and two - thirds of the way , respectively , between the reference positions of the first and last frames . the relative height at these reference positions , generally denoted e ( j ) and represented by the line segments e ( 2 ) and e ( 3 ) in the fig ., determines the fractional position for the lines of the in - between frames as between the two key frames . thus , for example , the solid line curve of fig8 a dictates that the first in - between frame be approximately one - eighth of the total distance as between the two key frames ( e ( 2 )= 0 . 125 ) and the relative position of the second in - between frame is about one - third the distance between the two key frames ( e ( 3 )= 0 . 33 ). these numbers can be compared against the relative fractional distances of one - third and two - thirds , respectively , which would be the case for a linear interpolation . the dashed curved line represents the opposite situation where e ( 2 )= 0 . 66 and e ( 3 )= 0 . 875 and the character takes on the nature of the last key frame at a faster rate . the manner in which the interpolation is achieved will be described further , but it should be understood at the outset that the operator can select the rate of change of the in - betweens either by appropriate specification using a curve ( which may be input , for example , using the data pen ), by inputting the fractional specifications e ( j ) using the keyboard or by any other suitable technique . for understanding the routine itself , it is also helpful to initially recognize that it is generally necessary to interpolate as between lines having different numbers of points . as will become clear , this is done in the present embodiment by calculating the position of &# 34 ; secondary &# 34 ; points on the shorter of the two lines and using these points to implement the interpolation . with reference to fig5 the numbers of the key frames to be in - betweened , designated j o and j e , for the first and last frames respectively , are entered ( block 501 ). the frame number index , j , is incremented ( block 502 ) to yield , in the first instance , the frame number of the first in - between frame ; viz . j o + 1 . the line number index is initially set to 1 , as represented by the block 503 . the first lines in each of these key frames is next examined , by examining the number of points in each of the lines , and determination is made as to which line is longer , as represented by the block 504 . refer to fig8 b for illustration wherein an example is shown with the first line of a first key frame , designated f ( j o ) l ( k ), being longer than the first line of a last key frame , this line being designated by f ( j e ) l ( k ). the point index , n , is initially set to unity , as is a secondary point index , designated n i , these functions being represented by the blocks 505 and 506 , respectively . the number of points in the longer line is designated n l , and the number of points in the shorter line is designated n s . accordingly , to obtain a point on the shorter line which corresponds to a point n on the longer line , the calculated position of the point on the shorter line is a position corresponding to n ( n s / n l ). the line between the point n of the longer line and the point at the position n ( n s / n l ) of the shorter line is computed , this line being the dashed line 801 of fig8 b . the length of this line is called d , this length being calculated from the coordinates of its end points using the pythagorean theorem ( block 508 ). the location of the first point of the first in - between can then be obtained by calculating the position of the point which is a distance ( d ) e ( j ) from the point on line f ( j o ) l ( k ). in other words , the fractional distance along the line d is the operator - selected distance for the location of the first in - between frame , as determined , for example , from the value e ( 2 ) of the operator - drawn curve of fig8 a . the location of the point , designated as f ( j ) l ( k ) p ( n ) ( see fig8 b ) is calculated , using the following algebraic relationship : where ( x n , y n ) are the coordinates of the point being calculated , ( x o , y o ) are the coordinates of the point in frame f ( j o ) and ( x e , y e ) are the coordinates of the point in frame f ( j e ). the new point of the in - between frame is then examined to see if it corresponds to an already existing point on the particular line of the in - between being generated . ( this check is made since , within the resolution of the coordinate system being utilized , the particular line of the in - between being generated may have many less points than n l , and when two points are found within the same elemental area , only one of them is stored .) accordingly , if the newly calculated point is found to be at a unique location , it is stored as the point f ( j ) l ( k ) p ( n ), as represented by the block 511 of fig5 . the index n is then tested ( diamond 512 ) to determine if it equals n l , the last point on the longer line . if not , the index n is incremented ( block 513 ) and the loop 530 is reentered for calculation of and storage of the remaining points on the first line of the first in - between frame , represented in fig8 b as the line f ( j o + 1 ) l ( k ). when the index n is found to equal n l , the decision diamond 514 is entered and the line number , k , is tested to see whether it equals the maximum number of lines in the key frames , designated k . if not , the index k is incremented ( block 515 ) and the block 504 is reentered for processing of the next line of the in - between . if k does equal k , the in - between frame ( i . e ., a line drawing thereof ) has been completed and block 550 is entered for interpolation of the seed points , described in conjunction with fig5 b . when this is complete , the frame can be transferred into bulk storage , as represented by the block 520 , shown in dashed line . the index j is then tested ( diamond 516 ) to determine whether it equals j e - 1 ( diamond 516 ); i . e ., the last in - between frame to be generated . if so , the routine is over . if not , the index j is incremented ( block 517 ) and the block 503 is reentered to begin generation of the next in - between frame . referring to fig5 b , there is shown a flow diagram for implementing the functions set forth in the block 550 of fig5 ; i . e . interpolation of the seed points for the various enclosed areas of the in - between frames . the enclosed area index , m , is initially set to unity , as represented by block 551 . the line between the points f ( j o ) sd ( m ) and the point f ( j e ) sd ( m ) is then computed ( block 552 ), and the distance d between these points is also computed ( block 553 ). next , the location of the interpolated seed point for the enclosed area m is obtained by calculating the position of the point which is a distance ( d ) e ( j ) from the seed point of the area m of the first key frame , f ( j o ) sd ( m ) ( block 554 ). the coordinates of the calculated point are stored as the interpolated seed point m of the frame j ; viz ., f ( j ) sd ( m ), as represented by the block 555 . it is seen that this interpolation of seed points utilizes the same technique as was used to interpolate the line drawings , as represented by the blocks 504 - 513 of fig5 and as shown diagrammatically in fig8 b . the index m is tested ( diamond 556 ) to determine whether it equals the number of the last enclosed area , m . if not , the index m is incremented ( block 557 ), and the interpolated seed point for the next enclosed area of the particular in - between frame j is generated . when m is found to equal m , the block 520 of fig5 is entered . referring to fig7 there is shown a flow diagram for implementing the functions shown generally in the block 700 of fig2 . in accordance with the flow diagram of fig7 the control circuitry 35 ( fig1 ) causes the coloration or shading of each frame in the sequence by starting at the seed points for each enclosed area m thereof and &# 34 ; filling &# 34 ; the enclosed area . this is done by inserting the appropriate operator - selected color , c ( m ) at all points of the enclosed area . in scanning the enclosed area during the filling operation , it is desirable that all possible configurations of enclosed areas , including those with &# 34 ; lobes &# 34 ; ( to be described ) be automatically filled . in the present embodiment , this is achieved by starting at the original seed point , sd ( m ), for a given area and filling the corresponding points in the frame buffer along a horizontal scanline containing the original seed point . the lines above and below the line just filled , designated the &# 34 ; main line &# 34 ;, are then examined for the presence of a specified boundary condition ( to be described ). when the condition is met , a &# 34 ; working seed &# 34 ; is indicated as being present at the particular boundary . the horizontal line which contains each working seed is then filled , in a manner to be described , and subsequent working seeds are generated by examining the horizontal scanlines above and below the main line just filled . to facilitate description of the technique , a working example is shown in fig6 which shall be referred to in conjunction with the flow diagram of fig7 . in fig6 an enclosed area to be filled , designated 601 , has a number of lobes referred to by reference numerals 611 , 612 , 613 and 614 . for ease of illustration , and to better understand the boundary conditions , the enclosed area is shown as having a periphery consisting of straight lines , although it will become understood that the described routine causes the filling of any enclosed area regardless of shape . assume that the original seed point for a given enclosed area m of a given frame j , and designated f ( j ) sd ( m ), is at the location as shown in fig6 a ; viz ., near the top of the lobe 611 . with reference to fig7 the index number of the first frame to be filled , j , is entered , as represented by the block 701 , and the line drawing of the frame is entered into the frame buffer under control of the control circuitry 35 . as previously noted , black level in the frame buffer is denoted by the value &# 34 ; 00000000 &# 34 ; for the eight bit word which defines a pixel value , and white level is denoted by the eight bit word &# 34 ; 11111111 &# 34 ;. when the line drawing is entered into the frame buffer , the coordinate points thereof are set at white level , so if the contents of the frame buffer were displayed , at this time , a white line drawing would appear on a black background . the index m is set to 1 , designating the first enclosed area to be filled , as represented by the block 730 . the seed point f ( j ) sd ( m ) is placed on a list of &# 34 ; working seeds &# 34 ;, a concept that will be better understood shortly . at this time , the seed f ( j ) sd ( m ) is the only seed on the list . inquiry is made as to whether the list of working seeds is exhausted , as represented by diamond 704 . if not , the block 705 is entered and the working seed at the end of the list is used as a start point for filling a horizontal scanline in the frame buffer with the operator - selected color c ( m ). filling is done left and right on the horizontal scanline until a boundary is reached , a boundary being considered any point which has a pixel value other than &# 34 ; 00000000 &# 34 ; ( black level ). accordingly , it will be understood , that any point of a line of the line drawing or any point which has already been filled is considered &# 34 ; out - of - bounds &# 34 ;, and all other points are considered as being &# 34 ; in - bounds &# 34 ;. in fig6 a , the line 620 represents the horizontal line which was filled , left and right to the boundaries , with the color c ( m ), this line being considered the &# 34 ; main line &# 34 ;. the points ( or pixels ) above and below the main line are next examined as follows : an &# 34 ; above / below &# 34 ; index is first set to &# 34 ; above &# 34 ;, as represented by the block 706 . examination begins at the left end of the main line , as represented by the block 707 . the pixel directly above ( since the above / below index is set to &# 34 ; above &# 34 ;) the current pixel of the main line ( the current pixel of the main line presently being the leftmost pixel thereof -- block 707 ) is examined , as represented by the block 708 . inquiry is made as to whether the pixel is in bounds , as represented by the diamond 709 . if so , the block 710 is entered which indicates the advance to the right on the main line of the current pixel and the subsequent examination of the pixel above the current pixel ( block 711 ). inquiry is again made as to whether the pixel being examined is in - bounds , as represented by diamond 712 . if so , the block 710 is reentered and the procedure continues via the loop 715 until a boundary is hit . in terms of the example of fig6 a , this continued examination would bring one from left to right along the dotted line above the main line 620 . when a boundary is reached , the answer to the inquiry of diamond 712 is &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; and the block 716 is entered , this block directing that the previous &# 34 ; above &# 34 ; pixel be put on the end of the list of working seeds . in other words , the last in - bounds pixel , represented by the asterisk 602 in fig6 a , is put on the end of the list of working seeds . note that it is presently the only working seed on the list since the original seed point is already being processed . inquiry is next made ( diamond 718 ) as to whether the current point on the main line has extended beyond the right end of the main line . if not , the block 708 is reentered . in the situation of fig6 a , the answer to the inquiry of diamond 718 would be &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ;. ( the situation where the current point on the main line has not passed the right end of the main line will be treated hereinbelow .) if the answer to the inquiry of the diamond 718 is &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ;, the diamond 721 is entered and inquiry is made as to whether the above / below index ( which is initially set to &# 34 ; above &# 34 ; by block 706 ) is at &# 34 ; below &# 34 ;. if not , the above / below index is set to &# 34 ; below &# 34 ;, as represented by the block 722 . the block 707 is then reentered and the same processing described before is repeated , except that the pixels below ( instead of above ) the main line are examined in sequence . this results in examination of the pixels depicted by the dotted line directly below the main line 620 in fig6 a and also results in a seed designated by asterisk 603 in the fig6 a . after the described processing , when the diamond 721 is now entered , the answer thereto will be &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; and the diamond 704 will then be reentered . the list of working seeds now has the seeds 602 and 603 thereon , so the block 705 is entered and the last seed on the list ( 603 ) is considered and filled left and right to the boundary with the color c ( m ), this filled line being the new &# 34 ; main line &# 34 ; and being shown in the fig6 b as line 621 . the working seed being considered ( 603 in this case ) is circled in this fig ., as it is in the other portions of fig6 . the examination of the lines above and below the new main line 621 will now proceed as before . it will be recognized that when the above / below index is next set to &# 34 ; above &# 34 ;, no pixels above the new main line 621 will be found to be in bounds , since the line above line 621 , i . e . line 620 , has already been filled and is considered as being out - of - bounds . accordingly , during the &# 34 ; above &# 34 ; processing , the answer to the inquiry of diamond 709 will always be &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; and no working seed will result from the examination of pixels above the main line 621 ( since block 716 will not be entered ). however , when the above / below index is eventually changed to &# 34 ; below &# 34 ;, the examination of the pixels below the main line 621 will eventually result in the generation of a new working seed designated by reference numeral 604 , as shown in fig6 b . the remainder of the lobe 611 will be filled with the color c ( m ) in this manner , and when the bottom line of the lobe is filled , no further working seeds will be generated thereunder since no more in - bounds pixels will be found . thus , when the block 705 is eventually reentered , the working seed 602 will be the only seed on the list . this will result in the filling of a line labeled 622 , as shown in fig6 c and , subsequently , in the generation of a new working seed labeled 605 . the filling of lines upward will then proceed in the manner described until the line labeled 632 ( fig6 d ) becomes the main line . this will result in the generation of the working seed labeled 616 ( fig6 d ) which will , in turn , result in the filling of the line 633 and the generation of the working seeds 617 and 618 above and below the main line 633 ( as shown in fig6 e ). now , we have a situation similar to that of fig6 a , and this will result in the lobe 612 being filled in the manner previously described . after filling of the lobe 612 , filling above the line 633 will proceed in the manner described in conjunction with fig6 c , until the line 639 becomes the main line ( fig6 f ). when examining the pixels above the line 639 , it is seen how operation of the diamond 718 of fig7 comes into play . the working seed 625 will be generated during the left to right examination of pixels above the line 639 . however , in this case , when inquiry is made as to whether the current pixel on the main line has extended beyond the right of the main line ( diamond 718 ), the answer will be &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; since the current point on the main line has not yet reached the rightmost edge of the line 639 . accordingly , the block 708 will be reentered and the looping will continue until the working seed 626 is eventually generated , as shown in fig6 f . subsequently , the lobes 613 and 614 will be filled , in a manner similar to that previously described , and as illustrated in part in fig6 g . after the filling is complete , inquiry of diamond 704 will yield a &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; answer and the diamond 735 will be entered to determine if any areas m remain to be filled , or if m has reached the last area , designated m . if not , the index m will be incremented , as represented by the block 736 and the block 703 will be reentered for filling of the next area . when the index m reaches m , the frame will have been completely filled with the operator - selected video content values or colors c ( m ). the invention has been described with reference to a particular preferred embodiment , but variations within the spirit and scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art . for example , while the outlines to be colored have been shown as being entered from a data tablet , it will be understood that they could be entered by other suitable means , such as via the camera 65 . coloration or shading with a single color or shading level has been shown for purposes of illustration , but it will be understood that a preselected pattern could be readily employed in substitution for a single color or shading . further , it will be understood that coloration or shading of a background ( i . e . outside one or more enclosed areas ) is achieved by inserting an operator - selected seed in the background area in conjunction with a desired video content value . further , it will be understood that alternate techniques for storing the coordinates of lines defining a closed area could be employed , for example by storing end points of straight line segments and approximating curved lines with short straight line segments . it should also be noted that while the described order of generating in - betweens and then effecting the desired coloration or shading is preferred , an operator can readily perform the operations in any desired order , such as by commanding coloration as soon as an outline drawing is entered . finally , it will be recognized that the &# 34 ; frames &# 34 ; generated in accordance with the present description can be combined or superimposed to form higher level frames , and the use of the term &# 34 ; frame &# 34 ; is intended in a non - limiting sense to mean any frame or field of video information or unit portion of an image .
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fig1 schematically depicts mandrel 10 of this invention . mandrel 10 is made from four contoured quarter sections 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 which form the surface of mandrel 10 . quarter sections 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 are made of composite comprising carbon fiber or other high strength filaments in a thermoset matrix but the sections could also be machined metal or monolithic graphite . ( the matrix of quarter sections 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 has been cured at room temperature after prepreg lay - up but such sections may be made using filament winding or lay - up of prepregs that incorporate resins that cure at higher temperatures , e . g . 250 ° f . the use of matrix resins which cure at room temperature , however , permits the female splashes used in fabricating the quarter sections to be made from more easily worked materials .) quarter sections made of these materials provide the surfaces of mandrel 10 with a coefficient of thermal expansion approximating the coefficient of thermal expansion of the part being fabricated on mandrel 10 more closely than metal . mandrel 10 further comprises steel shaft 20 , bulkhead 22 and t - stiffener 24 . t - stiffeners 24 shown in fig1 rigidly mount to bulkhead 22 through clamps ( not shown ) respectively fastening to bulkhead 22 . bulkhead 22 rigidly mounts around shaft 20 for rotation of quarter sections 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 of mandrel 10 . fig2 shows in cross - section t - stiffener 24 fastened to quarter sections 16 , 18 of mandrel 10 . t - stiffener 24 extends continuously along the length of putty filled seam 35 between quarter sections 16 , 18 ; and it comprises leg 26 that is integral with spans 32 , 34 and projects inwardly into mandrel 10 . spans 32 , 34 respectively bolt to quarter sections 16 , 18 by fasteners 28 , 29 and have grooves 36 , 38 . rubber o - rings 40 , 42 fit into respective grooves 36 , 38 of t - stiffener 24 . rubber o - rings 40 , 42 seal the surface 43 inside of mandrel 10 ( where t - stiffener 24 resides ) from outer surface 44 of mandrel 10 . the o - rings are shown generally cylinderical bodies in the rectilinear cross - section of grooves 36 , 38 but may have any geometry suitable for sealing the mandrel sections and t - stiffener . filler putty 46 also acts to smooth seam 35 between quarter sections 16 , 18 . the t - stiffeners used in constructing mandrel 10 are layed up on female master splashes . in laying up the t - stiffeners , silicone rubber strips are placed on the female tools for molding grooves 36 , 38 in t - stiffener 24 ( see fig2 ). rectangular lengths of prepreg are layed upon each other in making the t - stiffener . additional prepreg tow that is long and narrow is used in filling corners . the t - stiffener is cured , removed from its master splash as an integral composite body and machined to final dimensions . fabrication of t - stiffeners is described more fully in connection with fig7 a and 7b . sections 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 of mandrel 10 are made starting with a female master splash made from the master model ( see fig7 a ) of the part being fabricated . fig3 shows female master splash 100 which has been fabricated using this master model 107 . female master splash 100 breaks into four quarter sections . splash supports 102 hold the splash shape and enable each of quarter sections forming splash 100 to stand on the floor or other surface while a mandrel quarter section ( such as shown in fig4 ) is fabricated . the quarter sections are preferably fabricated individually in their respective female splashes . for example , carbon fiber containing prepreg cut to desired lengths and widths is layed into the female splash and cured . when room temperature curing matrix resins are employed , the quarter section carried in the splash may be cured on the shop floor . fig4 depicts schematically mandrel quarter section 18 within a quarter section of female splash section 702 . gussets 104 , added to female quarter section 18 after lay - up and initial cure thereof , assist stabilizing the shape of quarter section 18 during cure . previously fabricated t - stiffeners ( not shown ) are positioned along edges 106 of section 18 for shaping the contour of these edge to the t - stiffener surface . quarter section 18 , after being cured in female splash 702 , is trimmed to length and the edges 106 machined to their defined configurations for joining with quarter sections 12 and 16 made in similar fashion . fig5 shows the procedure by which the bulkheads ( such as 22 , fig1 ) and gussets , by analogy , if desired , are fabricated . prepregs made of carbon fiber or the like are first layed - up as shown in fig5 ( a ), compacted under vacuum as shown in fig5 ( b ) and cured and then machined to final dimensions as shown in fig5 ( c ). alternatively , prepregs 500 may be precut to desired dimensions before curing . fig6 illustrates a cured aircraft structure , air duct 602 and disassembled mandrel components of this invention . fig6 shows cured aircraft duct 602 from which composite mandrel quarter section 604 ( other quarter sections not shown ), rabbit race 606 , t - stiffener 608 ( other three t - stiffeners not shown ), shaft 610 and bulkheads 614 and 616 have been disassembled and withdrawn . ( as seen in fig6 t - stiffener 608 has been fabricated to extend the length of the mandrel .) fig7 a and 7b diagramatically illustrate in developed views and , fig8 a and 8b illustrate also as developed views , procedures and techniques involved in making the t - stiffeners of this invention . fig7 a shows master model 700 in idealized cross section cut perpendicularly through its central longitudinal axis along with its associated female splashes 702 , 704 , 706 and 708 . these splashes ( a ) have respective surfaces 703 , 705 , 707 and 709 contoured to those on the master model 700 and respective splash supports 702 &# 39 ;, 704 &# 39 ;, 706 &# 39 ; and 708 &# 39 ; ( splashes 702 , 704 , 706 and 708 are used in fabricating mandrel quarter sections 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 , e . g ., splash 702 may be seen in fig4 ). fig7 b shows in diagramatic cross section splash 706 standing on splash support 706 &# 39 ;. splash 706 has extension 710 used in lay - up of t - stiffener 712 . as seen in fig8 a , t - stiffeners 712 and 714 may be fabricated using but one splash 706 with the aid of extensions 710 and 716 added to splash 706 . ( in alternate embodiments shown in fig8 c , the t - stiffeners are fabricated within a mandrel quarter section , rather than , as shown in fig8 a , within a splash used in fabricating a quarter section ). in these alternative embodiments , either mandrel extensions 720 and 721 can be used or two mandrel sections are fitted together and temporarily joined together , to provide a surface for forming the t - stiffener . if extensions 720 and 721 are used , they are cut from the mandrel quarter section 18 after the t - stiffeners 712 and 714 have been layed up and cured . in all embodiments , the edges of the mandrel quarter section 18 under the t - stiffeners are made thicker as shown in fig8 c . the thicker edges allow for bolts having greater purchase to be inserted through the respective spans of the t - stiffeners . fig8 b illustrates prepreg lay - up of t - stiffener 712 . t - stiffener as is seen in fig8 b has precured , vertical composite 800 which is a thin cured graphite sheet acting as to support uncured prepreg strips 802 , 804 layed up against both of its surfaces . similarly , spans 806 , 808 comprise uncured prepreg strips which are layed on the respective surfaces of extension 710 and splash 706 . prior to laying these latter strips , however , double back teflon tape sections 810 , 812 are placed parallel along , but spaced from , seam 809 between extension 710 and splash 706 . upon the respective adhesive surfaces of double sections 810 , 812 are then layed along silicone rubber strips 814 , 816 built to form , after their removal , grooves such as 36 , 38 of the t - stiffener shown in fig2 . after strips 814 , 816 are layed along and parallel to seam 809 the length of the splash and extension , uncured prepreg strips , butt jointed , are layed over the splash and extension surfaces as well as over built up rubber strips 814 , 816 . as shown in fig8 b , lay - up of uncured prepreg 818 , 820 forming spans 806 , 808 preferably precedes lay - up of the prepreg 802 , 804 of t - stiffener leg 801 . as is also seen in fig8 b , a portion of uncured prepreg is layed across both spans 806 , 808 to form a base for precured sheet 800 . twisted prepreg tows 822 are used to fill gaps around the corners around built - up rubber strips 814 , 816 . after the lay - up of the prepreg in t - stiffener 712 is complete , span 706 and extension 710 carrying the layed up stiffener is cured under heat and pressure . extension 710 is then separated and rubber strips 814 , 816 then removed to open the respective grooves in the t - stiffener 712 . fig9 shows uncured air duct 900 comprising skin 902 and staged stiffeners 904 . skin 902 has been made by fiber placement on mandrel quarter sections 906 , 908 , 910 , 912 which are mounted around mandrel shaft 914 . bulkheads such as 916 ( others not shown ) mount to shaft 914 and four t - shaped stiffeners 918 which in turn are respectively bolted ( not shown ) to edges of adjacent quarter sections at 906 , 908 , 910 , 912 . t - stiffeners extend the entire length of the quarter sections in aligning , sealing and fastening together the adjacent quarter sections . rubber o - rings in grooves ( neither shown ) of the t - stiffener surfaces prevent leakage from within the mandrel to the outside thereof and through the fiber placement skin ( i . e . continuous filaments of carbon fiber or other material in the form of tows ( comprising a multitude of such filaments banded together as a tape or web ). staged stiffeners 904 are prepared separately in uncured form from prepreg ( tows , comprising a multitude of filaments , which are combined with thermosetting resin into a sheet prior to lay - up ) or more preferably by fiber placement using tows impregnated with thermosetting resin and combined with other tows during preferred fiber placement . staged stiffeners 904 are then aligned on skin 902 . clamshell halves 920 , 922 molded to fit around duct 900 fasten together in sealed relation for curing duct 900 in an autoclave . clamshell halves 920 , 922 have a vacuum port connected to one or both of halves 920 , 922 so as to allow evacuation and removal of volatiles during cure of duct 900 . halves 920 , 922 are fabricated from composite with a skin thickness thin enough to allow reduction of pressure in clamshells 920 , 922 to cause molding of the clamshell skin to the outer surface of duct 902 . an open - ended cylindrical shaped bag ( not shown ) can surround duct 900 with its ends taped down within the quarter sections for sealing off the outer surfaces of skin 902 and stiffeners 904 . curing in the autoclave is at pressures up to 200 psi but more commonly at pressures up to 100 psi . curing is preferably in stages using epoxy , maleimide or the like resins well known in the art . curing temperatures range up to 400 ° c . but may be higher or lower without distracting from this invention . having described this invention in its preferred embodiments , it will be recognized by persons skilled in this art that many variations in design and practice are feasible and that the scope of this invention is only limited by the claims appended hereto .
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a motion estimation apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings . referring to fig3 a motion estimation apparatus 100 includes an input portion 110 , an absolute difference sum computing element 111 connected to an output of motion estimation apparatus 100 , an output portion 112 connected to an output of absolute difference sum computing element 111 , and a control portion 113 controlling input portion 110 , absolute difference sum computing element 111 , and output portion 112 . referring to fig4 a and 4b , input portion 110 receives image data of a current frame ( a reference frame ) 161 and image data of a preceding frame ( an image frame to be searched ) 162 for sequentially outputting values of ( ixj ) samples x ( i , j ) within a reference block x and for sequentially outputting values of ( ixj ) samples y ( i + m , j + n )(= y ( k , l )) within one of blocks to be searched y ( m , n ) corresponding to each of ( 2m × 2n ) vectors v =( m , n ) in a search range 163 . search range 163 has its center corresponding to an upper left corner of reference block x . in addition , one of blocks to be searched in the same position as reference block x is set as y ( 0 , 0 ). it is noted that each position within search range 163 corresponds to a position at the upper left corner of one of blocks to be searched y ( m , n ). absolute difference sum computing element 111 sequentially outputs values of samples x ( i , j ) and y ( k , l ) output from input portion 110 , calculates an absolute difference sum d between reference block x and each of ( 2m × 2n ) blocks to be searched y ( m , n ), and outputs a value of a vector minv =( minm , minn ), which is a vector v =( m , n ) where the absolute difference sum d is minimum . output portion 112 receives minimum absolute difference sum d and vector v =( m , n ) for outputting values thereof at a suitable timing . referring to fig5 absolute difference sum computing element 111 includes : a plurality of registers 165 a to 165 d each for holding a value of sample y ( k , l ) which is necessary for calculating the absolute difference sum ; a plurality of processing elements ( pe ) 166 a to 166 d arranged in an array and each receiving a clock signal , the value of sample x ( i , j ) and values held in registers 165 a to 165 d for calculating the absolute difference sum between reference block x and one of blocks to be searched y ( m , n ); a minimum absolute difference sum holding circuit 167 connected to outputs of the plurality of pes 166 a to 166 d for holding the minimum value of the absolute difference sum ; and the minimum vector holding circuit ( not shown ) holding a value of vector v =( m , n ) where the absolute difference sum is minimum . each of the plurality of registers 165 a to 165 d is connected to adjacent registers and writes a value held in the adjacent one of registers 165 b to 165 d to itself at a prescribed timing . referring to fig6 each of the plurality of pes 166 a to 166 d ( which are collectively called pe 166 in fig6 ) includes : a gate 168 passing the value of sample y ( k , l ) at the rise ( or fall ) of the clock signal ; a gate 169 passing the value of sample x ( i , j ) at the rise ( or fall ) of the same clock signal ; a difference computing element 23 connected to outputs of gates 168 and 169 for calculating an absolute difference between values of samples x ( i , j ) and y ( k , 1 ); a latch 24 holding an output from difference computing element 23 ; an adder 25 receiving values held in latch 24 and a latch 26 which will later be described ; and a latch 26 holding an output from adder 25 , that is , an accumulated value of absolute differences between samples x ( i , j ) and y ( k , l ) in a certain search position . latches 24 and 26 receive clock signals for latching and outputting data at a prescribed timing . samples x ( i , j ) and y ( k , l ) are hereinafter simply called as x and y . referring to fig7 difference computing element 23 includes : an input processing portion 30 receiving and performing prescribed process for samples x and y for outputting sample values xx and yy and a value cp ( later described ) which is output when the prescribed process is performed ; a subtracter 40 connected to input processing portion 30 for calculating difference values of sample values xx and yy ; and an output processing portion 50 connected to input processing portion 30 and subtracter 40 for calculating an absolute difference of the above mentioned difference value and outputting an absolute difference of samples x and y . now , the above mentioned prescribed process performed in input processing portion 30 will be described . here , assume that samples x and y are data with ( h + 1 ) bits . each of samples x and y includes a target bit ( p th bit , p = 0 ˜ h ). if values of bit strings of samples x and y which are in a positions upper than or equal to the target bit position are the same , bit values of the bit strings of sample values xx and yy are set to 0 , and bit value 0 is output as cp . the process is repeated for every bit . assume , for example , values of samples x and y are respectively 011101 and 011001 . in this case , sample values xx and yy are the same in the upper 3 bits . thus , sample values xx and yy respectively turn to 000101 and 000001 , which are obtained by replacing the upper 3 bits with 0 . referring to fig8 a circuit forming input processing portion 30 will be described . input processing portion 30 includes ( h + 1 ) circuits shown in fig8 . it is noted that the circuit calculates p th bit values of sample values xx and yy as well as a value of cp . the circuit includes ( h − p + 1 ) circuits 170 a to 170 c . each of circuits 170 a to 170 c outputs a negation value mi of exclusive or between i th bit values of samples x and y ( which are hereinafter referred to as xi and yi , respectively ). the circuit further includes : a circuit 171 connected to circuits 170 a to 170 c for outputting 0 as value cp when values mp to mh are all 1 , and otherwise outputting 1 as value cp ; a selector 172 connected to circuit 171 for outputting 0 as p th bit value of sample value xx ( hereinafter referred to as xxp ) when value cp is 0 , and outputting a value xp as a value xxp when value cp is 1 ; and a selector 173 connected to circuit 171 for outputting 0 as p th bit value of sample value yy ( hereinafter referred to as yyp ) when value cp is 0 , and outputting a value yp when value cp is 1 . referring to fig9 circuit 171 may include a well - known manchester type carry propagation circuit 45 . in this case , the above described operation is achieved if a carry - in of the manchester type carry propagation circuit 45 is connected to a ground . it is noted that manchester type carry propagation circuit 45 is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 802 , 112 , which is incorporated herein by reference . referring to fig1 , a circuit for calculating the p th bit difference value and forming subtracter 40 will now be described . the circuit is provided for every bit , and subtracter 40 includes ( h + 1 ) of such circuits . the circuit includes : an inverter 41 receiving value yyp ; a full adder 42 connected to inverter 41 and receiving a negation value of yyp , a value xxp and a carry - in value cinp (═ cout ( p − 1 )) which is obtained through calculation of an addition of xx ( p − 1 ) and a negation value of yy ( p − 1 ); and a selector 43 connected to full adder 42 for outputting a ( p − 1 ) th bit difference value s ( p − 1 ) when value cp is 0 and outputting an addition result from full adder 42 when value cp is 1 . a carry - out value coutp from full adder 42 is applied to full adder 42 of a circuit for calculating a ( p + 1 ) th bit difference value . selector 43 outputs a ( p − 1 ) th bit difference value when cp = 0 because a sum obtained by calculation of bits when cp = 1 is transmitted to the most significant bit for a bit when cp = 0 . it is noted that 1 is forcefully set as a carry - in value cino applied to full adder 42 as a sign of value yy is inverted in the case of the least significant bit . referring to fig1 , a circuit outputting a p th bit absolute value forming output processing portion 50 will be described . it is noted that the circuit is provided for every bit , and output processing portion 50 includes ( h + 1 ) of such circuits . the circuit includes : a gate passing a p th bit difference value sp when cp = 1 ; an inverter 53 receiving an output from gate 52 ; an adder 54 receiving an output from inverter 53 and a carry - out value ( co ( p − 1 )) of the ( p − 1 ) th bit adder 54 ; a gate 51 passing a difference value s ( msb ) when cp = 1 ; a selector 55 directly outputting an output from gate 52 , that is , difference value sp when s ( msb )= 1 , and outputting a calculation result of adder 54 when s ( msb )= 0 ; and a selector 56 forcefully outputting 0 when cp = 0 and outputting an output from selector 55 when cp = 1 . in motion estimation apparatus 100 , one of blocks to be searched is extracted from a search range for which it is predicted that the difference value with respect to the reference block would be small , and the difference value between the reference block and one of blocks to be searched is calculated . thus , difference values for a large number of samples are rendered small . this means that values of upper bits match ( that is , cp = 0 ). fig1 shows the number of signal changes when a difference between two binary data x = 00000101 and y = 00000001 are calculated without detecting a match between the upper bits . the number of signal changes is 18 . on the other hand , fig1 shows the number of signal changes when the difference between two data is calculated using difference computing element 23 according to the present embodiment . in this case , the number of signal changes is 8 . the difference is calculated regardless of match / mismatch of upper bits in a usual method . in difference computing element 23 , however , calculation for upper 5 bits is not performed as cp = 0 for those bits . as described above , difference computing element 23 allows difference calculation with the smaller number of signal changes and high accuracy . in motion estimation apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment in which difference computing element 23 is used , reduction in the number of signal changes enables calculation with reduced amount of power consumption and high accuracy . it is noted that , in input processing portion 30 , when values of bits which are upper in position than a target bit are the same for samples x and y , the values of those bits are replaced by 0 . similarly , when values of bits which are lower in position than the target bit are the same for samples x and y , the values of those bits may be replaced with 0 . subtracter 40 may be configured such that the calculation for those bits is not performed . a motion estimation apparatus according to the present embodiment has a structure which is similar to motion estimation apparatus 100 described in the first embodiment . therefore , description of different parts of the structure is only given , and that of all the other parts will not be repeated . referring to fig1 , a difference computing element 23 according to the present embodiment includes : an input processing portion 130 receiving values of samples x and y for outputting sample values xx and yy which are the same as those output from input processing portion 30 of the first embodiment and applying control signals to shifters 141 , 142 and 143 which will later be described ; shifter 141 for left shifting sample value xx by a prescribed number of bits in accordance with the above mentioned control signal ; shifter 142 for left shifting sample value yy by a prescribed number of bits in accordance with the control signal ; a subtracter 140 receiving data with widths from the most significant bits to prescribed bits of sample values xx and yy from shifters 141 and 142 ; a shifter 143 for right shifting a subtraction result from subtracter 140 by a prescribed number of bits in accordance with the control signal ; and an output processing portion 150 for obtaining an absolute value of an output from shifter 143 and outputting an absolute difference value between values of samples x and y . a bit width of data input to subtracter 140 is smaller than those of samples x and y . the prescribed number of bits by which shifters 141 , 142 and 143 shift data is the same as the number of bits where cp = 0 . in other words , the prescribed number of bits is a bit width of a bit string where bit values of samples x and y match . when a bit width of input data is larger than that of subtracter 140 , a lower bit of the input data is rounded and applied to subtracter 140 . this resulted in decrease in calculation accuracy . in difference computing element 23 according to the present embodiment , however , calculation is performed by subtracter 140 except for an upper bit which would not affect a calculation result of a difference value . therefore , calculation accuracy would not always decrease . in addition , as the bit width of data input to subtracter 140 can be smaller than those of samples x and y , power consumption is reduced . similarly , reduction in power consumption can be achieved also in a motion estimation apparatus employing a number of subtracters 140 . although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail , it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation , the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims .
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as utilized herein , terms “ component ,” “ system ,” “ interface ,” and the like are intended to refer to a computer - related entity , either hardware , software ( e . g ., in execution ), and / or firmware . for example , a component can be a process running on a processor , a processor , an object , an executable , a program , and / or a computer . by way of illustration , both an application running on a server and the server can be a component . one or more components can reside within a process and a component can be localized on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers . a component may also be intended to refer to a communications - related entity , either hardware , software ( e . g ., in execution ), and / or firmware and may further comprise sufficient wired or wireless hardware to affect communications . throughout the following description , specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art . however , well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure . accordingly , the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative , rather than a restrictive , sense . in the field of projector and other display systems , it is desirable to improve both image rendering performance and system efficiency . several embodiments of the present application describe systems , method and techniques to affect these improvements by employing light field modeling for dual , or multi - modulation display systems . in one embodiment , light source models are developed and used to advantageous effect . camera pictures of displayed images of known input images may be evaluated to improve light models . in some embodiments , an iterative process may accumulate improvements . in some embodiments , these techniques may be used on moving images to make live adjustments to improve image rendering performance dual modulation projector and display systems have been described in commonly - owned patents and patent applications , including : ( 1 ) u . s . pat . no . 8 , 125 , 702 to ward et al ., issued on feb . 28 , 2012 and entitled “ serial modulation display having binary light modulation stage ”; ( 2 ) united states patent application 20130148037 to whitehead et al ., published on jun . 13 , 2013 and entitled “ projection displays ”; ( 3 ) united states patent application 20110227900 to wallener , published on sep . 22 , 2011 and entitled “ custom psfs using clustered light sources ”; ( 4 ) united states patent application 20130106923 to shields et al ., published on may 2 , 2013 and entitled “ systems and methods for accurately representing high contrast imagery on high dynamic range display systems ”; ( 5 ) united states patent application 20110279749 to erinjippurath et al ., published on nov . 17 , 2011 and entitled “ high dynamic range displays using filterless lcd ( s ) for increasing contrast and resolution ” and ( 6 ) united states patent application 20120133689 to kwong , published on may 31 , 2012 and entitled “ reflectors with spatially varying reflectance / absorption gradients for color and luminance compensation ”. all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety . fig1 shows one possible embodiment of a suitable image projector display system . in this embodiment , the projector display system is constructed as a dual / multi - modulator projector display system 100 that may suffice for the purposes of the present application . projector system 100 employs a light source 102 that supplies the projector system with a desired illumination such that a final projected image will be sufficiently bright for the intended viewers of the projected image . light source 102 may comprise any suitable light source possible — including , but not limited to : xenon lamp , laser ( s ), coherent light source , partially coherent light sources . as the light source is a major draw of power and / or energy for the entire projector system , it may be desirable to advantageously use and / or re - use the light , so as to conserve the power and / or energy during the course of its operation . light 104 may illuminate a first modulator 106 that may , in turn , illuminate a second modulator 110 , via a set of optional optical components 108 . light from second modulator 110 may be projected by a projection lens 112 ( or other suitable optical components ) to form a final projected image upon a screen 114 . first and second modulators may be controlled by a controller 116 — which may receive input image and / or video data . controller 116 may perform certain image processing algorithms , gamut mapping algorithms or other such suitable processing upon the input image / video data and output control / data signals to first and second modulators in order to achieve a desired final projected image 114 . in addition , in some projector systems , it may be possible , depending on the light source , to modulate light source 102 ( control line not shown ) in order to achieve additional control of the image quality of the final projected image . light recycling module 103 is depicted in fig1 as a dotted box that may be placed in the light path from the light source 102 to the first modulator 106 , as will be discussed below . while the present discussion will be given in the context of this positioning , it will be appreciated that light recycling may be inserted into the projector system at various points in the projector system . for example , light recycling may be placed between the first and second modulators . in addition , light recycling may be placed at more than one point in the optical path of the display system . while such embodiments may be more expensive due to an increase in the number of components , that increase may be balanced off against the energy cost savings as a result of multiple points of light recycling . while the embodiment of fig1 is presented in the context of a dual , multi - modulation projection system , it should be appreciated that the techniques and methods of the present application will find application in single modulation , or other dual , multi - modulation display systems . for example , a dual modulation display system comprising a backlight , a first modulator ( e . g ., lcd or the like ), and a second modulator ( e . g ., lcd or the like ) may employ suitable blurring optical components and image processing methods and techniques to affect the performance and efficiencies discussed herein in the context of the projection systems . it should also be appreciated that — even though fig1 depicts a two - stage or dual modulator display system — the methods and techniques of the present application may also find application in a display system with only one modulator or a display system with three or more modulator ( multi - modulator ) display systems . the scope of the present application encompasses these various alternative embodiments . fig2 depicts one embodiment of a projector system , as may be suitable for the purposes of the present application . a light conduit subsystem / module ( e . g ., comprising one or more components from 201 to 216 ) may be placed in the projector system primarily between the light source 102 and a first modulator 221 . light from light source 102 may be input to the optical path via an integrating rod / tube / box 202 . in one embodiment , integrating rod / tube / box 202 may comprise a substantially reflected surface in its interior , so that light that is incident on its surface may be reflected ( e . g ., possibly multiple times ) until the light exits its extreme right end 203 . once the light exits the integrating rod / tube / box , the light may be placed into an optical path that is defined by a set of optical elements — e . g ., lens 204 , 214 and 216 and a set of filters and / or polarizers 206 , 208 , 210 and 212 . this embodiment may also be constructed to perform light recycling , if desired for the design of this projector system . first modulator 221 may comprise a number of prisms 218 a , 218 b and a reflector 220 . reflector 220 may comprise a digital micromirror device ( dmd ) array of reflectors , or a micro - electro - mechanical system ( mems ) array — or any other suitable set of reflectors possible that may reflect light in at least two or more paths . one such path is depicted in fig2 . as may be seen , reflectors 220 direct the light onto the interface of prisms 218 a and 218 b , such that the light may be thereby reflected into lens assembly 222 and thereafter to second modulator 229 ( e . g ., comprising lens assembly 224 , prisms 226 and 230 and reflector 228 ). this light may be employed to form the finally projected image to be viewed by an audience . however , at certain time during the rendering of the final projected image , the full power / energy of the light source 102 may not be needed . if it is not possible to modulate the power of light source 102 , then it may be desired to recycle the light from light source 102 . additionally , it may be desired to increase the brightness of “ highlights ” in an image — and light recycled in the projector system may provide additional power . in such a case , and as may be seen in fig2 , it may be possible to align reflector 220 from its current position as shown ( i . e ., where the light is directed to travel the path down to the second modulator — to position instead where the light would be substantially reflected back to the integrating rod / tube / box 202 , along substantially the same path as described as traveling from right - to - left direction . in another embodiment , a third optional path ( not shown ) allows the reflectors to direct light from the light source to a light “ dump ”— i . e ., a portion of the projector system where the light is absorbed . in this case , the light is wasted as heat to be dissipated from the projector system . thus , the projector system may have multiple degrees of freedom when it comes to directing the light as desired . fig3 is yet another embodiment of a portion of a projector system 300 — which may serve to transmit light from at least one laser and / or partially coherent colored light source and ports ( e . g ., through fiber launch 302 , collimator 304 , diffuser 306 ). light from such a source may transmit through a first optical subsystem / diffuser relay 308 to condition the light to be input into integrating rod 312 — which may comprise the reflecting proximal end 310 ( e . g ., recycling mirror ). a second optical subsystem / recycling relay 314 may further condition the light as desired prior to input into a first modulator 316 . as with fig2 above , this first leg of the system 300 may affect a light recycling mode , as discussed . after first modulation , light may be transmitted through a third optical subsystem / point spread function ( psf ) relay 318 prior to input into a second modulator 320 — which modulates the light for transmission through a projector optical subsystem 322 to project a final image for viewing . in continued reference to fig3 , there is shown a relay optical system 318 that is placed in between a first modulator 316 ( e . g ., a pre - modulator ) and a second modulator 320 ( e . g ., a primary modulator / nine piece prism ). such a relay optical system may be desirable to both reduce the amount of artifacts in the image processing — as well as increasing the contrast of the projected image . as discussed herein in the context of one embodiment , it may be desirable for the first modulator / pre - modulator to produce a blurred and / or de - focused image based upon image data values , e . g ., such as a halftone image . in many embodiments , it may be desirable to have a relay optical system that tends to produce a uniformly blurred / de - focused image from the pre - modulator to the primary modulator . in addition , it may be desirable to have a desired , defocused spot shape for this embodiment . in many embodiments , the relay optical system may comprise lenses or other optical elements that effectively moves the focal plane , corrects for any coma , and adjusts the spread ( e . g ., by creating defocus / blur and adding spherical aberration to some desired amount ). as discussed above , it may be desirable to improve the efficiency of these projector systems , both in terms of energy efficiency and / or in terms of cost efficiency . one such area for improvement may be made in the area of the input prism assembly , e . g ., as employed in conjunction with a spatial light modulator ( slm )— such as a dmd and / or mems array as described herein . fig4 a through 4c depict a conventional prism assembly in front view , top view and side view , respectively . in operation , fig5 a through 5d depict how the prism assembly may interact with an input light beam , reflect the light beam off the dmd in on state , off state and flat state orientations of the dmd reflectors , respectively . as may be seen in fig4 a through 4c and fig5 a through 5d , an input light beam 502 may be transmitted through first prism 408 and totally internally reflected ( tir ) at the interface with second prism 406 , transmitted through optical glasses 404 and 400 — which is disposed proximal to dmd array 500 ( depicted as light beam 504 ). as depicted in fig5 b , when the dmd reflector is set to on state , reflected light beam 506 may be transmitted back through optical elements 400 , 404 , 408 and 406 — to provide light for further modulation and / or projection . fig5 c depicts the light beam 508 , as may be reflected when the dmd reflector is set to the off state — e . g ., whereby light beam 508 may be directed to a light dump ( not shown ), to be absorbed and / or disposed of , so as not to affect the dynamic range of the display . fig5 d depicts light beam 510 when the dmd reflectors are in a flat state orientation . as with light reflected from the dmd in the off state , light reflected during the flat state should similarly be directed away from an operative downstream light path which might include further modulation and / or projection . when the light source is high powered , such as high powered white light ( e . g . xenon lamp or the like ) or high powered colored laser light , then heat may present undesired thermal effects that may manifest themselves in either undesirable imaging effects and / or mechanical element degradation . undesirable effects may include change in psf shape and / or size and positional drift of image from pre - mod to primary modulator over time and heat cycling . fig6 a through 6d show one embodiment of a prism assembly as made in accordance with the principles of the present application — given a front view , top view , side view and bottom view , respectively . as may be seen , the present prism assembly comprises optical elements 600 , 602 , 604 , 606 , 608 , 610 , 612 , 614 and 616 . in this embodiment , optical elements may be employed to operate on one or more color channels — making separate color channel prism paths for each separate color light that is received by the prism assembly . for example , in the green channel as one of the separate color channel prism paths , optical element 602 is a green dump wedge , optical element 612 is a green wedge and optical element 600 is a green input wedge . in the blue channel , optical element 608 is a blue input wedge , optical element 610 is a blue dump wedge and optical element 616 is a blue wedge . in the red channel , optical element 606 is a red dump wedge , optical element 614 is a red wedge and optical element 604 is a red input wedge . it should be noted that each color channel has a number of optical elements deployed for the processing of the colored light input . it should be appreciated that while one embodiment may take in separate colored light input ( e . g ., from lasers , leds , partially coherent light sources or the like ), other embodiments may take in white light input ( e . g ., from xenon lamp or the like ). in such embodiments , it may be possible to separate the various color components from the white light prior to prism assembly ( e . g ., with another , initial , prism assembly or the like ) and then process the separate color components with the prism assembly as made in accordance with the principles of the present application . in operation , fig7 a through 7d depict the manner in which input light beams would be processed by the prism assembly of the present application . fig7 a depicts the situation where a beam of green light ( e . g ., from white light , green laser light and / or partially coherent green light ) is input into the system ( as beam 702 ). beam 702 reflects off the surface of wedge 600 as shown and transmitted to the dmd reflector 700 ( as beam 704 ). fig7 b depicts the reflected beam 708 when the dmd reflector is set in the on state . beam 708 is transmitted through the green wedge 612 for further modulation and / or projection . fig7 c depicts the reflected beam 708 when the dmd reflector is set in the off state . beam 708 is transmitted through the green dump wedge 602 — to prevent further modulation and / or projection . fig7 d depicts the reflected beam 708 when the dmd reflector is set in the flat state . beam 708 is again transmitted through the green dump wedge 602 — to again prevent further modulation and / or projection . as mentioned above , today &# 39 ; s projector systems are illuminated with higher power light sources . such light sources may include xenon white lamps , high powered colored lasers , and / or high powered partially coherent light sources . the performance of such prior art prism designs may not be desirable for many reasons in high powered image projector display system . for merely one example , fig8 depicts the thermal load of the conventional prism ( e . g ., same or similar prism as shown as fig4 a through 4c ). as may be seen , the thermal loads in the legend proceed from lowest to highest as : 1 × ( 802 ), 2 × ( 804 ), 3 × ( 806 ), 4 × ( 808 ) and 6 × ( 810 ). as may be seen the prior art prism — under full illumination — purports to have many regions of high thermal load as noted . by contrast , fig9 depicts the thermal loading of the 9 - piece prism arrangement of fig6 a through 6d , and other embodiments as made in accordance with the principles of the present application . in this embodiment , as the prism assembly may input separate , discrete color channels of illumination , it may be seen that the thermal loading of this prism assembly is better distributed . ( 1 ) significantly simplified dichroic coatings ( 2 ) single pass at single nominal angle unlike current 3 - chip prisms . ( for example , it may not go through the color prism on entry at a different angle through the wedges / coatings .) ( 3 ) f / 4 . 5 has significantly smaller angular spread ( 4 ) 2 - 3 × thermal absorption margin on every element ( 5 ) natively higher contrast due to reduced scatter ( 6 ) reduction / elimination of back scatter from illumination path ( for example , due to one less pass through the dichroics and some of the ar coatings .) ( 7 ) reduction / elimination of forward scatter from off state light path in color prism . ( for example , due to one less pass through the dichroics and some of the ar coatings .) ( 8 ) shorter color prism to reduce cost ( 9 ) removes color combine / separation losses for laser source on current dual 6 piece prism design ( 10 ) discrete light dump for each color for higher power and / or improved thermal management in many embodiments , the following ranges of f /# may suffice : f / 2 to f / 3 for non - laser illumination and f / 4 to f / 8 for laser illumination . for some preferred embodiments , the range can be f / 2 . 4 to f / 3 for non - laser illumination and f / 4 to f / 5 for laser illumination . specific examples may include f / 2 . 4 for typical xenon and f / 4 . 5 for typical laser . coating optimization may be done to anti - reflective ( ar ) coatings and dichroic coatings that combine the light . the ar coatings on the input legs can be optimized per color ( e . g ., since each leg may see a single color ) and angle ( assuming higher f /# psf relay is used ). this optimization can result in better transmission (˜ 0 . 2 % per surface , with 7 surfaces in each discrete path ). in some cases , the angle is in reference to ‘ angle of incidence ’— where , in some cases for lower angles , it may be easier to get better coating transmissions . the dichroic coatings can be optimized for narrowband light ( assuming non - lamp source ) which can have improved reflectance and transmission compared to broader band coatings , and also optimized for narrower angles ( will vary depending on narrow band wavelength choices ). in some embodiments , coatings may be applied at various interfaces in the prism assembly . for example , in fig6 d , a red reflect / green transmit dichroic coating may be applied at the interface between 612 and 614 . a blue reflect / green and red transmit dichroic coating may be applied at the interface between 614 and 616 . as input light does not go through the coatings in its entirety , it tends to avoid the opportunity to scatter or partially reflect . improvements in the dichroic coatings can also be useful to contrast ratio since light control may be desirable there and any unintended reflections may reduce contrast . in other embodiments , this design may also be applied to single - chip dlp projector with monochromatic or color sequential operation . a detailed description of one or more embodiments of the invention , read along with accompanying figures , that illustrate the principles of the invention has now been given . it is to be appreciated that the invention is described in connection with such embodiments , but the invention is not limited to any embodiment . the scope of the invention is limited only by the claims and the invention encompasses numerous alternatives , modifications and equivalents . numerous specific details have been set forth in this description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . these details are provided for the purpose of example and the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details . for the purpose of clarity , technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the invention is not unnecessarily obscured .
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turning now to the drawings , fig1 depicts a typical , electrical generating system of the prior art using high caloric value fuel in combustion - gas turbines (&# 34 ; cgt &# 34 ;). two cgts 1 , 2 , each have a compressor 3 paired with an expander 4 . air enters the paired compressors 3 at air inlet ports 5 . some of the compressed air is mixed with gaseous fuel in at least one combustor 6 , where the air / fuel mixture is burned to produce hot flue gas . the hot flue gas enters the paired expanders 4 at hot flue gas inlet ports 7 . the fuel line supplying the fuel is not shown . the exhaust from each paired expander 4 is fed via an exit duct 8 to a heat - recovery steam generator (&# 34 ; hrsg &# 34 ;) 9 , which in turn generates steam to drive a common steam turbine generator 10 . the system depicted is known as a &# 34 ; combined cycle &# 34 ; system , and is well known in the art . a combined cycle system is about 50 % thermally efficient when the hot flue gas entering the paired expanders 4 is at about 2 , 300 f . cgt and hrsg units can be employed singly or in combination depending upon the power requirements of the system . with current technology , a given compressor is almost always paired with a given expander to burn fuels having a particular range of caloric values . compressors used in conjunction with high caloric value fuels are designed to produce sufficient compressed air to burn the fuel , and also to produce &# 34 ; excess &# 34 ; compressed air to reduce the temperature of the flue gas and sometimes to cool the expander . compressors used in conjunction with low caloric value fuels are designed to produce only sufficient compressed air to burn the fuel . one of the problems arising from use of a low calorie fuel in a turbine designed to burn a high calorie fuel is that the compressor will continue to produce excess compressed air , but the excess is no longer needed to cool the turbine . unless the excess air is extracted from the compressor , it will enter the expander and may result in stalling or inefficient burning of the fuel , or overloading of the expansion turbine . one solution known to the art is extraction of the excess air for miscellaneous mechanical and / or process uses . in a typical configuration depicted in fig2 which has been employed previously , the paired compressor / expander of a combined cycle generating system have been modified for use with low caloric value fuel by transferring some of the compressed air produced by the compressors 3 via a transfer line 15 to miscellaneous other process or mechanical users ( not shown ). the solution depicted in fig2 suffers from several drawbacks . for example , the amount of excess air extracted from the compressors 3 may vary greatly since it depends on the extent to which low caloric value fuel is being burned . the process or mechanical users would therefore have an unreliable source of compressed air . also , it may be inefficient and / or impractical to transfer the excess air to process or mechanical users which may be situated at a relatively great distance from the turbines . fig3 depicts a preferred embodiment of the present invention which resolves the problems associated with the excess compressed air in a new manner . in fig3 a transfer line 15 carries excess air from two paired compressors 3 to the combustor 17 of a non - paired expander 16 . the excess air is first combined with fuel and burned in combustor 17 , and the resulting hot flue gas enters the non - paired expander 16 at an inlet port 18 . although this embodiment uses two paired compressors to produce excess air for a single , non - paired expander , one could utilize a greater or lesser number of paired compressors and a greater or lesser number of non - paired expanders . several examples have been calculated which show the increased efficiency arising from employment of the present invention . the examples are summarized in the chart below . of course , these examples are for illustrative purposes only , and are not meant to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter . __________________________________________________________________________chartexample no . 1 2 3 4 5cgt identification no . v84 . 3 v84 . 2 v84 . 2 w501d5 w501d__________________________________________________________________________base case ( fig2 ) kw 422 , 000 342 , 000 342 , 000 400 , 000 400 , 000excess air available , 1 , 608 , 130 1 , 215 , 720 1 , 215 , 720 632 , 880 632 , 880when firing bfg to thepaired machines , lbs / hrthe invention ( fig3 ) extra fuel employedmmbtu / hr 562 458 577 224 310natural gas , lbs / hr 26 , 928 21 , 951 7 , 647 10 , 725 0bfg , lbs / hr 0 0 352 , 608 0 261 , 605hot gas flow to non - 1 , 635 , 000 1 , 238 , 000 1 , 576 , 000 634 , 600 895 , 000paired expander , lbs / hradditional power 127 , 000 96 , 000 116 , 000 50 , 000 65 , 000generated in non - pairedexpander , kwheat avail for hrsg 315 . 83 239 . 73 302 . 41 124 . 38 170 . 55mmbtu / hradditional power 34 , 000 26 , 000 33 , 000 13 , 500 18 , 500generated in steamturbine , kwincrease in power 161 , 000 122 , 000 149 , 000 63 , 500 83 , 500produced , kwtotal power 583 , 000 464 , 000 491 , 000 463 , 500 483 , 500produced , kwthe improvement attributable to the invention is shown by the bturequired per kwh : the invention 7 , 192 7 , 716 7 , 534 7 , 689 7 , 550basc case 8 , 605 9 , 130 9 , 130 8 , 350 8 , 350__________________________________________________________________________ the first example , depicted in the column marked &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the chart , relates to the use of a v84 . 3 combustion gas turbine manufactured by siemens . utilizing the configuration of fig2 the cgt would produce 422 , 000 kilo watts ( kw ) and 1 , 608 , 130 lbs / hr of excess air . the average efficiency , as defined by expenditure of heat to produce a kilowatt of power , is 8 , 605 btu / kw . utilizing the configuration of fig3 and employing natural gas as the additional fuel , the corresponding efficiency is calculated to be 7 , 192 btu / kw , an improvement of approximately 16 . 4 %. the second and third examples , depicted in the columns marked &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 3 &# 34 ; respectively , use the v84 . 2 combustion gas turbine manufactured by siemens . the base case , again using the configuration of fig2 produces power with an efficiency of 9 , 130 btu / kw . the second example , employing natural gas as the additional fuel in the configuration of fig3 results in a corresponding efficiency of 7 , 716 btu / kw . the third example , employing a combination of natural gas and blast furnace gas as the additional fuel in the configuration of fig3 results in a corresponding efficiency of 7 , 534 btu / kw . this corresponds to a calculated improvement in efficiency of 15 . 5 % and 17 . 5 % respectively . the fourth example , depicted in the column marked &# 34 ; 4 &# 34 ; uses the w501d5 combustion gas turbine manufactured by westinghouse . the base case , using the configuration of fig2 produces power with an efficiency of 8 , 350 btu / kw . utilizing the configuration of fig3 and employing natural gas as the additional fuel , the corresponding efficiency is raised to 7 , 689 btu / kw , a calculated improvement of approximately 7 . 9 %. the fifth example , depicted in the column marked &# 34 ; 5 &# 34 ;, also uses the w501d combustion gas turbine manufactured by westinghouse . the base case , using the configuration of fig2 produces power with an efficiency of 8 , 350 btu / kw . utilizing the configuration of fig3 and employing blast furnace gas as the additional fuel , the corresponding efficiency is raised to 7 , 550 btu / kw , a calculated improvement of approximately 8 . 4 %. various other and further embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure . for example , with respect to fig3 the transfer line 15 could incorporate a bleed valve for bleeding the excess air to the atmosphere or a transfer valve for transferring it to miscellaneous mechanical and process users . as used in the claims , transferred air refers to excess air that is transferred to a non - paired expander . as another example , an automatic fuel control mechanism 19 could be used to adjust the amount of fuel being mixed with the transferred air to the amount of excess air being extracted from the paired compressors 3 .
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an embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described by reference to the drawings . referring to fig1 which is a plan view of a dot matrix printer which is an embodiment of the present invention , reference numeral 1 designates a platen holding printing paper 4 by its outer periphery . designated by 2 is a carriage supported by a guide shaft 7 and a guide rail 8 parallel to the platen and movable parallel to the platen 1 . the carriage 2 is provided with a printing head 5 and an ink ribbon guide roller 6 . denoted by 3 is an ink ribbon . ink ribbon reels 3 - 1 and 3 - 2 on which the ink ribbon 3 is wound may be set on the carriage 2 with the ink ribbon guide rollers 6 interposed therebetween . the carriage 2 is engaged with a carriage driving belt 9 passed over a drive pulley 10 and an idle pulley 11 , and is adapted to effect printing while being moved in the direction of arrow ( a ) parallel to the platen 1 by a carriage driving motor ( stepping motor ) 12 through the driving belt 9 . in the present embodiment , a printing head 5 is a thermal head provided with vertically arranged seven heating resistor elements 14 as shown in fig3 and the ink ribbon 3 is a thermal transfer ink ribbon in which heat - meltable ink coated on the polyester base of the ink ribbon 3 is transferred onto the printing paper in a desired pattern by heating of the thermal head thereby effecting printing . fig2 is a side cross - sectional view of the dot matrix printer shown in fig1 . description will now be made of the printing operation of the dot matrix printer constructed as described above . first , printing data is applied as input to a printer driving control device ( not shown ) and , when the preparation for printing is completed , the printing operation is started . the carriage driving motor 12 is first driven and , when the carriage 2 is moved to a position whereat it is desired to effect printing of the printing paper 4 , the guide rail 8 is pivotally moved in the direction of arrow ( b ) indicated in fig2 by a solenoid , not shown , and the printing head 5 is urged against the printing paper 4 on the platen 1 with the ink ribbon 3 interposed therebetween . thereupon , power is supplied to a resistor element 14 of the thermal head 5 which corresponds to a desired character pattern , and the ink on the ink ribbon 3 is transferred to the printing paper 4 . then , the carriage driving motor 12 is driven by a predetermined number of steps and the carriage 2 is moved by one dot pitch , whereby printing of the next dot line is effected . during the movement of the carriage , the ink ribbon 3 is held between the ink ribbon guide rollers 6 and the platen 1 and therefore is fed by an amount corresponding to the amount of movement of the carriage 2 . as shown in fig2 an ink ribbon take - up motor 15 is coupled to the lower portion of the ink ribbon reels through a friction clutch 16 so that the portion of the ink ribbon fed by the ink ribbon guide rollers 6 and left over on the ink ribbon reel 3 - 1 side is taken up onto the ink ribbon reel 3 - 2 . fig4 shows the character pattern of numeral &# 34 ; 8 &# 34 ;, fig4 ( a ) shows a 10 point size character pattern and fig4 ( b ) showing a 12 point size character pattern . in the printing of 10 point &# 34 ; 8 &# 34 ;, the carriage 2 is moved in the direction of arrow ( c ) and when the dot line of the heating resistor elements 14 of the thermal head 5 has come to position a , the carriage driving motor 12 is stopped and power is supplied to the elements 14 - 2 , 14 - 3 , 14 - 5 and 14 - 6 of the resistor elements 14 , whereby printing is effected . when the printing at the position a which is the first dot line is completed , the carriage driving motor 12 is driven by five pulses , so that the carriage 2 is moved to position b through the drive pulley 10 and the belt 9 and stopped thereat . at the position b , power is supplied to the elements 14 - 1 , 14 - 4 and 14 - 7 of the heating resistor elements 14 of the thermal head 5 , whereby printing is effected . likewise , printing proceeds to c → d → e . where the printing as described above is to be effected at 12 point , after the printing at position a &# 39 ; has been completed , the carriage driving motor 12 is driven by six pulses , whereby the printing at position b &# 39 ; is effected . thereafter , the carriage is likewise moved at one dot pitch by six pulses until the printing at position e &# 39 ; is completed , whereupon printing of &# 34 ; 8 &# 34 ; is terminated . as described above , one pulse drive amount of the carriage driving motor 12 is set to an integer ratio of 5 : 6 between 10 point and 12 point , that is , so that the motor is driven by 5 pulses for 10 point and by 6 pulses for 12 point . likewise , in the present embodiment , dot pitch 7 pulses results in printing at 14 point and 4 pulses results in printing at 8 point . in the present embodiment , the driving of the carriage driving motor 12 is effected at double 1 - 2 phase excitation of a four - phase stepping motor . fig5 is a block diagram of a circuit for driving the dot matrix printer shown in fig1 - 3 , and the construction and operation thereof will hereinafter be described . designated by 101 is an oscillator ( osc ) which puts out the basic pulse p as shown in fig6 . the basic pulse p put out from the oscillator ( osc ) 101 is delivered to and circuits 103 , 104 while , at the same time , it is put out to a stepping motor driving circuit 107 which rotates the carriage driving motor 12 which in turn drives the carriage 2 . a switch signal s for setting the character size to one of 10 point and 12 point is applied as input to the and circuit 103 , while a signal s passed through an inverter 102 is applied as input to the and circuit 104 . when the switch signal s is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; ( the character size is set to 10 point ), the basic pulse p put out from the oscillator ( osc ) 101 is put out to a quinary counter 105 through the and circuit 103 , and when the switch signal s is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; ( the character size is set to 12 point ), that is , when the signal s passed through the inverter 102 is s = 1 , the basic pulse p is put out to a hexanary counter 106 through the and circuit 104 . the quinary counter 105 , when the basic pulse p is applied as input thereto , step - advances its content one by one and when its content reaches 5 , it puts out a signal tp 1 , shown in the timing chart of fig6 and when the basic pulse p is applied as input to the hexanary counter 106 , it step - advances its content one by one and when its content reaches 6 , it puts out a signal tp 2 shown in the timing chart . the signal tp 1 or tp 2 put out from the quinary counter 105 or the hexanary counter 106 as described above is supplied to a dot counter 109 through an or gate 108 . this dot counter 109 counts the position of the carriage 2 from its start of operation in the dot number of 10 point or 12 point , and a comparator 111 compares the printing information stored in a print buffer 110 with the content of the dot counter and delivers printing information of each line to operate a thermal head driving circuit 112 . simultaneously therewith , the signal tp 1 put out from the quinary counter 105 or the signal tp 2 put out from the hexanary counter 106 is delivered to a one - shot circuit 113 which sets the time range of power supply to the thermal head 5 , and the one - shot circuit 113 puts out a signal os 1 or os 2 , shown in the timing chart of fig6 to a head power source on - off circuit 114 , which starts the power supply to the heating resistor elements 14 of the thermal head 5 driven by the thermal head driving circuit 112 , whereby printing is effected on the printing paper 4 . the timing chart of fig6 covers the case where the character size is 10 point and the case where the character size is 12 point . in the foregoing , the case where the character size is 10 point and the case where the character size is 12 point have been described , but if a quaternary counter is additionally provided , printing at 8 point character size will of course be possible , and if a septenary counter is additionally provided , printing at 14 point character size will of course be possible . in the present embodiment , an example using the thermal transfer printing system has been shown , but the present invention is applicable to ordinary dot matrix printers such as thermal printers , wire dot printers , etc .
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referring now to the drawings , there is shown several embodiments of the invention . in the accompanying drawings , common elements are commonly numbered in the respective views . for the alternative embodiment , common elements are consistently numbered though in the next hundred series . with reference to fig1 through 4 , there is shown a realty sign 5 extending from modular signpost , generally 10 , according to one preferred embodiment . any and all relative dimensions of component parts are merely representative . this invention may also be sized and / or shaped differently . for instance , when using a vertical post as a mailbox support or one of many vinyl fence posts , it will surely be shorter than the realty posts depicted in the drawings . and when used as other than permanent realty signs ( i . e ., for temporary “ for sale ” purposes ), vinyl or pvc posts weigh substantially less than their wooden counterparts . depending on which wood materials are used and / or whether such woods are pressure treated , signpost 10 may weigh as little as 10 to 25 % of its current wooden “ equivalent ”. in one embodiment , the first ( vertical ) sign section 12 of signpost 10 would generally measure about 68 to 80 inches in total length with 72 ″ long standard posts being preferred . it is understood , however , that for some applications ( such as for visibility above / over hedges and / or higher yard fencing , still longer vertical post constructions would also be made by this invention . for most realty sign applications , the horizontal component 14 should extend about 40 to 50 inches with a 48 ″ long standard post arm being preferred . after cutting that bevel and forming its outer tips 16 , 18 , that horizontal arm measures about 46¾ inches overall . unlike prior art posts that have to be partially buried ; all of the foregoing is useable above ground . fitting at least partially into an aperture 20 cut or preformed into first vertical section 12 is that second ( horizontal ) section 14 . on a preferred basis , vertical post 12 measures about 4 inches across , from outer wall to the opposing outer wall . the horizontal post 14 measures about 3 . 5 inches across . when at least the vertical post has a hollow interior ( if not both vertical and horizontal sections ), the invention anticipates horizontal section 14 storing mostly inside vertical section 12 when not assembled for realty advertising purposes . preferably , second sign section 14 extends perpendicular to first section 12 , i . e . at a 90 ° angle relative to each other . in some instances , however , it may be aesthetically distinctive to make the two main sections extend at other than a right angle to one another . mounted on either the first section , second section of both sections is an optional flyer box ( not shown ). a realtor ( realty company ) sign 5 hangs from the underside 22 to the second ( horizontal ) sign section with a plurality of clip / bracket combinations , generally 24 . as seen in fig4 , a top end 26 to each clip has multiple “ bends ” for easily fitting into pre - drilled clip holes h in the underside 22 to second section 14 . ideally , these clip / brackets 24 and clip holes h are commonly spaced apart , preferably about 10 to 12 inches from one another ( and not necessarily from the center of the cross arm per se ), more preferably 11 inches apart , for a more universal application of this invention and use by multiple realty companies in multiple regions of the country . it has been determined that a set of two clip / brackets 24 towards opposite ends of the realty sign will not suffice to protect sign 5 from unduly bending in a strong wind . optimally , a sign fastened with at least three ( preferably commonly spaced ) clip brackets 24 will provide better attachment and better protection against potential wind damage . in an alternate embodiment ( not shown ), there are four clip / bracket combinations per yard sign / signpost . there are two ways to install a typical realty sign 5 onto signpost 10 : ( 1 ) all three bracket ends 28 are first joined with bolts b ( or otherwise attached ) through apertures a in the top of sign 5 before all three clip / brackets 24 are wiggled into their corresponding holes h in the underside 22 to horizontal ( second ) sign section 14 . alternately , ( 2 ) all three clip / brackets 24 ( alone ) are first inserted into their respective holes h in horizontal sign section 14 after which main sign 5 gets connected , via bolts b , to the pre - installed clips . because typical realty signs are made from rigid sheet metal ( most often , aluminum ), it may not be possible to install an inflexible sign into a horizontal bar one clip / bracket at a time . the aforementioned clip / bracket combination should also work , with modification , for hanging signs from an existing wooden crossbeam . fig5 and 6 show one such modification scheme . particularly clip / brackets 124 therein would be inserted into holes h cut or drilled into the underside of a wooden crossbeam w after which cover brackets 130 would be installed with bolts or screws ( not shown ). one can always hang additional / supplemental signs , via s - hooks , for example , beneath main realty sign 5 according to this invention . these s - hooks may be crimped to permanently attach an agent &# 39 ; s name , website and / or phone info below the main signage , such crimping intended to prevent the secondary sign from blowing off in the wind . into the top surface of second ( horizontal ) section 14 , one may also position another informational banner ( not shown ). one preferred means for mounting vertical member 12 , i . e . the dart / stake or anchor 32 , is also shown ( silhouetted in fig1 and focused on in fig3 . that representative dart 32 measures about 30 inches in total length with its fins 34 extending about 16 inches or slightly more than halfway . in most applications , at least about 3 to 4 inches of fins 34 get countersunk when dart / anchor 32 is first driven into the ground . with that arrangement , there is little to no chance that vertical post 12 and signage mounted onto said anchor will lean at an odd angle ( i . e . other than 90 degrees or perpendicular to the ground ) or otherwise be susceptible to rocking back and forth . it is understood that fins 34 to dart / anchor 32 would rest against the four corners of a post having a generally rectangular , preferably square , interior cross - section . in other variations , dart / anchor 32 may have oval , circular , star , triangular or polygonal shapes for fitting snugly against the sides of a vertical post 12 whose innermost cavity i would be correspondingly shaped . it is preferred that dart / anchor component be manufactured from steel or aluminum . while other materials such as sturdy plastics or composites may be substituted therefor , the driving installation of such post anchors makes metal darts preferable . these darts may be coated or painted to be more rust resistant . they can also be sprayed with lubricant before positioning at or near the ground for easier driving to the desired depth . fig7 through 10 depict some of the preferred method steps for making a representative horizontal member 14 according to this invention . it is part of the whole assembly as shown in fig7 . fig8 shows a section of vinyl tubing t having a hollow interior i , and generally square - shaped in cross - section . a first end of that tubing t is cut , preferably into 4 wedge - shaped tips angled at about 45 degrees for forming a crimped end c . in fig9 , that crimped end c is placed on a platen or other heating means to sufficiently warm the material so as to be folded onto itself whereupon adjacent edges e will come near one another or possibly even contact with each other to form a tip ( either 16 or 18 ). those steps are sequentially shown in the two views at accompanying fig1 . after sufficient cooling , holes h for the clip / brackets ( 24 ) are cut into the underside 22 of post 14 as best seen in accompanying fig1 . fig1 is a focused view of the one preferred embodiment of dart / anchor 32 ( and its plurality of fins 34 onto which vertical post 12 is ultimately positioned . fig1 through 15 focus on the clip / bracket and its mounting of a swinging realty sign 5 . fig1 shows yet another embodiment using 2 or more vertical posts 214 for hanging commercial realty sign panels ( plural ). as depicted , there are 3 such posts installed to form a corner display , with two panels angled at least about 90 degrees apart from each other . fig1 a shows a first alternate tip end 316 with only one , single slanted face / surface ( rather than beveling inwardly from all four corners ). in the left side view , that slanted angle face f has been cut and readied for attachment to the remainder of the end piece ( usually with the application of at least some edging heat ). fig1 b shows a second alternative tip end 416 , this one having no bevel / slant whatsoever . in its left view , a panel p is prepared before folding and heating onto itself resulting in a substantially flat outermost tip end that runs perpendicular to the overall length ( or height ) of its horizontal ( or vertical ) post member 414 . 1 — clamp upright with top end of upright lined up with “ front cutout ” mark and rout 3½ ″ square in upright using template 2 — spin upright over and clamp with top end lined up with “ back cutout ” mark and rout 3½ ″ square in upright using template 1 — clamp top end of upright in saw cradle with top end against stop . lower saw blade and cut though post until saw hits lower stop 2 — spin post 90 ° and repeat step 1 3 — repeat steps 2 and 1 on remaining sides 1 — place top end of upright on table and slide toward heat platens until end hits stop 2 — pull up lever and bring heat platens in contact with sides of upright 3 — heat sides of upright for about 1 . 5 min . 4 — move heaters away from sides and bend leaves inward and line leave points together — hold until cool — about 30 sec . 5 — spin upright 90 ° and repeat steps 1 - 4 for other 2 leaves 1 — lay story pole on x - arm and mark the center lines for the hanger clio cutouts and the locator cutout 2 — clamp x - arm in router lining up one of the hanger clip cutout centerlines with the centerline on table and rout out the x - arm using hanger clip cutout template 3 — repeat step 2 for remaining two hanger clip centerlines 4 — repeat step 2 for locator cutout center - line using locator cuout template 1 — place wire in tooling and press form hanger 2 — cut to length with wire cutters 1 — bend strap in half around center of hanger 2 — place unit in assembly tooling and press strap around hanger 3 — turn hanger clip over and repeat step 2 1 — place hanger clip in spot welder tongs ⅛ ″ from edge of strap and near crimp at hanger wire and spot weld 2 — repeat step 1 ⅛ ′ from edge on other edge of strap 1 — place hanger clip in vice set - up and drill 5 / 16 ″ hole through center of strapping while certain illustrative embodiments have been shown in the photographs and described above in considerable detail , it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed .
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embodiments of the present invention provide production and playback of multi - media information as streaming video clips for interactive real - time media applications . fig1 is a block diagram of a distributed client - server computer system 1000 supporting interactive real - time multimedia applications according to one embodiment of the present invention . computer system 1000 includes one or more server computers 101 and one or more user devices 103 configured by a computer program product 131 . computer program product 131 may be provided in a transitory or non - transitory computer readable medium ; however , in a particular embodiment , it is provided in a non - transitory computer readable medium , e . g ., persistent ( i . e ., non - volatile ) storage , volatile memory ( e . g ., random access memory ), or various other well - known non - transitory computer readable mediums . user device 103 includes central processing unit ( cpu ) 120 , memory 122 and storage 121 . user device 103 also includes an input and output ( i / o ) subsystem ( not separately shown in the drawing ) ( including e . g ., a display or a touch enabled display , keyboard , d - pad , a trackball , touchpad , joystick , microphone , and / or other user interface devices and associated controller circuitry and / or software ). user device 103 may include any type of electronic device capable of providing media content . some examples include desktop computers and portable electronic devices such as mobile phones , smartphones , multi - media players , e - readers , tablet / touchpad , notebook , or laptop pcs , smart televisions , smart watches , head mounted displays , and other communication devices . server computer 101 includes central processing unit cpu 110 , storage 111 and memory 112 ( and may include an i / o subsystem not separately shown ). server computer 101 may be any computing device capable of hosting computer product 131 for communicating with one or more client computers such as , for example , user device 103 , over a network such as , for example , network 102 ( e . g ., the internet ). server computer 101 communicates with one or more client computers via the internet and may employ protocols such as the internet protocol suite ( tcp / ip ), hypertext transfer protocol ( http ) or https , instant - messaging protocols , or other protocols . memory 112 and 122 may include any known computer memory device . storage 111 and 121 may include any known computer storage device . although not illustrated , memory 112 and 122 and / or storage 111 and 121 may also include any data storage equipment accessible by the server computer 101 and user device 103 , respectively , such as any memory that is removable or portable , ( e . g ., flash memory or external hard disk drives ), or any data storage hosted by a third party ( e . g ., cloud storage ), and is not limited thereto . user device ( s ) 103 and server computer ( s ) 101 access and communicate via the network 102 . network 102 includes a wired or wireless connection , including wide area networks ( wans ) and cellular networks or any other type of computer network used for communication between devices . in the illustrated embodiment , computer program product 131 in fact represents computer program products or computer program product portions configured for execution on , respectively , server 101 and user device 103 . a portion of computer program product 131 that is loaded into memory 112 configures server 101 to record and play back interactive streaming video clips in conformance with the inventive requirements further described herein . the streaming video clips are played back to , for example , user device 103 , which supports receiving streaming video , such as via a browser with html5 capabilities . fig2 illustrates an example of the video streaming infrastructure 2000 , being utilized by some embodiments of the present invention to distribute video clips . as shown , video streaming infrastructure 2000 comprises content delivery network ( cdn ) 200 and internet data centers ( idcs ) 210 - 260 . media files 201 are initially stored in file storage 202 . media files 201 are then distributed via cdn 200 to idcs 210 - 260 . after a file is distributed , each respective idc has a local copy of the distributed media file . the respective local copies are then stored as media file copies 211 - 261 . each idc 210 - 260 then serves streaming media , such as video , to users in the geographic vicinity of the respective idc , in response to user requests . media file copies 211 - 261 may be periodically updated . in some embodiments of the present invention , video streaming infrastructure 2000 is used to distribute the video clips produced by the inventive process disclosed herein . that is , for example , the inventive video clips are stored as media files 201 in file storage 202 , and then distributed via cdn 200 to idcs 210 - 260 , where they are available for playback to users as streaming video . in other embodiments , the inventive video clips are distributed directly from , for example , a server or servers , such as cloud - based servers , without making use of video streaming infrastructure 2000 . fig3 is a high - level block diagram of a system 3000 for producing and storing interactive video clips tagged with metadata , and for delivering interactive video to a user device , according to embodiments of the present invention . system 3000 may be realized as hardware modules , or software modules , or a combination of hardware and software modules . in some embodiments , at least part of system 3000 comprises software running on a server , such as server 101 . in the illustrated embodiment , in addition to producing and storing interactive video clips tagged with metadata , system 3000 performs additional related functions . for example , in this embodiment system 3000 is also capable of playing back prestored video clips and is additionally capable of streaming video to a user in response to user interactions without first storing the video as a video clip . in alternative embodiments , one or more of these functions can be provided by a separate system or systems . in fig3 , computer program 310 can be , for example , an interactive multimedia application program . for example , computer program 310 can be a gaming application program . computer program 310 produces program output 320 in response to program input 330 . in some embodiments , program output 320 comprises raw video and sound outputs . in some embodiments , program output 320 comprises a video rendering result . in some embodiments , program input 330 comprises control messages based on indications of user input interactions , such as a user pushing a button , selecting an item on a list , or typing a command . such user input interactions can originate from input peripherals 350 , which can be peripherals associated with a user device , such as user device 103 . specific user device - associated peripherals can include a joystick , a mouse , a touch - sensitive screen , etc . in some embodiments , input peripherals 350 can be collocated with a remote user device 103 and communicate with other elements of the system via a network . although labeled as “ peripherals ,” those skilled in the art will understand that input devices / elements such as peripherals 350 may , in particular embodiments , include input elements that are built into , i . e ., part of , user device 103 ( e . g ., a touchscreen , a button , etc .) rather than being separate from and plugged into , user device 103 . in some embodiments , input peripherals 350 are “ robot ” entities that produce sequences of inputs that simulate the actions of a real user . such robot entities can be used to “ exercise ” the system and cause it to produce many ( or even all ) possible instances of program output 320 . the purpose of “ exercising ” system 3000 in this manner may be to , for example , cause it to produce and store at least one copy of each video clip associated with program output 320 . application interaction container 340 provides a runtime environment to run computer program 310 . in embodiments of the present invention , application interaction container 340 detects and intercepts user inputs generated by input peripherals 350 and delivers the intercepted user inputs to computer program 310 in the form of program input 330 . application interaction container 340 also intercepts raw video and sound generated as program output 320 and , utilizing the services of computer program video processing platform , 360 , converts the raw video and sound to a streaming video format , and then stores the converted video and sound as one or more video segments or clips 370 in database 390 . each clip represents the audio and video program output produced in response to particular trigger conditions ( or playback events ), where the set of possible trigger conditions comprise , for example , particular items of program input 330 . in some embodiments , the raw video and sound are converted into a multi - media container format . in some embodiments , the raw video and sound are converted into the format known as mpeg2 - transport stream ( mpeg2 - ts ). as the video clips 370 are generated , they are also tagged with a set of attributes 380 ( also referred to herein as “ metadata ”), comprising , for example , a clip id , a playback event , and a length . the attributes in metadata 380 are stored in association with corresponding video clips 370 in database 390 . the stored clips 370 can then be used for future playback . the stored , tagged video clips 370 can be re - used by the same user or a different user . potentially , a given clip 370 can be reused by thousands of users interacting with computer program 310 on a shared server or set of servers . for example , the next time a given playback event arises ( based , for example , on the detection of a particular user input , either from the same user or a different user ), the stored video clip 370 tagged with that event can be played , thus avoiding the need to regenerate the corresponding raw video and sound . for some applications , this can result in a substantial savings of computer processing power . see description of playback process below for further details . as noted above , in the illustrated embodiment , system 3000 can also play back prestored video clips . for example , based on a user interaction via input peripherals 350 resulting in program input 330 , computer program 310 may determine that a certain prestored clip 370 with metadata 380 corresponding to the user interaction is available and is the appropriate response to the user interaction . the matching clip 370 can then be retrieved from storage and streamed , for example according to a multi - media container format , such as mpeg2 - ts , to user device 103 . as further noted above , in the illustrated embodiment , system 3000 can also stream video to a user in response to user interactions even if the video is not currently stored as a streaming video clip 370 . for example , based on a user interaction via input peripherals 350 resulting in program input 330 , computer program 310 may determine that a certain video output is the appropriate response to the user interaction , but that no corresponding clip 370 is available . the required video can then be generated by computer program 310 as raw video output 320 . application interaction container 340 then intercepts the program output 320 and , utilizing the services of computer program video processing platform 360 , converts the raw video to a streaming format , according to , for example , a multi - media container format , such as mpeg2 - ts , and sends the streaming video to user device 103 . advantageously , the streaming video can simultaneously be recorded , encapsulated as a video clip 370 , and stored for future use along with appropriate metadata 380 . fig4 . illustrates a process 4000 for producing , storing , and playing interactive video clips and related metadata , according to embodiments of the present invention . in some embodiments , process 4000 can also support other related functions , such as , for example , streaming video to a user without first storing the video as a video clip . at step 410 , a computer program launches in a server , such as server 101 . the server can be , for example , a cloud - based server . the server can be , for example , a game server . the computer program can be , for example , an interactive multimedia application program , such as , for example , a game application . at step 420 , the process monitors for user input . at decision box 430 , if no user input is detected , the process returns to step 420 and continues to monitor for user input . if user input is detected , control passes to decision box 440 . at decision box 440 , if a prestored video clip with matching metadata ( i . e ., metadata corresponding to the user input ) exists , control passes to step 450 , where the prestored video clip is streamed to the user . control then returns to step 420 and the process continues monitoring for user input . if , at decision box 440 , no prestored clip with matching metadata is found , control passes to step 460 . at step 460 , a video segment from the program output responsive to the user input is streamed to the user . simultaneously , the video segment is recorded in preparation for the creation of a corresponding video clip . at step 470 , the recorded video is encapsulated into a video clip in a streaming format . for example , the streaming format can be a multi - media container format such as mpeg2 - ts . at step 480 , metadata associated with the video clip ( e . g . clip id , playback event or trigger , length ) is generated . at step 490 , the video clip and its associated metadata are stored for future use . for example , the video clip can be used in the future by a playback process when a trigger corresponding to the stored metadata for the clip is encountered . by using the stored video clip , the playback process can then avoid the need for the computer program to regenerate the video segment corresponding to the stored video clip . video segments can continue to be recorded , encapsulated into clips in a streaming format , and stored with associated metadata until , for example , the game ends . note that , in the case where process 4000 is running on a server , for example a cloud - based server , it may actually be handling multiple users , possibly many users , simultaneously . in such a case , it is entirely possible that a given video segment has already been recorded , encapsulated and stored as a video clip 370 , with corresponding metadata 380 in the course of a previous user &# 39 ; s interaction with process 4000 . in such a case , it should not be necessary to record the corresponding segment again . rather , the video clip can be retrieved from the set of previously stored clips , based on the metadata , which can include a unique id . fig5 displays an example graph - structured set 5000 of video clips and associated metadata , used in a playback process according to embodiments of the present invention . these clips may be , for example , video clips 370 and associated metadata 380 produced by the system 3000 of fig3 and / or by the process 4000 of fig4 . in a playback process , video clips 370 are streamed from a server , such as server computer 101 or a server associated with an internet data center , such as idc 210 . video clips 370 are received and viewed at a user device , such as user device 103 , which is equipped with suitable capabilities , such as a browser supporting html5 . each interactive multimedia application or portion of an application may have associated with it a playback video clip set of a form similar to video clip set 5000 , also referred to as a “ metadata playlist .” for example , each level of a multilevel game can have its own metadata playlist . as described above , the metadata associated with each video clip 370 is learned as the application executes in response to real or “ robot ” user input . therefore , at the same time , the metadata playlist 5000 is also learned . this is because the metadata playlist is the collection of video clips 370 , linked according to metadata 380 , for the particular application or portion of an application . in the example of fig5 , the video clips are represented by circles , each having an id . for example , video clip 510 is labeled with id = a . arrows represent “ playback events ” or trigger conditions that cause the playback process 5000 to progress in the direction of the arrow . for example , if video clip 520 is playing and button x is pushed , the playing of video clip 520 stops and video clip 530 starts . if , on the other hand , the user selects “ item 2 ” while video clip 520 is playing , the process transitions instead to video clip 540 . if video clip 530 is playing and button y is pressed , the process transitions to and plays video clip 550 . also , if video clip 540 is playing and button y is pressed , the process transitions to and plays video clip 550 . if video clip 540 is playing and the user swipes to “ target z ,” then the process transitions to and begins playing video clip 560 . if either of video clip 560 or 550 is playing and the audio command “ submit ” is received from the microphone (“ mic ”), the process transitions to and begins playing video clip 570 . illustrating a somewhat different kind of trigger , when video clip 510 is finished playing , the process automatically progresses to the video clip labeled a ′, namely video clip 520 . optionally , a caching mechanism can be employed to help smooth playback of the video clips . in some embodiments of the present invention , the video delivered from a server to a user device is a mix of pre - calculated video ( stored and re - played video clips ) and real - time generated video streams ( for video that has not yet been stored as video clips with metadata ). in the above description , reference is made to streaming multi - media container formats , such as mpeg2 - ts . it should be understood that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to mpeg2 - ts , but rather can employ any of a wide variety of streaming container formats , including but not limited to 3gp , asf , avi , dvr - ms , flash video ( flv , f4v ), iff , matroska ( mkv ), mj2 , quicktime file format , mpeg program stream , mp4 , ogg , and rm ( realmedia container ). embodiments that operate without a standardized container format are also contemplated . although a few exemplary embodiments have been described above , one skilled in the art will understand that many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . accordingly , all such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claimed invention .
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hereinafter , embodiment modes according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . however , the present invention can be carried out in many different modes , and it is easily understood by those who are skilled in the art that embodiments and details herein disclosed can be modified in various ways without departing from the purpose and the scope of the present invention . therefore , it should be noted that the description of the embodiment modes to be given below should not be interpreted as being limited to the present invention . further , in all of views for describing the embodiment modes , the similar portion or the portion which have the similar function is marked with the same reference number , and a repeated explanation thereof will be omitted . in this embodiment mode , a method for manufacturing an organic tft is described as an organic semiconductor element of bottom contact type . fig1 shows a cross - sectional view of an organic tft of bottom contact type . the organic tft of bottom contact type has an element structure in which an organic semiconductor film is formed after a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed . first , a conductive film ( hereinafter , a gate electrode ) 101 which serves as a gate electrode is formed over a substrate 100 having an insulating surface . note that a method for manufacturing an organic tft in this embodiment mode is illustrated with an example in which a quartz substrate is used for the substrate 100 having an insulating surface , tungsten ( w ) is used as the conductive film 101 over the quartz substrate , and the gate electrode is formed by a sputtering method , but the present invention is not limited to this . as a substrate having an insulating surface , a glass substrate such as a barium borosilicate glass and an alumino borosilicate glass , or a stainless steel substrate or the like can be used . moreover , it is preferable to use a substrate formed by synthetic resin such as a plastic or an acryl typified by polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polyethylene naphthalate ( pen ), polyethersulfone ( pes ). a substrate formed by such synthetic resin is flexible and lightweight . moreover , a substrate is preferably used after polishing the surface by a chemical or mechanical polishing method , so called cmp ( chemical - mechanical polishing ), to enhance planarity of the substrate . as a polishing agent ( slurry ) of cmp , a polishing agent in which fumed silica particles obtained by pyrolyzing a chloride silicon gas are dispersed into a koh solution can be used . if necessary , a base film may be formed over the substrate . the base film serves as to prevent an alkaline metal such as na or an alkaline earth metal included in the substrate from dispersing into a semiconductor film ; therefore , adverse effect on the characteristic of a semiconductor element is prevented . therefore , the base film can be formed by using an insulating film such as silicon oxide , silicon nitride , silicon nitride oxide , titanium oxide , and titanium nitride which can prevent an alkaline metal or an alkaline earth metal from dispersing into the semiconductor film . the gate electrode may be formed by an element selected from the group consisting of ta , ti , mo , al , and cu ; or an alloy material or a compound material in which at least one of the elements is used as a main component , in addition to tungsten . moreover , the gate electrode can have a single layer structure or a laminated structure . furthermore , the gate electrode may be formed by using a screen printing method , a roll coating method , a droplet discharge method , a spin coating method , a vapor deposition method , or the like . as a material for the electrode , a conductive high molecular weight compound or the like may be used , in addition to a metal and a metal compound . a droplet discharge method is a method which can form a pattern selectively , and a method for forming a conductive film by selectively discharging ( jetting ) a droplet ( also referred to as a dot ) of a composition mixed with a material for a conductive film , an insulating film or the like . a droplet discharge method is also referred to as an ink - jetting method , depending on the system . in the case where the conductive film is formed by using a droplet discharge method , a conductive material mixed with a solvent described hereinafter can be used : an element selected from the group consisting of gold ( au ), silver ( ag ), copper ( cu ), platinum ( pt ), palladium ( pd ), tungsten ( w ), nickel ( ni ), tantalum ( ta ), bismuth ( bi ), lead ( pb ), indium ( in ), tin ( sn ), zinc ( zn ), titanium ( ti ), or aluminum ( al ), an alloy or a dispersion nanoparticle including at least one of the elements , or a fine particle of silver halide . moreover , in the case where the conductive film is formed by using a screen printing method or the like , a conductive paste in used . as the conductive paste , a conductive carbon paste , a conductive silver paste , a conductive copper paste , a conductive nickel , or the like can be used . after forming the conductive film in a predetermined pattern by the conductive paste , leveling and drying are carried out , and may be cured at temperatures of from 100 to 200 ° c . after forming the gate electrode 101 , an insulating film 102 ( hereinafter , a gate insulating film ) which serves as a gate insulating film is formed . note that a tft in this embodiment mode is described using an example in which the gate insulating film 102 is formed by depositing sion by using a cvd method ; however , the gate insulating film 102 may be formed by using a sputtering method , a spin coating method , a vapor deposition method or the like , in addition to a cvd method . as a material for the gate insulating film 102 , an organic or inorganic material such as silicon nitride oxide ( sion ), silicon oxide ( sio 2 ), silicon nitride ( sin ), siloxane , polysilazane , and polyvinyl alcohol , may be used . siloxane is a material which has a skeleton constructed from the bond of silicon ( si ) and oxygen ( o ), and is formed by using a polymer material as a starting material , which has a substituent including at least hydrogen or which has at least one selected from the group consisting of substituent including fluorine , alkyl group , and aromatic hydrocarbon group as a starting material . polysilazane is formed by using a liquid material which includes a polymer material having the bond of silicon ( si ) and nitride ( ni ), a so - called polysilazane , as a starting material . in addition , an insulating film obtained by anodizing the gate electrode may be used for an insulating film which is used as the gate insulating film 102 . next , a conductive film 103 ( hereinafter , a source electrode and a drain electrode ) which serves as a source electrode and a drain electrode of a tft is formed over the gate insulating film 102 . note that a tft in this embodiment mode is described using an example in which tungsten is formed as the source electrode and the drain electrode 103 by using a sputtering method ; however , the source electrode and the drain electrode 103 may be formed by using an ink jetting method , a spin coating method , a vapor deposition method or the like , in addition to a sputtering method . as a material for the source electrode and the drain electrode 103 , a conductive high molecular weight material or the like may be used , in addition to a metal and a metal compound . in other words , the source electrode and the drain electrode 103 can be formed with reference to the material or the manufacturing method of the gate electrode 101 . however , the source electrode and the drain electrode 103 need to form an ohmic contact with an organic semiconductor film . therefore , in the case where an organic semiconductor material is p - type , it is preferably to use a material having a higher work function than an ionization potential of an organic semiconductor material , and in the case where an organic semiconductor material is n - type , it is preferably to use a material having a lower work function than an ionization potential of an organic semiconductor material . in this embodiment mode , pentacene which is a p - type organic semiconductor material is used , so tungsten having comparatively a high work function is used . next , an organic semiconductor film 104 is formed over the insulating film 102 , source electrode 103 , and drain electrode 103 . note that in this embodiment mode , an example in which pentacene is used as an organic semiconductor material is described , but as the organic semiconductor material , an organic molecular crystal or an organic high molecular weight compound may be used . as a specific organic molecular crystal , a polycyclic aromatic compound , a conjugated double bond system compound , carotene , a macrocyclic compound and a complex thereof , phthalocyanine , diphenyl - pycrylhydrazyl , a charge transfer type complex ( a ct complex ), a dye , a protein or the like can be given . for example , anthracene , tetracene , pentacene , 6t ( hexathiophene ), tcnq ( tetracyanoquinodimethane ), a perylenetetracarboxylic derivative such as ptcda , a naphthalene tetracarboxylic derivative such as ntcda , or the like can be given . on the other hand , as a specific organic high molecular weight compound material , a p - conjugated polymer , a carbon nanotube , polyvinilpyridine , a phthalocyanine metal complex , a phthalocyanine metal complex , iodide complex or the like can be given . specially , it is preferable to use a p - conjugated polymer having a skeleton constituted by a conjugated double bond such as polyacetyrene , polyaniline , polypyrrole , polythienylene , polythiophene derivatives , poly ( 3 - alkylthiophene ), polyparaphenylene derivatives , or polyparaphenylene vinylene derivatives . as a method for forming a film , a method which can form a film having an even film thickness may be employed . as a specific method , a vapor deposition method , a spin coating method , a bar - code method , a solution cast method , a dipping method , or the like may be employed . as pretreatment for forming an organic semiconductor film , plasma treatment may be performed to a surface to be formed , or a film , for example a self - assembled monolayer ( sam ) and an alignment film , may be formed to enhance adhesion strength or the condition of the interface . note that in this embodiment mode , pentacene which is an organic material is scattered by a vacuum vapor deposition method to form the organic semiconductor film 104 over the gate insulating film 102 and the source and drain electrodes 103 . next , the element substrate 110 is baked after forming the organic semiconductor film 104 . at this time , the temperature is set to be less than the temperature in which the organic semiconductor film 104 is evaporated or decomposed . a temperature as high as possible within the range is effective for improving organic tft characteristic . in addition , the temperature at this time is desirably the melting point of the organic semiconductor film 104 or less . as one of the causes of improving the tft characteristic by performing baking , it is speculated that carrier transportability is improved since the adhesion strength between the organic semiconductor film 104 , and the source electrode and drain electrode 103 and the insulating film 102 is enhanced by baking ; and therefore , an injection barrier becomes decreased . moreover , it is speculated that a high temperature is effective for improving tft characteristic to enhance the adhesion strength between the organic semiconductor film 104 , and the source electrode and drain electrode 103 and the insulating film 102 . furthermore , it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved compared with before baking since moisture in the organic semiconductor film 104 is decreased by performing baking ; and therefore , the deterioration of the organic semiconductor film 104 can be suppressed . with reference to a result of before and after baking using pentacene as an organic semiconductor material as shown in embodiment 6 , the temperature during baking is preferably set at a temperature in which grain boundary ( grain ) of pentacene does not grow before and after baking . with reference to a result of baking under atmospheric pressure using pentacene as an organic semiconductor material as shown in embodiment 1 , the shift of a threshold value becomes smaller as a temperature becomes gradually high to 120 ° c ., 150 ° c . and 200 ° c . in other words , it is understood that a high temperature is effective for improving the organic tft characteristic . moreover , according to embodiment 1 , in the case where pentacene is used as the organic semiconductor material , it is understood that a temperature of approximately 250 ° c . is the temperature of being evaporated or decomposed . therefore , heating temperature is preferably less than 250 ° c . it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved since carrier transportability is improved by enhancing the adhesion strength between the organic semiconductor film 104 and the source electrode and the drain electrode 103 and the insulating film 102 by performing baking ; and therefore , an injection barrier becomes small . moreover , it is speculated that a higher temperature is furthermore effective for improving the tft characteristic , since the adhesion strength between the organic semiconductor film 104 and the source electrode and the drain electrode 103 and the insulating film 102 is enhanced . it is also speculated that the tft characteristic is improved compared with before baking since moisture in the organic semiconductor film 104 is decreased by performing baking ; and therefore , the deterioration of the organic semiconductor film 104 can be suppressed . as for the atmosphere during baking , inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen or argon may be employed in consideration of deterioration of the organic semiconductor film due to oxygen or moisture , even though an effect can be also expected in atmospheric air . moreover , the baking may be also carried out under reduced pressure ( for example , from 1 . 3 * 10 − 3 pa to 6 . 7 * 10 4 pa ) to suppress a deterioration of the organic semiconductor film and make baking temperature low . with reference to a result of baking under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) using pentacene as an organic semiconductor material as shown in embodiment 3 , the baking performed under reduced pressure may be more effective compared with the baking under atmospheric pressure , in the case where the baking is carried out at same temperature ( 120 ° c . and 150 ° c .). moreover , it is understood that the effect of the baking can be obtained at a lower temperature by carrying out the baking under reduced pressure . it is speculated that a tft characteristic is improved by performing baking under reduced pressure , since deterioration such as oxidation of the organic semiconductor film due to oxygen in atmospheric air is suppressed . in addition , the baking may be carried out under atmospheric pressure or under reduced pressure after being left under atmospheric pressure after deposition . in addition , reduced pressure may be kept after deposition to carry out the baking . in other words , the organic semiconductor film may be heated in a processing chamber in which the organic semiconductor film is formed . embodiment 4 shows a result of baking which is carried out under reduced pressure after once being left under atmospheric pressure is shown , and embodiment 5 shows a result of baking which is carried out under reduced pressure after deposition . it is understood that an effect of the baking is obtained in the both cases . furthermore , it is understood according to embodiment 4 that an organic tft characteristic is recovered by performing baking after once being left under atmospheric pressure . as described above , according to the present invention , it is understood that an organic tft characteristic is improved by performing baking after an organic semiconductor film is formed . it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved since moisture in the organic semiconductor film is reduced by performing baking ; and therefore , a deterioration of the organic semiconductor film is suppressed . it is also speculated that the adhesion strength between the electrode and the insulating film , and the organic semiconductor film is enhanced by baking , and the crystallinity of the organic semiconductor film and carrier transportability are improved ; therefore , the tft characteristics are improved compared with before baking . as for the baking under reduced pressure , it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved since a deterioration of the organic semiconductor film due to oxygen in atmospheric air is suppressed . the organic tft described above can be utilized as a switching element of a liquid crystal display device . for example , a liquid crystal display device can be manufactured by forming a pixel electrode ( ito or a metal film ) over either a source electrode or a drain electrode and by providing with a liquid crystal layer . moreover , an organic tft according to the present invention may be utilized for such as a switching element of a display device having a light emitting element or the like . in this embodiment mode , an organic tft of top contact type in which a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed after forming an organic semiconductor film , which is different from embodiment mode 1 , is described with reference to fig2 . first , as in embodiment mode 1 , an element substrate 210 in which a gate electrode 201 is formed over a substrate 200 and a gate insulating film 202 provided to cover the gate electrode is formed is prepared . a material of the gate electrode and the gate insulating film or a method for manufacturing thereof can be referred to embodiment mode 1 . next , an organic semiconductor film 203 is formed over the element substrate 210 . as the organic semiconductor material , an organic molecular crystal or an organic high molecular weight compound may be used . as a specific organic molecular crystal , a polycyclic aromatic compound , a conjugated double bond system compound , carotene , a macrocyclic compound and a complex thereof , phthalocyanine , diphenyl - pycrylhydrazyl , a charge transfer type complex ( a ct complex ), a dye , a protein or the like can be given . for example , anthracene , tetracene , pentacene , 6t ( hexathiophene ), tcnq ( tetracyanoquinodimethane ), a perylenetetracarboxylic derivative such as ptcda , a naphthalene tetracarboxylic derivative such as ntcda , or the like can be given . on the other hand , as a specific organic high molecular weight compound material , a p - conjugated polymer , a carbon nanotube , polyvinilpyridine , a phthalocyanine metal complex , a phthalocyanine metal complex , iodide complex or the like can be given . specially , it is preferable to use a p - conjugated polymer having a skeleton constituted by a conjugated double bond such as polyacetyrene , polyaniline , polypyrrole , polythienylene , polythiophene derivatives , poly ( 3 - alkylthiophene ), polyparaphenylene derivatives , or polyparaphenylene vinylene derivatives . moreover , as a method for forming a film , a method in which a film having an even film thickness can be formed over the element substrate 210 may be employed . as a specific method , a vapor deposition method , a spin coating method , a bar - code method , a solution cast method , a dipping method , or the like may be employed . as pretreatment for forming an organic semiconductor film 203 , plasma treatment may be performed to a surface to be formed , or a film to enhance adhesion strength or condition of the interface for example a self - assembled monolayer ( sam ) and an alignment film may be formed . subsequently , an electrode that serves as a source electrode 204 and a drain electrode 204 of the tft are formed . a material of the source electrode 204 and the drain electrode 204 may refer to embodiment mode 1 . the source electrode 204 and the drain electrode 204 need to form ohmic contact to with an organic semiconductor film 203 . therefore , in the case where an organic semiconductor material is p - type , it is preferable to use a material having a higher work function than ionization potential of an organic semiconductor material , and in the case where an organic semiconductor material is n - type , it is preferable to use a material having a lower work function than ionization potential of an organic semiconductor material . in addition , as a method for forming a film , a method which can form a film having an even film thickness over the element substrate 210 may be employed . a specific method may refer to embodiment mode 1 . next , the element substrate 210 is baked after forming the source electrode 204 and the drain electrode 204 . at this time , a temperature is set to be less than the temperature in which the organic semiconductor film is evaporated or decomposed . moreover , a temperature which is as high as possible within the range of the melting point or less is effective for improving the organic tft characteristic . moreover , baking may be performed before forming the source electrode 204 and the drain electrode 204 and after forming the organic semiconductor film 203 . as for the atmosphere during the baking , inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen or argon may be employed in consideration of deterioration of the organic semiconductor film due to oxygen or moisture , even though an effect can be also expected when baking is performed under atmospheric pressure . moreover , the baking may be carried out under reduced pressure ( for example , from 1 . 3 * 10 − 3 pa to 6 . 7 * 10 4 pa ) to suppress a deterioration of the organic semiconductor film and make baking temperature lower , as described above . the organic 1141 described above can be utilized as a switching element of a liquid crystal display device . for example , a liquid crystal display device can be manufactured by forming a pixel electrode ( ito or a metal film ) on either a source electrode or a drain electrode and by providing with a liquid crystal layer . moreover , an organic tft according to the invention may be utilized for such a switching element of a display device having a light emitting element and the like . in this embodiment , a result which is temperature dependence of electric properties of the organic th manufactured by performing baking under atmospheric pressure according to the above - mentioned embodiment mode 1 is shown . note that the organic tft used as a test sample has a structure in which a gate electrode 301 formed by tungsten is provided over a quartz substrate , a gate insulating film is provided over the gate electrode 301 , a source electrode 302 and a drain electrode 303 formed by tungsten are provided over the gate insulating film , and an organic semiconductor film is provided between the source electrode 302 and the drain electrode 303 , in atmospheric air as shown fig3 . moreover , the source electrode 302 , the drain electrode 303 and the gate electrode 301 is each provided with a measuring pad ( a pad 304 for the source electrode , a pad 305 for the drain electrode , a pad 306 for the gate electrode ) to apply measurement voltage or to detect current . in addition , a channel length of the organic tft corresponds to the length between the source electrode and the drain electrode ( referred to as l in fig3 ), and the value of l is 5 μm . on the other hand , a channel width of the organic tft corresponds to the length of the region where the source electrode and the drain electrode are overlapped with each other ( referred to as w in fig3 ), and the value of w is 8000 μm . pentacene was used as a material for the organic semiconductor , and the organic semiconductor was formed to be 50 nm thick . as a film formation method , a vapor deposition method was used . ( 2 ) baked for 10 minutes at a temperature of 120 ° c . under atmospheric pressure ( 3 ) baked for 10 minutes at a temperature of 150 ° c . under atmospheric pressure ( 4 ) baked for 10 minutes at a temperature of 200 ° c . under atmospheric pressure ( 5 ) baked for 10 minutes at a temperature of 250 ° c . under atmospheric pressure fig4 shows a result of vg - id characteristic in which the current of the drain electrode and a gate voltage are detected when voltage of − 10v is applied as vd in the baking condition ( 1 ) through ( 5 ). fig4 shows that a threshold value of on - off approaches 0v by performing baking after deposition . under atmospheric pressure , a threshold value in the case where baking is carried out for 10 minutes at a temperature of 150 ° c . ( 3 ) shifts significantly than a threshold value in the case where baking is carried out for 10 minutes at a temperature of 120 ° c . ( 2 ). on the other hand , the case of 150 ° c . ( 3 ) and 200 ° c . ( 4 ) has few differences . fig4 also shows that leakage current at off is decreased by performing baking after deposition . it is also understood that the case of 10 minutes at 150 ° c . ( 3 ) shifts more compared with the case of 10 minutes at 120 ° c . ( 2 ), and the case of 10 minutes at 200 ° c . ( 4 ) shifts more compared with the case of 10 minutes at 150 ° c . ( 3 ). accordingly , it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved compared with before baking since moisture in the organic semiconductor film is decreased by performing baking ; and therefore , the deterioration of the organic semiconductor film can be suppressed . it is also speculated that the adhesion strength between the electrode and the insulating film , and the organic semiconductor film is enhanced by baking , and the crystallinity of the organic semiconductor film and carrier transportability are improved ; therefore , the tft characteristic is improved compared with before performing baking . furthermore , it is speculated that high temperature is effective for improving the tft characteristic to enhance the adhesion strength between the organic material and both the source and drain electrodes 304 and the insulating film . as described above , it can be understood that baking after deposition is effective to improve the organic tft characteristic . in addition , it seems that there is no improvement of the organic tft characteristic in the case where baking is carried out at a temperature of 250 ° c . for 10 minutes ( 5 ). it can be considered that the organic tft characteristic is disappeared due to thermal decomposition or oxidization of pentacene at a temperature of approximately 250 ° c . therefore , it is understood that heat temperature is preferably set to be less than 250 ° c . in the case where pentacene is used as a material for the organic semiconductor material . in this embodiment , a result which is time dependence of electric properties of the organic tft manufactured by performing baking under atmospheric pressure according to the above - mentioned embodiment mode 1 is shown . note that a manufacturing condition of the organic tft , other than the baking condition after deposition , used as a test sample is the same as in embodiment 1 . ( 2 ) baking ( 1 ) at a temperature of 120 ° c . for 10 minutes under atmospheric pressure ( 3 ) baking ( 2 ) at a temperature of 120 ° c . for 30 minutes under atmospheric pressure fig5 shows a result of vg - id characteristic in which the current of the drain electrode and gate voltage are detected when voltage of − 10v is applied as vd in the baking condition ( 1 ) through ( 3 ). fig5 shows that a threshold value of on - off approaches 0v by performing baking after deposition , and shifts significantly when the baking time is long . accordingly , it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved compared with before baking since moisture in the organic semiconductor film is decreased by performing baking ; and therefore , the deterioration of the organic semiconductor film can be suppressed . it is also speculated that the adhesion strength between the electrode and the insulating film , and the organic semiconductor film is enhanced by baking , and the crystallinity of the organic semiconductor film and carrier transportability are improved ; therefore , the tft characteristic is improved compared with before performing baking . furthermore , it is speculated that reducing of moisture in the organic semiconductor film and enhancing the adhesion strength between the organic semiconductor film and both of the source and drain electrodes and the insulating film are promoted by performing baking for a long time , and thus it is effective for improving characteristic of the organic semiconductor . accordingly , it is understood that baking after deposition is effective to improve the organic tft characteristic . in this embodiment , a result which is temperature dependence of electric properties of the organic tft manufactured by performing baking under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) after once being left under atmospheric pressure after deposition according to the above - mentioned embodiment mode 1 is shown . note that a manufacturing condition of the organic tft used as a test sample is the same as in embodiment 1 , other than the baking condition after deposition . ( 1 ) baked for 10 minutes at a temperature of 120 ° c . under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) ( 2 ) baked for 10 minutes at a temperature of 150 ° c . under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) ( 3 ) baked for 10 minutes at a temperature of 200 ° c . under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) fig6 shows a result of vg - id characteristic in which the current of the drain electrode and gate voltage are detected when voltage of − 10v is applied as vd in the baking condition ( 1 ) through ( 3 ). fig6 shows that a threshold value of on - off approaches 0v by performing baking after deposition . under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ), a threshold value in the case where baking is carried out for 10 minutes at a temperature of 150 ° c . ( 2 ) shifts significantly than a threshold value in the case where baking is carried out for 10 minutes at a temperature of 120 ° c . ( 1 ). fig6 also shows that leakage current at off is decreased by performing baking after deposition . from seeing the decrease , it is also shown that the case of 10 minutes and 150 ° c . ( 2 ) shifts more than the case of 10 minutes and 120 ° c . ( 1 ). furthermore , it can be understood that a preferable s value ( subthreshold value ) is obtained , since the beginning of a slope is steeper than the case where baking is carried out under atmospheric pressure according to the embodiment 1 . accordingly , as well as in embodiment 1 , it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved compared with before baking since moisture in the organic semiconductor film is decreased by performing baking ; and therefore , the deterioration of the organic semiconductor film can be suppressed . it is also speculated that the adhesion strength between the source and drain electrodes and the insulating film , and the organic semiconductor film is enhanced by baking , and the crystallinity of the organic semiconductor film and carrier transportability are improved ; therefore , the tft characteristic is improved compared with before performing baking . furthermore , it is speculated that a higher temperature is more effective to improve the characteristic since the adhesion strength between the organic material and both the source and drain electrodes and the insulating film is improved . in addition , it is speculated that high temperature gives high effect for improving the tft characteristic to enhance the adhesion strength between the organic material and both the electrodes and the insulating film . moreover , in this embodiment , it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved by performing baking under reduced pressure since the deterioration such as oxidation of the organic semiconductor film due to oxygen in atmospheric air is suppressed , compared with the baking under atmospheric pressure . accordingly , it can be understood that baking after deposition is effective to improve the organic tft characteristic . further , when baking is performed under reduced pressure , baking temperature can be made lower . according to the above - mentioned embodiment mode 1 , a change over time in electric properties due to being left under atmospheric pressure of an organic ft , which is manufactured by performing baking under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) after once being left under atmospheric air after deposition was evaluated in this embodiment . the effect of subsequent baking under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) is also evaluated in this embodiment mode . hereinafter , the results are shown . note that a manufacturing condition of the organic tft used as a test sample , other than the baking condition after deposition , is the same as in embodiment 1 . ( 1 ) baking for 30 minutes at a temperature of 150 ° c . under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) ( 3 ) baking ( 2 ) for 30 minutes at a temperature of 150 ° c . under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) fig7 shows a result of the vg - id characteristic in which the current of the drain electrode and a gate voltage are detected when voltage of − 10v is applied as vd in the baking condition ( 1 ) through ( 3 ). fig7 shows that a threshold value of on - off approaches 0v by performing baking after deposition ( 1 ), and the on current is decreased by being left for 48 hours under atmospheric air ( 2 ); and thus the characteristic is deteriorated . fig7 also shows that the on current is increased by performing baking again thereafter ( 3 ); and thus the organic tft characteristic is improved . as well as in embodiment 4 , it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved since moisture in the organic semiconductor film is reduced by performing baking ; and therefore , the deterioration of the organic semiconductor film is suppressed . it is also speculated that the adhesion strength between the source and drain electrodes and the insulating film , and the organic semiconductor film is enhanced by baking , and the crystallinity of the organic semiconductor film and carrier transportability are improved ; therefore , the tft characteristic is improved compared with before performing baking . furthermore , it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved since the deterioration such as oxidation of the organic semiconductor film due to oxygen in atmospheric air is suppressed by performing baking under reduced pressure . accordingly , it can be understood that baking after deposition is effective to recover the deterioration of the organic characteristic by being left under atmospheric pressure . in this embodiment , a result which is electric properties of an organic tft manufactured by performing baking in a deposition chamber immediately after deposition according to the above - mentioned embodiment mode 1 is shown . note that a manufacturing condition of the organic tft used as a test sample , other than the baking condition after deposition , is the same as in embodiment 1 . as for the baking condition after deposition , baking was carried out under reduced pressure ( 1 . 3 * 10 − 3 pa ) that is the same at the time of depositing , since the baking is carried out in the deposition chamber . the baking condition is as follows : ( 2 ) baked at a temperature of 120 ° c . for 10 minutes fig8 shows a result in which the vg - id characteristic in which the current of the drain electrode and the gate voltage are detected when a voltage of − 10v is applied as vd in the baking condition ( 1 ) and ( 2 ). fig8 shows that a threshold value of on - off approaches 0v by performing baking after deposition in the deposition chamber ; and thus the tft characteristic is improved . it is speculated that the tft characteristic is improved compared with before baking since moisture in the organic semiconductor film is decreased by performing baking ; and therefore , the deterioration of the organic semiconductor film can be suppressed . it is also speculated that the adhesion strength between the source and drain electrodes and the insulating film , and the organic semiconductor film is enhanced by baking , and the crystallinity of the organic semiconductor film and carrier transportability are improved ; therefore , the tft characteristic is improved compared with before performing baking . accordingly , it can be understood that baking after deposition in the deposition chamber is effective to improve the organic tft characteristic . in this embodiment , a result in which a change of the grain boundary ( gain ) of pentacene and film thickness of an organic layer by performing baking after deposition are detected with afm is shown . note that as for a test sample , pentacene was deposited to have a film thickness of 50 nm over a substrate that is the same as in embodiment 1 . as for a film formation method , a vapor deposition method was employed . ( 2 ) baked at a temperature of 150 ° c . for 10 minutes under reduced pressure ( 1 . 2 * 10 4 pa ) after deposition fig9 shows a measurement result with afm according to the condition ( 1 ), and fig1 shows a measurement result with afm according to the condition ( 2 ). fig9 and 10 show that the grain boundary ( grain ) size of pentacene does not change whether baking is carried out after deposition or not . in addition , the film thickness of the organic film does not change at this time . according to the above - mentioned results , it is understood that a preferable heating temperature after the organic semiconductor film is formed is a temperature in which crystal growth does not happen in the organic semiconductor , preferably , a temperature in which average value of the growth of grain boundary ( grain ) size of the organic semiconductor film is not 10 % or more . a mode of a liquid crystal device including the semiconductor device according to the present invention is described with reference to fig1 . note that a structure of the liquid crystal device is not limited in particular , and for example , a liquid crystal device in which a drive circuit is provided for an element substrate may be preferable , in addition to the mode shown in this embodiment mode . moreover , this embodiment is not limited to the liquid crystal , and an organic semiconductor device according to the invention may be employed for a switching element and the like of a display device having a light emitting element . fig1 is a top view for schematically showing a liquid crystal device . the liquid crystal device according to this embodiment has a structure in which an element substrate 1101 is attached to an opposing substrate 1102 so as to face each other . the liquid crystal device according to this embodiment includes a pixel portion 1103 . a terminal portion 1104 provided along one edge of the pixel portion 1103 is provided with a flexible printed circuit ( fpc ) 1105 , and a signal is inputted from a drive circuit to the pixel portion 1103 via the flexible printed circuit 1105 . note that the drive circuit and the flexible printed circuit may be provided separately , or may be provided in complex with each other such as tcp in which an ic chip is mounted over the fpc in which a wiring pattern is formed . as for the pixel portion 1103 , there is no limitation in particular . for example , the pixel portion 1103 includes a liquid crystal element and a transistor for driving the liquid crystal element , as shown in a cross - sectional view of fig1 a or fig1 b . fig1 a and fig1 b each show a mode of a cross - sectional structure of the liquid crystal device , and each of them has a different transistor structure . the liquid crystal device shown in a cross - sectional view of fig1 a includes an element substrate 521 provided with a transistor 527 having electrodes 525 and 526 which serves as a source electrode or a drain electrode over an organic semiconductor film 524 . moreover , a liquid crystal layer 534 is sandwiched between a pixel electrode 529 and an opposing electrode 532 . as a material for the pixel electrode 529 and the opposing electrode 532 , a light transparent material such as indium tin oxide ( ito ) or indium tin oxide including silicon oxide may be used . furthermore , orientation films 530 and 533 are provided for the surface sides of the pixel electrode 529 and the opposing electrode 532 , which are to be in contact with the liquid crystal layer 534 . a spacer 535 is dispersed in the liquid crystal layer to keep a cell gap . a transistor 527 is covered with an insulating layer 528 in which a contact hole is provided , and the electrode 526 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 529 . the insulating layer 528 may be formed by sputtering or chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) using teflon . moreover , thermal cvd using silicon nitride , silicon oxide silicon nitride oxide or the like may be performed to suppress a deterioration of the organic semiconductor film 524 . the opposing electrode 532 is supported by an opposing substrate 531 . the organic semiconductor film 524 is overlapped with a gate electrode 522 with a gate insulating layer 523 therebetween . in addition , a liquid crystal device shown in a cross - sectional view of fig1 b includes an element substrate 551 provided with a transistor 557 having a structure in which at least a portion of electrodes 555 and 554 which serves as a source electrode or a drain electrode is covered with an organic semiconductor film 556 . moreover , a liquid crystal layer 564 is sandwiched between a pixel electrode 559 and an opposing electrode 562 . orientation films 560 and 563 are provided for the surface sides of the pixel electrode 559 and the opposing electrode 562 , which are to be in contact with the liquid crystal layer 564 . a spacer 565 is dispersed in the liquid crystal layer to keep a cell gap . a transistor 557 is covered with insulating layers 558 a and 558 b in which a contact hole is provided , and the electrode 554 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 559 . note that an insulating layer which covers the transistor 557 may be a laminated layer formed by the insulating layer 558 a and the insulating layer 558 b as shown in fig1 b , or may be a single layer formed by the insulating layer 528 as shown in fig1 a . in addition , an insulating layer which covers the transistor 557 may be a layer having a planarized surface like the insulating layer 558 b . the insulating layer 558 a may be formed as same as the insulating film 528 described above . the insulating film 528 b may be formed by spin carting using an organic compound such as acryl , polyimide , or polyimideamide . in addition , a positive type or negative type photosensitive material may be used . the opposing electrode 561 is supported by an opposing substrate 562 . moreover , the organic semiconductor film 556 is overlapped with a gate electrode 552 with a gate insulating layer 553 therebetween . the display device as described above can be used as a display device mounted to a cellular phone , a tv receiver and the like as shown in fig1 a to 13c . moreover , the display device may be mounted to a card , for example an id card , which serves to manage personal information . fig1 a shows a view of a cellular phone , which includes a main body 1302 includes a display portion 1301 , an audio output portion 1304 , an audio input portion 1305 , operation keys 1306 and 1307 , an antenna 1303 , and the like . the cellular phone has high operating characteristic and high reliability . such a cellular phone can be completed by incorporating the organic semiconductor device of the present invention into the display portion 1301 . fig1 b shows a tv receiver manufactured by applying the present invention , which includes a display portion 1311 , a casing 1312 , speakers 1313 , and the like . the tv receiver has high operating characteristic and high reliability . such a tv receiver can be completed by incorporating the organic semiconductor device of the invention into the display portion 1311 . fig1 c shows an id card manufactured by applying the invention , which includes a support 1321 , a display portion 1322 , an integrated circuit chip 1323 incorporated in the support 1321 , and the like . note that integrated circuits 1324 and 1325 which drive the display portion 1322 are also incorporated in the support 1321 . the id card has high reliability . moreover , for example in the display portion 1322 , the id card can display information inputted and outputted in the integrated circuit chip 1323 ; and thus , what kind of information is inputted and outputted can be confirmed . such an id card can be completed by incorporating the organic semiconductor device according to the invention in the display portion 1322 . this application is based on japanese patent application serial no . 2003 - 434620 field in japan patent office on dec . 26 , 2003 , the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference .
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[ 0037 ] fig1 is an illustration showing an exemplary appearance of an agent display apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention . the agent display apparatus includes : a computer 100 ; a display apparatus 111 ; an fd ( floppy disk ) drive 104 mounted with an fd 116 ; a cd - rom ( compact disc - read only memory ) drive 106 mounted with a cd - rom 117 ; a keyboard 112 ; and a mouse 113 . the agent display program is supplied by a storage medium such as fd 116 or cd - rom 117 . the agent display program is executed by computer 100 for controlling display of the agent , for example . alternatively , the agent display program may be supplied to computer 100 over a communication line from another computer . [ 0038 ] fig2 is a block diagram showing an exemplary structure of the agent display apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention . computer 100 shown in fig1 includes : a cpu ( central processing unit ) 101 ; a memory 102 ; a hard disk 103 ; fd drive 104 ; a network card 105 ; cd - rom drive 106 ; a tv tuner board 107 ; a sound mixer 108 ; a microphone 109 ; and a speaker 110 . cpu 101 performs a process while inputting / outputting data with respect to memory 102 or the like over bus 114 . the agent display program stored in fd 116 or cd - rom 117 is temporarily stored in hard disk 103 through fd drive 104 or cd - rom drive 106 by cpu 101 . cpu 101 for example controls display of the agent by loading the agent display program as necessary from hard disk 103 to memory 102 for execution . network card 105 is connected to communication line 115 for controlling data communication through the internet or the like . further , sound mixer 108 outputs a voice of a television program received by tv tuner board 107 , a voice produced by voice synthesis , which will later be described , from speaker 110 , and inputs a voice through microphone 109 for voice recognition which will later be described . [ 0040 ] fig3 is a block diagram showing a structure of the agent display apparatus according to the present embodiment . the agent display apparatus includes : an agent interface 1 controlling display of the agent and controlling input / output of the voice ; an application program interface ( apif ) 2 controlling a general application program or a cap ; an action script executing engine 3 executing an action script ; an action script db ( database ) 5 ; a search engine 4 searching an action script db 5 in accordance with a search request from agent interface 1 ; and a dictionary 6 that search engine 4 refers in searching . the action script refers to a procedure manual describing a procedure for implementing a function under the instruction from the user by cooperative operation of agent interface 1 and apif 2 . for example , action script db 5 has action scripts that describe , according to functions , “ turn up volume of television ” and “ reserve video recording .” agent interface 1 includes : an agent display controlling portion 11 displaying a personified agent onto display apparatus 111 for operation ; a voice outputting portion 12 outputting the agent displayed on display 111 with a voice from speaker 110 ; and a voice inputting portion 13 recognizing the voice of the user input from microphone 109 . voice outputting portion 12 may reproduce the voice by voice synthesis or may directly reproduce the previously recorded voice . apif 2 controls various application programs , or caps of a television and video which are not shown but preliminary installed in computer 100 . action script executing engine 3 executes an action script by controlling agent interface 1 and apif 2 while interpreting the procedure described in the action script . search engine 4 searches for an optimum action script from action script db 5 in accordance with a search request from a user that has been input from voice inputting portion 13 and outputs it to action script executing engine 3 . for example , the search request from the user may contain a natural language such as “ want to watch television ” that has been input through voice inputting portion 13 by the user . search engine 4 searches action script db 5 with reference to dictionary 6 upon receipt of the search request from the user , and selects an action script which is considered optimum for the request from the user , e . g ., an action script “ turn on tv ” and outputs it to action script executing engine 3 . [ 0045 ] fig4 is a flow chart shown in conjunction with a process of the agent display apparatus according to the present embodiment . when the agent display program is executed by cpu 101 , voice inputting portion 13 is brought into a state of waiting for a request input of voice from the user . if the user inputs voice , voice inputting portion 13 recognizes the voice of the user and converts it to a character code for storage in a buffer which is not shown . then , a determination is made as to if an input has been made by the user by checking if the character code is stored in the buffer ( s 1 ). if there is no input of voice from the user ( s 2 , no ), the process returns to step s 1 and repeats the process after an appropriate period of time . if there is an input from the user ( s 2 , yes ), search engine 4 uses the character code as a keyword and searches for an action script which is the closest in meaning to the request from the user with reference to dictionary 6 ( s 3 ). if an appropriate action script is not found ( s 4 , no ), the process returns to step s 1 for repeating the following process . if an appropriate action script is found ( s 4 , yes ), action script executing engine 3 executes the searched action script ( s 5 ). when action script executing engine 3 completes execution of the action script , it returns to step s 1 for repeating the following process . [ 0048 ] fig5 is a flow chart used for describing in greater detail the process of step s 5 in fig4 . fig5 shows a procedure of “ setting television channel to 1 ” as an exemplary action script . as shown in fig6 if a request of “ want to watch channel 1 ” is made to the personified agent displayed on display apparatus 111 by the user , search engine 4 searches action script db 5 for an action script “ display television channel 1 .” then , that action script is output to action script executing engine 3 . upon receipt of the action script “ display television channel 1 ” from search engine 4 , action script executing engine 3 asks apif 2 if the television ap has been started . if the television ap has been started ( s 11 , yes ), the process proceeds to step s 13 . if the television ap has not been started ( s 11 , no ), a request for starting the television ap is made to apif 2 ( s 12 ), and then the process proceeds to step s 13 . in step s 13 , action script executing engine 3 asks apif 2 if the power of the television is on . if the power of the television is on ( s 13 , yes ), the process proceeds to step s 15 . if the power of the television is not on ( s 13 , no ), a request for turning on the television is made to apif 2 ( s 14 ), and the process proceeds to step s 15 . in step s 15 , action script executing engine 3 asks apif 2 if the television channel is 1 . if the television channel is 1 ( s 15 , yes ), the process proceeds to step s 17 . if the television channel is not 1 ( s 15 , no ), a request for setting the channel to 1 is made to apif 2 ( s 16 ), and the process proceeds to step s 17 . in step s 17 , the agent displayed on display apparatus 111 is made to give an utterance “ displaying channel 1 ” and the process ends . fig7 shows that the television channel is set to 1 and agent gives the utterance “ displaying channel 1 .” [ 0053 ] fig8 is a flow chart used for explaining another exemplary process of step s 5 in fig4 . a procedure of “ displaying television channel 1 ” is shown as an exemplary action script . as shown in fig6 if a request “ want to watch channel 1 ” is made to the personified agent displayed on display apparatus 111 by the user , search engine 4 searches action script 5 for an action script “ display television channel 1 .” the action script is output to action script executing engine 3 . upon receipt of the action script “ display television channel 1 ” from search engine 4 , action script executing engine 3 asks apif 2 if the television ap has been started . if the television ap has been started ( s 21 , yes ), the process proceeds to step s 24 . if the television ap has not been started ( s 21 , no ), voice outputting portion 12 makes the agent displayed on the screen give an utterance “ starting television ap ” ( s 22 ). action script executing engine 3 requests apif 2 to start the television ap ( s 23 ), makes display apparatus 111 display an image of a tv remote controller and proceeds to step s 24 . fig9 shows the image of the tv remote controller is displayed and the agent makes an utterance “ starting television ap .” in step s 24 , action script executing engine 3 asks apif 2 if the power of the television is on . if the power of the television is on ( s 24 , yes ), the process proceeds to step s 28 . if the power of the television is not on ( s 24 , no ), the power button of the remote controller displayed on display apparatus 111 is pointed ( s 25 ). the button may be pointed by moving a mouse cursor to the position of the power button , by using the agent to point that position , or by flashing on and off the button per se . then , voice outputting portion 12 makes the agent displayed on the screen give an utterance “ pressing power button ” ( s 26 ). action script executing engine 3 makes a request for turning on the television to apif 2 ( s 27 ), and proceeds to step s 28 . fig1 shows that the power button of the remote controller is pointed and the agent makes an utterance “ pressing power button .” in step s 28 , action script executing engine 3 asks apif 2 if the television channel is 1 . if the television channel is 1 ( s 28 , yes ), the process proceeds to step s 32 . if the television channel is not 1 ( s 28 , no ), the position of the button corresponding to “ 1 ” of the remote controller displayed on display apparatus 111 is pointed ( s 29 ). then , action script executing engine 3 controls voice outputting portion 12 to make the agent give an utterance “ pressing button 1 ” ( s 30 ). action script executing engine 3 makes a request for turning the channel to 1 to apif 2 ( s 31 ), and proceeds to step s 32 . fig1 shows that the button of “ 1 ” of the remote controller is pointed and the agent is made to give the utterance “ pressing button 1 .” in step s 32 , the agent displayed on display apparatus 111 is made to give an utterance “ displaying channel 1 ,” and the process ends . fig7 shows that the television channel is set to 1 and the agent is made to give the utterance “ displaying channel 1 .” [ 0060 ] fig1 is a flow chart shown in conjunction with another process of the agent display apparatus according to the present embodiment . the above - described action script includes an execution condition attribute . the execution condition attribute refers to a condition for executing the action script , including e . g ., an appropriate combination of date when that action script is to be executed , a status of apif 2 , an activity history of the personal computer , execution frequency or the like . the execution condition attribute may be described in any manner , and a timing condition for causing the agent to act independently without external triggering needs only be described . first of all , action script executing engine 3 periodically searches for an action script stored in action script db 5 and checks the execution condition attribute ( s 41 ). if there is no action script that satisfies the execution condition ( s 42 , no ), action script executing engine 3 returns to step s 41 and repeats the following process . if there is an action script that satisfies the execution condition ( s 42 , yes ), action script executing engine 3 executes the action script satisfying that condition ( s 43 ) and returns to step s 41 for repeating the following process . fig1 shows an agent displayed when executing the process . as described above , the agent display apparatus of the present embodiment allows various application programs to be operated by interactively communicating with the personified agent and also allows unification of interfaces . further , since the application program is executed while making the agent follow the operation procedure of the apif , the user can perform a desired operation while learning the operation procedure of the apif . [ 0064 ] fig1 is a block diagram showing a structure of an agent display apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention . comparing with the agent display apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in fig3 the agent display apparatus of the second embodiment additionally includes : a broadcast program list accessing portion 7 making an access to an electronic television program list ; an information offering engine 8 acquiring information that is likely to interest the user and offering it to action script executing engine 3 ; and a preference db 9 storing a program that has been viewed by the user and obtained by making reference to the television program list accessed by broadcast program list accessing portion 7 . therefore , description of the overlapping portion of the structure and function will not be given . broadcast program list accessing portion 7 makes an access to the internet through network card 105 for acquiring information from a homepage that shows a television program list . alternatively , tv tuner board 107 may acquire the television program list through digital broadcasting . information offering engine 8 acquires information including a channel that the user is currently viewing from the television ap through apif 2 , and stores the program that the user has watched in preference db 9 referring to the television program list accessed by broadcast program list accessing portion 7 . information offering engine 8 refers to the television program list obtained by broadcast program list accessing portion 7 and outputs information on the program that is likely to interest the user , if any , to action script executing engine 3 based on a history of viewed programs of the user . in searching for the program that would interest the user , the television program list may be searched by search engine 4 . [ 0066 ] fig1 is a flow chart shown in conjunction with a process of the agent display apparatus according to the present embodiment . first of all , information offering engine 8 periodically checks the status of the television ap through apif 2 ( s 51 ). if the television is not viewed ( s 52 , no ), the process proceeds to step s 55 . if the television is viewed ( s 52 , yes ), the television program that the user is viewing is identified with reference to the television program list ( s 53 ), and the information on that television program is registered in preference db 9 ( s 54 ). in step s 55 , a determination is made as to if there is a request for a program recommendation . the request for the program recommendation is made , for example by displaying the region indicating the program recommendation request on the display screen of display apparatus 111 , which region is then clicked by the user with mouse 113 , for example . if there is no request for program recommendation ( s 56 , no ), the process returns to step s 51 and the following process is repeated . if there is a request for program recommendation ( s 56 , yes ), information offering engine 8 refers to the history of viewed programs stored in preference db 9 and extracts a keyword common to the programs that the user particularly prefers ( s 57 ). in the process , the information stored in preference db 9 may be searched by search engine 4 . then , information offering engine 8 refers to the television program list and searches for a program which is the closest in meaning to the keyword extracted by step s 57 , from programs to be on the air ( s 58 ). information offering engine 8 outputs the searched program information to action script executing engine 3 ( s 59 ) and returns to step s 51 for repeating the following process . action script executing engine 3 controls voice outputting portion 12 for outputting the searched program information by voice , so as to offer a recommended program to the user . action script executing engine 3 may televise the recommended program by outputting a request for channel change to the television ap through apif 2 . fig1 shows that the program recommended by the agent is output by voice . as described above , the agent display apparatus of the present embodiment allows information offering engine 8 to extract a keyword that is common to the programs with the highest frequency from program information stored in preference db 9 , based on which a television program is selected . thus , a television program which is likely to interest the user can be recommended and offered by the agent . thus , the user does not miss a program that interests him or her . although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail , it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation , the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims .
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fig1 is a view from below of a section 10 ridge vent according to the present invention . the ridge vent section includes a central axis 12 , a first end 14 , a second end 16 and sides 18 and 20 . a plurality of partitions 24 which are generally parallel , extend between the sides 16 and 18 . at the first and second ends , the partitions 24 form end walls to the ridge vent . the partitions are evenly spaced and help support the web of the ridge vent above the plane of the roof . in this manner , air may pass underneath the ridge vent from the inside of a building to the outside . this is explained in more detail below . also shown in fig1 are material saving openings 28 which reduce the total amount of molded plastic required . these openings also minimize bulging or building due to thermal expansion . extra web support is provided in the shape of waved columns 30 extend along two rows 32 and 34 on either side of the material saving openings 28 . these rows are positioned laterally to permit shingles , over mounted on the section 10 of the vent , to be nailed through the vent into the underlying roof . these rows of columns therefore define nailing strips or rows . although wave - shaped columns are shown , other shapes of columns could also be used without departing from the scope of the present invention . all that is required is that enough support be provided so that the portion of the ridge vent extending across the opening is supported above the roof to permit air to pass up through the ridge opening , under the ridge vent section past the columns and then out to the outside . nailing points 36 are also preferred which provide a specific support to a nail passing through the ridge vent and into the underlying roof at specific locations . most preferably the nailing supports are in the form of a cylinder through which the nail passes . the roof vent may include surface markings to show the installer where to place the nails as shown at 37 . lateral vents 40 are also shown . the lateral vents 40 are most preferably in the form of overlapped slats which form a moulded in grill . preferably the grill slats are spaced sufficiently close to prevent pests and the like from passing through the grill , and angled in a way to direct precipitation away from the opening in the roof peak when the vent is placed in position over a roof peak . as can be seen , a v - shaped angled baffle 44 is provided on the underside of the vent , adjacent to the sides 16 , 18 in each partition section of the roof vent 10 . the angled baffle 44 is associated with a drainage opening 46 in each partition section . the angled baffle 44 prevents precipitation , driven up through drainage opening 46 by wind or the like from passing further up the roof towards the ridge opening . turning now to fig2 , an end view of the roof vent 10 is shown . it can now be appreciated that each partition 24 is formed with at least one , and most preferably two notches 50 . the notches 50 define a pair of opposed partition walls 52 and 54 separated by a central tab 56 . the ends of the partition walls 52 , 54 include slightly displaced portions 58 and 60 . the displaced portions 58 and 60 are displaced laterally by the thickness of the central tab 56 , to permit the partition walls to overlap the central tab without interference , but closely spaced when the sides 16 and 18 are bent towards one another as the section 10 is secured on a roof ridge or peak . in this manner the vent is made easily bendable over a ridge because the partition walls do not interfere with the tabs . as can be seen in fig2 , the two notches 50 define two bending axes 51 about which the roof vent maybe bent . this permits the roof vent to easily confirm a variety of angles of roof peak , even relatively steep angles such as 14 / 12 . two bending lines are formed , at the intersection points of the central tab and the two partition walls , i . e . at the bottom of the notches 50 . to help the bending at this point , the present invention comprehends adding score lines or lines of weakness formed into the plastic , which act as a living hinge along the axis . the roof vent section forms a truncated pyramid when bent , which facilitates placing the roof vent in position on a roof ridge over an opening . the central tab has a base of a predetermined length , preferably between about ½ inch to 1½ inches , most preferably about 1 inch . this dimension has been found to produce good bending results in bending the roof vent over the roof peak . also shown are end attachment knobs 70 which fit into recesses 72 ( shown in fig1 and 3 ) to connect ridge vent sections together . due to the rectangular nature of the vent sections , assuming that the first vent is set square on the ridge , the remaining vent sections extending along the ridge will also be set simply by being mounted into the attachment knobs of the previous section . thus , the attachment knobs and mating openings also function as an alignment means according to the present invention . a further feature of the attachment knobs and slots of the present invention is that they may be connected together whether the male portion or the female portion is already nailed to the roof this ability arises because the male and female positions of the attachment means are sized and shaped to permit this increased functionality . in particular , the female portion is a slot having an open top and bottom , permitting the male portion to be inserted from above or below . detents are formed in the slot to hold the male portion vertically in position . the detents act on the narrower shaft behind the head portion . the female portion is a t - shaped slot with the larger head of the male portion being axially secured in the top of the t . in this way , the male portion is secured axially , and vertically , and with two male / female attachments on each end of any given vent section 10 , the attachment means also acts as an alignment means to align adjacent sections along the ridge peak . further , because the female portion is open at both the top and the bottom faces , the male part may be placed in the female part even if the latter is already secured to a roof peak or the female part may be placed over a male part if the latter is already secured to a roof peak . in this way the vent sections of the present invention are easy to install as it is not necessary to start in any particular direction to secure adjacent sections to ones already installed . an advantage of the present invention can now be more clearly understood . ridge openings come in various lengths according to the length of the roof peaks in which they are formed . therefore , there is a need for a ridge vent which is easily adapted to suit the particular length of ridge opening to be covered . the present invention is preferably formed from moulded plastic , and while durable and resistant to degradation by the elements , the plastic is sufficiently soft that it can be easily cut with a sharp utility knife or saw . to size the present invention to a ridge opening of a particular length , all that is required is to place the ridge vent sections end to end until the end of the last ridge vent section extends beyond the end of the ridge opening . then , a utility knife or saw can be used to trim the over hanging ridge vent section to the closest partition wall 24 to suit the ridge opening . according to the present invention the overlapping portions of the partition walls are sized and shaped to close the notches 50 when the vent is bent over the minimum roof peak angle for which the vent is sized . in this way the partition wall forms an essentially continuous end wall , when bent over a peak . if the peak is on a roof having a larger slope than the minimum design slope the partition wall simply overlaps the central tab by reason of the offset discussed previously . thus , the plurality of parallel partition walls permits the present invention to be easily sized to accommodate ridge openings of different lengths and provides a closed end wall close to where it is needed . a spacing of about 2½ inches or about 6 cm between partition walls has been found to give adequate results , although other spacings could also be used . what is required is a spacing which is close enough to be practical to trim to fit . the closer the spacing the better the fit that can be made . also , the vent can be provided in either standard metric unit sizes or imperial unit sizes to facilitate use on a building made to either metric or imperial standards . further other configurations of partition walls and notches can be used , provided that a continuous end wall is provided over the design range of bending angles corresponding the peak angles onto which the vent is to be placed and the continuous wall so formed does not prevent the vent from being easily bent over the peak . turning now to fig3 , a cross section of the ridge vent is shown . as can be seen , the top side 80 of the ridge vent includes a number of distinct features . the first distinct feature is a lower central portion 81 which is generally flat . ideally , the width of the lower central portion 81 is sufficient to permit a standard roofing shingle to be laid therein to form a ridge cap when the vent is installed in position over a roof peak . in this way , the material saving openings 28 can be covered by shingles in the form of a conventional ridge cap as shown in the drawings and rain , precipitation and the like is prevented therefore from entering into the ridge opening building though these openings in the vent section 10 . most preferably , the width of the recessed central portion 81 is 11½ inches to accommodate a standard imperial shingle . this width can also be about 33 cm . to accommodate a standard metric shingle . it will be further appreciated that the width of the recessed central portion is made slightly shorter than the actual width of the cap shingle section . as can now be understood , when the section of the present invention are installed over a peak , the roof vent will be generally v - shaped . the cap shingle sections , nailed into the central recessed portion , will be rounded , and thus will seem shorter when bent . thus , the present invention provides for a slightly smaller width , when flat , of central recessed portion 81 than the flat width of the shingle . the smaller width of the central recessed portion is preferably less than 5 % of the total width of the cap shingle section and most preferably less than about 2 %. in this way , the cap shingle sections can extend to the edge over a range of angles of roof peaks , without coming up short , at the sides of the central recessed portion . also shown are air foil sections 82 and 84 on either lateral edge of the vent 10 . the air foil sections 82 and 84 include grills 86 , 88 having a plurality of slats 90 . as previously indicated , the slats 90 are oriented at an angle to deflect precipitation downwardly onto the roof below these sections and away from the ridge opening but at the same time to permit air to circulate out through the grills from within the building enclosure . precipitation which enters the slats is urged , by gravity , past the angled baffle 44 and out the drainage opening 46 . it will now be appreciated that in the installed position , the air foil sections 82 and 84 will extend past the side edges of the ridge opening and will overlie roof sections which are otherwise shingled to protect the underlying structure against water damage ( see fig4 ). thus , precipitation passing into the vent at these air - foil sections will land on a shingled roof surface to be removed by gravity down towards the eves of the roof . a further feature of the present invention is grill openings 100 which are provided in the vertical side walls of the air foil sections 82 and 84 . these grilled openings permit precipitation landing on the shingles to drain out of the lower central portion 80 , into the air foil sections , then underneath the air foil sections on the underlying shingled roof , out through the drain drainage opening and down to the eves . in this manner , precipitation is controlled to prevent it from entering the ridge opening , and from building up in the lower central portion . the grilled openings also promote air removal , as explained below . fig4 shows the ridge vent in an installed position . it will be noted that shingles 110 have been lain in the central region and the roof vent section 10 has been bent over a roof peak and secured in place by means of nails through nailing supports described above . another advantage of the present invention can now be understood from fig5 . it will be appreciated that the rounded air foil sections of the present invention will create a wing like effect in the event of a wind 200 passing over the air foil sections . as the wind passes over the rounded section 202 , it will tend to accelerate in a laminar flow manner , causing a low pressure to facilitate drawing air 204 out of the attic or building enclosure according to bernoulli &# 39 ; s law . this air foil effect assists the operation of the passive roof vent in turning over air in the building enclosure . by having the central portion lower , the air foil sections stand proud of the features of the roof , enhancing the air removal efficiency . in particular , the end walls having built in grill portions are exposed to passing air , and permit the air to inflow through the vertical wall , and then out the grill sections . this air is useful to drag other air out of the building enclosure , and increases the efficiency of the air change over . thus , not only does the present invention provide a low pressure on the unused side , it permits the air stream to divide into two , one over the air foil section and another through the air foil section to set up good circulation . the method of installing the present invention can now be described . first the roof will be shingled in a conventional manner up to the edge of the opening in the roof peak . then a first section of the roof vent is carefully positioned at one edge of the roof peak opening and the installer checks to ensure that the vent can bend over the opening and on top of the shingled roof on either side . it is important to ensure that the vent extends down the peak enough , or that the underlying shingles extend up the peak enough that the vent overlaps the shingled surface on both faces of the roof peak . once it is carefully aligned , then it is nailed to the roof through the tubular nailing supports which both bends it over the peak and holds the vent section in place . it will be noted that the vent securing nails are positioned in the central recessed portion 81 in a position where the ridge cap shingles will cover the nail heads to prevent leaks at those locations . the next step is to install the net adjacent section which can be placed in to the male female attachment means , as previously described , pressed down on the roof and also nailed into place . this sequence is repeated until the last section overlaps the end of the ridge opening and then the last section is trimmed to an appropriate length . the next step is to place the ridge cap in the recessed portion 81 by starting at one end and laying in the shingles in an overlapping manner as is usually done . the shingle nails will be underneath the next overlapping shingles to prevent leaks as is conventional for such shingles . in this case the shingle nails will be driven through the vent sections in the nailing row , where the extra support columns are provided . the cap row of shingles is then extended fully along the ridge , and the installation is then finished . although the present invention has been described with respect to the above - noted preferred embodiments , various alterations and modifications are comprehended within the scope of the appendant claims . some of these have been discussed above , and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art .
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the basic system 100 for providing analysis of foot traffic in a retail store is shown schematically in fig1 . the system includes a series of cameras 110 located at various locations in a number of stores 105 . the cameras correspond generally to rois and are typically cameras used for surveillance in a retail store 105 . although depicted as comprising several stores 105 , one skilled in the art can appreciate that system 100 can be used in connection with a single store 105 . the raw video data from cameras 105 is sent to a video management unit 115 . one function of the video management unit 115 is to store raw video data , preferably in a compressed form . the video management system 115 further includes a video analytics engine that processes the recorded video from each one of the surveillance cameras 110 in the store and generates data that contains the location and time of every person in the store throughout the entire day . this analytics engine , also know as a metadata conversion module , may for example include software on one or more computers . the analytics engine converts the stored video data into video metadata that is data about the video . the data can include data about objects appearing in the video including , e . g ., position , time and velocity of the object , as well as height or any other characteristic that can be ascertained by video analytic techniques . alternatively , the analytics engine can operate on a real time stream of video data rather than operating on stored video data , thus generating the metadata “ on - the - fly .” the processed object data , or metadata is then stored in database 120 . the database 120 , also know as a video storage unit , is shown in fig1 as being a single unit but may in fact consist of a number of storage units distributed and accessible on a network . the above process of generating video metadata can be run continuously every day for unlimited amount of time . as a result of this processing activity the system of the present invention has the information of time and place of every person in the store . from this information it is now easy to answer queries and draw graphs of number of people in certain places in the store in a requested time frame . this processing of user queries and generation of reports is accomplished by the retail traffic analytics system ( rta ) 125 which is coupled to and acts on the video metadata stored in database 120 . the rta 125 contains a processing engine sometimes known as an object movement analytics engine since it analyzes the movement of objects in the prescribed physical area , identifying the moving objects that satisfy the user &# 39 ; s criteria specified in her query . as further described in detail below , a user of the system of the present invention can thus compare the number of people between different places or between numbers of people in a specified location in different times . the user can also know if people dwelled and for how long , to what direction people were moving and many extract many other pieced of information . explanation of the operation of the rta 125 of the present invention is best achieved though a discussion of the graphical user interfaces ( guis ) of the system . fig2 illustrates an exemplary initial window 200 that a user encounters once the traffic analyzer is running . the application window 200 is divided into two main sections , the queries pane 205 and the reports viewer 210 . the queries pane 205 is located on the left side of the application window 200 and enables the user to select a predefined query or create his / her own query for a specific report type and generate a report for the query . the reports viewer 210 is located on the right side of the application window 200 and enables the user to view various geographical maps , store floor plans ( including camera locations ) and the various reports generated by the system the queries pane 205 and reports viewer 210 will next be discussed in detail . the queries pane 205 , located on the left side of the application window in fig2 , enables the user to select , define ( and store )) queries that are used to generate reports . the queries pane 205 includes the following sections : type 215 ; saved query 220 ; regions 225 ; report options 235 ; time span 235 ; recurrence 240 ; and control buttons 245 - 248 . the type area 215 includes a drop down menu that enables the user to select the type of report the user wants to generate . as will be more fully described below , the preferred embodiment of the system of the present invention performs at least four different types of analysis which generates different reports for the user . from the drop down menu of the type area 215 the user can preferably select from the following report types : shoppers in region analysis ; dwell time analysis ; directional analysis ; and shoppers entering area analysis . the shoppers in region analysis analyzes the previously described video metadata , identifies and counts the moving objects in the video and generates reports and graphical displays that describe and illustrate the number of shoppers present in a specific roi or in multiple rois for a specified time frame . the selection of the roi and time frame will be described below with respect to areas 225 and 235 of the application window 200 . dwell time analysis analyzes the metadata and generates reports and graphical displays that describe and illustrate the number of shoppers that “ dwell ” in a particular area over a defined time period . for example , the number of shoppers who remained in the roi in the area for more than 20 seconds but less than 40 seconds . this time period is configurable by the user prior to running the dwell time analysis . in one embodiment of the present invention , only single cameras can be selected for this query type , but in a single camera it is possible to compare several rois . directional analysis analyzes the metadata and generates reports and graphical displays that describe and illustrate the flow of shoppers within the store and the direction they take . in one embodiment of the present invention , only single cameras can be selected for this query type , but in a single camera it is possible to compare several rois and several directions for each roi . shoppers entering area analysis analyzes the metadata and generates reports and graphical displays that describe and illustrate the number of shoppers who enter a specific store area or department from more than one location by crossing a virtual line . if the user wants to compare the number of shoppers present in more than one area , multiple cameras / virtual lines can be selected for analysis by this module . the saved query drop down menu 220 enables the user to select predefined queries , that the user has previously saved , and either run the selected query as is , or modify the query according to specific requirements . modifications to these queries are not saved unless the user saves the query under a new name using the save new query button 246 or saves the modified query using the save over query button 247 . using saved queries makes it easier for the user to obtain predefined and familiar reports from the system without having to define each of the specific parameters for the desired analysis again . the regions area 225 displays a tree hierarchy of all the stores and the cameras in each store including the default roi for each camera as well as any other rois , directional lines or tripwires that the user has defined . the user can define additional rois , directional lines or tripwires directly from the tree . rois , directional lines and tripwires that are used in saved queries cannot be modified or deleted . the report options area 230 enables the user to select a variety of additional options relevant to the type of query selected . all report types enable the user to select either a bar chart or a line graph . bar charts display the number of shoppers counted in the camera / roi over a specific time range . line graphs display the results over a selected continuous time span , with an hourly / daily resolution depending on the time span selected . the “ cumulative / average ” option in section 320 is available only if the bar chart option is selected and more than one day is selected for the time span . a cumulative report will show the cumulative number of shoppers who stayed in the roi for the full time range . for example , 300 shoppers stayed in the roi for over 60 seconds for the full three days . an average report will show the average results . for example , if 300 shoppers were in the roi for over 60 seconds over the full three day period , then on average , 100 shoppers stayed in the area for over 60 seconds across the three days . the time span area 235 enables the user to select the date and time period to be analyzed . the time period can be daily or continuous and may be for a full day ( 24 hours ) or for a specified time during the day . a single day can be selected by clicking on the day required , for example , sunday , july 1st . a consecutive range of days can be selected by selecting the first day in the range and then , while pressing the & lt ; shift & gt ; button clicking the last day in the range . for example , sunday , july 1st - tuesday , july 3rd . similarly , several non - consecutive days by clicking the first day and then pressing & lt ; ctrl & gt ; while clicking on each additional day . for example , sunday , july 1st , wednesday , july 4th and saturday , july 7th . thus , multiple days , spanning multiple months can be selected . the time of day option is only available if report has been selected to be a bar chart . a user can select a full day or select a start and end time for the analysis . if an end time is chosen , the value in the duration drop - down list is calculated according to the selected start and end times . alternately a start time and a duration can be selected and the end time is then automatically calculated . the recurrence control 240 enables the user to define the number of weekly recurrences the user wants to run the query for the same defined time span . for example , if the user selects june 16 as the time span and set the weekly recurrence to 4 , the resulting graph has 4 lines ( or 4 bars in a chart ) with each line / bar representing the selected time span over 4 recurring saturdays , starting from saturday , june 16 . if the user selected the time spans june 14 , 15 and 16 between the hours of 10 : 00 - 12 : 00 and again chose a weekly recurrence of 4 , the resulting graph would have 12 lines / bars ( 3 lines / bars ( days / hours ) for each of 4 weeks ). the queries pane 205 preferably includes four different control buttons : generate report 245 ; save new query 246 ; save over query 247 ; and saved query list 248 . the generate report control button 245 enables a user to generate a report for the query the user has defined / selected . in a preferred embodiment , the user can , immediately after clicking the generate report button 245 , select and generate a new query while the reports for the former query are still being generated . when the user clicks the generate report button 245 a new tab for the report is created in the reports viewer area 210 and thumbnails for each element of the report appears in that tab as the report progresses . as further described below , the user can view each thumbnail as it appears and does not have to wait for the entire report to complete before viewing any individual aspect of the report . the save new query control button 246 enables a user to save queries that the user has defined for future use . when the user clicks save new query button 246 a dialog box appears enabling the user to give the query a title and enter a narrative description of the query . the save over query button 247 enables a user to save the query that the user has defined or modified over an existing query . when the user clicks save over query button 248 , a saved query list dialog box appears and the user can then select the query the user wants to overwrite . the saved query list button 248 enables a user to manage saved queries . when the user clicks saved query list control button 248 , the saved query list dialog box appears . this dialog box enables the user to select queries for editing and also enables the user to change the order in which saved queries are displayed in the saved query drop - down list . the reports viewer 210 , located on the right half of the application window 200 as illustrated in fig2 has three main tabs : stores 250 ; maps 255 and reports 260 . the stores tab 250 displays a geographical map 265 of the region where the stores are located . a tool - tip bubble 270 indicates the location of each store on the map . the background color of the tool - tip 270 indicates if the store is currently visible in the regions 225 tree . [ question to inventors — does the fact that a store is not in the regions tree 225 indicate that there is no metadata in the system from that store ?]. in a preferred embodiment , color coding the tool tip 270 with the color green indicates that the store is visible in the regions tree 225 and white indicates that it is not visible in the regions tree 225 . if the user clicks on a green tool - tip 270 , the relevant store is highlighted in the regions 225 tree . right - clicking on a tool - tip 270 changes the visibility state of the store in the regions 225 tree . as illustrated in fig3 a , the maps tab 255 is capable of displaying a store map 300 in reports viewer area 210 . the map 300 illustrated in fig3 is a map of an entire store and maps of each of the departments in the store . all the installed cameras 305 are shown on these maps together with a description and a number that can be traced back to the tree in the regions section 225 of the queries pane 205 . when the user clicks on a camera 305 in the map , the selected camera 305 is highlighted in the regions 225 tree . as shown in fig3 b , if the user moves the mouse over any camera position 305 , he / she is shown a thumbnail 310 of the camera view for that camera . the icon for a camera 305 preferably also includes the direction that the camera faces as further shown in fig3 b , the maps tab 255 is preferably divided into two sections , an upper section that shows the map 300 of the selected store ( in the regions 225 tree ) and a lower section that shows thumbnail maps 315 of all the stores currently appearing in the stores tab 250 . the upper section also has department tabs 320 for each department in the store . clicking on a tab 320 causes the system to display a map of the selected department in the upper section . the user can select a store map by either clicking on the store in the regions 225 tree , clicking on the thumbnail map 315 of the store in the maps tab 255 or by clicking on the store &# 39 ; s tool - tip bubble 270 in the stores tab 250 ( see fig2 ). in the example shown in fig3 , the store # 2 is selected in both the regions tree 225 and in the lower section of the maps tab 255 . as shown in fig4 , the reports tab 260 is the area in graphical user interface in which the system displays results of the different analyses performed on the video metadata . all the images that comprise a report are shown as thumbnails 400 in a film strip at the bottom of the tab . when the user clicks on a thumbnail 400 the full image is displayed in the main viewing area of reports viewing area 210 . the user can preferably export any of the reports generated . when this feature is used , the raw data is preferably exported to an excel file while the images are preferably exported to . jpg format . reports remain in the tab 260 as long as the application is running . closing the application removes the reports from the viewer . before the viewer is closed a warning message is displayed if there are any reports that have not been exported . the user can then choose to export these reports before the viewer closes . as shown in fig4 , the user can hide the queries pane 205 area ( see fig3 a ) and consequently expand the viewer area 210 in the report tab 260 , stored tab 250 or maps tab 255 by clicking on the vertical bar between the queries pane 205 and the viewer area 210 . if the user clicks on the vertical bar again , the queries pane 205 area is shown . fig4 is an example of the report viewer area 210 of the reports tab 260 for a shopper in region analysis after the queries pane 205 has been hidden . the reports tab 260 has a slider 405 on the right side of the graph area that enables the user to change the size of the graph area and consequently change the size of or remove the legend from the visible area . as previously described , the queries pane 205 contains a regions tree 225 ( see fig2 and 3a ). the regions tree 225 lists the stores illustrated in the stores tab 250 and within each store shows hierarchical structure of the store in terms of the departments in the specific stores and the deployment of cameras in each department . each camera in the tree has a default roi defined . the tree structure 225 also shows additional rois , “ directions ” and “ tripwires ” that may be defined . each of these elements is described below . fig5 is an example of the regions tree 225 listing the hierarchical structure of the departments 500 , cameras 305 ( see fig3 ), regions of interest 505 , and directions installed in the store # 1 . as previously described , a roi is a defined area in the cameras view . the default roi forms the basis of all of the analysis by the system on the metadata from a camera and all new rois that the user defines must fall within the default roi to be included in this analysis . the label area 510 at the bottom of the regions tree 225 area 225 displays the name of the currently selected branch in the regions tree 225 . in the above example , store # 1 is selected in the regions tree 225 and is also displayed in the label area . detailed maps of each department can also be accessed from the respective department sub - tab in the maps tab 255 ( see fig3 ). departments comprise the second level in the regions tree 225 . as shown in fig5 , by selecting a particular camera in the regions tree 225 , the user can obtain a camera view 515 for any of the cameras in the regions tree 225 . camera view 515 illustrated in fig5 shows the view of the camera in the dental section of the cosmetics department in store # 1 . the default roi 520 for this camera is aisle floor in the camera image 515 . the names of the cameras 305 installed in the store are shown as the third level in the regions tree 225 hierarchy 225 . cameras 305 are also preferably predefined with the system . the camera 305 name in the regions tree 225 matches the camera 305 name shown on a map in the maps tab 255 ( for example , store map 300 in fig3 ). when the user clicks on a camera in a map ( store or department ), the relevant camera in the regions tree 225 255 is highlighted . an roi 505 , which is the fourth level in the regions tree 225 hierarchy , is a defined area within the camera &# 39 ; s field of vision . the default roi 520 for each camera view forms the basis for all analysis on this camera 305 . the system enables the user to define additional rois for each camera if a particular type of analysis is required . in a preferred embodiment , the default roi 520 is the largest area of the camera &# 39 ; s field of view that would have foot traffic , and thus video metadata that can be analyzed . the present invention preferably has default rois 520 defined for each camera . it should be noted that rois are only activated in the regions tree 225 if the report type selected is either a shoppers in region analysis report or a dwell time analysis report . a default roi for each camera is preferable exists and forms the basis for all analysis on this camera . if a roi that the user wants to use does not exist , it must be created . the user can define additional rois for each camera . any additional roi is preferably derivative of the default roi and as should be drawn inside the default roi . if the user defines a new roi that is completely outside the default roi , it is preferably ignored for analysis purposes . if the new roi falls partially outside the default roi , it is “ cut ” and only that portion of the roi that falls within the default roi is analyzed . the roi can be in any polygon shape that must have at least three sides . after drawing a new roi it can be repositioned by dragging it to a new location in the default roi . the user can also change the shape of the new roi by dragging any of the corner points to new positions . the position and size of any roi other than the default roi can be changed . if the roi that is desired to be changed is used in a saved query , a confirmation dialog box appears listing the saved queries using the selected roi and the user is asked to his / her action before proceeding . rois can be edited from the regions tree 225 , by right - clicking on the roi to be edited and select edit region from the right - click menu that appears . a camera view window appears showing the selected roi as it is positioned inside its default roi . the roi can be dragged to a new position using a polygon drawing tool . the edited roi can be saved by clicking “ save .” any roi other than the default roi can be deleted . if the roi to be deleted is used in a saved query , a confirmation dialog box appears listing the saved queries using the selected roi and the user is asked to confirm his / her action before proceeding . any roi other than the default roi can be renamed . returning to fig5 , directions 525 are the fifth level in the regions tree 225 . by selecting a direction for the roi 520 the user can , depending on the report type selected , obtain an analysis of the shopper traffic moving in that direction through the roi 520 . in the example illustrated in fig5 , a directional arrow 530 is set to indicate that an analysis may be required of shopper traffic moving in both directions this dental aisle in the cosmetics department . in a preferred embodiment , the directional arrow 530 is defaulted to being one - sided , meaning that shopper traffic is analyzed in one direction . the user can however change the arrow 530 to be two - sided , if required , as illustrated in fig5 . no matter where the user draws the directional arrow 530 , the system preferably places it in the center of the roi 520 in which it is drawn . directions allow for the analysis of shopper movement that passes through an roi in a particular direction . the user can place directional arrows 530 ( both single and double - sided ) in an roi , which are then used by the application to analyze shopper movement in the indicated direction to produce the directional analysis report . directions are only activated in the regions tree 225 when this report is selected . the user can define a new direction in the regions tree 225 . the directional arrow 530 ( indicating the direction ) can be one or two - sided . if the directional arrow 530 is one - sided then the application tracks shopper movement in the direction of the arrow . if the directional arrow 530 is two - sided , the application tracks shopper movement in both directions . a new direction is defined by the user by right - clicking the roi for which a new direction is to be defined and select new direction from the right - click menu that appears . a camera view window appears showing the selected roi . the new direction is drawn on the roi by clicking and dragging the mouse in the desired direction . the user can change the direction of the arrow 530 , as well as delete and rename directions . tripwires are virtual lines that can be drawn in an roi for a camera and are used to analyze shopper traffic crossing the line in a particular direction . fig6 is an example of a tripwire 600 in the regions tree 225 and the camera view showing the location and direction of the tripwire 605 . in the hierarchy , tripwires 600 have the same level as rois . if the tripwire does not fall within the roi , the traffic crossing the tripwire 605 line will not be analyzed . to define a new tripwire , in the regions tree 225 right - click the camera for which a new tripwire is to be defined and select new tripwire from the right - click menu that appears . a define new tripwire window appears showing the default roi . in the default roi , the new tripwire is drawn by clicking and dragging the mouse to draw a line for the new tripwire . it is most important to position the tripwire in precisely at the right place . the tripwire should also be drawn to the correct length so as to “ catch ” all the shoppers entering the region . unlike a directional arrow 530 as described above in regard to fig5 , a tripwire remains in the position in which it is drawn and is not automatically centered in an roi . a user can change the direction or position of the tripwire . if the tripwire that is to be changed is used in a saved query , a confirmation dialog box appears listing the saved queries using the selected tripwire and the user is asked to confirm his / her action before proceeding . a with directions discussed above , tripwires can be deleted and renamed . thus far , the basic structure of the gui of the system of the present invention has been described . next , the method of running queries on video metadata using the system will be explained . the method and system of the present invention enables the user to execute and obtain an analysis of shopper patterns by applying a combination of parameters for different report types . new queries can be created and saved and the user can also modify a saved query and save it either as a new query or by overwriting the saved query . the following describes each report type and how to run , and if required , modify a saved query . in addition the following describes how to manage the list of saved queries and , if required , change the order in which the saved queries are shown in the queries pane 205 . the regions tree 225 displays the stores currently selected in the stores tab 250 . however , when loading a saved query or restoring a query , the regions tree 225 is automatically updated to present the list of stores that were visible when the query was saved or executed . this mechanism can also be used for defining interesting groups of stores and saving a group as an empty query for future use . the reports generated for any query are viewed in the reports viewer area 210 ( see fig4 ). each new report generated includes the name or names of the stores included in that report . the report appears in a new tab in the reports viewer 210 and remains there until the application window is closed . if the user wants to retain the information displayed in a report the user preferably exports the report as described in the viewing / exporting reports discussed below . if the user attempts to close the application window when there are unsaved reports , a warning message is displayed giving the user the opportunity to save the unsaved reports or continue with the close procedure . the system and method of the present invention enables the user to select stores for which the user wants to generate reports . the user can select as many stores as required . in a preferred embodiment , a query can process up to forty two data sets per report . to select stores a user selects the stores tab 250 as shown in fig2 and right - clicks on the name of the store ( e . g . 270 ) to be selected in the stores map 265 . the tooltip bubble 270 changes to green and the store name appears in the regions tree 225 in the query pane 205 . the user can repeat this process for all the stores to be included in the regions tree 225 . to remove a store from the regions tree 225 , right - click on the store &# 39 ; s tooltip bubble 270 in the stores map 265 . the store is removed from the regions tree 225 and the tooltip bubble 270 changes to a white background . once the stores have been selected for the analysis desired by the user , the user then selects the specific type of analysis and report he / she wants to run . the system and method of the present invention enables the user to select and run queries for the following report types as described above . “ shoppers in region analysis ”: enables the user to locate trends in the number of shoppers over time in any specific region . the report can help the user analyze changes in shopper numbers per hour of the day , day of the week or during holidays or promotion campaign days . full flexibility is provided in selecting a roi from a specific endcap or shelf to full camera view or even complete departments . by drawing a customized roi on specific shelf or stand the user can pinpoint the analysis to selected shelf or even a product . a quick query feature available for this report enables the user to generate queries that compare cameras in the stores or compare departments in the stores selected in the stores tab 250 as described above . an example of a bar graph output for a shoppers in region analysis is shown in fig4 . fig7 illustrates the dataflow conducted during the calculation of a query for each of the preferred methods of the present invention : shoppers in region analysis ; dwell time analysis ; directional analysis ; and shoppers entering area analysis . as previously described , the system and method of the present invention analyzes data derived from video streams from video cameras to generate reports on the movement of objects , people , within a defined space . the system processes video clips and outputs trajectories of people moving in each of the cameras . information of these trajectories is stored in a tracking database 714 which enables both relatively low disk - space and high seeks speed for fast queries . in general , each detected object has a unique id , followed by a timestamp of its first appearance and coordinates of its movements . each coordinate also includes a delta time - span from the timestamp of the first appearance of the object . the tracking database 714 is constantly added with new trajectories information from each of the cameras as time passing by . the reporter gui 700 previously described with respect to fig2 - 4 enables the user to define queries to run against the retail traffic analysis ( rta ) query engine 710 . each query 705 which the user defines using the reporter gui 700 is first translated to an extendible markup language ( xml ) query , which is then sent to the query engine 710 for calculation . once the query engine has completed it &# 39 ; s processing of the user &# 39 ; s query , operating on the data in the tracking database 715 , and the result is ready , the result is presented to the user in a new report which is opened in a separate tab such as illustrated in fig4 . this process enables the user to browse multiple reports simultaneously . upon receiving a xml which defines a query 705 the user has defined , the rta query engine 710 starts a calculation procedure . in order to increase the speed of report generation , each camera that is queried is calculated in a separate thread in the rta query engine 710 . when the result is ready , it is sent back to the user for presentation 725 . the rta query engine 710 queries the tracking database 715 for trajectories information according to the query 705 requested . the tracking database 715 is indexed in such a way that makes the retrieval of data optimal for most common queries 705 . the shoppers in region analysis provides an object count that represents the number of objects per unit area in a specific time interval . in a preferred embodiment , the objects are people , preferably in a retail store . using this tool , one can distinguish between regions by their object ( people ) occupancy . object count can answer question like how many objects visited a region during a period and what is the pattern of object occupancy on a certain area during a certain time period . as described above , the user of the present system has the ability to define several rois within a particular camera view and can thus compare the relative number of shoppers in these respective areas . this shoppers in region analysis tool has many applications . for example the tool can be used for traffic jam analysis . the system can be set with a certain threshold of number of objects ( cars , people . . . ) per unit area per time for traffic jam analysis and monitor areas for capacity overload . the tool can be used plan remodels / resets in a retail environment . object , people , count qualitative / quantitative observations can be used for examination of different store models ( layout / services / management / locations etc ) and can serve as infrastructure for store model optimization . the observations of the system of the present invention are unbiased by any human interpretation factors and can be continuously monitored to determine trends and facts . the tool can be used for shelf / aisle / end - cap pricing , to evaluate promotions and provide comparisons between time periods when the promotions were running and when they weren &# 39 ; t , and comparisons of foot traffic when shelf / aisle / end - caps are stocked with different products . if one would like to examine regions for occupancy purposes ( in a store environments ) the number of people passing by a certain area is a good parameter for estimation area popularity and therefore likelihood for product to be sold . therefore this information can be served to negotiate pricing of different areas in the store . questions like popularity comparison between regions ( end - caps / aisles ) or comparison between periods ( sales / holidays / weekend / weekday ) or what are the peak hours can be answered on an empirical basis without any bias . in a warehouse environment , the present tool can be used for optimization of product provision by examining object count patterns , where the monitored objects can be workers in the warehouse or forklifts that are used in the warehouse . further , since the system of the present invention is able uniquely identify objects , the system is able to track the person as they travel from area to area ( between camera views ) throughout the store . this feature of the present invention has particular applicability to security ( e . g ., tracking a shoplifting suspect ) but can also be used to detect consumer preferences , preferred store configuration and various other operational aspects of how a store is configured and operated . “ dwell time analysis ”: displays the number of shoppers that “ dwell ” in a particular area over a defined time period . for example , the number of shoppers who remained in the roi in the area for more than 20 seconds but less than 40 seconds . only single cameras can be selected for this query type , but in a single camera it is possible to compare several rois . as shown in fig8 , a bar graph 800 can be used to show the results of the dwell time analysis in the report viewer 210 ( see fig2 ). in addition to bar chart that is produced by the dwell time analysis report a line chart ( not illustrated ) can be used to display the dwell time analysis . further , the user can also select to have a path map or “ heat ” map produced for the same time period . as shown in fig9 , the path map 900 is a superimposed over a still image of the roi and shows the paths 905 of the objects that were in the roi for the selected time frame and dwell time . if the time period selected by the user is too long , the image in the report may be saturated with the path lines 905 . thus , it is preferred to use shorter time periods for each query and repeat the query several times to find the preferred time resolution . mike the dwell time analysis can also generate a heat map 1000 as illustrated in fig1 . as illustrated in fig1 , the heat map provides “ heat ” indications superimposed over a still picture of the roi and shows the density of objects in the roi for the selected time frame and dwell time . as used herein , “ heat ” indicates the amount of time an object ( a person ), remains ( dwells ) in a particular location . the dwell time analysis report thus enables the user to understand shopper &# 39 ; s activity in a specific roi . a strong correlation exists between the dwelling time of a shopper in a certain roi and the shopper &# 39 ; s activity ( e . g ., making a purchase ). in the preferred embodiment , the heat map 1000 shows the number of shoppers that spent the selected amount of time in the physical area . areas that experienced the same number of shoppers during the selected time frame are connected by contour lines , similar to a topographic or isobaric map . fig1 shows an example of a 10 - 20 seconds dwell time heat map 1000 of aisle 1025 . note , this map only shows shoppers that spent more than 10 seconds and less than 20 seconds in the roi of aisle 1025 . if the shopper spent less than 10 seconds in this roi — their activity is not illustrated in this heat map 1000 . similarly , if the shopper spent more than 20 seconds in the roi , they are not represented in this heat map . again , the heat maps 1000 of the preferred embodiment show the number of shoppers for a selected range of dwell times , the heat maps do not map the actual dwell times of the shoppers themselves . a short dwell time usually indicates that shopper is walking . for example , 5 - 10 seconds in a short aisle or 10 - 20 seconds in a long action alley . the user can easily see that the area with the most traffic 1005 is the walking passage , as expected . most people who remained in this roi for less than 20 seconds were just passing through . more specifically , part 1010 of the heat map 1000 is the area in which most of the people who spent 10 - 20 seconds in this roi spent their time . fewer shoppers spent less than 20 seconds in area 1015 . it is noted that this area 1010 is across from aisle 1020 . one conclusion that can be drawn from the particular dwell time analysis shown in fig1 is that aisle 1020 is one of the main aisles in the store by which customers travel to get to aisle 1025 . this conclusion could be confirmed by performing a shoppers in region analysis as describe herein . long dwell time of shoppers near produce table or shelves usually refers to a buying activity or at least high interest in a product . for example , 20 - 40 seconds in a short aisle or more than 40 seconds in a long alley . fig1 shows an example of a & gt ; 40 seconds heat map 1100 of the same aisle 1025 as illustrated in fig1 . it can be seen that most of the people that remained in this roi more than 40 seconds were busy with a buying activity near the refrigerators 1105 . the darkest locations 1110 denote the hottest ones — meaning that more shoppers spent more than 40 seconds at these particular locations in aisle 925 . the dwell time analysis tool of the present invention can answer question like how many object which visited a region during a period stayed in this region for a certain amount of time . this type of query gives insights on the object count query because it tells how many objects which were counted stayed in the region certain amount of time . this type of information is very useful for visualize the hot - spots in a store and it could also be presented over the floor - plan of the store to identify hot - spots over the entire store at once . further , one can easily spot traffic jams using this type of query ( long and narrow areas that are highly occupied — red ). dwell time analysis provides insights about object temporal behavior patterns . therefore a user of the present invention can plan resets and remodels by analyzing behavior patterns in different stores and in different times ( hours , days , etc .). the dwell time information is essential when trying to estimate effectiveness of different areas of the store ( shelves , aisles and end - caps ), to evaluate the attractiveness of certain products over the others or to evaluate how effective promotions are by comparing same spot over different times of a campaign . the directional analysis method of the present invention generates an analysis of the flow of shoppers within the store and more specifically , the directions in which the shoppers move with the areas of the store . in a preferred embodiment , only single cameras are selected for this type of analysis , but in a single camera it is possible to compare several directions for each roi . fig1 illustrates a line graph 1200 showing the results of a directional analysis . when continuous is selected in the time span area ( see 235 , fig2 ), a legend 1205 is displayed below the line graph 1200 showing the breaks between dates selected for the report ( as shown in fig1 ). if this option is selected with the recurrence feature ( see 240 , fig2 ), the legend only shows the separation of days and not dates . a path map similar to that shown for the dwell time analysis report discussed above can also be created for this report , if required . using the user - defined directions as previously described , a user can generate queries that filter the data according to specific direction at a specific area of interest . combining several directions can produce a comparison which encapsulates highly innovative information . this directional analysis tool of the present invention can be used to gather information regarding common paths , patterns of movements , design of floor plan , etc . for instance , a comparison between shoppers moving up or down the aisle can be generated . in more complex situations , a directional analysis query can be defined to investigate a specific junction at the store — counting the number of shoppers turned to every direction . the result is presented to the user in different kind of charts according to what was defined in the query . the directional analysis represents the number of object per unit area on a specific time interval that moved to a certain direction . therefore by this observation one can distinguish between regions by their object movement . directional analysis can answer question like how many objects , people , which visited a region during a period moved to certain direction and what is the pattern of object motion in a certain area during a certain period . this directional analysis query gives insights on the object count query because it tells how many objects which were counted moved to a chosen direction . the directional analysis tool can also be used for traffic jam analysis . one interested in traffic jam can use this query to provide information about potential traffic jams due to certain directional movement patterns . the directional analysis tool can also be used to plan resets / remodels given that it provides insights about traffic patterns . therefore store models can be investigated by its traffic measurement . further the directional analysis tool can be used for shelves pricing and promotions . traffic flow patterns can be compared and provide reasons for difference between object count measurement and hence for popularity of store spaces . in the retail environment the directional analysis tool can answer questions like path popularity . in the warehouse environment , the directional analysis tool can be used for optimization of product provision by examining product path and flow in the warehouse . the shoppers entering area analysis components of the system and the method of the present invention generates and displays an analysis of the number of shoppers who enter a specific store area or department by crossing a virtual line . fig1 illustrates a line graph 1300 showing the results of a shoppers entering area analysis . if the user wants to compare the number of shoppers present in more than one area , multiple cameras / virtual lines can be selected . when continuous is selected in the time span area ( see 235 , fig2 ), a legend 1305 is displayed below the line graph 1300 showing the breaks between dates selected for the report . in the above example of fig1 , the recurrence feature ( see 240 , fig2 ) is also selected and the legend 1305 shows the separation of days in the graph . the shoppers entering area analysis query shows only shoppers that were observed crossing a virtual line ( tripwire ) on the ground floor . a graphical interface allows a user of the present invention to define a tripwire under each of the available cameras and select these tripwires to be queried . as described above , a tripwire is simply a virtual line with a direction indicator which defines the requested crossing direction . only shoppers crossing this line in the specified direction will be counted in this type of query . employing these user - defined tripwires , a user of the present invention can generate queries which will filter the data according to specific crossing directions . combining several tripwires can produce an accurate counting of shoppers entering / exiting a specific area or department . the shoppers entering area analysis tool can be used to count the number of shoppers entered into the store or even to a specific department inside the store , if all entrances to the department are covered with cameras . as with the other queries , the result is presented to the user in different kind of charts according to what was defined in the query . shoppers entering area analysis can answer question like how many object moved from one area to another area via certain place ( line ). this query gives information on traffic flow like directional analysis but different from directional analysis in that it looks for object crossing line and not all the objects in a certain region that are moving in a general direction . this query also provides information on traffic flow and therefore the same issues for directional analysis are valid for this query . in operation , the system and the method of the present invention is driven by a user &# 39 ; s query of the data stored in the database . the following describes how to define new queries or modify a saved query . a query is comprised of four parameters . the following sections describe how to define and use each of these parameters when defining queries . defining regions tree options ; defining report options ; defining time span options ; and defining recurrence options . the values that can be selected for any of the above parameters differ according to report type . for example , the options available for a dwell time analysis report are not necessarily also available for a shoppers in region analysis report . in a preferred embodiment fields on the user &# 39 ; s interface are grayed out ( not available ) in any of the parameter areas , if that field is not available for that report type . a query can include cameras from different stores however in a preferred embodiment a query can only have up to 42 data series per report . a message is displayed if the user exceeds this preferred number , notifying the user that the report cannot be generated . the first step in defining a query is to select the store ( s ) that are to be included in the query . the following procedures describe how to define new parameters for a new query in the preferred embodiment . the same procedures are followed to modify any of the parameters in a saved query . to define a query : 1 ) select the store ( s ) for the query ; 2 ) select a report type ; 3 ) define the regions parameters ; 4 ) define the report options parameters ; 5 ) define the time span parameters ; and 6 ) define the recurrence parameters . the following are some preferred guidelines for defining or modifying queries and allow the user to obtain more accurate results for any analysis performed by the system and method of the present invention . these guidelines relate to the following : ( 1 ) margins ; ( 2 ) perspective ; ( 3 ) shopper count ; ( 4 ) dwell time ; and ( 5 ) directional analysis in regard to margins , shoppers ( objects ) that are close to the margins of the default roi can be “ cut ” out of the processing area . for better accuracy it is preferred that the user define rois and tripwires away from the margins and as close to the center of the default roi as possible . when the user defines rois and tripwires , the perspective in relation to the camera must also be considered . a new roi should be drawn inside the default roi . any part of an roi that is outside the default roi is not considered when performing an analysis of the roi . with respect to perspective , when the user defines an roi or a tripwire the user should be aware of perspective distortion . items that are far away in the camera view ( towards the horizon ) are smaller and tend to be less visible to the camera . for better accuracy it is preferred that the user defines rois and tripwires as close to the camera as possible , but not too close to the margins of the default roi . in regard to shopper count , when a query is performed on an entire department or on a group of cameras , there could be a certain amount of overlapping with some of the shoppers appearing in more than one camera . for example , if the user defines a query and selects five cameras in the cosmetics department but only one camera in the grocery department , the results may show more shoppers in the cosmetics department . this doesn &# 39 ; t necessarily mean that there were actually more people in the cosmetics department in that time frame . in addition , the report may show more shoppers in the cosmetics department in that time frame than were actually present , due to the overlapping of the cameras . with respect to dwell time , a heat map can be produced as part of a dwell time analysis report . the heat map shows where most of the activity occurs and is comprised of two images : the original view of the camera ; and the density of the shoppers ( objects ) in view . the image showing the density of the shoppers is placed over the original view of the camera to produce the heat map . each point in the second image ( the density map ) is a count of the number of shoppers ( objects ) multiplied by the time ( in seconds ) that these shoppers remained in this particular location for the specified time . by generating a heat map on the default roi , the user is able to recognize the hot spots in the camera view . the data displayed in the heat map ( density map ) is relative to the entire roi . in a preferred embodiment a user sets a specific , small , roi to answer specific questions . for example , if the user wants to know how many people were dwelling in front of an end - cap , the region should be set just in front of that end - cap . when defining a query to produce a direction analysis report , in the preferred embodiment , only shoppers that perform a substantial movement in the desired direction are counted . for the purposes of this report in the preferred embodiment , substantial movement is any movement that is more than 10 % of the image size . a further aspect of the present invention is the connectivity and integration of the rta system , described in detail above , and the video data on which the rta operates . as described above , the rta tool creates reports based on meta - data that was generated from raw video data that was recorded in retails stores 105 ( see fig1 ). according to the further aspect of the present invention , a user , when viewing a report generated by the rta tool , can click on the relevant portion of the report and retrieve and launch the raw video from the camera that generated the date reflected in the report . for example , fig1 a illustrates a path map report similar to the one illustrated in fig9 . if the user clicks on the path , she is able to launch the video , as illustrated in fig1 b , depicting the movement of the actual person traversing the same path that is described by the path map . naturally , only a single frame of the video is illustrated in fig1 b , but one can appreciate that this video is presented to the user as full motion video for the time span selected by the user for the path map report . the video launching can be done by clicking the trajectory itself in the thumbnail image ( right click -& gt ; launch video ) or by selecting it from a list of all trajectories in the relevant report . the same ability to view the full video applies to the other reports described herein as well . when a user detects a long dwell time in a certain place ( red spot in the dwell image ), the user can instruct the system to connect to the video management system ( element 115 in fig1 ) as described above and the system extracts the video clips that describe the people standing in that specified location . the present invention also provides for the launching of the raw video from a graphical report . while viewing a bar - chart of a certain time , or a line graph , the user can click a data spot in the graph to launch the relevant video clip from the graph . for example if a user clicked the line chart of fig9 on a portion of the chart that described 20 people going to the right at a certain location , the system would present the user with 20 different video clips depicting the 20 people in the roi for that camera moving in that direction . the connectivity to the video management system ( vms ) 115 from the retail traffic analyzer 125 ( see fig1 ) is done by using an api ( application program interface ) that is provided by the vms 115 itself . the vms 115 allows the system to retrieve a stream of video from a specified camera in a certain time range . knowing where the user clicked on a particular report / map , the system knows what camera to ask and what time range is desired by the user and the system simply asks the vms 115 for the video clips corresponding to the specified camera for the specified time frame . once the rta 125 receives this video data , it opens a video viewer window that lets the user view and control the video she requested . this feature enhances the rta 125 , making the experience more intuitive and the reports more powerful . a power user or an analyst can now benefit much more from the reporting system due to the fact that every piece of information can be investigated quickly to understand what was going on and why . for example , if a user sees strange activity in the middle of the night ( many people in one place ) the user can just click the report and watch the video describing irregular movement of shopper or employees in that spot . it also makes the vms 115 system more powerful , allowing the user to find what she are looking for using the rta 125 without having to browse through hours of raw video . if the user is looking for some activity near the meat refrigerator between 10 - 11 am , the user can simply generate a report for that camera during that time range and get all clips describing only people in a certain location in the video without having to watch an entire hour of video . although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof , many other variations and other uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art . it is preferred , therefore , that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein , but only by the gist and scope of the disclosure .
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the present invention is particularly suited for coating eyewear such as the pc visor 10 of fig1 a and 1b . fig2 shows a magnified cross - section of the absorption filter as applied to visor 10 . a layer of the narrow band absorption filter 12 is deposited on the pc 14 . a hard overcoat 16 can be used to enhance durability . molecules of the absorbing dye 18 are dispersed substantially randomly throughout layer 12 . the distribution of dye molecules need not be strictly uniform , some may even be clumped together . layer 12 is a thin film having a thickness between 5 and 25 microns . layer 12 is comprised of an evaporable dye 18 in a transparent matrix 19 . by diluting the dyes in a suitable background material to form a solid solution as described above , dye inter - molecular interactions are reduced so that ( unlike prior thin films of organic dyes prepared by thermal evaporation ) a very narrow spectral absorptance line width is achieved . &# 34 ; evaporable &# 34 ; as used herein means depositable in thin film form molecularly intact by means of a physical vapor deposition technique . one such technique is thermal evaporation . for a thermal evaporation deposition process occurring at a temperature t p , the materials used to form the filter coating in the present invention must meet the criterion that t d & gt ; t p , where t d for each material is the characteristic temperature of thermodynamic stability at or above which the material becomes irreversibly molecularly disrupted . selection of suitable dye materials as well as a suitable matrix are controlled by spectral considerations as well as the above indicated thermodynamic considerations . pvd was determined to be an affective way to disperse the dye molecules within a solid matrix . more specifically the following classes of dyes were identified as suitable for pvd : the porphyrins ; metallo - phthalocyanines or rare - earth diphthalocyanines ; cyanines or carbocyanines ; merocyanines ; squaryliums ; and tetracenes . spectrally , the dye must be a narrow band dye which absorbs strongly only at or very near the wavelength of interest , and the matrix is preferably transparent ( or nearly so over a range of wavelengths that includes the wavelengths of interest ) at wavelengths other than the wavelength of interest ( i . e , out of band wavelengths ). in general this led to examining dyes with larger molecular chain structures for the near infra - red dyes and porphyrins or cyanine dyes in the visible spectrum . since molecular oscillator strengths and absorption bandwidths are generally inversely related , the higher the extinction ratio at the wavelengths of interest , the more likely it is that a dye will be a good candidate spectrally . evaporable transparent , inert organic polymers or inorganic compounds meet the spectral and thermal criteria for a matrix . acceptable evaporable organic polymers are polyesters and polypropylenes . hundreds of evaporable inorganic compounds are transparent in the visible region , but organic polymers are preferable as the matrix material because of their better physical properties and compatibility in coating applications on pc . purity of the dye is important for a good quality filter , but the necessary purity is highly application dependent . purity of one part per hundred may be suitable for some applications whereas purity of one part per ten thousand or even one part per million is desirable . sublimation ( i . e ., distillation relining ) is a good method to obtain ultra - pure dye crystals . however , not all porphyrins can be sublimated . sublimation has been used extensively with phthalocyanines . of particular interest is an absorption filter which absorbs at both 530 nm and 694 nm . two metallo - phthalocyanines ( aluminum dichloro - phthalocyanine , alcl 2 pc , and vanadyl phthalocyanine , vopc ) and a porphyrin ( platinum octaethylporphine , ptoep ) were chosen as the dyes for a filter because their absorption peaks are at 678 nm , 698 nm and 534 . 5 nm , respectively , and each have high extinction coefficients of 10 5 . the preferable matrix dilutant is a polyester . in particular , a polyester made by dupont ( mylar , type d ). this polyester had an index of refraction of 1 . 6 and was visably clear . mylar is a polyester made from polyethylene terephthalate by a condensation reaction of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid . an effective pvd process for the dye and polyester matrix is as follows : 1 ) stabilize and set dye deposition rate , 2 ) cover dye source while keeping the dye source at a set temperature , 3 ) stabilize and set polyester deposition rate , 4 ) uncover dye source and start co - evaporation , 5 ) monitor only the polyester deposition rate during co - evaporation ( holding the dye at a constant temperature ), 6 ) adjust the power to the dye source in the manner that maintained a constant dye deposition rate during calibration runs . fig3 shows a schematic of the pvd setup employing the above process . the pvd mechanism 20 includes an evacuated chamber 22 , pump means 24 , control valve 26 between the pump means 24 and the chamber 22 , a dye source crucible 28 and a polyester source crucible 30 . wires 32 and 34 provide the power and heat to the sources . substrate holder 36 holds the visor or other substrate in a position so that the dye and polyester will evaporate onto the substrate . the dye monitor 38 and mylar monitor 40 can be used to check deposition rates . a shutter 42 is rotated to cover the substrate while deposition rates are set . fig4 summarizes the steps of the pvd process . during deposition of the dye and polyester , deposition of polyester on the quartz crystal used to monitor the dye deposition was unavoidable . since the rate of polyester deposition was much larger than that of the dye , this made it impossible to monitor the rate of deposition of the dye . to fix the dye deposition rate , the temperature of the dye source was held constant during deposition of the filter . to avoid a cloudiness that tended to appear in the deposited films due to crystallization of the polyester , it was found that an aluminum screen inserted in the polyester source crucible increased thermal equilibrium in the polyester source during evaporation . this in turn was believed to reduce the tendency of the deposited polyester to crystallize and in fact did eliminate the cloudiness . fig5 shows the marked improvement in transparency of polyester coatings ( eight microns thick ) with the aluminum screen being inserted in the polyester source . the reason for this improvement could be a relatively narrow temperature region in which the polyester sublimes without molecular disintegration . by promoting uniform temperature in the polyester source one can operate in this narrow temperature region for most of the material load in the crucible . this process temperature range is estimated to be 320 °- 340 ° c . ( i . e . t p ) for mylar . normal deposition time was between twenty and fifty minutes . this was sufficient to grow films of about 10 microns thick . deposition rates were typically 30 å / sec . dye concentration ( defined as the ratio of the thickness of the dye in the film if deposited separately , to the total thickness of the deposited film ) was settled at 0 . 8 % for vopc and 9 % to 10 % for ptoep . as a first feasibility demonstration of the dye - matrix absorption filter , several substrates were coated with different concentrations of two metallo - phthalocyanines . variations in absorption versus wavelength as a function of alcl 2 pc concentration for three substrates coated with the dye - polyester film are shown in fig6 . fig7 shows variations in absorptance versus wavelength as a function of vopc concentration for three substrates . the lowest concentration in both cases approximated a liquid solution of the dye in chloronapthalene . thus the thesis of isolating the dye molecules in a solid matrix to reproduce the narrow absorption band characteristics of a dye in a solution was confirmed . fig8 and 9 correspond to the first row of data of tables 1 and 2 , respectively . fig8 shows the spectral transmittance of a vopc - polyester thin films and fig9 shows the spectral transmittance of a ptoep - polyester thin film . tables 1 and 2 include data for films other than these shown in fig8 and 9 , but which demonstrated very similar spectral transmission characteristics to that of fig8 and 9 . dye source temperatures ( t p ) were 350 °- 400 ° c . for the alcl 2 pc dye ; 340 °- 360 ° c . for the vopc dye and 340 °- 350 ° c . for the ptoep dye . table 1______________________________________list of visors and lenses coated withvopc ( mylar ) absorption filters absorp - tion total peaks thicknessrun visor / λ1 . sup . ( nm ) bandwidth ( μm ) % dyenumber lens λ2 . sup . ( nm ) od fwhm ( nm ) vopc______________________________________84205 visor 700 2 . 5 113 10 694 2 . 0 0 . 7884206 visor 700 2 . 7 116 10 694 2 . 5 0 . 8684311 visor 700 2 . 7 116 10 694 2 . 6 0 . 8284315 lenses 700 2 . 4 105 10 694 2 . 0 0 . 78______________________________________ table 2______________________________________list of visors and lenses coated withptoep polyester ( mylar ) absorption filters absorp - tion total peaks thicknessrun visor / λ1 . sup . ( nm ) bandwidth ( μm ) % dyenumber lens λ2 . sup . ( nm ) od fwhm ( nm ) pt - oep______________________________________84328 - 1 visor 537 . 5 2 . 8 72 10 532 1 . 7 9 . 384328 - 2 visor 537 . 5 2 . 8 70 10 532 1 . 7 9 . 384329 - 1 visor 537 . 5 2 . 3 60 10 532 1 . 3 9 . 784334 lenses 537 . 5 2 . 7 62 10 532 1 . 6 10 . 5______________________________________ fig1 shows spectral transmission of a dual layer thin film filter . each layer is about 10 microns thick with an optical density of 1 - 3 for the ptoep layer and optical density of 2 - 3 for the vopc layer . in the dual layer embodiment , cloudiness appeared in later deposition runs . this was found to be related to the rtv silicone mold substrate holder . this problem was solved after the holder was switched to a metal holder . to provide an abrasion - resistant overcoat ( such as 16 in fig1 ), it is preferred to first coat the absorption layer with a thin ( approximately 1000å ) plasma - polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane ( hmds ) to provide a barrier coat . then apply approximately 5 microns of a ultraviolet - cured silicone polymer ( such as 3m brand photogard ). the overcoat also increases adhesion of the filter coating to the visor . the above invention has been described with regard to specific dyes and one or two layers of thin film . of course , numerous layers with a different dye in each layer can be employed with the dye selected to absorb at a particular wavelength . thereby , a plurality of wavelengths can be filtered by a plurality of layers . further , the particular dyes described above are given merely by way of example and other evaporable dyes in the classes listed may be employed . further , the pc substrate is given merely by way of example and other substrate materials can be utilized . the invention is particularly useful for coating curved and contoured surfaces . the best mode of the invention incorporates silicon dioxide ( sio 2 ) as the inorganic compound for diluting and holding dye in solid form . the organic dye is dispersed throughout the inorganic compound . the dye molecule is vanadyl phthalocyanine . alternatively , magnesium fluoride ( mgf 2 ) maybe utilized as an inorganic compound for diluting and holding the dye in solid form . both materials are formed into thin films ( i . e ., a thin film having a thickness less than 25 microns ) by the physical vapor deposition ( pvd ) method of electron beam deposition . note , while there are many other thin film inorganic material which could be used , such as titanium dioxide ( tio 2 ), having a higher refractive index ( approximately 2 . 4 ) and higher melting point / process deposition temperature than either sio 2 ( approximately 1 . 5 ) or mgf 2 ( approximately 1 . 38 ), that sublime at relatively low temperatures and thus become much less useful for forming a narrow band selective absorption thin film filter on a temperature sensitive polymeric substrate . a relatively low refractive index is desirable for an optical transmitting device such as a narrow band selective filter , in order to minimize out - of - band surface reflectance losses . the narrow band selective absorption filter in the form of a thin film coating which can be applied to an arbitrarily shaped substrate such as a compound - curved pilot &# 39 ; s visor , consisting of an intimate dispersion of an organic dye molecule in an inorganic matrix , is fabricated by a pvd technique of the vacuum co - evaporation using a thermal source for the chromophore / dye molecules and an e - beam gun source for the inorganic material . instead of vanadyl phthalocyanine , the organic dye may be another suitable chromophore from the porphyrins , metallo - phthalocyanines , rare - earth diphthalocyanines , cyanines , carbocyanines , merocyanines , squaryliums , and tetracenes . fig1 and 12 depict a suitable e - beam / thermal source co - deposition vacuum process chamber and a process flow diagram , respectively , for the fabrication of such a narrow band selective absorption filter . the pvd process of the dye and inorganic matrix utilizes the following steps : 1 ) stabilize and set the dye deposition rate ; 2 ) set the dye source shutter closed while maintaining the dye source temperature ; 3 ) stabilize and set the inorganic dielectric ( e . g ., sio 2 ) e - beam source deposition rate ; 4 ) open dye source shutter and start co - deposition ; 5 ) monitor the sio 2 deposition rate during co - deposition ( holding the dye source at a constant temperature ); and 6 ) adjust the power to the dye source to maintain constant deposition rate throughout the run .
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the present invention is described in relation to a microfluidic printing apparatus which can print computer generated digital images . referring to fig1 a schematic diagram is shown of a microfluidic printing apparatus 8 in accordance with the present invention . reservoirs 10 , 20 , 30 , and 40 are respectively provided for storing black , cyan , magenta , and yellow solutions . the microfluidic printing apparatus can comprise fewer or more than four colorant reservoirs to include other colors such as red , green and blue , and / or the same colorant at different concentrations . a colorless fluid can also be mixed with the colorants to generate a continuous tone in the final printed and displayed image . microchannel capillaries 50 respectively connected to each of the reservoirs conduct colorant or solutions from the corresponding reservoir to an array of colorant delivery chambers 60 . the colorants are delivered to the colorant delivery chambers 60 by microfluidic pumps . the example of the microfluidic pump used in the present invention is the electrokinetic pumps 70 , also known as an electroosmotic pumps , which is shown in detail in fig3 . the present invention is also compatible with other types of microfluidic pumps such as piezoelectric micropumps , peristaltic micropumps , piston pumps , and gas pressurized pumps . details about these microfluidic pumps are described , for example , in &# 34 ; electroosmosis : a reliable fluid propulsion system for flow injection analyses &# 34 ;, anal . chem . 66 , pp . 1792 - 1798 ( 1994 ). in fig1 electrokinetic pumps 70 are shown only for the black colorant channel . similar pumps are used for the other colorant channels , but are omitted in fig1 for clarity . the amount of each colorant being delivered is controlled by microcomputer 90 according to the digital image 100 . the digital image can be reproduced on the receiver 80 in black or colors , or can be viewed directly as a display . for generating a printed image , the microfluidic printing apparatus 8 is transported by a transport mechanism 95 in the direction as indicated by the double arrow in fig1 to come in contact with the receiver 80 . in the present invention , the colorant delivery chambers 60 deliver the colorant directly to a receiver 80 as shown in fig1 ; however , other types of colorant delivery arrangements can be used such as microfluidic channels , and so when the word chamber is described , it will be understood to include those arrangements . details about microfluidic printing including microchannels , fluid delivery chambers , and microfluidic pumps are described in the above referenced , commonly assigned u . s . patent applications , which can also be used in the present invention . the receiver 80 in the present invention can be both reflective or transparent . the receiver 80 can be common paper having sufficient fibers to provide a capillary force to draw the ink from the mixing chambers into the paper . synthetic papers may also be used . the receiver 80 can have a coated layer of polymer which has a strong affinity , or mordanting effect on the ink . for example , if a water based ink is used , a layer of gelatin will provide an absorbing layer for the ink . in one example of an embodiment of the present invention , the receiver 80 is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 605 , 750 , by romano , bugner , and ferrar , hereby incorporated by reference . the receiver 80 also includes physical articles such as self - adhesive stickers , books , files , and passports , card stock , packaging boxes , envelopes , boxes , packages , and so on . the outside surface of a film carton is shown as receiver 80 in fig1 for illustration . finally , colorants are transferred to a receiver 80 to reproduce input digital image 100 on the receiver 80 . the colorants used in this invention can be dispersions of dyes or pigments in aqueous solutions or solvents . examples of such inks are found is u . s . pat . no . 5 , 611 , 847 by gustina , santilli , and bugner . inks are also be found in the following commonly assigned u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 699 , 955 , filed aug . 20 , 1996 entitled &# 34 ; cyan and magenta pigment set &# 34 ;; u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 699 , 962 , filed aug . 20 , 1996 entitled &# 34 ; magenta ink jet pigment set &# 34 ;; u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 699 , 963 , filed aug . 20 , 1996 entitled &# 34 ; cyan ink jet pigment set &# 34 ;, all by mcinerney , oldfield , bugner , bermel , and santilli ; and in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 790 , 131 , filed jan . 29 , 1997 entitled &# 34 ; heat transferring inkjet ink images &# 34 ; by bishop , simons , and brick ; and u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 764 , 379 , filed dec . 13 , 1996 entitled &# 34 ; pigmented inkjet inks containing phosphated ester derivatives &# 34 ; by martin , the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein . colorants such as the ciba geigy unisperse rubine 4ba - pa , unisperse yellow rt - pa , and unisperse blue gt - pa are also preferred embodiments of the invention . fig2 depicts a top view of the arrangement of colorant delivery chambers 60 , as shown in fig1 located within a front plate 120 of the microfluidic printing apparatus . each colorant delivery chamber 60 is capable of receiving a single colorant such as black , yellow , magenta , or cyan , or producing a mixture of colorants having any color saturation , hue and lightness within the color gamut provided by the set of colorant solutions used in the apparatus . the colorant delivery chambers 60 are laid out in rows and columns . the rows are labeled as r1 , r2 , r3 . . . and so on . the columns are labeled as c1 , c2 , c3 . . . and so on . each colorant delivery chamber is located by its row and column numbers . the front plate 120 comprises a total of m rows and n columns . fig3 shows a cross - sectional view of a colorant delivery chamber 60 in the present invention . a microchannel 50 , a colorant delivery chamber 60 and an electrokinetic pump 70 are fabricated in a substrate 130 , which can be made of silicon , for example . the colorant 140 is pumped to the colorant delivery chamber 60 by the electrokinetic pump 70 that comprises a top electrode 150 and a lower electrode 160 . the flow of the colorant to the colorant delivery chamber 60 can be regulated by different regulation means as disclosed in the above referenced u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 868 , 102 , filed jun . 3 , 1997 entitled &# 34 ; microfluidic printing with ink volume control &# 34 ;, u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 868 , 477 , filed jun . 3 , 1997 entitled &# 34 ; microfluidic printing with ink flow regulation &# 34 ;. in fig3 a microvalve 180 is shown that is controlled by two electrodes 185 and 190 . details and types of microvalves are also disclosed in the above u . s . patent applications . an electric driver 200 is shown to be connected to the electrokinetic pump 70 . but the same driving and addressing approaches as described below are also applicable to the microvalve 180 . the electric driver 200 in fig3 is exemplified by an metal - oxide semiconductor field - effect transistor ( mosfet ) as a preferred embodiment in the present invention . specifically , the mosfet in fig3 is a n - channel enhanced mode mosfet . it should be noted that other devices such as bipolar junction transistors ( bjt &# 39 ; s ) can also be used in the present invention . in fig1 the source , gate , and drain of the mosfet are labeled as &# 34 ; s &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; g &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; d &# 34 ;, respectively . the source &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; of the mosfet electric driver is connected to ground 170 . the mosfet can be fabricated in a silicon based substrate 130 using complementary metal - oxide semiconductor ( cmos ) technology . a preferred cmos technology for fabricating the mosfet in the present invention is double - diffused mos or dmos field - effect transistor . the dmosfet configuration can provide wider operating voltage range at the drain &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; of the electric driver 200 in fig3 which provides wider range of electric - field strength between the top electrode 150 and the lower electrode 160 . the top electrode of the electrokinetic pump is connected to an electrode that is controlled as described below . the lower electrode 160 of the electrokinetic pump 70 is connected to the drain &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; of the mosfet . the electric potential at the gate &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; of the mosfet can be separately controlled . the voltages at 150 and the &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; controls the electric field strength and thus the pump rate between the top electrode 150 and the lower electrode 160 in the electrokinetic pump 70 . for clarity in fig3 only one microchannel 50 and one electrokinetic pump 70 are shown to be connected to the colorant delivery chamber 60 . it is understood that several colorants can be delivered by respective electrokinetic pumps 70 to a colorant delivery chamber 60 to form a colorant mixture . the electric driving circuit shown in fig3 can be easily adapted to the such a configuration . it is also understood that an electric driving circuit can also be easily adapted to drive colorant flow regulation means such as microvalves in a microfluidic printing apparatus . the colorant regulation means are disclosed in above referenced commonly assigned u . s . patent applications ser . no . 08 / 868 , 102 , filed jun . 3 , 1997 entitled &# 34 ; microfluidic printing with ink volume control &# 34 ; and ser . no . 08 / 868 , 477 , filed jun . 3 , 1997 entitled &# 34 ; microfluidic printing with ink flow regulation &# 34 ;. fig4 illustrates the equivalent electric circuit of the electric driving circuit for the electrokinetic pump 70 in fig3 . the equivalent impedance 210 of an electrokinetic pump 70 comprises a parallel circuit of a capacitor 220 and a resistor 230 . the capacitor 220 represents the dielectric nature of the colorant 140 . the resistor 230 indicates the leakage current due to the ionic flux in the colorant fluid under an electric field , which is a form of energy dissipation in the electrokinetic pump 70 . the voltage applied to the equivalent impedance 210 corresponds to the electric field across the top and the bottom electrodes 150 , 160 in an electrokinetic pump 70 , which determines the pump rate of the electrokinetic pump 70 . the amount of colorant delivered by the electrokinetic pump 70 increases with the increased temporal duration of the applied electric field . fig5 illustrates the voltage waveforms at the top electrode 150 , the gate &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; of the mosfet electric driver 200 , and across the impedance 210 . the gate voltage &# 34 ; v g &# 34 ; is raised by an electric pulse which switches on the mosfet driver . within the time of the above electric pulse , an electric pulse of width &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; and voltage amplitude &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; is applied to the top electrode 150 . the resulted voltage waveform across the impedance 210 is also shown . the characteristic rise time for the pulse is the capacitance of the capacitor 220 multiplied by the on - resistance in the mosfet 200 . the decay time trailing the pulse is determined by the product of the capacitance of the capacitor 220 and the resistance of the resistor 230 . the peak value in the voltage waveform across impedance 210 is the amplitude &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; at the top electrode 150 minus the voltage drop across the mosfet in the on - state . thus &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; is the primary means to determine the pump rate of the electrokinetic pump 70 . the amount of colorant pumped increases with the increased width of the pulse &# 34 ; w &# 34 ;. although digital waveforms are shown for controlling the electrokinetic pumps , the addressing circuit in the present invention is also compatible with analog or pulsed dc waveforms . the amount of the colorant fluids pumped directly corresponds to the pixel values at the respective pixels in the digital image 100 . the microfluidic printing apparatus 8 in the present invention can include a plurality of colorant delivery chambers 60 with respective electric drivers 200 . these electric drivers can be addressed in different configurations . in the first embodiment of the present invention , a common ground electrode is connected to the sources &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; of the mosfet electric drivers . the positive voltage to the top electrodes 150 and the voltage at the gate &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; of each mosfet electric driver 200 are separately controlled for each individual electrokinetic pump 70 . in this embodiment , there are total of ( m × n ) electric drivers ( assuming one electrokinetic pump per colorant delivery chamber 60 ). the total number of conducting wires is two multiplied by the total number of colorant delivery chambers ( m × n ), plus the two common electrodes . in this and the following embodiments , it is understood that when there are more than one electrokinetic pumps connected with each colorant delivery chamber , the number of drivers and conducting wires will be increased by a factor of the number of pumps per chamber . one advantage of this embodiment is that any number or all the electric drivers 200 can be activated at the same time for rapid colorant delivery . the second embodiment of the addressing circuit for electrokinetic pumps in the present invention is illustrated in fig6 . common row electrodes 240 are connected to the gate terminals of p - channel mosfets 260 that have their source connected to the top electrodes of the electrokinetic pumps 70 in each row . the common column electrodes 250 are connected to the gate terminals of the n - channel mosfets in each column . the electrokinetic pumps in the two dimensional array of colorant delivery chambers are activated sequentially or in parallel . in the sequential approach , the electric pump at row ( i ) and column ( j ) is activated by controlling only the ( ith ) p - channel mosfet and the ( jth ) n - channel mosfet to low impedance states . the control voltages for the remaining rows and columns maintain the corresponding mosfet drivers in a high impedance state . since the electrokinetic pump is activated only when both row and column mosfets are activated , only the electrokinetic pump at ( ith ) row and the ( jth ) column is activated . the electric waveforms ( shown in fig5 ) for driving each n - channel mosfet of an electrokinetic pump is controlled to deliver the correct amount of colorant fluid to the corresponding colorant delivery chamber according to the input digital image 100 . the electrokinetic pumps 70 can also be activated a row ( or a column ) at a time . for example , when the drivers 260 at row r1 are activated , drivers 200 at different columns can be activated for different lengths of time as illustrated in fig5 so that the amount of colorant delivered at each pump corresponds to the input digital image 100 . since the gate input impedance on mosfet drivers are very high , the drive currents required for the row electrodes 240 and the column electrodes 250 are essentially independent of the number of electric drivers 200 , 260 that are activated . the parasitic effects are minimized . in this embodiments , there are total of ( 2 × m × n ) electric drivers and ( m + n + 2 ) conducting wires for addressing the electrokinetic pumps 70 ( assuming one electrokinetic pump per colorant delivery chamber 60 ). the third embodiment of the addressing circuit in the present invention is illustrated in fig7 . like the second embodiment of the present invention , the electrokinetic pumps are also addressed by rows and columns , but the electric drivers 200 and 260 are shared by columns and rows respectively . in this embodiment , there are total of ( m + n ) electric drivers . the advantage of the embodiment is the reduced number of drivers , thus reducing the complexity in fabrication . the fourth embodiment of the addressing circuit in the present invention is illustrated in fig8 . this embodiment is a hybrid design of the second and the third embodiments . whereas the control for electrokinetic pumps in each row share the same electric drivers 260 , individual electric drivers are provided for electric drivers 200 in each column . assuming one electrokinetic pump per colorant delivery chamber , the total number of electric drivers is ( m + m × n ) and the total number of the conducting wires is ( m + n + 2 ). also , by analogy , the columns can be controlled by common drivers , and each individual driver can be controlled by an individual driver connected to the row signal 240 . it is understood that above embodiments in address circuits can be used for driving for the colorant flow regulators such as microvalves 180 in a microfluidic printing apparatus . the addressing and driving circuit for the colorant flow regulators can be provided in addition to the addressing and driving circuit for the electrokinetic pumps . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention .
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in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment , a fast frame recorder is provided that records scene information at a fast frame rate and plays back such information at a slower frame rate , thereby allowing slow motion analysis of a moving object . the camera whole - frame rate used for recording scene information is variable between 60 and 2 , 000 frames per second . for those applications requiring even faster frame rates , a partial - frame mode of operation is provided that enables scene information to be recorded at a partial - frame rate equal to two , three or six times the whole - frame rate . played back scene information is displayed on a video monitor operating at 60 times per second . accordingly , the apparent speed at which an object moves when viewed upon playback will be reduced by a factor equal to the ratio of the recording ( whole or partial -) frame rate to the playback frame rate . thus , the maximum whole - frame speed reduction is about 33 ( 2 , 000 divided by 60 ) while the maximum partial - frame speed reduction is 200 ( 12 , 000 divided by 60 ). at the maximum partial - frame speed reduction , the exposure time for each frame is 1 / 12 , 000th of a second , which is short enough to provide extremely high resolution images ( almost no image smear ) of even rapidly moving objects . fig1 is a functional block schematic diagram showing a fast frame recorder in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention . initially , the operator selects the desired whole - frame speed reduction by means of a speed reduction select circuit 48 . based upon the selected reduction , a camera timing control circuit 54 generates the various clocking signals required to read out a sensor 52 in a camera 50 at a frame rate in accordance with table i : table i______________________________________ frame ratespeed reduction ( frames per second ) ______________________________________33 2 , 00017 1 , 0008 5003 2001 60______________________________________ the sensor 52 is a &# 34 ; block &# 34 ; readable area image sensor . the basic concept of block readout of a solid state area image sensor is disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 112 , 483 , filed jan . 16 , 1980 in the name of james a . bixby , which is hereby incorporated by reference . specific types of block readable sensors are disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 112 , 482 , filed jan . 16 , 1980 in the names of t . h . lee and r . p . khosla , and u . s . patent application ser . no . 116 , 686 , filed jan . 30 , 1980 in the names of c . n . anagnostopoulos et al , both of which are hereby incorporated by reference . although the referenced patent applications include detailed information , the basic concept of block readout is illustrated in fig2 and 3 . fig2 shows a block readable sensor 10 that is comprised of an array of photosites ( not shown individually ) arranged in 192 rows and 248 columns . for purposes of readout , the sensor 10 is formatted into six blocks of 32 photosite rows each . ( there need not be any physical demarcation on the sensor itself between such blocks ). each photosite is readable upon the application thereto of an enablement signal and an address signal . the sensor 10 is readable in whole or partial frames . to begin whole - frame readout , a driver 14 produces a block start signal that causes a programmable block enable address generator 16 to produce an enablement signal that enables , via block enable line b 1 , all photosite rows within block 1 , i . e , rows 1 - 32 . in response to a column start signal , column address electronics in the form of a shift register 22 sequentially addresses the 248 photosite columns of the entire area image sensor 10 . because the photosite rows within blocks 2 - 6 ( rows 33 - 192 ) are not enabled , only photosite rows 1 - 32 ( block 1 ) are read out at this time , the remaining photosites in the not - enabled blocks continuing to integrate charge in response to incident radiation . after all columns have been addressed , an end of column signal sequences the block enable address generator 16 to enable , via block enable line b 2 , the block 2 photosite rows , i . e ., rows 33 - 64 . column - wise readout then proceeds as described above for the block 1 photosite rows . this process is repeated until all 6 blocks of photosite rows are read out , at which time an end of frame signal from the block enable address generator 16 resets the driver 14 for readout of the next frame . output select gates 18 and an interconnect matrix 20 of conductive bus lines perform the function of a block mulitplexer that causes only signals from the 32 photosite rows within the block that is being read out to appear as an output signal . the reader is referred to u . s . patent application ser . no . 112 , 482 , referenced above , for a more detailed discussion of the output select gates 18 and the interconnect matrix 20 . as a result of such readout , block information is produced in series , with each block of information containing 32 row signals arranged in parallel . a result of such a readout technique is the reduction of the time required for sensor readout by a factor of 32 ( i . e ., the number of photosite rows in a block ). attendantly , a sensor that can be read out at a maximum whole - frame rate of , say , 60 frames per second using conventional serial line readout can be read out at a whole - frame rate of 1920 frames per second when operation is as described above . fig3 illustrates , graphically , how frame information , formatted in blocks as described above , may be recombined to form a video display . a camera 30 images a scene onto the photosensitive surface of a block readable area image sensor 32 . by reading out the sensor in blocks , the scene is &# 34 ; sampled &# 34 ;, in effect , by &# 34 ; block sample pulses &# 34 ;. the frame information ( labelled format ) corresponding to each block is shown in &# 34 ; pictorial form &# 34 ; above its respective block sample pulse . the block format frame information is converted to a standard ntsc television signal ( or other suitable format ) and applied to a video monitor 40 . the scene can then be displayed on the video monitor 40 . partial - frame readout is controlled by a partial - frame select circuit 17 ( see fig2 ) which may be set to a two bit address , whereby four partial - frame modes of operation are provided , referred to hereinafter as 1 ×, 2 ×, 3 × and 6 ×. the 1 × mode corresponds to whole - frame operation as described above . in the 2 × mode , the programmable block enable address generator 16 enables each of the blocks 3 , 4 and 5 twice per frame . in the 3 × mode , blocks 3 and 4 are each enabled three times per frame ; and in the 6 × mode , block 3 is enabled six times per frame . such block enablement produces partial - frame rates of 2 , 3 or 6 times the selected whole - frame rate . fig4 shows an electrical schematic diagram of the programmable block enable address generator 16 . a decoder 27 produces a block enable signal for the block number that corresponds to the count of a 3 - bit counter 29 . the count of the counter 29 is controlled by a prom 31 and a comparator 33 . the output data from the prom 31 is determined by the selected partial - frame mode of operation : table ii______________________________________partial - frame prom data outputsmode o . sub . 0 o . sub . 1 o . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 o . sub . 5______________________________________1x 0 0 1 0 1 12x 0 1 1 1 0 13x 0 1 1 0 1 06x 0 1 1 1 1 0______________________________________ in terms of numerical equivalents , selection of the 1 × partial - frame mode causes a &# 34 ; one &# 34 ; to be applied to the load inputs of the counter 29 and a &# 34 ; six &# 34 ; to be applied to the comparator 33 . selection of the 2 ×, 3 ×, and 6 × partial - frame modes causes a &# 34 ; three &# 34 ; to be applied to the load inputs of the counter 29 and a &# 34 ; five &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; four &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; three &# 34 ;, respectively , to be applied to the comparator 33 . the counter 29 , therefore , repeatedly increments from the count applied to its load inputs to the count applied to the comparator 33 . the resultant block enable signals for each of the selectable partial - frame modes are shown in fig5 . it is apparent from inspection of fig5 that the 1 × partial - frame mode is equivalent to whole - frame operation , while the 6 × partial - frame mode results in readout of block three six times for each frame , thereby resulting in a partial - frame rate that is six times greater than the whole - frame rate . the corresponding formats of the signals produced by the camera 30 for the 2 ×, 3 × and 6 × partial - frame modes are shown in fig6 a , 6b and 6c , respectively . the end of frame signal is produced by a comparator 35 that produces an output signal each time a counter 37 counts six end of column signals . referring again to fig1 each of the 32 line signals that constitute the analog video signal from the camera is frequency modulated , in an fm modulator circuit 56 , on a carrier having a center frequency of 5 mhz . it will be assumed , for purposes of illustration , that the frequency deviation is ± 1 . 6 mhz . a timing signal containing sync information is also frequency modulated on a 5 mhz carrier . the output of the fm modulator circuit 56 is , therefore , comprised of 33 separate , frequency modulated signals . all 33 frequency modulated signals undergo a divide - by - n process in a divide - by - n circuit 58 , described in detail with reference to fig9 . the value of &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; is equal ( to the nearest integer ) to the maximum selectable speed reduction divided by the selected speed reduction . the relationship between &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; and various values of the speed reduction is given in table iii : it will be noted that the selected speed reduction has been used to determine both the frame rate at which the sensor 52 is read out ( see table i ) and the value of &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; in the divide - by - n circuit 58 ( see table iii ). while it may not be apparent how these two parameters ( frame rate and &# 34 ; n &# 34 ;) relate to slow motion replay , the discussion which follows will show that the selection of these two parameters as described above , in conjunction with the proper selection of a third parameter ( recording tape speed ), will produce the desired speed reduction of scene information upon playback and greatly simplify the associated signal processing circuitry . the output signals of the divide - by - n circuit 58 are applied to a recording head driver circuit 60 that drives a multi - channel longitudinal recorder that includes a 33 channel magnetic recording head 62 . the 33 signals are recorded along 33 separate tracks on a magnetic tape 63 . the magnetic tape 63 is advanced by a capstan drive that is controlled by a motor drive circuit 65 , described in detail with reference to fig1 and 11 . the speed at which the magnetic tape 63 is advanced during recording is selected , in accordance with the invention , to be proportional to the selected speed reduction . one set of the recording tape speeds for the selectable speed reductions is given in table iv : table iv______________________________________ recording tape speedspeed reduction ( inches per second ) ______________________________________33 20017 1008 503 201 6______________________________________ having recorded information on the magnetic tape 63 that corresponds to the moving object ( scene information ) under study , a slow motion video display of such object is produced by playing back the recorded information at a constant tape speed of 6 inches per second , irrespective of the originally selected speed reduction . as a result , the ratio of the recording tape speed to the playback tape speed yields a tape speed reduction ratio that equals the selected speed reduction . further , all reproduced signals have the same center frequency ( f c ) and frequency deviation ( δf ), thereby enabling a fixed frequency demodulator to be used irrespective of the selected whole - frame speed reduction . to understand why the above - described selection of recording frame rate , the factor &# 34 ; n &# 34 ;, recording tape speed and playback tape speed results in the desired speed reduction and signal form upon playback , reference is made to fig7 a through 7c . for convenience , the various speed reductions and the parameters whose values are determined thereby are summarized in fig7 a . it is apparent from inspection of fig7 a that &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; is equal to the maximum selected camera frame rate divided by the selected camera frame rate ( which is determined by the speed reduction , as discussed above ). the effect of the divide - by - n circuit 58 is to reduce both the center frequency and the frequency deviation by a factor of &# 34 ; n &# 34 ;, as summarized in fig7 b . but because the ratio of record tape speed to playback tape speed varies in inverse proportion to &# 34 ; n &# 34 ;, all signals produced upon playback have the same center frequency ( f c = 0 . 15 mhz ) and frequency deviation ( δf = 0 . 05 mhz ); see fig7 c . further , because the playback tape speed is always 6 inches per second , all video information is reproduced at a frame rate of 60 frames per second , thereby resulting in the desired whole - frame speed reduction . as a specific example , assume that a whole - frame speed reduction of 8 is selected . ( for this example , reference is made to fig1 and 7a through 7c . ) selecting a whole - frame speed reduction of 8 will cause the camera sensor 52 to be read out at a whole - frame rate equal to 500 frames per second ( fig7 a ). the fm modulator 56 frequency modulates the video signal into a 5 mhz carrier to produce a frequency modulated video signal having a center frequency equal to 5 mhz and a frequency deviation equal to 1 . 6 mhz . the divide - by - n circuit 58 , with n = 4 , reduces the frequency content of the video signal information by a factor of 4 , thereby resulting in a frequency modulated signal having a center frequency equal to 1 . 25 mhz and a frequency deviation of 0 . 4 mhz ( fig7 b ). this signal is recorded at a tape speed of 50 inches per second . playing back this signal at a tape speed of 6 inches per second results in a recovered signal that has a center frequency equal to 0 . 15 mhz , a frequency deviation equal to 0 . 05 mhz , and a frame rate of 60 frames per second ( fig7 c ). the desired whole - frame speed reduction of 8 ( more precisely , 8 . 25 ) has thus been achieved . a partial - frame speed reduction may be produced that is two , three or six times the whole - frame speed reduction , depending upon whether the 2 ×, 3 × or 6 × partial - frame mode is selected , respectively . fig8 shows a comparison of video displays for whole - frame , 2 ×, 3 × and 6 × modes of operation . in the case of whole - frame operation ( 1 × partial frame mode ), blocks 1 through 6 are read out once per frame to produce a single image per frame of an object of interest . in the 2 ×, 3 × and 6 × partial - frame modes , certain blocks are read out more than once per frame , thereby producing multiple images per frame of the object of interest . for example , in the 3 × partial - frame mode , blocks 3 and 4 are each read out three times per frame with the result that the object of interest is displayed in three locations each corresponding to three different times . the maximum speed reduction is obtained by selecting a whole - frame speed reduction of 33 and the 6 × partial - frame mode of operation . in this case , block 3 will be read out six times per frame , thereby producing six corresponding images of the object of interest . the partial - frame modes of operation are most suited to those applications wherein the object of interest occupies less than a complete frame . even in those applications , however , wherein the object of interest occupies the entire frame , the partial - frame mode is still useful to examine a portion of the object of interest at a higher speed reduction than the maximum selectable whole - frame speed reduction . referring again to fig1 the signal produced by the playback head 64 undergoes signal processing in a preamplifier and equalization circuit 66 . the processed signal is then demodulated in an fm demodulator circuit 68 . as a result of selecting the various operating parameters as described above , all reproduced signals have the same center frequency and frequency deviation . this condition greatly simplifies circuit design of the fm demodulator 68 since it , like the fm modulator 56 , need only operate at a fixed frequency ( 0 . 15 mhz ). after demodulation , the video signal , which is still in a block format , is converted to a line sequential video signal by a block to serial converter circuit 70 ( described in detail in connection with fig1 ). the demodulated timing signal , on the other hand , is diverted to a timing track reader circuit 72 that extracts the sync information . the extracted sync information is used to control a sync generator circuit 74 that produces a standard sync signal at its output . a sync insert circuit 76 inserts the sync signal into the line sequential video signal from the converter 70 to produce a standard ntsc format video signal , which is displayed on a video monitor 78 . the displayed scene information will , as described above , consist of a slow motion replay of the originally recorded scene in accordance with the selected whole - frame speed reduction and partial - frame mode of operation . the divide - by - n circuit 58 discussed in connection with fig1 is shown in more detail in fig9 which shows the circuit for only a single video channel since all 33 signals ( 32 video signals and one timing signal ) are treated identically . further , while in the above description it has been assumed that the whole - frame speed reduction will be selected from one of five values ( 33 , 17 , 8 , 3 and 1 ), the circuit shown in fig9 is designed to handle up to 256 separate speed reductions . the selected speed reduction is inputted into a prom ( programmable read - only - memory ) 88 which produces on its output line the 8 - bit binary equivalent of 256 minus &# 34 ; n &# 34 ;. the four least significant bits are applied to the load inputs ( l 1 , l 2 , l 4 and l 8 ) of a 4 - bit binary counter 92 . the four most significant bits are applied to the load inputs ( l 1 , l 2 , l 4 and l 8 ) of a 4 - bit binary counter 94 . the speed reduction select circuit 48 , after a time sufficient to allow the data to settle on the load inputs , produces a load signal that causes each of the counters 92 and 94 to be preset to the count appearing on its respective load inputs . for example , if a speed reduction of 33 was selected ( n equals 1 , see fig7 a ), the output of the prom 88 would be the binary equivalent of 256 - 1 , which is 11111111 . the binary counter 92 would thus be preset to 15 ( binary 1111 ), as would the binary counter 94 . the frequency modulated video signal , after conversion to digital form in a frequency to pulse width modulator 90 , clocks the binary counters 92 and 94 . initially , the counter 94 is disabled because of the low state of the carry of counter 92 . the digital video signal applied to the clock input of the counter 92 , however , causes the counter 92 to start counting from its preset ( as preset by the prom 88 ) value up to 15 , at which time the carry goes high thereby enabling the counter 94 . on the next positive edge transition of the digital video signal , the counter 94 increments one count from the preset count ( as preset by the prom 88 ), and the carry output of counter 92 returns to its low state , thereby disabling counter 94 . this process repeats until the counter 94 counts from its preset value to 15 , at which time its carry output goes high on the next clock pulse , and the counters are reloaded to the preset binary count ( 256 - n ) appearing on the load inputs . the carry output of the counter 94 toggles a flip flop 97 between high and low states once each nth cycle of the original digital video signal . after conversion back to fm form in a pulse width to frequency converter 98 , an fm video signal results which has been reduced in frequency by factor of n relative to the original input video signal . the divide - by - n circuit shown in fig9 therefore , frequency reduces an input signal by a factor of n , wherein n can be any integer value between 1 and 256 . selection of the whole - frame speed reduction , as described above , also controls the tape speed at which information is recorded . fig1 shows the motor drive circuit 65 in detail . an 8 - bit binary number representing 256 minus &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; ( which may be obtained , for example , from the prom 88 shown in fig9 ) is applied to a pair of 4 - bit counters 100 and 102 . operation of the counters 100 and 102 is identical to that described in connection with the counters 92 and 94 shown in fig9 . the only difference is that each of the counters 100 and 102 is driven by a high frequency clock 104 , instead of the digital video signal . the output signal appearing at point a 1 , therefore , consists of a pulse train having a frequency which is less than the clock frequency by a factor of &# 34 ; n &# 34 ;. this pulse train is used to control the speed of a capstan motor 110 . connected to the shaft of the capstan motor 110 is a tachometer 112 that produces a signal which varies in amplitude proportionately with motor speed . the signal from the tachometer 112 passes through a gain control circuit 114 and to an inverting input of a summing circuit 120 . also connected to the shaft of the capstan motor 110 is an incremental encoder 116 that produces a pulse train having a repetition rate which varies in proportion to motor speed . a phase - frequency detector 124 ( such as an mc4044 ) compares the phases of the signals appearing at points a 1 and a 2 and produces an output signal at point b which is applied to the summing circuit 120 . the output signal from the phase - frequency detector 124 is integrated by an integrator 125 , the output of which is also applied to the summing circuit 120 . the output of the summing circuit 120 is amplified by an amplifier 126 and is used to control a motor driver 128 . referring to fig1 , typical waveforms are shown that are representative for two conditions : ( 1 ) the motor is running too slow , and ( 2 ) the motor is running too fast . in the case where the motor is running too slow , it will be assumed that the signal at a 2 lags the signal at a 1 . the output of the phase - frequency detector 124 at point b is a positive going pulse . this pulse is integrated to produce the waveform shown for point c . the waveform appearing at point d will be a steady state signal until the motor starts to increase in speed . at this point the signal level of the tachometer 112 starts to rise , producing a corresponding increase in the signal at point d . the signal at point e is the result of combining the signals at points b , c and d in the summing circuit 120 . the resultant signal causes the motor driver 128 to increase the speed of the capstan motor 110 . in the case where the motor is running too fast , the signal at point a 2 leads the signal at point a 1 . in this case , the phase - frequency detector 124 produces a negative going output pulse at point b . integration of this pulse produces the waveform shown at point c . the signal appearing at point d is a steady state signal until the motor 110 starts to slow , at which time the tachometer output decreases to produce a corresponding decrease in the signal at point d . the signal at point e is the result of combining the signals at points b , c and d in the summing circuit 120 . the resultant signal causes the motor driver 128 to decrease the speed of the capstan motor 110 . as discussed above , the signal produced upon playback is formatted in blocks , wherein each block contains 32 video line signals . because conventional video monitors are not compatible with such a block format signal , a block to serial converter circuit 70 ( fig1 ) is used to convert the block format signal to a line sequential signal that is compatible with a standard video monitor ( set up to accept a 192 line signal ). the block to serial converter circuit 70 is shown in fig1 . the block format signal is applied to the input data lines d 1 through d 32 of a 1 of 32 data selector 140 . operation of the data selector 140 is controlled by a bit rate clock 142 that increments its count 32 times as fast as the pixel rate . assume initially , therefore , that the pixel information corresponding to column 1 of lines 1 through 32 appears on the input data lines d 1 through d 32 , respectively . the data selector 140 sequentially routes the signal appearing on each input data line ( d 1 through d 32 ) to the output data line q at a rate ( determined by the bit rate clock 142 ) which is 32 times faster than the pixel rate of video information . the data selector 140 thus samples all 32 input data lines before the pixel information corresponding to column 2 of lines 1 through 32 appears on the input data lines . the output signal from the data selector 140 is comprised of a series of analog information bits each of which corresponds to a different pixel of video information . in terms of the corresponding video information , the order of such information bits is as follows : column 1 of lines 1 through 32 , column 2 of lines 1 through 32 , and so on , to column 248 of lines 1 through 32 . the analog information bits are converted to their 8 - bit binary equivalent by an analog to digital converter 144 . the resulting stream of binary data is applied to the input data busses of a pair of rams ( random access memories ) 146 and 148 , each of which is capable of storing the binary data corresponding to one block of video signal . ( because each block contains 248 × 32 = 7 , 936 pixels , 8k × 8 - bit rams are used .) a write address generator 152 generates the address used to write data into the rams 146 and 148 . basically , the write address generator 152 is a counter which increments one count for each increment of the bit rate clock 142 , and counts to 7 , 936 ( which is the number of storage locations that are actually used ). the write address generator 152 counts sequentially so that input data is stored in sequential storage locations . a pair of tri - state buffers 156 and 158 determine which of the rams 146 and 148 receive the write address . in a similar manner , a read address generator 154 generates a read address used to read data from the rams 146 and 148 . again , a pair of tri - state buffers 166 and 168 determine which of the rams 146 and 148 receive the read address . there is an important difference between the write address generator 152 and the read address generator 154 : while the write address generator 152 counts sequentially , the read address generator 154 counts in such a manner that the signal read from each ram is in a line - sequential format . this result is accomplished by designing the read address generator 154 so that it repeatedly counts from 1 to 7 , 936 by 32 &# 39 ; s until all numbers have been counted . by so counting , block one data , for example , is read from the ram in the following order : line 1 , columns 1 through 248 ; line 2 , columns 1 through 248 ; ; l and so on , to line 32 , columns 1 through 248 . this is precisely the order of data that correspoonds to a line sequential signal . operation of the tri - state buffers 156 , 158 , 166 and 168 is controlled by a block clock 150 that causes a block of information to be written into the ram 146 while a block of information is read from the ram 148 . the next block of information is read from the ram 146 while the previously written block is written into the ram 148 . as information is read from either of the rams 146 or 148 , it is converted back to analog form by a digital to analog converter 170 to produce an analog line sequential output signal . this signal , after insertion of sync information , is suitable for video display . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention .
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referring initially to fig1 , a digital picture frame 10 includes a hollow frame 12 that may be rectilinear as shown , defining left and right edges 14 , 16 . the frame 12 may assume other shapes , e . g ., ovular with left and right ends . the digital picture frame 10 is sized as a picture frame so that it is substantially flat and can be grasped by a user &# 39 ; s left and right hands 18 , 20 as shown along the left and right edges 14 , 16 , with the user &# 39 ; s fingers in back and the thumbs in front as shown . in the example embodiment shown in fig1 , the digital picture frame 10 can hold a processor 22 that receives time input from a clock 24 , as well as still or moving image data input from various sources such as but not limited to a universal serial bus ( usb ) interface 26 and / or a computer readable storage medium 28 such as but not limited to solid state storage or disk - based storage . in some embodiments the medium 28 may be removable , e . g ., the medium 28 may be implemented by a memory card . in any case , photos from a digital camera , for example , may be conveyed to the medium 28 directly by engaging the medium 28 with the camera and loading photos onto the medium 28 , then disengaging the medium 28 from the camera and sliding it into a receptacle of the digital picture frame 10 . or , the photos may be transferred from a camera or other source of photos through the usb interface 26 onto the medium 28 in the digital picture frame 10 . also , the processor 22 may receive input from a wireless or wired network interface 30 such as but not limited to a wifi interface . images received from the network interface 30 may also be displayed in addition to images from cameras as set forth further below . a touch screen 32 is bounded by the frame 12 as shown . the touch screen 32 is controlled by the processor 22 to present images from the medium 28 and / or usb interface 26 and / or network interface 30 or other source communicating with the processor 22 . also , user input signals are generated by the touch screen 32 when a user tactiley manipulates the below - described user interfaces ( ui ), and these signals are sent to the processor 22 , which may execute logic stored on the medium 28 to undertake the ui activities and respond to ui commands as discussed below . with more specificity , the processor 22 can cause the touch screen 32 to present a ui that may include at least first and second partially arcuate rings 34 , 36 . the rings may be circular as shown . in the embodiment shown , the rings 34 , 36 are visible ; in other embodiments , only the arcuately - arranged selector elements may be visible . thus , each ring bears plural discreet selector elements 38 , 40 , and each selector element 38 , 40 is manipulable by a person to input a respective selection represented by the selector element . in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 , a respective menu navigation arrow 42 is juxtaposed with each of the rings and is manipulable by a person to navigate through a menu of selections selectable using respective selector elements . for example , touching the left arrow 42 can cause the below - described tree - like menu to traverse up the tree , while touching the right arrow 42 can cause a downward traversal . in some embodiments , each selector element 38 on the first ring represents a root selection and each selector element 40 on the second ring represents a branch of a selected root from the first ring . thus and now referring to fig2 , if genre # 2 is selected by manipulating the “ 2 ” element on the left ring , then the selector elements 40 on the right ring represent elements in that genre that are available for display ( and , thus , the selector elements 40 in fig2 are labeled “ 2 a ”, “ 2 b ”, and so on for clarity of disclosure ). as an example , assume that the arrows 42 have been manipulated to traverse to the root of the tree . this may be regarded as a “ list of genres ” root . further manipulation of the arrows 42 may cause selector elements 38 in the left ring to respectively represent “ albums ”, “ wi - fi ”, and “ clock ”. assume “ albums ” is selected . selector elements 38 in the left ring may then represent each album available with photos for presentation , e . g ., “ album 1 ”, “ album 2 ”, and so on . if “ album 1 ” is selected then the selector elements 40 of the right ring may indicate respective photos in that album , and a user may manipulate the selector element 40 corresponding to a photo from the selected album desired to be presented on the touch screen 32 . in such a case , a preview of the photo may be superimposed on the ui , or the ui may be superimposed on the selected photo . when the ui times out or upon user command , the ui can disappear until such time as , e . g ., the user again touches the screen 32 to indicate a desire to invoke the ui . if the user navigates to “ wifi ”, selector elements 40 in the right ring can be correlated to respective wifi channel numbers . then again , if the user navigates to “ clock ”, selector elements in the right ring can correspond to “ set hour ”, “ set minute ”, “ set second ” for digital picture frames having a digital clock also displayed , and then the arrow elements 42 can be manipulated to appropriately set the time . while four selector elements per ring are shown , each ring may virtually include more selector elements than are displayed . under these circumstances , to display hidden selector elements , a ring ( or equivalently the associated arc of selector elements ) can be caused to appear to rotate when a user moves a finger along the ring to expose selector elements previously not presented on the touch screen . as shown in fig1 and 2 , each ring 34 , 36 defines a respective straight boundary 44 , 46 in addition to the arcuate selector element segment , which extends from end to end on the straight boundary . in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 , the boundaries 44 , 46 are respectively juxtaposed with and parallel to the left and right edges 14 , 16 of the frame . indeed , the boundaries 44 , 46 lie along the left and right edges of the touch screen 32 as shown . with this ui a person can conveniently manipulate the selector elements using only respective thumbs of the person . in another implementation of the ui and now referring to fig3 and 4 , a first ring 50 of selector elements 52 defines a straight boundary 54 and a first arcuate selector element segment 56 extending from end to end of the boundary . in this implementation , the second ring 58 defines a second arcuate selector element segment 60 that is positioned against the first selector element segment 56 , parallel thereto . the straight boundary 54 is juxtaposed with and parallel to the left edge of a digital picture frame 62 ( fig3 ) or to the right edge of the frame ( fig4 ). with this arrangement , a person can conveniently manipulate the selector elements using only a left or right thumb of the person . fig5 and 6 show that the ui may be distanced from the left and right edges of the frame and be disposed in the middle of the touch screen for single finger manipulation if desired . with more specificity , starting with fig5 each of two rings 70 , 72 that function as described above can define a straight boundary 74 and an arcuate selector element segment extending from a first end of the respective boundary to a second end of the respective boundary , and the boundaries of the first and second rings are displayed on a centerline of the digital picture frame that is midway between the left and right edges 76 , 78 . in other words , the each semi - circular ring faces the other to establish a complete circle , with selector elements in the right semicircle functioning as the selector elements 40 in fig1 and 2 and selector elements in the left semicircle functioning as the selector elements 38 . or , as shown in fig6 the arcuate segments can be reversed , i . e ., midpoints 80 , 82 of the selector element segments can be substantially tangential to each other at a centerline of the digital picture frame that is midway between the left and right edges of the frame . if desired , in the setup mode the user may be given “ ui configuration ” options which allows the user to select which one of the above - described uis to select . it may now be appreciated that present principles provide an unobtrusive ui that can be presented simultaneously with a photo for preview , and in some embodiments is well suited for two thumb - only ui interaction . present principles provide an easy way to browse options in a clean and elegant ui design . while the particular user interface for digital photo frame is herein shown and described in detail , it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims .
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in the text below , the phrase “ direct polyphase interpolation ” generally means that successive levels ( e . g ., half - pel , quarter - pel , eighth - pel , etc .) in order from a lowest level ( e . g ., half - pel ) to a highest level ( e . g ., eighth - pel ) of interpolated pixel values may be derived directly from full - pel data without using lower level data that derived from full - pel data ( that may potentially have been clipped prior to being so used ). in contrast the phrase “ hierarchical interpolation ” is generally taken to mean that successive levels are use derived lower level ( and potentially clipped ) interpolated values as input . the present invention generally concerns direct motion compensation structures and / or methods using direct polyphase interpolation . in particular , multiphase ( e . g ., 8 - tap ) filters ( or interpolators ) may implement direct interpolation of all subpel positions from original ( e . g ., integer ) pixel positions using different tap values for the different subpel positions . the resulting technique is generally cheaper for realtime codecs than conventional multilayer hierarchy approaches where bus bandwidth is a major cost . direct interpolation may produce sharp filters , fetch a least possible worst - case number of pixels , and may reduce a total amount of math performed to generate the interpolated values in a worst case . when filter taps are programmable , direct polyphase interpolation ( e . g ., use multiple taps and change the tap values for the various the subpel positions ) for all of the subpel positions is generally economical to implement . for large volume consumer electronics implementations ( whether very large scale integration ( vlsi ), digital signal processing ( dsp ) or similar technologies ), a conventional multilayer hierarchical approach may be more expensive than a comparably performing direct interpolation scheme of the present invention . the hierarchical approach generally involves a higher worst - case bus bandwidth to fetch extra pixels for conventional cascaded filters absent from the present invention . referring to fig2 and 3 , block diagrams of example direct polyphase interpolations 100 and 101 are shown in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the interpolation 100 generally comprises an initial block ( or image ) 102 , a first interpolated block ( or image ) 104 , a second interpolated block ( or image ) 106 and a third interpolated block ( or image ) 108 a . the interpolation 101 generally comprises the initial block 102 , the first interpolated block 104 , the second interpolated block 106 and a third interpolated block ( or image ) 108 b . a first interpolation operation 110 may generate the first interpolated block 104 directly from the initial block 102 . a second interpolation operation 112 may generate the second interpolated block 104 directly from the initial block 102 . a third interpolation operation 114 may generate the third interpolated block 108 a directly from the initial block 102 . a fourth interpolation operation 116 may generate the third interpolated block 108 b directly from the second interpolated block 106 . the initial block 102 may be referred to as an integer - pel block . the integer - pel block 102 generally comprises a matrix of luminance data or chrominance data . the data in the integer - pel block 102 may be aligned on an integer - pel grid having a unit separation between positions . the inter - pel grid may define a 2 × 2 4 × 4 , 4 × 8 , 8 × 4 , 8 × 8 , 8 × 16 , 16 × 8 or a 16 × 16 grid . other grid arrangements may be implemented to meet the criteria of a particular application . the first interpolated block 104 may be referred to as a half - pel block . the half - pel block 104 may have the same shape and size as the integer - pel block 102 . the data in the half - pel block 104 may be generated directly from the data in the integer - pel block 102 . the data in the half - pel block 104 may be aligned on a half - pel grid spatially offset from the integer - pel grid by a one - half unit horizontally and / or vertically . the second interpolated block 106 may be referred to as a quarter - pel block . the quarter - pel block 106 may have the same shape and size as the integer - pel block 102 . the data in the quarter - pel block 106 may be generated directly from the data in the integer - pel block 102 . the data in the quarter - pel block 106 may be aligned on a quarter - pel grid spatially offset from the integer - pel grid by one or more one - quarter units horizontally and / or vertically . each of the third interpolated blocks 108 a and 108 b may be referred to as an eighth - pel block . the eighth - pel blocks 108 a and 108 b may have the same shape and size as the integer - pel block 102 . the data in the eighth - pel block 108 a may be generated directly from the data in the integer - pel block 102 . the data in the eighth - pel block 108 b may be generated directly from the data in the quarter - pel block 106 . the data in the eighth - pel blocks 108 a and 108 b may be aligned on an eight - pel grid spatially offset from the integer - pel grid by one or more one - eight units horizontally and / or vertically . each of the interpolation operations 110 - 114 may use a direct multi - tap ( e . g ., 8 - tap ) interpolation ( or filtering ). the interpolation operation 116 may use a fixed bilinear ( e . g ., 2 - tap ) interpolation . changing the tap values used by the multi - tap filtering to get the proper subpel estimates , rather than conventionally deriving the quarter - pel values from the half - pel values , may achieve the same coding gain as the conventional techniques . the half - pel tap values , quarter - pel tap values and / or eighth - pel tap values used by the interpolations 110 - 114 may be derived from a reduced transmitted and / or stored set of common parameters for the various interpolated levels . for example , the common parameter set may be a set of half - pel tap values . in one embodiment , both the half - pel and the quarter - pel tap values may be derived using the same set of specified / transmitted / derived tap values . in another embodiment , the quarter - pel tap values may match the half - pel tap values . other methods of generating the tap values may be implemented to meet the criteria of a particular application . generating the higher level interpolated blocks 106 and 108 a directly from the integer - pel block 102 generally provides saving in bus bandwidth consumption compared with conventional approaches . for example , in the proposed h . 265 hierarchical approach ( 8 programmable half - pel taps , 6 fixed quarter - pel taps and bilinear eighth - pel taps ), motion compensation of a 4 × 4 block fetches a 13 × 13 block of data samples in a worst - case bus bandwidth utilization . in particular , a half - pel interpolated block is conventionally generated from ( 4 + 7 )×( 4 + 7 )= 11 × 11 = 121 data samples . however , a quarter - pel block is conventionally generated from ( 4 + 7 + 2 )×( 4 + 7 + 2 )= 13 × 13 = 169 data samples . conventional generation of an eighth - pel block is performed from the quarter - pel block and thus 13 × 13 = 169 data samples are fetched across the bus . in the present invention , all of the 4 × 4 quarter - pel values may be derived directly from 11 × 11 = 121 integer - pel data samples fetched via the bus . fetching 121 samples instead of 169 samples generally saves the bus bandwidth by approximately 30 percent without suffering any interpolation performance ( e . g ., 8 programmable taps may be available for the quarter - pel estimates ). the programmability of the filter generally allows adjustments to the sharpness of the interpolated blocks 104 , 106 , 108 a and 108 b . programmability of the integer samples to be filtered may provide flexibility in how the interpolations are created . furthermore , deriving all of the interpolated sub - pel values , including eighth - pel samples , directly from the integer pixels may lower a complexity for calculating a worst - case motion compensated position ( e . g ., an eighth - pel position ). several different embodiments may be implemented for the present invention . for example , a first embodiment may apply the direct polyphase interpolation with programmable filter taps . a second embodiment may incorporate the direct polyphase interpolation , the programmable filter taps and derive the polyphase tap values from a ( reduced ) set of common parameters ( e . g ., the quarter - pel tap values may be dependent of the half - pel tap values ). in a third embodiment , a hybrid of direct polyphase interpolation for at least one lower level and fixed hierarchical interpolation for at least one upper level may be implemented . in a fourth embodiment may use the hybrid of direct polyphase interpolation for at least one lower level and fixed hierarchical interpolation for at least one upper level plus the programmable filter taps . a fifth embodiment may combine all of the hybrid of direct polyphase interpolation for at least one lower level and fixed hierarchical interpolation for at least one upper level , the programmable filter taps and derive the polyphase tap values from a ( reduced ) set of common parameters . in still other embodiments , the hybrid approaches may include direct polyphase interpolation for more than a single lower interpolation level . referring to fig4 , a diagram of an example narrow region 120 of data samples to the eighth - pel interpolation level is shown . the narrow region 120 generally defines an 8 × 8 matrix ( or grid ) with an integer - pel data sample ( e . g ., luminance or chrominance ) in an upper left - hand corner . each of the positions in the 8 × 8 matrix is generally identified by a label number 1 - 64 reading left - to - right and top - to - bottom . neighboring integer - pel data samples ( e . g ., l , t and u ) one unit from the data sample k are also illustrated . the half - pel positions may be offset from integer - pel positions by a one - half unit distance horizontally and / or vertically . the quarter - pel positions may be offset from the integer - pel positions by n one - quarter units both horizontally and / or vertically ( where n = 1 , 2 and 3 ). the eighth - pel positions may be offset from the integer - pel positions by m one - eighth units both horizontally and / or vertically ( where m = 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 ). referring to fig5 , a diagram of an example wide region 122 of select data samples around the narrow region 120 is shown . the select data samples in the wide region 122 generally comprise integer - pel data samples in - line with the data sample k both vertically ( e . g ., a , b , d , k , t , d , e and f ) and horizontally ( e . g ., g , h , j , k , l , m , n and p ). the wide region 122 may also illustrate the integer - pel data samples in - line with the data sample u both horizontally ( e . g ., q , r , s , t , u , v , w and x ) and vertically ( e . g ., y , z , aa , l , u , bb , cc and dd ). the present invention may use some or all of the 28 integer - pel data samples identified above as inputs to an 8 - tap filter to directly derive all of the half - pel data samples , the quarter - pel data samples and / or the eighth - pel data samples illustrated in fig4 . derivation of the integer - pel sample k may be a simple filtering where all of the tap values may be set to zero except the tap value associated with the data sample k , which may be set to one or unity . referring to fig6 , an example table i is shown indicating which integer - pel data samples a - dd may be used to derive the data samples in the 64 positions show in fig4 . an “ x ” in the table generally indicates that the fig5 integer - pel data sample at the top of the respective column may be input into the 8 - tap filter to generate a data sample at the fig4 position indicated at the left side of the respective row . other arrangements of the table i may be implemented to meet the criteria of a particular application . in applications where the integer - pel sample locations may be determined dynamically and / or by the author of the video content , the integer - pel locations actually used may be transmitted / stored along with the corresponding blocks . generation of the tap values used to scale ( multiply ) the respective selected data samples may be permanently stored ( e . g ., a lookup table ) and / or generated on - the - fly based on one or more parameters common to some or all of the interpolation levels . for example , row 1 of table i generally indicates that eight of the integer - pel data samples ( e . g ., g , h , j , k , l , m , n and p ) may be used to generate the integer - pel data sample k . therefore , tap values of g = 0 , h = 0 , j = 0 , k = 1 ( unity ), l = 0 , m = 0 , n = 0 and p = 0 may be permanently stored in or accessible to a motion compensation circuit to allow the integer - pel data sample to pass through the 8 - tap filter unaltered . eight integer - pel data samples may be used to generate the half - pel samples , the quarter - pel samples and the eighth - pel samples in the other rows of table i . referring to fig7 , an example table ii generally illustrates several possible tap values for the fig4 positions 1 - 8 . normal weights for the tap values may range from − 256 to 255 . a weight of 256 may signal a bypass ( or feed - through ) of the 8 - tap filter . similar tap values may be implemented for the positions 9 - 64 . furthermore , the various tap values for the higher interpolation levels may be derived from the tap values used for the lower interpolation levels . in applications where the tap values may be fixed for each position , the tap values may be stored locally to the motion compensation circuit . in applications where the tap values may change dynamically and / or adjusted by the author of the video content , the full set , or at least a reduced set of the actual tap values used may be transmitted / stored with the corresponding blocks . the relative integer - pel positions and associated tap values used to generate a single interpolated data sample may be used repeatedly for each of the interpolated data samples in a block ( e . g ., a 4 × 4 block ) of data samples . referring to fig8 , a block diagram of an example implementation of an encoder system ( or circuit ) 140 is shown . the encoder system 140 generally comprises an external memory circuit ( or module ) 142 , a bus ( or module ) 144 , a motion compensation circuit ( or module ) 146 , a subtractor circuit ( or module ) 148 , a transform / quantization circuit ( or module ) 150 , an entropy encoder circuit ( or module ) 152 , an inverse quantization / transform circuit ( or module ) 154 , an adder circuit ( or module ) 156 , a block filter circuit ( or module ) 158 and a reconstructed memory circuit ( or module ) 160 . the motion compensation circuit 146 generally comprises a buffer memory circuit ( or module ) 162 and an interpolator circuit ( or module ) 164 . the interpolator circuit 164 generally comprises a programmable filter circuit ( or module ) 166 , an optional fixed filter circuit ( or module ) 168 , a tap circuit ( or module ) 170 and an optional parameter memory circuit ( or module ) 172 . the encoder system 140 may be operational to generate an output bitstream ( e . g ., s ) by compressing blocks of video data samples based on reference frames buffered in the external memory circuit 142 . the reference frames generally comprise integer - pel level pixel data . a block of the reference frame data samples ( e . g ., an 11 × 11 block of luminance samples ) may be transferred from the external memory circuit 142 to the motion compensation circuit 146 via the bus 144 in a signal ( e . g ., rr ). the reference block may be temporarily stored in the buffer circuit 162 . the interpolator circuit 164 may be operational to read several ( e . g ., eight ) of the integer - pel data samples of the reference block in a signal ( e . g ., ib ) from the buffer circuit 162 based on a motion vector value received in a signal ( e . g ., mv ). the motion vector value may have a subpel resolution and point to any one of the 64 positions in fig4 . the interpolator circuit 164 may generate an interpolated ( filtered ) block of data samples ( e . g ., a 4 × 4 block ) in a signal ( e . g ., fb ). the interpolated block may be based on the interpolation level , integer - pel positions and tap values used in the interpolation process . the interpolator circuit 164 may also be operational to generate a signal ( e . g ., par ) conveying the parameters used to identify the integer - pel locations and tap values used in generating the interpolated block . the subtractor circuit 148 may be operational to subtract the interpolated block in the signal fb from a current block ( input block ) of video samples received in a signal ( e . g ., cb ) to present a residual block in a signal ( e . g ., rb ). the transform / quantization circuit 150 may be operational to perform a discrete cosine transform and quantization on the residual block to generate a transformed block in a signal ( e . g ., tb ). the entropy encoder circuit 152 may be operational to reorder and entropy encode the transformed block to generate an encoded block . the entropy circuit 152 may also be operational to present the encoded block and the parameters from the signal par in the bitstream s . the transformed block may also be presented to the inverse quantization / transform block 154 . the inverse quantization / transform block 154 may be operational to inverse quantize and perform an inverse discrete cosine transform on the transformed block to present a reconstructed residual block in a signal ( e . g ., rb ′). the adder circuit 156 may be operational to add the reconstructed residual block to the interpolated block to generate a reconstructed current block ( output block ) in a signal ( e . g ., cb ′). the block filter circuit 158 may be operational to perform a block filtering of the reconstructed current block to generate a filtered reconstructed block in a signal ( e . g ., frb ). the reconstructed memory circuit 160 may buffer the filtered reconstructed block awaiting possible transfer back to the external memory circuit 142 as part of a new reference frame . the programmable filter circuit 166 may be operational to either ( i ) interpolate the reference block received in the signal ib to ( a ) a base interpolation level ( e . g ., no interpolation ) or ( b ) one or more higher interpolation levels or ( ii ) pass the reference block through ( e . g ., no interpolation ) into the signal fb . the programmable filter circuit 166 may be implemented as an 8 - tap filter circuit having programmable taps . other numbers of programmable taps may be implemented to meet the criteria of a particular application . selection of the particular integer - pel positions to be applied to the taps may be received via a signal ( e . g ., sel ). the tap values may be received via a signal ( e . g ., tv ) the optional fixed filter circuit 168 may be operational to interpolate an intermediate block generated by the programmable filter circuit 166 up to a higher ( finer ) interpolation level . the fixed filter circuit 168 may be implemented as a bilinear ( e . g ., 2 - tap ) filter circuit . in one embodiment , the programmable filter circuit 166 may be operational to perform the programmable 8 - tap filtering in a first pass and the bilinear filtering in a second pass , with the intermediate results from the first pass stored in the buffer circuit 162 . the tap circuit 170 may be operational in one of two different modes , depending on the system 140 or 180 ( fig9 ). in the encoder system 140 , the tap circuit 170 may be configured to ( i ) determine the parameters used in the interpolation based on information stored in the parameter memory circuit 172 , ( ii ) generate the signal sel based on the motion vector values and the parameters to identify the integer - pel positions being used from the reference block , ( iii ) generate the tap values in the signal tv based on the motion vector values , the parameters and the identified integer - pel positions and ( iv ) optionally present the parameters in the signal par . in a decoder system 180 , the tap circuit 170 may be configured to ( i ) determine the parameters based on information read from the parameter memory circuit 172 and / or possibly information received in the signal par , ( ii ) generate the signal sel based on the motion vector values and the parameters , ( iii ) generate the tap values based on the motion vector values , the parameters and the integer - pel positions and ( iv ) optionally write the generated parameters back into the parameter memory circuit 172 . the parameter memory circuit 172 may be used to store full or partial sets of parameters for use by the tap circuit 170 . storage of the parameters may be in the form of a lookup table . the parameter memory circuit 172 may also be used to store information regarding which integer - pel positions should be used for which interpolation operations . storage of the integer - pel position data may be in the form of another lookup table . in an application where the parameters and / or position information should be permanent , the parameter memory circuit 172 may be implemented as a nonvolatile memory . referring to fig9 , a block diagram of an example implementation of a decoder system ( or circuit ) 180 is shown . the decoder system 180 is similar to the motion compensation and feedback path of the encoder system 140 . similar functioning elements in both the encoder system 140 and the decoder system 180 may have the same reference numbers . the decoder system 180 generally comprises the external memory circuit 142 , the bus 144 , the motion compensation circuit 146 , the inverse quantization / transform circuit 154 , the adder circuit 156 , the block filter circuit 158 , the reconstructed memory circuit 160 and an entropy decoder circuit ( or module ) 182 . the entropy decoder circuit 182 may be operational to perform an entropy decode and reorder on the encoded block in the bitstream s to present the reconstructed transform block in the signal tb . the entropy decoder circuit 182 may also be operational to extract the parameters and motion vectors from the bitstream s . the parameters may be presented from the entropy decoder circuit 182 to the motion compensation circuit 146 via the signal par . the motion vector values may be presented from the entropy decoder circuit 182 to the motion compensation circuit 148 via the signal mv . the motion compensation circuit 146 may receive a reference block from the external memory circuit 142 via the bus 144 in the signal rr . the motion compensation circuit 146 may be operational to generate the interpolated block in the signal fb by interpolating the reference block based on the parameters and the motion vector value . the inverse quantization / transform circuit 154 may be operational to inverse quantize and inverse transform the reconstructed transformed block to present the reconstructed residual block in the signal rb ′. the adder circuit 156 may add the interpolated block to the reconstructed residual block to present the reconstructed current block in the signal cb ′. the block filter circuit 158 may be operational to block filter the reconstructed current block to present the filtered reconstructed block in the signal frb . the reconstructed memory circuit 160 may buffer the filtered reconstructed block awaiting ( i ) output for display via a signal ( e . g ., out ) and ( ii ) possible transfer back to the external memory circuit 142 as part of a new reference frame . the function performed by the tables of fig6 and 7 and the modules of fig8 and 9 may be implemented using a conventional general purpose digital computer programmed according to the teachings of the present specification , as will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art ( s ). appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure , as will also be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art ( s ). the present invention may also be implemented by the preparation of asics , fpgas , or by interconnecting an appropriate network of conventional component circuits , as is described herein , modifications of which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art ( s ). the present invention thus may also include a computer product which may be a storage medium including instructions which can be used to program a computer to perform a process in accordance with the present invention . the storage medium can include , but is not limited to , any type of disk including floppy disk , optical disk , cd - rom , magneto - optical disks , roms , rams , eproms , eeproms , flash memory , magnetic or optical cards , or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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referring now to fig1 - 8 , the present invention features a directed force turbine device 100 . the directed force turbine device 100 of the present invention comprises a rotor 110 that spins about an axis , a deflector shield 220 , funnel assembly 210 , and external flow director 230 that together can direct wind or water current flow into the rotor 110 . the directed force turbine device 100 further comprises a stator assembly 310 , a flow separator 360 , and an exhaust port 350 . without wishing to limit the present invention to any theory or mechanism , it is believed that the device 100 of the present invention is advantageous because the vanes / wheel part of the device is the only part that rotates ; the stator assembly 310 and fixed shaft remain stationary , for example . the rotor 110 may be constructed in a variety of shapes and sizes , for example as shown in fig1 the rotor is generally cylindrical having a first side panel 111 ( e . g ., circular ) and a second side panel 112 ( e . g ., circular ). the side panels 111 , 112 are connected by the vanes 120 . the rotor 110 rotates about the fixed axle shaft 118 on bearings . spanning the first side panel 111 and the second side panel 112 is a plurality of vanes 120 ( e . g ., curved vanes ), for example the first ends of the vanes 120 are attached to the first side panel 111 and the second ends of the vanes 120 are attached to the second side panel 112 . the vanes 120 are generally parallel to the fixed axle shaft 118 . the vanes 120 surround the fixed axle shaft 118 and form an inner cavity . the sides of the vanes 120 are completely enclosed ; flow cannot leave from sides of the vanes 120 . as shown in fig1 and fig2 , wind or water current flow can be directed to the rotor 110 via a funnel assembly 210 ( e . g ., which functions as a funnel ). in some embodiments , a deflector shield 220 is disposed in the funnel assembly 210 , which can function to help direct wind or water current flow through the funnel assembly 210 . for example , the deflector shield 220 may function to shape a portion of the funnel assembly 210 in a desired manner for optimal intake of the wind or water current flow . in some embodiments , the deflector shield 220 is a tapered ( e . g ., inversely ) sloping surface . in some embodiments , the deflector shield 220 may redirect the wind or water current flow that is below the horizontal centerline of the rotor to a point above this line ( e . g ., see fig2 , wherein wind or water current flow at the lower half of the rotor 110 is deflected upwardly into the funnel assembly 210 via the deflector shield 220 ). in some embodiments , the deflector shield 220 blocks the oncoming flow of wind or water from striking the forward moving vanes 120 on the bottom half of the rotor 110 . in some embodiments , the deflector shield 220 helps to force the flow of wind or water current in an upward and inward direction . in some embodiments , the funneling function of the funnel assembly 210 harnesses the flow that would be outside of the rotor assembly intake area and directs it into the rotor assembly 110 . this may help increase the speed of the flow , which improves efficiency . from the funnel assembly 210 and deflector shield 220 , wind or water current flow travels to the rotor 110 , in some embodiments through an external flow director 230 . the external flow director 230 , with its side panels 233 , can function as a duct so as to prevent the wind or water current flow from escaping , thus , the flow continues to the rotor 110 . in some embodiments , the external flow director 230 is the same width as the rotor 110 assembly . in some embodiments , the external flow director 230 is positioned above the rotor 110 and fluidly connects the funnel assembly 210 ( and deflector shield 220 ) to the rotor 110 . in some embodiments , the external flow director 230 is positioned so that the front ( intake ) end is located above and forward of the rotor 110 at a distance about equal to the radial length of the rotor 110 . the external flow director 230 has a front ( intake ) end 231 fluidly connected to the funnel assembly 210 ( and deflector shield 220 ) and a rear ( discharge ) end 232 that may curve downwardly to the rotor 110 . the rear ( discharge ) end 232 of the external flow director 230 may terminate just at a point above the rotor 110 . the side panels 233 of the external flow director 230 extend from the top surface of the external flow director 230 downwardly to but not touching the circular side panels of the rotor 110 . these side panels 233 also extend rearward from the funnel assembly 210 to the rear ( discharge ) end 232 of the external flow director 230 . the external flow director 230 may compress and / or direct the flow of the wind or water current that is above the rotor 110 ( see fig2 ) into and in some cases past the vanes 120 to the inner cavity of the rotor 110 assembly . in this way , the external flow director 230 can help capture a portion of the deflected flow and force it back to the rotor 110 ( e . g ., for accelerating the speed of the flow ). as the wind or water flow is directed to the rotor 110 , the vanes 120 ( e . g ., vanes with curvatures ) capture the wind or water current flow and the rotor 110 is forced to rotate about the fixed axle shaft 118 . in some embodiments , the wind or water flow can pass the vanes 120 and enter into the inner cavity of the rotor 110 assembly . disposed in the inner cavity of the rotor 110 is a stator assembly 310 . the stator assembly 310 does not rotate with the rotor 110 , but in actuality constitutes the entire axle itself ( fixed axle shaft 118 ). wind or water current flow that passes the vanes 120 enters into the stator assembly 310 , which directs the flow in a way that actually reverses its direction . this reversed flow can now be applied to the forward moving vanes 120 at the bottom half of the rotor 110 to produce additional rotational force . in some embodiments , the stator assembly 310 allows force to be applied to all of the vanes 120 of the rotor 110 at the same time . without wishing to limit the present invention to any theory or mechanism , it is believed that the stator assembly 310 is advantageous because it can help increase the efficiency of the turbine device 100 . in some embodiments , the stator assembly 310 ( see fig6 , fig7 , and fig8 ) is the entire axle for the rotor assembly 110 . the stator assembly 310 comprises support panels 315 , axle shaft segments 118 , a jackshaft ( if applicable ), an outer flow director 330 , an inner flow director 320 , and flow director vanes 340 ( e . g ., a first flow director vane , a second flow director vane ). the inner flow director 320 is teardrop - shaped . in some embodiments , the inner flow director 320 has a leading tapered edge , which may be positioned at a height equal to or just below the upper edge of the deflector shield 220 ( see fig2 ). the outer flow director 330 is generally curved with the outer curved portion being irregularly shaped . in some embodiments , the forward one third ( ⅓ ) of the outer surface of the outer flow director 330 generally follows the arc created by the inside edges of the rotor vanes 120 , but does not touch the passing vanes 120 . the remaining two thirds ( ⅔ ) of the outer surface of the outer flow director 330 , has the curvature of a much larger diameter circle and terminates at the trailing point of termination of the inside surface of the outer flow director 330 . this creates a cavity between the rotor vanes 120 and the stator assembly 310 . in some embodiments , the inside surface arc of the outer flow director 330 is of a constant radius . at the front opening of the stator assembly 310 , wind or water current that passes through the vanes 120 is funneled between the inner flow director 320 and the outer flow director 330 , which directs the wind or water flow to reverse its direction ( see fig6 a ). in some embodiments , the flow director vanes 340 function to help direct the now reversed wind or water current flow against the passing vanes 120 . this reversal now permits the force to be applied against the forward moving vanes 120 at the bottom half of the rotor 110 ( see fig2 ). in some embodiments , the components of the stator assembly 310 mount to the support panels 315 . these support panels 315 have solidly attached fixed axle shafts 118 ( see fig3 , fig7 , and fig8 ) protruding out one side of each panel that are then clamped into the main support structure 117 . these shaft segments 118 make up the axle portion that the rotor assembly 110 mounts to and rotates about ( see fig1 a and fig3 ) and the flow separator 360 mounts to and rotates about as well when used for rotor 110 speed control ( see fig4 , fig4 a , and fig5 ). wind or water flow is eventually pushed out of the vanes 120 and into an exhaust port 350 . this exhaust port 350 functions to once again reverse the direction of the wind or water flow via a curved duct which channels the wind or water flow out of the rear , the sides , or a combination of both of the directed force turbine device 100 . in some embodiments , during normal operation , a flow separator 360 is positioned below the rotor 110 , which helps to direct the wind or water flow into the exhaust port 350 . the flow separator 360 can help prevent the wind or water flow from escaping the vanes 120 prior to reaching the exhaust port 350 . the flow separator 360 also prevents the exhausted flow from coming into contact with the forward moving vanes 120 at the bottom of the rotor 110 . in some embodiments , the flow separator 360 is permanently attached to the support structure 117 . in some embodiments , the flow separator 360 is not permanently attached to the support structure 117 but is instead suspended beneath the rotor 110 via counter weighted support arms 370 . these support arms 370 are connected to the fixed axle shaft segments 118 between the support structure 117 and the rotor assembly 110 ( see fig5 ). the flow separator 360 and counter weighted support arms 370 are free to rotate about the fixed axle shaft segments 118 allowing the flow separator 360 to be rotated forward and up ( see fig4 and fig4 a ) to close off the main intake opening by blocking the wind from striking the rotor 110 assembly of the directed force turbine device 100 in the event of high wind conditions . the ability to do this with the flow separator 360 allows for speed regulation of the rotor 110 in adverse weather conditions ( e . g ., the flow separator 360 is an “ rpm regulator ”). in some embodiments , the flow separator 360 covers about ¼ of the circumference of the rotor 110 . in some embodiments , an exhaust port 350 is disposed between the flow separator 360 in its normal ( down ) position and the deflector shield 220 . the exhaust port 350 may connect to a duct that either passes beneath the flow separator 360 or out the sides of the directed force turbine device 100 or a combination of both . referring now to fig3 , in some embodiments , the power produced by the rotor 110 is operatively connected to a generator , pump , or other device requiring a power source . in some embodiments , gears , sprockets , and / or pulleys are disposed on the rotor 110 ( e . g ., surrounding the bearings ). for example , each side of the rotor 110 is operatively connected to its own drive gear 410 . in some embodiments , these drive gears 410 are operatively connected to a jackshaft 430 . in some embodiments , the jackshaft 430 is operatively connected to drive gears 410 on both sides of the rotor assembly 110 to prevent a twisting motion of the vanes 120 . in some embodiments , the jackshaft 430 is operatively connected to the power output shaft 119 . in some embodiments , the power output shaft 119 is operatively connected to a generator or other device requiring a source of power . in some embodiments , the jackshaft itself becomes the power output shaft ( e . g ., when mounted external of the rotor assembly 110 ). the disclosures of the following u . s . patents are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein : u . s . pat . no . 6 , 740 , 989 ; u . s . pat . application no . 2004 / 0100103 ; u . s . pat . no . 7 , 329 , 965 ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 309 , 172 ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 870 , 280 . various modifications of the invention , in addition to those described herein , will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description . such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . each reference cited in the present application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . although there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of the present invention , it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto which do not exceed the scope of the appended claims . therefore , the scope of the invention is only to be limited by the following claims .
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referring to fig1 , and 2 , a wafer carrier according to the invention is illustrated and is principally comprised of an enclosure portion 20 for holding wafers 22 and a door 24 . the enclosure portion has a top 28 with a robotic lifting flange 29 , a bottom 30 with a machine interface piece 32 , a pair of sides 34 , 36 , side handles 40 , a door frame 44 , an open front 46 , and a open interior 48 . the door has an outside surface 56 , and inside surface 58 , wafer restraints 60 , latch compartments 64 , 66 , and key slots 68 , 70 . robotic arms 69 with keys for engaging the door are illustrated with dashed lines . the wafer restraints when mounted on the door may be passive , that is , fixed on the door , or active , as illustrated in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 711 , 427 , which is incorporated herein by reference . as illustrated in fig3 , 4 , and 5 , a path - to - ground from the wafers may be effectuated through the door latching mechanism 71 and wafer restraints . when used herein , “ conductive and static dissipative polymers ” mean polymers with surface resistivity of less than about square and preferably less than 10 8 ohms per square . the specific surface resistivity appropriate may vary depending on the component and path to ground circuit . conductive plastic pieces 74 , 76 may be insert molded into the door housing 77 to provide a conductive path from the mechanism to the mounting receptacles 84 for the wafer restraints . the wafer restraints are formed of conductive material , preferably a carbon filled polymer such as peek . the insert molding of the conductive plastic pieces 74 , 76 may be accomplished by insert molding of rigid pieces such as illustrated in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 317 , 989 , filed may 25 , 1999 , and owned by the owner of this invention . said application is hereby incorporated by reference . also insert molded plastic conductive film may be utilized on components of the door to create the path to ground 80 illustrated by the dashed lines . see u . s . provisional patent application 60 / 333 , 686 , filed nov . 27 , 2001 , and entitled polymer film insert molding for providing electrostatic dissipation , owned by the owner of this invention and incorporated herein by reference . the door latching mechanism 71 has a cammed hub 91 and a pair of link arms 93 , 95 that have latching portions 98 , 99 that extend out apertures 100 in the door housing . the caromed hub will typically be molded of plastic with carbon filler to provide static dissipative characteristics and has a pair of cam surfaces 104 that are engaged by a cam followers 107 on the cammed hub . the cammed hub 91 also has a key hole 110 for receiving the key 112 which would , pursuant to this embodiment of the invention , be grounded and part of a robotic operating arm . thus , in this embodiment , the grounded key 112 is inserted into the key hole 110 and makes contact with the conductive cammed hub . the cammed hub rotates on and contacts protrusion 113 as part of the conductive piece of the door housing . the conductive wafer retainers either may directly contact the conductive piece of the door housing or a conductive mounting receptacle 84 . when the door is placed on the enclosure portion by the robotic arm , the latching mechanism is grounded by the key and when the wafer restraints contact the wafers they a path - to - ground is provided . in an alternative embodiment the door housing may be made of conductive plastic eliminating the conductive piece . referring to fig6 , an alternative means of providing a path - to - ground effectuated by the door is illustrated . in this embodiment , the machine interface piece 32 , is formed of conductive plastic and has three slots , not shown in this embodiment , forming a kinematic coupling in said piece . a conductive door contacting piece 190 , configured as an arm , extends from the interface piece and is appropriately positioned to contact the door when the door is closed onto the enclosure portion . in a preferred embodiment , the arm may directly contact the wafer restraint , which will also be formed of conductive plastic . in a related embodiment a conductive plastic arm may extend from the door , be conductively connected to wafer restraints , and contact the grounded machine interface piece as the door is closing . the arm in these embodiments may be angled and have a thinned elongate portion to facilitate bending during and after engagement with the respective components . other embodiments may have curved compressible spring sections . thus , in this embodiment , the path - to - ground conductive circuit is effectuated from the machine interface which is grounded on the equipment or fixture upon which the container is placed . the path - to - ground circuit extends from the machine interface to the door through a container - door bridging component configured as an arm , and then to the wafer restraints . preferably the container - door bridging component makes the connection between the door and the enclosure portion before the wafer restraints contact the wafers . referring to fig7 and 8 , an alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated . in this embodiment the enclosure portion has a movable wafer restraint mechanism pivotally attached to the enclosure portion and configured as a pivotal elongate wafer contacting member 194 . the wafer contacting member or wafer restraint pivots to bring a wafer engaging portion 96 into restraining and conductive contact with the wafers as illustrated in fig8 . the pivoting action of the wafer restraint is effected by an actuation member 198 extending from the door and the conductive elongate wafer contacting member rotates about a conductive pin 201 engaged in apertures 202 on appropriate grounded support portions on the bottom of the wafer enclosure portion . a similar pin receiving aperture may be on the top of the wafer enclosure . depending on the configuration of the wafer restraint , the actuation member can be passive , to actuate the wafer restraint by simply closing the door , or can be active to operate by actuation of the latching mechanism 199 . when the door is moved into the closure position , the door actuation member 198 engages with the actuation member to move same into an contact and restraining position with the stack of wafers . in this embodiment , the further door wafer restraints 204 may or may not be utilized . if utilized , the door wafer restraints may be grounded by way of actuation member engaging the grounded elongate wafer contacting member . thus the invention functions as follows : when the enclosure portion has a wafer stack or wafer positioned therein , the door is moved into place , either manually or by robotic means . in the preferred embodiment , the wafer restraints are grounded by completion of a path to ground before the wafer restraints come into contact with the wafers . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof , and it is , therefore , desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive
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fig1 shows an outline of a system to which this invention is applied . in fig1 is a map data base center . the map data base center 1 manages a www site providing map data . the www is a service which performs multimedia data retrieval via a network based on hypertext linking character information , image information and audio information . to use the www , an application program referred to as a browser is used . in the www , using hypertext , links to other www sites , gopher servers and ftp servers can easily be made . the meaning of www in the context of this invention is used in the wide sense of a general entity comprising all data structures , such as http / gopher / ftp . the map data base center 1 is provided with a server 11 connected to the internet 10 . the server 11 stores map data corresponding to position data such as latitude and longitude . in other words , 0th dimension information . the map data stored in the server 11 is constantly updated to correspond with constantly changing map data . desired map data may be obtained by accessing the www site of the map data in this map data base center 1 . for example , assume that a user who has a user terminal 15 which can be connected to the internet 10 , wishes to acquire map data . for this purpose , he opens the www site managed by the map data base center 1 . when the map data base site is opened , a map data search page is sent to the user terminal 15 from the server 11 of the map data base center 1 , as shown in fig2 a . the user enters parameters of the desired map data , e . g . latitude , longitude and scale reduction , in this search page . when the parameters are input , the desired map data is searched from the map data stored in the server 11 . this map data is sent to the user terminal 15 from the server 11 of the map data base center 1 , and the desired map is displayed on the screen of the user terminal 15 as shown in fig2 b . the amount of data required for map display is enormous . consequently when map data is sent from the server 11 of the map data base center 1 , and all the data required for the map display is sent , transfer time is long and the network load is high . therefore , drawing information comprising numbers and character strings for drawing a shape on the map is sent as described hereafter . numeral 2 in fig1 is a position data base center . the position data base center 2 manages a www site for searching the position of a shop or event venue . the position data base 2 has a server 12 . this server 12 stores a data base for searching , for example , latitude / longitude data corresponding to addresses , main building names and shop names , and latitude / longitude data for event venues . the data in the server 12 of the center 2 also comprises information such as shop opening hours , types of business conducted and goods handled . when the www site of the center 2 is accessed , and for example addresses are input , latitude / longitude data can be retrieved . again , when main building names , shop names and event venues are input , latitude / longitude data can be retrieved . conversely , when latitude / longitude data is input , addresses , main building names or shop names can be searched . moreover , shops , etc ., which meet given conditions such as types of business or opening hours , can be retrieved . searches wherein maps are directly displayed may also be performed by linking the www site of the position data base center 2 and the www site of the map data base center 1 . for example , assume the user wishes to know the location of a shop which meets predetermined conditions . in this case , the user opens the www site managed by the position data base center 2 using the browser of the terminal 15 . when the site of the center 2 is opened , data is sent from the site of the center 2 to the terminal 15 , and the position search www page is displayed on the screen of the terminal 15 , as shown in fig3 a . the user enters the required items on the search page . when the required items are entered , latitude / longitude data for the positions of shops which meet the conditions is searched based on the items entered by the server 12 of the center 2 . retrieved latitude / longitude data is sent to the map data base center 1 . when latitude / longitude data is sent to the center 1 , map data corresponding to this position is searched from map data stored in the server 11 . this map data is linked to the position search www page , and a map of the input shop is thereby displayed on the screen of the terminal 15 as shown in fig3 b . conversely , assume that the user wishes to know the address or telephone number of a location shown on the map . in this case , the www site managed by the position data base center 2 and the www site of the map data base center 1 are linked , and the screen shown in fig4 a is displayed on the terminal 15 . herein , when a point pmk on the map is specified , the position of this point ( latitude / longitude ) is sent from the server 11 of the center 1 to the server 12 of the center 2 . information concerning the place corresponding to this position is then searched by the server 12 of the center 2 , and is displayed as shown in fig4 b . numeral 3 is a guide data base center . this center 3 manages a www site which provides guide data . the center 3 has a server 13 connected to the internet 10 . the server 13 stores information about events and shopping , etc . when the user wishes to acquire information about events or shopping , he opens a www site managed by the center 3 using a browser in the terminal 15 . when the site of the center 3 is opened , data is sent from the server 13 of the center 3 to the terminal 15 , and the guide data www page is displayed on the screen of the terminal 15 . using this guide data www page , event or shopping data can be obtained . it is sometimes desired to display shops and event venues on a map in the guide data www page . conventionally , when map data was displayed , the map data was prepared by the center 3 , and this had to be pasted on the www page . in the system to which this invention , is applied , however , this is unnecessary because map data stored in the server 11 of the center 1 can be used as the map data displayed in the guide data . specifically , a map is displayed in a part indicated by map in the guide data www page shown in fig5 . the map map is map data extracted from the server 11 of the center 1 . in other words , the guide data read from the server 13 of the center 3 and map data read from the server 11 of the center 1 are combined , and the guide data page comprising the map map is displayed as shown in fig5 . it should be understood that when maps from the center 1 are combined in the guide data www page , maps in the www page may be combined using the browser of the terminal 15 . map data may also be prepared and supplementary data superposed by the map data base center 1 . in other words , when the guide data base center 3 is opened by the browser of the terminal 15 , a guide data search page is sent as shown in fig6 a . when a map button in this page is pressed , corresponding map data is retrieved by the center 1 , and combined by the center 2 . this map is then displayed on the screen of the terminal 15 as shown in fig6 b . hence , systems to which this invention is applied comprise a data base center 1 which provides map data via the www . when this center 1 which provides map data is accessed , map data comprising a position is extracted from position data such as latitude or longitude . in addition the center 1 , by linking up to the center 2 or the www page of the center 3 , provides a service whereby a position of a shop or event is searched from the shop or event name so as to display it on a map , and the map data is simply embedded in the guide data . a description will now be given of the processing performed when the www of the center 1 and the www of the center 2 are linked , a position is searched from the name of a shop or event and displayed on a map , and information about the shop at that location is displayed from the map position . fig7 is a flow chart showing the processing performed at this time . a search page is sent to the user terminal 15 from the server 12 of the position search data base center 2 ( step s 1 ). this search page is displayed on the screen of the user terminal 15 ( step s 2 ). a search condition is input from the keyboard or mouse , and sent from the user terminal 15 to the server 12 of the center 2 ( step s 3 ). places conforming to this condition are searched by the server 12 of the center 2 ( step s 4 ), and the search result is sent to the user terminal 15 ( step s 5 ). also , position data ( latitude , longitude ) for the searched location is sent to the server 11 of the map data base 1 from the server 12 of the center 2 ( step s 6 ). map data corresponding to this position data is searched by the server 11 of the map data base 1 ( step s 7 ). a drawing command for this map data is then sent to the user terminal 15 from the server 11 of the map data base 1 ( step s 8 ). the search result from the center 2 and the map data from the center 1 are sent to the user terminal 15 . the search data and map data sent to the user terminal are then linked by a browser , and displayed on the screen ( step s 9 ). fig8 is a flowchart showing the processing performed when a map is displayed on the search screen , a position on the map is entered , and data corresponding to this position is searched . the search screen from the server 12 of the data base 2 is sent to the user terminal 15 ( step s 11 ), the map drawing data from the server 11 of the map data base center 1 is sent to the user terminal 15 ( step s 12 ), the search screen and map drawing data are linked by the application software of the browser , and a search screen and map are displayed on the screen ( step s 13 ). when a search position is specified on this map , the search position is sent to the server 11 of the center 1 ( step s 14 ). position data corresponding to the search position on the map is searched by the server 11 of the center 1 ( step 15 ). this position data is then sent to the server 12 of the position search data base 2 ( step s 16 ). data for a location corresponding to this position information is searched by the server 12 of the data base 2 ( step s 17 ). the data for the searched location is sent to the terminal 15 from the server 12 of the center 2 ( step s 18 ). the map data and data for the searched location are then linked by the browser , and displayed on the screen ( step s 19 ). fig9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed when map data is embedded in guide information . in fig9 a search screen is sent to the user terminal 15 from the server 13 of the center 3 ( step s 21 ). this search screen is displayed on the screen of the user terminal 15 ( step s 22 ). when search data is input to the user terminal 15 via a user keyboard or mouse , this search data is sent to the center 3 ( step s 23 ). guide data corresponding to the search data is searched by the server 13 of the center 3 ( step s 24 ). this guide data is sent from the server 13 of the center 3 to the user terminal 15 ( step s 25 ). in the user terminal 15 , the guide data is decoded ( step s 26 ). a command for displaying a map using the map data base and map position data ( specifically , latitude and longitude , etc .) is embedded in this guide information . map data is requested from the center 1 according to this command and map position data ( step s 27 ). the server 11 of the map data base 1 searches the desired map according to the map position data received ( step s 28 ). drawing data for this map is then sent from the server 11 of the center 1 to the user terminal 15 ( step s 29 ). hence , guide data from the center 3 and map drawing data from the center 1 are sent to the user terminal 15 . the search data in the guide data sent to the user terminal 15 and map drawing data from the center 1 are linked by a browser , and displayed on the screen ( step s 30 ). fig1 shows another example of processing where map data from the map data base center 1 is added to a page of the center 3 . according to this example , map data was prepared and supplementary data superposed in the center 3 . in fig1 , a search screen is sent from the server 13 of the center 3 to the user terminal 15 ( step s 41 ). this search screen is displayed on the screen of the user terminal 15 ( step s 42 ). when search data is input by the user terminal 15 via a user keyboard or mouse , this search data is sent to the center 3 ( step s 43 ). guide data corresponding to the search data is searched by the server 13 of the center 3 ( step s 44 ). the searched guide data is sent to the user terminal 15 from the server 13 of the center 3 ( step s 45 ). in the user terminal 15 , the searched guide data is decoded ( step s 46 ). this guide data comprises a button to display map data . when this button is pressed ( step s 47 ), a map image display request is sent from the user terminal to the server 11 of the center 1 ( step s 48 ). the server 11 of the center 1 searches the requested map according to received map position data ( step s 49 ). supplementary data is drawn on the map image ( step s 50 ). hence , supplementary data is superposed , and drawing data is sent from the server 11 of the map data base 1 to the user terminal 15 ( step s 51 ). the received image is displayed by the user terminal 15 ( step s 52 ). according to this example , map data and supplementary data are combined in the center 1 , and then sent to the user terminal 15 , so there is no need for the browser to have a special command to link the map data . by providing a map data base center 1 as described , a www page with map data can easily be made even when map data is not prepared by the guide data base center 3 . however , there is a risk that if map data can be easily accessed , it might be impossible to protect copyrights of maps prepared by the map data base center 1 . this problem might be resolved by the processing shown in fig1 . in fig1 , when search data is input at user terminal 15 and transmitted to the center 3 from the user terminal 15 ( step s 61 ), a search is conducted by the server 13 of the center 3 ( step s 62 ). an order number is transmitted to the user terminal 15 from the server 13 of the center 3 ( step s 63 ). a similar order number is then sent to the server 11 of the center 1 from the server 13 of the center 3 ( step s 64 ), and this order number is accepted by the center 1 ( step s 65 ). this order number comprises a code a issued by the center 1 , and an order serial number generated by the center 3 , and the two codes are also encoded . the code a is updated by the center 1 at regular intervals ( e . g . every hour ), and is sent to a data base center which has a contract with the center 1 . after this code is issued , order numbers containing codes other than the code a are not accepted . the user terminal 15 displays the search result sent from the center 3 ( step s 66 ), and a map request corresponding to search data and the order number from the center 3 are sent to the center 1 ( step s 67 ). in the map data base center 1 , order numbers are accepted via two routes , i . e . from the center 3 and the user terminal 15 . in the map data base center 1 , the order number from the center 3 and the order number from the terminal 15 are compared ( step s 68 ). as the same order number is sent to the user terminal 15 and the center 1 from the center 3 , the order numbers should be identical in the case of legitimate use . it is determined whether or not the order numbers coincide ( step s 69 ), and when it is determined that they are identical , map data is searched ( step s 70 ), and this map data is sent to the user terminal 15 ( step s 71 ). this map data and supplementary data are displayed on the user terminal 15 ( step s 72 ). when the order numbers do not coincide , a reject code is sent to the user terminal 15 from the server 11 of the center 1 ( step s 73 ). it is determined whether or not this reject code was accepted ( step s 74 ), and if the reject code was accepted , display of map data is refused ( step s 74 ). in the above examples , the data base center has been described as being connected to the internet , however data base centers may be connected in other ways . this is shown in fig1 - 1 . in fig1 - 1 , a user terminal is connected to a data base server via the internet , and the server is connected to a computer in a data base center . the computer has a map search engine , position search engine and guide information service engine which are firmware , and they each have their respective functions . in this case , the only hardware is the computer , each engine exists only as software , and it is unnecessary to clearly specify the positions of all the commands in the program for each engine . therefore , the same effect as that of fig1 may be obtained if objects that start each engine function according to the state transition diagrams in fig7 - fig1 even when each engine is not distinguished physically or in the program arrangement . it will be understood that the intermediate states of fig1 and fig1 - 1 , i . e . the map search engine and position search engine , may be located in the same computer , and only the guide information service engine being located in another data base center . it will further be understood that apart from the internet , this invention may be applied also to general computer communications services and leased circuit connections . as described hereinabove , map drawing data is sent to increase transfer rates and reduce the load on the network when map data is sent from the map data base center 1 . this drawing data will now be described in more detail . northern latitude and eastern longitude are expressed as positive , southern latitude and western longitude are expressed as negative . this value is used effectively up to the uppermost bit of the 4 bytes . the number of bytes is a square , and as they are the same as the integer processing units of a computer , it is suited for use with a computer . making the above value correspond with the circumference of the equator ( 6378167 m ), we obtain : at this resolution , when the map is displayed on the screen of a personal computer having 640 dots × 480 dots ( 1 dot = 1 pel ), the length of the display in the horizontal direction is : to represent latitude and longitude , coded numbers and character strings may be used with other methods , and error correction codes may also be applied in the coding . most drawing commands have a property number specifying argument . commands are either pure commands or commands associated with an argument . the commands in each group are described below . shows the actual distance on the earth per 100 dots in a horizontal direction on the map display as a longitude interval . when the map display application has the scale reduction data which was actually specified , it follows this data . when it does not have this data , it either displays data having an approximate scale reduction close to this value or converts this approximate data to data having the specified scale reduction . as shown in fig1 , the map display application prepares and displays map data such that the display center position xc , yc is in the center in the directions of latitude and longitude . the display frame size xw , yh ( fig1 ) is expressed as a number of dots . when the map display application displays a map in a window of another application , it shows the size of the display area ( fig1 ). specifies the start point of the next drawing command ( pointer , location mark , straight line , circle , polygon ). for a circle , it specifies the center position . draws a pointer mark to indicate a place in which the user is presently interested . when the image to be drawn at the point display position is not specified , it is a black circle () of 16 dots × 16 dots . only one pointer can be displayed at one time by the map display application . when a pointer drawing command is issued , the map display application cancels the mark which was drawn by the immediately preceding command . for example , to show the location of a shop , the latitude / longitude may be given to indicate the center of the premises or the center of the part facing the road in front of the shop . when the image drawn in the mark display position is not specified , it is a black circle () of 16 dots × 16 dots . draws a straight line from a location in which a graphic drawing point is to be moved , or an end point of a linear part of a drawing , to a specified latitude / longitude position . expresses the size of a circle in the longitude direction on the screen as a number of dots . draws a circle of the given radius around a location to which a graphic drawing point is to be moved . draws a polygon linking each point . the start point and end point specified by the argument are treated as separate points , and the start point and end point are linked without closing the polygon when the drawing is made . character displays in map data may be superposed on the polygon by the map display application , and the characters may be made unerasable by shading in the polygon . displays the character string . as shown in fig1 , the coordinate ps specified by displacement of the graphic drawing point is situated at the lower left corner . all supplementary data drawn on the map so far is erased except for the pointer display . the drawing contents of the supplementary data are stored internally , and even when scroll is performed or the magnification is changed , the supplementary data is again drawn in the corresponding position on the map . when a command is received to erase the drawing contents , the supplementary data contents are erased from the display , and the drawing data for re - drawing stored internally is also erased . this prevents losing the map when various supplementary data is displayed in succession . erases the pointer display . the drawing contents apart from the pointer do not change . display color / foreground : rgb . each is a 1 byte integer without code display color / background : rgb . each is a 1 byte integer without code specifies the color of the pointer display as levels of red , green and blue . blink interval : 1 byte without code ( specified in units of { fraction ( 1 / 10 )} second ) when the blink interval is not an integer / size 0 , a point mark is displayed or erased . when it is erased , the display is returned to the state before drawing the point . the following alternate colors are valid when the flag is “ 1 ”. they are invalid when the flag is “ 0 ”. alternate colors / foreground : red ( r ), green ( g ) and blue ( b ). each is a 1 byte integer without code . alternate , colors / background : r , g , b . each is a 1 byte integer without code . expresses 16 × 16 dot symbols . the data sequence is as shown in fig1 . a “ 1 ” bit draws dots in the foreground , and a “ 0 ” bit draws dots in the background . only dots for which the following mask bit pattern is “ 1 ” are drawn ( fig1 ). expresses 16 × 16 dot patterns . the data sequence is as shown in fig1 . only positions denoted by “ 1 ” bits are drawn according to the aforesaid symbol bit pattern ( fig1 ). nothing is drawn in “ 0 ” bit positions , and they therefore appear to be transparent as shown in fig1 c . the correspondence between values of the point indication ( 0 8 ) and positions on symbols is shown in fig1 . the color of the point display can be varied between “ display color ” and “ alternate colors ”. when the time indicated by “ blink interval ” elapses starting from when display begins in either the “ display color ” or “ alternate color ”, there is a change - over to the other color , and this operation is successively repeated . however display color and alternate colors are used when a plurality of points are displayed , and only for the point which is finally drawn . expresses 16 × 16 dot symbols . the data sequence is as shown in fig1 . a “ 1 ” bit draws a dot in the foreground , and a “ 0 ” bit draws a dot in the background . only pels for which the mask bit pattern is “ 1 ” are drawn ( fig1 ). expresses 16 × 16 dot patterns . the data sequence is as shown in fig1 . only positions denoted by “ 1 ” bits are drawn according to the symbol bit pattern ( fig1 ). nothing is drawn in “ 0 ” bit positions , and they therefore appear to be transparent as shown in fig1 c . selects the part of a symbol indicated by the latitude and longitude position denoted by the location mark . the correspondence between the value of the point indication and the position on the symbol is shown in fig1 . colors : red ( r ), green ( g ), blue ( b ). each is a 1 byte integer without code . specifies colors as levels of red , green and blue . only positions denoted by “ 1 ” bits are drawn . nothing is drawn in positions corresponding to “ 0 ” bits , and they therefore appear to be transparent . the bit sequence and pattern for dotted lines are shown in fig1 . specifies the width , color and pattern of straight lines , circles or polygons . draws a solid line when the drawing is not specified . bit sequences and patterns for parallel slanting lines are shown in fig1 . display color / foreground : r , g , b , each 1 byte integers without code display color / background : r , g , b , each 1 byte integers without code display color / foreground specifies the color of positions corresponding to “ 1 ” bits in the shaded pattern . display color / background specifies the color of positions corresponding to “ 0 ” bits in the shaded pattern . the height of a rectangle containing the character is expressed as a no . of dots . the map display application selects and displays the font size closest to this specification . display color / foreground : r , g , b , each 1 byte integers without code display color / background : r , g , b , each 1 byte integers without code specifies colors of character backgrounds as levels of red , green and blue . issued when a map is specified in the map drawing application using a pointing device . when a plurality of display elements are superposed , the elements drawn by the latest command will be on top , and elements already drawn will be hidden . for example when a shaded polygon is superposed on a character display , the characters will no longer be visible , so the sender of additional drawing information must control which of the two appears on top . however pointers are always on top and are never hidden by other drawing elements . the map display application must store received drawing group commands so that additional drawing information can be redrawn when the user performs scrolling or zoom - in . there is however generally no need to store drawing group commands before receiving drawing content erasure commands . to facilitate creation of applications , up to 32 types of display properties may be used on one occasion . next , the registration of additional information in the map information system according to this invention will be described with reference to fig1 and fig2 . first , describing the general registration procedure , the home page designer accesses a map information data base 23 via the internet 25 as shown in fig1 , and acquires an additional drawing / editing application for registration . this uses applets which distribute applications via networks that are already commercialized such as java and active x . alternatively , the home page designer may start an application already in the home page designer &# 39 ; s terminal . next , as shown in fig2 , the display position is moved using a map shift button 38 , and a desired map is displayed by operating an enlargement button 36 or reduction button 37 . additional elements are drawn on this map using the additional drawing tools 28 to 35 and 39 to 41 . after editing of the additional drawing elements is complete , the elements are registered in the additional information data base . the details of the method of editing this additional information will be described with reference to fig2 a - 21h . fig2 a - 21h describe the registration application operating screen . first , in fig2 a , an area specifying tool 28 is selected . the selection of tools is made by clicking a button corresponding to the tool with the mouse . when the tools 28 to 35 are selected , the selection is shown by a change in the display such as the background color . when a cursor 43 is brought over an additional drawing element which has already been written on the map , in this case the character string “ abc shop ”, and the mouse button is clicked , the character string is selected . four small squares are displayed at the four corners of the character string to show the selection . when the mouse is moved while the mouse button is depressed , the character string is dragged with the cursor 43 , and when the mouse button is released , the character string is moved to the new position . when an erase button 39 is pressed , the character string is erased . in fig2 b , the line tool 30 is described . when the line tool is selected , a cursor 44 becomes a cross as shown in the diagram . when the mouse button is pressed at a point a and moved to a point b while it is still depressed , a line is drawn from the point a to the point b as shown in the figure . when the mouse button is released , this line is registered as one dimensional information . in fig2 c , the square tool 32 is described . when the square tool is selected , a cursor 45 becomes a cross as shown in the diagram . when the mouse button is pressed at a point c and moved to a point d while it is still depressed , a square is drawn having a diagonal between the points c and d as shown in the figure . when the mouse button is released , this line is registered as two dimensional information . in fig2 d , the shift tool 34 is described . when the shift tool is selected , a cursor 46 assumes the shape of a hand . when the mouse button is pressed at a point e and moved to a point f while it is still depressed , the map display is scrolled by an amount corresponding to a vector ep . in fig2 e , the character input tool 29 is described . when the character input tool is selected , a cursor 47 becomes the shape of a letter i . when characters are then input from the keyboard , the input characters are drawn on the map . in fig2 f , a circle tool 31 is described . when the circle tool is selected , a cursor 48 becomes a cross . when the mouse button is pressed at a point g and moved to a point h while it is still depressed , a circle is drawn inside a square having a diagonal from the point g to the point h , as shown in the figure . when the mouse button is released , this circle is registered . in fig2 g and 21h , a polygon tool 33 is described . when the polygon tool is selected , a cursor 49 becomes a cross . when the mouse button is pressed at a point i , released , then pressed at a point j , released , and the same procedure is repeated at points k , l , lines ij , jk and kl are drawn as shown in fig2 g . when the mouse button is quickly pressed twice , a polygon is drawn having apices i , j , k , l as shown in fig2 h , and this polygon is registered . in fig2 , a color specifying method is described . when a color specifying button 35 is pressed , a window as shown in fig2 is displayed . small color specifying squares are arranged in rows in the window , and when the mouse is clicked on one of the squares , the color of that square is selected and the window closes . characters , lines , circles , polygons and squares which are specified subsequently are drawn in the specified color . in fig2 a and fig2 b , a method of selecting line types is described . when the cursor is brought over the broken line selection button 40 , and the mouse button is pressed , a pop - up menu is displayed as shown in fig2 a , and the line corresponding to the broken line type selected , is displayed with black and white reversed . in this example , the uppermost solid line is selected . next , the cursor is brought over a line type different from the type which was first inverted with the mouse button still depressed . only the line beneath the cursor is then displayed with black and white reversed , as shown in fig2 b . when the mouse button is released , the line type with which the cursor was aligned is selected , and all lines drawn subsequently are drawn with this line type . in fig2 a and 24b , a method of selecting line thickness is described . when the cursor is brought over a line thickness selecting button 41 , a pop - up menu is displayed as shown in fig2 a , and the line type corresponding to the selected line thickness is displayed with black and white reversed . this line thickness is then selected by the same procedure as in the pop - up menus of fig2 a and 23b . when all the elements have been drawn , they are then registered in the additional information center . the registration procedure is performed for example using a pull - down menu 50 from a menu bar 51 , as shown in fig2 . when registration is selected from the pulldown menu , the following details are registered in the additional information data base 24 from the home page designer terminal 26 shown in fig1 . when registration in the additional information data base is complete , a window as shown in fig2 is displayed , and a registration number for the information is automatically assigned by the additional information data base and is displayed . when the home page designer presses a button linking to a map , this number is used to call the map information data base center . an example in html ( hypertext markup language ) is shown below . when this example is displayed on a home page , it appears as shown in fig2 . the above is a description using the additional information data base . fig2 shows an example where the additional information data base is not used . in this case , the details superposed on the map are stored by the home page server , and are written in a text file using the html which describes the home page . a function is therefore provided to display the editing results as a character string instead of the registration function in the additional drawing editing application . this will be described with reference to fig2 and fig3 . the pull - down menu 50 is displayed from the menu bar 51 , and display data is selected . this causes a window 53 shown in fig3 to be displayed , and the editing results are displayed as a character string in a text display 52 . to represent the editing results as a character string , they are joined to a statement having a unique function . an example of the statement format will be described . scale level : shows the map scale level , e . g . 0 is the widest level and 10 is the most detailed latitude , longitude : shows the latitude and longitude of map center ( 0 . 1 degree units ) width , height : shows width and height of map image in pixel units colors are specified in terms of red , green and blue components . all drawing specification statements written subsequently are drawn in the colors specified here . specifies the line type . line types in line drawing statements written after this statement , follow the specified line type . n : 0 = solid line , 1 = fine dotted line , 2 = dot - dash line , 3 = rough dotted line specifies the line width . line widths of line drawing statements written after this statement , and line widths of outlines drawn by rectangle , ellipse and polygon drawing statements , follow the line width specified here . x 1 : latitude of line start point ( 0 . 1 degree units ) y 1 : longitude of line start point ( 0 . 1 degree units ) x 2 : latitude of line end point ( 0 . 1 degree units ) y 2 : longitude of line end point ( 0 . 1 degree units ) specifies an ellipse drawing . draws an ellipse touching the sides of a rectangle of which one diagonal is a line connecting a position coordinate 1 represented by ( x 1 , y 1 ) and a position coordinate 2 represented by ( x 2 , y 2 ). x 1 : latitude of position coordinate 1 ( 0 . 1 degree units ) y 1 : longitude of position coordinate 1 ( 0 . 1 degree units ) x 2 : latitude of position coordinate 2 ( 0 . 1 degree units ) y 2 : longitude of position coordinate 2 ( 0 . 1 degree units ) specifies a rectangle drawing . draws a rectangle of which one diagonal is a line connecting a position coordinate 1 represented by ( x 1 , y 1 ) and a position coordinate 2 represented by ( x 2 , y 2 ). x 1 : latitude of position coordinate 1 ( 0 . 1 degree units ) y 1 : longitude of position coordinate 1 ( 0 . 1 degree units ) x 2 : latitude of position coordinate 2 ( 0 . 1 degree units ) y 2 : longitude of position coordinate 2 ( 0 . 1 degree units ) ( 7 ) poly : x 1 , y 1 , dx 2 , dy 2 , dx 3 , dy 3 . . . specifies a polygon drawing . a position coordinate represented by ( x 1 , y 1 ) is the start point , and the following dx 2 , dy 2 , dx 3 , dy 3 . . . form pairs which represent the coordinates of the apices of the polygon . it should be noted that these pairs do not correspond to latitude and longitude , but to differences from the coordinates represented by the immediately preceding pair . for example , dx 2 , dy 2 represents the preceding start point , and the difference in latitude and longitude from the following apices of the polygon . expressed as an equation , when the coordinates of the polygon apices ( latitude , longitude ) are for example , writing a map link in the html format using the editing results shown in fig3 : value =“ map : 7 , 135020459 , 3404301 , 400 , 300 ; poly : 135023493 , 34 05320 , 233 , 0 , 3 - 30 ,- 43 , 3 ;”& gt ; the information displayed by the web browser according to this statement is the same as that of fig2 . when the button shown in fig3 is pressed , information to the effect that the parameter having the name “ map : 7 , 135020459 , 3404301 , 400 , 300 ; poly : 135023493 , 3405320 , 233 , 0 , 3 - 30 ,- 43 , 3 ;” is sent to the map information data base using the format “ form ”. in accordance with the value of the parameter received , a map is drawn with additional information superposed , and map image data is sent to the user &# 39 ; s web browser .
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turning now to fig1 and 4 of the drawings . a dump truck , generally indicated at 10 , has a wheel mounted chassis 11 and a tipping cargo carrying body 12 pivotally mounted in conventional fashion on the rear of the chassis 11 . a multistage telescoping hydraulic ram is generally indicated at 15 and is mounted at its bottom , or inner , end 16 to the truck chassis 11 and at its outer end 18 to a cover 17 which is , in turn , connected to a pivot point 19 adjacent the bottom of the front wall 20 of the cargo carrying body 12 of the dump truck . the attachments at the chassis point and the body point 19 may be in any suitable form and preferably , though not at all necessarily , the connection at 16 may be via a reservoir box 21 pivotally mounted at pivots 22 on the chassis 11 , as is known in the art . turning now to fig2 and 5 . a telescoping hydraulic ram 15a has a first cylinder 25 which is pivotally connected to the truck chassis , or to whatever other element is desired , in conventional fashion at its lower end 26 . a ram 27 is reciprocally mounted in the cylinder 25 . hydraulic pressure to the cylinder 25 and exhaust to tank therefrom , is provided in conventional fashion , here schematically illustrated by the bore hole 28 . a cup - like bore seal 30 is provided at the inner end 32 of the ram 27 . the seal is attached in conventional fashion to the ram 27 . the seal 30 provides the advantage of a large active area by which force may be exerted on the ram 27 . screwed into the top of cylinder 25 is an outer end cap 35 forming part of cylinder 25 and carrying an annular seal 37 circumferentially engaging the ram 27 and aggressively sealing the cylinder 25 with the ram 27 . this aggressive sealing permits little or no leakage past the seal 37 when the ram 27 reciprocates in the cylinder 25 . the seal 37 provides , with the cup - like bore seal 30 , a longitudinally extending circumferential space 40 between the inner wall 29 of cylinder 25 and the outside surface 34 of the ram 27 . since the cup - like bore seal 30 non - aggressively seals the ram 27 in the cylinder 25 , that is to say it permits a certain amount of leakage or seepage from cylinder 25 into space 40 , oil will be trapped in the space 40 when the ram 27 is extended . to permit egress of the trapped oil from the space 40 a port , schematically shown at 45 , operatively communicates the space 40 to the outside of the cylinder 25 . the port 45 is inboard of the seal 37 and is continuous through a tab flange 48 on the cap 35 and is in fluid communication with a conduit 50 which returns the oil to reservoir , or tank , 51 . preferably this tank is the same tank which provides the oil for actuation of the hydraulic ram . the ram 27 , in its turn , provides therewithin , a cylinder 55 which is a duplicate , of smaller diameter , of the cylinder 25 . a second cup - like bore seal 57 similar to the seal 30 but of smaller diameter is attached to the lower end 58 of ram 60 which is reciprocally mounted in cylinder 55 , in a fashion which duplicates the manner of the ram 27 in the cylinder 25 . again operating fluid is provided to cylinder 55 , and evacuated therefrom , in conventional fashion and is here schematically shown by means of an aperture 62 through the bottom of ram 27 and seal 30 . at the outer end of ram 27 ( which forms cylinder 55 ), a screw - threaded end cap 65 is provided . in its turn , a second annular seal 67 is provided at the outer end of the cylinder 55 in the end cap 65 and circumferentially engages the outer surface 68 of the ram 60 . a second longitudinally extending circumferential space 70 is provided by aggressive seal 67 and non - aggressive seal 57 , between the cylinder 55 and the second ram 60 . again , because seal 57 non - aggressively seals with the walls of cylinder 27 , oil is leaked into the space 70 when the ram 60 is extended and this oil is trapped in space 70 . a second port 75 is positioned adjacent to and inboard of the second aggressive annular seal 67 and permits egress of the trapped oil from the space 70 . as before , the port 75 extends within an extended tab flange 78 on the member 65 and it terminates in a second conduit 80 which is telescopically arranged within conduit 50 in a fashion which will be described more fully hereinafter . thus , as pressure is admitted through the aperture 28 to extend the telescoping ram 27 in the cylinder 25 , the space 40 is vented and leaked oil is returned to tank 51 . in its turn , as activating oil is admitted through aperture 62 into cylinder 55 to extend the ram 60 , the space 70 is vented by means of port 75 and conduit 80 , back to tank . since the conduit 50 ends above the level of the oil in the reservoir , when the hydraulic rams are collapsed , or retracted , clean air is returned from the reservoir via conduit 50 and port 45 to space 40 and via conduit 80 and port 75 to space 70 . thus the device combines major advantages of the bore sealing cylinder type of ram with major advantages of the displacement sealing type of ram . a support arm 61 depends from a lateral projection 63 from the ram 60 . the support arm extends through tab flange 78 and into conduit 80 . an outside oil scrapper seal 69 prevents arm 61 from drawing oil out of the conduit . with this arrangement , the support arm assists in stabilising rams 27 and 60 . although only two cylinders , rams and telescoping conduits have been illustrated in fig2 it will be understood that three or four , or as many as desired , sections of cylinder , ram and telescoping conduits may be provided . in this regard , it is noted that fig1 and 4 show a telescoping hydraulic ram with three cylinders , rams and telescoping conduits . in fig1 like parts to telescoping hydraulic ram 15a of fig2 have been given like reference numerals , with the additional ram ( cylinder ) of fig1 illustrated at 23 . it will also be understood that the longitudinal scale of the cylinder and ram in fig2 has been foreshortened . turning now to fig3 this shows the encircled area in fig2 in more detail , although it will be understood that the fig3 is still schematic . as will be seen , the first conduit 50 is locked into the tab flange 48 of the member 35 by means of a lock screw 90 . the conduit 50 is sealed in the tab flange 48 by means of passive seals 91 , shown here as an o - ring , and the second conduit 80 is moveable within the tab flange 48 so that it can telescope freely into the first conduit 50 . the conduit 80 is sealed within the tab flange 48 by means of active seals 92 , here again shown as o - rings . the clearance between the second conduit 80 and the first conduit 50 is such that the passage of the conduit 80 within the conduit 50 does not obscure egress of oil to the reservoir 51 via the port 45 . obviously the flange tab 78 could receive and reciprocally seal a third conduit in the same fashion as shown in fig3 and so on . in the embodiment shown in fig4 the hollow rectangular cross - section ram cover 17 is attached at its top to the top 18 of the ram 60 by suitable means such as threaded shaft 18a of ram 60 and nut 18b . the cover 17 has sufficient space at its corners to accommodate the conduits so that when the ram is collapsed the conduits and ram will be protected by the cover 17 . although the invention has been described in an application to a dump truck , it will be understood that it will have other applications , for example to a dumping trailer , or indeed farther afield as will be understood by those skilled in this art . furthermore , although the preferred connection of ram through cover 17 to pivot points 19 on wall 20 has been shown , it will be understood that a simple eye to eye connection could be provided between ram and cargo body 12 .
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the particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention . in this regard , no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention , the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice . fig1 illustrates a front gun body 1 of a conventional plasma spray gun that includes a conventional plasma nozzle 2 , a cathode 3 and a water cooling system 4 . the conventional plasma spray gun can be , e . g ., an f4 mb - xl or 9 mb plasma gun manufactured by sulzer metco , an sg100 plasma gun manufactured by progressive technologies , or any typical conventional plasma gun exemplified by having a single cathode and a non - cascading anode / plasma arc channel . plasma nozzle 2 can be made of a material with high heat transfer characteristics , e . g ., from copper only or a copper nozzle can include a lining , e . g . a tungsten lining , a molybdenum lining , and high tungsten alloy lining , a silver lining or an iridium lining , to improve performance . a plasma is formed in plasma nozzle 2 by passing a current through a gas , typically , e . g ., ar , n 2 , he , or h 2 and mixtures thereof , creating a plasma arc 7 . to create the current , cathode 3 is connected to the negative side of a dc power source and nozzle 2 , acting as an anode , is connected to the positive side . plasma nozzle 2 includes a conical bore 5 in which cathode 3 is accommodated and a cylindrical bore 6 in which plasma arc 7 preferably attaches . in initial operation , plasma arc 7 may travel some distance down cylindrical bore 6 before attaching to the nozzle wall , which produces the highest plasma voltage . by way of non - limiting example , the initial attachment point for plasma arc 7 can be between the first one - third and one - half of cylindrical bore 6 downstream of conical bore 5 , and the plasma voltage at the wall is preferably greater than 70v at a given operating parameter . other parameters will result in different voltages depending upon gasses , hardware geometry , current , etc . as the surface of nozzle wall 2 wears and deteriorates , plasma arc 7 becomes attracted further upstream until plasma arc 7 eventually attaches to the wall of conical bore 5 , at which time the voltage drop is large enough to require nozzle 2 to be replaced . the wall within conical bore 5 is an undesired area of plasma arc attachment , where the plasma voltage is less than 70v at a given operating parameter . again , other parameters will result in different voltages depending upon gasses , hardware geometry , current , etc . to cool the nozzle , radially extending from an outer peripheral surface of nozzle 2 is a plurality of fins 12 . fins 12 also extend in a longitudinal direction of nozzle 2 to surround a point at which conical bore 5 and cylindrical bore 6 meet , as well as portions of conical bore 5 , e . g ., to surround about one - half of a length of conical bore 5 , and cylindrical portion 6 , e . g ., to surround the arc attachment region . when a tungsten lining is provided , fins 12 can be arranged to extend , e . g ., from a beginning of the lining forming a portion of the wall in conical bore 5 to an end of predetermined arc attachment region surrounding cylindrical bore 6 . as extremely high temperatures result from operating the plasma gun , e . g ., a peak average wall temperatures of 700 - 800 ° k in the nozzle bore , water cooling system 4 is arranged to cool nozzle 2 with circulating water . water cooling system 4 includes a water cooling path 8 that enters from a rear of the gun body , is directed around the outer perimeter of nozzle 2 and through cooling fins 12 before exiting . in particular , water cooling system 8 has at least one water inlet port 9 to supply cooling water from a supply to the outer periphery of nozzle 2 and has at least one water outlet port 10 through which the water cooling the outer periphery of nozzle 2 exits and is returned to the supply . water inlet port 9 supplies cooling water to contact an outer peripheral surface 11 of nozzle 2 surrounding a part of conical bore 5 . the cooling water is then guided through fins 12 to contact and cool the periphery in which fins 12 are located and then into an area to contact and cool the peripheral surface 13 surrounding a part of cylindrical bore 6 . the cooling water is generally supplied at a temperature of between 10 ° c . and 22 ° c ., and preferably between 16 ° c . and 18 ° c ., in order to effect a 25 - 35 ° k temperature rise . with normal operation of the plasma gun depicted in fig1 , the plasma voltage will decay as the nozzle wall surface becomes worn and pitted providing anodic attachments via charge concentration . over time , these attractive forces will disadvantageously drive the arc into the conical section , resulting in a voltage decay indicative of the end of the useful life of the nozzle . embodiments of the invention seek to prolong the life of the nozzle by controlling the plasma arc attachment region through thermal dynamic affects . the embodiments utilize the above - described behavior to manipulate the plasma arc by controlling the wall temperature of the nozzle . in particular , the embodiments are based in part on the finding that hotter surfaces provide conducive locations for plasma arc attachment while cooler surfaces tend to be less attractive to the plasma arc . based on knowledge gained from operating computational fluid dynamics ( cfd ) models of plasma guns , the inventor has found that for most plasma guns the average wall temperatures in the region of plasma arc attachment , i . e ., the forward half of the conical bore and the rear half of the cylindrical bore , are relatively uniform , e . g ., about a 50 ° c . difference or less . as conventional plasma nozzles are primarily constructed of copper , which has a good thermal conductivity , this finding was not surprising . however , the inventor found that , according to embodiments of the invention , advantages can be attained through cooling of the nozzle in a manner to generate thermal differences in average temperature along the bore , i . e ., from the bore wall in the rear section of the conical bore to the bore wall in the front section of the cylindrical bore , that are , e . g ., greater than 50 ° c ., greater than about 75 ° c ., at least about 100 ° c ., and even greater than about 200 ° c ., and / or within a range of between 75 ° c . and 225 ° c ., and preferably between 100 ° c . and 200 ° c . an embodiment of a nozzle 2 ′ constructed according to the inventor &# 39 ; s implementation of thermal management is depicted in fig2 . while nozzle 2 ′ is structurally distinct from nozzle 2 , the use of nozzle 2 ′ in place of nozzle 2 in the conventional plasma gun does not change the operational characteristics of the plasma gun , except to the extent that the nozzle life is increased with nozzle 2 ′ as compared to nozzle 2 . in the illustrated embodiment , nozzle 2 ′ is constructed in a manner to keep the conical bore 5 cooler in relation to cylindrical bore 6 . according to this exemplary embodiment , the plasma arc 7 , as in the conventional nozzle design , preferably attaches in the back end of cylindrical bore 6 , e . g ., the back one - third to one - half of the bore , and remains there for as long as possible . nozzle 2 ′ was constructed to build up the copper material surrounding conical bore 5 so that the added high thermal mass of copper surrounds conical bore 5 to draw off and conduct heat away from the wall of conical bore 5 . moreover , as the amount of copper surrounding conical bore 5 increases , the outer peripheral surface 11 ′ surrounding conical bore 5 can structured to be coaxial with cylindrical bore 6 so that the cross - sectional area of the water path or channel around conical bore 5 is correspondingly reduced . this reduced path or channel results in increased velocity of the water flowing through the path or channels surrounding conical bore 5 , thereby achieving optimal cooling of the walls of conical bore 5 . in the area of the knee or point at which conical bore 5 meets cylindrical section 6 , nozzle 2 ′ is constructed so that a further change in the cooling setup occurs . as compared to the conventional nozzle 2 , an area 14 with fins 12 ′ merely extends in the longitudinal direction from the increased copper portion ( or from the beginning of the tungsten lining ) surrounding part of conical bore 5 to a point , depending upon thermal dynamics of nozzle 2 ′ and the plasma arc , at , just before , or just beyond the point at which conical bore 5 and cylindrical bore 6 meet . however , rather than radially extending from the outer peripheral surface of cylindrical bore 6 , as in nozzle 2 , copper material is also built up in area 14 to form a peripheral surface 15 to at least meet and preferably exceed the radial build up of peripheral surface 11 ′. as further illustrated in fig2 , fins 12 ′ can be arranged to radially extend from peripheral surface 15 of the copper build up , so that the water guided into the reduced channel surrounding conical bore 5 is guided between , and preferably guided up to peripheral surface 15 and then between , fins 12 ′. further , while fins 12 ′ can radially extend to the surface of the bore in the plasma gun to receive nozzle 2 ′, it may be advantageous to construct fins 12 ′ to be radially shorter than the fins 12 in nozzle 2 so that , as the cooling water entering through water inlet 8 increases its velocity in the channels surrounding conical bore 5 , the cooling water can flow between and over fins 12 ′ and into a wide water outlet groove 16 in the remaining area surrounding cylindrical bore 6 . as the velocity of the cooling water slows as the cooling water enters the larger geometry of wide water outlet groove 16 , this area can become somewhat of a stagnant water zone . further , as water is actually a good insulator , the amount of copper in the nozzle wall and / or around the tungsten lining , should be sufficient to allow heat to travel laterally through the copper and away from the “ instantaneous ” plasma arc 7 attachment point in order to prevent melting of the copper and / or tungsten . however , because of water &# 39 ; s insulative effect and as the cooling water becomes somewhat stagnant over cylindrical bore 6 , the heat reduction on the wall surface at the area of the plasma arc attachment due to the cooling water can be further reduced , if desired , by further reducing the wall thickness of the nozzle portion including cylindrical bore 6 , i . e ., by reducing the amount of copper surrounding cylindrical bore 6 . in this way , the temperature differential between the conical bore wall and the cylindrical bore wall can be increased . by way of non - limiting example , the reduced wall thickness of the combined copper wall and tungsten lining can be on the order of 2 - 3 mm , while the wall thickness for wall of copper alone is at least 3 mm the only limiting factor is the potential for the water to boil depending upon factors such as the water pressure and temperature as it contacts the copper wall surface of the nozzle in the water outlet groove 16 . according to embodiments , in operation , an average temperature differential between the wall surface of conical bore 5 and the wall surface of cylindrical bore 6 can be greater than 50 ° c ., greater than about 75 ° c ., at least about 100 ° c ., and even greater than about 200 ° c ., and the average temperature differential can be within a range of between 75 ° c . and 225 ° c ., and preferably between 100 ° c . and 200 ° c . in the exemplary embodiment of fig2 , nozzle 2 ′ in operation can achieve an average temperature differential between the wall surface of conical bore 5 and the wall surface of cylindrical bore 6 of at least about 100 ° c . thus , the combination of the increased heat dissipation through the copper build up over conical bore 5 and the increased velocity of cooling water through the reduced geometry of the cooling channels surrounding conical bore 5 result in increased cooling in the area of conical bore 5 . as the cooling water is then guided into wide water outlet groove to act as an insulator around cylindrical bore 6 , the heat dissipation is intentionally not commensurate with the cooling in the area of conical bore 5 , thereby creating the desired temperature differential between conical bore 5 and cylindrical bore 6 . moreover , if the copper wall thickness surrounding cylindrical bore 6 is reduced , the heat dissipation through the copper wall is reduced to increase the temperature in cylindrical bore 6 and increase the temperature differential . in operating a plasma gun with nozzle 2 ′, an average 50 % increase in hardware life can be yielded in terms of voltage decay as compared to the same gun using conventional nozzle 2 . it has also been found that the voltage instability ( peak to peak ) was essentially unchanged . this result is graphically illustrated in fig3 and 4 , which respectively show , after two hours of operation , the plasma voltage over time for conventional nozzle 2 and the plasma voltage over time for nozzle 2 ′. fig3 shows a standard deviation of +/− 0 . 22 and fig4 shows a standard deviation of +/− 0 . 23 . a review of these graphical results for several examples reveals that the standard deviation remains constant for a longer period of time for nozzle 2 ′ as compared to nozzle 2 . thus , it is apparent that nozzle 2 ′ in a conventional plasma gun does not affect overall operational behavior of the plasma gun , but does extend the amount of time that the plasma arc will stay within the cylindrical bore , thereby increasing the usable life of the nozzle . in another embodiment , a nozzle 2 ″, as illustrated in fig5 , is structured to maximize the thermal state difference between conical bore 5 and cylindrical bore 6 . while nozzle 2 ″ is structurally distinct from nozzle 2 , the use of nozzle 2 ″ in place of nozzle 2 in the conventional plasma gun does not change the operational characteristics of the plasma gun , except to the extent that the nozzle life is increased with nozzle 2 ″ as compared to nozzle 2 . nozzle 2 ″ includes a build up of copper material 20 so that the added high thermal mass of copper surrounds conical bore 5 to draw off and conduct heat away from the wall of conical bore 5 . in particular , the copper build up is provided to radially surround conical bore 5 to such an extent that the outer , and preferably cylindrical , peripheral surfaces 22 and 23 generally correspond with the geometry of the gun bore into which nozzle 2 ″ is to be received . moreover , cooling channels 24 are formed in the built up amount of copper surrounding conical bore 5 to communicate with one or more radial cooling channels 25 . cooling channels 24 are diagonally oriented to extend from water inlet 8 to a position just radially above the tungsten lining at the point at which conical bore 5 meets cylindrical bore 6 . nozzle 2 ″ additional includes a circular wall 26 radially extending from outer peripheral surface 13 of cylindrical bore 6 to a cylindrical section 27 , which is structured to define a cooling channel 28 between a radial outer surface of cylindrical section 27 and the gun bore of the plasma gun . further , circular wall 26 partially defines the one or more radial cooling channels 25 , which are arranged to communicate with and extend radially outwardly from the end of cooling channels 24 located just radially above the tungsten lining at the point at which conical bore 5 meets cylindrical bore 6 . cooling channel 24 can be dimensioned so as to increase the velocity of the cooling water at the water inlet port ( not shown in fig5 ), which is conventionally within a range of less than 1 - 2 m / sec ., to within a range of about 10 - 15 m / sec . further , radial channels 25 can be dimensioned to be somewhat larger than cooling channels 24 to begin reducing the cooling water velocity as the water is guided through cooling channel 28 and over cylinder surface 27 . the cooling water guided over cylinder 27 is collected in a wide water outlet groove 16 , which can be understood as a stagnant water zone surrounding peripheral wall 13 of cylinder bore 6 . further , due to a higher pressure drop for the high cooling water velocities achieved , it may be advantageous to insert at least one sealing element , e . g ., an o - ring , at peripheral surface 23 of the built up copper to prevent the cooling water from bypassing cooling channels 24 . the increased velocity of cooling water through cooling channels 24 and 25 in combination with the build up of copper , increases the cooling effect in conical bore 5 , whereas the insulative effect of the water collecting in the stagnant water zone of wide water outlet groove 16 , does not achieve the same cooling effect , so that the beneficial effects of the desired temperature differential between the conical bore 5 and cylindrical bore 6 are achieved . in a further embodiment illustrated in fig6 , nozzle 2 ″&# 39 ; is generally similar to the conventional nozzle , except that a continuous water jacket has been added to increase the cooling water velocity in the region surrounding conical bore 5 . moreover , while nozzle 2 ″&# 39 ; is structurally distinct from nozzle 2 , the use of nozzle 2 ″&# 39 ; in place of nozzle 2 in the conventional plasma gun does not change the operational characteristics of the plasma gun , except to the extent that the nozzle life is increased with nozzle 2 ″&# 39 ; as compared to nozzle 2 . as with nozzle 2 , nozzle 2 ″′ has a plurality of radially extending fins 12 ″. fins 12 ″ also extend in a longitudinal direction of nozzle 2 to surround a point at which conical bore 5 and cylindrical bore 6 meet , as well as portions of conical bore 5 and cylindrical portion 6 , so that the arc attachment region is surrounded by fins 12 ″. when a tungsten lining is provided , fins 12 can be arranged to extend from a beginning of the lining forming a portion of the wall in conical bore 5 to an end of predetermined arc attachment region surrounding cylindrical bore 6 . however , in contrast to fins 12 of nozzle 2 , a longitudinally rear and radially outer section , e . g ., a rectangular section , is removed from the fins 12 ″. a continuous water jacket 30 of , e . g ., copper , brass , steel , other suitable metal or ceramic , can be arranged in the removed section of fins 12 ″ to surround at least the point at which conical bore 5 and cylindrical bore 6 meet and at least a portion of conical bore 5 . when a tungsten lining is provided , water jacket 30 may be arranged to extend from a beginning of the lining forming a portion of the wall in conical bore 5 to a point longitudinally beyond the point where conical bore 5 meets cylindrical bore 6 . according to this structure , the generally v - shaped channels between fins 12 ″ are reduced in the radial direction to form reduced geometry generally v - shaped water cooling channels 31 below water jacket 30 . as a result , cooling channels 31 can be dimensioned so as to increase the velocity of the cooling water at water inlet 8 , which is conventionally within a range of less than 1 - 2 m / sec ., to within a range of about 5 m / sec . moreover , as the cooling channels 31 radially open up after the cooling water passes water jacket 30 , the cooling water velocity is reduced and then further reduced as the cooling water is guided into wide water outlet groove 16 ′ surrounding the portion of cylindrical bore 6 downstream of the plasma arc attachment region . further , it may be advantageous to insert at least one sealing element , e . g ., an o - ring , at an outer peripheral surface of water jacket 30 to prevent the cooling water from bypassing cooling channels 31 . thus , according to this embodiment , nozzle 2 ″′ concentrates the water flow in a rear section of the nozzle to increase the cooling in the region surrounding conical bore 5 relative to the front section surrounding cylindrical bore 6 . still further , in operating a typical plasma gun with nozzle 2 ″′, an almost identical result of increased the hardware life was yielded in terms of voltage decay as compared to the same gun using nozzle 2 ′. in the disclosed embodiments , the composition of the tungsten liner can include any doped tungsten material including but not limited to thoriated , lanthanated , ceriated , etc . other liner material compositions can include high tungsten alloys such as cmw 3970 , molybdenum , silver , and iridium . both molybdenum and cmw 3970 have been used with some success , while silver and iridium , which are currently somewhat cost prohibitive , can also be considered suitable materials for embodiments of the invention . since tungsten lining materials have in the past been known to crack or fracture ( and thus reduce hardware life ), other materials may offer some improvement in this regard . such materials should preferably have the following properties . they should be more ductile and fracture tolerant than tungsten especially under high thermal loading and high temperature gradients . they should also have a high melting point similar or close to that of tungsten . and when lower , they should have a high enough thermal conductivity to compensate for having a lower melting point than tungsten . potential materials include pure metals such as silver , iridium and molybdenum as they have many of the above - noted desired properties . although , as noted above , silver and iridium are arguably currently too expensive for practical use , molybdenum is affordable . other options include tungsten alloyed with small amounts of iron or nickel as they have acceptable properties . preferably , such materials include at least 90 % of the primary metal , i . e ., tungsten in the case of a tungsten alloy . to select the material , one can graph the differential temperature versus thermal conductivity and determine which it is likely to withstand direct contact with the plasma arc . this differential temperature is preferably the difference between the melting point and average plasma temperature ( about 9000 k ) and at least an inverse of the melting temperature . when this is performed for the materials discussed above , i . e ., molybdenum , iridium , tungsten , copper and silver come closest to having many of the desired properties even while possessing significant differences in regards to ductility , being susceptible to thermal shock and cracking . preferred materials include tungsten and molybdenum and their alloys such as tungsten containing about 2 . 1 % nickel and about 0 . 9 % iron . other tungsten alloys include those with higher amounts of nickel and copper , but with lower melting points and thermal conductivity , but higher ductility as well as those with lower amounts of nickel and copper , but with higher melting points and thermal conductivity , but lower ductility . other materials that can be alloyed with tungsten include osmium , rhodium , cobalt and chromium . these metals possess a high - enough melting point and high thermal conductivity such that they can be alloyed with tungsten and utilized in a nozzle liner material . commercial grade molybdenum and a tungsten alloy having 2 . 1 % nickel and 0 . 9 % iron have both been tested and used in nozzle liners by inventors , and have been compared to a copper only nozzle . it is understood that , while different conventional plasma spray guns may utilize nozzles having dimensions differing from those described in the pending disclosure , it is understood that , without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments for creating or generating the desired surface temperature differential between the conical bore in a rear section of the nozzle and the cylindrical bore in a front section of the nozzle of the invention , the dimensions of the nozzles can be changed or modified from those identified in the above disclosure . moreover , in addition to the foregoing embodiments , which describe particular nozzle structures and arrangements to create or generate a surface temperature differential between the conical bore in a rear section of the nozzle and the cylindrical bore in a front section of the nozzle , it is contemplated that this surface temperature differential can be created or generated in other manners without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the invention . by way of non - limiting example , an embodiment of a nozzle can use alternative materials or layers serving as thermal barriers . in this regard , the thermal barriers can be arranged to control thermal conductivity , so that the rear section has a lower thermal conductivity then the front section . in other embodiments , reducing the thickness of the tungsten lining in the rear section and making the rear section wall thinner to allow for more heat transfer to copper . it is further understood that , for each of the described embodiments , additional improvement may be obtained by reducing the nozzle wall temperature near the nozzle exit , which would correspondingly limit the arc motion , specifically for high gas flow conditions where the plasma arc tends to travel further downstream in the bore and could attach to the front of the nozzle . it is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention . while the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment , it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration , rather than words of limitation . changes may be made , within the purview of the appended claims , as presently stated and as amended , without departing from the scope and sprit of the present invention in its aspects . although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular means , materials and embodiments , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein ; rather , the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures , methods and uses , such as are within the scope of the appended claims .
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fig1 and fig2 show a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the apparatus for moving containers comprises two base cars 1 constructed and arranged antimerically opposite to each other . they comprise base structures 3 provided with wheels 2 and transverse beams 4 in their middle sections in a lowered position . these transverse beams 4 are overreaching the base structures 3 and have supports 5 on both sides . there are carriages 6 rolling on the beams 4 and the carriages 6 are provided with container moving units comprising lifting frames 8 driven by lifting means 7 . there are also container supports 9 carried by rollers on the base structures 3 . the supports 9 can be simple beams or can have upper parts constructed as roller plates to enable the containers to move thereon . on the other side of the lifting means 7 there are counterweights 10 , a hydraulic supply unit 11 and an electric control unit 12 . fig3 shows the front view of the apparatus according to the invention . it can be seen how the beams 4 are overreaching the base structure 3 and that supports 5 are hydraulically operated legs resting on support rails 13 . wheels rolling on the rails 13 can also be applied instead of the legs . lifting frame 8 is provided with container grips 14 on both sides for fitting in the standard iso elements of the containers for lifting . several grips ( e . g . the lower ones ) can be replaced by abutments , in certain cases . on the right side of fig3 a container 15 is held by container grips 14 and lowered to supports 9 . on the left side of fig3 another container 15 is moved by the lower lifting beam 16 carried on the lifting frame 8 . the beam can be pushed below the container , in order to lift it . lifting frame 8 can have an upper lifting beam 17 too as shown in fig4 . this upper lifting beam is carried by expansion brackets 18 which can slightly be moved in vertical direction . at the end of the upper beams , there are foldable arms 19 to prevent tilting of the container during loading by the lower grips 14 only . the lower lifting beams 16 ( see fig5 ) are of similar construction : expansion brackets 18 are on the lower part of the lifting frame 8 for bearing the beams . these beams , however , do not comprise foldable arms , but have a narrowing end section which makes it easier to push the beam below the container . the grips are fixed to the expansion brackets . the upper lifting beams 17 are generally used for the moving of soft top ( swap ) containers which can not be clamped at the top and , therefore , they are not necessarily part of the apparatus . if they are applied , however , it is easy to modify the construction in a way that lifting of any kind of containers can be carried out by the upper lifting beams 17 . moreover , it may be advantageous to construct the apparatus as a system of building blocks , which means that the basic module does not contain all of the lifting elements ( upper or lower beams , folded arm , grips , extensions etc ), but only the ones necessary for a given purpose . the same is valid for the other accessories as e . g . the support legs , wheels or rails . a simple lifting column may also be applied instead of the lifting frame . the base cars are preferably controlled by an electronic system synchronized by radio connection between the cars . a mechanical system can , of course , also be applied . the apparatus may be used as shown in fig6 to 26 wherein fig6 a to 26 a show front views and fig6 b to 26 b show top views . referring to fig6 to 12 there is shown the process of loading without lifting beams , only with iso grips fixed to the lifting frames . the starting position at loading is shown in fig6 a and 6 b wherein fig6 a shows a front view and fig6 b a top view . when truck a with containers b achieves its loading position opposite to the railway car c , base car d ( according to the invention ) moves to its first position wherein the container grips are in line with the iso elements on the containers . preferably , sensor elements are provided for adjusting to the correct position . as a second step , the overreaching beams are backed by the supports and the carriages approach the container . following a vertical adjustment the carriages travel to the container and the grips are activated ( pushed forward and turned ) to clamp the container ( fig7 ). the container is then lifted and moved to a central position on the base cars , as shown in fig8 . after the container has been lowered to the container supports , the carriages are retracted and the base cars move off from each other until they have room enough to take a central position ( fig9 ). in this position , the beam supports are released and the cars travel with the container to the ( opposite ) loading position , wherein the carriages roll to the other side and the base cars approach to each other ( fig1 ). being in the correct position and the beam supports being active , the grips are pushed forward and turned on to clamp the container , which is then lifted and moved to the other side ( fig1 ). the container is then loaded to the railway car and the base cars of the apparatus return into start position ( fig1 ). in most cases , the standard containers provided with iso connections can be moved by clamping with the upper grips only . at the lower section of the container , it is generally sufficient to apply abutments . lately , however , soft top ( swap ) containers have appeared , as referred to above , which cannot be clamped on the upper part . in such cases , the lower grips are used for clamping the container and the folded arms on the upper lifting beams support the container to prevent tilting as shown in fig1 . the container clamped in this way may be moved as already shown in fig6 to 12 . fig1 to 20 show the use of the lower lifting beams . in fig1 both the base cars are in starting position , the lifting elements are lowered and the beams are in central position . first , the base cars take a position corresponding to the length of the container to be moved , then the carriages move to the right position . horizontally adjusted , the carriages approach the container and the upper extension brackets push the upper part of the container to tilt it . in this tilted position , the lower beams are pushed below the container and the extension brackets are retracted to allow the container to rest fully on the lower beams . the container is then lifted ( fig1 ) and moved to a central position on the base cars , as shown in fig1 . after the container has been lowered to the container supports , the carriages are retracted and the base cars move off from each other until they have room enough to take a central position ( fig1 ). in this position , the cars travel with the container to the ( opposite ) loading position , wherein the carriages roll to the other side and the base cars approach each other . being in the correct position , the beams are pushed forward and the container is then lifted ( fig1 ), moved to the other side and lowered there ( fig1 ). the base cars of the apparatus return to start position ( fig2 ). another preferred embodiment may be seen in fig2 . here , the lifting frames 8 have , on the upper ends , horizontal consoles 20 and the upper lifting beams 17 are guided at the end of these consoles . the iso grips 14 and lifting arms 19 are fixed to slides 21 mounted for transverse movement on the beams 17 . the base cars 1 do not comprise container support beams , the containers are supported — if necessary — by the lower part of the lifting means 7 themselves . fig2 shows the step when the container is just lifted by the foldable lifting arms 19 . the same step can be seen in fig2 , wherein the apparatus is shown in front view . the next steps are shown in fig2 and fig2 . lifting means 7 travels to central position ( fig2 ) and the container is laid on to the lower part of the lifting means 7 by arms 19 and the grips on that part clamp the container ( fig2 ). then the base cars 1 travel with the container to the required place and the container is lifted and moved to the other side to be loaded on the other railway car . it is to be noted that the container is not necessarily lowered and clamped in the middle position in the case when only transverse movement of the container is necessary . a further embodiment of the invention is shown in fig2 ( side view ) and fig2 ( front view ). this embodiment is a preferred form if the whole area of passage can be used and the containers should be loaded onto the ground or onto the top of each other . in the apparatus illustrated in these figures , lifting frames 8 are similar to those shown in the previous figures but lifting means 7 are mounted directly on the beams 4 instead of moving on carriages . accordingly , transverse movement is carried out exclusively by the upper lifting beams 17 and slides 21 that move along and carry lifting arms 19 as well as grips 14 . the embodiments shown by the way of example illustrate that the apparatus according to the invention can be used for loading , unloading and transferring any kind of containers or other standard loads easily and effectively , without the danger of touching overhead wires . loading is faster and easier than in the conventional way , and operating the system is also easier than before . the apparatus can be installed without considerable additional costs and , last but not least , use of the apparatus according to the present invention does not contribute to air pollution . while several preferred embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention have been described in some detail , it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the invention as hereinafter claimed .
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a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described more in detail with reference to the diagrammatic drawings . the apparatus comprises an underframe 1 and a column 2 , which is rigidly connected to the rear of the underframe 1 at the center of its length . the underframe 1 carries a backing wall 3 , which consists of two plates and is rearwardly inclined from the vertical by a few degrees and has a forward backing surface that defines a bending plane 5 of the apparatus . a holder 4 is provided at and extends along the horizontal bottom edge of the backing wall 3 and forms a bearing surface 6 , which extends at right angles to the bending plane 5 . the holder 4 serves to support tubular bars 7 , which are to be bent to form spacer frames . the holder 4 presents the tubular bars to two bending tools 8 and 9 , which are disposed near the horizontal bottom edge of the backing wall 3 and are displaceable along said bottom edge . for that purpose the bending tools 8 and 9 comprise respective carriages 10 . the nature and design of the bending tools are no subject matter of the present invention and are known in the art and for this reason are not shown in detail . for instance , bending tools as described in german patent specification no . 32 23 881 may be used . in the illustrative embodiment shown on the drawings each of the bending tools 8 and 9 comprises a bending shoe 11 , which is pivoted on an axis 12 that is at right angles to the bending plane 5 . each of the bending shoes 11 is pivotally movable upwardly about the associated axis 12 from a horizontal initial position through somewhat more than 90 ° so as to bend a tubular bar 7 , which lies on the holder 4 . to prevent a shifting of the tubular bar in its longitudinal direction during the bending operation the tubular bar 7 may also be clamped between the bending tools 8 and 9 , e . g ., by a gripping jaw which is not shown in the drawing and urges the tubular bar 7 against the holder 4 from above . the bending shoes 11 are pivotally moved through somewhat more than 90 ° so that the tubular bars 7 are over - bent to allow for a springback . the two plates of the backing wall 3 are spaced apart so that the backing wall 3 is formed with an aperture or gap 13 extending from the bottom edge to the top edge of the backing wall . in that aperture 13 , two parallel track rails 14 are disposed , which extend behind the bending plane and parallel to the latter from bottom to top . a frame - closing tool 15 is movable up and down on said track rails 14 . before or during the bending of a tubular bar 7 , the frame - closing tool 15 is moved to such a frame - closing position that the final bending operation will impart to the end portions 17 and 18 of the tubular bar 7 a pivotal movement so that their free ends 19 and 20 enter the frame - closing tool 15 . for that purpose the two bending tools 8 and 9 are disposed on opposite sides of the aperture or gap 13 which receives the frame - closing tool 15 . in a preferred arrangement , the bending tools 8 , 9 are arranged and designed like mirror images on opposite sides of the vertical center plane 21 of the frame - closing tool 15 . in that case the bends will be symmetrical to the length center of the tubular bar 7 and the two end portions 17 and 18 which are pivotally moved into the frame - closing tool 15 will be equal in length . the two bending tools 8 and 9 are suitably operated at the same time as has been explained in the general part of this description . the frame - closing tool 15 comprises tools for locating , gripping and joining the two end portions 17 and 18 of the tubular bar and also comprises the associated actuating means and a housing 22 , which accommodates said tools and actuating means and has a forward bracket 23 ( fig4 ). above the bracket 23 , the planar front wall 24 of the housing 22 is formed with apertures 25 and 26 , which permit various elements of the tool to be extended from and retracted into the housing 22 . the bracket 23 carries two stops 27 and 27a , which are spaced apart along the bottom edge of the backing wall and each of which has a stop face that is at right angles to the bending plane 5 and parallel to the bearing surface 6 of the holder 4 . the stop faces of the two stops 27 and 27a are aligned with each other . a depressing guide member 28 is provided above the stop 27 and has a planar sliding surface 29 , which faces the bending plane 5 and includes an upwardly open acute angle α with that bending plane so that the distance between the depressing guide member 28 and the bending plane 5 increases from bottom to top . a deflecting guide member 31 is provided above the stop 27a and has also a planar guiding surface 32 , which faces opposite to the sliding surface 29 of the depressing guide member 28 , i . e ., away from the bending plane 5 . in its operative position shown in fig4 the sliding surface 29 includes an acute angle β with the bending plane 5 . different from the angle α , the angle β is open downwardly . as is shown in fig4 the planar sliding surface 32 includes with the bending plane 5 also an acute angle γ , which is measured in a plane that intersects the bending plane 5 at right angles thereto in a horizontal line . the acute angle γ is open toward the depressing guide member 28 . the oblique sliding surface 32 intersects the bending plane 5 . from its operative position shown in fig4 and 5 , the deflecting guide member 31 can be pivotally retracted into the housing 22 by means of a pneumatic cylinder 33 accommodated in the housing 22 . a vertical stop face 34 which extends at right angles to the bending plane 5 is formed in that end of the depressing guide member 28 which faces the deflecting guide member 31 . another stop 35 is closely spaced in that end face of the deflecting guide member 31 which faces the depressing guide member 28 . the stop 35 has a stop face that is parallel to the stop face 34 . the stop 35 is apparent from fig5 and is concealed in fig4 . a freely rotatable roller 36 is mounted close to the deflecting guide member 31 and is pivotally movable by means of a pneumatic cylinder 37 about a horizontal axis 38 out of the housing 22 through the aperture 25 from a retracted position in the housing 22 . the roller 36 constitutes a holding - down member for forcing the end portion of the tubular bar against the stop 27a while permitting a longitudinal displacement of the end portion 18 because the roller 36 is freely rotatably . another holding - down roller 39 is disposed close to the depressing guide member 28 and is also movable by a pneumatic cylinder 40 about a horizontal axis 41 out of the housing from retracted position in the housing 22 . the holding - down roller 39 serves to force the other end portion 17 of the tubular bar against the stop 27 . the two stops 27 and 27a are carried by respective gripper carriages 42 and 43 , which are horizontally displaceable in the housing 22 by pneumatic cylinders 85 and 86 , respectively , to change the distance between the carriages 42 and 43 . that portion of the gripper carriage 42 which protrudes into the hollow bracket 23 and constitutes the stop 27 carries a gripping jaw 44 , which is disposed under the depressing guide member 28 . by means of a pneumatic cylinder 46 , which is moved in unison with the gripper carriage 42 by the pneumatic cylinder 85 , the gripper carriage 42 carrying the gripping jaw 44 can be moved toward and away from the front wall 24 of the housing 22 to displace the gripping jaw 44 at right angles to the bending plane 5 and cooperates with an opposite stationary gripping jaw 47 , which is fixed in the housing 22 . the gripper carriage 42 has a slot 48 , which contains a guide rod 49 , which extends at right angles to the bending plane 5 through a sliding surface bearing in the stationary jaw 47 and holds the moving gripping jaw 44 in an orientation which is parallel to the stationary gripping jaw 47 . when the frame - closing tool 15 is in its operating position , the gripping surface of the stationary gripping jaw 47 is flush with or disposed slightly behind the bending plane 5 . the front housing wall 24 of the frame - closing tool 15 is also flush with the bending plane 5 or disposed slightly behind the same . that portion of the gripper carriage 43 which protrudes from the housing 22 and carries the stop 27a is formed with a gripping jaw 50 . by means of a pneumatic cylinder 52 , which is movable by the pneumatic cylinder 86 in unison with the gripper carriage 43 , the gripping jaw 50 and the gripper carriage 43 are movable at right angles to the bending plane 5 toward and away from the housing front wall 24 . the gripping jaw 50 cooperates with a stationary gripping jaw 53 , which is disposed near the housing front wall 24 behind the deflecting guide member 31 and has a gripping surface that always extends in the bending plane 5 . the stationary gripping jaw 53 will be accessible when the deflecting guide member 31 has been pivotally retracted into the housing 22 by the associated pneumatic cylinder 33 . the carriage 43 is also formed with a slot 54 and a guide rod 55 extends in said slot 54 at right angles the bending plane 5 through a sliding surface bearing formed in the stationary gripping jaw 54 . an oblique surface 57 is provided above the gripping surface 56 , which is formed on the displaceable gripping jaw 50 and is parallel to the bending plane 5 . like the sliding surface 29 of the depressing guide member 28 the oblique surface 57 faces the bending plane 5 and serves also as a depressing guide but is steeper than the sliding surface 29 . an indenting tool 60 is provided between the two gripping carriages 42 and 43 and is not shown in fig5 and 7 for the sake of clearness and is shown only as a detail in fig8 . the indenting tool 60 is disposed at one end of a swivel arm 61 , which at its other end is connected by a pivot 62 to an end portion of a guide rod 63 , which extends at right angles to the bending plane 5 and is guided in a guide block 64 . by means which are not shown the guide rod 63 is connected to the gripper carriage 42 so that the guide rod 63 is displaced together with the movable gripping jaw 44 to an extent which is one - half of the extent of the displacement of the movable gripping jaw 44 . this arrangement will ensure each tubular bar 7 and will be indented by the indenting tool at the center of the width of the tubular bar 7 regardless of its width . the swivel arm 61 is pivotally moved by a pneumatic cylinder 65 through the intermediary of another guide rod 66 , which is guided in the same guide block 64 and is connected by a link 67 to the swivel arm 61 . an overhead conveyor 69 for removing the completed spacer frames 16 extends along the top edge of the backing wall 3 and comprises a horizontal frame 70 , which extends along the top end of the backing wall 3 and bears on said top edge and on the central column 2 and protrudes beyond the outer end of one of the plates of the backing wall 3 . the frame 70 is provided with a track rail 71 , which supports an endless roller chain 72 , which is trained around and tensioned by chain sprockets 77 to 82 having vertical axes of rotation . one of said chain sprockets , e . g ., the chain sprocket 82 is driven . the chain 72 comprises regularly spaced apart swivel pins , which protrude above the top link plates of the chain and are fit into bearing blocks 73 which preferably consist of plastic . a swivel hook 75 depends from each of said bearing blocks 73 and is pivoted thereto on a horizontal pivot 74 , which extends in the direction of travel of the chain 72 . the hooks 75 are mounted in such an orientation that the free ends 76 of those hooks which are carried by the forward course of the chain are in sliding contact with the backing wall 3 . the apparatus operates as follows : a tubular bar 7 is placed on and preferably fixed to the holder 4 provided at the bottom edge of the backing wall 3 . the two bending tools 8 and 9 are operated to form two 90 ° bends in the tubular bar 7 so that the bar 7 has the shape of a u . the two bending tools 8 and 9 are then displaced toward each other . thereafter the tubular bar 7 is bent through slightly more than 90 ° at two additional locations disposed between the previously formed bends . said two bends are preferably formed at the same time by a final bending operation , which causes the end portions 17 and 18 of the tubular bar 7 to perform a pivotal movement and their free ends 19 and 20 move into the range of action of the frame - closing tool 15 , when the latter has previously been moved to the required frame - closing position . in that operation the depressing guide member 28 moves the bar end portion 17 to the bending plane 5 , which coincides with the planar front surface of the backing wall 3 , unless that end portion 17 is already in contact with the backing wall 3 . throughout the bending operations the housing front wall 24 of the frame - closing tool is flush with or disposed slightly behind the bending plane 5 . the other end portion 18 of the tubular bar 7 slides in contact with the deflecting guide member 31 and is thus disengaged from the forward surface of the backing wall 3 toward the end of the final bending operation . this will ensure that the free ends 19 and 20 of the tubular bar 7 will not strike against each other at the end of the final bending operation even when a plug connector 58 has previously been inserted into one of said free ends , such as the end 19 . fig5 shows a typical arrangement of the free ends 19 and 20 at the end of the final bending operation . the two end portions 17 and 18 are forced against the stops 27a and 27 , respectively , by the holding - down rollers 36 and 39 . the angle between the end positions 17 and 18 is exaggerated in fig5 . the gripper carriage 42 is subsequently moved toward the gripper carriage 43 and the latter is moved toward the gripper carriage 42 at the same time . during that operation the stop face of the depressing guide member 28 acts on the free end 20 and the stop 33 which is provided on the gripper carriage 43 and initially disposed adjacent to the deflecting guide member 31 acts on the free end of the plug connector 58 so that the spacer frame 16 formed by the bent tubular bar 7 is expanded until its free end 20 and the plug connector 58 no longer overlap . the resulting position is shown in fig6 . the pneumatic cylinder 33 is operated at the same time or thereafter to pivotally retract the deflecting guide member 31 into the housing 22 to clear a path on which the end portion 18 of the tubular bar 7 can be moved into axial alignment with the other end portion 17 . for that purpose the pneumatic cylinder 52 is operated to close the gripper which is constituted by the gripping jaws 50 and 53 . the pneumatic cylinder 46 is operated at the same time to close the gripper which consists of the gripping jaws 44 and 47 so that they grip the end portion 17 . now the two end portions 17 and 18 are axially aligned . the two gripping carriages 42 and 43 can now be approached more closely to each other so that the protruding end portion of the plug connector 58 is inserted into the one free end 20 of the tubular bar 7 to close the spacer frame 16 . on principle , it does not matter whether one or both of the gripper carriages 42 and 43 are moved . it is preferred to move only one gripping carriage , e . g ., the gripping carriage 43 , and to displace said gripper carriage 43 over a distance which is slightly in excess of the length in which the plug connector 58 is inserted . in that case the plug connector will reliably be inserted as far as to the stop which is usually provided at the length center of the connector . the displacement of the gripper carriage 43 in excess of the inserted length will result in a slip , which is suitably taken up in that the gripping surfaces of the gripping jaws 50 and 53 have a sufficiently high surface finish . no slip is desired on the other two gripping jaws 44 and 47 and is suitably avoided in that their gripping surfaces are corrugated or fluted . when the two end portions 17 and 18 have been plugged together , the spacer frame 16 is in the position shown in fig7 . the pneumatic cylinder 65 is then operated to pivotally move the indenting tool 60 against the top surface of the spacer frame to indent the same on both sides of the joint 59 defined by the free ends 19 and 20 . this indenting is permitted in that the plug connector 58 is formed with a corresponding recess or aperture at those points . as soon as the spacer frame 16 which has been formed but has not yet been closed has been released by the bending tools 8 and 9 and the holding - down rollers 36 and 39 force the end portions 17 and 18 against the stops 27 and 27a , respectively , the entire frame - closing tool 15 may begin its upward movement along the track rails 14 . at least part of the operations by which the end portions of the tubular bar are located and joined may be performed during that movement . shortly before the frame - closing tool 15 has reached its intended top end position the top surface of the spacer frame 16 strikes against the oblique surfaces 76a of the hooks 75 of the overhead conveyor 69 and the hooks 75 will automatically yield to the rising spacer frame 16 and when the rising spacer frame 16 has risen past the free ends 76 of the hooks the latter will swing back against the backing wall 3 . the holding - down rollers 36 and 38 may now be disengaged from the closed spacer frame 16 and may be pivotally retracted into the housing 22 . at the same time , the grippers consisting of the gripping jaws 44 , 47 and 50 , 53 , respectively , may be opened to release the spacer frame 16 . to permit the spacer frame 16 to be taken over by the overhead conveyor 69 the frame - closing tool 15 is lowered to some extent so that the hooks 75 of the moving overhead conveyor 69 carry the spacer frame 16 out of the range of action of the frame - closing tool . a fluid - operable cylinder 83 acting on the upper portion of the track rails 14 is now operated to impart to the two track rails 14 a rearward pivotal movement about a lower horizontal axis 84 until the bracket 23 of the closing tool 15 has been entirely retracted behind the bending plane 5 . the overhead conveyor 69 can now carry the spacer frame 16 along in a direction which is parallel to the bending plane 5 without an obstruction by the frame - closing tool 15 . as soon as the spacer frame 16 has been moved out of the range of action of the frame - closing tool , the latter can be pivotally moved forwardly to its operative position and can be lowered to the elevation required for the next spacer frame which is to be made .
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the tape lay - up facility 10 of fig1 although only schematic , is typical of one type of tape lay - up facility being operated by applicant &# 39 ; s assignee , which employes the tape applicator head of the invention . the tape lay - up facility 10 includes the tape applicator head assembly 12 mounted to a partial gantry 14 . the gantry 14 includes adjacent posts 16 between which the tape applicator head assembly 12 is mounted for displacement along parallel tracts 18 in the direction a . the drive for effecting displacement of the applicator head assembly 12 relative to the gantry 14 is not shown , nor is the drive for effecting displacement of the gantry 14 in the directions ( x -- x ) and ( y -- y ) since these drives do not form part of the invention . as an alternative , it is also possible to move the work surface relative to the applicator head . again , the drive for effecting this movement is not shown since it does not form a part of the invention . completing the tape lay - up facility 10 is a work surface in the form of a tape mandrel 20 fastened to a mandrel stand 22 . the tape applicator head assembly 12 is shown in a horizontal orientation applying tape t to the mandrel 20 . although oriented horizontally , the tape applicator head 12 can be oriented at any angle between the extreme horizontal ( y -- y ) and the extreme vertical ( z -- z ) positions . the exact position depends on the surface contour of the mandrel 20 , which in turn varies in accordance with the structure to be fabricated . the elongated rectangular mandrel 20 shown is used to lay - up the spar of the helicopter rotor blade . the portion of the tape lay - up facility 10 which embodies the present invention is the tape applicator head assembly 12 shown in greater detail in fig2 - 6 . the tape applicator head assembly 12 includes a mounting cylinder 24 which forms part of the carriage , not otherwise shown , which includes means engageable with the tracts 18 . mounted slidably within the cylinder 24 is a guide tube 26 . the guide tube 26 is biased in the direction of the mandrel 20 by an actuator 28 . the actuator 28 has a housing 30 mounted to the cylinder 24 in a manner not shown . extending from the housing 30 is a reciprocating rod 32 which is threadedly engaged within a socket 34 within a socket plate 36 . the socket plate 36 also includes an annular groove 38 which receives the guide tube 26 and retains it in assembly by conventional means , such as welding . a rotation rack assembly 40 is mounted to the socket plate 36 . preferably , the rotation rack assembly 40 is bolted to the socket plate 36 . at the opposite end of the guide tube 26 there is provided a clamp assembly 42 . the rotation rack assembly 40 includes a mounting plate 44 , a swivel plate 46 , on which a pair of dispensing and compacting blocks 48a and 48b are rigidly mounted , and a transmission including a gear 50 and a rack 52 . the rack 52 is embodied as an extension of a reciprocating rod 54 of an actuator 56 . the rod 54 is slidable within a slot 56 formed in the mounting plate 44 ( fig6 ). the gear 50 is mounted to the swivel plate 46 and includes a pin 58 . the pin 58 is received in and travels along an arcuate slot 60 , formed in the mounting plate 44 . the swivel plate 46 also includes a pin 62 which is received in and travels along a slot 64 , formed in the mounting plate 44 . the swivel plate 46 has an arcuate surface 66 with tabs 68a and 68b at each end . the tabs engage slots ( not shown ) formed in the vertical portion of the mounting plate 44 ( fig2 ). the tabs 68 ( a and 68b serve two purposes : they serve as a stop during shifting of the swivel plate 46 at each terminal end of a tape laying pass ; and they serve to lend stability to the swivel plate , and hence the dispensing and compacting blocks 48a and 48b during dispensing and compacting of the tape t . the dispensing and compacting blocks 48a and 48b are constructed as shown in fig5 . each block includes side plates 70 and 72 between which rollers 74 and 76 are mounted . a belt 78 ( fig2 ) extends about the two rollers 74 and 76 . the clamp assembly 42 includes arms 80 and 82 each pinned to the mounting cylinder 24 by pins 84 and 86 . at their opposite end each arm includes an extension which together form a clevis 88 . the clevis 88 has one end of a reciprocating rod of an actuator 90 fastened thereto . the actuator 90 provides the necessary operating force for clamping the arms 80 and 82 about the guide tube 26 . each of the arms 80 and 82 have a rubber liner 92 which actually engages the guide tube 26 . in dispensing tape utilizing the applicator head assembly 12 , a supply spool 94 and a backing strip s take - up spool 96 are mounted to the carriage in a manner not shown . both spools are shown schematically in fig2 . the backing strip s is removed from the tape t before the tape enters the guide tube 26 . the tape t proceeds through the guide tube 26 to the rotation rack assembly 40 . just prior to leaving the guide tube 26 , the tape t passes along a roller 98 , which is mounted to a tab 100 of the socket plate 36 ( fig3 ). the tape engagement regions b and c serve to stabilize the tape t along that critical portion from the guide tube 26 to the surface of the mandrel 20 . the tape engagement region b is effective for both positions of the dispensing and compacting blocks , although in the position where block 48b is active ( not shown ) the engagement force in region b is less than when block 48a is active ( fig2 ). the guide tube 26 has an access slot 102 for access to the socket 34 and the roller 98 . in operation the backing strip s is separated from the tape t and threaded to the spool 96 . the tape t is then passed through the guide tube 26 and between the dispensing and compacting blocks 48a and 48b . a sufficient length of tape is withdrawn so that the tape extends beyond the dispensing and compacting blocks for initiation of a laying pass . assuming that the applicator head 12 is properly positioned along the x -- x and y -- y axis ( gantry control ), a tape laying pass is commenced . the actuators 28 and 56 are actuated substantially simultaneously . with this actuation , the tape applicator head assembly 12 is poised for dispensing and compacting . the actuator 28 through its rod 32 biases the guide tube 26 and the rotation rack assembly 40 toward the mandrel 20 , while the actuator 56 produces the shifted position , shown for example , in fig2 . in this shifted position , the regions b and c are engaged by the tape t . in addition the tape t engages a tape engaging surface portion d of the belt 78 of the dispensing and compacting block 48a . this compound movement in the tape applicator head assembly 12 produces a tension in the tape t . with this tension , the tape t is dispensed onto the mandrel 20 as the tape applicator head assembly 12 is moved with the gantry 14 in the x -- x direction . the tape t is also compacted during the tape dispensing pass because the minimum clearance between the active block ( 48a in fig2 ) is less than the thickness of the tape , i . e ., the distance from the point e to the mandrel surface , or the preceding tape layer , is less than the thickness of the tape . this relationship is maintained for whatever size ( thickness ) layup is desired by the gantry control for the y -- y direction . to reach the position shown in fig2 the rack 52 moves to the right producing counterclockwise rotation of the gear 50 and swivel plate 46 ( fig6 ). movement of the rack 52 in the opposition direction produces clockwise rotation of the gear 50 and the swivel plate 46 bringing the block 48b into its active position . the shifting sequence of the dispensing and compacting blocks at each terminal end of a tape laying pass is shown in fig7 b - 7i . fig7 a shows dispensing and compacting operation in the (+ x ) direction ( fig1 ) with block 48a active . beginning with fig7 b , one terminal end of the tape laying pass has been reached . the gantry 14 and consequently the tape applicator head assembly 12 are stopped , the actuator 28 de - activated so that the rod 32 will be retracted , the rack 52 moved to the left ( fig6 ), and the actuator 90 actuated to clamp the guide tube 26 . to pivot the blocks so that block 48b becomes active requires first that the rotation rack assembly 40 move in the (- y ) direction ( fig1 ) i . e ., away from the mandrel 20 . since the rotation rack assembly 40 is mounted to the guide tube 26 , this end is achieved by permitting the guide tube 26 to move in the desired direction . the guide tube 26 moves in the direction (- y ) under the influence of the tension in the tape t . this movement produces the retraction of the rod 32 . to insure that this retraction does not proceed too far , i . e ., to such an extent the engagement of the gear 50 and the rack 52 are adversely affected , the clamp assembly 42 is provided . activation of the clamp assembly 42 stops the sliding of the guide tube 26 in the (- y ) direction so that the pivotal shifting of the blocks occurs with the least resistance . relying on the tension in the tape t to assist in moving the guide tube 26 in the (- y ) direction , will relax some of the tension in the tape t . it should be noted , however , that the tension in the tape t is relaxed from the point e upward toward the spools 94 and 96 . the tape downstream of the point e is not affected since it has already been compressed . in fact , because of the compressed state of the tape , the point e serves as a pivot point . both the tension relaxation and the pivot point e are desirable toward the formation of the loop 104 shown in fig7 b - 7i . at the position shown in fig7 h , the actuator 28 is again activated and the actuator 90 de - activated to release the clamping pressure on the guide tube 26 . then at the position shown in fig7 i , a reverse pass is ready to begin ( in the - x direction ). the transition shown in fig7 b - 7i produces the loop 104 which i have found produces a smooth and distortion free layup of the tape . the invention , although embodied preferably as discussed above , can be practiced by a different construction . for example , the guide tube 26 could be eliminated and the actuator 28 connected directly to the rotation rack assembly 40 . also , the means for shifting the blocks 48a and 48b could rely on structure different than the gear 50 and rack 52 . what the structure must do is produce the loops 104 at each terminal end of the tape laying pass .
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in fig1 is shown a tonneau cover generally indicated at 10 which includes a first panel 11 and a second panel 12 which can be placed over a truck box so that the panel 12 is on the drivers side and forms the left hand panel when viewed from the rear and the panel 11 is on the passenger side and forms the right hand panel when viewed from the rear . the view as shown in fig1 has the panels inverted to show the underside . the truck box is of course not shown since this is well known to any person skilled in this art so that the truck box includes a front wall and two side walls together with a rear tail gate which is hinged at the bottom so that it can be folded downwardly to allow access into the truck box . the side walls of the truck box have a horizontal top surface which separates an inner wall of the truck box from the outer wall of the vehicle . similarly the truck box has a front wall with a top surface with a front depending flange so that the top surface connects to the inside wall of the truck box at the front . the panels are of a general arrangement which is known from the above prior art and each panel includes a side rail 13 which attaches to the top surface of the side wall of the truck box . the side rail is connected to the respective panel by a hinge 14 . each panel has a rail 15 which is pivotally mounted at one end 16 to the respective panel . thus the rail 15 of the drivers side panel 11 is attached at its end 16 adjacent the rear of the panel . thus the rail 15 of the passenger side panel 12 is attached at its end 16 adjacent the forward end of the panel . each rail has its opposite end , in a retracted position of the rail , latched as indicated at 17 to the underside of the panel . each panel can be moved from a closed position lying across the top of the truck box where the inner side edges 18 of the panels are slightly overlapping . in the raised position of the panels obtained by pivoting the panels about the hinge 14 , the panels stand generally upwardly from the respective side wall of the truck box and the rails 15 are moved to an extended position pivotal about the end 16 so that the end 17 is moved into engagement with the opposite panel at a receptacle 19 . thus in the raised position of the panels each rail extends across between the panels with the rail of the passenger side panel 12 at the front and the rail of the driver side panel 11 at the rear . each of the panels includes a bracket 20 for receiving one end of an air cylinder ( not shown ) which extends from the bracket 20 to a corresponding bracket attached to the front wall of the truck box as described hereinafter . the panel 11 also includes a locking system generally indicated at 21 in the form of a handle 22 which operates a rod 23 for actuating locking elements 24 at spaced positions along the panel . locking elements engage with cooperating members on the opposite panel . turning now to fig4 , there is shown in more detail the arrangement of the outside portion of the panel 12 including the rail 13 and the hinge 14 . the panels 11 and 12 as shown in the cross section of fig4 are formed from a top or outer sheet 25 and an inner or bottom sheet 26 . each of these sheets is moulded or vacuum formed from an abs plastics material . the sheets are shaped to a required arrangement and then adhesively fastened together to provide the necessary structural strength . at the outer edge of the panel at the hinge 14 , the inner sheet 26 is bent downwardly to form a depending channel portion 27 with a bottom wall 28 and an upstanding outermost wall or lip 29 . in order to cooperate with this , the outer sheet 25 has a depending lip 30 . an outer surface of the lip 29 is adhesively attached to an inner surface of the lip 30 at a junction line 31 . the height of the two lips is such that the lip 29 is contained underneath the bottom surface of the outer sheet 25 . the bottom edge 32 of the lip 30 terminates at a position coterminous with the bottom wall 28 . the lip 30 thus forms a wall surface with an outer surface 33 which is generally at right angles to the horizontal top surface 34 of the outer sheet 25 . the rail 13 is also formed from an outer sheet 35 and an inner sheet 36 . the outer sheet 35 is shaped to form an outer depending wall 37 which extends downwardly and outwardly to form a flange covering an outer flange 38 of the truck box indicated at 39 . at an inner edge , the rail 13 includes a depending wall 40 . the spacing between the walls 37 and 40 is such that the top portion 41 of the rail covers a top surface 42 of the side wall of the truck box with the depending inside wall 40 along the inside surface 42 of the side wall and the flange 38 being covered by the outside wall portion 37 . at spaced positions along the length of the rail , the outer sheet is shaped to form a circular depression 44 to receive a bolt head 45 of a fastening bolt 46 . as shown in fig1 there is a limited number of such depressions 44 and in the embodiment shown there are four such depressions at spaced positions along the length of the rail 13 . the inner sheet 36 is shaped so that a center portion 36 a contacts the underside of the sheet 35 and two side portions 36 b and 36 c depend downwardly to form channels with a bottom surface arranged to sit on the top surface 43 of the truck box side wall . these two channels of the inner sheet 36 thus support the center portion 41 of the outer sheet at a position spaced upwardly from the surface 43 of the side wall . within the channel 36 c is provided a series of holes 36 d at spaced positions along the length thereof each having a captive bolt 36 e contained therein for engaging through a hole in the top surface 43 . thus there is provided a row of the bolts 36 e which are arranged adjacent the inside surface 42 of the side wall of the truck box . thus there is a second row of bolts 46 adjacent the outer flange 38 . the arrangement of the bolts 46 and the captive bolts 36 e is such that they match the design of the truck box of a particular manufacturer . the bolt fasteners 46 are arranged to co - operate with four stake holes of the truck box . the bolts 36 e are arranged in a row at spacing to co - operate with a row of attachment holes for the truck box side walls . these fastening arrangements are designed for example with a truck such as a ford f150 to match the fastening holes already in place in the truck box side wall where those fastening holes are conventionally used to fasten a top rail over the truck box side wall supplied by the manufacturer ford . when it is intended therefore to apply the tonneau cover of the present arrangement , therefore , the side rail which is already in place is removed exposing the holes in the top rail of the side wall which are then used without additional drilling or any other modification to fasten the rail 13 to the side wall . the fastening is effected by utilizing the bolt fasteners 46 which are of the butterfly - type and include spreading wings 46 a which pass through the hole in the side wall and then are spread by further tightening of the bolt 46 by actuation on the head 45 so as to pull the wings 46 a back up underneath the opening in the side wall to pull the head 45 down onto the side walls to clamp the rail in place . the head 45 includes a washer 45 a and an enclosing cap 45 b which engages around the head and includes a cover 45 c . it will be appreciated that the head 45 is accessible from the exterior of the truck box so that the first fastening can be effected by actuation of the bolt 46 to hold the bolts in place . the bolts 36 e simply pass through holes in the truck box side wall so that the end of the bolt is accessible from the inside of the truck box . the heads 36 f of the bolts 36 e are contained between the outer sheet 35 and the inner sheet 36 so as to be inaccessible from the exterior of the truck box . the installer can then apply a nut 36 g onto the bolt 36 e from the inside of the truck box . when installed , therefore , it will be appreciated that the bolts 36 e are inaccessible from the exterior of the truck box so they cannot be removed from the exterior . when the cover is therefore closed and locked , the bolts are completely inaccessible thus preventing an unauthorized person from unbolting the cover and removing it from the truck box . the two rows of fasteners provide a stable attachment of the rail to the truck box side wall since one wall is adjacent the inside and the other row is adjacent the outside thus preventing tilting of the rail on the side wall when forces are applied from the pivotal movement of the panel at the hinge 14 . the butterfly fasteners can be replaced by clips which are attached to the panel and simply pop into the hole in the side wall without the necessity for screw fastening , bearing in mind that the main fastening is effected by the bolts 36 e . this allows the installation to be simplified by pop fastening the rail onto the side wall so that it is held in place by the pop or snap fasteners and then can be fastened more vigorously by the bolts 36 e . the use of the pop fasteners also overcomes the difficulty that the area where these fasteners are located is inaccessible from the exterior or interior of the truck box . the hinge 14 comprises an inner piece 14 a which is attached to the surface 33 of the lip 30 and an outer piece 14 b which is attached to the depending wall 40 of the rail 13 . the hinge 14 is generally symmetrical and includes the inner piece 14 a and the outer piece outer piece 14 b together with a flexible interconnecting bridging member 14 c . the inner piece , the outer piece and the bridging piece are all continuous along the full length of the hinge and the hinge is continuous along the full length of the rail and the panel . the inner and outer piece each include a top lip portion 14 d and a depending flange portion 14 e which are adhesively attached to the respective end lip . the bridging piece 14 c is molded from a different plastics material so that it provides flexibility whereas the inner and outer pieces are formed of a material which is more rigid to provide effective attachment of those inner and outer pieces to the respective lip . the bridging piece 14 c is sufficiently flexible so that it can bend through 90 ° allowing the panel to move from the horizontal position shown in fig4 to a raised vertical position ( not shown ) standing vertically upwardly at right angles to the position as shown . the hinge thus provides a continuous closure between the panel and the rail so that there is no possibility for the penetration of the moisture therebetween . there is continuous attachment of each of the inner and outer pieces of the hinge to the respective portion of the rail and the panel and the bridging piece 14 c is continuous . the facing surfaces of the inner piece 14 a and the outer piece 14 b include co - operating flange members 14 f . thus the outer surface of the inner piece 14 a has a pair of flanges projecting outwardly and the inner surface of the outer piece 14 b includes a pair of flanges projecting inwardly . the flanges on the piece 14 a are spaced slightly further apart than the flanges on the piece 14 b so that when the panel is in the closed position as shown in fig4 the flanges prevent upward and downward flexing movement of the hinge which would allow the outer edge of the panel to move upwardly and downwardly relative the rail . thus if the panel moves upwardly , the flanges at the bottom abut and if the panel moves downwardly the panels at the top abut . turning now to fig5 , there is shown more detail of the end 16 of the rail 15 . thus a portion of the panel is indicated at 12 and includes the outer sheet 25 and the inner sheet 26 . the rail 15 carries a sleeve 15 a at the end 16 which attaches to a bracket 15 b by a bearing 15 c . the bracket 15 b includes a pair of legs 15 d and 15 e which are welded to a best plate 15 f . the base plate 15 f is mounted between the two sheets 25 and 26 so that it is received in a slightly recessed portion 26 a of the sheet 26 leaving the outside surface of the outer sheet 25 smooth . this provides therefore an effective technique for rigidly mounting the bracket 15 b and the bearing 15 c to the panel on the underside of the panel . the rail 15 is shown in fig5 in the extended position projecting outwardly from the pane 12 . it will be noted however that the rail 15 is not at right angles to the panel 12 but instead the panel 12 is inclined upwardly and slightly inwardly when the rail 15 is horizontal as shown . in this way it will be appreciated that the panels in their erected position when the rails are erected are inclined upwardly and inwardly from the hinge 14 to the top edge which is spaced therefore slightly inwardly from the side wall of the truck box . turning now to fig7 , there is shown the receptacle 19 on the opposite panel 11 for attachment to the opposite end 17 of the rail 15 of fig5 . at the end 17 is mounted a pin 17 a and this is arranged for co - operation with a gate latch 19 a on the opposite panel 11 . the opposite panel 11 is also formed from the outer sheet 25 and the inner sheet 26 . these are shaped similarly to the corresponding sheets of the panel 12 but it will be appreciated that there are slight differences in view of the position and location of the rail and the latch 19 a . in fig7 it will be noted that sheet 25 is also smooth and extends continuous out to the edge 18 of the panel . at the edge 18 of the panel 11 is provided a lip 18 a which extends generally at right angles to the main body of the panel as defined by the outer surface 25 . the inner sheet 26 includes portions 26 b which are attached directly to the inside surface of the outer sheet 25 and recessed portions 26 c which form ribs 26 d which are spaced from the inside surface of the outer sheet 25 and thus provide structural ribs providing increased strength . between the two ribs 26 d is provided the receptacle 19 for the latch 19 a . embedded between the sheets 25 and 26 is provided a base - plate 19 b which is fastened to the inside surface of the outer sheet 25 and provides a support for the gate latch 19 a . it will be noted again that with the gate latch 19 a arranged at right angles to the length of the rail 15 for engagement onto the pin 17 a , there is an angle between the gate latch 19 a and the panel which is symmetrical to the angle between the end 16 of the rail and the panel 12 so that symmetrically the panels . 11 and 12 are inclined upwardly and inwardly with the rail 15 horizontal . turning now to fig6 and 8 , the structure of each of the panels is shown in more detail . thus each of the panels includes the outer layer 25 and the inner sheet 26 . as shown in fig8 the outer sheet 25 has a smooth outer surface 50 and the inner sheet 26 is bonded to an inner surface 51 of the outer sheet at portions 52 . in between those two bonded sections recessed portions 53 which define a series of ribs 54 across the width of the panel . as shown in fig1 the ribs 54 extend from a position closely adjacent the hinge 14 at the outer edge inwardly through to the inner edge 18 . there is in addition a transverse rib 56 at a position spaced just outwardly of the rails 15 . also at the rails the ribs 54 are recessed as indicated at 57 to define a recessed surface 58 against which the rails 15 rest in their retracted or stored position . in this position the rails are retracted below the rib 56 . the rib 56 acts as a stiffening member in the longitudinal direction of the panel . as best shown in fig6 at the edges 18 of the panels , the panel 11 includes the down - turned lip 18 a which terminates at an edge 18 b . the inner sheet 26 is bonded to the inner surface of the sheet 25 at the inner surface 51 and also into the inner surface of the lip 18 a . thus the lip is defined by the thickness of both the inner and outer sheets to provide strengthening effect to that lip . the panel 12 is similarly formed from the outer sheet 25 and the inner sheet 26 and these sheets are molded to form a channel 60 into which the lip 18 a project . the channel 60 thus includes a depending wall 61 , a horizontal bottom wall 62 and an upstanding wall 63 . the upstanding wall 63 together with the bottom wall 62 and the depending wall 61 are all formed both from the inner and outer sheets to provide structural strength for the channel 60 . the outer sheet at the top of the outer wall 63 extends beyond the inner sheet to form a depending leg 64 and a smooth curved upper surface 65 which provides an attractive appearance to the edge of the channel 60 . in the closed position shown in fig6 the lip 18 a projects over the smooth upper surface 65 along side the depending leg 64 . the underside of the sheet 26 sits on the smooth surface 65 to provide a closure between the panels . the lip 18 a projects downwardly into the channel so as to provide in effect a labyrinth seal to prevent moisture from penetrating between the panels . any moisture entering the channel 60 collects within the channel and is preventing from engaging over the upstanding wall 63 of the channel into the area between the panels . the channel has a discharge at the rear end over the tailgate so that any moisture collecting therein can run along the vehicle to the tailgate for discharge over the tailgate to prevent it entering into the truck box between the panels . the panels are locked together by a plurality of toggle locks 24 as previously described . the toggle locks 24 comprise a body 24 a and a toggle locking member 24 b which moves into engagement with a plate 24 c on the underside of the bottom wall 62 of the channel . the toggle locking member 24 b moves in a direction controlled by a slot 24 d so that slides forwardly and moves downwardly underneath the plate 24 c . movement of the toggle locking member 24 b is effected by rotation of the hexagonal shaft 23 which rotates a drive member in the body 24 a . toggle locking members of this type are readily available and the details of operation of the movement of the toggle locking member are thus known to a person skilled in the art . the body 24 a is mounted on a plate 24 e clamped between the sheets 25 and 26 immediately adjacent the lip 18 a . turning now to fig1 there is shown the mounting of the handle 22 between the outer sheet 25 and the inner sheet 26 in an area between two lips 66 and 67 of those sheets . thus the handle 22 is presented on the outside of a depending outside lip 66 of the panel 11 . the handle 22 attaches to a support and bearing 67 which allows the handle to rotate in the panel . at the end of the support 67 is provided a coupling 68 which attaches to the shaft 23 . the shaft 23 emerges through a hole 69 in a sheet 26 so that it extends underneath the panel to the toggle locking member 24 . turning now to fig9 , 11 and 12 , there is shown the co - operation of the sheets 25 and 26 at the position adjacent the front and rear sides of the panel . thus it will be noted in each case the outer sheet 25 at each position where the cross sections are taken includes a depending lip 70 . this co - operates with a portion of the sheet 26 which is spaced from the underside 51 of the sheet 25 but includes an upstanding lip 71 which is bonded to the lip 70 and extends upwardly toward the underside 51 of the sheet 25 . this arrangement in effect provides a box section along the front edge and along the rear edge of each of the panels to provide structural strength therefore . by comparing the cross sections 11 and 12 at the rear of the panel , it will be noted that the sheet 26 in fig1 which is closer to the side wall of the truck provides a distance d 1 between the top surface 72 of the sheet 25 and the bottom surface 73 of the sheet 26 at the lip 71 where the distance d 1 is smaller than the distance d 2 of fig1 . in this way it will be appreciated that the surface 73 of the inner sheet 26 sits on the top edge of the tailgate so that the surface 72 of the outer or top sheet of the panel increases in height relative to the top surface of the tailgate from the outside wall of the truck box towards the center of the truck box . this provides a slight pitch to the panels acting to assist in shedding water to the sides of the truck box . similarly at the front of the truck box where the cross sections of fig9 and 10 are taken , the distance d 3 is smaller than the distance d 4 so that again the panels are supported at a slight pitch angle relative to the front wall of the truck box . also it will be note din fig1 that the surface 73 of the inner or lower sheet 26 has step 74 which is arranged at a position immediately adjacent the inside surface of the front wall of the truck box to define a further channel portion 75 which extends slightly into the truck box to assist in locating the panels and to increase structural strength adjacent the front edge of the panels . while the cross sections of the panel are taken in relation to the panel 11 in fig2 , it will be appreciated that the shape of the panel 12 of fig3 is symmetrical in respect to these particular elements and in relation to the shaping of the inner and outer sheets , the only differences being in relation to the locking arrangement and the connection along the center line and in other respects the panels are substantially symmetrical . also shown in fig9 is the bracket 20 which attaches one end of the air assist cylinder ( not shown ). the bracket 20 includes a pin 20 a which attaches to a suitable coupling at the end of the cylinder . the pin 20 a is mounted on a flange 20 b of the bracket 20 . the flange 20 b is attached to a plate 20 c which is screw fastened to the surface 73 of the sheet 26 adjacent the lip 71 . the plate 20 c is thus flat against the surface 23 and the flange 20 b projects outwardly at right angles thereto so as to lie along the inside surface of the front wall of the truck box and supporting the pin 20 a so that it projects from the front wall of the truck box longitudinally of the truck box at a position spaced inwardly from the side wall . the pin 20 a thus supports the end of the cylinder which is attached to the panel so that the cylinder can apply force to the panel as it opens and closes . turning now to fig1 and 17 , there is shown a bracket 80 for supporting a pin 81 from the wall of the truck box for receiving the other end of the cylinder attached to the pin 28 a . the bracket 80 includes a first bracket portion 82 which is attached on the outside of the front wall 83 of the truck box . the bracket further includes a plate portion 84 which clamps to the first portion 82 and supports the pin 81 inside the truck box at a position below the top edge of the truck box at the front wall of the truck box . thus the truck box includes the upstanding front wall 83 together with an outwardly or forwardly extending top flange 85 and a deep ending flange 86 from the front of the top portion 85 . the first bracket portion 82 is shaped to define a slot 87 which matches the flange 86 so that the slot can slide onto the flange 86 so that the leg 88 defining a rear side of the slot slides upwardly until it butt underneath the top plate 85 of the front wall of the truck box . a further leg 89 extends rearwardly from the slot into engagement with a front surface of the wall 83 of the truck box . this leg 89 together with the slot locate the first bracket portion 82 on the outside of the truck box wall at the front and present a receptacle 90 in front of the flange 86 for clamping to the plate portion 84 . the plate portion 84 includes a vertical plate 91 and a horizontal plate 92 which connect together at a corner which engages over the top edge of the wall 83 onto the top plate 85 of the truck box . the horizontal plate 92 is clamped to the receptacle 90 by a threaded fastener 94 . this arrangement provides a simple mounting of the bracket to the front wall of the truck box without the necessity for drilling the truck box or forming other shapes or changes in the truck box itself . ( it simply can be clamped onto the front wall of the truck box by sliding the slot portion or first portion underneath the flange 86 and then by screwing the plate 92 down onto the receptacle 90 to hang the plate 91 downwardly on the inside of the truck box to present the pin 81 rearwardly of the truck box for engaging the end of the air cylinder . turning now to fig1 and 15 there are shown two different techniques for mounting the end of the rail 15 at the receptacle for the end 17 on the underside of the panel . in the arrangement shown in fig1 , the attachment of the end 17 to the panel 11 is provided by way of a spring pin 96 which projects into a hole 97 in the end of the rail 15 . the spring pin 96 includes a handle 98 and an operating button 99 which allows the spring pin 96 to slide through a bracket 100 attached to the panel 11 . the bracket 100 includes a base plate 101 clamped between the outer wall 25 and the inner wall 26 . depression of the button 99 releases the pin 96 by retracting locking elements 102 allowing the pin to be withdrawn from the end of the hole in the rail 15 . this arrangement of a pin which extends longitudinally along the rail can accommodate significant changes in temperature which occur in certain climates which can differentially expand the panel itself relative to the metal rail thus changing the distance between the bracket 100 and the end of the rail . such changes in distance are accommodated by a change in the location of the pin 96 within the hole 97 in the end of the rail . in fig1 is shown an alternative arrangement for use where temperature changes are less dramatic which uses a simple gate latch 105 which receives and traps the pin 17 a shown in fig5 . the arrangement in fig1 is therefore preferred as a simple latching of the end of the rail 15 when it is moved to the retracted position since it can be simply held in place by engagement into the gate latch and can be readily released when required by the operator pressing on the gate latch . the gate latches can be operated by a suitable linkage pulled from one end . as best shown in fig2 there are two toggle latches which are operated by the handle 22 and which engage under plates on the panel 12 . this number can be increased to provide a more aggressive locking action . in addition the toggle latches can be located closer to the ends so as to hold the ends more effectively attached to the ends of the truck box . in some cases this locking action may be insufficient to provide maximum security since it may still be possible for a user to apply a crowbar between the top edge of the truck box and the underside of the panels . in this case an additional locking element may be provided directly between the panel 11 and a loop fastened to the tailgate . this may be provided by a pin which moves longitudinally of the panel into the loop providing a hole at right angles to the tailgate so that the pin when engaged in the loop prevents the panel from being lifted away from the tailgate . in fig1 is shown an alternative arrangement of the side rail 13 in which the mounting is simplified by use of a row of spring clip fasteners 46 b which snap fasten into holes 39 a in the truck rail 39 . thus the rail can be snap fastened in place by the row of spring clips 46 b and then clamped down by the second row of fasteners 36 e as previously described . the spring clips are thus attached to the rail from the underside in a slot 46 c using a captive head 46 d . this avoids forming a hole in the wall of the rail to the top surface , as in the embodiment of fig4 , to provide a more attractive appearance and to avoid the fasteners 46 of fig4 being exposed for possible tampering . since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described , and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope , it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense .
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the ceiling system of fig1 is formed of hanger runners 1 which are suspended by suspension rods 2 , cross - runners 3 hooking into slots in the hanger runners 1 , and shorter cross - runners 4 hooking into slots in the cross - runners 3 . the runners 1 , 3 and 4 are elongate channel members of u - shaped cross - section with the bases of the u &# 39 ; s at the bottom , and can be cold - formed from aluminium or other sheet material and are therefore relatively lightweight . as can be seen , the runners 1 , 3 , 4 form a square grid with a number of cells or squares 5 . some of these squares can serve to accommodate larger light fittings , or runners may be omitted to accommodate even larger light fitting such as the fitting 38 indicated in fig1 . however , the majority of the squares 5 are provided with inner squares 6 formed by four lightweight inner blades 7 , 7 &# 39 ;. each blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; has a first end meeting the next blade 7 &# 39 ;, 7 substantially at its mid - point and thereby forming a t - shape . the other end of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; meets a side of the outer square 5 between its ends . in this way , the inner square 6 is surrounded by four intermediate rectangles 8 whose length is approximately double the side length of the inner square 6 and whose width is approximately equal to the width of the inner square 6 . the shape formed by the four blades 7 , 7 &# 39 ; is termed a &# 34 ; windmill section &# 34 ; herein . the blades 7 , 7 &# 39 ; have the same cross - sectional shape and construction as the runners 1 , 3 and 4 . in detail , the windmill sections can be inserted after the main grid has been assembled , and said second end of each blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ;, like the cross - runners 3 and shorter cross - runners 4 , has hooks for hooking in slots in the outer runners 1 , 3 or 4 . this enables the windmill section to be secured in place without difficulty . the construction of the inner blades 7 , 7 &# 39 ; is such that the windmill sections are pre - assembled in collapsed form with all four blades 7 , 7 &# 39 ; substantially parallel to each other . as shown in fig2 two opposite blades 7 &# 39 ; are aligned and the other two opposite blades 7 are on either side of the aligned blades 7 &# 39 ; and overlapping each of them . the connections 9 between the blades 7 are hinged connections so that the inner square 6 is opened up by pivoting the blades 7 relative to one another about the hinged connections 9 . fig3 shows the windmill section partly open ; opposite blades 7 , 7 and 7 &# 39 ;, 7 &# 39 ; are identical , but adjacent blades 7 , 7 &# 39 ; are mirror images . as shown in fig4 each hinged connection 9 is formed by a projecting hinge tab 10 on the first end of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ;. intermediate its top and bottom and on its outer side , the hinge tab 10 has a bent - out sprag 11 , directed generally towards the outer end of the inner elongate member . the tab 10 is engaged in a slot 12 in the next blade 7 &# 39 ;, 7 . the top and bottom end portions of the slot 12 are tooled so as to be close to the respective sides of the tab 10 , but the middle portion of the slot 12 is formed by rolling back a long lip 13 . it will be seen that the sprag 11 engages behind the side of the slot opposite the lip 13 . in the lie - flat configuration of the windmill section ( fig2 ), the tabs 10 or the associated part of the adjacent blade will be slightly distorted and not strictly coplanar with the remainder of the respective side of the u , but the inherent flexibility of the material permits such distortion . as the windmill sections are retained in position by hooking the second ends of the blades 7 , 7 &# 39 ; into the slots in the cross - runners 3 and shorter runners 4 , it is not necessary to provide any other means such as detents for maintaining the windmill sections in their proper configuration . however , some such detents make assembly easier . as shown , while one side of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; makes the hinged connection 9 , the other side of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; has a projecting locking tab 14 which enters a slot 15 in the side of the next blade 7 &# 39 ;, 7 forming a detent for retaining the blades 7 , 7 &# 39 ; in their open position . in order to ensure that the tip of the tab 14 does not foul the sides of the slot 15 , the slot 15 is much wider than the thickness of the material of the tab 14 ; in addition , the tab 14 is inclined inwards towards the other side of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ;, for instance at 35 °. the tab 14 has a detent projection in the form of a bent - out sprag 16 , the sprag 16 facing generally towards the other end of the elongate member 7 , 7 &# 39 ;. in order to thrust the tab 14 against the side of the slot remote from the hinged connection 9 or hinged tab 10 , there are two camming tabs 17 , at the top and bottom of the locking tab 14 . each camming tab is of triangular shape and the arrangement is such that , due to inclining the locking tab 14 inwards , the apex or rear end of each camming tab 17 is nearer the other end of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; than the root of the locking tab 14 . this , as indicated in fig5 prevents the next blade 7 ( or 7 &# 39 ;) from riding over the ends of the camming tabs 17 . in fig6 each hinged connection 9 is formed by two projecting hinge tabs 20 ( one tab 20 would be sufficient ) on the first end of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ;, each tab 20 having a slot 21 in one edge to form a hook . the tab 20 is engaged in and hooked over the edge of a slot 22 in the next blade 7 &# 39 ;, 7 . the upper slot 22 has one end effectively closed by a tab 23 formed in the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; and generally in the plane of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ;. prior to hooking the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; into place , the tab 23 was bent out of the plane of the side of the other blade 7 &# 39 ;, 7 to allow the tab 20 to be hooked into position ; the tab 23 was then bent back to retain the hinged connection and to stop the first blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; lifting up out of position . in the lie - flat configuration of the windmill section ( fig2 ), the tabs 20 will be slightly distorted and not strictly coplanar with the remainder of the respective side of the u . the other side of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; has a projecting locking tab 24 which enters a slot 25 in the side of the next blade 7 &# 39 ;, 7 . the terminal part 26 of the tab 24 is bent at about 30 ° out of the plane of the side of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; and is inclined inwards towards the other side of the blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ;. the two opposite edges of the tab 24 are slit at 27 and parts of the tab 24 remote from the end of the tab 24 are bent outwards to form generally triangular detent projections 28 . the ends of the detent projections 28 are substantially aligned with the terminal part 26 , as can be seen in fig7 . as the tab 24 is inserted through the slot 25 , the detent projections ride against the side of the slot 25 and are elastically deformed without causing any permanent damage . when the tab 24 is fully home , the detent projections 28 spring back and retain the windmill section in its proper configuration . fig1 shows a light fitting 31 carried on a bar 32 by suspension rods 2 . this light fitting 31 is for association with one of the intermediate rectangles 8 with the axis of the light at a substantial angle to the vertical . fig1 also illustrates an alternative or additional arrangement . in this case , the light fitting 33 is inclined , like the light fitting 31 , but includes a box having four sides 34 , 34 &# 39 ; forming a rectangular shape ( see fig5 ). there is a notch 35 at each corner of the rectangle , and at least each of the end sides 34 , 34 &# 39 ; engages over the respective side of e . g . a blade 7 , 7 &# 39 ; forming the respective intermediate rectangle 8 . thus the light fitting 33 fits over just those sides of the u - section which are nearer the centre of the rectangle 8 . this greatly reduces any leakage of light . the dimensions and shape of the box are arranged so that the box can be pushed up from below while it is inclined so that the sloping side 34 &# 39 ; is roughly vertical ; the box is then lowered so that the end sides hook over the blades 7 . the long sides can flex in slightly and then spring out to give a flush fit against the respective blade or runner . the box is preferably formed of aluminium . fig1 also illustrates a vertical light fitting 36 in an inner square 6 , as an alternative or addition . in a preferred construction , the inner squares 6 are 100 × 100 mm , the intermediate rectangles 8 are 100 × 211 mm and the module is 330 mm . the actual proportions of the inner square 6 and intermediate rectangles 8 have been chosen for the aesthetic effect ; the inner squares 6 could be larger and the rectangles 8 narrower and longer , or vice versa . in the appended claims the word &# 34 ; rectangle &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; rectangular &# 34 ; is intended to have its usual meaning , that is , a parallelogram having four right angles . thus , a square is a rectangle .
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fig1 shows a first embodiment of the invention having a body generally indicated at 11 with covers 12 and 13 on opposite sides thereof . one side of body 11 is provided with a pressure inlet port 14 , a pair of working ports 15 and 16 on opposite sides of port 14 , and a pair of exhaust ports 17 and 18 outside ports 15 and 16 . port 14 is adapted to be connected to a source 19 of fluid pressure . the other side of body 11 is provided with four pilot ports 21 , 22 , 23 and 24 . four main valve piston chambers 25 , 26 , 27 and 28 are formed in body 11 and connected to ports 21 through 24 respectively . a central inlet chamber 29 is formed in body 11 and connected to inlet port 14 . a pair of working chambers 31 and 32 are formed on either side of chamber 29 and connected to ports 15 and 16 respectively . a pair of exhaust chambers 33 and 34 are formed outwardly of chambers 31 and 32 respectively and are connected to exhaust ports 17 and 18 . a double sided valve port 35 is formed between chambers 31 and 33 , having one seat facing port 33 and the other facing chamber 31 . this seat is aligned with chamber 25 , a seal 37 of being formed between chambers 25 and 33 . similarly , double sided valve ports 36 , 37 and 38 are formed in line with chambers 26 , 27 and 28 respectively . port 36 is disposed between chambers 29 and 31 , port 37 between chambers 29 and 32 and port 38 between chambers 32 and 34 . two types of poppet valves are used in fig1 a normally open valve 39 and a normally closed valve 41 . valve 39 has a valve portion slidable in seal 37 and engageable with the downstream seat or port 35 , and a piston portion 42 in the piston chamber . two valves 39a and 39b are shown in chambers 25 and 28 respectively . these valves are urged to their open position by helical coil compression springs 43 engageable at one end with cover 13 and at the other end with the valve , passing through the valve port . when the piston chamber of a valve 39 is depressurized the valve will be opened , connecting the working chamber 31 or 32 to the corresponding exhaust chamber . when the piston chamber is pressurized the valve will be closed . each valve 41 comprises a valve portion 44 engageable with the upstream side of a valve port 36 or 37 and connected by a stem 45 to a guide portion slidable in seal 37 . although the normally closed valves are schematically shown they will be so constructed as to be installable in the body . a piston portion 46 surmounts guide portion 41 . two such valves 41a and 41b are disposed in piston chambers 26 and 27 respectively . when the piston chamber of a valve 41 is depressurized the valve will be in the closed position , closing the connection between pressure chamber 29 and the respective working chamber 31 or 32 . a spring 47 urges each valve 41 to its closed position and pressurization of the piston chamber will shift the valve to its open position against the action of the spring . valves 39a and 41a may be controlled by a three - way normally closed pilot valve 48 . the working port of this pilot valve is connected to pilot ports 21 and 22 . the pilot valve is spring urged to an exhaust position as shown in fig1 in which ports 21 and 22 are connected to exhaust and may be shifted either by a hand actuated member 49 , an electrically actuated member 51 , or both , to an open position in which ports 21 and 22 are pressurized . a similar three - way normally open pilot valve 52 is provided for ports 23 and 24 . each working port 15 and 16 may be connected to a single acting fluid motor 53 which is spring urged to one position and pressure urged to the opposite position . each of these two motors may thus be controlled independently by its respective pilot valve 48 or 52 . in operation of the embodiment of fig1 when both pilot valves 48 and 52 are de - energized fluid motors . 53 will be in their raised positions . to operate both fluid motors to their shifted positions , both valves 48 and 52 will be energized . this will open valves 41a and 41b and close valves 39a and 39b , pressurizing the piston chambers 54 of motors 53 . de - energization of both valves 48 and 52 will cause the parts to move back to their raised positions . instead of the pilot valves shown , the main valve assembly could be controlled by another pilot valve arrangement . for example , two three - way normally open pilots could be used in which case the action described above would be reversed . that is , with the pilot valves de - energized the fluid motors would be shifted to their pressurized positions . of course , with either of these pilot valve arrangements , the two pilot valves could be independently operated rather than operated in unison . another possible arrangement would be to have four separate three - way normally open pilot valves controlling the four pilot ports 21 throught 24 . still another possibility would be to use the unit as double acting parallel three - way safety valves , with the outlet ports 15 and 16 being connected to a single reciprocable fluid motor used to operate a press brake and clutch . u . s . pat . no . 2 , 906 , 246 shows double acting parallel three - way valves used for safety purposes in connection with the control of a pneunatically actuated clutch and brake for a press or similar machine , so that in case of failure of one of the valves the danger of injury to the operator or damage to the machine will be minimized . the present invention could be adapted for a similar purpose . in this case , valves 39a and 41a would constitute one of the parallel double valves and valves 39b and 41b would constitute the other valve . with such an arrangement shrouds shown in dot - dash lines at 55 would be placed on stems 45 of valves 41a and 41b in order to insure that a supply valve stuck in its open position will not supply fluid at as fast a rate as it can be exhausted . fig2 shows another arrangement having a body 101 but in this case a normally open poppet valve 102a and a normally closed poppet valve 103a controlling the two ports 104 and 105 respectively between pressure chamber 106 and the two working chambers 107 and 108 . a second normally closed valve 103b controls the port 109 between chambers 107 and adjacent exhaust chamber 111 , and a normally open valve 102b controls the port 112 between chamber 108 and exhaust chamber 113 . body 101 is constructed exactly like body 11 , it being noted that the normally open and normally closed main valves may also be of standard construction such as those shown in fig1 but simply placed in different positions within the body . in this case the working ports 114 and 115 of body 101 control opposite sides of a double acting fluid motor 116 . the pilot ports 116 through 119 are controlled by a single normally closed three - way pilot valve 121 . in operation of the embodiment of fig2 when valve 121 is in its de - energized position as shown in that figure , motor 116 will be in its lower position in view of the fact that port 114 is pressurized and port 115 exhausted . when valve 121 is energized all valves 102a , 102b , 103a and 103b will be reversed and motor 116 will be lifted . thus , the valve assembly acts as a standard four - way poppet valve controlling a double acting fluid motor . it should be noted that the positions of the normally open and normally closed valves in fig2 could be reversed ; this would have the effect of reversing the action of fluid motor 116 . fig3 shows still another arrangement in which body 201 is provided with two normally open valves 202a and 202b controlling ports 203 and 204 which connect inlet chamber 205 with working chambers 206 and 207 respectively . normally closed valves 208a and 208b are provided between chambers 206 and 207 and the respective exhaust chambers 209 and 211 . the two pilot valve ports 213 and 214 for valves 208a and 202a respectively are controlled by a three - way normally open pilot valve 215 which is shown in fig3 in its energized or closed position . a similar pilot valve 216 is provided for controlling pilot ports 217 and 218 for valves 202b and 208b respectively . a single acting fluid motor 219 is controlled by working port 221 and a similar motor 222 by working port 223 . in operation of the embodiment of fig3 when valves 215 and 216 are de - energized , all four valves 208a , 202a , 202b and 208b will be pressurized . thus , both fluid motors 219 and 222 will be depressurized and in their upper positions . when , as shown , both pilot valves 215 and 216 are energized , the main valves will be shifted and the fluid motors shifted to their lower positions . as indicated above with respect to fig1 valves 215 and 216 could be independently controlled . fig4 shows an arrangement 301 in which all four valves 302a , 302b , 302c and 302d are normally closed main valves . each individual pilot port 304a , 304b , 304c and 304d is controlled by a separate valve 303 , 305 , 306 and 307 . working ports 308 and 309 are connected to opposite sides of a double acting fluid motor 311 . in operation of embodiment of fig4 fluid motor 311 will be controlled similarly to fluid motor 116 in fig2 except for the fact that the presence of four individual three - way normally closed pilot valves enhances the flexibility of operation . more particularly , the four pilot valves could be energized or de - energized in such a fashion that both valves 302b and 302c are open and both of valves 302a and 302d are closed . this would create a neutral condition in which both sides of chambers 312 and 313 of fluid motor 311 are pressurized . similarly , the arrangement could be such that both chambers 312 and 313 are exhausted by virtue of valves 302a and 302d being open and valves 302b and 302c closed . thus , one would have the equivalent of a pilot operated four - way three position control valve which in its neutral position connects both sides of a fluid motor to exhaust or to pressure . if all four valves 302a , 302b , 302c and 302d are closed at the same time the neutral position of the valve assembly would be such that both sides of the fluid motor are closed . one of the uses of such an arrangement is to achieve the equivalent , with poppet valves , of a closed center crossover spool valve . almost all conventional four - way poppet valves have open crossovers in which the supply of fluid could leak during actuation resulting in a significant and costly fluid loss over a time period . the above - described arrangement could be used to obviate this disadvantage in four - way poppet valves . fig5 shows still another embodiment of the invention indicated at 401 which is similar to fig2 but shows the use of metering washers and shrouds to control the rate of fluid flow in the various valves . the two normally open valves 402a and 402b are arranged so that valve 402a is disposed between inlet chamber 403 and working chamber 404 whereas valve 402b is placed between working chamber 405 and exhaust chamber 406 . normally closed valve 407a is between chamber 404 and exhaust chamber 408 whereas normally closed valve 407b is placed between chambers 403 and 405 . a three - way normally closed pilot valve 409 controls all four pilot ports and a double acting fluid motor 411 is controlled by the working ports . to control the rate of fluid inflow , a shroud 412 is carried by normally open valve 402a and a shroud 413 by normally closed valve 407b . shroud 412 is in the form of a plug or extension secured to the central portion of valve 402a and extending through its port 414 to restrict the flow therethrough . shroud 413 is in the form of a sleeve surrounding stem 415 and therefore restricting the flow through port 416 . metering washers 417 are disposed in recesses 418 formed in body 401 adjacent cover 19 . it will thus be seen that the shrouds and metering washers could easily be utilized with the valve construction of this invention without detracting from the uniform construction of the valve and valve body described above . the above - described embodiments are intended to be merely illustrative of the possible combinations and arrangements of this invention which afford flexibility in accomplishing many possible combinations and functions . while it will be apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to achieve the benefits and advantages as hereinabove set forth , it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change without departing from the spirit thereof .
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referring now to the drawings in detail , the apparatus illustrated in fig1 for cleaning low - lying layers of earth that contain noxious material has a drilling tube 1 that extends into the ground 2 that is to be subjected to a cleaning . the drilling tube 1 primarily comprises an inner tube 3 that is surrounded by an outer tube 4 . the lower ends of the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 4 are sealed off relative to one another . the end face of the inner tube 3 that extends beyond the outer tube 4 is provided with a drill bit 5 that , under the interposition of a spacer 5a ( fig2 ) rests against the inner tube 3 . just above the drill bit 5 , the inner tube 3 is provided with at least one lateral outlet nozzle 6 . by means of the annular space 8 that is formed between the inner tube 3 and the outer tube 4 , a suction or extraction opening 7 that is disposed above the outlet nozzle 6 is connected to a suction pump 9 that in turn is connected to a non - illustrated processing unit . by means of a mechanism that is not shown , the drilling tube 1 can be rotated and can be provided with an axial force , so that the drilling tube 1 can be driven axially into the ground . the displacement or dislodging of the earth is effected by the drill bit 5 , which is provided with appropriate working surfaces . by means of a high - pressure pump 10 , cleaning fluid is conveyed into the interior of the inner tube 3 , from where the cleaning fluid or medium , accompanied by a high drop in pressure , enters the respective layer of earth through the outlet nozzle 6 at a high speed . in so doing the cleaning medium , which is discharged in a highly concentrated manner , flows around the affected ground particles and thereby removes the noxious material that is found in the ground . due to the very high pressure in the inner tube 3 , the action of the discharging cleaning medium is similar to that of a cutting stream or jet , as a result of which in addition a loosening of the acted - upon layers of earth is effected . as a result of the movement of the drilling tube 1 in both an axial and a rotational manner , the cleaning medium that is discharged from the outlet nozzle 6 describes a cylindrical column of earth 11 , which is indicated in fig1 by a broken line . the diameter of the column of earth 11 depends upon the range of the cutting jet , which in turn is influenced by the nature of the ground . at the same time as the discharge of the non - loaded cleaning medium via the outlet nozzle 6 , there is effected via the effect of the suction pump 9 , and via the suction opening 7 , an extraction of the cleaning medium that is already loaded with washed - off noxious material . this is preferably effected in such a way that during the rotational introduction of the drilling tube 1 into the ground 2 , the affected layers of earth are first soaked by the cutting jet that is discharge from the outlet nozzle 6 and , after the pertaining layers of earth pass into the effective range of the suction opening 7 , the loaded cleaning medium is withdrawn by the action of the suction pump 9 and is conveyed to a subsequent processing unit . the distance between the suction opening 7 and the outlet nozzle 6 can be set by appropriate selection of the thickness of the spacer 5a . as can be seen from the detailed view of fig2 the suction opening 7 is provided with a cylindrical screen 12 that extends about the inner tube 3 and prevents an extraction of particles of earth from the ground that surrounds the screen . in order to prevent the screen 12 from becoming clogged due to the deposition of particles of earth , an edge 13 is formed on the lower end face of the outer tube 4 . as a consequence of a relative movement between the outer tube 4 and the inner tube 3 , this edge 13 scrapes in a cleaning manner over the outer surface 14 of the screen 12 , which in the illustrated embodiment is securely connected to the inner tube 3 , thereby freeing the screen 12 of any undesired deposits . as shown in fig2 and 3 , disposed in the annular space 8 between the outer tube 4 and the inner tube 3 is at least one pressure line 15 . the opening 16 of the pressure line 15 is disposed slightly above the suction opening 7 , and is directed toward the base 17 of a blind hole 17a , so that compressed air that is supplied via the pressure line 15 is deflected or turned around and flows back to the upper end of the drilling tube 1 via the annular space 8 . the blind hole 17a is disposed in the upper side of an annular flange 18 that is connected to the inner tube 3 and is axially interrupted by passages 19 . as can be seen in particular in fig3 the blind holes 17a of the annular flange 18 are each in line with a pressure line 15 , whereas the passages 19 are respectively disposed therebetween . in this way , gas , especially compressed air , that flows in under pressure via the pressure lines 15 is deflected at the base 17 by 180 ° and , accompanied by the generation of a partial vacuum adjacent to the passages 19 , is guided back to the upper end of the drilling tube 1 . since the cross - sectional surface area of the free annular space 8 is greater than the overall cross - sectional surface area of the pressure lines 15 , a partial pressure results in the region of the suction openings 7 . this suction effect is utilized in order , where the suction pump 9 illustrated in fig1 is eliminated or omitted , to generate the partial vacuum that is needed for extracting the cleaning medium that is loaded with noxious material . this last - mentioned possibility for conveying the cleaning medium back is primarily to be used where , due to the great suction height , a suction pump can no longer be utilized . as can be seen from the embodiment illustrated in fig4 the drilling tube 1 is guided within a chamber 20 that is disposed in the ground 2 and is embodied as a cylindrical tube . the top of the chamber 20 is tightly closed off by a cover 21 , with the drilling tube 1 being radially guided by a centrally disposed opening 22 in the cover 21 . the chamber 20 is lowered into the ground 2 to such an extent that its lower edge is lower than the outlet nozzle 6 of the drilling tube 1 in its lowermost operating position . in the embodiment illustrated in fig4 the chamber 20 and the drilling tube 1 are axially displaceable relative to one another . prior to introducing the drilling tube 1 into the ground 2 , and hence prior to start of the actual cleaning process , the chamber 20 is introduced vertically into the ground 2 , which can be realized , for example , with the aid of appropriate hydraulic apparatus . the previously described cleaning process subsequently begins with the introduction of the drilling tube 1 . the cover 21 of the chamber 20 is connected via a pressure connection 23a to a pressure pump 23b , preferably for the production of compressed air , so that at the surface of the ground that is surrounded by the chamber 20 , a pressure cushion is produced to enhance the suction effect of the suction opening 7 . the inner diameter of the chamber 20 should be adapted to the strength of the cleaning medium , which is discharged from the outlet nozzle 6 in the form of a cutting jet . this must guarantee that the cutting jet reliably reaches the inner wall of the chamber 20 , so that the entire layers of earth disposed within the chamber 20 are flushed . in addition , the magnitude of the suction effect via the suction opening 7 should be such that a reliable extraction of loaded cleaning medium is also assured from the regions close to the walls of the chamber 20 . the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in fig5 differs from the embodiment illustrated in fig4 by the fact that the drilling tube 1 and the chamber 20 cannot be axially displaced relative to one another . in other words , the drilling tube 1 and the chamber 20 are simultaneously introduced into the ground 2 . this can be effected either by simultaneous insertion of the two parts , or by driving in the chamber 20 while at the same time taking along the rotating drilling tube 1 . the actual cleaning process can be carried out not only while lowering the chamber 20 and the drilling tube 1 , but also during withdrawal thereof . an additional possibility is to rinse the ground 2 during the lowering process and to extract the cleaning medium that is loaded with noxious material during the subsequent raising or withdrawing process . the inventive method for cleaning layers of earth that contain noxious material is advantageously carried out pursuant to the flow diagram that is illustrated in three stages in fig6 a - 6c . fig6 a shows how in the shaded row of chambers 20a , the cleaning process has already been concluded , while nearly two further rows of non - shaded chambers 20b have already been lowered into the ground without the cleaning process having begun . the central axes of chambers that are still to be inserted are indicated by small crosses . fig6 b illustrates an already advanced process stage in which two chambers 20c have already been removed from the ground , and not - yet cleaned chambers 20b have been inserted into the incomplete rows . the cleaning process has already advanced to half way through the central row of chambers . in the further process stage illustrated in fig6 c , already more than one complete row of chambers 20c have been removed from the ground , and have been inserted at the front as viewed in the direction of operation . as can be seen from fig7 it is not necessary for the chambers to be embodied as cylindrical tubes . rather , the chambers could also have the shape of polygons that are composed of a plurality of forms 24 that have been vertically inserted into the ground . in the embodiment illustrated in fig7 a chamber having the cross - sectional shape of a hexagon is respectively composed of four forms 24 , with these forms having the shape of a trapezoid that is open along its long side . finally , fig8 illustrates that the trapezoidal forms 24 can be interconnected by coupling members 25 , 26 that can be shifted in one another . in this manner , the forms 24 are guided during introduction into the ground that is to be cleaned , with an additional advantage being that an escape of cleaning medium that is loaded with noxious material into adjacent chambers is to a large extent prevented by the coupling members 25 , 26 . of course , it is also possible to introduce the forms and coupling members into the ground simultaneously with the drilling tube 1 . this can be effected while simultaneously carrying out the cleaning process . fig9 a and 9b illustrate that the individual tubular chambers can also be disposed in such a way that the areas that are to be cleaned overlap one another . fig9 a shows that in the two dashed - line chambers 20c the cleaning process has already been concluded and the chamber 2 has been removed , whereas in the adjacent shaded chamber tube 20a , the cleaning process is underway . the areas where a chamber tube is still to be inserted are shown by a thin circular line , whereas the chamber that is to be cleaned is shown by a double circular line . the entire cleaning process is undertaken with only a single tubular chamber tube that is moved each time . fig9 b schematically illustrates that two or more chamber tubes can be used simultaneously , with the insertion locations being selected in such a way that the areas that are to be cleaned can overlap to a prescribed extent . fig1 shows a further specific embodiment of the present invention . disposed within the chamber 20 , in addition to the inner tube 3 with the lower outlet nozzle 6 , is a pump 27 for solid matter ; the pump 27 is connected to a conveying line 28 . the pump 27 can be controlled in such a way that the conveying capacity of the pump 27 conveys only that amount of sludge , which is a mixture of earth particles , noxious material , and cleaning medium , that the ground water level 31 present within the chamber 20 cannot drop below a prescribed low - level mark . the pump 27 conveys the sludge mixture via the conveying line 28 into the cleaning unit 29 , which is disposed above ground . the reference numeral 30 denotes the ground water level outside the chamber 20 . the present invention is , of course , in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings , but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims .
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almost all the manufacturing of the disks takes place in clean rooms , where the amount of dust in the atmosphere is kept very low , and is strictly controlled and monitored . the disk substrates come to the disk fabrication site packed in shipping cassettes . for certain types of media , the disk substrate has a polished nickel - coated surface . the substrates are preferably transferred to process cassettes to be moved from one process to another . preferably , the cassettes are moved from one room to another on automatic guided vehicles to prevent contamination due to human contact . the first step in preparing a disk for recording data is mechanical texturing by applying roughness and grooves to the polished surface of the substrate . this helps in depositing a magnetic material on the substrate . during the texturing process , small amounts of nickel get removed from surface of the disk and remain there . to remove this , the substrate is usually washed . also , techniques for polishing the surface of the non - magnetic substrate of a recording medium use slurry polishing , which requires wash treatment . thus , disk substrates are washed after texturing and polishing . however , wash defects could be one of the top yield detractors . the next step is the formation of the landing area ( preferably , a 2 - 4 mm band near the center ) where the read head comes to rest . preferably , the landing area is formed by laser texturing , which is done by creating microscopic bumps , using a laser . this prevents the head from clinging to me disk surface when the disk is spinning . a final cleaning of the substrate is then done using a series of ultrasonic , megasonic and quick dump rinse ( qdr ) steps . at the end of the final clean , the substrate has an ultra - clean surface and is ready for the deposition of layers of magnetic media on the substrate . preferably , the deposition is done by sputtering . there are two types of sputtering : pass - by sputtering and static sputtering . in pass - by sputtering , disks are passed inside a vacuum chamber , where they are bombarded with the magnetic and non - magnetic materials that are deposited as one or more layers on the substrate . static sputtering uses smaller machines , and each disk is picked up and sputtered individually . the sputtering layers are deposited in what are called bombs , which are loaded onto the sputtering machine . the bombs are vacuum chambers with targets on either side . the substrate is lifted into the bomb and is bombarded with the sputtered material . sputtering leads to some spike formation on the substrate . these spikes need to be removed to ensure that they do not lead to the scratching between the head and substrate . thus , a lube is preferably applied to the substrate surface as one of the top layers on the substrate . once a lube is applied , the substrates move to the tape burnishing and tape wiping stage , where the substrate is polished while it preferentially spins around a spindle . after buffing / burnishing , the substrate is wiped and a clean lube is evenly applied on the surface . subsequently , the disk is prepared and tested for quality thorough a three - stage process . first , a burnishing head passes over the surface , removing any bumps ( asperities as the technical term goes ). the glide head then goes over the disk , checking for remaining bumps , if any . finally the certifying head checks the surface for manufacturing defects and also measures the magnetic recording ability of the substrate . burnishing can be accomplished by passing a burnishing head over the surface of the disk to eliminate asperities or other tall defects on the magnetic disk surface that can interfere with the flying head . burnishing heads can fly above the surface of the disk as it rotates and thus has their own fly characteristics . burnishing heads can also contact the disk media lightly as the disc rotates . as illustrated in fig2 , in accordance with the present invention , the burnishing heads 200 can include cutting edges 210 that can shear or cut away the asperities on the disc surface . preferably the burnishing heads 200 maintain a stable proximity fly height . further , the spacing between the burnishing head 200 and media surface can be less than 10 angstroms . the burnish head 200 can include a heating element 220 which can be embedded in the body of the head in addition to the cutting edges 210 on the slider . the passive fly height of the burnish head 200 remains the same as the conventional media burnish head 200 . upon , activation , the heater 220 in the slider body will make a controlled part of the slider ( i . e ., the burnish pad ) protrude from the slider body . the protrusion can be shaped so that it is protrudes a predetermined height of the cutting faces or islands . in accordance with one aspect of the present invention , conventional burnishing of the disk can be burnished in a conventional manner known in the art . once conventional burnishing is completed one or more final passes can be made by the burnishing head 20 with the heater 220 of the burnishing pad activated . the protruded pad can wear away the asperities . further , because the headed area is small , the flying characteristics of the burnish head will not be affected . this process will create a surface free of asperities and having a very flyable non - abrasive surface . a technique for buffing / burnishing is tape burnishing ( buffing ). however , the technique is attendant with numerous disadvantages . for example , it is extremely difficult to provide a clean and smooth surface due to debris formed by mechanical abrasions . tape burnish and tape wipe processes in which the tape moves orthogonal to the burnishing object without any rotational degree of freedom of the burnishing tape cannot generally effectively remove the particles on the surface of the disk . these particles cause failure and / or decreased performance of the magnetic disc drives . this problem can be especially critical in magnetic discs made by the servo pattern printing process . this is because the particles on the surface can damage the stamper , which sequentially affects the quality of the printed discs . this invention allows the tape burnishing and tape wiping processes to be improved to meet the demands of high storage density and low fly height criteria . the cleaning apparatus for burnishing asperities or defects from the surfaces of an article , e . g ., a rigid magnetic disk , could use an abrasive burnishing tape , a pad , a cloth , a scrubber or any burnishing object that contacts and cleans the surface of the object . if the object is a disk , then the disk preferably rotates on a spindle while the burnishing object contacts the surface of the disk . the burnishing object could be held stationary at one location on the surface of the disk or moved during the burnishing process . a burnishing head in accordance with the present invention can incorporated multiple levels of protrusion pad size and shape control . this can be accomplished using either burnish pad design or heater design . additionally , the pad can include multiple heater circuits and pad combinations so as to accommodate and handle complex head geometries as well as media topography . it is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description , together with details of the structure and function of various embodiments of the invention , this disclosure is illustrative only , and changes may be made in detail , especially in matters of structure and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed . for example , the particular elements may vary depending on the particular application while maintaining substantially the same functionality without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention . in addition , although the preferred embodiment described herein is directed to a magnetic data storage device , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the teachings of the present invention can be applied to optical devices without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention . the implementations described above and other implementations are within the scope of the following claims
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in the following the invention will be described in more detail by referring to the accompanying figures . however , because fig4 has already been described above it is in the following only referred to by the reference numerals shown therein . fig1 a shows a method according to the invention for routing a message , in particular a radio resource control message sent by a terminal ue from a cell control to a mobile control mc of a distributed radio access network rnc of a radio access network ran to which the terminal is associated . in detail the method comprises a previous step 1a ) of establishing a radio resource communication rrc between the terminal and the radio access network ran . said establishing step results in that a mobile control mc is instantiated that means created and provided with a user - id identifying the terminal ue and the mobile control mc itself as well as a pp & amp ; b - id for identifying the parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b functional entity associated to the mobile control mc and the transport address of said pp & amp ; b . moreover , the user - id will be stored in the parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b together with the transport address associated to the newly instantiated mobile control mc . finally , the pp & amp ; b - id and the user - id will be sent to the terminal ue within the pre - existing fields srnc - id and s - rnti , respectively . from this moment on , the terminal ue will always identify itself by including this information on the srnc - id and s - rnti fields of the rrc messages it sends on the common control channel ccch of any cell . said step for establishing the rrc communication will be described in more detail later by referring to fig3 . however , that step is necessary for the method described in fig1 a and 1 b as well as for the method described in fig2 a and 2 b for instantiating the mobile control mc and for providing required identifiers id to the terminal or the mobile control . after the communication has been established the method is carried out as shown in fig1 a . in particular , in a step 1b ) the message is sent from the terminal ue via a common control channel ccch of the cell where the terminal ue is located to a cell control cc associated to said cell within said distributed radio network controller rnc . the terminal identifies itself by using the fields srnc - id and s - rnti , where it includes the information previously provided by the network during the rrc establishment , i . e . the pp & amp ; b - id of the parent paging and broadcast of its associated mobile control , and the user - id which identifies said mobile control ( since it uniquely identifies one of the mobile control functional entities associated to this particular parent paging and broadcast ). afterwards , in step 1c ) the cell control cc forwards the message received from the terminal ue to a paging and broadcast p & amp ; b functional entity associated to said cell control cc . if that paging and broadcast functional entity associated to the cell control is identical to the parent paging and broadcast functional entity identified in the message and associated to the mobile control mc , said paging and broadcast p & amp ; b forwards the message to said mobile control , identified by the user - id ( step 1d ). the transport address of the mobile control is known because it is stored by the pp & amp ; b when the mobile control is instantiated ( during the rrc connection establishment ). fig1 b illustrates the case that the paging and broadcast p & amp ; b functional entity associated to the cell control cc is not identical to a so - called parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b functional entity being associated to the mobile control mc . in that case step b ) corresponds to step b ) as described above by referring to fig1 a . according to step 1c - 1 ) the message is forwarded by the cell control to the paging and broadcast p & amp ; b functional entity associated to said cell control . afterwards said paging and broadcast functional entity sends the message to the parent paging and broadcast functional entity associated to the mobile control ( step 1c - 2 )). this is possible because the message generated by the terminal ue comprises the srnc - id identifying said parent paging and broadcast functional entity . finally , the message is again transmitted from the parent paging and broadcast to the mobile control mc ( step 1d )). in the case that the paging and broadcast associated to the cell does not correspond to the parent paging and broadcast , the paging and broadcast p & amp ; b associated to the cell control forwards the message to the parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b associated to the mobile control ( identified by the pp & amp ; b - id sent within the srnc - id field of the message ), which in turn forwards the message to said mobile control using the user - id contained in the s - rnti field of the message . fig2 a illustrates the method for routing a message in the opposite direction , that means from the mobile control mc to the cell control or to the terminal ue . this method also requires the previous establishment of a radio resource control rrc connection in order to instantiate the mobile control and to provide said mobile control and the associated terminal with the required identifiers , in particular the user - id as well as the pp & amp ; b - id and a transport address both identifying the parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b associated to the mobile control ( step 4a ). according to fig2 a the method comprises a step 4b ) in which the message is sent from said mobile control mc to the parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b identified by its rnc - id and its transport address known by the mobile control mc . the message to be routed does not only include the user - id of the mobile control and the pp & amp ; b - id of the parent paging and broadcast functional entity but also the cell id of the cell addressed by said message and the rnc - id of the paging and broadcast p & amp ; b associated to said addressed cell . with the help of in particular the two latter - mentioned identifiers it is possible that the parent paging and broadcast forwards the message to its associated cell control in the case that said parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b is identical to the paging and broadcast p & amp ; b associated to said cell control step 4c ). in the opposite case the parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b forwards the message to the paging and broadcast associated to the destination cell control identified by the p & amp ; b - id sent together with the message , which in turn forwards the message to said cell control using the cell - id . finally , the cell control cc transmits the message via the common control channel cch , which is received by all terminals located in the cell associated to the cell control . with the help of the pp & amp ; b - id and the user - id , which are sent within the fields srnc - id and s - rnti , respectively , the addressed terminal is able to recognize that the received message is addressed to it ( step 4d )). fig2 b illustrates a case similar to fig1 b , namely that the parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b associated to the mobile control mc is not identical to the parent and broadcast p & amp ; b associated to the cell control addressed within the message . as already described by fig1 in that case the message is sent from the parent paging and broadcast via the paging and broadcast associated to the cell control of the addressed cell ( step 4c - 1 ), 4c - 2 )). for routing between mobile control and cell control or vice versa , each paging and broadcast p & amp ; b must be initially configured with a list of all other paging and broadcast p & amp ; bs , containing both their p & amp ; b - id and their associated transport address , as well as a list of its associated cell control functional entities ccs , containing both their cell - id and their associated transport address . moreover , each cell control must also be initially configured with the p & amp ; b - id and the transport address of its associated paging and broadcast p & amp ; b . fig3 illustrates the establishing of the radio resource control rrc connection already mentioned above . said process serves for instantiating a mobile control in the case that a terminal desires to initiate the communication towards the radio access network . moreover , it serves for applying the required identifiers ids to the mobile control mc and to the terminal ue . in particular , in the process of establishing the communication an rrc - message is sent from the terminal ue via the common control channel ccch to the cell control cc of that cell where the terminal ue is located ( step a1 ). said cell control cc notifies in step a2 ) the paging and broadcast p & amp ; b associated to it about the received rrc - message . in response to said notification step a3 ) that paging and broadcast functional entity instantiates that means creates a new mobile control mc . in that way the paging and broadcast associated to the cell receiving the rrc - message becomes the parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b functional entity of the newly created mobile control . further , said parent paging and broadcast allocates a unique user - id to said newly created mobile control mc which identifies both , the terminal and said new mobile control ( step a4 ). subsequently , the parent paging and broadcast pp & amp ; b stores the user - id and the transport address of said mobile control ( step a5 ) and transmits said user - id as well as its own pp & amp ; b - id and its own transport address to said mobile control mc ( step a6 )). in a final step a7 ) a confirmation message confirming the completion of the establishment is sent from the mobile control mc back to the terminal ue . said confirmation message includes the user - id of the mobile control mc and the rnc - id identifying the parent paging and broadcast functional entity of the mobile control in the pre - existing fields s - rnti and srnc - id , respectively . both identifiers enable the terminal to identify itself when sending messages on the common control channel ccch of a cell , and will be used to route messages in particular to the instantiated mobile control as described above by referring to fig1 a and 1 b . the methods described above and the distributed radio network control equipment and the radio access network are preferably , embodied as distributed server platforms running dedicated software .
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below , preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a perspective view of an information processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is another perspective view of the information processing device according to the present embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is a side view of the information processing device according to the present embodiment of the present invention . fig4 a is a plan view of the information processing device according to the present embodiment of the present invention . fig4 b is an enlarged view of a portion a in fig4 a . as shown in fig1 though fig4 b , the information processing device of the present embodiment includes a cover structure 1 , serving as a housing , a substrate 2 with a cpu ( central processing unit ) mounted thereon ( hereinafter , the substrate 2 is referred to as a “ mother board ”), an extension board 3 such as a pci card , an extension slot changer 4 for changing a direction of mounting the extension board 3 ( hereinafter , the extension slot changer 4 is referred to as a “ riser board ”), a connector 5 into which a side portion of the extension board 3 is set in , a package unit 6 , such as , a memory unit , and a holding part 7 that is formed on the cover structure 1 and holding a portion of the extension board 3 with screws . in addition , the information processing device includes a supporting member 8 , which is a long plate and is fixed on the cover structure 1 with the longitudinal direction of the supporting member 8 being parallel to one end surface of the mother board 2 ( for example , the end surface 2 a in a longitudinal direction of the mother board 2 ). in addition , the information processing device includes a holding member 9 , which is a plate - shaped member including a holding part 9 a and a supporting portion 9 b , in which the holding part 9 a pinches the extension board 3 or holds one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the extension board 3 , and the supporting portion 9 b is set on the supporting member 8 while being movable in the longitudinal direction of the supporting member 8 ( the direction the an arrow b in fig4 a ). as illustrated in fig4 b , the supporting portion 9 b of the holding member 9 has an elongated hole 9 c serving as a mounting hole , and in the supporting member 8 , there are formed plural through - holes 8 a , for example , the through - holes 8 a may be screw holes . the interval ( represented by “ a ”) of the through - holes 8 a in the supporting member 8 is less than a length b of the elongated hole 9 c in the holding member 9 in the longitudinal direction . the supporting portion 9 b of the holding member 9 can be moved to position the supporting portion 9 b to fit the outer dimension of the extension board 3 and to align the through - holes 8 a with the elongated hole 9 c , and as shown in fig1 and fig2 , a screw 10 , which serves as a fixing member , can be inserted into the through - holes 8 a and the elongated hole 9 c to fix the supporting portion 9 b of the holding member 9 to the supporting member 8 . the extension board 3 is arranged above the mother board 2 . in a holding structure of the extension board 3 in the related art , the extension board 3 is held by the connector 5 mounted on the riser board 4 and a holding member formed on the cover structure 1 . since there is not the holding member 9 as in the present embodiment , a portion c ( refer to fig1 ) of the extension board 3 far from the holding part 7 ( that is , the end the extension board 3 held by the holding part 9 a in the present embodiment .) is not supported by anything . for this reason , when an external force is imposed on the device in the z direction ( refer to fig1 and fig3 ), the extension board 3 can be bent and deformed , and as a result , the extension board 3 may touch other members nearby , and this may cause deformation and damage . in contrast , in the present embodiment , the portion c of the extension board 3 ( the portion in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the extension board 3 ) is held by the supporting member 8 with the holding member 9 , and thus the portion c of the extension board 3 is restricted . as a result , even when an external force is imposed on the device in the z direction , the extension board 3 does not bend and does not touch the package unit 6 or other members nearby . in addition , since the outer dimension of the extension board 3 has a variety , and has various sizes in the x and y direction , in order to use the supporting member 8 to support such an extension board 3 , the holding member 9 is set to be movable . specifically , the supporting portion 9 b of the holding member 9 is movable to fit the outer dimension of the extension board 3 so that the holding part 9 a of the holding member 9 holds the free end of the extension board 3 ( for example , the end of the portion c in fig1 ), and when positions of the through - holes 8 a with the elongated hole 9 c are aligned , the screw 10 can be inserted into the through - holes 8 a and the elongated hole 9 c to fix these members , thereby , the holding member 9 is fixed to the supporting member 8 , and the holding part 9 a can reliably hold the extension board 3 . fig5 is a plan view of an information processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention . in fig5 , the same reference numbers are assigned to the same elements as illustrated in fig1 through fig4 b , and overlapping descriptions are omitted . the configuration in fig5 differs from those in fig1 through fig4 b in that a holding member 9 ′ including a holding part 9 ′ a , a supporting portion 9 ′ b , and an elongated hole 9 ′ c is arranged to be parallel to the arrangement direction d of the connector 5 to restrict the side end of the extension board 3 in the arrangement direction d of the connector 5 . therefore , it is possible to present falling - off of the extension board 3 from the connector 5 . it should be noted that as the structure for holding the extension board 3 , the supporting member 8 may be arranged to be perpendicular to parallel to the arrangement direction d of the extension board 3 . this invention can be applied to a personal computer or an embedded controller used in an information processing device , for example , household electronic devices having an extension board . while the present invention is described with reference to specific embodiments chosen for purpose of illustration , it should be apparent that the invention is not limited to these embodiments , but numerous modifications could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the basic concept and scope of the invention . this patent application is based on japanese priority patent application no . 2006 - 008506 filed on jan . 17 , 2006 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference .
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fig1 illustrates a modern wind turbine 1 with a tower 2 and a wind turbine nacelle 3 positioned on top of the tower . the wind turbine rotor , comprising at least one blade such as three wind turbine blades 5 as illustrated , is connected to the hub 4 through pitch mechanisms 4 a . each pitch mechanism includes a blade bearing and pitch actuating means which allows the blade to pitch . the pitch process is controlled by a pitch controller . as illustrated in the figure , wind over a certain level will activate the rotor and allow it to rotate in a perpendicular direction to the wind . the rotation movement is converted to electric power which usually is supplied to the utility grid as will be known by skilled persons within the area . fig2 illustrates schematically one preferred embodiment of a control system for controlling the pitch angles of the wind turbine blades data of the wind turbine 1 are measured with sensor means 7 such as pitch position sensors , blade load sensors , rotor azimuth sensors , tower acceleration sensors etc . the measured sensor data are supplied to computing means 8 in order to convert the data to feedback signals . the feedback signals are used in various control systems e . g . the pitch control system 9 for controlling the pitch angle by establishing control values for controlling said at least one wind turbine blade 5 . the computing means 8 preferably includes a microprocessor and computer storage means for continuous control of the said feedback signal . as indicated by the dashed arrows at the nacelle 3 the wind turbine tower 2 can oscillate resulting in a displacement of said nacelle 3 . as will be known by skilled persons within the area said tower can oscillate at its eigenfrequency e . g . as a result of a sudden change in thrust applied to the rotor . said oscillation can result in excessive loads on said tower and in worst case cause damage . fig3 illustrates for one preferred embodiment of the invention schematically a conceptual state - sequence diagram for the invented control algorithm comprising steps of : normal operation ( state 0 ) detecting a utility grid fault event , an initial control of a wind turbine 1 in order to stabilize the wind turbine rotor speed with new control parameters as a response to said utility grid fault event ( state 1 ), an intermediate control of the wind turbine at a stabilized level during the fault event ( state 2 ), detecting a recovery of the grid , and a final control of the wind turbine while returning to normal operating conditions ( state 3 or state 13 ). as indicated on the figure state 3 is entered if means for measuring values of the mechanical oscillations and / or loads are present ( a preferred embodiment ). state 13 is entered if said means are not present . for one embodiment of the invention comprising a wind turbine 1 comprising sensor means for measuring values representing mechanical oscillations and / or loads of the wind turbine , a description of each state and the state switch conditions between said states is : for another embodiment of the invention comprising wind turbine 1 without sensor means for measuring values representing the wind turbine mechanical oscillations and / or loads , a description of each state and the state switch conditions between said states is : if the generated power by the wind turbine is below a predefined limit such as 25 % of nominal power , said fault mode will not be initiated upon detecting a grid fault , as the normal control algorithm will be able to avoid over speeding of the rotor during said grid fault event and will continue operating in normal mode since there is no imminent danger due to the low power in the wind . when a grid fault has been detected said state 1 is entered . the basis of this state of the invented control algorithm is to pitch one or more wind turbine rotor blades 5 out of the wind immediately after a fault on the utility grid is detected in order to avoid over speeding of the rotor due to excessive aerodynamically power acting on said rotor . for one embodiment of the invention the wind turbine rotor blades 5 are pitched to a no acceleration pitch angle ( nopa ) which is defined to be the pitch angle that gives equilibrium between aerodynamically power and any wind turbine losses and electrical generated power , hence giving no or substantially no acceleration of the generator . for one embodiment nopa is calculated immediately after the grid fault is detected by table lookup in a cp - table . for another embodiment nopa is established by calculation e . g . with a mathematical algorithm . for one embodiment of the invention if the grid fault is sufficiently short ( a short dip ) to have only a low impact on the turbine load , a short dip situation is detected and it is preferred to obtain normal operation and active power production as before said short dip as soon as possible . consequently for this embodiment the invented algorithm is able to determine the level of significant loads on the turbine and on that basis determine if the grid fault control sequence can be quitted or it needs to be completed . for another embodiment of the invention where the grid fault lasts too long to be detected as a said short dip but a grid recovery occurs before nopa is reached , it is preferred to obtain normal operation and active power production as before the grid fault as soon as possible . for this situation a direct jump to normal operation mode would have a too high impact on the wind turbine . consequently for this embodiment the invented algorithm jumps directly to state 2 where predefined control parameters are re - obtained as explained below . a good indicator of how much the turbine has been affected , is how much said aero dynamical thrust has been reduced . pitch angle , tower acceleration , tower load , time or combinations hereof can be fair assumptions herefore . for the example of pitch angle as said indicator , to determine when to use said short dip control strategy or to continue the grid fault control strategy to the next state , said algorithm continuously supervises how far the actual pitch angle is from the recent pitch angle before the grid fault . consequently if a grid recovery is detected and the difference between the actual pitch angle and a recent pitch angle immediately before said grid fault exceed a certain predefined level , said control algorithm will continue the grid fault control algorithm . otherwise the grid fault control algorithm will be terminated as fast as possible by returning to state 0 i . e . setting the references for e . g . pitch angle , power and generator rpm to the settings immediately before detecting said grid fault . the basis of this state of the invented control algorithm is to keep the wind turbine operating within a defined range controllable by the wind turbine controller and connected to the utility grid until the grid has recovered . for one embodiment when nopa is reached , wind turbine control is initialized with the present control settings as reference e . g . generator rpm and pitch angle , in order to keep the generator rpm constant or nearly constant at a level above the nominal speed . for one embodiment where pitching out has been stopped due to detected grid recovery before reaching said nopa , said state 2 is initiated and predefined control parameters are re - obtained . the control sequence stays in this state with the present control settings at least until recovery of the utility grid has been detected . for one preferred embodiment , when means for measuring values representing the wind turbine mechanical oscillations and / or loads are present , a switch to the next state ( state 3 ) can be initiated when pitching in the rotor blades will occur in counter phase to the mechanical oscillations and / or loads of the wind turbine e . g . oscillations resulting form a tower acceleration . i . e . pitching said rotor blades will be done in such a way that the oscillations and / or loads that will be generated by pitching said rotor blades back to normal operation is controlled and generated in counter phase to the existing oscillations and / or loads causing a dampening of the summarized oscillations and / or loads . for another preferred embodiment , when means for measuring values representing the wind turbine mechanical oscillations and / or loads are not present , said switching to the next state ( state 13 ) can be initiated as soon as recovery of the utility grid has been detected . state 3 : ( final control — if sensor means for measuring mechanical wind turbine oscillations and / or loads are present ). in order to return to normal production , reapplying of thrust is necessary by pitching the rotor blades back to their operation position . as an example of this preferred embodiment , the alternating aerodynamic torque under which the tower has been influenced caused by the sudden drop in thrust when pitching out to nopa ( state 1 ), the tower will oscillate with its eigenfrequency when the grid fault has recovered resulting in excessive physical loads on the wind turbine components , especially the tower construction . for this example a switch to state 3 has be initiated when the tower acceleration signal is within a predefined window regarding amplitude and direction . the pitch angle is ramped back in towards normal production pitch angle with a maximum pitch velocity . said pitch angle can e . g . be the value as before the detected grid fault event or if conditions has changed during the grid fault event , a new desired pitch angle . hereby it is achieved that a maximal dampening of said tower oscillation is obtained as well as the rotor speed is decreased towards the rotor speed before the grid fault event . state 13 : ( final control — if sensor means for measuring wind turbine oscillations and / or loads are not present ). in order to return to normal production reapplying of thrust is necessary by pitching the rotor blades back to their operation position i . e . the pitch value obtained before detecting a grid fault with predefined control parameters e . g . fixed pitch rate . as an example of this preferred embodiment the slope of the pitch rate can be calculated as : pitchrate = ( θ actual - θ predip ) trampback θactual = is the actual pitch angle θpredip = is the pitch angle before the grid fault event or , if conditions has changed during the fault event , a new desired pitch angle . trampback = a predefined ramp back time in one embodiment the trampback must be defined to be longer than one period of the wind turbine tower eigenfrequency in order not to cause positive interference on the tower oscillation when ramping back i . e . for a wind turbine tower with an eigenfrequency of e . g . 0 . 5 hz the trampback must be defined to be longer than 2 seconds such as up to 4 seconds . in another embodiment for another type of tower with an eigenfrequency of e . g . 1 hz the trampback must be defined to be longer than 1 second such as 1 . 5 seconds . for an embodiment of a wind turbine tower wherein the tower is very rigid e . g . a short tower the trampback may be chosen to a shorter period of time than a taller and more flexible tower such as the above mentioned embodiments . fig4 illustrates for one embodiment of the invention conditions that are to be met for the detection of said grid fault event and thereby initiation of a safety mode where the wind turbine is controlled by the invented grid fault control algorithm . firstly ( not illustrated ) the recent generated power must be higher than a predefined limit . if the generated power is less , the normal control algorithm will be able to avoid over speeding or the rotor during a grid fault event and the wind turbine will continue operating in normal mode since there is no imminent danger for e . g . over speeding of the rotor due to the low power in the wind . secondly the slope of the grid voltage drop 10 must be higher than a predefined slope limit 11 . the slope limit is defined by the operating range of the normal wind turbine controller and its ability to adapt to alternating grid voltages in order to keep control and avoid over speeding of the rotor . thirdly the voltage drop must be of a certain predefined size i . e . the grid voltage must drop to below a threshold value u threshold 12 . if said three conditions are met the grid voltage is within the crossed area 15 meaning that a utility grid fault is detected and said grid fault control algorithm is initiated . fig5 illustrates for one embodiment of the invention conditions that are to be met for the detection of a grid recovery and thereby allowing the control algorithm to proceed towards normal operation . firstly if the grid voltage rises above a predefined low voltage limit for normal operation u threshold 12 the turbine may obtain normal operation . otherwise the turbine may obtain normal operation if the grid voltage rises a predefined amount u grid , add above the present low voltage level u grid , minimum during the grid fault and the voltage is a certain predefined amount u converter , add above the limit u converter , minimum where the wind turbine converter is able to produce active power . if said conditions are met the grid voltage is within the crossed area 14 meaning that the grid has recovered and said grid fault control algorithm is allowed to proceed towards normal production . fig6 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the invention , where sensor means for measuring tower acceleration is present , a simplified timing diagram showing the relation between control states , pitch angle , tower acceleration , tower displacement and generator rpm during a grid fault . the pitch angle , tower acceleration , tower displacement and generator rpm . are ideal constant during normal operation . when a utility grid fault is detected 15 the wind turbine rotor blade or blades are pitched towards nopa 16 . the hereby sudden change in aerodynamical thrust is reflected by a tower acceleration and displacement 17 , 18 . furthermore the generator rpm is increased due to an excessive amount of aerodynamical power 19 . when said pitch angle reaches nopa 20 , yet another opposite directed change in thrust occurs and the tower will start oscillating at its eigen frequency 21 , 22 . the generator rpm is here stabilized at an over speed level 23 as there now is a balance between incoming aerodynamic power and generated power . the rotor blade or blades are pitched back to operational settings 24 when a grid recovery has been detected and for this embodiment state 3 is entered when said tower acceleration goes negative 25 i . e . reapplying of aerodynamical thrust is in counter phase to the tower acceleration . the result is damped tower acceleration 26 when returning to normal operating mode ( state 0 ), producing only a damped tower displacement 27 whereby loads on the tower has been reduced . furthermore the generator rpm is decreased 28 ideal to the level as before entering said grid fault mode 29 . fig7 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the invention , where sensor means for measuring mechanical oscillations and / or loads are not present , a simplified timing diagram showing the relation between control states , pitch angle , tower acceleration and generator rpm . during a grid fault . the description for states 0 , 1 and 2 are same for this embodiment as described for fig6 and will not be repeated here . the rotor blade or blades are pitched back to operational settings 30 with predefined control parameters e . g . trampback . for this embodiment state 13 is entered immediately after grid recovery has been detected . the pitch rate is chosen to be of a value that does not result in significant further excessive mechanical oscillations e . g . tower acceleration 31 , 32 . the result is a tower acceleration 31 , 32 when returning to normal operating mode ( state 0 ), producing a tower displacement 33 whereby loads on the tower are kept within allowable limits . furthermore the generator rpm is decreased 34 ideal to the level as before entering said grid fault mode 29 . the invention described has been exemplified above with reference to specific examples of control algorithms for a wind turbine during lvrt . however , it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular examples but may be designed and altered in a multitude of varieties within the scope of the invention as specified in the claims e . g . with use of other algorithm states or measured / detected / established / estimated values .
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the technical solution of the present invention is further explained and illustrated below in conjunction with specific examples and comparative examples . steel making is performed by adopting a converter or an electric furnace , a slab is obtained by secondary refining of molten steel and continuous casting , and the slab comprises the following chemical elements by weight percent : 0 . 02 - 0 . 08 % of c , 2 . 0 - 3 . 5 % of si , 0 . 05 - 0 . 20 % of mn , 0 . 005 - 0 . 012 % of s , 0 . 010 - 0 . 060 % of als , 0 . 002 - 0 . 014 % of n , not more than 0 . 10 % of sn and the balance of fe and other inevitable impurities . the slabs with different components are heated at the temperature of 1150 ° c . and then hot - rolled to hot - rolled plates with the thickness of 2 . 3 mm , initial rolling and final rolling temperatures are 1070 ° c . and 935 ° c . respectively and the coiling temperature is 636 ° c . after acid washing , the hot - rolled plates are subject to primary cold - rolling so as to obtain finished products with the thickness of 0 . 30 mm . decarbonizing and annealing are performed under the conditions that the heating rate during decarbonizing and annealing is 25 ° c ./ s , the decarbonizing temperature is 845 ° c . and the decarbonizing dew point is 67 ° c ., thereby reducing the content of [ c ] in the steel plates to be 30 ppm or less . nitriding treatment process : 780 ° c .× 30sec , the oxidation degree p h2o / p h2 is 0 . 065 , the amount of nh 3 is 3 . 2 wt % and the content of infiltrated [ n ] is 160 ppm . an isolation agent using mgo as a main component is coated on each steel plate , and then high - temperature annealing is performed in a batch furnace . after uncoiling , by applying insulating coatings and performing stretching , leveling and annealing , b 8 and the production period of obtained finished product are as shown in table 1 . it can be seen from table 1 that , when the content of n element is controlled within the range of 0 . 002 - 0 . 014 %, the finished products generally have the high magnetic induction , which can achieve b 8 of not less than 1 . 88 t . on the contrary , the n element in each of comparative examples 1 - 2 does not satisy the technical solution of the present invention , and thus the magnetic induction thereof is lower than that in each of examples 1 - 3 . in addition , it also can be seen from table 1 that , when the content of n in the smelting stage is within the range of 0 . 002 - 0 . 014 %, the steps of normalizing and intermediate annealing can be avoided , and a primary cold - rolling process technology is simultaneously adopted , so that the production period from the hot - rolled plate to the final finished product ( namely the cold - rolled plate ) is controlled within 48 h . otherwise , when the content of n does not meet the requirements , as the procedures of normalizing , intermediate annealing , secondary cold - rolling and the like are required , the production period will be prolonged by about 5 - 20 h . steel making is performed by adopting a converter or an electric furnace , a slab is obtained by secondary refining of molten steel and continuous casting , and the slab comprises the following chemical elements by weight percent : 3 . 0 % of si , 0 . 05 % of c , 0 . 11 % of mn , 0 . 007 % of s , 0 . 03 % of als , 0 . 007 % of n , 0 . 06 % of sn and the balance of fe and inevitable impurities ; and then hot - rolling is performed , and the different hot - rolling process conditions are as shown in table 2 . after acid washing , the hot - rolled plates are subject to primary cold - rolling so as to obtain finished products with the thickness of 0 . 30 mm . decarbonizing and annealing are performed under the conditions that the heating rate during decarbonizing and annealing is 25 ° c ./ s , the decarbonizing temperature is 840 ° c . and the decarbonizing dew point is 70 ° c ., thereby reducing the content of [ c ] in the steel plates to be 30 ppm or less . nitriding treatment process : 800 ° c .× 30sec , the oxidation degree p h2o / p h2 is 0 . 14 , the amount of nh 3 is 1 . 1 wt % and the content of infiltrated [ n ] is 200 ppm . an isolation agent using mgo as a main component is coated on each steel plate , and then high - temperature annealing is performed in a batch furnace . after uncoiling , by applying insulating coatings and performing stretching , leveling and annealing , b8 of obtained finished product is as shown in table 2 . it can be seen from the results in table 2 that , when the hot - rolling process satisfies the following conditions : the slab is heated to 1090 - 1200 ° c . in a heating furnace , the initial rolling temperature is 1180 ° c . or less , the final rolling temperature is 860 ° c . or more , laminar cooling is performed after rolling , and coiling is performed at the temperature of 650 ° c . or less , examples 4 - 8 generally have higher magnetic induction , which can achieve b8 of not less than 1 . 88 t . on the contrary , when the hot - rolling process is not in line with the technical solution , comparative examples 3 - 7 have lower magnetic induction than the examples . steel making is performed by adopting a converter or an electric furnace , a slab is obtained by secondary refining of molten steel and continuous casting , and the slab comprises the following chemical elements by weight percent : 2 . 8 % of si , 0 . 04 % of c , 0 . 009 % of s , 0 . 04 % of als , 0 . 005 % of n , 0 . 10 % of mn , 0 . 03 % of sn and the balance of fe and inevitable impurities . the slabs are heated at the temperature of 1130 ° c . and hot - rolled to hot - rolled plates with the thickness of 2 . 5 mm , initial rolling and final rolling temperatures are 1080 ° c . and 920 ° c . respectively and the coiling temperature is 605 ° c . the hot - rolled plates are cold - rolled to finished products with the thickness of 0 . 35 mm after acid washing , then decarbonizing and annealing are performed , and the different decarbonizing and annealing process conditions are as shown in table 3 . after decarbonizing and annealing , the content of [ c ] in steel plates is reduced to be 30 ppm or less . nitriding treatment process : 800 ° c .× 30sec , the oxidation degree p h2o / p h2 is 0 . 15 , the amount of nh 3 is 0 . 9 wt % and the content of infiltrated [ n ] is 170 ppm . an isolation agent using mgo as a main component is coated on each steel plate , and then high - temperature annealing is performed in a batch furnace . after uncoiling , by applying insulating coatings and performing stretching , leveling and annealing , b 8 of obtained finished product is as shown in table 3 . it can be seen from table 3 that , when the decarbonizing and annealing process satisfies the conditions that the heating rate during decarbonizing is 15 - 35 ° c ./ sec , the decarbonizing temperature is 800 - 860 ° c . and the decarbonizing dew point is 60 - 70 ° c ., the finished products in examples 9 - 13 generally have higher magnetic induction , which can achieve b 8 of not less than 1 . 88 t . on the contrary , when the decarbonizing and annealing process is not in line with the technical solution , comparative examples 8 - 13 generally have lower magnetic induction . steel making is performed by adopting a converter or an electric furnace , a slab is obtained by secondary refining of molten steel and continuous casting , and the slab comprises the following chemical elements by weight percent : 3 . 0 % of si , 0 . 05 % of c , 0 . 11 % of mn , 0 . 007 % of s , 0 . 03 % of als , 0 . 007 % of n , 0 . 06 % of sn and the balance of fe and inevitable impurities . the slabs are heated at the temperature of 1120 ° c . and hot - rolled to hot - rolled plates with the thickness of 2 . 5 mm , initial rolling and final rolling temperatures are 1080 ° c . and 920 ° c . respectively and the coiling temperature is 605 ° c . after acid washing , the hot - rolled plates are subject to cold - rolling to obtain finished products with the thickness of 0 . 35 mm . then , decarbonizing and annealing are performed under the conditions that the heating rate is 30 ° c ./ sec , the decarbonizing temperature is 840 ° c . and the decarbonizing dew point is 68 ° c . then , nitriding treatment is performed and the different nitriding and annealing process conditions are as shown in table 4 . an isolation agent using mgo as a main component is coated on each steel plate , and then high - temperature annealing is performed in a batch furnace . after uncoiling , by applying insulating coatings and performing stretching , leveling and annealing , b8 of obtained finished product is as shown in table 4 . it can be seen from the test results in table 4 that , when the nitriding and annealing process satisfies the technical solution , namely the nitriding temperature is 760 - 860 ° c ., the nitriding time is 20 - 50 sec , the oxidation degree p h2o / p h2 is 0 . 045 - 0 . 200 , the content of nh 3 is 0 . 5 - 4 . 0 wt % and the content of infiltrated n satisfies the formula : 328 − 0 . 14a − 0 . 85b − 2 . 33c ≦[ n ] d ≦ 362 − 0 . 16a − 0 . 94 b − 2 . 57c , examples 14 - 23 generally have higher magnetic induction , which can achieve b 8 of not less than 1 . 88 t . on the contrary , when the nitriding and annealing process is not in line with the technical solution , comparative examples 14 - 19 generally have lower magnetic induction . steel making is performed by adopting a converter or an electric furnace , a slab is obtained by secondary refining of molten steel and continuous casting , and the slab comprises the following chemical elements by weight percent : 2 . 8 % of si , 0 . 045 % of c , 0 . 06 % of mn , 0 . 009 % of s , 0 . 024 % of als , 0 . 009 % of n , 0 . 04 % of sn and the balance of fe and inevitable impurities . the slabs are heated at the temperature of 1120 ° c . and hot - rolled to hot - rolled plates with the thickness of 2 . 3 mm , initial rolling and final rolling temperatures are 1070 ° c . and 900 ° c . respectively and the coiling temperature is 570 ° c . after acid washing , the hot - rolled plates are subject to cold - rolling to obtain finished products with the thickness of 0 . 30 mm . then , decarbonizing and annealing are performed under the conditions that the heating rate is 20 ° c ./ sec , the decarbonizing temperature is 830 ° c . and the decarbonizing dew point is 70 ° c . then , nitriding treatment is performed , and the effects of different contents of infiltrated n on b 8 of the finished products are as shown in table 5 . an isolation agent using mgo as a main component is coated on each steel plate , and then high - temperature annealing is performed in a batch furnace . after uncoiling , by applying insulating coatings and performing stretching , leveling and annealing , b 8 of each finished product is as shown in table 5 . table 5 reflects the effects of the contents of the infiltrated n on b 8 of the finished products . it can be seen from table 5 that , the content of the infiltrated n needs to satisfy the content of the infiltrated nitrogen [ n ] d ( 328 − 0 . 14a − 0 . 85b − 2 . 33c ≦[ n ] d ≦ 362 − 0 . 16a − 0 . 94b − 2 . 57c ) obtained by a theoretical calcualtion based on the content a of als , the content b of n and the primary grains size c in the smelting stage . when the actual amount of the infiltrated n is within the range of the calculated values , such as examples 24 - 29 , the finished products have higher magnetic induction ; and on the contrary , such as comparative examples 20 - 25 , the finished products have lower magnetic induction . it should be noted that the examples listed above are only the specific examples of the present invention , and obviously the present invention is not limited to the above examples and can have many similar changes . all variations which can be directly derived from or associated with the disclosure of the present invention by those skilled in the art should be within the scope of protection of the present invention .
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a description will be in detail given below of an embodiment according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings . a connection box 10 has a plane wiring board 12 in which multi - layered circuit boards 12 a , 12 b and 12 c are piled , as shown in fig1 . a control base board 15 is mounted on the board 12 . the base board 15 is received between an upper cover 11 and an under cover 13 . they constitute a module 14 as shown in fig2 . the module 14 is received within a case 18 constituted by an upper case 16 and a lower case 17 . side walls 11 a 1 and 11 a 2 around the upper cover 11 are removably fitted to outer surfaces of upper end portions in side walls 13 a 1 and 13 a 2 around the under cover 13 via a lock hook 13 b . the cover 11 receives the board and the base board 15 in an inner side thereof . the upper surface ( on the drawing ) of the upper cover 11 forms a mounting face e , and various kinds of relays such as a micro relay 20 , a half micro relay 21 , a 2m relay 22 and the like which are outward attached , and outward attached electronic parts such as a fuse and the like are mounted thereto , as shown in fig1 and 3 . this mounting face e has insertion openings 11 b , 11 c and 11 d for the various kinds of relays . the mounting face e has an insertion opening lie for the fuse 23 . one side ( a left end portion in fig3 ) of the upper cover 3 is provided with a plurality of connectors 11 f for removably inserting mating connectors ( not shown ) in a combined manner . further , as shown in fig2 the upper cover 11 and the under cover 13 have both side walls 11 a 2 and 13 a 2 in a y direction . first pressing lock pieces 11 g and 13 c having an l - shaped cross section are integrally protruded from the side walls 11 a 2 and 13 a 2 respectively . second pressing lock pieces 13 d having an l - shaped cross section are integrally protruded from both side walls 11 a 1 and 13 a 1 in an x direction orthogonal to the side walls 11 a 2 and 13 a 2 . the plane wiring board 12 is formed by a rectangular reverse - dish - shaped hard resin board as shown in fig1 and is formed together with a lot of wiring holes 12 d . the board 12 has three plied circuit boards 12 a , 12 b and 12 c thereon . the board 12 has a plurality of arranged electric wires 56 on a back surface thereof . the respective circuit boards 12 a , 12 b and 12 c have bus bars respectively arranged thereon , and the bus bars constitute a desired circuit . the bus bars respectively have terminal portions 30 , 31 and 32 , and they are stood upward from predetermined positions . each of the respective circuit boards 12 a , 12 b and 12 c has an insulation displacing terminal 57 , which is integrally formed with the bus bar and is stood downward from a predetermined position . the respective circuit boards 12 a , 12 b and 12 c are stacked with each other . the lower circuit board 12 c has a terminal 32 , which passes through the upper circuit boards 12 a and 12 b so as to protrude above of the upper circuit board 12 a . the middle circuit board 12 b has a terminal 31 , which passes through the upper circuit board 12 so as to protrude out . the insulation displacing terminals 57 of the respective circuit boards 12 a , 12 b and 12 c are taken out to the back surface of the board 12 from the wiring holes 12 d , and are press contacted to electric wires 56 so as to be connected as shown in fig8 . accordingly , the board 12 has a desired circuit constituted by the respective circuit boards 12 a , 12 b and 12 c and the electric wires 56 . the control base board 15 has an insulation board 15 a , and various kinds of electronic parts , for example , a relay 40 , a resistor 41 , a coil 42 and a control device 43 are mounted thereto . the base board has a connector 44 at an end portion in a longitudinal direction thereof . the control base board 15 is arranged in a standing state . a terminal block 50 is mounted in a substantially perpendicular direction to a front surface ( in a near side in the drawing ) of a lower end portion in the base board 15 , as shown in fig4 . a desired number of insulation displacing terminals 51 connected to a predetermined circuit of the base board 15 protrude from a vertical outer surface 50 a ( a lower surface in the drawing ) of the terminal block 50 . the electronic parts have a power portion p constituted by the relay 40 , the resistor 41 and the coil 42 . the electronic parts have a control portion c constituted by a device ( for example , a microprocessor , rom or ram ) 43 . as shown in fig5 the power portion p having a large amount of generation heat is arranged in a half side ( in a near side in fig1 ) in a longitudinal direction of the insulation board 15 a together . the control portion c having a small amount of generation heat is arranged in another half side ( in a far side in fig1 ) in the longitudinal direction of the insulation board 15 a together . the relay 40 , the resistor 41 and the coil 42 in the power portion p , and the device 43 in the control portion c are connected by a narrow circuit pattern 46 ( refer to fig1 ). the circuit pattern 46 is structured such that a conductor is printed on the insulation board 15 a . a width of the print determines whether the circuit pattern 46 is thick or narrow . the connector 44 is independently provided from the base board 15 , as shown in fig6 . the mating connector ( not shown ) is inserted to an insertion opening 44 a thereof . the end of each of a plurality of terminals 44 b protrudes within the insertion opening 44 a . this one end is connected to the mating connector . another end of each of these terminals 44 b protrudes to an outer portion corresponding to a lower side in the drawing of the insertion opening 44 a . a front end of another end is bent perpendicular to the base board 15 . the connector 44 has a projection 44 c on a rear side , as shown in fig7 . the projection 44 c is pressed into a fitting hole ( not shown ) formed in the insulation board 15 a of the base board 15 . according to this pressing , the front end of the terminal 44 b is inserted to the control base board 15 and is connected to a predetermined circuit pattern . at this time , the insertion opening 44 a of the connector 44 is faced outward from an opening 11 h formed in the upper cover 11 . the relay 40 employs a mechanical type using an electromagnetic solenoid . the relay is structured such as to be turned on and off by the electromagnetic solenoid . this structure increases generation heat of the solenoid . accordingly , the relay 40 is supported to a relay holding board 45 mentioned below , as shown in fig8 . the relay is mounted by a predetermined spacing δ apart from the insulation board 15 a of the base board 15 . the relay 40 has power terminals 40 a and 40 b , and they are respectively connected to a terminal 51 mentioned below and a lead wire 40 c . the lead wire 40 c extends from the relay 40 to the insulation board 15 a . the lead wire 40 c extends long and in parallel to the insulation board 15 a therebetween . the extension exposes the lead wire 40 c on the insulation board 15 a . the exposed front end portion is bent to the insulation board 15 a and is fixed to the circuit pattern 46 by a solder 47 a . the exposed lead wire 40 c is provided with a heat radiating function . the terminal block 50 is separated into two pieces in a substantially center portion in a longitudinal direction thereof , so as to constitute a first separation block 50 b and a second separation block 50 c . end portions in the first and second separation blocks 50 b and 50 c which are adjacent to each other are stacked with each other as shown in fig4 so as to constitute a stacked part 52 . the both end portions and the stacked part 52 are fastened to the board 12 by a screw 53 corresponding to a fastening member , as shown in fig9 thereby fixing the terminal block 50 . the screw 53 is inserted from the back surface of the board 12 . the stacked part 52 is fastened by one screw 53 as shown in fig5 . the first separation block 50 b has a vertical inner surface 50 d , and the relay holding board 45 is provided therein in parallel to the insulation board 15 a , as shown in fig5 . the holding board 45 has a window portion 45 a in correspondence to the arrangement of the relay 40 . by fitting the relay 40 to the window portion 45 a so as to retain , it is possible to stably retain the relay 40 which is apart from the insulation board 15 a . the end of the terminal 51 protrudes from the vertical outer surface 50 a of the terminal block 50 . another end thereof has a conduct wire part 54 protruding out from the upper side of the terminal block 50 . the conduct wire part 54 is perpendicularly bent toward the insulation board 14 a of the control base board 15 so as to pass through the insulation board 15 a . as shown in fig1 , the through portion is fixed to the circuit pattern 46 of the control base board 15 by a solder 47 . further , the terminal 51 is connected to the relay 40 mentioned above , and as shown in fig8 another end thereof passes through the holding portion 45 so as to protrude within the window portion 45 a . the terminal 51 is inserted from an insertion opening 55 of the board 12 , as shown in fig1 . the terminal 51 is press contacted to a terminal of the electric wire 56 so as to be connected , as shown in fig5 . at this time , the outer surface 50 a of the terminal block 50 contacts with the upper surface of the board 12 . in this state , the outer surface 50 a is fastened and fixed by the screw 53 . in a state of fixing the terminal block 50 to the board 12 , the terminal block 50 is substantially perpendicular to the insulation board 15 a . accordingly , the base board 15 is perpendicularly mounted to the board 12 . the upper cover 11 has the mounting face e , as shown in fig1 and 2 , and the control base board 15 is arranged in a half side ( a far side part in fig1 and 2 ) thereof . this one half side forms the insertion openings 11 b , 11 c and 11 d , various kinds of relays 20 , 21 and 22 , and a bulge 60 . the relays 20 , 21 and 22 are outward mounted to the insertion opening 11 e . in the bulge 60 , a protruding amount h becomes larger than that of the fuse 23 . as shown in fig9 the bulge 60 receives the control base board 15 in an inner side thereof . the bulge 60 has a heat insulation wall 60 a as shown in fig9 . the wall 60 a insulates thermally the base board 15 from the respective insertion openings 11 b , 11 c and 11 d of the upper cover 11 . the bulge 60 has a top wall 60 b continuously provided from the wall 60 a . the bulge 60 has a rear wall 60 c covering a back side of the control base board 15 . the walls 60 a , 60 b and 60 c are formed so as to have a c - shaped cross section . as shown in fig2 the bulge 60 has both ends , and they are closed by side walls 60 d . further , the control base board 15 has the power portion p and the control portion c , as shown in fig5 and they are separately arranged . the bulge 60 has a heat insulation partition 60 e in an inner side thereof as shown in fig9 and this is inserted between the power portion p and the control portion c . the partition 60 e insulates the power portion p and the control portion c . the partition 60 e is shown by a two - dotted chain line in fig5 . accordingly , in a state of receiving the base board 15 between the upper cover 11 and the under cover 13 , the bulge 60 covers an outer side of the base board 15 . the partition 60 e is inserted into a boundary between the portion having a great amount of generation heat and the portion having a small amount of generation heat in the base board 15 . the case 18 has the upper case 16 and the lower case 17 constituting a pair , as shown in fig1 . a side wall 16 a of the upper case 16 is mated to an outer peripheral surface of a side wall 17 a of the lower case 17 . a lock hook 16 b of the upper case 16 is removably engaged with an engagement projection 17 b of the lower case 17 . the upper case 16 and the lower case 17 define openings 16 c and 17 c respectively notched at positions corresponding to the connector insertion openings 11 f and the base board connector 44 . these openings 16 c and 17 c form one opening portion 18 a at a time of mating the upper case 16 and the lower case 17 with each other . the openings 16 c and 17 c have a closing member 61 therebetween , and this is independent from the upper case 16 and the lower case 17 . the closing member 61 closes a portion between the openings 16 c and 17 c at a time of mating the upper case 16 to the lower case 17 . the closing member 61 has a lock hook 61 a , and this is fixed removably to an engagement projection 17 d of the lower case 17 . at this time , an upward - directed semi - cylinder portion 17 e is formed in a lower part of the opening portion 17 c . a downward - directed semi - cylinder portion 61 b is formed in a lower part of the closing member 61 . the semi - cylinder portions 17 e and 61 b are combined so as to form a cylindrical shape . the cylinder portion passes wire harnesses of the mating connectors ( not shown ) connected to the connector 11 f and the base board connector 44 through in a lump . a mounting leg 17 f is perpendicularly provided in the lower case 17 . at a time of receiving the module 14 in the case 18 , the module 14 is at first received in the lower case 17 and the bulge 60 is arranged in the above , as shown in fig1 . the upper case 16 is mated to the outer peripheral surface of the lower case 17 from the above . according to this mating , the hook 16 b and the projection 17 b are engaged . the mating connector is connected to the connector 11 f and the connector 44 in the module 14 from the opening 18 a . the wire harness is arranged between both of the semi - cylinder portions 61 b and 17 e . the closing member 61 is arranged in the opening portion 18 a . the hook 61 a is engaged with the projection 17 d . at a time of inserting the module 14 into the case 18 from the above so as to receive therein , the first pressing lock pieces 11 g and 13 c of both of the side walls 11 a 2 and 13 a 2 in a y direction ( refer to fig2 ) are engaged with engagement portions ( not shown ) in an inner side of the lower case 17 . front end surfaces of the first lock pieces 11 g and 13 c resiliently abut against the inner side of the lower case 17 . this abutment prevents the module 14 from loosening within the case 18 . further , when case 18 receives module 14 , the mounting face e of the upper cover 11 is arranged in a front surface 17 g of the lower case 17 . at this time , the insertion opening 11 e of the mounting face e is positioned at a right half portion ( shown by a two - dotted chain line in the drawing ) of an upper end portion in the front surface 17 g of the lower case 17 . according to the present embodiment , the right half portion of the upper end portion is previously cut , and an opening 17 h to which the insertion opening 11 e is exposed is formed . in the connection box 10 mentioned above , the base board 15 corresponding to the control portion is mounted to the board 12 . the module 14 is structured by receiving the board 12 between the upper cover 11 and the under cover 13 . the connection box 10 is structured by receiving the module 14 within the case 18 constituted by the upper case 16 and the lower case 17 . the lower case 17 of the connection box 10 is mounted within an engine room of a vehicle ( not shown ) via the mounting leg 17 f . the connection box 10 is collectively connected to the wire harnesses ( not shown ) of the various kinds of electrical equipment provided in the vehicle . in this connection box 10 , the relay 40 to be provided in the base board 15 is mounted by a predetermined spacing δ apart from the surface of the insulation board 15 a , as shown in fig8 . the relay 40 and the insulation board 15 a have an air layer corresponding to the spacing δ between . the air layer forms a heat insulation layer so as to insulate the heat produced by the relay 40 . this insulation reduces the heating of the insulation board 15 a . this results in restricting a heat influence applied to the other electronic parts mounted to the insulation board 15 a , in particular , the device 43 constituting the control circuit , in the connection box 10 . according to the reduction of the heat influence applied to the device 43 , it is possible to prevent the device 43 from being broken and it is possible to prevent the false function from occurrence . due to this prevention , it is possible to execute a stable and aimed control and it is possible to increase a reliability of the connection box 10 . it is possible to secure a stability of the relay 40 by mounting the relay 40 to the inner surface 50 d of the terminal block 50 . in the case of mounting the relay 40 to the terminal block 50 , it is also possible to prevent the heat generation of the relay 40 from being directly conducted to the insulation board 15 a of the base board 15 . since the long lead wire 40 c exposes from the relay 40 , a part of the heat to be produced in the relay 40 is conducted to the lead wire 40 c . it is possible to effectively cool the relay 40 itself by radiating the heat by the exposure portion . accordingly , according to the heat radiation in the lead wire 40 c , it is possible to reduce the generation heat contained in the relay 40 and the heat conducted from the relay 40 to the insulation board 15 a . this reduction further reduces the heat influence on the other electronic parts . the entire contents of japanese patent applications p2001 - 133531 ( filed on apr . 27 , 2001 ) are incorporated herein by reference . although the invention has been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the invention , the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above . modifications and variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art , in light of the above teachings . the scope of the invention is defined with reference to the following claims .
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referring to the drawings , particularly to fig1 an electronic flash charging circuit 10 incorporated in a computer controlled automatic camera according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown , which is connected to a power source 1 . a microcomputer 3 is connected to the power source 1 through a regulator circuit means 2 . a back - up capacitor 4 is connected to the microcomputer 3 parallel to the power source 1 . a booster circuit 11 , which is a blocking oscillator , is connected at its input side to both the power source 1 and the emitter of a transistor 12 functioning as a switching means . the collector of the transistor 12 is connected to an input terminal 14 through a resistance 13 . a charge signal f c for the initiation of charging is input to the electronic flash charging circuit 10 through the input terminal 14 from the microcomputer 3 . the base of the transistor 12 is connected to an input terminal 15 . a prohibiting signal f p for the prohibition of charging is input to the electronic flash charging circuit 10 through the input terminal 15 from the microcomputer 3 . the booster circuit 11 is connected at its output side to a rectifying diode 16 of which the cathode is connected to a discharge tube 17 . a main capacitor 18 is connected to the booster circuit 11 in parallel with respect to the discharge tube 17 . the rectifying diode 16 is also connected at the cathode to the base of a transistor 20 functioning as a switching means through a zener diode 19 . the collector of the transistor 20 is connected to an output terminal 21 . when the transistor 20 turns on or conductive , a low level potential l is present at the output terminal 21 , whereby an end signal f e for termination of charging is output . a trigger circuit 22 is connected to the booster circuit 11 in parallel with respect to the capacitor 18 . a trigger signal f t is input to the trigger circuit 22 through the trigger terminal 23 in synchronism with releasing the shutter of the camera . immediately after a flash exposure , the microcomputer 3 changes the prohibiting signal f p to a high level h from a low level l , so as to remove the prohibition of charging and keeps the prohibiting signal f p at the high level h for a predetermined period of time ( which is defined by a holding period t 0 + a charging period t 1 ). at the end of the time period t 0 , the microcomputer 3 changes the charge signal f c to a low level l from a high level h and keeps the charge signal f c at the low level l . at this time , since the prohibiting signal f p is still kept at the high level h , the transistor 12 turns on or conductive , causing the booster circuit 11 to start oscillation and the rectifying diode 16 rectifies output from the booster circuit 11 , charging the main capacitor 18 . after the first charging period t 1 , the microcomputer 3 changes the prohibiting signal f p to the low level l , causing the transistor 12 to turn off or nonconductive , whereby the booster circuit 11 stops its oscillation , so that the charging of the main capacitor 18 terminates . after a predetermined period of time or pause t 2 , the microcomputer 3 changes again the prohibiting signal f p to the high level h and keeps the prohibiting signal f p at the high level h for the charging period of time t 1 for the second time . the charging of the main capacitor 18 for the predetermined period t 1 is intermittently repeated in the same way as for the second time . the charging of the capacitor 18 is completed in that the microcomputer 3 repeats the procedure of alternately keeping the prohibiting signal f p at the high level h for the charging time t 1 and at the low level l for the pause t 2 , namely the on - off control of the transistor 12 , for appropriate times . upon the completion of charging , a breakdown voltage is applied to the zener diode 19 , presenting a voltage at the base of the transistor 20 so as to turn the transistor 20 on or conductive . a low level of end signal f e is presented at the output terminal 21 and sent to the microcomputer 3 . upon the receipt of the low level end signal f e , the microcomputer 3 changes the charge signal f c to the high level h from the low level and keeps the prohibiting signal f p at the low level . this readies the electronic flash charging circuit 10 for another flash . when the shutter is released and a trigger signal f t is applied at the trigger terminal 23 , the capacitor 18 discharges , causing the discharge tube 17 to flash . assuming the time periods t 0 , t 1 and t 2 to be set at 20ms , 20ms and 4ms , respectively , and that the main capacitor 18 has a capacity that requires approximately four seconds to charge up if it is installed in a conventional charging circuit , the electronic flash charging circuit 10 including the booster circuit 11 according to the present invention can charge up the main capacitor 18 within approximately 2 . 4ms . this is comparable to the conventional one . during repeated change of the prohibiting signal between the high and low levels h and l , the voltage of the power source 1 changes between voltages v 0 and v 2 as is shown in fig3 . voltages v 0 and v 1 in fig3 represent a no - load voltage of the power source 1 and an operating voltage of the microcomputer 3 , respectively . if the trigger signal f c returns to the low level l from the high level h while the prohibiting signal f p is at the high level h , the charging circuit 10 allows the current to flow therethrough , including a fall of the supply voltage v of the power source 1 . upon the return of the prohibiting signal f p to the low level l from the high level h , the flow of current through the charging circuit 10 is shut off , reviving the power source 1 . that is , the supply voltage v repeatedly rises and falls according to the change of the prohibiting signal f p between the low and high levels . even if the supply voltage v falls below the working voltage v 1 of the microcomputer 3 during the prohibiting signal f p at the high level h , the back - up capacitor 4 discharges , supplying a sufficient voltage to the microcomputer 3 . the back - up capacitor 4 is fully recharged while the prohibiting signal f p is at the low level l . because the period during which the supply voltage v falls below the working voltage v 1 of the microcomputer 3 is only very short , the back - up capacitor 4 need only be small in capacity . if the period for which the prohibiting signal f p is at the high level h is short , the power supply v can be revived before it has fallen below the working voltage v 1 of the microcomputer 3 . this allows the back - up capacitor 4 to effect the prevention of noises to the microcomputer 3 . because the booster circuit means of the charging circuit is intermittently activated to charge the main capacitor of the electronic flash , the power supply of the common source falls intermittently . the shorter the period for which the booster circuit means is activated , the less the fall of the supply voltage of the common power source below the working voltage of the microcomputer , so as to contribute to a stable power application to the microcomputer . if the supply voltage of the common power source falls below the working voltage of the microcomputer , the period will in any event be quite short ; and in any event the working voltage can be complemented by a back - up capacitor . although the present invention has been fully described by way of a particular embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , unless otherwise such changes and modifications depart from the scope of the present invention , they should be construed as included therein .
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in the following description , for the purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments . it should be apparent , however , that exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement . in other instances , well - known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring exemplary embodiments . in addition , unless otherwise indicated , all numbers expressing quantities , ratios , and numerical properties of ingredients , reaction conditions , and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “ about .” the present disclosure addresses and solves the current problem of an inability to form fins on a substrate having a fin pitch less than 40 nm and / or having a variable pitch attendant upon forming semiconductor devices , particularly sram bitcells , using a conventional sit process . in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure , the problems are solved , for instance by , inter alia , utilizing a first spacer on each side of a mandrel as a mandrel for a second spacer . further , aspects of the present disclosure enable a variable fin pitch by , for instance , adjusting the mandrel widths and spacing and the first spacer widths . still other aspects , features , and technical effects will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description , wherein preferred embodiments are shown and described , simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated . the disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments , and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects . accordingly , the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature , and not as restrictive . adverting to fig1 in accordance with exemplary embodiments , a substrate 101 , for example a bulk silicon substrate , is provided with a hardmask 103 having a first mandrel 105 a and a second mandrel 105 b . the mandrels 105 a and 105 b may be formed of amorphous silicon ( a - si ) and have widths 107 a and 107 b , respectively , which may be identical or different . as shown , the mandrels 105 a and 105 b are separated by distance 109 from each other exceeding widths 107 a and 107 b of the mandrels 105 a and 105 b . the substrate 101 , hardmask 103 , and mandrels 105 a and 105 b may be formed using conventional front - end - of - line ( feol ) steps . adverting to fig2 , first spacers 201 having widths 203 are provided on sides of each of the mandrels 105 a and 105 b . the first spacers 201 may be a formed of nitride and have identical widths . as shown in fig2 , the first spacers 201 have widths 203 being less than widths 107 a and 107 b of the mandrels 105 a and 105 b , respectively . as illustrated in fig3 , the mandrels 105 a and 105 b are removed and second spacers 301 are provided on sides of each of the first spacers 201 . adverting to fig4 , the first spacers 201 are removed and portions 401 of the hardmask 103 remain after the hardmask 103 is etched using the second spacers 301 as a mask . next , as illustrated in fig5 , fins 501 a through 501 h are formed after etching using the remaining portion 401 of the hardmask 103 as a mask . as shown , fins 501 a through 501 h include the second fin 501 b being between the first fin 501 a and third fin 501 c , the third fin 501 c being between the second fin 501 b and fourth fin 501 d , the fourth fin 501 d being between the third fin 501 c and fifth fin 501 e , the fifth fin 501 e being between the fourth fin 501 d and sixth fin 501 f , the sixth fin 501 f being between the fifth fin 501 e and seventh fin 501 h , and the seventh fin 501 g being between the sixth fin 501 f and eighth fin 501 h . fins 501 a through 501 h have a uniform thickness , but may have variable spacing . fig6 illustrates a resulting device 600 with the second spacers 301 and the hardmask 103 , including portions 401 , removed . as illustrated , fins 501 a and 501 b are separated by a first distance 601 , fins 501 b and 501 c are separated by a second distance 603 , and fins 501 d and 501 e are separated by a third distance 605 . as shown , the first distance 601 , second distance 603 , and third distance 605 are different . a coupled fin &# 39 ; s inter - spaces ( e . g ., second and third distances 603 and 605 ) are based on a width of mandrel ( e . g ., 105 a ) and a space between mandrels ( e . g ., 109 ). for instance , as a width of mandrels ( e . g ., 107 a and 107 b ) increases , an inter - space 603 of resulting fins increases , while inter - space 605 decreases . therefore , space 605 may be the same as , greater than , or less than space 603 . fig7 a , 7 b , 7 c , and 7 d schematically illustrate fins having variable pitch of less than 40 nm ( e . g ., 20 nm ) on exemplary sram bitcells , in accordance with exemplary embodiments . fig7 a , 7 b , 7 c , and 7 d include fins 701 a through 701 h , pd transistors 703 a through 703 d , pg transistors 705 a through 705 d , and pu transistors 707 a through 707 d . fins 701 a through 701 h may be generated in multiples of four ( e . g ., 4 , 8 , 12 , etc .). fig7 a illustrates an exemplary 1 - 1 - 1 sram configuration having fin 701 a formed on pd transistor 703 a and pg transistor 705 a , fin 701 b formed on pu transistor 707 a , fin 701 c formed pu transistor 707 b , and fin 701 d formed on pd transistor 703 b and pg transistor 705 b . additional 1 - 1 - 1 sram bitcells may be formed on the same substrate ( e . g ., 101 ). for instance , fig7 a illustrates a second 1 - 1 - 1 sram having fin 701 e formed on pd transistor 703 c and pg transistor 705 c , fin 701 f formed on pu transistor 707 c , fin 701 g formed on pu transistor 707 d , fin 701 h formed on pd transistor 703 d and pg transistor 705 d . as noted before , generating fins ( e . g ., 501 a through 501 h , 701 a through 701 h ) with a variable fin pitch enables efficient use of layout areas . for example , a device may require a first spacing 709 to allow for a particular layout ( such as that illustrated in fig7 a ) of pd transistors 703 and pu transistors 707 , and a second spacing 711 , larger than the first spacing 709 , to allow for a specific layout of pu transistors 707 . as such , the resulting device shown in fig7 a is configured to separate fins corresponding to pd transistors from fins corresponding to pu transistors by the first spacing 709 , and separate fins corresponding to pu transistors from fins corresponding to other pu transistors by the second spacing 711 . for instance , fin 701 b being formed on pu transistor 707 a may be separated by the first spacing 709 of 20 nm from fin 701 a which is formed on pd transistor 703 a . similarly , fin 701 b being formed on pu transistor 707 a may be separated by the second spacing 711 of 30 nm from fin 701 c which is formed on pu transistor 707 b . fig7 b illustrates an exemplary 1 - 2 - 2 sram configuration having fins 701 a and 701 b formed on pd transistor 703 a and pg transistor 705 a , fin 701 c formed on pu transistor 707 a , fin 701 f formed on pu transistor 707 b , and fins 701 g and 701 h formed on pd transistor 703 b and pg transistor 705 b . additional 1 - 2 - 2 sram bitcells may be formed on the same substrate ( not shown ). as illustrated , the exemplary 1 - 2 - 2 sram has a first distance 713 of 30 nm , a second distance 715 of 44 nm and a third distance 717 of 24 nm . the exemplary 1 - 2 - 2 sram may be formed using the processes described with respect to fig1 through 6 , for example , with a first mandrel ( e . g ., 105 a ) having a width ( e . g ., 107 a ) of 40 nm being separated by a distance ( e . g ., 109 ) of 120 nm from a second mandrel ( e . g ., 105 b ) having a width ( e . g ., 107 b ) of 90 nm , a first spacer ( e . g ., 201 ) having a width ( e . g ., 203 ) of 30 nm , and a second spacer ( e . g ., 301 ) having a width of 8 nm . fig7 c illustrates an exemplary 2 - 2 - 2 sram configuration having fins 701 a and 701 b formed on pd transistor 703 a and pg transistor 705 a , fins 701 c and 701 d formed on pu transistor 707 a , fins 701 e and 701 f formed on pu transistor 707 b , and fins 701 g and 701 h formed on pd transistor 703 b and pg transistor 705 b . additional 2 - 2 - 2 sram bitcells may be formed on the same substrate ( not shown ). as illustrated , the exemplary 2 - 2 - 2 sram has a first distance 713 of 20 nm , a second distance 715 of 44 nm and a third distance 717 of 44 nm . the exemplary 2 - 2 - 2 sram may be formed using the processes described with respect to fig1 through 6 , for example , with a first mandrel ( e . g ., 105 a ) having a width ( e . g ., 107 a ) of 60 nm being separated by a distance ( e . g ., 109 ) of 100 nm from a second mandrel ( e . g ., 105 b ) having a width ( e . g ., 107 b ) of 90 nm , a first spacer ( e . g ., 201 ) having a width ( e . g ., 203 ) of 20 nm , and a second spacer ( e . g ., 301 ) having a width of 8 nm . fig7 d illustrates an exemplary 1 - 2 - 3 sram configuration having fins 701 a and 701 b formed on pd transistor 703 a and pg transistor 705 a , fin 701 c formed on pd transistor 703 a , fin 701 d formed on pu transistor 707 a , fin 701 e formed on pu transistor 707 b , fin 701 f formed on pd transistor 703 b , and fins 701 g and 701 h formed on pd transistor 703 b and pg transistor 705 b . additional 1 - 2 - 3 sram bitcells may be formed on the same substrate ( not shown ). as illustrated , the exemplary 1 - 2 - 3 sram has a first distance 713 of 40 nm , a second distance 715 of 30 nm and a third distance 717 of 44 nm . the exemplary 1 - 2 - 3 sram may be formed using the processes described with respect to fig1 through 6 , for example , with a first mandrel ( e . g ., 105 a ) having a width ( e . g ., 107 a ) of 60 nm being separated by a distance ( e . g ., 109 ) of 126 nm from a second mandrel ( e . g ., 105 b ) having a width ( e . g ., 107 b ) of 90 nm , a first spacer ( e . g ., 201 ) having a width ( e . g ., 203 ) of 40 nm , and a second spacer ( e . g ., 301 ) having a width of 8 nm . the embodiments of the present disclosure can achieve several technical effects , including formation of fins having a variable fin pitch less than 40 nm , thereby providing more efficient use of bitcell layout area . the present disclosure enjoys industrial applicability in any of various types of highly integrated semiconductor devices , particularly sram bitcells . in the preceding description , the present disclosure is described with reference to specifically exemplary embodiments thereof . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present disclosure , as set forth in the claims . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded as illustrative and not as restrictive . it is understood that the present disclosure is capable of using various other combinations and embodiments and is capable of any changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein .
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the drawings and description contained herein depict features of an improved sequential mask handling apparatus and method by means of which square mask plates are automatically fed from an indexable infeed magazine onto an associated fluid bearing track structure ; positioned by such track structure in a precise , predetermined location relative to a vacuum transfer arm ; transferred by such vacuum arm while the precise orientation of the plate is maintained ; and positioned by the arm onto an associated rotatable chuck at a treating station where predetermined treatment is effected thereon . following such treatment , transfer of the treated mask by a second vacuum transfer arm onto a second fluid bearing track structure is effected ; followed by insertion of such treated mask into an associated indexable discharge magazine . all such handling and treating steps are automatic , requiring no operator attention in conjunction therewith , except for replacement of the infeed and discharge magazines as required . the preferred embodiment of the subject apparatus and the article handling procedure and steps effected thereby is best seen generally schematically in the showing of fig1 . the subject apparatus is generally designated 1 and comprises three principal sections or stations , namely , an infeed or input station generally designated 2 , an intermediate treating station generally designated 3 , and an outfeed or discharge station generally designated 4 . it is between the infeed station 2 and the outfeed station 4 that mask plates m are moved in sequence to and past the treating station 3 in the manner to be described . it should be understood that the subject apparatus preferably is self - containing and requires operator attention only to insure a quantity of masks to be treated are periodically positioned at the infeed station 2 and that a quantity of masks following treatment are periodically removed from the discharge station 4 . except for such periodic attention , barring misalignment of a mask at the treating station 3 as described hereinafter , operator attention is not required , and the subject apparatus is fully automatic . as noted from fig1 the infeed station 2 is defined by a mask feeding mechanism generally designated 6 by which individual masks m are discharged in sequence onto an associated fluid bearing track structure generally designated 7 . it should be understood that the feed mechanism includes an infeed magazine generally designated 8 which is supported in known fashion for downward sequential indexing so that the lowermost mask in the magazine may be sequentially removed therefrom and placed on the fluid bearing track structure as required during the handling procedure . in that regard , it should be understood that the magazine 8 has a plurality of vertically spaced slots in opposite portions thereof in which opposite edges of successive masks are located . as required , a magazine carrying a plurality of masks , such as twenty - five , is introduced into the apparatus by the operator . upon downward indexing of the feed magazine 8 , successive masks are withdrawn therefrom and placed on the fluid bearing track structure 7 in known fashion . in that regard , reference is directed to the aforementioned lasch , jr . et al . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 645 , 581 for an illustration and description of an indexable magazine and an associated aforementioned lasch , jr . et al . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 645 , 581 for an illustration and description of an indexable magazine and an associated fluid bearing track structure for periodically withdrawing substrates therefrom . while such patent described such an indexable magazine and track structure in conjunction with the handling of generally circular articles , such as semi - conductor wafers , its applicability to the handling of square plate - like articles , such as the subject masks , should be apparent . track structure 7 employed with the feed magazine may take various forms , including the form shown in said lasch , jr . et al . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 645 , 581 . however , preferably , such track structure utilizes the less complicated construction shown in lasch u . s . pat . no . 3 , 718 , 371 . in that latter regard , reference is directed to fig2 hereof for an illustration of such track structure , which has been illustrated to correspond generally with the showing of fig1 of said patent , with modifications thereof to meet the specific requirements of the present invention . such fluid bearing track structure comprises cooperable first and second track structural members 8 and 9 with an extension 11 of member 9 underlying and contacting cooperable member 8 . interposed between such members is a flexible metal or equivalent jet insert strip 12 having directional fluid passages therein as illustrated in said u . s . pat . no . 3 , 718 , 371 . supporting fluid , such as air under pressure , is introduced through a phenum chamber 13 from any suitable source ( not shown ) into the directional fluid passages provided in one or both sides of the insert strip 12 . thus , in known fashion as described in said patents , upon fluid emanating from the plenum chamber 13 and into and through the directional fluid passages in the insert strip 12 , a layer of supporting fluid emanates from the top surface 14 of the track structure along its length to support a mask m brought into adjacent relationship relative thereto . while only one insert strip 12 is shown in the fluid bearing track structure 7 illustrated in fig1 it should be understood that two or more such strips , arranged in parallel relationship , may be positioned to extend longitudinally of the track structure as may be required , depending upon the size and weight of the masks to be transported thereon . in that regard , as described in said lasch , jr . et al . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 645 , 581 , upon feed magazine 8 being indexed downwardly by a suitable feed mechanism associated therewith ( not shown ), the lowermost mask m of the supply in the magazine is brought into overlying relationship relative to the outer end 16 of the track structure 7 . thus , upon supporting fluid being introduced through the fluid passages defined by the track structure , the lowermost mask is removed from the carrier and is transported in the direction of the arrow shown at the left of fig1 toward the inner end 17 of the track structure . in known fashion , a sensor is provided in conjunction with the infeed magazine 8 and track structure 7 to sense when a subsequent mask is to be fed from the magazine by the fluid bearing , such subsequent feeding being effected by indexing the magazine another step downwardly to bring a succeeding mask into position above the outer end 16 of the track structure so that removal thereof may be effected by the fluid emanating from the track structure . the feeding of successive masks is effected in sequence until magazine 8 is completely empty , at which time a suitable signal is transmitted by the sensor indicating attention by the machine operator is required so that another filled magazine may be placed in position of the now empty magazine 8 . it should be understood with respect to the discharge end 4 of the apparatus that a similar discharge magazine 21 is positioned at such end for receiving in sequence a series of masks after the same have been treated at the treating station 3 . discharge magazine 21 is identical in construction to infeed magazine 8 in fig1 but is indexable in the opposite direction by a suitable indexing mechanism ( not shown ). that is , magazine 21 is indexable upwardly in sequential steps following the introduction of each successive mask thereinto . thus , an empty slot may be presented to the associated fluid bearing track structure 22 so that successive masks may be introduced thereinto . suitable sensing means are associated with the discharge carrier to effect sequential indexing thereof as required . masks are fed into the upwardly indexable magazine 21 by the associated fluid bearing track structure generally designated 22 which corresponds to the track structure 7 described previously . as will be described , masks in sequence are placed on the inner end 23 of the fluid bearing track structure 22 by a vacuum transfer arm and are moved over the fluid bearing track structure on a fluid bearing toward the outer end 24 of the track structure which underlies and extends into the discharge magazine 21 . as noted , a sensor ( not shown ) of any suitable type is provided in conjunction with the discharge magazine 21 to determine when a mask has been inserted into the discharge magazine and to transmit a control signal to the indexing mechanism therefor to raise the magazine one step so that the magazine is properly oriented to receive a subsequent mask in an empty slot therein in the fashion also described in said lasch , jr . et al . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 645 , 581 . to prevent lateral displacement of a mask traveling over either of the infeed fluid bearing track structure 7 or the discharge fluid bearing track structure 22 , a guide shoulder is provided to extend longitudinally along each of such track structures , the guide shoulder of track structure 7 being designated 26 and the guide shoulder of track structure 22 being designated 27 . as noted previously , an important aspect of this invention is the efficient and effective orientation of each mask fed from the supply magazine 8 to a predetermined and precisely oriented pick - up position from which the same may be transferred to the treating station 3 . to such end , the appartus is provided with stop means for precisely locating each successive mask fed from the feed magazine 8 . such stop means in the embodiment illustrated is generally designated 31 and comprises a generally l - shaped stop shoulder which is positioned on and carried by a first vacuum transfer arm 32 mounted for pivotal movement between the feed station 2 and the treating station 3 . in that regard , the stop shoulder 31 is defined by two right - angularly oriented shoulder sections integrally connected with each other and secured to the upper surface of the vacuum transfer arm 32 . the stop shoulder may be formed integral with the arm 32 as shown in fig2 or , if preferred , the stop shoulder may be formed as a separate part held in place on the arm by screws or other suitable fastening means ( not shown ). it will be noted that the stop shoulder 31 includes a longitudinally extend portion 33 which extends along the fluid bearing track 7 in parallel relationship to the opposing guide shoulder 26 . the stop shoulder 31 also includes a transversely extending portion 34 which is positioned directly in the path of each mask fed from the feed magazine 8 . portion 34 extends at right angles to portion 33 and prevents movement of each mask beyond the position shown to the left of fig1 . it should be understood that the vacuum arm 32 is activated about the vertical axis 36 of a mounting shaft by any suitable mechanism ( not shown ) which precisely positions the arm in the two locations shown in fig1 . when positioned in the solid line location , the stop shoulder 31 is properly located to precisely receive a mask in the predetermined orientation shown in such figure . to insure location of each mask with two of its right angled edges contacting relationship with the right angled portions 33 and 34 of the stop shoulder 31 as seen in fig1 means is provided for urging each succeeding mask laterally of the fluid bearing track structure 7 while the same is supported on the cushion of air emanating upwardly through the track structure . such urging means in the illustrated embodiment comprises a laterally directed air jet , designated 41 , which emanates from a lateral air passage 42 extending through guide shoulder 26 . passage 42 is supplied by any suitable pneumatic source , such as supply hose 43 . thus , as each successive mask m is withdrawn from infeed magazine 8 by the air bearing 7 and moved therealong , the lateral air jet 41 impinges an edge of the mask and urges the same into edge - to - edge contact with the two portions 33 and 34 of the top shoulder 31 . because each mask is supported by a cushion of air emanating from the fluid bearing track structure , lateral movement thereof by lateral jet 41 to the precise location noted is simple to effect . upon the mask being urged into the position shown in fig1 vacuum is introduced through a vacuum slot 46 which extends across the end of the vacuum arm 32 . the vacuum slot 46 is connected , via conduit 47 extending longitudinally of arm 32 , with any suitable source of vacuum in known fashion . it should be understood that preferably air under pressure is emanating from the fluid bearing track structure 7 and from the lateral jet 41 associated therewith at all times . however , vacuum preferably is applied only intermittently through slot 46 following a predetermined time lapse after a mask has been removed from the feed magazine 8 as sensed by the control mechanism described previously . thus , each succeeding mask fed one at a time against the stop shoulder 31 may be picked up by the vacuum arm 32 . upon vacuum being applied to the mask shown in the position of fig1 the vacuum arm is rotated by its operating mechanism ( not shown ) and travels through a 90 ° arc to position the mask held by the vacuum pressure thereon onto a predetermined portion of the treating mechanism positioned at the treating station . when the vacuum arm 32 positions at mask at the treating station as shown in dotted lines in fig1 and in the manner to be described , the arm returns to the solid line position shown in fig .. 1 , and a subsequent mask is moved from the feed magazine when the sensor indicates that stop shoulder 31 is free of a mask thereat . means at the treating station in the illustrated embodiment is provided to effect a treating step on each mask positioned thereat . by way of illustration , the subject means is designed to apply a layer of photo - resist material onto the upper surface of the mask after the mask has been properly positioned at the treating station . in that regard , reference is directed to the aforementioned lasch , jr . et al . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 645 , 581 for a description of a suitable mechanism for applying such a photo - resist material to the mask in known fashion . briefly , however , it should be understood that the treating station is provided with a supply tank 51 of such photo - resist material ; a supply line 52 extends from the tank 51 to a position overlying the center of the mask for dispensing predetermined sequential quantities of a photo - resist material ( or other suitable liquid ) onto the upper surface of the mask for the purpose well known in the semi - conductor manufacturing art . such photo - resist material is spread evenly over the upper surface of the mask upon rapid rotation of the mask . in that regard , the treating station is provided with a rotatable chuck member , generally designated 56 , upon the upper surface of which the mask m is accurately positioned by the vacuum arm 32 . the chuck includes , as seen in fig4 a supporting shaft 57 depending from an upper generally planar surface 58 thereof ; the shaft 57 is received in a bearing 59 which supports the same for rapid rotation in known fashion by any suitable rotating means ( not shown ). the shaft 57 is hollow and includes a bore 61 through which a vacuum atmosphere may be introduced to the upper surface 58 of the chuck . communicating with the bore are a series of vacuum passages 62 which open onto the upper surface 58 of the chuck so that vacuum atmosphere may be applied to the undersurface of each mask m positioned on the chuck by the vacuum arm 32 . it should be understood that the source of vacuum for the chuck and for the vacuum arm 32 is synchronized so that when the chuck is properly located , vacuum is applied thereto and thereby to the undersurface of each mask plate presented thereto at the precise time when vacuum is cut off from the vacuum arm 32 . synchronization of such vacuum transfer is effected by any suitable control valve means of which many are known . to complete such tranfer , the chuck is vertically movable in the manner described in said lasch , jr . et al . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 645 , 581 , or by any other suitable means . the purpose of such vertical movement is to permit the mask carried by the vacuum arm to clear or pass over specially designed barrier structure provided at each of the opposed end portions 66 and 67 of the chuck . in that regard , the chuck may take any of various configurations . in the embodiment shown , the chuck is generally rectangular in outline . the barrier structure provided on the illustrated chuck comprises two raised shoulder portions 68 and 69 provided at each of the opposite ends thereof . each pair of such barrier shoulder portions defines therebetween a right angled recess ( as best shown in fig3 ), the purpose of which is to receive therein a corner portion of a mask submitted thereto . a slight dimensional clearance is designed to exist between the opposed corners of a mask and the inner surfaces of the barrier shoulder portions of the barrier structure , as seen in fig1 when a mask is properly oriented on the chuck 56 . the barrier structure is designed for two purposes : first , the barrier shoulder portions prevent a mask from shifting laterally during high speed rotation of the chuck to prevent thereby the mask from being thrown out of engagement with the chuck should the vacuum be insufficient to hold the same in position thereon ; and , second , the barrier shoulder portions insure proper positioning of the mask on the chuck and preclude operation of the chuck in the absence of such proper orientation . in that regard , referring to fig3 it should be understood that if , for some reason , the vacuum transfer arm 32 does not properly position the opposed corners of a mask between the barrier structures of the chuck so that the undersurface of the mask is prevented from coming into direct contact with the upper surface 58 of the chuck , a sensor ( not shown ) recognizes such misalignment of the mask and prevents rotation of the chuck and dispensing of any fluid from the supply tank 51 onto the upper surface of the mask . such sensor also transmits a visual or audible signal to the operator which indicates that a mask is not properly aligned so that manual correction of the situation may be effected . when a mask is properly positioned in contact with the upper surface of the chuck with its opposite corners received between the opposed barrier structures , as seen in fig1 and 4 , the spinning operation described will be effected automatically . to prevent any photo - resist material from being thrown by centrifugal force beyond the treating station 3 , a cup ( designated 86 in fig1 ) is elevated in conjunction with elevation of the chuck 56 to catch any such excess material . following treatment of a mask at the treating station , chuck rotation is halted and the chuck is brought to rest and precisely located in the position shown in fig1 . a second vacuum tansfer arm 71 is then brought into the dotted line position shown in fig1 by any suitable mechanism to remove such treated mask therefrom and to transfer the same to the solid line position shown in fig1 about the axis of rotation 72 of a mounting shaft shown in such figure . the vacuum arm 71 is constructed substantially identically to the vacuum arm 32 except for the fact the same does not include an l - shaped stop shoulder of the type shown at 31 in fig1 . however , vacuum arm 71 includes a straight stop shoulder 73 secured thereto or formed integral therewith against which an edge of a mask is engaged during transfer . the vacuum arm 71 includes a vacuum slot 74 operatively connected by a vacuum conduit 76 with a suitable source of vacuum , as seen in such figure . when rotation of chuck 56 is halted , cup 86 is retracted , i . e . moved downwardly ; then the transfer arm 71 is moved to the dotted line position shown in fig1 ; then the chuck 56 is retracted , i . e ., moved downwardly ; vacuum is then disconnected from the chuck at the same time vacuum is applied through slot 74 to arm 71 , and transfer of a mask from the chuck to the arm 71 is effected without damaging the mask . thereafter , the transfer arm 71 is rotated through a 90 ° arc to bring the treated mask to overlying relationship with the discharge fluid bearing track structure 22 . when positioned in the solid line location shown in fig1 vacuum to the transfer arm 71 is discontinued and air bearing fluid is introduced through track structure 22 which moves the mask to the right in fig1 into a waiting slot in discharge magazine 21 . it should be understood from the foregoing that the sequence of movement and treatment of successive masks in the manner seen in fig1 is effected automatically in the manner described , with operator attention being required only periodically to replace infeed magazine 8 with another filled magazine and to replace discharge magazine 21 with another empty magazine . appropriate operator control signals are provided with the apparatus to advise the operator in that regard . because the fluid bearing pressures and vacuum pressures required to support a mask and hold the same on a vacuum arm during movement and transfer thereof between the noted stations will vary , depending upon the size and weight of a given mask , illustrative pressure levels therefor have not been presented because such values are within the capability of any qualified engineer . referring again to fig1 the precise movement of a mask through the apparatus is illustrated by reference to corner 81 of a mask as it is positioned in its various locations at the feed end 2 , treating station 3 , and discharge station 4 . the arcuate paths such corner takes as it moves between the respective stations is illustrated by the dotted lines 82 and 83 shown in fig1 . from the foregoing , it should be understood that the present invention involves an improved mask plate handling apparatus and method and the protection afforded thereto is indicated by the scope of the appended claims .
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fig3 shows , in pictorial form , distributed processing system 500 which utilizes an embodiment of the inventive method and which interfaces with monitor system 600 . as shown in fig3 distributed processing telephony system 500 is comprised of cbx multi - node switch 300 and telephones 700 , 710 , and 720 . cbx multi - node switch 300 is , itself , comprised of processing systems 310 , 320 , and 330 . processing systems 310 , 320 , and 330 are interconnected by a local area network ( lan ) which is comprised of : ( a ) communications link 400 between processors 310 and 320 ; ( b ) communications link 410 between processors 320 and 330 ; and ( c ) communications link 420 between processors 310 and 330 . cbx multi - node switch 300 is connected to monitor 600 by means of rs232 link 450 . monitor 600 is comprised of : ( a ) ibm ps / 2 interface 610 which interacts with cbx multi - node switch 300 over rs232 communications link 450 to processor 320 and ( b ) ibm 370 mainframe 620 which interacts with ibm ps / 2 interface 610 over lu6 . 2 communications link 460 . as further shown in fig3 : ( a ) user 1 is connected to cbx multi - node 300 by means of a connection between telephone 700 and processor 310 ; ( b ) user 2 is connected to cbx multi - node 300 by means of a connection between telephone 710 and processor 330 ; ( c ) user 4 is connected to cbx multi - node 300 by means of a connection between telephone 720 and processor 320 ; and ( d ) user 2 is connected to ibm 370 mainframe 620 by means of terminal 730 and communications link 470 between terminal 730 and ibm ps / 2 610 . as one of ordinary skill in the art can readily appreciate , user 2 may have information displayed for him or her at terminal 730 . the system shown in fig3 is essentially the ibm callpath system which is comprised of three major components : ( a ) ibm 370 host 620 and callpath software manufactured by the ibm corporation ; ( b ) a cbx 9751 multi - node switch 300 which is manufactured by rolm systems of santa clara , calif . ; and ( c ) ibm ps / 2 interface 610 which is manufactured by ibm corporation . the following describes a sequence of events which occurs in the overall system shown in fig3 i . e ., the system comprised of cbx multi - node switch 300 , monitor 600 and the associated telephones and terminals . the sequence of events occurs when two users , for example , users 1 and 4 , call a single user , for example , user 2 . first , we will describe the manner in which these are handled without the use of the present invention in order to better illustrate the manner in which embodiments of the present invention operate to solve the problems inherent in the overall system . the first event occurs when user 1 uses telephone 700 to call user 2 at telephone 710 . when this occurs , switch 300 sends an activity status message to monitor 600 over communications link 450 to inform monitor 600 that user 1 has placed a call to user 2 . in response , monitor 600 retrieves information relevant to user 1 from , for example , a data base which resides in or is accessed by ibm 370 mainframe 620 . this information is transferred to ibm ps / 2 interface 610 over communications link 460 and is transferred , in turn , to terminal 730 where it is displayed for user 2 . the second event occurs when user 1 hangs up telephone 700 . when this occurs , switch 300 sends an activity status message to monitor 600 over communications link 450 to inform monitor 600 that user 1 has disconnected from user 2 . in response , monitor 600 performs the relevant clean - up functions of the screen of terminal 730 and , optionally , may update the information relevant to user 1 in response to information input by user 2 as a result of a conversation between user 1 and user 2 . the third event occurs when user 4 uses telephone 720 to call user 2 at telephone 710 . when this occurs , switch 300 sends an activity status message to monitor 600 over communications link 450 to inform monitor 600 that user 4 has placed a call to user 2 . in response , monitor 600 retrieves information relevant to user 4 from , for example , a data base which resides in or is accessed by ibm 370 mainframe 620 . this information is transferred to ibm ps / 2 interface 610 over communications link 460 and is transferred , in turn , to terminal 730 where it is displayed for user 2 . the fourth event occurs when user 4 hangs up telephone 720 . when this occurs , switch 300 sends an activity status message to monitor 600 over communications link 450 to inform monitor 600 that user 4 has disconnected from user 2 . in response , monitor 600 performs the relevant clean - up functions of the screen of terminal 730 and , optionally , may update the information relevant to user 4 in response to information input by user 2 as a result of a conversation between user 2 and user 4 . since cbx multi - node switch 300 is a multi - node system , activity status messages which are transmitted from switch 300 to monitor 600 might arrive out of order . for example , activity status messages may be delayed to such an extent that the following could occur and cause monitor 600 to respond inappropriately . for example , the first activity status message in the above - described series of events which is received by monitor 600 from switch 300 is that user 4 has placed a telephone call to user 2 . in response , monitor 600 will provide information for display at terminal 730 corresponding to user 4 . the next activity status message which is received by monitor 600 from switch 300 is that user 1 has placed a telephone call to user 2 . in response , monitor 600 will clean - up the screen at terminal 730 and monitor 730 will then provide information for display at terminal 730 corresponding to user 1 . the next activity status message which is received is that user 1 has hung up the telephone . in response , monitor 600 will clean - up the screen at terminal 730 . as one can readily appreciate , monitor 600 has produced inappropriate results . embodiments of the present invention solve this problem by utilizing a called target number ( ctn ) which provides information to monitor 600 which allows it to determine whether activity status messages were transmitted thereto out of order . specifically , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , a ctn comprises a major ctn and a minor ctn . a major ctn is a node identifier which identifies nodes of the distributed processing system . for example , with reference to switch 300 of fig3 each of processors 310 , 320 , and 330 is a node and each such node is assigned a unique node identifier such as , for example , a node number . thus , in accordance with the preferred embodiment , the major ctn is one byte which comprises a node identifier of the node which assigned the ctn , i . e ., the assignment node . further , the minor ctn is , for example , the current value of an incremental counter that counts , for example , from 0 to 32 , 767 decimal . thus , in accordance with the preferred embodiment , the minor ctn is two bytes which comprises the value of a counter . as a result , ctn is thus ctn ( assignment node identifier , counter value ). further , in accordance with the present invention , a ctn is assigned by the node which interacts with a called user , which node is referred to as a target node , and a ctn is updated within the target node independent of other nodes . the target node assigns the ctn and the ctn is then transmitted back to the caller user &# 39 ; s node , which node is referred to as an initiator node , for the initiator node &# 39 ; s use in transmitting an activity status message to the monitor . note that , in the telephony system described herein , ctn is needed for activity status messages that refer to events which are initiated by the caller user , i . e ., the initiator user , and ctn is not needed for activity status messages that refer to events which are initiated by the called user , i . e ., the target user . thus , ctn is only included in activity status messages that refer to events which are initiated from a caller user &# 39 ; s node . in addition , a ctn need not be used for every initiator user generated event because certain types of initiator user generated events are possible which do not lead to the type of &# 34 ; race &# 34 ; conditions that have been discussed above . for example , in the telephony system described herein , ctn is only provided for initiator events relating to a new target user and to such events which occur at the start of new call since only such events can lead to a &# 34 ; race &# 34 ; condition . as such , it is within the spirit of the present invention that embodiments exist wherein only certain predetermined types of events in a system utilize ctns and that other embodiments exist wherein every event in the system requires the use of a ctn . we will now describe how the inventive method utilizes ctn to solve the problems which occur in the above - described example . the first event occurs when user 1 uses telephone 700 to call user 2 at telephone 710 . processor 330 rings telephone 710 and generates a ctn relating to caller 1 at telephone 700 , i . e ., ctn ( processor 330 , counter for event # 1 )-- we will refer to this below as ctn (# 330 , 37 ), where 37 is the value of the counter for event # 1 . then , processor 330 sends ctn (# 330 , 37 ) back to processor 310 over the lan via communications link 420 and updates its counter by 1 -- if the counter hits a predetermined maximum value , it is recycled , i . e ., it is reset to 0 . switch 300 then arranges to send an activity status message to monitor 600 over communications link 450 to inform monitor 600 that user 1 has placed a call to user 2 . this arrangement occurs when processor 310 which is handling the user 1 request over telephone 700 , queues up an activity status message to be sent to monitor 600 . the activity status message notifies monitor 600 that a call set up is being made to user 2 at telephone 710 . as an example , such an activity status message takes the following form : call assign ( phone 700 , phone 710 , ctn (# 330 , 37 )). this activity status message is placed in a queue for routing to monitor 600 by transmission , first , to processor 320 over the lan via communications link 400 , and , from there , to interface 610 over communications link 450 . the second event occurs when user 1 hangs up telephone 700 . when this occurs , switch 300 arranges to send an activity status message to monitor 600 over communications link 450 to inform monitor 600 that user 1 has disconnected from user 2 . this arrangement occurs when processor 310 which is handling the user 1 request over telephone 700 , queues up an activity status message to be sent to monitor 600 . the activity status message notifies monitor 600 that a call disconnect is being made to user 2 at telephone 710 . as an example , such an activity status message takes the following form : call disconnect ( phone 700 , phone 710 ). note that there is no ctn appended to this activity status message because the activity concerning phone 700 and phone 710 involves the same target , i . e ., there is no new target involved . further , the &# 34 ; call disconnect &# 34 ; activity status message cannot lead to a &# 34 ; race &# 34 ; condition with respect to a &# 34 ; call assign &# 34 ; activity status message since such a &# 34 ; call assign &# 34 ; activity status message would include a ctn , which ctn would enable the monitor to determine the order of calls involving user 1 on telephone 700 . this &# 34 ; call disconnect &# 34 ; activity status message is placed in a queue for routing to monitor 600 by transmission , first , to processor 320 over the lan via communications link 400 , and , from there , to interface 610 over communications link 450 . the third event occurs when user 4 uses telephone 720 to call user 2 at telephone 710 . processor 330 rings telephone 710 and generates a ctn relating to caller 4 at telephone 720 , i . e ., ctn ( processor 330 , counter for event # 3 )-- we will refer to this below as ctn (# 330 , 41 ), where 41 is the value of the counter for event # 3 . then , processor 330 sends ctn (# 330 , 41 ) back to processor 320 over the lan via communications link 410 and updates its counter by 1 -- in this example , 41 is the value of the counter which has incremented by 1 over the last value which was used , assuming that other events have intervened between the events we are discussing . switch 500 then arranges to send an activity status message to monitor 600 over communications link 450 to inform monitor 600 that user 4 has placed a call to user 2 . this arrangement occurs when processor 320 which is handling the user 4 request over telephone 720 , queues up an activity status message to be sent to monitor 600 . the activity status message notifies monitor 600 that a call set up is being made to user 2 at telephone 710 . as an example , such an activity status message takes the following form : call assign ( phone 720 , phone 710 , ctn (# 330 , 41 )). this activity status message is placed in a queue for routing to monitor 600 by processor 320 to interface 610 over communications link 450 . now we will discuss how these activity status messages are used by monitor 600 . assume that the activity status messages which are sent to monitor 600 arrive in the following order : call assign ( phone 720 , phone 710 , ctn (# 330 , 41 )); call assign ( phone 700 , phone 710 , ctn (# 330 , 37 )); and call disconnect ( phone 700 , phone 710 ). these activity status messages will be placed in a queue and monitor 600 will respond to these three activity status messages in its queue as follows . first , in response to the first activity status message , i . e ., call assign ( phone 720 , phone 710 , ctn (# 330 , 41 )), monitor 600 will retrieve information relevant to user 4 from , for example , a data base which resides in or is accessed by ibm 370 mainframe 620 . this information is transferred to ibm ps / 2 interface 610 over communications link 460 and is transferred , in turn , over link 470 to terminal 730 where it is displayed for user 2 . for example , user 2 may be a loan department agent and , in such a case , a display screen of loans will be presented which correspond to user 4 . second , in response to the second activity status message , i . e ., call assign ( phone 700 , phone 710 , ctn (# 330 , 37 )), monitor 600 will recognize that a screen is already in use at user 2 terminal . although the second activity status message , by itself , suggests that monitor 600 should present a new screen to terminal 730 which is associated with user 2 , when the second activity status message is taken together with the first activity status message , monitor 600 will ignore the second activity status message . this is because the ctn for the second activity status message indicates that the activity status message relates to target node processor 330 , as did the first activity status message . however , the second part of the ctn for the second activity status message equals 37 and 37 was generated earlier than 41 , i . e ., the corresponding portion of the ctn for the first activity status message . as a result , monitor 600 is prevented from clearing an active screen and destroying the information related to current user 4 . finally , in response to the third activity status message , i . e ., call disconnect ( phone 700 , phone 710 ), monitor 600 will discard this activity status message because monitor 600 will recognize that it refers to an inactive call . in practice , a ctn will have an indeterminate value when a monitor first begins its monitoring operation since the ctns are generated by the distributed processing system independently of when a monitor is activated . further , as one of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate , although ctns may be generated in ascending order in increments of one from a target node , there may not be an activity status message transmitted to the monitor for each ctn that is generated . as a result , the monitor may not receive consecutively numbered ctns . still further , a ctn need not be generated for each target user access . for example , if a target is a trunk in a telephony system , ctns may not be required since the need for ctns due to race conditions may be avoided by the required reseize delay of trunks of a minimum of 500 ms , which time is typically more than enough time to produce a steady state and avoid a race condition . lastly , in practice , processor nodes are designed to reset the ctn counter to zero whenever a restart occurs within that node , a restart being , for example , a minor system reset that maintains the system state by keeping active calls in progress . in the preferred embodiment described above , a minor ctn has a value in the range between 0 and 32 , 767 decimal . as a result , because : ( a ) this range of values is finite ; ( b ) the value rolls over to 0 once the maximum of the range is reached ; and ( c ) the value could cycle around to the same number in the time , for example , 24 hours , it takes to make 32 , 767 calls to a given node , it is necessary for the monitor to take some precautions in using these values in certain applications . for example , in one such application , the ibm callpath application discussed above , the following assumptions are made concerning system performance : ( a ) two minutes is a sufficient amount of time between messages for a single target to avoid the &# 34 ; race &# 34 ; conditions that the use of ctn solves and ( b ) any given target node will not produce more than 1000 ctns in two minutes . as those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate , the design of any real time system will entail the use of certain assumptions regarding the environment which is served thereby . in the callpath application , monitor 620 , i . e ., ibm 370 monitor 620 , uses a table to store records of the currently relevant , active transactions , i . e ., callpath calls . because this application occurs in a telephony environment , as was described above , monitor 620 is only concerned with the initial activity status messages for a new transaction to determine whether any &# 34 ; race &# 34 ; conditions have occurred . when an activity status message is received by monitor 620 it is assigned a time . monitor 620 then searches the table , using the telephone number fields , to see if an &# 34 ; active &# 34 ; record pertaining to a transaction involving the parties exists . if there is such an &# 34 ; active &# 34 ; record , monitor 620 determines whether the record is more than two minutes old . this is done because , if such an &# 34 ; active &# 34 ; record is less than two minutes old , then a &# 34 ; race &# 34 ; condition could exist , i . e ., two activity status messages regarding an initial transaction have been received involving the telephone number and we have determined that the ctns have not had time to &# 34 ; cycle &# 34 ; around to the same number since we do not expect to process 32 , 767 telephone calls within two minutes . thus , if the two messages are more than two minutes apart , the older message is discarded . if a newly received activity status message has arrived less than two minutes after a previously received activity status message relating to the same telephone number , the ctns of the two activity status messages are then compared . in this embodiment , this comparison assumes that for this application no more than 1000 ctns will be generated from a given node within two minutes -- 1000 was chosen for this application to be a number which is small enough that it is minimal when compared to 32 , 767 and , yet , is large enough to cover almost all race conditions which occur for the specific telephony application , given the limitation of a maximum of 32 , 768 possible ctns . if the difference between the ctn of the most recently received activity status message and the ctn of the previously received activity status message is less than 1000 , then the ctn counter has not wrapped around and monitor 620 accepts the activity status message having the larger ctn . however , since we have assumed that the difference between the ctns must be less than 1000 within the two minute window , if the difference between the ctn of the most recently received activity status message and the ctn of the previously received activity status message is greater than 1000 , then the ctn counter has wrapped around . in this case , monitor 620 accepts the activity status message of the smaller ctn since it was generated later in time . finally , those skilled in the art recognize that further embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from its teachings .
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an artificial synapse chip 10 embodying features of the invention is shown in fig1 . fig1 a shows a perspective view , and fig1 b a plan view of an asc . the cell - contacting surface of the asc includes the substrate 12 , which may be made with any material or materials compatible with cell attachment and growth . for example , glass , ceramic , silicon , silicon compounds and mixtures , polyimide , polystyrene , polyethylene , polylactide , teflon ® or other polymer , are suitable materials . in preferred embodiments , substrate 12 includes polyimide . a micropattern 14 is provided on substrate 12 , effective to direct and guide the growth of cells and cell processes in contact with the substrate 12 . the micropattern 14 may be etched into substrate 12 , may be deposited onto substrate 12 , or may be integral with substrate 12 . in preferred embodiments , the micropattern 14 is made by microcontact printing onto the substrate 12 . the micropattern 14 may include growth factors , cell adhesion molecules , antibodies specific to cell surface proteins of the neurite or cell body , or other molecules or atoms effective to guide or modulate the growth of a neurite or the attachment of a cell or cell process . underlying the substrate 12 is a supporting layer 16 . an intermediate layer 18 , preferably formed with silicon , is provided adjacent to and below the supporting layer . a base layer 20 is shown lying below the intermediate layer 18 , so that intermediate layer 18 is sandwiched between supporting layer 16 and base layer 20 . in embodiments of the invention , supporting layer 16 and base layer 20 are formed with silicon nitride . silicon and silicon nitride provide stable intermediate and substrate layers , and may be produced and formed with widely available tools and knowledge for fabrication . techniques for silicon device production are highly reproducible and accurate at the sub - micron level . additionally , silicon allows for greater control of aperture geometry and location , including the ability to create arrays of apertures . the devices and methods of the invention may be used to direct the growth of cells and cell processes , and to modulate or stimulate such cells and cell processes . a “ cell process ” is an elongated portion of a cell extending out from a cell body , or soma , and may be an axon , a dendrite , a neurite , a growth cone , or other elongated growing portion of a cell . a “ neurite ” is an elongated portion , or process , of a neural cell often forming the leading portion of the neural cell in its growth on a substrate . a “ growth cone ” is a specialized tip of a neurite that leads the growth or movement of a cell in the direction of the tip . the term “ neurite ” is used herein to refer inclusively to all neuronal cell processes , including axons , dendrites , and neurites and growth cones together . neurites may be extended and retracted from a cell in a variety of directions and at different times . the direction and rate of their growth may be influenced by the substrate , chemical gradients in the environment and along the substrate , electrical fields , hormones , and other physical , chemical and biological influences . as used herein , “ growth ” of a cell process such as a neurite comprises the elongation and migration are normal actions of these cell processes and may occur spontaneously or may be artificially induced or enhanced . such growth may be directed by the devices and methods of the invention . directed growth of a cell process on a device embodying features of the invention is shown in fig1 a . a cell 26 , with a cell process ( neurite 28 with a growth cone 30 at its tip ) is shown in contact with substrate 12 and micropattern 14 . the path followed by neurite 28 and growth cone 30 on substrate 12 is guided by micropattern 14 so that neurite 28 and growth cone 30 are led to recess 22 and aperture 24 . recess 22 in the substrate 12 leads to an aperture 24 which forms a passage across the supporting layer 16 . as shown in fig1 b , the floor 32 of recess 22 is formed of supporting layer 16 free of overlying substrate 12 . aperture rim 34 , in supporting layer 16 surrounding aperture 24 , defines the passageway through supporting layer 16 . although only one cell and only one neurite is shown in fig1 a , it will be understood that a plurality of cells , neurites and growth cones may be in contact with substrate 12 , recess 22 and aperture 24 . a neurite may be directed by the path of micropatterned growth factors to a microfabricated aperture 24 , as shown in fig1 a . as shown in fig1 c and 1d , which are cross - sectional views taken along plane 1 c - 1 c of fig1 a , aperture 24 opens into reservoir 36 defined by wall 38 of the intermediate layer 18 and wall 40 of the base layer 20 . a membrane 42 , such as a lipid bilayer membrane , may be formed across aperture 24 to separate reservoir 36 from recess 22 . a membrane 42 , in place across aperture 24 , may prevent substantially all passage of material between recess 22 and reservoir 36 . however , membrane 42 may be a semi - permeable membrane effective to regulate the passage of material through aperture 24 without completely preventing all passage of material . for example , membrane 42 may form a semi - permeable membrane that allows the passage of some atoms , molecules , and ions while restricting the passage of other atoms , molecules and ions . a lipid bilayer membrane has such properties ; in particular , a lipid bilayer membrane containing molecules such as ion channels or carriers is able to readily pass specific ions while restricting or substantially preventing the passage of other ions . lipid bilayer membranes may be formed by langmuir - blodgett techniques as is known in the art . see , for example montal and mueller , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa . 69 : 3561 - 3566 ( 1972 ); montal , meth . enzymol . 32 : 545 - 556 ( 1974 ); and lindstrom et al ., j . biol . chem . 255 : 8340 - 8350 ( 1980 ). recess 22 and reservoir 36 may each contain a solution ; the solution in recess 22 may be the same or different from the solution in reservoir 36 . the solutions are preferably physiological solutions , such as a saline solution , that is compatible with cell growth and proliferation . examples of such solutions include phosphate - buffered saline , bicarbonate - buffered saline , hepes - buffered saline , dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium ( dmem , sigma chemical co ., st . louis mo ., cat . # d6546 ), and other solutions known in the art . the solutions may further contain bioactive agents 44 , so that recess 22 and / or reservoir 36 contain bioactive agents . bioactive agents present within recess 22 and / or reservoir 36 may thus have access to aperture 24 and membrane 42 . for example , reservoir 36 may contain hormones , neurotransmitters in liposomes , actual cells , or simply an ionic solution able to be held at an electric potential to stimulate the neuron . aperture 22 may thus be a stimulation site effective to stimulate a cell by chemical , hormonal , cellular , electronic , or other interactions . in all cases , the stimulation site is very specific to a single cell 26 , such as a neuron , and mimics the length scales of chemical synapses or gap junctions in the body . bioactive agents 44 may regulate the permeability of the membrane 42 , or may be capable of contacting and fusing with membrane 42 effective to deliver agents to the recess 24 from the reservoir 36 or from the recess 24 to the reservoir 36 . the bioactive agents are preferably present in reservoir 36 where the bioactive agents 44 are present in only one of recess 24 and reservoir 36 . bioactive agents 44 may include channel forming molecules , such as α - hemolysin , gramicidin , alamethicin , or other channel former ; substances such as drugs , neurotransmitters , chemoattractants , hormones , growth factors , adhesion molecules , amino acids , sugars , antibodies , and so forth ; dyes ; sources of cellular energy ; or other compounds . bioactive agents 44 may be micelles , liposomes , or biological membrane preparations containing ion channels , receptors , or other biologically active molecules that may fuse with and insert molecules into membrane 42 . such bioactive agents may be effective to stimulate cell 26 or to modulate its activity . an embodiment of the invention having electrodes 46 is shown in fig1 d . electrodes 46 may be made from any of a variety of materials , including silver , silver chloride , chromium , tin , indium , indium tin oxide , zinc oxide , colloidal stamped carbon , platinum , palladium , gold , aluminum , and other elements , oxides and materials known in the art . electrodes 46 may be used to carry electrical signals from power source 48 to supply current or impose a voltage between electrodes 46 and to stimulate cell 26 or modulate its activity . a cell , portion of a cell , or cells growing on an artificial synapse chip having features of the invention may be stimulated by neuromodulators delivered to a reservoir 36 and aperture 24 via a microfluidic delivery system . an artificial synapse chip 10 shown in fig1 e is part of a system including a fluid conduit 41 configured to carry a fluid 39 ( with fluid flow optionally induced by a pump 43 ) to a microfluidic channel 45 for delivery to reservoir 36 and aperture 24 . a fluid 39 is preferably a biocompatible fluid , such as a saline , preferably including ph buffers to maintain its ph near levels compatible with maintaining cellular health , and may include bioactive agents 44 , such as neurotransmitters , neuromodulators , liposomes including neurotransmitters , and other agents that may affect a cell . a supply of fluid 39 may be stored in a depot 47 operably connected to pump 43 and microfluidic channel 45 by fluid conduit 41 or by other means . a fluid 49 may be used to drain or remove excess or waste fluid . a pump effective to cause fluid 39 to flow in a desired direction may be any mechanism suitable for inducing fluid flow . a mechanism for inducing fluid flow may force fluid to flow due to a pressure differential , an osmotic differential , may induce flow by electrical means , including electro - osmotic means , or in other ways . for example , a pump 43 may include a mechanical pump mechanism , such as a piezoelectric , pneumatic , peristaltic , electrostatic , or electromagnetic pump . alternatively , or in addition , a pump 43 may include a non - mechanical pump mechanism , in which , for example , fluid force is generated by thermal , chemical ( including osmotic ), acoustic , magnetic , electric , or electrosomotic , means or mechanisms . pumps suitable for use with microfabricated devices , particularly electroosmotic pumps , are discussed in andersson et al ., sensors and actuators b 72 : 259 - 265 ( 2001 ); morf et al ., sensors and actuators b 72 : 266 - 272 ( 2001 ); morf et al ., sensors and actuators b 72 : 273 - 282 ( 2001 ); and zeng et al ., sensors and actuators b 82 : 209 - 212 ( 2002 ). for example , a portion of a system with a pump 43 is illustrated in fig1 f . the system includes an artificial synapse chip 10 having a cell with growth cone 30 growing over a pattern 14 on a silicon nitride substrate 16 , and a fluid conduit 41 comprised of two - parts , a buffer inlet 41 a and a transmitter inlet 41 b . not shown are a depot 47 containing buffer connected to buffer inlet 41 a and a depot 47 containing transmitter solution connected to transmitter inlet 41 b . the pump 43 illustrated in fig1 f is a micro - electro - mechanical ( mem ) pump similar to those used in ink - jet printers to eject drops of fluid . such pumps are described in , for example , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 734 , 395 to kamisuki et al . a mem pump as illustrated in fig1 f includes of a silicon diaphragm 51 , a counter electrode 53 , and a microfluidic channel 55 built over the diaphragm structure . the region of the microfluidic channel 55 above the diaphragm 51 is filled with fluid 39 and in fluid continuity with a depot 47 ( not shown ). the fluid contains bioactive agents 44 , which may be , for example , neurotransmitter agents , neuromodulatory agents , synaptosomes , or liposomes containing bioactive agents of any kind . initially , the diaphragm 51 is in a horizontal ( undeflected ) configuration . the application of a minute bias voltage between the diaphragm 51 and the counter electrode 53 is effective to deflect the diaphragm 51 downward as shown in fig1 f , thereby increasing the volume of the microfluidic channel 55 region above the diaphragm 51 and drawing fluid 39 from the depot 47 along transmitter inlet 41 b . removal of the bias voltage allows the diaphragm 51 to relax back to its initial position , forcing fluid out of microfluidic channel 55 and towards reservoir 36 and aperture 24 . neurotransmitter agents 44 in fluid 39 thus are transported near to reservoir 36 , and can diffuse into reservoir 36 and aperture 24 to contact growth cone 30 and affect the cell . in this way , for example , a brief pulse of neurotransmitter agent may be delivered to a cell having a portion growing across an aperture 24 . in embodiments of artificial synapse chips , conduit 41 would include simply transmitter inlet 41 b ; in other embodiments , such as the one illustrated in fig1 f , conduit 41 also includes a buffer inlet 41 a . flow of buffer solution through buffer inlet serves to flush out the microfluidic conduit 45 with buffer , carrying away neurotransmitter agents 44 , reducing or ending the effect of these agents . such flushing prepares the system for a subsequent pulse of neurotransmitter agents 44 as well as acting to end the effects of a prior pulse . diffusion of neurotransmitter agents 44 through aperture 24 can be very rapid due to the thinness of the aperture , which may be , for example , only about 500 nm thick . the diaphragm 51 of a mem pump 43 may flex at high frequency so as to eject fluid 39 at high frequency . pulses of bioactive agents 44 ( e . g ., neuromodulatory or neurotransmitter agents 44 ) may be delivered at high frequency , including frequencies ranging from between only a few cycles per second , or herz ( hz ) to about hundreds of khz . such rapid signaling matches the rapid signaling rates found in vivo in the brain and retina . the concentration of bioactive agents 44 is determined by several factors , including the mem ejector pulsing frequency , the flow rate of fluid through the microfluidic conduit 45 , and , where electro - osmotic flow may also be induced , the voltage on the optional buffer chamber electrodes . the concentration of bioactive agents 44 at the aperture 24 is determined in part by the diffusion rate , which is affected by the concentration . the size of a pump 43 , such as the ejector diameter determined by the diameter of the outlet 57 of transmitter inlet 41 b , can range from between a few microns ( μm ) to hundreds of μm . the size may depend on the required capacity of a microfluidic channel . the performance of a pump 43 and a system as illustrated in fig1 f depends on the design and materials used , and on the fluids employed during its use . for example , the damping experienced by the system is related to several factors , including fluid viscosity and the geometry of the microfluidic conduit 45 , the geometry of the microfluidic channel 55 , and the geometry of other components . in order to obtain the desired performance , preferred systems are configured with a diaphragm 51 comprised of polysilicon , a narrow microfluidic channel 55 and a small initial separation between the diaphragm 51 and the counter electrode 53 . since there is no threshold voltage for activating the motion of a polysilicon diaphragm , a mem ejector pump can deliver small volumes as small as attoliter to zeptoliter volumes . the power required to charge a capacitor of the size of a diaphragm 51 to a fraction of a volt is about a picowatt . a single photodiode , such as an avalanche photodiode capable of generating nanowatts of power , is thus able to charge hundreds or even thousands of such mem pumps to deliver bioactive agents to cells . the power to actuate a pump 43 may thus come from a photodiode in a photodiode array 59 as illustrated in fig1 f . light contacting such an array 59 is thus effective to actuate a pump 43 configured to pump a fluid 39 containing bioactive agents 44 into a microfluidic conduit 45 where the bioactive agents 44 may flow and diffuse through an aperture 24 and into contact with , for example , a growth cone 30 growing across an aperture 24 . in this way , for example , an artificial synapse chip 10 may be used to transduce a light signal into a biological signal . an array of artificial synapse chips 10 , or an array of systems including such chips , or an artificial synapse chip or chips having an array of apertures , may also be used in similar ways to transduce light signals into biological signals . alternatively , or in addition , electrical signals may be used to stimulate a cell or cells grown on an artificial synapse chip configured to direct the growth of cells , such as to direct cell growth towards electrodes . the components and features necessary to construct devices such as an artificial synapse chip 10 may be made using methods commonly termed “ microfabrication ” or “ nanofabrication ” techniques . methods for microfabrication useful for practice of the invention may be found in , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 776 , 748 to singhvi et al . ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 900 , 160 to whitesides et al . ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 060 , 121 to hidber et al . ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 180 , 239 to whitesides et al . ; “ patterning of a polysiloxane precursor to silicate glasses by microcontact printing ”, marzolin , et al ., thin solid films 1998 , 315 , 9 - 12 ; “ microfabrication , microstructures and microsystems ”, qin , et al . ; in microsystem technology in chemistry and life sciences , vol . 194 , manz , a . and becker , h ., eds . ; springer - verlag , berlin , 1998 , 1 - 20 ; “ unconventional methods for fabricating and patterning nanostructures ,” xia et al ., chem . rev . 99 : 1823 - 1848 ( 1999 ). all patents and publications , both supra and infra , are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety . the sophisticated microstructures that may be constructed using such microfabrication methods may be used to make devices such as artificial synapse chips 10 and to modify substrates . the structures shown in the following figures were made using the stanford nanofabrication facility ( leland stanford junior university , stanford , calif . 94305 ). an aperture 24 formed in a silicon nitride supporting layer 16 of an asc embodying features of the invention is shown in fig2 a . the view in fig2 a is in the same orientation as the view shown in fig1 b , showing the aperture 24 facing the cell - contacting surface of the asc . the aperture is approximately 10 μm in diameter ( scale bar represents 1 μm ). aperture 24 is bounded by rim 34 in exposed floor 32 of recess 22 . at the small scale shown in fig2 a , the aperture 24 is quite smooth , both in terms of shape and surface . to improve resolution , the device was first coated in gold . note that the plasma etching used for this processing does not create vertical sidewalls in the aperture . the aspect ratio of the sidewalls is roughly 2 . 5 : 1 . although the example of the aperture 24 shown in fig2 a forms a passageway through a supporting layer 16 made from silicon nitride , other materials may also be used , such as polymers and glass . a microfluidic reservoir 36 may be connected to the other side of recess 22 . a reservoir 36 may be configured to be of a size able to contain neuromodulatory agents in aqueous solution or aqueous suspension . aperture 24 provides a conduit for the delivery of the neuromodulatory agents from the reservoir 36 to at least a portion of a cell 26 . in addition , other conduits and fluidic delivery systems may be used to transport fluid and neuromodulatory agents to desired locations at or adjacent the aperture 24 , reservoir 36 , or other location . for example , where a depot containing a reserve of fluid and / or neuromodulatory agents is located at a position away from an aperture , a conduit may operably connect the depot with a reservoir 36 and with an aperture 24 . [ 0066 ] fig2 b is a scanning electron micrograph ( sem ) of a microfabricated well that has a microaperture in the bottom , showing reservoir 36 of an artificial synapse chip embodying features of the invention , viewed from the face opposite to the cell - contacting substrate surface 12 of the asc . shown at a larger scale than fig2 a , this micrograph of the reservoir 36 viewed from the trans side of the artificial synapse chip 10 shows the smooth silicon nitride surface surrounding the aperture 24 . wall 38 of the intermediate layer 18 and wall 40 of the base layer 20 are shown , with a small amount of base layer 20 shown framing the walls 38 and 40 . the black spot indicates the aperture 24 configured for cell attachment and stimulation ( not clearly visible at this magnification ). the reservoir 36 is designed for holding the culture solution for the cells . the size of the bottom of the well is 1 mm across . as shown in fig1 a and 1b , a substrate 12 of asc 10 may have a micropattern 14 effective to guide and direct the growth of a cell process , such as neurite 28 with growth cone 30 . such directed cell growth is shown in fig2 c , which is a scanning electron micrograph showing rat p7 retinal ganglion cells ( rgcs ) grown on a plastic substrate that was patterned with a laminin pattern . the insert at the bottom left of fig2 c illustrates the sawtooth pattern microfabricated onto the substrate before addition of the rgcs . as shown in the electron micrograph , both the cell bodies and the cellular processes follow the pattern quite closely . the scale bar represents a length of 100 μm . cells are also able to grow over a microfabricated aperture 24 through a supporting layer 16 of an asc 10 . fig2 d shows pc12 cells growing around and over a 5 μm - diameter aperture in a silicon nitride surface . the boundary of a reservoir 36 under the aperture 24 may be seen at the margins of fig2 d . a preferred method of producing a micropattern 14 is to contact substrate 12 with a microcontact printing stamp having an ordered assemblage of molecules , which may be a discontinuous assemblage , for deposition on to substrate 12 . microfabrication methods are suitable for making microcontact stamps . fig3 is a plan view sem of a stamp embodying features of the invention for making a micropattern 14 on a surface . the surface topology is given by the array of squares . deposition of material onto the surface of a stamp , and contacting a substrate 12 of a device , such as an artificial synapse chip 10 shown in fig1 with the stamp is effective to form a micropattern on a substrate 12 . the formation of a micropattern in this way is one method of microcontact printing . micropatterns formed by such microcontact printing methods are effective to align the position and growth of cells on a substrate . shown in fig3 is a scanning electron micrograph ( sem ) picture of a poly ( dimethylsiloxane ) ( pdms ) stamp that was made from a master that was micromachined from a silicon wafer . the microcontact stamp shown in fig3 has a surface topology given by an array of squares . other patterns , including circles , ovals , stripes , and other shapes , may be made on the surface of a microcontact stamp . microstamps such as the one shown in fig3 may be fabricated using photolithography techniques . for example , the stamp shown in fig3 was formed from a thin ( 1 - 7 μm ) photoresist layer on a silicon wafer that was patterned to create a master for the microcontact printing . the mask and stamp master was fabricated at the stanford nanofabrication facility . the master pattern consists of arrays of lines configured for cell attachment and neuron growth . the master was prepared by ultra - violet ( uv ) etching of a mask on positive photoresist on silicon , and pdms stamps were generated in situ on the master using sylgard 184 silicone elastomer followed by thermal curing . stamps were also prepared by pouring an elastomer and curing agent together to form pdms on a silicon master , degassed and allowed to set at room temperature . stamps were then made by cutting a portion of the pdms followed by plasma treatment to increase hydrophobicity for enhanced protein adsorption and imaged using sem . a variety of different stamp patterns may be produced by the methods , and adapted to the optimal line width or thickness , length and spacing for neurite growth . for example , line widths ranging from a few nanometers ( nm ) wide to several hundreds of micrometers ( μm ) wide may be used ; preferably , line widths range from about 10 nm to about 20 μm . lines may be as short as a few nm and may be as long as several millimeters ; preferably line length is within the range of about 10 nm to about 100 μm long . the spacing between lines in a pattern may range from about 1 μm to several hundreds of μm ; preferably line spacing is between about 2 μm to about 100 μm . following microfabrication of the stamps , the stamps were coated with molecules desired to be deposited onto a substrate 12 to provide a micropattern 14 . micropatterns may include biologically active molecules and agents such as neurotransmitters , hormones , growth factors such as nerve growth factors , epidermal growth factor , and insulin - like growth factor , co - stimulatory molecules , antibodies , and other biomolecules known in the art . for example , stamps may be coated with adhesion agents that promote call adhesion . adhesion agents include poly - l - lysine , cell tak ™ ( becton dickinson , franklin lakes , n . j . ), cell adhesion molecules such as neural cell adhesion molecule ( ncam ), lectins , and other adhesion agents known in the art . the adhesion agents may also be labeled with fluorescein for visualization . the pattern may be stamped on glass , silicon , silicon nitride , polyimide , polystyrene , polyethylene , polylactide , teflon ®, other polymer , or any substrate suitable for use as a substrate for cell growth . for example , a coated stamp may be contacted with a polyimide substrate on a silicon nitride supporting layer to provide a substrate to facilitate cell adhesion and growth . cell adhesion and growth may be monitored with a fluorescence microscope . a mercury arc lamp may be used to excite the fluorescent dye conjugated to the poly - l - lysine or other micropattern molecule to provide fluorescence signal for visualization of adhesion agents . a system 50 for implantation into an animal is shown in fig4 . in embodiments , the system is implanted into the retina of an animal . the system 50 includes an asc 52 , a photosensitive device 54 , a communication link 56 between the asc and the photosensitive device , and a power source 58 . the photosensitive device 54 may be separate from the asc 52 , or may be in contact with the asc 52 , or may comprise part of the asc 52 . the photosensitive device 54 may be a photomultiplier , a semiconductor photosensor , a chemical photosensor , a metallic photosensor such as a selenium or other photocell , or other photosensor known in the art . the communications link 56 may be any electrical conductor , such as a wire , tracing , or other electrical link . in embodiments , the communications link 56 is a chemical communications link , whereby a photosensor alters the chemical environment so that a chemical signal is delivered to at least a portion of the asc 52 . the power source 58 may be any power source , such as a battery , a thermal power source capable of producing power by a temperature gradient , or a photocell capable of producing energy from light . [ 0074 ] fig5 a illustrates an eye 60 of animal into which an asc 62 has been implanted . the asc 62 is shown implanted in the subretinal space 64 of the animal , so that it occupies a position between the retinal photoreceptors 66 and the retinal pigment epithelium 68 . in embodiments of the invention , the asc 62 may be implanted near the ganglion cell layer 70 on the inner limiting membrane 72 near the boundary of the vitreous humor 74 . a detailed view of the subretinal space 64 and implanted asc is shown in fig5 b . ascs may be used for implantation into the nervous system of an animal . for example , ascs embodying features of the invention may be implanted into a retina of an animal to provide a neural prostheses where the retina suffers from traumatic injury , disease or degeneration . patterns may include one or a combination of molecules such as neurotrophins and growth factors including nerve growth factor , brain - derived growth factor ( bdgf ), epidermal growth factor ( egf ), ciliary neurotrophic factor ( cntf ), glial - derived neurotrophic factor ( gdnf ), nt - 3 , fibroblast growth factors ( fgf ), insulin - like growth factor ( igf ), platelet - derived growth factor ( pdgf ), vascular endothelial growth factors ( vegf ) and others ; cyclic nucleotides such as cyclic adenosine monophosphate , cyclic guanosine monophosphate and others ; extracellular matrix molecules such as laminin , tenascin , collagen , fibronectin , integrins , immunoglobins ( including molecules such cell adhesion molecules n - cam and l - cam , axonin , cadherins , and so forth ), proteglycans , anosmin - 1 , thrombospondin and others ; myelin and myelin associated inhibitors such as myelin - associated glycoprotein and nogo ; tyrosine kinase receptors such as ephrins ; netrins ; inflammatory cytokines such as transforming growth factor δ , leukemia inhibitory factor ( lif ), tumor necrosis factors ( tnf ), interleukins , and others ; neurotransmitter such as acetylcholine and others ; stimulatory molecules such as potassium chloride , insulin , and others ; co - stimulatory molecules , antibodies , and other growth and modulatory factors known in the art . it is critical to optimize the retention of the pattern for transfer from the stamp to the cellular system for use of the substrate in implantation , such as retinal implantation . the line width and concentration of biomolecules may be used to control the number of neurites per microprinted line . the degree of pattern transfer may be determined using microscopy . as shown in fig1 the recesses 22 and reservoirs 36 of the devices of the present invention are suitable for the storage of neuromodulatory agents , and for the delivery of neuromodulatory agents to at least a portion of a cell . the present invention provides the ability to direct the delivery of neuromodulatory agents to single cells , in particular to localized portions of such cells , by directing the growth of cell processes to nanoapertures , and delivering neuromodulatory agents to the cell processes via the nanoapertures . suitable neuromodulatory agents include any agent effective to stimulate a cell , or to modulate the effects of other agents effective to stimulate a cell . for example , the neuromodulatory agents may be neurotransmitters , hormones , ions , messenger molecules , nucleic acids , nucleic acid vectors , drugs , cells , cell fragments , cell organelles , liposomes , or other biologically active materials . neuromodulatory agents such as neurotransmitters include amino acids such as glutamate , aspartate , and glycine , and related neurotransmitters and stimulatory agents such as n - methyl - d - aspartate ( nmda ), alpha - amino - 3 - hydroxy - 5 - methyl - 4 - isoxalone propionic acid ( ampa ), quisqualate , and kainate , and analogs thereof , and other glutaminergic and glycinergic agents known in the art ; cholinergic agents such as acetylcholine , suberyldicholine , analogs thereof and other cholinergic agents known in the art ; adrenergic agents such as dopamine , epinephrine , norepinephrine , analogs thereof , and other adrenergic agents known in the art ; serotinin , and serotonergic agents known in the art ; gamma - amino butryic acid ( gaba ) and other gaba - ergic agents known in the art ; taurine , octopamine , nucleotide phosphates such as adenosine triphosphate ( atp ), adenosine diphosphate ( adp ) and guanosine diphosphate ( gdp ) and triphosphate ( gtp ), cyclic nucleotides such as cyclic adenosine monoposphate ( camp ) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate ( cgmp ), and other neurotransmitter and neuromodulator molecules known in the art . in addition , neurotransmitters include all agents active at neurotransmitter receptors , such as glutamate receptors , nmda - receptors , ampa - receptors , glycine receptors , dopamine receptors , acetylcholine receptors , and others known in the art . neuromodulatory agents also include messenger agents including peptide hormones and neuromodulators such as enkephalins , endorphins , adrenocorticotrophin hormone ( acth ), vasoactive intestinal peptide ( vip ), and other peptides known in the art , steroid hormones , second messengers such as inositol phosphates , and ions such as calcium , potassium , zinc and salts thereof . these agents may be free in aqueous solution or aqueous suspension , may be present in micelles , or may be carried by liposomes . liposomes , as is known in the art , are small membranous vesicles suitable for delivery of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds . pharmaceutical administration systems based on liposomes are described in , e . g ., gregoriadis , g . ( editor ) liposome technology , vol . ii , incorporation of drugs , proteins and genetic material , crc press 1984 , and in knight , c . g . ( editor ), liposomes : from physical structure to therapeutic applications , elsevier 1981 . neuromodulatory agents suitable for the practice of the invention further include biological membrane preparations containing ion channels , receptors , or other biologically active molecules , as described in , e . g ., coronado et al . j . gen . phys . 76 : 424 - 446 ( 1980 ). such biological membrane preparations may fuse with and insert molecules into a membrane 42 across an aperture 24 , or into the membrane of a cell 26 , neurite 28 or growth cone 30 . for example , gramicidin , alamethicin , and other molecules known in the art are suitable pore - forming molecules for the practice of this embodiment of the invention . ion channel molecules suitable for the practice of the invention include multi - subunit macromolecule assemblies such as ligand - gated ion channels including cyclic nucleotide - gated channels , calcium - activated channels , achr ion channels , glutamate receptor ion channels , including all nmda , ampa , quisqualate , kainate subtypes , glycine receptor ion channels , and voltage - gated ion channel molecules and multi - subunit macromolecular assemblies such as sodium channels , potassium channels , calcium channels , chloride channels , and other channels , including gap junction channels , mechanosensitive channels , non - gated , and non - selective channels . carrier molecules such as amphotericin are also suitable . alternatively , membranes may be formed with proteins , such as pore - formers and carriers , already incorporated as part of the membrane - forming material . see , e . g ., schindler , methods enzymol . 1989 : 171 : 225 - 253 . microfabricated apertures on a silicon chip surfaces have been made using the stanford nanofabrication facility . microfabricated wells with microfabricated apertures are shown in fig2 . standard silicon processing techniques were adapted for producing micrometer and nanometer - sized apertures in a silicon nitride membrane . using low - pressure chemical vapor deposition ( lpcvd ), silicon nitride was grown on the surface of & lt ; 100 & gt ; orientation silicon wafers . a combination of lithography to define the structures in a photosensitive polymer was followed by plasma etching to pattern the structures in the silicon nitride creates apertures on one side of the wafer and an etchant masking layer on the other side . an anisotropic etchant , such as tetramethylammonium hydroxide ( tmah ), was used to remove the silicon along the { 111 } crystal plane , but leave the silicon nitride unaffected . this produced a via hole ( a connecting passageway ) beneath the aperture , exposing the silicon nitride membrane and completing the processing . shown in fig2 a is a sem of the microfabricated container . note the black spot indicated by the arrow is the microetched aperture adapted for cell attachment and stimulation . the well was designed for holding the culture solution for the cells . the size of the bottom of the well is 1 mm across . fig2 b shows the microaperture in the bottom of the container shown in fig2 a . the microaperture is approximately 10 μm in diameter . although not shown , the other side of the aperture is connected to a microchannel reservoir that is made by sealing a pdms stamp with microchannels to the underside of this substrate . the conduit , or via , opens into a microfluidic channel that serves as a reservoir for neuromodulatory agents that may be applied to cells adherent to the substrate . the microfluidic channel was made from a standard pdms stamp as described above and sealed to the wafer . such a microfluidic channel can be readily sealed to the wafer with excellent sealant properties . for example , a pdms stamp having a channel may be bonded to a silicon nitride surface after acid cleaning ( e . g ., hcl ) and plasma treating , forming an irreversible bond . the microfluidic channel described has wide ranging ramifications for use including ( 1 ) acting as general purpose buffer reservoir for constant replenishing / exchanging waste products from the other side of the cell ( 2 ) delivery of transmitters , liposomes , voltage / current clamping of the cell , or ( 3 ) for sampling released products from the cell . apertures may be formed in sizes ranging from a few nm to a few tens of μm over which cells may be grown . for example , cells may be grown directly over 50 nm apertures . use of an aperture smaller than the length scale of the neuron is effective to insure that only a single cell is stimulated . this example describes the manufacture and optimization of devices embodying features of the invention for use in forming bilayer membranes across the microfabricated apertures of the devices . chips were made with surface areas of about 1 cm 2 and with a final thickness of roughly 0 . 5 mm . circular apertures of 25 μm through 250 μm ( diameter ) were plasma etched in 500 nm thick silicon nitride . the chips were covered in a thick polyimide , except for a square region of exposed silicon nitride 500 μm on a side . fabrication was done at the stanford nanofabrication facility ( snf ) with 4 inch , & lt ; 100 & gt ; orientation , boron - doped , double - polished silicon wafers , nominally 500 μm thick . using low - pressure chemical vapor deposition ( lpcvd ), a thin layer ( 500 nm ) of silicon nitride was grown on the surface of the wafers . standard contact photolithography and plasma etching of the silicon nitride was used to define the small features ( e . g ., the apertures ). the larger features on the backside of the wafer were similarly defined using backside alignment , contact photolithography , and plasma etching . the silicon was etched anisotropically along the { 111 } plane at an angle of 54 . 7 ° to the wafer surface . the square hole in the backside of the wafer was chosen to yield a square 180 μm larger than , and centered on , the aperture . this left a thin silicon nitride membrane freely spanning the region without any silicon support . because of the high tensile strength of silicon nitride , this nitride membrane was quite strong and stable , and was able to readily withstand the forces generated during processing . with the features defined in the silicon nitride , the wafers were placed in 20 % tetramethylammonium hydroxide ( tmah ) at 100 ° c . for approximately 6 hours . the silicon nitride acted as a mask , allowing the tmah to etch anisotropically through the wafer along the { 111 } crystal plane . since the exposed silicon is conductive , it was necessary to oxidize the surface to reduce capacitance and noise . this was accomplished with a steam oxidation at 1100 ° c . for 4 hours , providing ˜ 1 . 1 μm of oxide . finally , to reduce the capacitance further , a photosensitive polyimide ( durimide 7520 , arch chemicals , zwijndrecht , belgium ) was spun on 30 - 70 μm thick , exposed under a contact aligner , developed , and cured , yielding a coating 15 - 35 μm thick . to create a hydrophobic surface , the chips were then soaked in a mixture of hexadecane ( sigma , st . louis , mo . ), chloroform , and octyltrichlorosilane ( aldrich , milwaukee , wis .) in a ratio 80 : 19 : 1 ( by volume ) for 15 minutes per side . two rinses in chloroform for 5 minutes each completed the processing . the coating was tested by applying ˜ 5 μl droplets of water and verifying that the contact angle was greater than 90 °. one advantage of silicon is the ability to control the thickness of the bilayer supporting partition ( bsp ). the thickness of the silicon nitride bsp was chosen to be an order of magnitude smaller than teflon ® partitions used to form apertures for bilayer formation ( 6 - 25 μm ), with the expectation that thinner partitions provide a smaller solvent torus and a larger bilayer area . the partition is still a couple of orders of magnitude larger than a 2 - 4 nm bilayer , so bending of the lipids from the edges of the partition to the bilayer is still necessary . however , this bending distance is smaller , yielding a larger bilayer area relative to the aperture size . the impact of this upon stability is unknown , but it does allow more area for protein insertion and the ability to create bilayers across smaller apertures . an asc is to able to provide precise stimulation of neurons and the making of sensitive electrical measurements . as with any electronic circuit , excessive capacitance may present a problem by increasing electrical noise . excessive capacitance is a problem for two reasons : ( 1 ) electrical noise due to the access resistance in series with this capacitance , and ( 2 ), where a lipid bilayer is to be made across the aperture of an asc , the inability to observe the membrane capacitance over the background . since silicon is a conductor at room temperature , any contact of the bath to the silicon effectively connects the entire area of the chip to the system . a 1 cm 2 chip with 500 nm of silicon nitride ( ε ≈ 7 . 5 ) has a capacitance of 13 nf , three orders of magnitude greater than the capacitance of a 25 μm diameter bilayer . however , a thin bsp in a solution containing charge - carriers has a large capacitance , which may present a problem where precise electrical measurements or precise electrical stimulation of a cell are desired . the solution to this problem was found to be two - fold . first , to remove the electrical connection between the silicon and bath , the wafers were exposed to steam at 1100 ° c ., yielding just over a micron of oxide on all exposed silicon surfaces . this reduced the capacitance by a factor of two , since the system effectively becomes two nitride capacitors in series connected by a silicon conductor . it does , however , simplify the capacitative model of the system by removing discontinuities that would occur as the bath contacts the silicon . second , capacitance was reduced by addition of a polyimide layer . a negative , photosensitive polyimide ( ε = 3 . 5 ) was chosen that can be processed using standard lithography . an application of 30 to 100 μm of polyimide becomes 15 to 50 μm when cured . in addition , the cured polyimide is highly resistant to solvent degradation . the design leaves 500 μm by 500 μm of nitride uncovered over the aperture . manipulation of the solution level so that only 5 mm by 5 mm of the chip was exposed to solution , reducing the capacitance from 35 μm of polyimide to only 22 pf . lipid bilayers were formed by the method of montal and mueller ( 1972 ). in practicing the langmuir - blodgett technique , one raises two lipid monolayers across an aperture , allowing the lipids to align their hydrophobic tail portions across the aperture so as to form a lipid bilayer . because of the hydrophobic nature of the lipid tails , in order to form stable bilayers the surface of a bsp must also be hydrophobic . if the substrate is hydrophobic , the lipids can smoothly transition from coating the substrate to spanning the aperture . to reverse the wetting properties of the naturally hydrophilic silicon nitride , the silicon nitride was coated with an alkylsilane ( octyltrichlorosilane ). application of this coating was quite simple and very effective . it was not found to be possible to form a bilayer with untreated devices . use of longer carbon chain silanes or alternative materials to make the surface even more hydrophobic would further increase bilayer stability . the characteristics of the devices are shown in table 1 . the thickness of the polyimide was varied to verify our background capacitance model for the chips . the model is based upon our chambers , where the baths contact 5 mm by 5 mm of chip . the intrinsic capacitance of the baths and amplifier was measured to be 7 . 2 pf , and is included in this number . for a 50 μm aperture device , where the polyimide is 32 um thick , the model yields a background capacitance of 45 pf , compared to 77 pf for 6 μm thick teflon ®. the bilayer specific capacitance was determined simply by dividing the difference between the measured total capacitance and the calculated background capacitance by the area of the aperture . this number is in the range of 0 . 64 to 0 . 70 μf / cm 2 and corresponds well with that found in other artificial bilayer experiments . the total capacitance was measured within a few minutes after bilayer formation to avoid changes due to bilayer thinning . note that as the aperture area decreased , the bilayer capacitance became quite small compared to the background , yielding a large error in the specific capacitance . the empirical evidence for the formation of a bilayer on any chip was threefold . for the largest size apertures , the change in capacitance due to the bilayer was readily observable . for a typical specific capacitance value of 0 . 65 μf / cm 2 , a bilayer on a 100 μm aperture would have a capacitance of 51 pf , which is easily observed over a 65 pf background . in addition , a resistance through the aperture greater than 1 gω indicates the presence of a bilayer . for all aperture sizes , a “ gigaseal ” of at least 2 . 5 gω was observed , indicating the formation of a bilayer . for smaller apertures , it was more difficult to observe the capacitance change over the background . in this case , membrane - bound proteins that affect the electrical properties of the bilayer , such as carriers and ion channels , offered the best proof of the formation of a bilayer . the ion channel peptide gramicidin d ( gd ), was chosen for ease of use and large conductance change . a lipid bilayer membrane is required in order for gramicidin d to increase current flow . after adding 5 to 20 μl of 2 mg / ml gd ( sigma , st . louis , mo .) in ethanol to each bath , the conductance of the bilayer dramatically increased within minutes , while the capacitance remained constant . the addition of ethanol by itself had no effect . thus , the increase in current flow in response to an applied potential ( measured by an increase in conductance ) indicated that a true lipid bilayer had been formed . observing individual ion channels or pores requires that the electrical noise to be as small as possible . in addition to environmental sources and capacitative noise , there are two major sources of electrical noise : photocarriers in the silicon , and access resistance . the first noise source , light , is produced when light incident upon the chip excites carriers across the band gap , creating a fluctuating charge between the two layers of nitride . depending on the source and intensity of light , the noise produced may measure tens to hundreds of picoamperes peak - to - peak . simply shutting off room lights or enclosing the setup in a light proof box was sufficient to reduce the electrical noise contributed by from noise source . the other source of electrical noise was due to the access resistance of the baths in series with the bilayer capacitance . the total access resistance ( r a ) contains three components : the bulk bath resistivity ( 32 a - cm ), the bath resistivity in the aperture , and the access resistance to the aperture . for a small access resistance , the expected noise in amperes rms was { square root }{ square root over ( 4ktr α ( 2πf 2 c ) 2 )} where f is the measurement bandwidth . the results of this calculation for each tested chip are shown in table 1 . for the 50 μm aperture , the expectation from this calculation was 1 . 4 pa rms , while the actual measured values were between 1 . 8 pa and 2 . 4 pa . the difference was attributed to local environmental noise . bilayers were formed by the technique of montal and mueller ( 1972 ). the aperture was first pretreated with ˜ 5 μl of 1 : 9 ( v : v ) hexadecane : hexane ( burdick & amp ; jackson , muskegon , mich .). the chip was mounted between two teflon ® baths with silicone high vacuum grease ( dow corning , midland , mich .). each bath was filled with 1 m kcl to just below the aperture . a solution of 5 μl at 10 mg / ml of 1 , 2 - diphytanoyl - sn - glycerophosphocholine ( avanti polar lipids , alabaster , ala .) in chloroform was applied to each bath and allowed to evaporate . when the water level in each bath was raised , a lipid bilayer formed across the aperture , as evidenced by the capacitance and conductance of the device . the ability to support the formation of a bilayer that will be stable for an extended period of time is an important property for any supporting substrate . lipid bilayer membranes formed on ascs were found to be very stable . ascs were found to have two advantages over teflon ® partitions in terms of stability . first , lipid bilayer membranes formed on ascs were thinner than those formed on teflon ® partitions , but are also more rigid . teflon ® partitions flex under changes in pressure , whereas nitride is comparatively inflexible . second , the nitride surface and aperture edge are smooth at the nanometer level ( see fig2 ), unlike mechanically formed apertures in teflon ® partitions , which have micron - scale defects along the aperture edge . membrane stability was demonstrated by observing lipid bilayer membrane lifetime . roughly half of the bilayers broke within the first few minutes , but some were stable for much longer . the longest bilayer lifetime observed was 8 hours . no attempts to measure systematically for longer than this time scale were made . it was found that the number of stable bilayers that were formed depended heavily on the cleanliness of the chip . it was rather easy to form a stable bilayer membrane using a fresh asc device that had just completed processing . however , it was more difficult to form a stable bilayer membrane on an asc that was reused after cleaning . lipid bilayer membrane formation was found to be impossible following use of a cleaning process that left a residue across the aperture . ion channel activity due to staphylococcal α - hemolysin ( αhl ) channels was studied in lipid bilayer membranes formed across asc apertures . this 293 - amino acid heptameric pore forms 2 nm channels through the lipid bilayer . single - channel recordings were performed with a patch clamp amplifier ( heka epc - 8 , heka elektronik , lambrecht , germany ) and an analog - to - digital converter ( instrutech itc - 18 , port washington , n . y .) sampled at 10 khz . filtering was performed with a built - in 7 - pole low - pass bessel filter at 5 khz . the data was collected on computer using pulse 8 . 4 ( heka ) and analyzed with igor pro 4 . 0 ( wavemetrics , lake oswego , oreg .). the αhl pores were added to the cis chamber ( 1 to 10 μl at 321 ng / ml ), and held at − 40 mv ( trans side grounded ). addition of αhl to the trans side also yielded channels , but the diffusion time was longer due to the relatively long , narrow cavity . [ 0105 ] fig6 a and 6c illustrate α - hemolysin ( αhl ) single - channel currents recorded from artificial bilayer membranes across 100 μm apertures in microfabricated devices exposed to β - cyclodextrin ( acd ) in the trans bath . the holding potential was + 40 mv ( the cis bath was at ground potential ). shown in fig6 a are representative single - channel data for αhl channels . in similar experiments , voltage pulses of − 40 mv were applied for 750 ms , and currents were recorded , giving measured currents of 31 . 0 ± 3 . 2 pa per channel ). the calculated pore conductance of 811 ± 55 ps was typical for αhl channels . the added β - cyclodextrin ( βcd ), which inserts reversibly in the trans side of the channel , causes fluctuations in the current flow through the channel as the molecules move in and out of the protein . this effect is found at micromolar concentrations ( e . g ., 40 μm to 300 μm of βcd ). when a channel becomes blocked , a clearly observable current reduction occurs , as shown in fig6 a . partial blocking events from βcd appear as downward spikes . the βcd events are more clearly shown in the inset at higher sampling rates ( 100 khz ) and expanded time scales . these results were in agreement with previous results for such channel recordings obtained with bilayers formed across teflon ® partitions . fig6 b shows a current voltage plot of αhl single - channel currents in 1m kcl , 10 mm kpi at ph 7 . 4 . the fit ( solid line ) is through the points at − 40 mv and + 40 mv . fig6 c shows current as a function of time for two αhl channels in artificial bilayer membranes across 100 μm apertures in microfabricated devices at ± 200 mv and at ± 300 mv . use of the artificial synapse for single cell stimulation and excitation methods for stimulating cells through the nanoaperture and measuring their activity using fluorescence from ca 2 + sensitive dyes include the following : ( 1 ) voltage clamping the cell to the aperture ( applying suction via the microchannel ) and varying the voltage of the buffer in the microfluidic channel ; ( 2 ) chemical stimulation of the cell by pulsing a bolus of neurotransmitter to the under side of the cell ; ( 3 ) microfluidic bolus of liposomes containing transmitters to the aperture opening ; ( 4 ) microfluidic reservoir of engineered cells that would stimulate the neurite through the release of transmitters . a subconfluent layer of pc12 cells is cultured on an array of microapertures fabricated . cell activity is measured by fluorescence microscopy with the cells loaded with ca 2 + sensitive dyes ( such as , e . g ., indo - 1 , fura - 2 , fluo - 3 , calcium green , aequorin ). the fluorescence serves both to monitor the activity of the cell directly above the aperture and to see the effect on neighboring cells . the surface may be modified around the aperture to achieve a good “ seal ” to the cell membrane ( where a good seal is mechanically stable and has an electrical resistance near to or in excess of one gigaω ). surface modifiers may include different extracellular matrix proteins and “ cell tak ” ( becton dickinson ). different stimulation techniques suitable for use with the devices and methods of the invention include temporal and spatial resolution and chronic stimulation . the size of the aperture may be varied as well . in addition , the aperture may be coated with a single lipid bilayer with preloaded ion channels or artificial pore - forming molecules , including proteins that can form pores . these lipid bilayer membranes can be formed by as described in previous examples . the ion channel or pore - forming molecules may be are already part of the membrane if they were part of the material used to form the membrane , or are then incorporated into the bilayer . a microstamp , such as a pdms stamp , is used to make a micropattern to overlay onto an array of microfabricated apertures . the micropattern is effective to direct the growth of cells cultured on the asc substrate so that neurites of the cells grow to , adjacent to , or over asc apertures . any suitable alignment system may be used to align the microstamp pattern with the apertures on the chip . pc12 cells , retinal ganglion cells , or other cells grown on the substrate may be stimulated as described above on the array of microapertures connected the various microfluidics reservoirs . cells growing on asc substrates are stimulated by voltage pulses from electrodes in contact with the solution in the recess and in the reservoir . the voltage pulses are effective to depolarize the cell process adjacent or across the aperture . depolarization voltages range from about 1 mv to about 100 mv . depolarizations of between about 10 mv to about 50 mv are found to be the most effective . liposomes containing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and adenosine - tris - phosphate are placed in the reservoir . a lipid bilayer membrane spans the aperture . cells with processes growing across or adjacent to the aperture are stimulated by contact with neurotransmitter released by liposomes fusing with the lipid bilayer membrane . fusion is promoted by an osmotic gradient across the liposome membrane and across the lipid bilayer membrane . fusion is also promoted by electrical gradients , optical methods , inclusion of fusion - promoting molecules in the liposomes and or membranes , and in other ways . neuronal excitation is measured using fluorescence with ca 2 + sensitive dyes , electrical recording , and biochemical analysis to detect neurotransmitter release from the cultured cells into solutions in the recess or reservoir adjacent the aperture . a device for localized fluid delivery 84 consists of two components , one for localization and one for fluid manipulation . devices as illustrated in fig1 a - 1 d , with or without a substrate 12 or base layer 20 , combined with the device of fig7 a , as shown in fig7 b , are configured for localized fluid delivery . fig7 a illustrates a fluidic channel portion 76 embodying features of the invention , configured to provide fluid flow to and from a reservoir 36 and aperture 24 of an asc 10 . a device for localized fluid delivery 84 is illustrated in fig7 b . fig7 b illustrates the bonding process between an asc 10 and a device for fluid manipulation 76 to provide a device for localized fluid delivery 84 . for localization , the devices use small apertures 24 ( 5 or 10 μm ) in thin silicon nitride membranes 16 ( e . g ., fig7 b ). by providing an aperture 24 of small enough size , fluid delivery may be limited in both volume and location . the devices 84 used in these experiments were 1 cm 2 chips , with a thickness of roughly 0 . 5 mm . the silicon nitride layer 16 was patterned using plasma etching to create the aperture 24 and a square hole ( a reservoir 36 ) in the backside of the wafer . the silicon was etched anisotropically along the ( 111 ) plane at an angle of 54 . 7 ° to the wafer surface , using the silicon nitride as an etch mask . the square hole 36 in the backside of the wafer was chosen to yield a region 100 μm larger than the aperture 24 . this left a thin silicon nitride membrane 16 freely spanning the region without any silicon support . silicon nitride is transparent to the visible wavelengths of light , so cells were easily imaged through this membrane . because of the high tensile strength of silicon nitride , this silicon nitride membrane was quite strong and stable ; it readily withstood the forces generated during processing . after localization , the other necessary component for a device for localized fluid delivery 84 is fluid delivery to the aperture . to accomplish this , a channel 78 made from pdms ( fig7 a ), in fluid continuity with an inlet 80 and an outlet 82 , was attached beneath the aperture 24 of an asc 10 ( fig7 b ). a master mold was made from 300 μm thick su - 8 photoresist on a silicon wafer using conventional photolithography and a mask made on a transparency using an office printer . the channels 78 were 900 μm wide , 150 μm deep , and 8 mm long , while the pdms was poured approximately 5 mm deep . a cartoon depicting this design is shown in fig7 a . once the pdms cured , the channels 78 were attached to the asc 10 as illustrated in fig7 b . the pdms was diced into 1 cm 2 pieces , with one channel per device . both the silicon and the pdms were cleaned in a dilute hydrochloric acid solution ( 1 : 4 ), followed by air plasma at 100 w for 60 seconds . the acs 10 with its silicon aperture 24 was aligned and centered on top of the pdms channel 78 , and bonded by squeezing the pieces together (˜ 0 . 2 n ) and heating on a hot plate at 80 ° c . ( see fig7 b ). once complete , this bond was irreversible ; the pdms will tear before separating from the silicon nitride . since rat pheochromocytoma cells ( pc12 ) do not readily adhere to most substrates , including silicon / silicon nitride , it was therefore necessary to treat the devices 84 to modify its surface before seeding with cells . the devices 84 were first immersed in poly ( d - lysine ) at 50 μg / ml for 30 minutes at room temperature . the poly ( d - lysine ) provides a sticking layer for an application of mouse laminin , to which the pc12 cells adhered and spread . after rinsing the devices 84 in phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ), the laminin was applied at 5 μg / ml in pbs for 8 hours in an incubator ( 37 ° c ., 6 . 5 % co 2 ). the devices 84 were then rinsed in pbs and were ready for use . measurement of bradykinin stimulation was accomplished by observing changes in intracellular ca 2 + levels using fluo - 4 ( molecular probes , eugene , oreg .). the loading solution was made from fluo - 4 reconstituted in dimethylsulfoxide ( dmso ) at 1 mm mixed in ringer &# 39 ; s solution ( 135 mm nacl , 5 mm kcl , 10 mm d - glucose , 2 mm mgcl 2 , 2 mm cacl 2 , 10 mm hepes , ph 7 . 2 ) to a final fluo - 4 concentration of 1 μm . the stimulating solution was a mixture of bradykinin ( sigma , st . louis , mo . ), ringer &# 39 ; s , and sulforhodamine 101 ( sigma ). bradykinin was reconstituted in ringer &# 39 ; s at 1 mg / ml ( 1 mm ), and then diluted to the desired testing concentration . sulforhodamine ( texas red ) was reconstituted in dmso at 8 mm , and added to the stimulating solution to yield a final concentration of 4 - 8 μm . the texas red dye provided a means to visualize simultaneously the fluid flow and stimulation . changes in fluorescent levels were observed with either an inverted fluorescence microscope or an upright confocal microscope . the inverted microscope , used for the single - cell stimulation data was a nikon te300 ( 10x , 0 . 30 numerical aperture ( na )) with a hamamatsu orca er ccd camera . the data was collected with metamorph ( universal imaging corporation , downingtown pa .). the confocal microscope , used for the multi - cell and two - color experiments , was a nikon e800 ( 10 x dipping objective , 0 . 30 na ) with a nikon pcm 2000 confocal unit . two lasers were used simultaneously to excite the fluo - 4 ( argon ion , 488 nm ) and texas red ( hene , 543 nm ). images were sampled with two photomultiplier tubes simultaneously ( 515 / 30 bandpass and 605 / 32 bandpass filters ), and analyzed using simplepcl ( compix inc ., cranberry township , pa .). the microfluidic system , including devices 84 and associated fluid supply and syringes , supplied a small amount of stimulant through the aperture . the experimental design was to flow bradykinin through the channel 78 and to allow passage of bradykinin through the aperture 24 . while there are multiple methods for moving fluids in microchannels , and causing fluid to flow within a fluid delivery channel , including inducing flow by pumps , gravity , pressure ( such as pressure produced by a piston moving within a cylinder ), electroosmotic and other means , we chose a pressure - driven flow using a syringe . the bradykinin flow through the aperture 24 was due to a combination of the pressure gradient created by the syringe and chemical diffusion . the fluid was supplied by inserting 24 - gauge teflon hoses into each access hole 80 and 82 . one - milliliter tuberculin syringes were used to drive the fluid through the hoses , at a rate of 10 to 30 μl / s . injected volumes range from 250 μl through 1000 μl , taking 15 to 60 seconds to deliver . the average flow rate was 16 μl / s ; when combined with the channel geometry , this yielded a reynolds number of approximately 3100 , above the limit for laminar flow . being above the laminar limit is an advantage in this system . there is a 500 μm gap between the channel 78 and the aperture 24 due to the wafer thickness . nonlaminar flow allows mixing to occur by methods other than diffusion , speeding the rate at which bradykinin reached the aperture . with the fluidic delivery system in place , cell stimulation was accomplished by delivering an appropriate amount of stimulant to the cells growing on the supporting layer 16 . rat pheochromocytoma cells ( pc12 ) were chosen because of their usefulness as a neurobiological model , and because of the ease of their care and their ready availability . the pc12cell line changes its intracellular ca 2 + levels upon stimulation by bradykinin , achieving a maximum change at an external bradykinin concentration of 1 μm . the cells were seeded on the devices 84 at least four hours before testing to allow them to adhere . two parameters of control over stimulation radius were concentration and volume . by adjusting either the concentration or the volume of bradykinin supplied , the distance from the aperture at which cells were stimulated was controlled . when a large total quantity of bradykinin was delivered to the aperture 24 ( high concentration or large volume ), many pc12 cells were stimulated . this is shown in fig8 a - 8 c , where time - lapse confocal micrographs of multi - cell stimulation show a wave of stimulated pc12 cells as bradykinin flows past pc12 cells adherent to the surface of a device 84 . the aperture 24 was 10 μm in diameter ( half the size of a pc12 cell body ) and is shown located at the center of the dotted circles in fig8 a - 8 c . as shown in fig8 a - 8 c , bradykinin ( 100 μm ) was driven through the channel 78 for approximately 21 seconds . intensity cross - sections ( arbitrary units , constant scale ) indicate which pc12 cells were stimulated . fig8 a illustrates the control situation before application of bradykinin to the pc12 cells . the intensity plot in fig8 a shows two cross - sections at time zero , indicating that , at the starting time , no cells were stimulated . a ringer &# 39 ; s solution containing 100 μm bradykinin was applied to the channel 78 just after the frame displayed in fig8 a was taken . as the fluid radiated outward from the aperture 24 , pc12 cells were stimulated . within 3 seconds , a pc12 cell 25 μm from the aperture was stimulated , as the bright cell to the left and below the aperture 24 in fig8 b shows ( fig8 b , arrow ). after another 6 seconds , 9 seconds after the bradykinin began to flow , cells further away ( 100 μm ) from the aperture 24 were stimulated ( fig8 c , dual arrows ). other pc12 cells in the region were also stimulated ; the arrows indicate only representative events for which the intensity is displayed . this example demonstrates the ability to stimulate cells locally using a chemical stimulus , providing a neurobiological system configured to stimulate cells with physiological stimuli and configured for use at desired location within an organ or tissue of animal . by varying the amount and concentration of neurotransmitter supplied through a microaperture , the stimulation distance and timing can be controlled , providing control compatible with normal animal physiological . an artificial synapse chip is implanted into the subretinal space in the retina of a rabbit . a new zealand white rabbit is anesthetized according to standard animal surgery techniques . an incision is made in the sclera near to the equator of the eye and a small scleral flap opened to provide access to the underlying choroid and retina . an incision is gently made in the choroid , choriocappilaris , bruch &# 39 ; s membrane and across the retinal pigment epithelium layer to provide access to the subretinal space facing the photoreceptors . saline is gently infused into the subretinal space to separate the retinal pigment epithelium and the retinal photoreceptors . an asc is placed into the subretinal space and slowly advanced towards the fovea from the point to entry near the equator of the eye . after the asc is located at the desired location near to the fovea , a needle is inserted through the opening in the sclera , into the vitreous , and a small air bubble is injected into the vitreous to provide pressure against the retina to hold the retina in place over the implant . the incision is then closed . the air bubble shrinks and disappears within a few days as the gas is absorbed . it will be apparent from the foregoing that , while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described herein primarily in terms of an artificial synapse chip , a device for localized fluid delivery , and similar devices and systems , various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . moreover , those skilled in the art will recognize that features shown in one embodiment may be utilized in other embodiments . terms such a “ device ”, “ portion ”, “ section ”, “ steps ” and words of similar import when used herein shall not be construed as invoking the provisions of 35 u . s . c . § 112 ( 6 ) unless the following claims expressly use the terms “ means ” or “ step ” followed by a particular function without specific structure or action . while particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described , it should be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the invention be limited , except as by the appended claims .
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it has been found that the presence in the zinc of any substantial proportion of other metals -- lead , most notably -- is distinctly detrimental to the reduction . accordingly , zinc having a purity at least equal to that of j . t . baker reagent grade zinc powder is highly preferred . though not considered indispensable , it is highly desirable that the zinc be as finely particulate as possible , short of being pyrophoric . zinc metal commonly labeled as &# 34 ; dust &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; powder &# 34 ; is quite satisfactory . the base used is preferably an alkali or alkaline earth hydroxide , naoh being particularly preferred . however , strong organic bases such as tetramethyl guanidine , and choline , for example , may be suitable . the base which has actually been used is aqueous naoh in concentrations up to 30 wt . %. somewhat higher concentrations of naoh , up to say about 35 %, or even higher , may be operable ; however , the likelihood of undesired c -- cl group hydrolyses will be correspondingly higher . the amount of the base employed should be at least sufficient to provide two gram equivalents of hydroxyl ion per gram atom of zinc . the degree of agitation of the reaction mixture should be at least sufficient to ensure good contact between the aqueous and organic phases . this may be achieved by means of a stirrer , a circulating pump or by vigorous refluxing . preferably , the degree of agitation is such that the composition of any volume element of the mixture does not differ by more than a few percent from the average for the mixture as a whole . the rate of reduction has been found faster when the solvent used is dichloromethane than when perchloroethylene is used . both solvents are stable under the reaction conditions employed but dichloromethane has the further advantage of being lower boiling and thus is more readily removed in working up the reaction mixture . other halocarbons have not been tried but are not ruled out . that is , any halocarbon which forms a liquid solution with pcp at a temperature of about 55 ° c . or less and does not react with the base , the zinc or hydrogen ( produced by the reaction of zinc with water , particularly at temperatures of 55 ° or higher ) to an intolerable extent may be said to have the characteristics essential to the practice of the present invention . preferably , the halocarbon is one in which pcp dissolves to the extent of at least 30 grams per 100 ml . of the solvent at the contemplated reaction temperature and is of a nature such that the solution of the sym - tet produced readily disengages from the aqueous phase . at temperatures of from about 20 ° to 30 ° c ., to attain essentially complete conversion of the pcp generally requires from 12 to 10 hours . at 50 ° c ., reaction periods of 6 hours or less are generally sufficient . the progress of the reaction can readily be monitored by rapid analytical methods , such as ir or uv spectroscopy or vapor phase chromatography . the reaction mixture may be worked up by known techniques . if the organic phase readily disengages , the mixture may be allowed to stand and the phases separated . the aqueous phase can be extracted with some fresh solvent and the extract combined with the organic phase . the resulting solution is then concentrated , chilled and filtered . the following example is for purposes of illustration and is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention in a manner inconsistent with the claims in this patent . a reaction mixture containing 3 . 3 grams ( 0 . 0131 g mole ) of pcp , 3 grams ( 0 . 0459 g atom ) of reagent grade zinc powder , 30 ml . of 30 % aqueous naoh and 30 ml . of methylene chloride was stirred for 10 hours at room temperature in a 100 ml . round - bottomed flask and then allowed to settle . the organic layer was separated and worked up in essentially the manner described above . 2 . 7 grams ( 95 % of theoretical yield ) of a product identified as 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetrachloropyridine was obtained .
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embodiments presented herein generally relate to systems , devices , and related processes of manufacturing small devices . more specifically , embodiments presented herein relate to systems , devices , and related processes of imprint lithography . for example , these embodiments may have application to imprinting very small features on a substrate , such as a semiconductor wafer . it should be understood that these embodiments may also have application to other tasks , for example , the manufacture of cost - effective micro - electro - mechanical systems ( or mems ). embodiments may also have application to the manufacture of other kinds of devices including , but not limited to : patterned magnetic media for data storage , micro - optical devices , biological and chemical devices , x - ray optical devices , etc . with reference now to the figures , and specifically to fig1 a and 1b , therein are shown arrangements of a template 12 predisposed with respect to a substrate 20 upon which desired features are to be imprinted using imprint lithography . specifically , the template 12 may include a surface 14 that is fabricated to take on the shape of desired features which , in turn , may be transferred to the substrate 20 . in some embodiments , a transfer layer 18 may be placed between the substrate 20 and the template 12 . transfer layer 18 may receive the desired features from the template 12 via imprinted layer 16 . as is well known in the art , transfer layer 18 may allow one to obtain high aspect ratio structures ( or features ) from low aspect ratio imprinted features . for the purpose of imprint lithography , it is important to maintain the template 12 and substrate 20 as close to each other as possible and nearly parallel . for example , for features that are about 100 nm wide and about 100 nm deep , an average gap of about 200 nm or less with a variation of less than about 50 nm across the imprinting area of the substrate 20 may be required for the imprint lithography process to be successful . embodiments presented herein provide a way of controlling the spacing between the template 12 and substrate 20 for successful imprint lithography given such tight and precise gap requirements . fig1 a and 1b illustrate two types of problems that may be encountered in imprint lithography . in fig1 a , a wedge shaped imprinted layer 16 results because the template 12 is closer to the substrate 20 at one end of the imprinted layer 16 . fig1 a illustrates the importance of maintaining template 12 and substrate 20 substantially parallel during pattern transfer . fig1 b shows the imprinted layer 16 being too thick . both of these conditions may be highly undesirable . embodiments presented herein provide systems , processes and related devices which may eliminate the conditions illustrated in fig1 a and 1b as well as other orientation problems associated with prior art lithography techniques . fig2 a through 2e illustrate an embodiment of an imprint lithography process , denoted generally as 30 . in fig2 a , template 12 may be orientated in spaced relation to the substrate 20 so that a gap 31 is formed in the space separating template 12 and substrate 20 . surface 14 of template 12 may be treated with a thin layer 13 that lowers the template surface energy and assists in separation of template 12 from substrate 20 . the manner of orientation and devices for controlling gap 31 between template 12 and substrate 20 are discussed below . next , gap 31 may be filled with a substance 40 that conforms to the shape of treated surface 14 . alternately , in an embodiment , substance 40 may be dispensed upon substrate 20 prior to moving template 12 into a desired position relative to substrate 20 . substance 40 may form an imprinted layer such as imprinted layer 16 shown in fig1 a and 1b . preferably , substance 40 may be a liquid so that it may fill the space of gap 31 rather easily and quickly without the use of high temperatures and the gap can be closed without requiring high pressures . further details regarding appropriate selections for substance 40 are discussed below . a curing agent 32 may be applied to the template 12 causing substance 40 to harden and assume the shape of the space defined by gap 31 . in this way , desired features 44 ( fig2 d ) from the template 12 may be transferred to the upper surface of the substrate 20 . transfer layer 18 may be provided directly on the upper surface of substrate 20 . transfer layer 18 may facilitate the amplification of features transferred from the template 12 to generate high aspect ratio features . as depicted in fig2 d , template 12 may be removed from substrate 20 leaving the desired features 44 thereon . the separation of template 12 from substrate 20 must be done so that desired features 44 remains intact without shearing or tearing from the surface of the substrate 20 . embodiments presented herein provide a method and associated system for peeling and pulling ( referred to herein as the “ peel - and - pull ” method ) template 12 from substrate 20 following imprinting so that desired feature 44 remain intact . finally , in fig2 e , features 44 transferred from template 12 to substance 40 may be amplified in vertical size by the action of the transfer layer 18 as is known in the use of bilayer resist processes . the resulting structure may be further processed to complete the manufacturing process using well - known techniques . fig3 summarizes an embodiment of an imprint lithography process , denoted generally as 50 , in flow chart form . initially , at step 52 , course orientation of a template and a substrate may be performed so that a rough alignment of the template and substrate may be achieved . an advantage of course orientation at step 52 may be that it may allow pre - calibration in a manufacturing environment , where numerous devices are to be manufactured , with efficiency and with high production yields . for example , where the substrate includes one of many die on a semiconductor wafer , course alignment ( step 52 ) may be performed once on the first die and applied to all other dies during a single production run . in this way , production cycle times may be reduced and yields may be increased . at step 54 , a substance may be dispensed onto the substrate . the substance may be a curable organosilicon solution or other organic liquid that may become a solid when exposed to activating light . the fact that a liquid is used may eliminate the need for high temperatures and high pressures associated with prior art lithography techniques . next , at step 56 , the spacing between the template and substrate may be controlled so that a relatively uniform gap may be created between the two layers permitting the precise orientation required for successful imprinting . embodiments presented herein provide a device and system for achieving the orientation ( both course and fine ) required at step 56 . at step 58 , the gap may be closed with fine vertical motion of the template with respect to the substrate and the substance . the substance may be cured ( step 59 ) resulting in a hardening of the substance into a form having the features of the template . next , the template may separated from the substrate , step 60 , resulting in features from the template being imprinted or transferred onto the substrate . finally , the structure may be etched , step 62 , using a preliminary etch to remove residual material and a well - known oxygen etching technique to etch the transfer layer . in various embodiments , a template may incorporate unpatterned regions i ) in a plane with the template surface , ii ) recessed in the template , iii ) protrude from the template , or iv ) a combination of the above . a template may be manufactured with protrusions , which may be rigid . such protrusions may provide a uniform spacer layer useful for particle tolerance and optical devices such as gratings , holograms , etc . alternately , a template may be manufactured with protrusions that are compressible . in general , a template may have a rigid body supporting it via surface contact from : i ) the sides , ii ) the back , iii ) the front or iv ) a combination of the above . the template support may have the advantage of limiting template deformation or distortion under applied pressure . in some embodiments , a template may be coated in some regions with a reflective coating . in some such embodiments , the template may incorporate holes in the reflective coating such that light may pass into or through the template . such coatings may be useful in locating the template for overlay corrections using interferometry . such coatings may also allow curing with a curing agent source that illuminates through the sides of the template rather than the top . this may allow flexibility in the design of a template holder , of gap sensing techniques , and of overlay mark detection systems , among other things . exposure of the template may be performed : i ) at normal incidences to the template , ii ) at inclined angles to the template , or iii ) through a side surface of the template . in some embodiments , a template that is rigid may be used in combination with a flexible substrate . the template may be manufactured using optical lithography , electron beam lithography , ion - beam lithography , x - ray lithography , extreme ultraviolet lithography , scanning probe lithography , focused ion beam milling , interferometric lithography , epitaxial growth , thin film deposition , chemical etch , plasma etch , ion milling , reactive ion etch or a combination of the above . the template may be formed on a substrate having a flat , parabolic , spherical , or other surface topography . the template may be used with a substrate having a flat , parabolic , spherical , or other surface topography . the substrate may contain a previously patterned topography and / or a film stack of multiple materials . in an embodiment depicted in fig4 , a template may include a patterning region 401 , an entrainment channel 402 , and an edge 403 . template edge 403 may be utilized for holding the template within a template holder . entrainment channel 402 may be configured to entrain excess fluid thereby preventing its spread to adjacent patterning areas , as discussed in more detail below . in some embodiments , a patterned region of a template may be flat . such embodiments may be useful for planarizing a substrate . in some embodiments , the template may be manufactured with a multi - depth design . that is , various features of the template may be at different depths with relation to the surface of the template . for example , entrainment channel 402 may have a depth greater than patterning area 401 . an advantage of such an embodiment may be that accuracy in sensing the gap between the template and substrate may be improved . very small gaps ( e . g ., less than about 100 nm ) may be difficult to sense ; therefore , adding a step of a known depth to the template may enable more accurate gap sensing . an advantage of a dual - depth design may be that such a design may enable using a standardized template holder to hold an imprint template of a given size which may include dies of various sizes . a third advantage of a dual - depth design may enable using the peripheral region to hold the template . in such a system , all portions of the template and substrate interface having functional structures may be exposed to the curing agent . as depicted in fig5 , a template 500 with the depth of the peripheral region 501 properly designed may abut adjacent imprints 502 , 503 . additionally , the peripheral region 501 of imprint template 500 may remain a safe vertical distance away from imprints 503 . a dual - depth imprint template , as described above , may be fabricated using various methods . in an embodiment depicted in fig6 , a single , thick substrate 601 may be formed with both a high - resolution , shallow - depth die pattern 602 , and a low - resolution , large - depth peripheral pattern 603 . in an embodiment , as depicted in fig7 , a thin substrate 702 ( e . g ., quartz wafer ) may be formed having a high - resolution , shallow - depth die pattern . 701 . die pattern 701 may then be cut from substrate 702 . die pattern 701 may then be bonded to a thicker substrate 703 , which has been sized to fit into an imprint template holder on an imprint machine . this bonding may be preferably achieved using an adhesive 704 with an index of refraction of the curing agent ( e . g ., uv light ) similar to that of the template material . additional imprint template designs are depicted in fig8 a , 8 b , and 8 c and generally referenced by numerals 801 , 802 , and 803 , respectively . each of template designs 801 , 802 and 803 may include recessed regions which may be used for gap measurement and or entrainment of excess fluid . in an embodiment , a template may include a mechanism for controlling fluid spread that is based on the physical properties of the materials as well as geometry of the template . the amount of excess fluid which may be tolerated without causing loss of substrate area may limited by the surface energies of the various materials , the fluid density and template geometry . accordingly , a relief structure may be used to entrain the excess fluid encompassing a region surrounding the desired molding or patterning area . this region may generally be referred to as the “ kerf .” the relief structure in the kerf may be recessed into the template surface using standard processing techniques used to construct the pattern or mold relief structure , as discussed above . in conventional photolithography , the use of optical proximity corrections in the photomasks design is becoming the standard to produce accurate patterns of the designed dimensions . similar concepts may be applied to micro - and nano - molding or imprint lithography . a substantial difference in imprint lithography processes may be that errors may not be due to diffraction or optical interference but rather due to physical property changes that may occur during processing . these changes may determine the nature or the need for engineered relief corrections in the geometry of the template . a template in which a pattern relief structure is designed to accommodate material changes ( such as shrinkage or expansion ) during imprinting , similar in concept to optical proximity correction used in optical lithography , may eliminate errors due to these changes in physical properties . by accounting for changes in physical properties , such as volumetric expansion or contraction , relief structure may be adjusted to generate the exact desired replicated feature . for example , fig9 depicts an example of an imprint formed without accounting for material property changes 901 , and an imprint formed accounting for changes in material properties 902 . in certain embodiments , a template with features having a substantially rectangular profile 904 , may be subject to deformations due to material shrinkage during curing . to compensate for such material shrinkage , template features may be provided with an angled profile 905 . with respect to imprint lithography processes , the durability of the template and its release characteristics may be of concern . a durable template may be formed of a silicon or silicon dioxide substrate . other suitable materials may include , but are not limited to : silicon germanium carbon , gallium nitride , silicon germanium , sapphire , gallium arsinide , epitaxial silicon , poly - silicon , gate oxide , quartz or combinations thereof . templates may also include materials used to form detectable features , such as alignment markings . for example , detectable features may be formed of siox , where x is less than 2 . in some embodiments x may be about 1 . 5 . it is believed that this material may be opaque to visible light , but transparent to some activating light wavelengths . it has been found through experimentation that the durability of the template may be improved by treating the template to form a thin layer on the surface of the template . for example , an alkylsilane , a fluoroalkylsilane , or a fluoroalkyltrichlorosilane layer may be formed on the surface , in particular tridecafluoro - 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - tetrahydrooctyl trichlorosilane ( c 5 f 13 c 2 h 4 sicl 3 ) may be used . such a treatment may form a self - assembled monolayer ( sam ) on the surface of the template . a surface treatment process may be optimized to yield low surface energy coatings . such a coating may be used in preparing imprint templates for imprint lithography . treated templates may have desirable release characteristics relative to untreated templates . for example , newly - treated templates may posses surface free energies , λ treated of about 14 dynes / cm . untreated template surfaces may posses surface free energies , λ untreated about 65 dynes / cm . a treatment procedure disclosed herein may yield films exhibiting a high level of durability . durability may be highly desirable since it may lead to a template that may withstand numerous imprints in a manufacturing setting . a coatings for the template surface may be formed using either a liquid - phase process or a vapor - phase process . in a liquid - phase process , the substrate may be immersed in a solution of precursor and solvent . in a vapor - phase process , a precursor may be delivered via an inert carrier gas . it may be difficult to obtain a purely anhydrous solvent for use in liquid - phase treatments . water in the bulk phase during treatment may result in clump deposition , which may adversely affect the final quality or coverage of the coating . in an embodiment of a vapor - phase process , the template may be placed in a vacuum chamber , after which the chamber may be cycle - purged to remove excess water . some adsorbed water may remain on the surface of the template . a small amount of water may be needed to complete a surface reaction which forms the coating . it is believed that the reaction may be described by the formula : to facilitate the reaction , the template may be brought to a desired reaction temperature via a temperature - controlled chuck . the precursor may then be fed into the reaction chamber for a prescribed time . reaction parameters such as template temperature , precursor concentration , flow geometries , etc . may be tailored to the specific precursor and template substrate combination . as previously mentioned , substance 40 may be a liquid so that it may fill the space of gap 31 . for example , substance 40 may be a low viscosity liquid monomer solution . a suitable solution may have a viscosity ranging from about 0 . 01 cps to about 100 cps ( measured at 25 degrees c ). low viscosities are especially desirable for high - resolution ( e . g ., sub - 100 nm ) structures . in particular , in the sub - 50 nm regime , the viscosity of the solution should be at or below about 25 cps , or more preferably below about 5 cps ( measured at 25 degrees c .). in an embodiment , a suitable solution may include a mixture of 50 % by weight n - butyl acrylate and 50 % sia 0210 . 0 ( 3 - acryoloxypropyltristrimethylsiloxane ) silane . to this solution may be added a small percentage of a polymerization initiator ( e . g ., a photo initiator ). for example , a 3 % by weight solution of a 1 : 1 irg 819 and irg 184 and 5 % of sm 1402 . 0 may be suitable . the viscosity of this mixture is about 1 cps . in an embodiment , an imprint lithography system may include automatic fluid dispensing method and system for dispensing fluid on the surface of a substrate ( e . g ., a semiconductor wafer ). the dispensing method may use a modular automated fluid dispenser with one or more extended dispenser tips . the dispensing method may use an x - y stage to generate relative lateral motions between the dispenser tip and the substrate . the method may eliminate several problems with imprint lithography using low viscosity fluids . for example , the method may eliminate air bubble trapping and localized deformation of an imprinting area . embodiments may also provide a way of achieving low imprinting pressures while spreading the fluid across the entire gap between the imprinting template and the substrate , without unnecessary wastage of excess fluid . in an embodiment , a dispensed volume may typically be less than about 130 nl ( nano - liter ) for a 1 inch 2 imprint area . after dispensing , subsequent processes may involve exposing the template and substrate assembly to a curing agent . separation of the template from the substrate may leave a transferred image on top of the imprinted surface . the transferred image may lie on a thin layer of remaining exposed material . the remaining layer may be referred to as a “ base layer .” the base layer should be thin and uniform for a manufacturable imprint . imprint processes may involve high pressures and / or high temperatures applied at the template and substrate interface . however , for the purpose of a manufacturable imprint lithography process including high resolution overlay alignment , high pressures and temperatures should be avoided . embodiments disclosed herein avoid the need for high temperature by using low viscosity photo - curable fluids . further , imprinting pressures may be minimized by reducing squeezing force required to spread the fluid across the entire imprinting area . therefore , for the purpose of fluid based imprint lithography , a fluid dispense process should satisfy the following properties : 1 . no air bubble should be trapped between template and substrate ; 2 . direct contact between the dispenser tip and substrate should be avoided to minimize particle generation ; 3 . pressure required to fill the gap between template and substrate should be minimized ; 4 . non - uniform fluid buildup and / or pressure gradients should be minimized to reduce non - uniform localized deformation of template - substrate interface ; and 5 . waste of the dispensed fluid should be minimized . in some embodiments , relative motion between a displacement based fluid dispenser tip and a substrate may be used to form a pattern with substantially continuous lines on an imprinting area . size of the cross section of the line and the shape of the line may be controlled by balancing rates of dispensing and relative motion . during the dispensing process , dispenser tips may be fixed near ( e . g ., on the order of tens of microns ) the substrate . two methods of forming a line pattern are depicted in fig1 a and 10b . the pattern depicted in fig1 a and 10b is a sinusoidal pattern ; however , other patterns are possible . as depicted in fig1 a and 10b a continuous line pattern may be drawn using either a single dispenser tip 1001 or multiple dispenser tips 1002 . dispensing rate , v d , and relative lateral velocity of a substrate , v s , may be related as follows : v d = al ( where , ‘ a ’ is the cross section area of line pattern ), ( 3 ) the width of the initial line pattern may normally depend on the tip size of a dispenser . the tip dispenser may be fixed . in an embodiment , a fluid dispensing controller 1111 ( as depicted in fig1 ) may be used to control the volume of fluid dispensed ( v d ) and the time taken to dispense the fluid ( t d ). if v d and t d are fixed , increasing the length of the line leads to lower height of the cross section of the line pattern . increasing pattern length may be achieved by increasing the spatial frequency of the periodic patterns . lower height of the pattern may lead to a decrease in the amount of fluid to be displaced during imprint processes . by using multiple tips connected to the same dispensing line , line patterns with long lengths may be formed faster as compared to the case of a single dispenser tip . in an embodiment , a displacement based fluid delivery system may include : a fluid container 1101 , an inlet tube 1102 , an inlet valve 1103 , an outlet valve 1104 , a syringe 1105 , a syringe actuator 1106 , a dispenser tip 1107 , an x stage actuator 1109 , a y stage actuator 1110 , a dispenser controller 1111 , an xy stage controller 1112 , and a main control computer 1113 . a suitable displacement based dispenser may be available from the hamilton company . fig1 illustrates several undesirable fluid patterns or dispensing methods for low viscosity fluids . these dispensing patterns may lead to one or more problems , including : trapping air bubbles , localized deformations , and waste of fluid . for example , dispensing a single drop at the center of the imprinting area 1201 , or dispensing irregular lines 1205 may lead to localized deformations of the template and / or substrate . dispensing several drops 1202 , or lines 1206 in a circumferential pattern may lead to trapping of air bubbles . other dispensing patterns with nearly closed circumferential patterns 1204 may similarly lead to air bubble trapping . likewise , spraying or random placement of droplets 1203 may lead to trapping of air - bubbles . spin - coating a substrate with a low viscosity fluid may cause a “ dewetting ” problem due to the thin film instability . dewetting may lead to formation of numerous small drops of fluid on the substrate , instead of a thin uniform layer of fluid . in an embodiment , a fluid dispensing method may dispense multiple small drops of liquid that may later be formed into a continuous body as they expand . fig1 depicts the case of using five drops of liquid . here , five drops are used only for the purpose of illustration . other “ open ” patterns , such as a sinusoidal line , a ‘ w ’, or an ‘ x ’ may be implemented using this method . as the template - substrate gap decreases , circular drops 1301 may become thinner and wider causing neighboring drops to merge together 1302 . therefore , even though the initial dispensing may not include a continuous form , the expanding liquid may expel air from the gap between the template and substrate . a pattern effective for use in this method should be dispensed in such a way that as droplets expand , they do not trap any air between the template and substrate . small drops of liquid whose volume may be accurately specified may be dispensed using micro - solenoid valves with a pressure - supporting unit . another type of the liquid dispensing actuator may include a piezo - actuated dispenser . advantages of a system with a micro - solenoid valve dispenser as compared to a displacement based fluid dispenser may include faster dispensing time and more accurate volume control . these advantages may be especially desirable for larger size imprints ( e . g ., several inches across ). an embodiment of a system including micro - solenoid valves is depicted in fig1 . the system may include : fluid container 1401 , an inlet tube 1402 , an inlet valve 1403 , a pump 1404 , an outlet valve 1405 , a pump controller 1406 , a micro - solenoid valve 1407 , a micro - solenoid valve controller 1408 , an x - y stage 1409 , an x - y stage controller 1410 , and a main computer 1412 . a substrate 1411 may be placed on x - y stage 1409 . a suitable micro - solenoid valve dispenser system may be available from the lee company . a dispensing pattern that may be useful for large imprint areas ( e . g ., greater than several inches 2 ) is depicted in fig1 a . in such an embodiment , parallel lines of fluid 1503 may be dispensed . parallel lines of fluid 1503 may be expanded in such a way that air may be expelled from the gap as template 1501 approaches substrate 1502 . to facilitate expanding lines 1503 in the desired manner , template 1501 may be close to the gap in an intentionally wedged configuration ( as depicted in fig1 b ). that is , the template / substrate gap may be closed along lines 1503 ( e . g ., the wedge angle may be parallel to the lines 1503 ). an advantage of providing a well - distributed initial fluid layer may be that the orientation error between the template and substrate may be compensated for . this may be due to the hydraulic dynamics of the thin layer of fluid and compliance of the orientation stage . the lower portion of the template may contact the dispensed fluid earlier than other portions of the template . as the gap between the template and substrate gets smaller , the imbalance of reaction forces between the lower and higher portions of the template increases . this imbalance of forces may lead to a correcting motion for the template and substrate , e . g ., bring them into a substantially parallel relationship . successful imprint lithography may require precise alignment and orientation of the template with respect to the substrate to control the gap in between the template and substrate . embodiments presented herein may provide a system capable of achieving precise alignment and gap control in a production fabrication process . in an embodiment , the system may include a high resolution x - y translation stage . in an embodiment , the system may provide a pre - calibration stage for performing a preliminary and course alignment operation between the template and substrate surface to bring the relative alignment to within the motion range of a fine movement orientation stage . this pre - calibration stage may be required only when a new template is installed into the apparatus ( also sometimes known as a stepper ). the pre - calibration stage may consist of a base plate , a flexure component , and a plurality of micrometers or high resolution actuators coupling the base plate and the flexure component . fig1 depicts an embodiment of an x - y translation stage in an assembled configuration , and generally referenced by numeral 1600 . the overall footprint may be less than about 20 inches by 20 inches and the height may be about 6 inches ( including a wafer chuck ). such an embodiment may provide x and y - axis translation ranges of motion of about 12 inches . a second embodiment of an x - y translation stage is depicted in fig1 , and generally referenced by numeral 1700 . to provide a similar range of motion to that of x - y stage 1600 , stage 1700 may have a foot print of about 29 inches by 29 inches and a height of about 15 inches ( including a wafer chuck ). stages 1600 and 1700 differ mainly in that additional linkages 1701 are oriented vertically , thereby providing additional load bearing support for the translation stage . both x - y stage 1600 and x - y stage 1700 are flexure based systems . flexures are widely used in precision machines since they may offer frictionless , particle - free and low maintenance operation . flexures may also provide extremely high resolution . however , most flexure based systems may possess limited ranges of motion ( e . g ., sub mm range of motion ). embodiments disclosed herein may have a range of motion of more than 12 inches . it is believed that such stages may be cost - effective for lithographic applications , particularly in vacuum . further , for imprint lithography techniques , the presence of imprint forces may give embodiments presented herein significant advantages . in general , an x - y stage may include two types of components : actuation components and load - carrying components . lead screw assembly mechanisms have been widely used where the positioning accuracy is not a very significant factor . for high accuracy applications , ball screw assemblies have been used for both the actuating and load - carrying components . both of these designs may be prone to problems of backlash and stiction . further , the need for lubrication may make these designs undesirable for use in vacuum or in particle - sensitive applications ( e . g ., imprint lithography ). additionally , some designs may utilize air bearings . air bearings may substantially eliminate problems of stiction and backlash . however , air bearings may provide limited load bearing capacities . additionally , air bearings may be unsuitable for use in vacuum environments . fig1 shows a schematic of portion of a basic linkage 1800 . link 1 ( 1804 ) and link 3 ( 1805 ) may be of the same length . when a moving body 1801 moves along the x - axis , all of the joints in linkage 1800 rotate by the same absolute angle . it should be noted that the motion range may be independent of the length of link 2 ( 1803 ). due to kinematic constraints , link 2 ( 1803 ) may remain parallel to a line between joint 1 ( 1806 ) and joint 4 ( 1807 ). in linkage 1800 , the range of motion , lm , may be given as : l m = 2 d 1 [ cos ( θ o − α max / 2 )− cos ( θ o + α max / 2 )]= 4 d 1 sin ( θ 0 ) sin ( α max / 2 ), ( 5 ) where , θ o is the angle of joint 1 ( 1806 ) when all flexure joints are in their equilibrium conditions , α max is the maximum rotation range of the flexure pivots , and d 1 is the length of links 1 and 3 , ( 1804 ) and ( 1805 ). as shown in eqn . ( 5 ), for given d 1 , the motion range is maximized when θ 0 = 90 degree . therefore , the link length may be given as : therefore , using an α max of 600 , the minimum link length for a 12 inch motion range , is 6 inches . fig1 depicts an embodiment of a basic linkage similar to linkage 1800 , but with the addition of two cylindrical disks 1902 . a kinematic study shows that if joint 2 1904 and joint 3 1905 of fig1 rotate in opposite directions by the same angle , the stage may generate a pure translational motion along the x axis . by adding cylindrical disks 1902 at flexure joints 2 1904 and 3 1905 , the resulting rolling contact may rotate link 1 1908 and link 2 1906 in opposite directions . in an embodiment , no additional joints or bearings may be required since cylindrical discs 1902 may be coupled to links 1908 and 1906 . in order to prevent discs 1902 from slipping , an appropriate pre - load may be applied between the two disks . compared to conventional stages where direct driven mechanisms or bearings may be used , the contact surface here may be relatively small , and relatively easy to maintain . note that although disks 1902 are not depicted in relation to x - y stages 1600 , and 1700 , disks 1902 may be present in some embodiments . links 1602 and 1601 in fig1 may correspond to links 1908 and 1906 of fig1 . thus disks 1902 may be present at location 1603 ( as well as other locations not visible in the fig1 ). referring to fig1 , disks 1902 may be present at location 1702 ( as well as other locations not visible in fig1 ). as the actuation system for either of stages 1600 or 1700 , two linear servo motors ( as depicted in fig2 and referenced by numeral 2000 ) may be suitable . one linear servo motor may serve each translation axis . suitable linear servo motors may be available from the trilogy systems corporation . an advantage of such linear servo motors may be the absence of frictional contact . another advantage of such linear servo motors may be the fact that they may readily produces actuation forces greater than about 100 pounds . therefore , actuation components may provide only translational motion control in the x and y directions . it should be noted that in some embodiments , the actuator of the lower stage might need to be more powerful than the actuator of the upper stage . in some embodiments , laser interferometers may provide a feedback signal to control x and y positioning of the x - y stage . it is believed that laser interferometry may provide nm level positioning control . placement errors can be compensated using laser interferometers and high resolution x - y stages ( such as x - y stage 1700 , depicted in fig1 ). if the orientation alignments between the template and substrate are independent from x - y motions , the placement error may need to be compensated only once for an entire substrate wafer ( i . e ., “ global overlay ”). if orientation alignments between the template and substrate are coupled with x - y motions and / or excessive local orientation variations on substrate exist , then x - y position changes of the template relative to the substrate may need to be compensated for ( i . e ., field - to - field overlay ). overlay alignment issues are further discussed with regard the overlay alignment section . fig2 and 22 provide global and field - to - field overlay error compensation algorithms , respectively . in an embodiment , orientation of template and substrate may be achieved by a pre - calibration stage ( automatically , using actuators or manual , using micrometers ) and a fine orientation stage , which may be active or passive . either or both of these stages may include other mechanisms , but flexure - based mechanisms may be preferred in order to avoid particles . the calibration stage may be mounted to a frame , and the fine orientation stage may be mounted to the pre - calibration stage . such an embodiment may thereby form a serial mechanical arrangement . a fine orientation stage may include one or more passive compliant members . a “ passive compliant member ” may generally refer to a member that gets its motion from compliance . that is , motion may be activated by direct or indirect contact with the liquid . if the fine orientation stage is passive , then it may be designed to have the most dominant compliance about two orientation axes . the two orientation axes may be orthogonal and may lie on the template lower surface ( as described with referenced to fig4 ). the two orthogonal torsional compliance values may typically be the same for a square template . the fine orientation stage may be designed such that when the template is non - parallel with respect to the substrate , as it makes contact with the liquid , the resulting uneven liquid pressure may rapidly correct the orientation error . in an embodiment , the correction may be affected with minimal , or no overshoot . further , a fine orientation stage as described above may hold the substantially parallel orientation between the template and substrate for a sufficiently long period to allow curing of the liquid . in an embodiment , a fine orientation stage may include one or more actuators . for example , piezo actuators ( as described with reference to fig4 ) may be suitable . in such an embodiment , the effective passive compliance of the fine orientation stage coupled with the pre - calibration stage should still be substantially torsional about the two orientation axes . the geometric and material parameters of all the structural and active elements together may contribute to this effective passive stiffness . for instance , piezo actuators may also be compliant in tension and compression . the geometric and material parameters may be synthesized to obtain the desired torsional compliance about the two orthogonal orientation axes . a simple approach to this synthesis may be to make the compliance of the actuators along their actuation direction in the fine orientation stage higher than the structural compliances in the rest of the stage system . this may provide passive self - correction capability when a non - parallel template comes into contact with the liquid on the substrate . further , this compliance should be chosen to allow for rapidly correcting orientation errors , with minimal or no overshoot . the fine orientation stage may hold the substantially parallel orientation between the template and substrate for sufficiently long period to allow curing of the liquid . overlay alignment schemes may include measurement of alignment errors followed by compensation of these errors to achieve accurate alignment of an imprint template , and a desired imprint location on a substrate . the measurement techniques used in proximity lithography , x - ray lithography , and photolithography ( e . g ., laser interferometry , capacitance sensing , automated image processing of overlay marks on the mask and substrate , etc ) may be adapted for the imprint lithography process with appropriate modifications . types of overlay errors for lithography processes may include placement error , theta error , magnification error , and mask distortion error . an advantage of embodiments disclosed herein may be that mask distortion errors may not be present because the disclosed processes may operate at relatively low temperatures ( e . g ., room temperature ) and low pressures . therefore , these embodiments may not induce significant distortion . further , these embodiments may use templates that are made of a relatively thick substrate . this may lead to much smaller mask ( or template ) distortion errors as compared to other lithography processes where masks are made of relatively thin substrates . further , the entire area of the templates for imprint lithography processes may be transparent to the curing agent ( e . g ., uv light ), which may minimize heating due to absorption of energy from the curing agent . the reduced heating may minimize the occurrence of heat - induced distortions compared to photolithography processes where a significant portion of the bottom surface of a mask may be opaque due to the presence of a metallic coating . placement error may generally refer to x - y positioning errors between a template and substrate ( that is , translation along the x and / or y - axis ). theta error may generally refer to the relative orientation error about z - axis ( that is , rotation about the z - axis ). magnification error may generally refer to thermal or material induced shrinkage or expansion of the imprinted area as compared to the original patterned area on the template . in imprint lithography processes , orientation alignment for gap control purposes between a template and substrate corresponding to the angles α and β in fig2 may need to be performed frequently if excessive field - to - field surface variations exist on the substrate . in general , it is desirable for the variation across an imprinting area to be smaller than about one - half of the imprinted feature height . if orientation alignments are coupled with the x - y positioning of the template and substrate , field - to - field placement error compensations may be necessary . however , embodiments of orientation stages that may perform orientation alignment without inducing placement errors are presented herein . photolithography processes that use a focusing lens system may position the mask and substrate such that it may be possible to locate the images of two alignment marks ( one on the mask and the other on the substrate ) onto the same focal plane . alignment errors may be induced by looking at the relative positioning of these alignment marks . in imprint lithography processes , the template and substrate maintain a relatively small gap ( of the order of micro meters or less ) during the overlay error measurement . therefore , overlay error measurement tools may need to focus two overlay marks from different planes onto the same focal plane . such a requirement may not be critical for devices with features that are relatively large ( e . g ., about 0 . 5 μm ). however , for critical features in the sub - 100 nm region , the images of the two overlay marks should to be captured on the same focal plane in order to achieve high resolution overlay error measurements . accordingly , overlay error measurement and error compensation methods for imprint lithography processes should satisfy the following requirements : 1 . overlay error measurement tools should be able to focus on two overlay marks that are not on the same plane ; 2 . overlay error correction tools should be able to move the template and substrate relatively in x and y in the presence of a thin layer of fluid between the template and substrate ; 3 . overlay error correction tools should be able to compensate for theta error in the presence of a thin layer of fluid between the template and substrate ; and 4 . overlay error correction tools should be able to compensate for magnification error . the first requirement presented above can be satisfied by i ) moving an optical imaging tool up and down ( as in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 204 , 739 ) or ii ) using illumination sources with two different wavelengths . for both these approaches , knowledge of the gap measurement between the template and the substrate is useful , especially for the second method . the gap between the template and substrate may be measured using one of existing non - contact film thickness measurement tools including broad - band interferometry , laser interferometry and capacitance sensors . fig2 illustrates the positions of template 2400 , substrate 2401 , fluid 2403 , gap 2405 and overlay error measurement tools 2402 . the height of a measuring tool may be adjusted 2406 according to the gap information to acquire two overlay marks on the same imaging plane . in order to fulfill this approach an image storing 2407 device may be required . additionally , the positioning devices of the template and wafer should be vibrationally isolated from the up and down motions of the measuring device 2402 . further , when scanning motions in x - y directions between the template and substrate are needed for high resolution overlay alignment , this approach may not produce continuous images of the overlay marks . therefore , this approach may be adapted for relatively low - resolution overlay alignment schemes for the imprint lithography process . fig2 illustrates an apparatus for focusing two alignment marks from different planes onto a single focal plane . apparatus 2500 may use the change of focal length resulting from light with distinct wavelengths being used as the illumination sources . apparatus 2500 may include an image storage device 2503 , and illumination source ( not shown ), and a focusing device 2505 . light with distinct wavelengths may be generated either by using individual light sources or by using a single broad band light source and inserting optical band - pass filters between the imaging plane and the alignment marks . depending on the gap between the template 2501 and substrate 2502 , a different set of two wavelengths may be selected to adjust the focal lengths . under each illumination , each overlay mark may produce two images on the imaging plane as depicted in fig2 . a first image 2601 may be a clearly focused image . a second image 2602 may be an out - of - focus image . in order to eliminate each out - of - focus image , several methods may be used . in a first method , under illumination with a first wavelength of light , two images may be received by an imaging array ( e . g ., a ccd array ). images which may be received are depicted in fig2 and generally referenced by numeral 2604 . image 2602 may correspond to an overlay alignment mark on the substrate . image 2601 may correspond to an overlay alignment mark on the template . when image 2602 is focused , image 2601 may be out - of - focus , and visa - versa . in an embodiment , an image processing technique may be used to erase geometric data corresponding to pixels associated with image 2602 . thus , the out of focus image of the substrate mark may be eliminated , leaving image 2601 . using the same procedure and a second wavelength of light , image 2605 and 2606 may be formed on the imaging array . the procedure may eliminate out of focus image 2606 . thus image 2605 may remain . the two remaining focused images 2601 and 2605 may then be combined onto a single imaging plane 2603 for making overlay error measurements . a second method may utilize two coplanar polarizing arrays , as depicted in fig2 , and polarized illumination sources . fig2 illustrates overlay marks 2701 and orthogonally polarized arrays 2702 . polarizing arrays 2702 may be made on the template surface or may be placed above it . under two polarized illumination sources , only focused images 2703 ( each corresponding to a distinct wavelength and polarization ) may appear on the imaging plane . thus , out of focus images may be filtered out by polarizing arrays 2702 . an advantage of this method may be that it may not require an image processing technique to eliminate out - of - focused images . it should be noted that , if the gap between the template and substrate is too small during overlay measurement , error correction may become difficult due to stiction or increased shear forces of the thin fluid layer . additionally , overlay errors may be caused by the non - ideal vertical motion between the template and substrate if the gap is too large . therefore , an optimal gap between the template and substrate should to be determined , where the overlay error measurements and corrections may be performed . moiré pattern based overlay measurement has been used for optical lithography processes . for imprint lithography processes , where two layers of moiré patterns are not on the same plane but still overlapped in the imaging array , acquiring two individual focused images may be difficult to achieve . however , carefully controlling the gap between the template and substrate within the depth of focus of the optical measurement tool and without direct contact between the template and substrate may allow two layers of moiré patterns to be simultaneously acquired with minimal focusing problems . it is believed that other standard overlay schemes based on the moiré patterns may be directly implemented to imprint lithography process . placement errors may be compensated for using capacitance sensors or laser interferometers , and high resolution x - y stages . in an embodiment where orientation alignments between the template and substrate are independent from x - y motions , placement error may need to be compensated for only once for an entire substrate ( e . g ., a semiconductor wafer ). such a method may be referred to as a “ global overlay .” if orientation alignments between the template and substrate are coupled with x - y motions and excessive local orientation variations exist on the substrate , x - y position change of the template may be compensated for using capacitance sensors and / or laser interferometers . such a method may be referred to as a “ field - to - field overlay .” fig2 and 29 depict suitable sensor implementations . fig2 depicts an embodiment of a capacitance sensing system . a capacitance sensing system may include capacitance sensors 2801 , a conductive coating 2802 , on a template 2803 . thus , by sensing differences in capacitance , the location of template 2803 may be determined . similarly , fig2 depicts an embodiment of a laser interferometer system including reflective coating 2901 , laser signal 2902 and receiver 2903 . laser signals received by receiver 2903 may be used to determine the location of template 2904 . the magnification error , if any exists , may be compensated for by carefully controlling the temperature of the substrate and the template . using the difference of the thermal expansion properties of the substrate and template , the size of pre - existing patterned areas on the substrate may be adjusted to that of a new template . however , it is believed that the magnification error may be much smaller in magnitude than placement error or theta error when an imprint lithography process is conducted at room temperature and low pressures . the theta error may be compensated for using a theta stage that has been widely used for photolithography processes . theta error may be compensated for by using two separate alignment marks that are separated by a sufficiently large distance to provide a high resolution theta error estimate . the theta error may be compensated for when the template is positioned a few microns apart from the substrate . therefore , no shearing of existing patterns may occur . another concern with overlay alignment for imprint lithography processes that use uv curable liquid materials may be the visibility of the alignment marks . for the overlay error measurement , two overlay marks , one on the template and the other on the substrate may be used . however , since it may be desirable for the template to be transparent to a curing agent , the template overlay marks may typically not include opaque lines . rather , the template overlay marks may be topographical features of the template surface . in some embodiment , the marks may be made of the same material as the template . in addition , uv curable liquids may tend to have refractive indices that are similar to those of the template materials ( e . g ., quartz ). therefore , when the uv curable liquid fills the gap between the template and the substrate , template overlay marks may become very difficult to recognize . if the template overlay marks are made with an opaque material ( e . g ., chromium ), the uv curable liquid below the overlay marks may not be properly exposed to the uv light , which is highly undesirable . two methods are disclosed to overcome the problem of recognizing template overlay mark in the presence of the liquid . a first method uses an accurate liquid dispensing system along with high - resolution gap controlling stages . suitable liquid dispensing systems and the gap controlling stages are disclosed herein . for the purpose of illustration , three steps of an overlay alignment are depicted in fig3 . the locations of the overlay marks and the patterns of the fluid depicted in fig3 are only for the purpose of illustration and should not be construed in a limiting sense . various other overlay marks , overlay mark locations , and / or iquid dispensing patterns are also possible . first , in step 3001 , a liquid 3003 may be dispensed onto substrate 3002 . then , in step 3004 , using the high - resolution orientation stage , the gap between template 3005 and substrate 3002 may be carefully controlled so that the dispensed fluid 3003 does not fill the gap between the template and substrate completely . it is believed that at step 3004 , the gap may be only slightly larger than the final imprinting gap . since most of the gap is filled with the fluid , overlay correction can be performed as if the gap were completely filled with the fluid . the overlay marks may be placed such that the liquid does not cover them in this first position . upon the completion of the overlay correction , the gap may be closed to a final imprinting gap ( step 3006 ). this may enable spreading of the liquid into the remaining imprint area . since the gap change between steps 3004 and 3006 may be very small ( e . g ., about 10 nm ), the gap closing motion is unlikely to cause any significant overlay error . a second method may be to make special overlay marks on the template that may be seen by the overlay measurement tool but may not be opaque to the curing agent ( e . g ., uv light ). an embodiment of this approach is illustrated in fig3 . in fig3 , instead of completely opaque lines , overlay marks 3102 on the template may be formed of fine polarizing lines 3101 . for example , suitable fine polarizing lines may have a width about ½ to ¼ of the wavelength of activating light used as the curing agent . the line width of polarizing lines 3101 should be small enough so that activating light passing between two lines is diffracted sufficiently to cause curing of all the liquid below the lines . in such an embodiment , the activating light may be polarized according to the polarization of overlay marks 3102 . polarizing the activating light may provide a relatively uniform exposure to all the template regions including regions having overlay marks 3102 . light used to locate overlay marks 3102 on the template may be broadband light or a specific wavelength that may not cure the liquid material . this light need not be polarized . polarized lines 3101 may be substantially opaque to the measuring light , thus making the overlay marks visible using established overlay error measuring tools . fine polarized overlay marks may be fabricated on the template using existing techniques , such as electron beam lithography . in a third embodiment , overlay marks may be formed of a different material than the template . for example , a material selected to form the template overlay marks may be substantially opaque to visible light , but transparent to activating light used as the curing agent ( e . g ., uv light ). for example , siox where x is less than 2 may form such a material . in particular , it is believed that structures formed of siox where x is about 1 . 5 may be substantially opaque to visible light , but transparent to uv light . fig3 , depicts an assembly of a system , denoted generally as 100 , for calibrating and orienting a template , such as template 12 , about a substrate to be imprinted , such as substrate 20 . system 100 may be utilized in a machine , such as a stepper , for mass fabrication of devices in a production environment using imprint lithography processes as described herein . as shown , system 100 may be mounted to a top frame 110 which may provide support for a housing 120 . housing 120 may contain the pre - calibration stage for course alignment of a template 150 about a substrate ( not shown in fig3 ). housing 120 may be coupled to a middle frame 114 with guide shafts 112 a , 112 b attached to middle frame 114 opposite housing 120 . in one embodiment , three ( 3 ) guide shafts may be used ( the back guide shaft is not visible in fig3 ) to provide a support for housing 120 as it slides up and down during vertical translation of template 150 . sliders 116 a and 116 b attached to corresponding guide shafts 112 a , 112 b about middle frame 114 may facilitate this up and down motion of housing 120 . system 100 may include a disk - shaped base plate 122 attached to the bottom portion of housing 120 . base plate 122 may be coupled to a disk - shaped flexure ring 124 . flexure ring 124 may support the lower placed orientation stage included in first flexure member 126 and second flexure member 128 . the operation and configuration of the flexure members 126 , 128 are discussed in detail below . as depicted in fig3 , the second flexure member 128 may include a template support 130 , which may hold template 150 in place during the imprinting process . typically , template 150 may include a piece of quartz with desired features imprinted on it . template 150 may also include other substances according to well - known methods . as shown in fig3 , actuators 134 a , 134 b and 134 c may be fixed within housing 120 and operable coupled to base plate 122 and flexure ring 124 . in operation , actuators 134 a , 134 b and 134 c may be controlled such that motion of the flexure ring 124 is achieved . motion of the actuators may allow for coarse pre - calibration . in some embodiments , actuators 134 a , 134 b and 134 c may include high resolution actuators . in such embodiments , the actuators may be equally spaced around housing 120 . such an embodiment may permit very precise translation of the ring 124 in the vertical direction to control the gap accurately . thus , the system 100 may be capable of achieving coarse orientation alignment and precise gap control of template 150 with respect to a substrate to be imprinted . system 100 may include a mechanism that enables precise control of template 150 so that precise orientation alignment may be achieved and a uniform gap may be maintained by the template with respect to a substrate surface . additionally , system 100 may provide a way of separating template 150 from the surface of the substrate following imprinting without shearing of features from the substrate surface . precise alignment and gap control may be facilitated by the configuration of the first and second flexure members , 126 and 128 , respectively . in an embodiment , template 5102 may be held in place using a separated , fixed supporting plate 5101 that is transparent to the curing agent as depicted in fig5 . while supporting plate 5101 behind template 5102 may support the imprinting force , applying vacuum between fixed supporting plate 5101 and template 5102 may support the separation force . in order to support template 5102 for lateral forces , piezo actuators 5103 may be used . the lateral supporting forces may be carefully controlled by using piezo actuators 5103 . this design may also provide the magnification and distortion correction capability for layer - to - layer alignment in imprint lithography processes . distortion correction may be very important to overcome stitching and placement errors present in the template structures made by electron beam lithography , and to compensate for distortion in the previous structures present on the substrate . magnification correction may only require one piezo actuator on each side of the template ( i . e . total of 4 piezo actuators for a four sided template ). the actuators may be connected to the template surface in such a way that a uniform force may be applied on the entire surface . distortion correction , on the other hand , may require several independent piezo actuators that may apply independently controlled forces on each side of the template . depending on the level of distortion control required , the number of independent piezo actuators may be specified . more piezo actuators may provide better control of distortion . the magnification and distortion error correction should be completed prior to the use of vacuum to constrain the top surface of the template . this is because magnification and distortion correction may be properly controlled only if both the top and bottom surfaces of the template are unconstrained . in some embodiments , the template holder system of fig5 may have a mechanical design that causes obstruction of the curing agent to a portion of the area under template 5102 . this may be undesirable because a portion of the liquid below template 5102 may not cure . this liquid may stick to the template causing problems with further use of the template . this problem with the template holder may be avoided by incorporating a set of mirrors into the template holder to divert the obstructed curing agent in such a way that the curing agent directed to the region below one edge of template 5102 may be bent to cure an obstructed portion below the other edge of template 5102 . in an embodiment , high resolution gap sensing may be achieved by designing the template such that the minimum gap between the substrate and template falls within a sensing technique &# 39 ; s usable range . the gap being measured may be manipulated independently of the actual patterned surface . this may allow gap control to be performed within the useful range of the sensing technique . for example , if a spectral reflectivity analysis technique with a useful sensing range of about 150 nm to 20 microns is to be used to analyze the gap , then the template may have feature patterned into the template with a depth of about 150 nm or greater . this may ensure that the minimum gap that to be sensed is greater than 150 nm . as the template is lowered toward the substrate , the fluid may be expelled from the gap between the substrate and the template . the gap between the substrate and the template may approach a lower practical limit when the viscous forces approach equilibrium conditions with the applied compressive force . this may occur when the surface of the template is in close proximity to the substrate . for example , this regime may be at a gap height of about 100 nm for a 1 cp fluid when 14 kpa is applied for 1 sec to a template with a radius of 1 cm . as a result , the gap may be self - limiting provided a uniform and parallel gap is maintained . also , a fairly predictable amount of fluid may be expelled ( or entrained ). the volume of fluid entrained may be predictable based on careful fluid dynamic and surface phenomena calculations . for production - scale imprint patterning , it may be desired to control the inclination and gap of the template with respect to a substrate . in order to accomplish the orientation and gap control , a template manufactured with reticle fabrication techniques may be used in combination with gap sensing technology such as i ) single wavelength interferometry , ii ) multi - wavelength interferometry , iii ) ellipsometry , iv ) capacitance sensors , or v ) pressure sensors . in an embodiment , a method of detecting gap between template and substrate may be used in computing thickness of films on the substrate . a description of a technique based on fast fourier transform ( fft ) of reflective data obtained from a broad - band spectrometer is disclosed herein . this technique may be used for measuring the gap between the template and the substrate , as well as for measuring film thickness . for multi - layer films , the technique may provide an average thickness of each thin film and its thickness variations . also , the average gap and orientation information between two surfaces in close proximity , such as the template - substrate for imprint lithography processes may be acquired by measuring gaps at a minimum of three distinct points through one of the surfaces . in an embodiment , a gap measurement process may be based on the combination of the broad - band interferometry and fast fourier transform ( fft ). several applications in current industry utilized various curve fitting techniques for the broad - band interferometry to measure a single layer film thickness . however , it is expected that such techniques may not provide real time gap measurements , especially in the case of multi - layer films , for imprint lithography processes . in order to overcome such problems , first the reflective indexes may be digitized in wavenumber domain , between 1 / λ high and 1 / λ low . then , the digitized data may be processed using a fft algorithm . this novel approach may yield a clear peak of the fft signal that accurately corresponds to the measured gap . for the case of two layers , the fft signal may yield two clear peaks that are linearly related to the thickness of each layer . for optical thin films , the oscillations in the reflectivity are periodic in wavenumber ( w ) not wavelength ( x ), such as shown in the reflectivity of a single optical thin film by the following equation , r = ρ 1 , 2 2 + ρ 2 , 3 2 e - 2 α d - 2 ρ 1 , 2 ρ 2 , 3 e - α d cos ( 4 π nd / λ ) 1 - ( ρ 1 , 2 ρ 2 , 3 ) 2 e - 2 α d + 2 ρ 1 , 2 ρ 2 , 3 e - α d cos ( 4 π nd / λ ) where p i , i + 1 are the reflectivity coefficients at the interface of the i − 1 and i interface , n is the index of refraction , d is the thickness to measure of the film ( material 2 of fig5 ), and α is the absorption coefficient of the film ( material 2 of fig5 ). here , w = i / λ . due to this characteristic , fourier analysis may be a useful technique to determine the period of the function r represented in terms of w . it is noted that , for a single thin film , a clearly defined single peak ( pi ) may result when a fourier transform of r ( w ) is obtained . the film thickness ( d ) may be a function of the location of this peak such as , where δw = w f − w s ; w f = l / λ min and w s = l / λ max . fft is an established technique in which the frequency of a discrete signal may be calculated in a computationally efficient way . thus , this technique may be useful for in - situ analysis and real - time applications . fig3 depicts an embodiment of a process flow of film thickness or gap , measurement via a fft process of a reflectivity signal . for multi - layer films with distinct reflective indexes , locations of peaks in a fft process may correspond to linear combinations of each film thickness . for example , a two - layer film may lead to two distinct peak locations in a fft analysis . fig3 depicts a method of determining the thickness of two films based on two peak locations . embodiments presented herein may enable measuring a gap or film thickness even when the oscillation of the reflectivity data includes less than one full period within the measuring wavenumber range . in such a case , fft may result in an inaccurate peak location . in order to overcome such a problem and to extend the lower limit of the measurable film thickness , a novel method is disclosed herein . instead of using a fft algorithm to compute the period of the oscillation , an algorithm to find a local minimum ( w 1 ) or maximum point ( w 2 ) of the reflectivity between w s and w f may be used to compute the period information : dr / dw = 0 at w 1 and w 2 . the reflectivity r ( w ) of equation 7 has its maximum at w = o . further , the wavenumber range ( δw ) of typical spectrometers may be larger than w s . for a spectrometer with 200 nm - 800 nm wavelength range , δw = 3 / 800 whereas w s = 1 / 800 . therefore , the oscillation length of the reflectivity data between 0 − w s may be smaller than that of δw . as depicted in fig3 , there may be two cases of the locations of minimum and maximum in the δw range , given that w = 0 is a maximum point of r ( w ). therefore , the film thickness can be computed as follows : case 1 wwo : a local minimum exists at wi . therefore , w 1 = one half of the periodic oscillation , and hence d = 0 . 5 /( w 1 × 2n ). case 2 ww 1 : a local maximum exists at w 2 . therefore , w 2 = one period of the periodic oscillation , and hence d = 1 /( w 2 × 2n ). a practical configuration of the measurement tool may include a broad - band light source , a spectrometer with fiber optics , a data acquisition board , and a processing computer . several existing signal processing techniques may improve the sensitivity of the fft data . for example , techniques including but not limited to : filtering , magnification , increased number of data points , different range of wavelengths , etc ., may be utilized with gap or film thickness measurement methods disclosed herein . embodiments disclosed herein include a high precision gap and orientation measurement method between two flats ( e . g ., a template and a substrate ). gap and orientation measurement methods presented here include use of broad - band interferometry and fringe based interferometry . in an embodiment , a method disclosed herein which uses broad - band interferometry may overcome a disadvantage of broad - band interferometer , namely its inability to accurately measure gaps smaller than about ¼ of the mean wavelength of the broad - band signal . interference fringe based interferometry may be used for sensing errors in the orientation of the template soon after it is installed . imprint lithography processes may be implemented to manufacture single and multi - layer devices . single layer devices , such as micron size optical mirrors , high resolution light filters and light guides , may be manufactured by forming a thin layer of material in certain geometric shapes on substrates . the imprinted layer thickness of some of these devices may be less than ¼ of the mean wavelength of a broad - band signal , and may be uniform across an active area . a disadvantage of broad - band interferometer may be that it may be unable to accurately measure gaps smaller than about ¼ of the mean wavelength of the broad - band signal ( e . g ., about 180 nm ). in an embodiment , micrometer size steps , which may be measured accurately , may be etched into the surface of the template . as depicted in fig3 , steps may be etched down in the forms of continuous lines 3701 or multiple isolated dots 3702 where measurements may be made . isolated dots 3702 may be preferable from the point of view of maximizing the useful active area on the template . when the patterned template surface is only a few nanometers from the substrate , a broad - band interferometer may measure the gap accurately without suffering from minimum gap measurement problems . fig3 depicts a schematic of the gap measurement described here . probes 3801 may also be used in an inclined configuration , such as depicted in fig3 . if more than three probes are used , the gap measurement accuracy may be improved by using the redundant information . for simplicity &# 39 ; s sake , the ensuing description assumes the use of three probes . the step size , h s , is magnified for the purpose of illustration . the average gap at the patterned area , hp , may be given as : h p =[( h 1 + h 2 + h 3 )/ 3 ]− h s , ( 9 ) when the positions of the probes are known (( x i , y i ), where x and y axes are on the substrate surface ), the relative orientation of the template with respect to the substrate may be expressed as a unit vector ( d ) that is normal to the template surface with respect to a frame whose x - y axes lie on the top surface of the substrate . where , r =[( x 3 , y 3 , h 3 )−( x 1 , y 1 , h 1 )]×[( x 2 , y 2 , h 2 )−( x 1 , y 1 , h 1 )]. perfect orientation alignment between two flats may be achieved when n =( 00 i ) t , or h 1 = h 2 = h 3 . measured gaps and orientations may be used as feedback information to imprinting actuators . the size of the measuring broad - band interferometric beam may be as small as about 75 μm . for a practical imprint lithography process , it may be desirable to minimize the clear area used only to measure the gap since no pattern can be etched into at the clear area . further , blockage of the curing agent due to the presence of measurement tool should to be minimized . fig4 depicts a schematic of multi - layer materials on substrates . for example , substrate 4001 has layers 4002 , and 4003 , and fluid 4005 between substrate 4001 and template 4004 . these material layers may be used to transfer multiple patterns , one by one vertically , onto the substrate surface . each thickness may be uniform at the clear area where a gap measurement may be made using light beams 4006 . it has been shown that using broad - band interferometry , the thickness of a top layer may be measured accurately in the presence of multi - layer films . when the optical properties and thicknesses of lower layer films are known accurately , the gap and orientation information between the template and substrate surface ( or metal deposited surfaces for multi - layer devices ) may be obtained by measuring the top layer thickness . the thickness of each layer may be measured using the same sensing measurement probes . it may be necessary to perform orientation measurement and corresponding calibration when a new template is installed or a machine component is reconfigured . the orientation error between the template 4102 and substrate 4103 may be measured via an interference fringe pattern at the template and substrate interface as depicted in fig4 . for two optical flats , the interference fringe pattern may appear as parallel dark and light bands 4101 . orientation calibration may be performed using a pre - calibration stage as disclosed herein . differential micrometers may be used to adjust the relative orientation of the template with respect to the substrate surface . using this approach , if no interference fringe band is present , the orientation error may be corrected to be less than ¼ of the wavelength of light source used . with reference to fig4 a and 42b , therein are depicted embodiments of the first and second flexure members , 126 and 128 , respectively , in more detail . specifically , the first flexure member 126 may include a plurality of flexure joints 160 coupled to corresponding rigid bodies 164 , 166 . flexure joints 160 and rigid bodies 164 , and 166 may form part of arms 172 , 174 extending from a frame 170 . flexure frame 170 may have an opening 182 , which may permit the penetration of a curing agent ( e . g ., uw light ) to reach the template 150 when held in support 130 . in some embodiments , four ( 4 ) flexure joints 160 may provide motion of the flexure member 126 about a first orientation axis 180 . frame 170 of first flexure member 126 may provide a coupling mechanism for joining with second flexure member 128 as illustrated in fig4 . likewise , second flexure member 128 may include a pair of arms 202 , 204 extending from a frame 206 . arms 202 and 204 may include flexure joints 162 and corresponding rigid bodies 208 , 210 . rigid bodies 208 and 210 may be adapted to cause motion of flexure member 128 about a second orientation axis 200 . a template support 130 maybe integrated with frame 206 of the second flexure member 128 . like frame 182 , frame 206 may have an opening 212 permitting a curing agent to reach template 150 which may be held by support 130 . in operation , first flexure member 126 and second flexure member 128 may be joined as shown in fig4 to form orientation stage 250 . braces 220 , 222 may be provided in order to facilitate joining of the two pieces such that the first orientation axis 180 and second orientation axis 200 are substantially orthogonal to each other . in such a configuration , first orientation axis 180 and second orientation may intersect at a pivot point 252 at approximately the template substrate interface 254 . the fact that first orientation axis 180 and second orientation axis 200 are orthogonal and lie on interface 254 may provide fine alignment and gap control . specifically , with this arrangement , a decoupling of orientation alignment from layer - to - layer overlay alignment may be achieved . furthermore , as explained below , the relative position of first orientation axis 180 and second orientation axis 200 may provide an orientation stage 250 that may be used to separate the template 150 from a substrate without shearing of desired features . thus , features transferred from the template 150 may remain intact on the substrate . referring to fig4 a , 42 b and 43 , flexure joints 160 and 162 may be notched shaped to provide motion of rigid bodies 164 , 166 , 208 , 210 about pivot axes that are located along the thinnest cross section of the notches . this configuration may provide two ( 2 ) flexure - based sub - systems for a fine decoupled orientation stage 250 having decoupled compliant motion axes 180 , 200 . flexure members 126 , 128 may be assembled via mating of surfaces such that motion of template 150 may occur about pivot point 252 substantially eliminating “ swinging ” and other motions that could shear imprinted features from the substrate . thus , orientation stage 250 may precisely move the template 150 about a pivot point 252 ; thereby , eliminating shearing of desired features from a substrate following imprint lithography . referring to fig4 , during operation of system 100 , a z - translation stage ( not shown ) may control the distance between template 150 and the substrate without providing orientation alignment . a pre - calibration stage 260 may perform a preliminary alignment operation between template 150 and the substrate surfaces to bring the relative alignment within the motion range limits of orientation stage 250 . in certain embodiments , pre - calibration may be required only when a new template is installed into the machine . with reference to fig4 , therein is depicted a flexure model , denoted generally as 300 , useful in understanding the principles of operation of a fine decoupled orientation stage , such as orientation stage 250 . flexure model 300 may include four ( 4 ) parallel joints : joints 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 , that provide a four - bar - linkage system in its nominal and rotated configurations . line 310 may pass though joints 1 and 2 . line 312 may pass through joints 3 and 4 . angles α 1 and α 2 may be selected so that the compliant alignment ( or orientation axis ) axis lies substantially on the template - wafer interface 254 . for fine orientation changes , rigid body 314 between joints 2 and 3 may rotate about an axis depicted by point c . rigid body 314 may be representative of rigid bodies 170 and 206 of flexure members 126 and 128 . mounting a second flexure component orthogonally onto the first one ( as depicted in fig4 ) may provide a device with two decoupled orientation axes that are orthogonal to each other and lie on the template - substrate interface 254 . the flexure components may be adapted to have openings to allow a curing agent ( e . g ., uv light ) to pass through the template 150 . the orientation stage 250 may be capable of fine alignment and precise motion of template 150 with respect to a substrate . ideally , the orientation adjustment may lead to negligible lateral motion at the interface and negligible twisting motion about the normal to the interface surface due to selectively constrained high structural stiffness . another advantage of flexure members 126 , 128 with flexure joints 160 , 162 may be that they may not generate particles as frictional joints may . this may be an important factor in the success of an imprint lithography process as particles may be particularly harmful to such processes . due to the need for fine gap control , embodiments presented herein may require the availability of a gap sensing method capable of measuring small gaps of the order of 500 nm or less between the template and substrate . such a gap sensing method may require a resolution of about 50 nanometers , or less . ideally , such gap sensing may be provided in real - time . providing gap sensing in real - time may allow the gap sensing to be used to generate a feedback signal to actively control the actuators . in an embodiment , a flexure member having active compliance may be provided . for example , fig4 depicts a flexure member , denoted generally as 400 , including piezo actuators . flexure member 400 may be combined with a second flexure member to form an active orientation stage . flexure member 400 may generate pure tilting motions with no lateral motions at the template - substrate interface . using such a flexure member , a single overlay alignment step may allow the imprinting of a layer on an entire semiconductor wafer . this is in contrast to overlay alignment with coupled motions between the orientation and lateral motions . such overlay alignment steps may lead to disturbances in x - y alignment , and therefore may require a complicated field - to - field overlay control loop to ensure proper alignment . in an embodiment , flexure member 250 may possess high stiffness in the directions where side motions or rotations are undesirable and lower stiffness in directions where necessary orientation motions are desirable . such an embodiment may provide a selectively compliant device . that is , flexure member 250 may support relatively high loads while achieving proper orientation kinematics between the template and the substrate . with imprint lithography , it may be desirable to maintain a uniform gap between two nearly flat surfaces ( i . e ., the template and the substrate ). template 150 may be made from optical flat glass to ensure that it is substantially flat on the bottom . the template may be patterned using electron beam lithography . the substrate ( e . g ., a semiconductor wafer ), however , may exhibit a “ potato chip ” effect resulting in micron - scale variations on its topography . vacuum chuck 478 ( as shown in fig4 ), may eliminate variations across a surface of the substrate that may occur during imprinting . vacuum chuck 478 may serve two primary purposes . first , vacuum chuck 478 may be utilized to hold the substrate in place during imprinting and to ensure that the substrate stays flat during the imprinting process . additionally , vacuum chuck 478 may ensure that no particles are present on the back of the substrate during processing . this may be especially important to imprint lithography , as particles may create problems that ruin the device and decrease production yields . fig4 a and 48b illustrate variations of a vacuum chuck suitable for these purposes according to two embodiments . in fig4 a , a pin - type vacuum chuck 450 is shown as having a large number of pins 452 . it is believed that vacuum chuck 450 may eliminate “ potato chip ” effects as well as other deflections on the substrate during processing . a vacuum channel 454 may be provided as a means of applying vacuum to the substrate to keep it in place . the spacing between the pins 452 may be maintained such that the substrate will not bow substantially from the force applied through vacuum channel 454 . at the same time , the tips of pins 452 may be small enough to reduce the chance of particles settling on top of them . fig4 b depicts a groove - type vacuum chuck 460 with a plurality of grooves 462 across its surface . grooves 462 may perform a similar function to pins 454 of the pin - type vacuum chuck 450 . as shown , grooves 462 may take on either a wall shape 464 or a smooth curved cross section 466 . the cross section of grooves 462 for groove - type vacuum chuck 462 may be adjusted through an etching process . also , the space and size of each groove may be as small as hundreds of microns . vacuum flow to each of grooves 462 may be provided through fine vacuum channels across multiple grooves that run in parallel with respect to the chuck surface . the fine vacuum channels may be formed along with grooves through an etching process . fig4 illustrates the manufacturing process for both pin - type vacuum chuck 450 and groove - type vacuum chuck 460 . using optical flat 470 , no additional grinding and / or polishing steps may be needed for this process . drilling at determined locations on the optical flat 470 may produce vacuum flow holes 472 . optical flat 470 may then be masked and patterned 474 before etching 476 to produce the desired features ( e . g ., pins or grooves ) on the upper surface of the optical flat . the surface of optical flat 470 may then be treated 479 using well - known methods . as discussed above , separation of template 150 from the imprinted layer may be a critical , final step in the imprint lithography process . since the template 150 and substrate may be almost perfectly parallel , the assembly of the template , imprinted layer , and substrate leads to a substantially uniform contact between near optical flats . such a system may usually require a large separation force . in the case of a flexible template or substrate , the separation may be merely a “ peeling process .” however , a flexible template or substrate may be undesirable from the point of view of high - resolution overlay alignment . in case of quartz template and silicon substrate , the peeling process may not be implemented easily . however , separation of the template from an imprinted layer may be performed successfully by a “ peel and pull ” process . a first peel and pull process is illustrated in fig4 a , 49 b , and 49 c . a second peel and pull process is illustrated in fig5 a , 50 b , and 50 c . a process to separate the template from the imprinted layer may include a combination of the first and second peel and pull processes . for clarity , reference numerals 12 , 18 , 20 , and 40 are used in referring to the template , transfer layer , substrate , and curable substance , respectively , in accordance with fig1 a and 1b . after curing of the substance 40 , either the template 12 or substrate 20 may be tilted to intentionally induce an angle 500 between the template 12 and substrate 20 . orientation stage 250 may be used for this purpose . substrate 20 is held in place by vacuum chuck 478 . the relative lateral motion between the template 12 and substrate 20 may be insignificant during the tilting motion if the tilting axis is located close to the template - substrate interface . once angle 500 between template 12 and substrate 20 is large enough , template 12 may be separated from the substrate 20 using only z - axis motion ( i . e . vertical motion ). this peel and pull method may result in desired features 44 being left intact on the transfer layer 18 and substrate 20 without undesirable shearing . a second peel and pull method is illustrated in fig5 a , 50 b , 50 c . in the second peel and pull method , one or more piezo actuators 502 may be installed adjacent to the template . the one or more piezo actuators 502 may be used to induce a relative tilt between template 12 and substrate 20 ( fig5 a ). an end of piezo actuator 502 may be in contact with substrate 20 . thus , if actuator 502 is enlarged ( fig5 b ), template 12 may be pushed away from substrate 20 ; thus inducing an angle between them . a z - axis motion between the template 12 and substrate 20 ( fig5 c ), may then be used to separate template 12 and substrate 20 . an end of actuator 502 may be surface treated similar to the treatment of the lower surface of template 12 in order to prevent the imprinted layer from sticking to the surface of the actuator . in summary , embodiments presented herein disclose systems , processes and related devices for successful imprint lithography without requiring the use of high temperatures or high pressures . with certain embodiments , precise control of the gap between a template and a substrate on which desired features from the template are to be transferred may be achieved . moreover , separation of the template from the substrate ( and the imprinted layer ) may be possible without destruction or shearing of desired features . embodiments herein also disclose a way , in the form of suitable vacuum chucks , of holding a substrate in place during imprint lithography . further embodiments include , a high precision x - y translation stage suitable for use in an imprint lithography system . additionally , methods of forming and treating a suitable imprint lithography template are provided . while this invention has been described with references to various illustrative embodiments , the description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments , as well as other embodiments of the invention , will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description . it is , therefore , intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments .
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preferred exemplary miniature tree sculptures in accordance with the present invention are shown generally at 10 in the drawing . the sculpture includes miniature trees 12 , 13 and 15 . as shown in fig3 each tree includes an imitation tree trunk 14 and a branch structure 16 . the miniature trees 12 , 13 and 15 are shown as part of a landscape model wherein the tree sculptures 10 are mounted on a suitable base , such as an attractive rock 18 . the landscape scene or model may further include miniature mail boxes 20 , fences 22 and other suitable items which provide a realistic miniature setting for the tree sculpture 10 . these items are made from conventional materials , such as metal , wood or plastic , and are attached to the rock base 18 by any conventional method . each of the tree sculptures 12 , 13 and 15 includes a plurality of leaves z4 which are adhesively bonded to the branch structure 16 ( see fig3 ). a miniature tree 26 without leaves is also included as part of the landscape scene to show the trunk and branch structure of the miniature tree in accordance with the present invention prior to addition of the leaves . the miniature trees 12 , 13 , 15 and 26 may be made from metal , wood , plastic or any other material which can be formed into a miniature tree which is compatible with the adhesive used to bond the leaves z4 to trees . the material must also be sufficiently strong to resist breakage after it is formed into the tree structure . metal is the preferred material to be used in making the trees . the tree trunk is preferably made from standard welding or brazing rod having diameters ranging from 1 / 16 - inch to 3 / 8 - inch in diameter . diameters of 1 / 16 , 3 / 32 , 1 / 8 , 5 / 32 , 3 / 16 and 1 / 4 - inch are preferred for making tree heights in the range of 6 inches to 20 inches . the branch structure is preferably made from metal wire having diameters of 0 . 010 - inch up to about 0 . 040 - inch . mig wire having a diameter of 0 . 035 - inch works well . the small diameter wire branches are attached to the larger diameter trunk metal rod by welding or other suitable means . the trunk rod and metal branches are then bent or sculpted into the shape of a miniature tree . a torch is preferably used to assist in sculpting the trunk and branches . after sculpting , the miniature tree is painted to reflect the type of tree being imitated . in the preferred embodiment , the miniature tree is an aspen . accordingly , the tree is painted with a white base coat and then painted with black markings typical of aspens . the leaves 24 are attached to the branch structure 16 after painting is completed . the leaves can be seeds or seed hulls . suitable seeds include grass seeds having a size and shape which mimics the desired leaf structure . grass seeds are well suited for used in making pine trees and other conifers . seed hulls , such as millet seed hulls , are preferred when a broad leaf miniature tree is desired . in the preferred aspen embodiment , millet seed hulls are used for the leaves . millet seed hulls are commonly available as a waste product produced during the conventional processing of millet seed . white millet seed hulls are particularly preferred . the seeds or seed hulls are preferably dyed to achieve the desired leaf color or mixture of colors . conventional food stuff dyes can be used for this purpose . in the preferred embodiment , the white millet seed hulls are dyed according to the following process : food coloring , vinegar and water are mixed to form a dye solution . the dye solution is heated to boiling and the millet seed hulls are then added . the resulting mixture is simmered for about thirty minutes . the solution is then drained off and the shells laid out to dry . in preparing yellow leaves , one cup of millet seed hulls is added to one cup of water containing sixty drops of yellow food coloring and two tablespoons of vinegar . for green leaves , one cup of white millet seed shells is added to one cup of water containing eight drops of green food coloring , fourteen drops of yellow food coloring and four tablespoons of vinegar . red leaves are made by adding one cup of white millet seed hulls to one cup of water containing fifty drops of yellow food coloring , fifty drops of red food coloring and two and one - half tablespoons of vinegar . although a wide variety of different colors are possible , the above solutions and dying procedures are preferred when making aspen miniature trees because it was found that the resulting dyed white millet seed hulls provide a realistic and accurate imitation of natural aspen leaf coloring during various stages of growth and aging . various different millet seed hulls may be used , depending on the particular visual effect desired . white or yellow millet seed having diameters of less than 1 / 8 - inch are preferred . the seeds are bonded to the branch structure using an adhesive which is applied onto the branches . the adhesive can be applied by conventional methods , such as spraying , dipping or any other procedure which provides a uniform and controllable coating of the branches . construction - type adhesives , such as the spray adhesive marketed as touch - n - stick © by convenience products of st . louis , mo ., are preferred . the spray adhesive allows control of adhesive application so that , when desired , only selected areas of the branches will have seed hulls or seeds bonded thereto . after the adhesive is applied to the tree branches , the tree is then rolled or immersed in a bed of the dyed seed hulls or seeds . the tree is rolled or agitated within the seed hull / seed bed for a sufficient time to provide adhesive bonding of the seed hulls / seeds to the branch structure . the amount of adhesive applied to the branch structures and the time and degree of agitation of the branch structure within the seed hull / seed may be varied to achieve different leaf density . further , additional seed hulls / seeds may be sprinkled onto areas of the branches which were not covered during the initial contact with the bed of seed hulls / seeds . if additional fullness is desired , the branches may be sprayed with some additional adhesive and seed hulls / seeds sprinkled onto the locations where additional adhesive has been sprayed . the durability of the seed hulls / seeds and their attachment to the tree branches is increased by coating the tree sculpture with additional adhesive to provide seed hulls / seeds with a protective coating on their outer surfaces . the protective layer can be any of the conventional adhesives which will not adversely affect the seed hull / seed structure or appearance . elmers spray adhesive ® marketed by the borden company ( columbus , ohio ) or weldbond ® marketed by frank t . ross & amp ; sons , inc . ( dalton , ill .) are suitable adhesives for use in coating the structure . one or more coats of the adhesive may be applied and preferably the adhesive is a water soluble , non - toxic adhesive which can be diluted with water to provide application of a thin adhesive coating by dipping or spraying . it was found that two thin coats of adhesive provides increased leaf ( i . e ., seed hull ) durability without adversely affecting the visual appearance of the seed hulls . other protective coatings include various paints such as clear lacquer or other clear polymeric coating which provides a thin , clear coating which does not detract from the visual appearance of the seed hulls / seeds . the above mentioned adhesives are preferred because they not only provide a protective layer surrounding the seed hulls / seeds , but also provide increased attachment strength and durability . having thus described exemplary embodiments of the present invention , it should be noted by those skilled in the art that the within disclosures are exemplary only and that various other alternatives , adaptations and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention . accordingly , the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments as illustrated herein , but is only limited by the following claims .
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fig1 is a schematic view of a liquid rocket engine 102 . the engine 102 includes various mechanisms 108 ( e . g ., pumps and the like ) that feed liquid fuel to a combustion chamber and nozzle 104 . the combusted fuel escapes from the engine 102 through the outlet 106 of the nozzle 104 . the engine 102 is connected to a frame 110 of a rocket by a gimbal and actuators 112 and 114 . the actuators 112 and 114 enable the engine 102 to pivot about two axes on the gimbal relative to the frame 110 . the first actuator 112 includes a piston 120 that can telescopically move relative to a cylinder 124 . the actuator 112 is connected to the engine 102 by a first pivot 118 and to the frame 110 by a second pivot 116 . thus , movement of the piston 120 relative to the cylinder 124 causes the engine 102 to pivot about a first axis relative to the frame 102 . the second actuator 114 includes a piston 126 second telescopically move relative to a cylinder 128 . the actuator 114 is connected to the engine 102 by a first pivot 130 and the frame 110 by a second pivot 122 . thus , movement of the piston 126 relative to the cylinder 128 causes the engine 102 to pivot about a second axis ( perpendicular to the first axis ) relative to the frame 110 . in environments in which high reliability is important , an actuator that can provide mechanical feedback for control may be preferred over a feedback system that relies on electrical power ( e . g ., that uses sensors to detect position ). for example , the liquid fuel rocket engines may use actuators with mechanical feedback that enable the engines to center themselves in the event of a loss of electrical power . fig2 is a schematic illustration of a mechanical feedback actuator 200 that may be used on a liquid fuel rocket engine . the mechanical feedback actuator 200 includes a piston 210 inside a cylinder 208 . the piston 210 is connected to a connecting rod 206 , which is connected to a first pivot 202 . a second pivot 204 can be connected to the cylinder 208 . the piston 210 ( and connecting rod 206 ) can move telescopically relative to the cylinder 208 by selectively pumping hydraulic fluid ( or the like ) into and out of chambers 212 and 214 in the cylinder . for example , to move the piston 210 and connecting rod 206 in the direction of arrow d , hydraulic fluid can be pumped into chamber 212 and out of chamber 214 . the pumping of hydraulic fluid into the chambers 212 and 214 of the cylinder 208 is controlled by an actuator control 220 that includes a power valve 232 . the power valve 232 can slide in the direction of arrow g ( or in the opposite direction ) to selectively enable hydraulic pressure source p to be in communication with chamber 212 or chamber 214 . similarly , movement of the power valve 232 causes the other chamber 212 and 214 to be in communication with a hydraulic pressure return r . movement of the power valve 232 is controlled by one or more servo valves 222 . multiple servo valves 222 can be used to provide redundancy for control of the power valve 232 . under normal operation , operation of each servo valve 222 is controlled by an electrical signal . each servo valve 222 can include a torque motor 224 . an electrical current can be applied to cause an armature 226 in the torque motor 224 to twist relative to a magnet , as indicated by arrow a ( or in the opposite direction ). twisting of the armature 226 causes a flexure sleeve 228 to shift laterally in the direction of arrow b ( or in the opposite direction depending on the direction of current flow ). lateral shifts of the flexure sleeve 228 open valves 230 , which provide communication between the hydraulic pressure source p and hydraulic pressure return r and the servo valve 222 . the servo valve 222 can also move in the direction of arrow b ( or in the opposite direction ) to provide hydraulic pressure to faces of the power valve 232 to cause the power valve 232 to move the direction of arrow g . the mechanical feedback actuator 200 can provide mechanical feedback to the actuator controller 220 . the piston 210 can be coupled to an internal conical cam 260 that includes an inward - facing conical surface 262 . the conical cam 260 is movable ( in the direction of arrow h ) with the piston 210 relative to the cylinder 208 . a scissor linkage 242 can be arranged with a first end within the conical cam 260 . the scissor linkage 242 can include a first elongate member 246 and a second elongate member 248 . rollers 250 and 252 on the first ends of the first elongate member 246 and the second elongate member 248 , respectively , of the scissor linkage 242 can enable the conical cam 260 to translate relative to first end of the scissor linkage 242 . springs 254 push apart the first ends of the first elongate member 246 and the second elongate member 248 . a second end of the second elongate member 248 can be pivot about an anchor ( e . g ., anchored relative to the second pivot 204 ). a second end of the first elongate member 246 can be connected to a first feedback link 258 . as the piston 210 and conical cam 260 move relative to the scissor linkage 242 , the first ends of the first elongate member 246 and the second elongate member 248 will move toward or away from each other in the direction of arrow e . the second ends of the first elongate member 246 and the second elongate member 248 will move in an opposite direction . for example , if the piston 210 and the conical cam 260 move in the direction of arrows d and h , then the first ends of the first elongate member 246 and the second elongate member 248 will move away from each other in the direction of arrow e . at the same time , the second ends of the first elongate member 246 and second elongate member 248 will move toward each other . as discussed above , the second end of the second elongate member 248 can be fixed in place by anchor 256 . put differently , the second end of the second elongate member 248 can pivot about the anchor 256 , but cannot translate relative to the anchor 256 . thus , any movement between the second ends of the first elongate member 246 and the second elongate member 248 is transmitted to the first feedback link 258 . continuing the example above , movement of the second ends of the first elongate member 246 and the second elongate member 248 toward one another results in the feedback link moving in the direction of arrow f . movement of the first feedback link 258 can be communicated to a second feedback link 240 . the second feedback link 240 can be pivotably connected to anchors 272 , and movement of the second feedback link 240 can thereby be transmitted to feedback rods 265 . the feedback rods 265 can be connected to springs 264 , which can push on a feedback wire 266 of each servo valve 222 . an additional spring 268 can be connected to a fixed anchor 270 . the additional spring 268 can provide a biasing force that tends to move the feedback rods 265 toward a centered position . the feedback wire 266 can be connected to the flexure sleeve 228 . as discussed above , a current can be applied to an armature 226 of each servo valve 222 to cause the armature 226 to twist in the direction of arrow a . in various embodiments , a fixed amount of current or voltage can be applied to the armature 226 to results in a certain deflection ( and ultimately movement of the piston 210 ). for example , one volt applied to the armature 226 may result in one inch of displacement of the piston 210 ( from a centered position ), two volts applied to the armature 226 may result in two inches of displacement of the piston 210 , etc . the springs 264 apply a force to the feedback wire 266 and ultimately to the flexure sleeves 228 that can cancel out the electromagnetic force acting on the armature 226 . continuing the example , as the piston 210 achieves a 1 inch displacement , the resulting movements of the scissor linkage 242 , the first feedback link 258 , and the second feedback link 240 results in movement of the springs 264 and spring forces that cancel out electromagnetic forces from the armature 226 acting on the flexure sleeves 228 . as a result , the servo valves 222 will close , thereby stopping the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the chambers 212 in 214 of the cylinder 208 . when the electrical signal that deflected the piston 210 is removed from the armatures 226 ( e . g . when a master controller wants to center the piston 210 or if the controller loses power ), the springs 264 will push the feedback wires 266 and the flexure sleeves 228 in an opposite direction ( in the direction of arrow c ), causing hydraulic fluid to flow in an opposite direction to move the piston 210 back to a centered position . as discussed above , the springs 254 push the first elongate member 246 and the second elongate member 248 outwardly such that the rollers 250 and 252 remain in contact with the conical surface 262 of the conical cam 260 . referring now to fig3 a and 3b , in a relatively low - vibration environment , the springs 254 may be sufficient to provide contact between the rollers 250 and 252 and the conical surface 262 of the conical cam 260 . for example , fig3 a is a front view of the space shuttle 300 configured for liftoff . the space shuttle 300 includes three liquid rocket engines , similar to the engine 102 shown in fig1 , and two solid rocket boosters 304 . as can be seen in fig3 a , the liquid fuel engines 302 of the space shuttle 300 are arranged significantly higher than the solid rocket booster engines 304 . as a result , the liquid fuel engines 302 are subject to a relatively small amount of vibration produced by exhaust gases leaving the solid rocket booster engines 304 . in other applications , such liquid fuel engines may be exposed to higher levels of vibration . for example , fig3 b illustrates the space launch system ( sls ) 310 being developed by the boeing corporation . in the sls 310 , the liquid fuel engines 302 ′ and solid rocket booster engines 304 ′ are aligned with one another . as a result , the liquid fuel engines 302 ′ may be subject to significantly higher levels of vibration from the solid rocket boosters 304 ′. such increased levels of vibration may induce harmonic vibration in the springs 254 of the scissor linkage 242 . such harmonic vibrations may cause the rollers 250 and 252 of the scissor linkage 242 to lose contact with the conical surface 262 of the conical cam 260 . as a result , the mechanical feedback actuator 200 would not receive feedback for control of the piston 210 , which could result in control excursions of the engine 102 . fig4 a and 4b illustrate an embodiment of a scissor linkage 400 for use in a high vibration environment , such as the environment for the liquid fuel engines 302 ′ for the sls 310 . the scissor linkage includes a first elongate member 402 and a second elongate member 404 , which are pivotable relative to one another about a pivot 406 . the first elongate member 402 includes a roller 408 that can interact with the conical cam 260 . similarly , the second elongate member 404 includes a roller 408 that can interact with the conical cam 260 . the first elongate member 402 and the second elongate member 404 can define an internal volume 410 that can house one or more spring / damper units 414 . the internal volume 410 can include recesses 412 that hold ends of the spring / damper units 414 . fig4 b illustrates a partial cross - sectional view of a spring / damper unit 414 for use with the scissor linkage 400 . the spring / damper 414 can include a first body 416 and a second body 418 . the first body 416 can include an end 422 that can interface with a recess 412 in the first elongate member 402 or the second elongate member 404 . similarly the second body 418 can include an end 428 that can interface with a recess 412 in the first elongate member 402 were the second elongate member 404 . the first body 416 can include a lip 424 and a seat 426 and the second body can include a lip 430 and a seat 432 . the spring 420 can rest against and be captured by the seats 426 and 432 . the connecting rod 434 can extend from the first body 416 and terminate with a piston 436 . the piston 436 and a portion of the connecting rod 434 can be arranged in the second body 418 . the second body 418 can define a cavity 438 and 440 in which the piston 436 can move . the cavity 438 , 440 can be filled with a fluid ( e . g ., a damping oil ) that resists movement of the piston 436 . the piston 436 can include one or more orifices 442 through which the damping fluid can pass as the piston moves within the cavity 438 and 440 . for example , fig4 b illustrates the orifice as an annular orifice between the piston 436 and walls of the cavity 438 and 440 . in one embodiment , the spring 420 can have an outer diameter of one half of an inch and the wire diameter can be 0 . 047 inches . the spring 420 can have a free length of 1 . 125 inches and , when installed between the seats 426 and 432 , and installed length of 1 inch . the spring rate for the spring 420 can be 7 . 46 pounds per inch . in various other embodiments , the spring 420 can have different dimensions and / or spring rates . in one embodiment , the piston 436 can have a diameter of 0 . 1875 inches . the piston 436 can define two apertures , each aperture having a diameter of 0 . 03125 inches . the piston 436 can have a total stroke in the cavities 438 and 440 of 1 . 12 inches . the cavities 438 and 440 can be filled with an 80 weight , silicon - based oil . the resulting damper can have a damping coefficient of 5 . 345 lbf - second / inch . in various other embodiments , the damping coefficient can be between 5 . 3 lbf - second / inch and 5 . 4 lbf - second / inch . in various other embodiments , the damping coefficient can be between 5 lbf - second / inch and 6 lbf - second / inch . in various other embodiments , the damper can have different dimensions and / or damping coefficients . the combined spring / damper can be critically damped ( i . e ., have a damping ratio of 1 ), overdamped ( i . e ., have a damping ratio of greater than 1 ), or underdamped ( i . e ., have a damping ratio of less than 1 ). in various embodiments , the spring rate and damping coefficient can be chosen such that the damping ratio is as close to 1 as possible . the damper can dampen any resonant vibrations in the springs , thereby preventing the scissor linkage 400 from losing contact with the conical cam 260 in a high vibration environment . in the embodiment shown in fig4 a , the dampers are co - located with the springs 420 . in various other embodiments , the dampers can be located next to ( i . e ., side - by - side with ) the spring 420 . also , a scissor linkage 400 can include any number of springs and dampers . for example , in certain embodiments , a scissor linkage may include a single spring and a single damper , two springs and two dampers , or other numbers of springs and dampers . dampers can also be incorporated into other springs in such a mechanical feedback actuator , such as actuator 200 shown in fig2 . for example , dampers could be incorporated into the springs 264 and 268 in the feedback rods 265 to dampen any resonant vibrations of those springs . the descriptions of the various embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration , but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments . the terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments , the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace , or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein . in the following , reference is made to embodiments presented in this disclosure . however , the scope of the present 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 contemplated embodiments . furthermore , although embodiments disclosed herein may achieve advantages over other possible solutions or over the prior art , whether or not a particular advantage is achieved by a given embodiment is not limiting of the scope of the present 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 ). while the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention , other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof , and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow .
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in the embodiment of the invention , an analysis server is used to collect data generated during the course of messaging events taking place within some or all of a communication system . ideally , to get a full picture of a call along its end to end path , it would be useful to have complete information about all the associated signalling and media messages as well as other diagnostic information . however , it will be appreciated that a call may pass across several systems which have no unified control and so collecting all the desired information would be difficult if not impossible . in reality , the operator of a portion of a network is probably only interested in the diagnosis of issues within that portion of the network over which they have control . therefore , even though the analysis server may not have access to all the data generated by all parts of the communication system , it can nonetheless still collect data about some of the transactions within a certain scope of the entire network path . it can then provide information about the passage of calls through the network within its scope . during the course of a call , a number of signalling and media messages will be generated and passed through the network . these messages may be passed through various different paths through the network , before reaching their destination . as indicated above , signalling and media messages may pass over different paths through the network and have different message formats and parameters . as these messages are received and either consumed or relayed on through each network node , elements of the message are collected and passed on to the analysis server . as will be explained below , the messages may initially be consolidated with other related messages before being sent to the analysis server . the analysis server receives and collects messages to allow subsequent analysis to identify all messages that relate to or might relate to a specific call , to allow analysis of the processing of the call and possibly why a call failed or had difficulties connecting etc . fig2 shows a portion of a theoretical network which is within the scope of the statistical analysis server of the present invention . as indicated above , the analysis server may only have access to a portion of the network over which a particular call may pass but this does not prevent analysis of the routing of the call in this portion . in the network , signalling messages 24 and media messages 22 may be passed through completely different channels depending on the specific transmission protocols being used . a media gateway ( mg ) 21 a , may receive media messages via tdm channels 22 from a pstn which it passes along to mg 21 b . it may also receive signalling messages 23 from a media gateway controller ( mgc ) 20 . the mg 21 a may also receive signalling messages 26 which it relays between the signalling gateway 25 and the stps 2 . the reception and transmission of all these messages each represents an event which may provide useful diagnostic information . the mgs may also listen to the media content of the messages , for example to detect fax tones . this media sourced information may also be collected . other information may also be collected which might not relate directly to a message . for example , a time - out event may provide additional information which can be used for diagnosis . the media gateways 21 a , 21 b collate the diagnostic event information and pass this to the analysis server . the pstn portions shown in fig2 may be third party networks which are out of the scope of the network monitored by the analysis server . equally the mgcs 20 may be out of the scope of the monitored network . the analysis server 28 uses the received messages to produce consolidated diagnostics , tying together signalling events and media events ( e . g . fax tone detection ) from one or more media gateways within the scope of its network . use of the collated data , allows searching based on certain parameters such as time of call , a unique identifier for the tdm timeslot involved ( e . g . the h . 248 terminationid ), isup / isdn signalling message parameters ( e . g . the cic / channel id , the called / calling party number , etc .). the time of a call and called / calling party number are perhaps the most likely details to be provided about a call when an issue has occurred . therefore these items provide a good key to tie all the data collected to a particular call . however , this information may not be present in all messages collected by the server and so messages must be tied together using other data which may then link them to a particular call to be matched . furthermore , matching according to a timestamp and called / calling number requires no knowledge of any configuration on any of the network elements . in the following description , a piece of diagnostic information ( e . g . “ h . 248 message received : & lt ; message contents & gt ;”) will be referred to as an “ event ”. as indicated above , events may not just relate to messages received , sent or relayed but also to the consequences of the content of a message , or even some action taking place solely within an element of the system such as an mg , e . g . a time - out event . the system also makes use of “ markers ” which are a special type of diagnostic information containing information that can help with searching and / or correlation . these are similar to events but do not necessarily relate to a specific occurrence such as a result of a call setup or of a message reception or transmission . they may simply be diagnostically useful information that has been generated or calculated by an element of the system . they are particularly used for correlating diagnostic data together and to provide indexing information for searching using enquiry data . events and markers may be correlated with each other and these correlated events and markers may be grouped together into “ trails ”. such trails will be used as a set of linked events and markers which may then be associated with a particular call either directly or by association based on a significance measure relating to the likelihood of them relating to each other . the media gateways within the system are configured to send events and markers to the analysis server . each event is sent with a utc timestamp generated by the media gateway and a media gateway identifier . the identifier should be unique at least within the scope of the analysis server . the events and markers are grouped according to their parameters into trails . the trails are collated according to their source and then according to time based parameters and id parameters . in a first trail grouping for media path related messages , all events associated with a single tdm timeslot will be associated . as there may be a large number of unrelated calls using identical tdm timeslots , further criteria must be used to distinguish between different trails . in this case , this is achieved according to the gateway control protocol messages received that are used to set up or tear down a media path . for h . 248 , these are ‘ add ’ and ‘ subtract ’ commands respectively . each trail therefore contains markers having the following identical or similar parameters : t start = timestamp of the add command t end = timestamp of the subtract command id = created from the combination of the gateway control protocol identifier for the tdm timeslot ( e . g . the h . 248 ‘ terminationid ’ parameter ) and the media gateway &# 39 ; s own unique id tid = timeslot within a given tdm carrier ( e 1 / t 1 ) as indicated above , all the markers in a trail might not have identical values for the parameters but may instead include markers that have values within a certain tolerance . for example , markers with t start within a certain margin of a value for the trail will be included . each media gateway performs the correlation of events for a single tdm timeslot . since not all events are related to or consequences of messages , they may not inherently have a timeslot identifiers ( e . g . h . 248 terminationid ). as the analysis server needs such timeslot identifiers to associate events , if all events did not have them , then correlation would not be possible . therefore , some correlation is done at the mg where it can associate each event with a corresponding timeslot identifiers and begin the process of grouping events into trails . then when the partial trails are processed with other events and markers at the analysis server , complete trails can be constructed . the partial trails are constructed at the mgs in this embodiment and then sent to the analysis server . the mg could instead add additional timeslot identifiers to each event and then send it to the analysis server so that the analysis server had sufficient information to complete the correlation process for all events / markers . however , this would add to the signalling overhead and it is therefore more efficient to form the partial trails at the mg , as in this embodiment . in a second trail grouping , all events associated by their isup message mtp3 routing label and their isup circuit identification code parameters are included in a given trail . these are common elements in every isup message . again , there may be many unrelated calls using the same label , and so further criteria must be used to distinguish between different trails . so for an event to be included in a given trail it must also be matched by call establishment and tear - down details , e . g . ‘ iam ’/‘ release ’ message timestamps respectively . alternatively , the ‘ release complete ’ timestamp could be used for tear - down . in this way , a single isup trail should only contain the messages for a single isup call ( or attempt ). each trail therefore contains markers having the following identical or similar parameters : t start = timestamp of the iam command message t end = timestamp of the release ( or release complete ) command message id = the combination of mtp3 routing label and circuit identification code ( cic ). the cic uniquely identifies a tdm timeslot as a media link between two feature servers / gateway controllers , and the mtp3 routing label identifies the pair of feature servers uniquely within a given ss7 network ( but not globally ). additionally , other markers may be associated with a trail that can help when searching for the call diagnostics . for example , this might include any isup parameters that might aid in linking a call to a particular trail , in particular : called party number and calling party number parameters . unlike the tdm timeslot trail grouping above , trail - grouping operations using isup parameter markers can be done either by the media gateway or the analysis server . however , it would likely be preferable to do the isup grouping at the analysis server since each individual message may be routed via a different signalling link on a different tdm timeslot , and so potentially on a different media gateway . for isup media trunks between two media gateways in the same deployment sending to the same analysis server , it is likely that each isup message will be logged and sent to the analysis server more than once . even so , they will be correlated with each other and still be associated into the same signalling trail . in a further trail grouping , events associated by their isdn call - related messages can be grouped . this can include using the call reference information element and a unique pri identifier . the call reference information element is assigned by the originator of a call . the value is assigned at the beginning of a call and remains fixed for the lifetime of a call . after a call ends , the associated call reference value may be reassigned to a later call . the pri consists of an id assigned by the media gateway ( for example the iua identifier ) and the media gateway &# 39 ; s own unique identifier . again , the trails are further distinguished based on the time based parameters , as for isup above . in this case the trails are distinguished by reference to the timestamps for the setup and release / release complete commands . in this way , a single isdn trail should only contain the messages for a single isdn call ( or attempt ). each trail therefore contains markers having the following identical or similar parameters : t start = timestamp of the setup command message t end = timestamp of the release ( or release complete ) command message id = the combination of the channel id from the setup command message and the media gateway identification parameter by which the trail was first grouped . other markers may be associated with a trail to aid searching for a call &# 39 ; s diagnostic events . for example , these could include markers with isdn information elements that could be of interest for searching , in particular those with called party number and calling party number parameters . again , trail grouping operations using isdn parameter markers can be done either by the media gateway or the analysis server . once the initial allocating of events / markers to trails is done either in the media gateways or in the analysis server itself , the “ signalling ” ( isup , isdn ) and “ media ” ( media gateway tdm termination ) trails are then compared and an attempt to associate or correlate pairs of trails is carried out . this second stage matching is carried out by identifying possible id pairings for future lookup and allocating a confidence value indicating the “ strength ” of that pairing , i . e . a measure of certainty . in other words , pairs of trails are compared and the strength of the pairing determined to allocate a confidence value to that pairing . various factors are used to determine that “ strength ” of pairing , including : both t start and t end for two compared trails are within a certain tolerance ( the tolerance could be configured on the analysis server , for example , 500 ms ) id relational strength the id relational strength is determined based on ranging the signalling id and the media tid . it is reasonable to assume that in most cases an entire tdm carrier ( e 1 / t 1 ) is being used for the relevant signalling protocol . on that basis , for the media gateway , if timeslot tid = 3 serves isup cic = 27 then it is a reasonable assumption to suggest that timeslot tid = 1 serves isup cic = 25 , tid = 2 serves isup cic = 26 and so on . in other words , in this example , tid = n serves isup cic = 24 + n . similarly for isdn , if timeslot tid = 5 is serving b - channel 5 , then it can be reasonably surmised that timeslot tid = 6 is serving b - channel 6 and so on . in this way , if the tid and deduced corresponding isup cic or isdn b channel match , then the pairing strength or confidence value of the two trails being compared is enhanced . in the above correlation process , the source media gateway for the trails is not taken into account , allowing for the ss7 network separation of signalling and media paths across different gateways . once the correlated data for the trails is collected in the analysis server , diagnostic analysis for a specific call can be carried out . a user can request diagnostic information by searching the database for a given marker ( or set of markers ), such as time of a call being initiated . using this , a trail having data matching the given marker can be identified . the trail containing the marker found , the “ main ” trail , can then be used to identify associated trails . using the confidence value associated with respective pairings which the main trail has with other trails , candidate associated trails can be identified . a threshold can be set for the confidence value above which candidate trails qualify as associated trails , i . e . trails having sufficiently high strength pairings from the second stage analysis above . the threshold mentioned above can be set high if the user only wishes to see highly correlated trails or the threshold may be set lower , so that more trails are identified but with lower confidence of them relating to the desired call . once the main and qualifying associated trails have been identified , they can be collated and provided to the user . they can then be used for diagnosis purposes either manually by the user or using an automated process which may include remedial steps to try to rectify any problems identified . if the main trail is a signalling trail ( e . g . isup , isdn ), then additional media trails ( e . g . media gateway tdm termination ) may be included in the results . these additional media trails are selected where their confidence value is less than the confidence value of the highest strength trail pairing but within a certain amount and which are from a different media gateway . this allows for media trunks between two media gateways in the same monitored portion of the network ( i . e . sending to the same diagnostics server ). for example in the arrangement of fig2 both media gateways 21 a and 21 b might be within the scope of the monitored scope . as such , both mgs might be sending events / marker information to the analysis server . in this situation , each mg could produce its own separate media trail , but there would only be one signalling trail . all three trails could be associated with each other so that the user could see all three trails together . the trails described above can be made larger , for example by the media gateway tying together all events associated with a single h . 248 context id . this larger group of trails would be useful if identifying data relating to an isup call passed through a media gateway in tandem , as a single correlated diagnostic trace . this would happen , for example , where an isup iam is received by an mgc that causes it determine that a call is not to be routed to a local subscriber but instead sent out over another isup trunk . in this case , there are two separate “ branches ” to that call , each of which has a separate tdm timeslot into one of the mgs controlled by the mgc . the gateway control protocol necessarily involves programming a path to connect them , either as two tdm terminations in a single h . 248 context ( e . g . if they are on the same mg ) or with some other hop ( e . g . rtp ) in between . the analysis server may include the ability to modify the pairing process by obtaining user input to adjust the pairing decision making . for example , trail pairings may be presented to the user to confirm the legitimacy of that pairing . this may be done for all pairings irrespective of the confidence value or limited trail pairings that have a confidence value that is just above or just below the threshold , within a certain range of the confidence value threshold . the user may indicate the desirable trail pairings and reject those that were not . this selection would then be passed to the analysis server to adjust the pairing decision making process . the user response can then be used to modify the threshold value or to modify the significance of specific relationships . so , if a user confirms a particular pairing , the strength for that pairing ( and associated relational pairings ) is increased significantly , and all other possible pairings involving the main trail &# 39 ; s “ id ” can be removed . equally , if a user rejects a presented pairing , that pairing is removed and the strength for associated relational pairings is reduced . the process may then move on to the next best match or a list of possible pairings to choose from . the analysis server may further include the ability to modify the pairing process by modifying the strength value associated with a relationship over time . in this way , the strength would decrease with time , so if a given tdm carrier is repurposed for a different isup trunk , newer possible pairings generated will be stronger than older ones as their strength will have decayed . in this way , newer pairings will have higher confidence values than older ones which will devalue over time . thus an older trail for a repurposed tdm carrier will have a lower confidence value . the rate at which the strength reduces can depend on a number of factors such as usage and a configured decay rate . the present invention can be extended to cover any out - of - band tdm - transported signalling protocol where the media gateway transports but does not consume the data , for example bssap ( bss application part ), which also uses ss7 . the present invention provides a means to correlate trails even when the signalling trails are on a completely different gateway to the media . however , so that the trails can be correlated , they do need to use a consistent time reference , such as ntp . so , if the gateways involved are ntp - synced , it doesn &# 39 ; t matter which gateway the different trails come from .
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the architecture of the disclosed art is based on the client - driven intelligent content delivery platform . the preferred embodiment of the present invention is described as a client - server solution for enhancing security of web transactions . the preferred embodiment has three functional modules located at three different locations referred herein as nodes . the three nodes are a ) the client terminal 10 , b ) the authentication server 12 , and c ) the network servers 14 . the practical implementation of the preferred embodiment begins with the user inserting the rock od card 18 in the odd 20 of the client machine ( node 1 client terminal 10 ). the rock system uses the following program algorithm modules on the card device and their corresponding remote components on the client and the server . 1 . odd controller 22 gains control of the cd rom / dvd functions during the online transaction , by controlling the cd rom / dvd device drivers . sets compulsory auto run . inactivates all user functions such as cd data access , viewing , copying etc . enables compulsory auto eject after transaction completion and on any illegal command . 2 . os controller 24 cordons off the rock application by closing all programs , applications and hidden processes , to prevent data hijack by spy programs . it also prevents the launch of any concurrent program during the running of rock transaction . it thus isolates the rock program from the operating system , and runs it as a device program from the card . 3 . html compliant engine 26 displays the input and output data . allows access only to the rock defined remote servers , with hidden url addresses . no trace of the url address of server pages delivered to the rock client left in the client machine . 4 . dynamic pin encryptor 28 generates a dynamic 12 digit pin . the 4 digit pin is converted into a 12 digit dynamic pin by the pin encryption algorithm run from the client card . the dynamic pin so generated is based on the current standard server time , the ip of the client machine , the card serial number , its exe creation date and the user area code . the pin decryptor 40 is located at the server and uses a similar algorithm to decrypt the 12 digit pin and authenticate the user . 5 . biometric & amp ; personal information bank 30 — biometrics , such as photograph , signature , finger print , bank names & amp ; account nos . etc may be stored on the card . the details of such card - holder is indexed in databases located at one or more remote servers . 6 . rock replication lock 32 — although odd controller prevents the user from viewing , copying or editing the rock device data , this module makes it virtually impossible for a hacker to run the copied rock device program even if he manages to disable the odd controller functionality . the replication lock , works in the following manner . a ) the rock data on the optic disk card contains a unique virtual id , which cannot be copied over to any other data storage media . this virtual id is created while recording the original rock data at the time of creating the rock optical disc card . such virtual id is generated by marking a specific physical location on the rock optical disc card by means of a specific bit of data and its absolute location in terms of the precise positioning of the laser beam . in one embodiment this can be done by locating the innermost first data track and the outermost last data track of the rock od card incongruent with the iso 9660 standard specifications . these unique marks can be recorded for reference by the subcode channels during the recording session . as these data track markers will not be the same as on any other conventional cd , making a perfect copy will not be possible . b ) the rock replication lock algorithm checks for such virtual id before permitting the launch of the rock program . if the virtual id is missing , the rock program aborts the launch . in another simpler embodiment the rock program checks for information such as date of card creation , number of data tracks etc , before launching the program . nonconformance to these rock od card - specific marker data does not allow a duplicate cd to run the program . 7 . optional biometric scanner & amp ; verifier 36 — for added extra security the rock system can incorporate a real time biometric authentication module . description of many such biometric authentication systems are known to prior art and available as public domain . such module can be as simple as a signature pad input device , or much advanced as a finger print or body parts scanning device , for establishing the physical identification of the rock user , based on his unique biometric characteristics . the congregated effect of the above discussed algorithm modules of the rock system assigns the following properties to the odd and rock od card , which apparently transforms the odd into a rock reading device . 1 . the user cannot view the rock program files using any conventional odd . 2 . the user cannot copy the rock program files from the rock od card . 3 . the user cannot run the rock program from any hard drive or any copied optical disc other than the original rock od card 4 . the url address of pages delivered to rock application during the transaction are not displayed and permanently erased from all os and web browser engine buffers . 5 . no program or unknown process is allowed to run concurrently during the rock transaction , thereby preventing any spy program from hijacking confidential user data . 6 . the 4 - digit user pin is converted to 12 - digit dynamic pin , which changes with every transaction , hence accessing the rock server without the rock od card , even if the hacker cracks the user pin and url of the remote server , is virtually impossible , 7 . every unauthorized transaction can be back tracked as the location and the client machine id is encrypted in the rock server database . in the preferred embodiment the user action is initiated at the client terminal by inserting the rock od card in the odd of the client machine and controlling the navigation with the help of the data input devices such as keyboard or mouse 34 . for a very high level security a biometric scanner 36 , such as signature or finger print scanner can be deployed for assuring a fool proof person specific transaction . the program algorithms on the rock od card are processed by the client cpu and displayed on its html compliant interface 38 . through the html compliant interface the rock communicates with the rock server 12 , which runs the dynamic pin decryption algorithm 40 , for user access to the user info database 42 , and access to predefined network servers 14 . the user enters a 4 - digit pin 44 in a login page displayed in the html - compliant interface 38 . on submission of the pin for user authentication , the dynamic pin encryptor 28 converts the pin to a 12 - digit number 46 , which is generated by taking into account the time ( gmt from the server ) 48 and also the client location and machine id 50 . the dynamic pin decryptor 40 of the authentication server 12 also generates the same dynamic pin using the same parameters . hence the dynamic pin changes with every login . if the 4 digit pin is correct the dynamic pin matches 52 and the user session is authenticated 54 . [ 0053 ] fig3 a and 3 b illustrate the flow diagram of practical implementation of the preferred embodiment in terms of user navigation screens after the session is authenticated . thus , as illustrated in the above detailed description of the invention and the flow diagrams , an online transaction on the internet is secured by means of a physical hard key / card , which can universally work in any conventional computer without the need of a special hardware for reading such hard key / card . according to the teachings of the preferred embodiment of the present invention , such hard key / card will virtually eliminate unauthorized access and ensure a high level of security and privacy in all transactions conducted by using such hard key / card . a further feature of the preferred embodiment is the multiple layers of security built into the system , which makes it virtually impossible for a hacker to break in . even if the hacker is able to crack all the layers including the 4 - digit user pin , and succeeds in reaching the rock server without the rock od card , he will not be able to enter the server because only 12 - digit dynamic pin will be authenticated . such 12 - digit pin is generated afresh at every new transaction making it impossible to crack the 12 - digit dynamic pin . in another preferred embodiment of the present invention the security can be further enhanced by deploying biometric scanner for scanning physical characteristics of the user for access authentication . in yet another preferred embodiment the hard key / card is designed as a credit card , wherein the back of such a card has magnetic stripe and manual authentication methods , providing additional authentication methods in addition to odd based authentication . in yet another embodiment the hard key / card is deployed for authenticating login on to an assigned client computer . several embodiments of the present invention are specifically illustrated and described herein . however , it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings . while the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in detail , it should be apparent that modifications and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims .
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a concurrent license is preferably used with respect to an application that is used for a particular purpose in a company , etc . ; however , there are applications that are not always used in an online environment , and there are cases where it is not possible to manage the concurrent license . for example , in a system of supporting the examination operation at a construction site , etc ., by using a tablet ( tablet terminal ), the input and output of data between the tablet and the server are performed in an online environment , while the application is often used in an offline environment . therefore , it is not possible to confirm the usage state of the application in an offline environment , and management of the concurrent license is not possible . note that for an application used in this type of system , the examination data ( map , specification , work check list , etc .) is downloaded , and the examination data ( updated data ), in which the examination results are input , is uploaded , in an offline environment . preferred embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to accompanying drawings . fig1 illustrates an example of a system configuration according to an embodiment . in fig1 , a server 1 provided in a head office server room , a pc ( personal computer ) client 3 provided in a business office a , and a pc client 4 provided in an on - site office b at a construction site are able to communicate with each other via an internal lan ( local area network ) 2 . furthermore , a tablet 5 provided at a site is able to communicate with the server 1 via the internal lan 2 when the tablet 5 is positioned inside the on - site office b ( online environment ); however , when the tablet 5 is positioned at locations in the construction site other than the on - site office b ( offline environment ), the tablet 5 is unable to communicate with the server 1 . fig2 illustrates an example of a software configuration of the server 1 . in fig2 , the server 1 includes a database 11 , an application distribution unit 12 , a pc client login processing unit 13 , a tablet login processing unit 14 , a data checkin / out processing unit 15 , and a license count unit 16 . the database 11 is for holding data to be referred to and updated , when a process is performed at the server 1 . an example of the data structure of the database 11 is described below . note that the database 11 may be managed by a database server etc ., other than the server 1 . the application distribution unit 12 has a function of providing an application in response to a request from the pc client 3 , 4 , and the tablet 5 . the application provided to the pc client 3 , 4 has a function of implementing overall management , such as creating data for an examination , confirming the examination results , etc . the application provided to the tablet 5 has a function of acquiring data used for the examination from the server 1 ( checkout , take out ), adding the examination result to the data at the site , and returning the updated data to the server 1 ( checkin ). the pc client login processing unit 13 has a function of accepting a login request and a logout request from the application of the pc client 3 , 4 , and performing a login process and a logout process . note that the pc client login processing unit 13 cooperates with the license count unit 16 , to manage the license number ( number of licenses used ) with respect to the pc client 3 , 4 , by setting the period between login to logout by the application as the usage period of the application . the tablet login processing unit 14 has a function of accepting a login request and a logout request from the application of the tablet 5 , and performing a login process and a logout process . note that the tablet login processing unit 14 does not connect the login and logout by the application of the tablet 5 , with the management of the license number . the data checkin / out processing unit 15 has a function of accepting checkout ( take out ) and checkin ( return ) of data , in response to a request from the tablet 5 . the data that is checked out is checked in as data in which the examination result , etc ., has been input ( updated data ). the license count unit 16 has a function of managing the license number of the application , in response to a request , from the pc client login processing unit 13 and the data checkin / out processing unit 15 . fig3 a through 3d illustrate examples of data structures of the database 11 , which respectively illustrate an authentication table t 1 , a usable license number table t 2 , a license number count table t 3 , and a checkin / checkout data table t 4 . the authentication table t 1 is a table used for an authentication process at the time of login , and includes items such as “ user id ”, “ password ”, “ session code ”, etc . the “ user id ” is information for identifying the user . the “ password ” is secret information for confirming the identity of the user . the “ session code ” is information issued when the user is successfully authenticated and the user has logged in , and the “ session code ” is deleted when the user logs out . the usable license number table t 2 holds a license maximum number with respect to the application for the pc client and the application for the tablet . as illustrated in fig3 b , when the license maximum number is “ 5 ”, a total of ten devices , including 5 pc clients and 5 tablets , are able to use the application . note that a license maximum number may be separately set for an application for the pc client and an application for the tablet . the license number count table t 3 is a table for managing the target that is determined as using the application at the present time point , and includes items such as “ user id ”, “ terminal name ”, “ type ”, etc . the “ user id ” is information for identifying the user . the “ terminal name ” is the name of the terminal used by the user . the “ type ” is information indicating the type of the terminal ( pc client or tablet ). the number of records for each of the pc client and the tablet in the “ type ” in the license number count table t 3 , corresponds to the license number at the present time point for the respective applications . the checkin / checkout data table t 4 is a table for managing the state of checkout and checkin by a tablet for each data item , and includes the items of “ data id ”, “ checkout status ”, “ checkout user ”, “ terminal name ”, etc . the “ data id ” is information for identifying the data . the “ checkout status ” is information for indicating whether the data is checked out ( co : presently checked out ). the “ checkout user ” is the user id of the user who is checking out the data . the “ terminal name ” is the name of the terminal that is checking out the data . fig4 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of the server 1 , and the pc client 3 , 4 . in fig4 , the server 1 , etc ., includes a cpu ( central processing unit ) 102 , a rom ( read only memory ) 103 , a ram ( random access memory ) 104 , and an nvram ( non - volatile random access memory ) 105 , which are connected to a system bus 101 . furthermore , the server 1 , etc ., includes an i / f ( interface ) 106 ; an i / o ( input / output device ) 107 , a hdd ( hard disk drive )/ flash memory 108 , and a mic ( network interface card ) 109 , connected to the i / f 106 ; and a monitor 110 , a keyboard 111 , and a mouse 112 connected to the i / o 107 . a cd / dvd ( compact disk / digital versatile disk ) drive , etc ., may be connected to the i / o 107 . the units 12 through 15 of the server 1 in fig2 are realized by executing predetermined programs in the cpu 102 . the program may be provided by a recording medium , or may be provided via a network . fig5 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of the tablet 5 . in fig5 , the tablet 5 includes a power system 501 ; a main system 502 including a processor 503 , a memory controller 504 , and a peripheral interface 505 ; and a storage unit 506 . furthermore , the tablet 5 includes an external port 507 , a high frequency circuit 508 , an antenna 509 , an audio circuit 510 , a speaker 511 , a microphone 512 , a proximity sensor 513 , and a gps ( global positioning system ) circuit 514 . furthermore , the tablet 5 includes an i / o ( input / output ) subsystem 515 including a display controller 516 , an optical sensor controller 517 , and an input controller 518 ; a touch reactive type display system 519 ; an optical sensor 520 ; and an input unit 521 . fig6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an application download process . in fig6 , when the pc client 3 , 4 , or the tablet 5 accesses the server 1 and requests the download of the application ( step s 101 ), the application distribution unit 12 of the server 1 sends the corresponding application to the request source ( step s 102 ). accordingly , the pc client 3 , 4 or the tablet 5 acquires the application ( step s 103 ). note that when the pc client 3 , 4 or the tablet 5 accesses the server 1 , a user id and a password may accompany the access , and the application may be sent only when the authentication is successful . fig7 through 9 illustrate an example of a login process by the pc client 3 , 4 . in fig7 , when the application is activated in the pc client 3 , 4 ( step s 111 ), a request for a login process is sent from the application to the server 1 , together with a user id , a password , and a terminal name ( step s 112 ). the pc client login processing unit 13 or the server 1 performs authentication based on the authentication table t 1 from the user id and the password , and when the authentication is successful , the pc client login processing unit 13 sends a query of the license loan status to the database 11 based on the user id and the terminal name ( step s 113 ). the database 11 confirms whether the user id , the terminal name , and the type ( pc client because the request is from the pc client login processing unit 13 ) are already present in the license number count table t 3 , and sends a response ( step s 114 ). the pc client login processing unit 13 determines whether the pc client 3 , 4 that has made the request is already using the license of the application , from the response result from the database 11 ( step s 115 ). when the pc client login processing unit 13 determines that the license is already used ( yes in step s 115 ), the pc client login processing unit 13 generates a session code and sends a response of the session code to the pc client 3 , 4 ( step s 116 ). accordingly , the pc client 3 , 4 executes the application ( step s 117 ). furthermore , when the pc client login processing unit 13 determines that the license is not used ( no in step s 115 ), with reference to fig8 , the pc client login processing unit 13 sends a query of the present license usage number to the license count unit 16 ( step s 118 ), and the license count unit 16 sends a query of the present license usage number to the database 11 ( step s 119 ). the database 11 acquires the maximum license number from the usable license number table t 2 acquires the number of pc clients presently using the license from the license number count table t 3 , and sends a response to the license count unit 16 ( step s 120 ). the license count unit 16 sends a response of the license upper limit ( maximum license number ) and the usage number ( number of pc clients presently using the license ) to the pc client login processing unit 13 ( step s 121 ). the pc client login processing unit 13 determines whether the present usage number is exceeding the license upper limit , from the response result from the license count unit 16 ( step s 122 ). when the pc client login processing unit 13 determines that the present usage number is exceeding the license upper limit ( yes in step s 122 ), the pc client login processing unit 13 sends a response that the license upper limit is exceeded to the pc client 3 , 4 ( step s 123 ), and the application of the pc client 3 , 4 displays a message that the license upper limit is exceeded and ends the application ( step s 124 ). furthermore , when the pc client login processing unit 13 determines that the license upper limit is not exceeded ( no in step s 122 ), with reference to fig9 , the pc client login processing unit 13 sends a request to count up the license usage number to the license count unit 16 ( step s 125 ), and the license count unit 16 sends a request to count up the license usage number to the database 11 ( step s 126 ). the database 11 inserts an line of the user id , the terminal name , and the type ( pc client ) in the license number count table t 3 , and sends a response of completion to the license count unit 16 ( step s 127 ). that is , the database 11 updates the management information of the license ( license management information ) to a used state . the license count unit 16 sends a response that the count up is completed , to the pc client login processing unit 13 ( step s 128 ). upon receiving the response , the pc client login processing unit 13 generates a session code and sends a response or the session code to the pc client 3 , 4 ( step s 129 ). the pc client 3 , 4 completes login ( step s 130 ), and executes the application ( step s 131 ). as described above , with respect to the application of the pc client 3 , 4 , the license number is counted up as a part of the login process . fig1 illustrates an example of a logout process by the pc client 3 , 4 . in fig1 , while the application is being executed at the pc client 3 , 4 ( step s 141 ), a logout process is requested from the application to the server 1 together with a session code ( step s 142 ), and the pc client login processing unit 13 performs a logout process based on the session code ( delete session code , etc .) ( step s 143 ). next , the pc client login processing unit 13 requests the license count unit 16 to count down the license usage number ( step s 144 ), and the license count unit 16 requests the database 11 to count down the license usage number ( step s 145 ). the database 11 deletes the line of the user id , the terminal name , and the type ( pc client ) from the license number count table t 3 , and sends a response of completion to the license count unit 16 ( step s 146 ). that is , the database 11 updates the management information of the license ( license management information ) to an unused state . the license count unit 16 sends a response that the countdown is completed , to the pc client login processing unit 13 ( step s 147 ). upon receiving the response , the pc client login processing unit 13 reports the logout completion to the pc client 3 , 4 ( step s 148 ), and the pc client 3 , 4 ends the application ( s 149 ). as described above , with respect to the application of the pc client 3 , 4 , the license number is counted down as a part of the logout process . fig1 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a login process by the tablet 5 . in fig1 , when the application is activated in the tablet 5 ( step s 211 ), the application sends a request for a login process to the server 1 , together with a user id , a password , and a terminal name ( step s 212 ). the pc tablet login processing unit 14 of the server 1 performs authentication based on the authentication table t 1 from the user id and the password , and when the authentication is successful , the tablet login processing unit 14 generates a session code and sends a response of the session code to the tablet 5 ( step s 213 ). accordingly , the tablet 5 executes the application ( step s 214 ). fig1 through 14 illustrate an example of a data checkout process by the tablet 5 . in fig1 , when acquiring data used for an examination at the tablet 5 , while the application is being executed ( step s 221 ), a request for data checkout is sent from the application to the server 1 , together with a session code , a user id , a terminal name , and a data id ( step s 222 ). when the data checkin / out processing unit 15 of the server 1 confirms that the tablet 5 has already logged in from the session code , the data checkin / out processing unit 15 sends a query of the license loan status to the database 11 based on the user id and the terminal name ( step s 223 ). the database 11 confirms whether the user id , the terminal name , and the type ( tablet because the request is from the data checkin / out processing unit 15 ) are already present in the license number count table t 3 , and sends a response ( step s 224 ). the data checkin / out processing unit 15 determines whether the tablet 5 that has made the request is already using the license of the application , from the response result from the database 11 ( step s 225 ). when the data checkin / out processing unit 15 determines that the license is already used ( yes in step s 225 ), the data checkin / out processing unit 15 makes a checkout registration to the checkin / checkout data table t 4 with respect to the requested data , and sends the data to the tablet 5 ( step s 226 ). the application of the tablet 5 acquires the data and continues the process ( step s 227 ). furthermore , when the data checkin / out processing unit 15 determines that the license is not used ( no in step s 225 ), with reference to fig1 , the data checkin / out processing unit 15 sends a query of the present license usage number to the license count unit 16 ( step s 228 ), and the license count unit 16 sends a query of the present license usage number to the database 11 ( step s 229 ). the database 11 acquires the maximum license number from the usable license number table t 2 , acquires the number of tablets presently using the license from the license number count table t 3 , and sends a response to the license count unit 16 ( step s 230 ). the license count unit 16 sends a response of the license upper limit ( maximum license number ) and the usage number ( number of tablets presently using the license ) to the data checkin / out processing unit 15 ( step s 231 ). the data checkin / out processing unit 15 determines whether the present usage number is exceeding the license upper limit , from the response result from the license count unit 16 ( step s 232 ). when the data checkin / out processing unit 15 determines that the present usage number is exceeding the license upper limit ( yes in step s 232 ), the data checkin / out processing unit 15 sends a response that the license upper limit is exceeded to the tablet 5 ( step s 233 ), and the application of the tablet 5 displays a message that the license upper limit is exceeded and returns to the state before the data checkout ( step s 234 ). furthermore , when the data checkin / out processing unit 15 determines that the license upper limit is not exceeded ( no in step s 232 ), with reference to fig1 , the data checkin / out processing unit 15 sends a request to count up the license usage number to the license count unit 16 ( step s 235 ), and the license count unit 16 sends a request to count up the license usage number to the database 11 ( step s 236 ). the database 11 inserts an line of the user id , the terminal name , and the type ( tablet ) in the license number count table t 3 , and sends a response of completion to the license count unit 16 ( step s 237 ). that is , the database 11 updates the management information of the license ( license management information ) to a used state . the license count unit 16 sends a response that the count up is completed , to the data checkin / out processing unit 15 ( step s 238 ). upon receiving the response , the data checkin / out processing unit 15 makes a checkout registration to the checkin / checkout data table t 4 with respect to the requested data , and sends the data to the tablet 5 ( step s 239 ). the application of the tablet 5 continues the process ( step s 240 ). as described above , with respect to the application of the tablet 5 , the license number is counted up as a part of the data checkout . fig1 illustrates an example of a screen for confirming the data that has been checked out , at the tablet 5 . in fig1 , in the screen of the tablet , display fields 51 , 52 are displayed in units of data , and by selecting the data of the desired display field and pressing the start examination button 53 , the screen transitions to a screen for displaying the examination procedures , etc ., and a screen for inputting examination results . fig1 and 17 illustrate an example of a data checkin process by the tablet 5 . in fig1 , when returning data ( updated data ) in which the examination result has been input at the tablet 5 , while the application is being executed ( step s 251 ), a request for data checkin is sent from the application to the server 1 , together with a session code , a user id , a terminal name , and the data ( updated data ) ( step s 252 ). when the data checkin / out processing unit 15 of the server 1 confirms that the tablet 5 has already logged in from the session code , the data checkin / out processing unit 15 sends a query of the data take out status to the database 11 based on the user id , the terminal name , and the data id ( step s 253 ). the database 11 confirms the data take out status based on the user id , the terminal name , and the data id in the checkin / checkout data table t 4 , and sends a response ( step s 254 ). the data checkin / out processing unit 15 determines whether the number of data items and the contents of the data items ( specified by data ids ) of the checkin data are the same as those of the checked out data ( step s 255 ). when the data checkin / out processing unit 15 determines that the number and the contents of the checkin data and those of the checked out data are not the same ( no in step s 255 ), the data checkin / out processing unit 15 performs a checkin process of the data ( update the checkin / checkout data table t 4 , save the updated data , etc .) ( step s 256 ), and reports the checkin completion to the tablet 5 ( step s 257 ). the application of the tablet 5 continues the process ( step s 258 ). when the data checkin / out processing unit 15 determines that the number and the contents of the checkin data and the checked out data are the same ( yes in step s 255 ), with reference to fig1 , the data checkin / out processing unit 15 requests the license count , unit 16 to count down the license usage number ( step s 259 ), and the license count unit 16 requests the database 11 to count down the license usage number ( step s 260 ). the database 11 deletes the line of the user id , the terminal name , and the type ( tablet ) from the license number count table t 3 , and sends a response of completion to the license count unit 16 ( step s 261 ). that is , the database 11 updates the management information of the license ( license management information ) to an unused state . the license count unit 16 sends a response that the countdown is completed , to the data checkin / out processing unit 15 ( step s 262 ). upon receiving the response , the data checkin / out processing unit 15 performs the checkin process of the data ( update the checkin / checkout data table t 4 , save the updated data , etc .) ( step s 263 ), and reports the data checkin completion to the tablet 5 ( step s 264 ). the application of the tablet 5 continues the process ( step s 265 ). as described above , with respect to the application of the tablet 5 , the license number is counted down by checking in all of the data that has been checked out . fig1 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a logout process by the tablet 5 . in fig1 , while the application is being executed at the tablet 5 ( step s 271 ), a logout process is requested from the application to the server 1 together with a session code ( step s 272 ), and the tablet login processing unit 14 performs a logout process based on the session code ( delete session code , etc .) ( step s 273 ). next , the tablet login processing unit 14 reports the logout completion to the tablet 5 ( step s 274 ), and the tablet 5 ends the application ( s 275 ). note that in the present embodiment , a description is given of an example of realizing the management of the number of licenses being used , by counting up the number of licenses being used . however , the management method is not so limited , as long as the number of licenses being used is managed so as not to exceed the maximum number of licenses . for example , the number of licenses being used may be managed so as not to exceed the maximum number of licenses , by counting down the remaining number of usable licenses every time usage of a license is allowed . as described above , according to the present embodiment , it is possible to manage , in the same manner as a concurrent license , an application that is mainly used in an offline environment but is used in an online environment when input , and output of data is performed with a server . the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein , and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the wide - ranged purpose and the scope of the present invention . that is , the present invention is not to be construed as being limited by the detailed examples or the accompanying drawings . the tablet login processing unit 14 and the pc client login processing unit 13 are examples of a “ login processing unit ”. the data checkin / out processing unit 15 is an example of a “ transmission unit ”. the data checkin / out processing unit 15 is an example of a “ reception unit ”. the license count unit 16 is an example of a “ license management unit ”. the database 11 is an example of a “ storage unit ”. the data checkin / out processing unit 15 is an example of an “ accepting unit ”. according to an aspect of the embodiments , a license number management system and a license number management method are provided , which are capable of managing , in the same manner as a concurrent license , an application that is mainly used in an offline environment but is used in an online environment when input and output of data is performed with a server . all examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art , and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions , nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention . although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail , it should be understood that the various changes , substitutions , and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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referring to fig1 ˜ 4 , a linear actuator in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a housing 1 , a driving mechanism 2 and at least one , for example , two limit switches 3 . the housing 1 is formed of a first half shell 11 and a second half shell 12 , having an accommodation chamber 13 extending along the length thereof , a front opening 131 located on one end of the accommodation chamber 13 , a rear compartment 132 located on the other end of the accommodation chamber 13 , a bottom receiving chamber 14 located on the bottom side of the accommodation chamber 13 , a longitudinal seat 141 set between the accommodation chamber 13 and the bottom receiving chamber 14 , a series of transverse grooves 1411 located on the longitudinal seat 141 and facing the inside of the accommodation chamber 13 , a tubular front coupling portion 15 extending around the front opening 131 , at least one , for example , and two raised portions 151 protruded from the periphery at two opposite sides . further , a metal retaining ring 16 is capped on the tubular front coupling portion 15 , having two retaining holes 161 respectively forced into engagement with the raised portions 151 . the driving mechanism 2 comprises a motor 21 , a worm 211 connected to and rotatable by the motor 21 , a push rod 23 having an inner thread 231 axially located on the inside and a nut — 232 protruded from the periphery of one end thereof , a spindle 22 threaded into the inner thread 231 of the push rod 23 , a worm gear 221 fixedly mounted on one end of the spindle 22 and meshed with the worm 211 , and a connector 24 connected to the other end of the push rod 23 remote from the nut 232 for the connection of an external device to be driven by the linear actuator . each limit switch 3 comprises a switch body 31 , and a positioning device 32 disposed at one side relative to the switch body 31 . the switch body 31 has a plurality of electrode pins 311 located on the bottom side thereof . the positioning device 32 has a button 321 protruded from the top wall thereof and suspending above the switch body 31 and adapted for triggering the switch body 31 , a locating groove 322 located on one lateral side thereof opposite to the switch body 31 , at least one , for example , two protruding blocks 323 suspending in one side , namely , the top side of the locating groove 322 , and a retaining portion 324 located on the other side , namely , the bottom side of the locating groove 322 . during the assembly process of the linear actuator , perpendicularly attach the motor 21 of the driving mechanism 2 to the rear end of the housing 1 to insert the worm 211 of the motor 21 into the rear compartment 132 of the housing 1 and then fixedly secure the motor 21 to the housing 1 , and then thread the spindle — 22 into the inner thread 231 of the push rod 23 and put the push rod — 23 with the spindle 22 in the accommodation chamber 13 of the housing 1 to force the worm gear 221 into engagement with the worm 211 of the motor 21 and to have the push rod 23 extend out of the accommodation chamber 13 to the outside of the housing 1 through the front opening 131 , and then fasten the limit switches 3 to the front and rear sides of the longitudinal seat 141 in the bottom receiving chamber 14 of the housing 1 to aim the button 321 of each limit switch 3 at the nut 232 of the push rod 23 , and then fasten the first half shell 11 and second half shell 12 of the housing 1 together and attach the metal retaining ring 16 to the tubular front coupling portion 15 of the housing 1 to force the two retaining hole 161 of the metal retaining ring 16 into engagement with the raised portions 151 of the tubular front coupling portion 15 respectively and to reinforce the strength of the housing 1 . according to the present preferred embodiment , the first half shell 11 and second half shell 12 of the housing 1 are respectively molded from a plastic material . alternatively , a metal material can be used to make the first half shell 11 and second half shell 12 of the housing 1 . referring to fig5 and fig2 ˜ 4 again , when started the motor 21 to rotate the worm 211 clockwise or counter - clockwise , the worm 211 drives the worm gear 221 to rotate the spindle 22 in the inner thread 231 of the push rod 23 , causing the push rod 23 to be moved linearly forwards or backwards . further , the electrode pins 311 of the limit switches 3 are respectively electrically connected to the circuit ( not shown ) at the start end and finish end of the linear stroke . when the nut 232 of the push rod 23 reaches the finish end during a forward linear motion of the push rod 23 subject to clockwise rotation of the spindle 22 , the nut 232 touches the button 321 of the limit switch 3 at the finish end , causing the limit switch 3 at the finish end to switch off the motor 21 , avoiding disconnection of the push rod 23 from the front end of the spindle — 22 . on the contrary , when the nut 232 of the push rod 23 reaches the start end during a backward linear motion of the push rod — 23 subject to counter - clockwise rotation of the spindle 22 , the nut — 232 touches the button 321 of the limit switch 3 at the start end , causing the limit switch 3 at the start end to switch off the motor 21 , avoiding locking of the spindle 22 and preventing worm gear damage . the distance between the two limit switches 3 is determined subject to the designed distance of the linear stroke of the nut 232 . further , the positioning device 32 of each limit switch 3 is fastened to the longitudinal seat 141 in the bottom receiving chamber 14 of the housing 1 by means of forcing the protruding blocks 323 into engagement with the transverse grooves 1411 on the longitudinal seat 141 to have the longitudinal seat 141 is received in the locating groove 322 and retaining portion 324 be abutted against the bottom side of the longitudinal seat 141 . when wishing to adjust the distance between the two limit switches 3 , remove the metal retaining ring 16 from the tubular front coupling portion 15 of the housing 1 , and then separate the first half shell 11 and second half shell 12 of the housing 1 , and then pull the limit switch 3 away from the longitudinal seat 141 , and then reinstall the limit switch 3 in the longitudinal seat 141 at the selected location . further , the formation of the series of transverse grooves 1411 on the longitudinal seat 141 constitutes a rack for engagement with the tooth - like protruding blocks 323 of the positioning device 32 of each limit switch 3 . further , the protruding blocks 323 can be made having a rectangular , dovetail - like or arched profile for positive engagement with the series of transverse grooves 1411 on the longitudinal seat 141 and easy removal of the respective limit switch 3 from the longitudinal seat 141 . fig6 is an exploded view of an alternate form of the linear actuator . according to this alternate form , the housing 1 has a motor chamber 17 perpendicularly connected to the rear compartment 132 for accommodating the motor 21 of the driving mechanism 2 . therefore , the motor 21 is well protected in the motor chamber 17 and will not be forced to bias during delivery of the linear actuator , avoiding improper engagement between the worm gear 221 and the worm 211 or any possible gear tooth damage . further when the motor 21 in the motor chamber 17 also prevent it from water and dust . in the aforesaid embodiment , the positioning device 32 of each limit switch 3 is fastened to the longitudinal seat 141 in the bottom receiving chamber 14 of the housing 1 by means of forcing the protruding blocks 323 into engagement with the transverse grooves 1411 on the longitudinal seat 141 , however this arrangement is not a limitation ; alternatively the positioning device 32 of each limit switch 3 can be fastened to the longitudinal seat 141 in the bottom receiving chamber 14 of the housing 1 by a screw joint . in general , the invention provides a linear actuator , which has the following advantages and features : 1 . the first half shell 11 and the second half shell 12 constitute the housing 1 , and the metal retaining ring 16 is fastened to the tubular front coupling portion 15 of the housing 1 to force the two retaining holes 161 of the metal retaining ring 16 into engagement with the raised portions 151 of the tubular front coupling portion 15 and to reinforce the strength of the housing 1 . when wishing to adjust the positions of the limit switches 3 , the user can remove the metal retaining ring 16 from the tubular front coupling portion 15 of the housing 1 and then separate the first half shell 11 and the second half shell 12 for allowing re - installation of the limit switches 3 . therefore , the invention facilitates adjustment of the positions of the limit switches 3 and avoids displacement of the limit switches 3 due to accidental touching by the spindle 22 or push rod 23 during installation of the driving mechanism 2 . 2 . the first half shell 11 and second half shell 12 of the housing 1 are molded from plastics for the advantages of ease of fabrication and low manufacturing cost . the use of the metal retaining ring 16 assures tight connection of the first half shell 11 and the second half shell 12 and reinforces the strength of the housing 1 , avoiding vibration of the push rod 23 during operation of the driving mechanism 2 . a prototype of linear actuator has been constructed with the features of fig1 ˜ 6 . the linear actuator functions smoothly to provide all of the features disclosed earlier . although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration , various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , any other linear transmission structures may be used to substitute for the worm and worm gear for transmission of rotary driving force from the motor to the spindle ; the metal retaining ring can be made having raised portions and the tubular front coupling portion can be made having retaining holes for engagement with the raised portions of the metal retaining ring . accordingly , the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims .
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in the instant invention , it has been found that an environment containing a chemically active species is more harmful if the liberated species is available to attack the low k material during the etching step , in the etch chamber , where the low k dielectric itself is being etched . examples of the damage that can occur are cd loss , bowing and undercut . hereafter , fluorine will be used as a representative of chemically active species . however , this invention contemplates other chemically active species other than fluorine and the methods disclosed and claimed are applicable for other chemically active species , such as oxygen . while a number of possible solutions exist , including finding a fluorine free etching chemistry , the inventors have found that conditioning the etch chamber and the surface that is to be etched can prevent one or more of the possible damage types mentioned above . a first , preferred , embodiment of conditioning the surface is shown in fig3 . an overlayer is deposited once the photoresist film is patterned . the overlayer acts as a barrier to the active species from the discharge ( plasma ). it is thought by the inventors that the fluorine ( chemically active species ) is consumed by the byproducts of the overlayer removal . the overlayer should not significantly change the sizing of the feature contemplated by the initial patterning of the photoresist . the feature size should be substantially the same as it would be without the overlayer deposition step ( assuming that the size of the feature would not be effected by a fluorine containing environment ). this means that the critical dimensions as contemplated by the design constraints can be predictably patterned without accounting for possible unpredictable processing effects that can be caused by the presence of a fluorine containing species . further , the chamber conditioning can decrease sidewall roughness . sidewall roughness can cause voiding in the subsequently formed metallization . as shown in fig3 the overlayer 20 , is deposited on the photoresist , 5 , after the photoresist is patterned with an opening 15 , having a width w 1 . the photoresist is usually patterned using photolithography techniques that are well known in the art . preferably , but not necessarily , the overlayer would be selectively deposited such that there would be substantially no overlayer deposition on the exposed surface , 25 , of the underlying layer , 10 . the overlayer acts as a barrier to the active species from the plasma . by acting as a barrier , the overlayer can prevent loss of cd . the overlayer may also produce a surface covering the resist sidewall which is smoother than the resist prior to overlayer deposition . this may result in smoother etch profiles . furthermore , the etch chamber will be in a different “ state ” during the subsequent dielectric etch process . the “ state ” of the etch chamber will be one depleted of chemically active species . it is thought that either the overlayer deposition of the overlayer or the etch of the overlayer , which directly precedes the etching of the dielectric layer depletes the chamber of chemically active species . once the overlayer was deposited the etch process would proceed . when the etch is completed the width of the feature would be substantially the same as the width of the patterned photoresist , w 1 . it is important to this embodiment that the feature size as etched in the substrate be predictable . by predictable it is meant that profile erosion ( corner rounding , sidewall tapering ) can be minimized and profile shape ( bowing and undercut ) reliably etched . additionally , the method of the instant embodiment helps control sidewall roughness which can occur as a result of the etch processes . it is of course contemplated , but not preferred , that the deposition of the overlayer could be such that the width is more narrow than the width w 1 . however , the focus of this invention is on reducing the adverse effects of the environment containing a chemically active species that can exist during the etching of the substrate , without substantially effecting the critical dimensions as they would have existed without the deposition of the overlayer . it is in fact a critical element of the instant embodiment that the feature as transferred into the substrate , 10 , ( any figure ) not be significantly more narrow than the feature as patterned in the overlying substrate . it is also contemplated that the overlayer , 20 , be embedded in the layers between the opening , 15 , in the patterned photoresist , 5 , and the substrate , 10 , itself ( see fig4 ). the substrate , 10 , may or may not be patterned and contain openings . if there are openings in the substrate , 10 , then the overlayer will preferably fill the openings . as shown in fig4 the invention contemplates alternate layerings of photoresist and overlayer . the only limitation is that the overlayer be deposited after the dielectric and etched prior to the dielectric . the composition of the plasma is not critical to the instant invention , what is critical is that first , the deposition chemistry changes the etch chamber conditioning during the subsequent etch step such that adverse effects to the substrate are avoided and second , that the overlayer itself not affect the etching of the underlying . however , in a preferred embodiment , the plasma overlayer would comprise a polymer - like material . examples of possible polymer chemistries include hydrocarbons of the form [( ch2 ) n ], fluorocarbon polymers of the form [( cf2 ) n ] and mixed hydrofluorocarbons of the form [( chxfy ) n ]. a polymerizing chemistry results in a reduction of chemically active species . also preferably , the plasma would be non - oxidizing and scavenge the detrimental chemically active species present . the thickness of the overlayer needs to be at least about several angstroms . the overlayer should cover substantially all photoresist present but would not necessarily cover the exposed surface at the bottom of the patterned feature . in a preferred embodiment , the overlayer would cover at least about ⅓ of the length of the sidewalls of the patterned feature . in a more preferred embodiment the overlayer would cover at most about ⅔ of the length of the sidewalls ( as measured from the top surface ). preferably , the thickness of the overlayer would be at least about 10 nm and at most about 100 nm , but is not limited to that range . it is contemplated that the overlayer could be several microns . the only upper limit to the thickness of the overlayer contemplated by the inventors is a thickness at which delamination of the overlayer would occur . delamination would occur when the stress in the polymer layer increases to the point where the film starts to lift off . in summary , the embodiments outlined above provide a method for reducing the effects liberated chemical species have on critical dimension line / via pattern transferrance in dielectrics , specifically low k dielectrics . while the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments , it is evident in view of the foregoing description that numerous alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . thus , the invention is intended to encompass all such alternatives , modifications and variations which fall within the scope and spirit of the invention and the appended claims .
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a typical cycle of the wiring machine is to position the wiring gun indicator at a particular backplane wiring terminal pin after which operation the &# 34 ; start &# 34 ; light and the &# 34 ; light &# 34 ; light are lit . the operator has then to take a pre - cut pair of wires , insert one pre - stripped end of the light colored wire , say for example blue of a blue black pair , into the gun tip gt and spin it onto the indicated terminal . upon completion of this operation , an advance switch is activated to advance the numerical controlled machine to the next step . the machine then advances and positions the wiring gun indicator at the next terminal to be wired and activates the &# 34 ; start &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; dark &# 34 ; indicator lights . the operator is now to take the second wire of the pair the darker or black wire of a blue - black pair at the same end and insert the pre - stripped end into the gun tip and spin it onto the indicated terminal . upon completion , the advance switch is actuated and the numerical control machine advances the gun indicator to the next wiring pin position , and activates the &# 34 ; end &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; light &# 34 ; indicator lights . the operator is now to proceed to dress the wires and take the free end of the light wire , the blue wire in this example , and wire it onto the indicated terminal and again activate the advance switch . the machine again advances this indicator to the wiring position for the remaining wire and activates the &# 34 ; end &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; dark &# 34 ; indicator lights . the operator has now to insert the stripped end of the remaining dark wire into the tip gt of the gun wg and spin it onto the indicated terminal after which operation upon activation of the advance switch the machine will advance to the wiring position for the next pair of wires and the cycle will be repeated . as can be seen from the drawing there is a negative or electronic &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; potential available from the indicator lights when they are turned on . the isolated wire wrap gun wg has a single conductor stranded wire attached to it . this wire is run alongside the air line powering the gun . the other end of the wire is attached to a pullup resistor , thereby biasing the gun to an electronic &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; potential . by the term &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; it is meant a positive three to five volts d . c ., which is current limited via a pullup resistor . this gun sense point ( gsp ) potential is used and logically combined with the two other signals that are present for each wiring position . these other signals being obtained from the wiring machine signals that operate the indicator panel lights . normally these signals are at a logic high or &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; until the time that the lights are lit , at which time the signal lead goes to a logic low or &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; potential . for each of the four operations of a wired pair wiring cycle there are present the following signals in addition to that of the gun sense point . ______________________________________start and lightstart and darkend and lightend and dark not used since this error is not possible if the previous three conditions are correct . ______________________________________ thus , by logically combining these signals for the first wire placement position there are present at the &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; gate sl input the following signals : start at &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, light at &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and the gun sense point should not be grounded and therefore have a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; input to result in a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; output to keep the gate and output at a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or + 5 volts and the alarm silent . gates sd and le both have logic 1 outputs at this time . should the wiring operator place the wire on a grounded pin at this time the inputs at gate sl would then be three lows and the output would be a low to cause the gate and to output a low and thus activate the audible alarm . similarly for the second step of the wiring , the start and dark signals are at a logic low , however both signals are inverted at inverters is and id at the input of the nand gate sd thus having inputs of logic 1 + 1 + 0 resulting in a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; output to keep the gate and with a + 5 volt output . the operations for the other ends of the wire pair at steps end and light and end and dark result in the same outputs . although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated , and that form described in detail , it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims .
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referring to fig1 - 3 , a flexible package 10 is generally indicated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 depicts package 10 has having a first flexible top sheet 100 sealed to a second flexible embossed bottom sheet 200 enclosing a food product , ( e . g ., bacon ) 20 containing a substantial amount of solidified fat and water . package 10 includes a heat seal 30 , preferably a hermetic heat seal which seals the top sheet 100 to the bottom sheet 200 and extends continuously around the periphery 40 of the package . as shown in fig2 - 4 , bottom sheet 200 has an embossed food - contact surface 110 facing the food product . the embossed food - contact surface 110 includes a three - dimensional surface topography of peaks 111 and valleys 112 wherein each valley has a defined perimeter with a valley base 113 integrally connected to a valley wall 114 . each valley base and connected valley wall defines an individual liquid containment cell 115 . the individual liquid containment cell 115 may have any shape , size and / or depth as desired depending on the amount of water and / or grease inherent to the packaged food product . it is advantageous to provide a plurality of individual liquid containment cells having a polygon shape . in preferred embodiments , the bottom sheet comprises a plurality of the individual liquid containment cells having a polygon shape formed into a pattern which extends across a portion or the entire surface area of the bottom sheet . as depicted in fig4 , there is an enlarged partial view of one preferred embodiment of a bottom sheet 200 which includes a plurality of individual liquid containment cells 115 having a diamond shape . each individual containment cell 115 includes a valley base 113 surrounded by a valley wall 114 . in this particular preferred example , each of the individual liquid containment cells includes four discrete valley walls 114 a , 114 b , 114 c , and 114 d . fig5 illustrates another preferred embodiment of a bottom sheet 200 which includes a plurality of individual liquid containment cells 115 having a double cross - hatched shape . each individual containment cell 115 includes two valley bases 113 a and 113 b where each valley is surrounded by a valley wall 114 . fig6 illustrates another preferred embodiment of a bottom sheet 200 which includes a plurality of individual liquid containment cells 115 having a hexagon shape . each individual containment cell 115 includes a valley base 113 surrounded by a valley wall 114 . in this particular preferred example , each of the individual liquid containment cells includes six discrete valley walls 114 a , 114 b , 114 c , 114 d , 114 e , and 114 f . in order to achieve sufficient liquid retaining capacity , the food - contact surface has a reduced food - contact surface area that reduces its pre - embossed food - contact surface area by at least 20 %, at least 25 %, at least 30 %, at least 35 %, at least 40 %, at least 45 %, or at least 50 %. one method of determining the percentage of reduction of the reduced food - contact surface area relative to the pre - embossed food - contact surface area for a bottom sheet having a plurality of individual liquid containment cells may be calculated based on the dimensions of an individual liquid containment cell as is shown in fig7 . in this particular embodiment , the individual liquid containment cell has a hexagon shape and the area of the pre - embossed food - contact surface or area ld may be calculated using formula ( i ) in fig6 by measuring the length of line ac ( d 1 ) between points a and b , the length of line bd ( d 2 ) between points b and d , multiplying these distances together and finally , dividing the product in half . typically , points a , b , c and d are each a vertex of four abutting containment cells as illustrated in fig4 . points a and b may also be a midpoint between two adjacent valleys as illustrated in fig3 . the area of the embossed area or area sd which essentially represents the area lying below the food - contact surface 111 may be calculated using formula ( ii ) in fig6 by measuring the length of line a ′ c ′ ( d ′ 1 ) between points a ′ and b ′, the length of line b ′ d ′ ( d ′ 2 ) between points b ′ and d ′, multiplying these distances together and finally , dividing the product in half . points a ′, b ′, c ′ and d ′ are each a vertex of two abutting valley walls , 114 a and 114 b within a single individual liquid containment cell as shown in fig4 . the percentage of reduction of the reduced food - contact surface area relative to the pre - embossed food - contact surface area is calculated by using formula ( iii ) in fig6 by subtracting the amount of area sd , the embossed area from area ld , the pre - embossed area , dividing the remainder by area ld , and finally multiplying the dividend by 100 %. turning now to fig8 , there is shown a cross - sectional view of one preferred embodiment of a top sheet 100 . in this particular example , first film 100 includes an exterior sealant layer 101 which also functions as a frangible layer comprising a blend of a heat sealing material and a material which is incompatible with the heat sealing material , a second layer 102 positioned adjacent to the exterior sealant layer 101 which comprises a polyolefin resin , a third layer 103 positioned adjacent to second layer 102 and comprising a tie or adhesive material , a fourth layer 104 positioned adjacent to the third layer 103 which comprises an oxygen barrier material , and a fifth layer 105 positioned adjacent to the fourth layer 104 and comprising a polyamide or blend of polyamides , a sixth layer 106 positioned adjacent to fifth layer 105 and comprising a tie or adhesive material , and a seventh exterior layer 107 adjacent to sixth layer 106 and comprising an abuse material . while this example of first flexible heat shrinkable film 100 is depicted as having seven layers , it should be understood that first film 100 may be formed as having any number of layers depending upon the desired properties of the final film . thus first film 100 may be constructed from 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 or more layers . fig9 depicts a cross - sectional view of one preferred embodiment of a bottom sheet 200 . in this example , second film 200 includes an exterior sealant layer 201 comprising a heat sealing material , a second layer 202 positioned adjacent to the exterior sealant layer 201 which comprises a polyolefin resin , a third layer 203 positioned adjacent to second layer 202 and comprising a polyolefin resin , a fourth layer 204 positioned adjacent to the third layer 203 which comprises a tie or adhesive material , a fifth layer 205 positioned adjacent to the fourth layer 204 and comprising a polyamide or blend of polyamides , a sixth layer 206 positioned adjacent to fifth layer 205 and comprising an oxygen barrier material , a seventh exterior layer 207 adjacent to sixth layer 206 and comprising a polyamide or blend of polyamides , an eighth layer 208 positioned adjacent to seventh layer 207 and comprising a tie or adhesive material , and a ninth exterior layer 209 positioned adjacent to eighth layer 208 and comprising an abuse material . while this example of second flexible non - heat shrinkable film 200 is depicted as having nine layers , it should be understood that second film 200 may be formed as having any number of layers depending upon the desired properties of the final film . as used herein , the term “ sealant ” refers to a layer which is heat sealable to itself or to other materials , i . e ., be capable of fusion bonding by conventional heating means which generate sufficient heat on at least one film contact surface for conduction to the contiguous film contact surface and formation of a bond interface therebetween without loss of the film integrity . advantageously , the bond interface must be sufficiently thermally stable to prevent gas or liquid leakage therethrough . suitable sealant materials include , but are not limited to polyolefins , such as polyethylenes ( pe ), including low density polyethylene ( ldpe ), linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe ), very low density polyethylene ( vldpe ), and ultra - low density polyethylene ( uldpe ); ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers ( eva ); ionomers ; and blends thereof . the term “ adhesive layer ,” or “ tie layer ” refers to a layer or material placed on one or more layers to promote the adhesion of that layer to another surface . typically , adhesive layers are positioned between two layers of a multilayer film to maintain the two layers in position relative to each other and prevent undesirable delamination . unless otherwise indicated , an adhesive layer can have any suitable composition that provides a desired level of adhesion with the one or more surfaces in contact with the adhesive layer material . optionally , an adhesive layer placed between a first layer and a second layer in a multilayer web may comprise components of both the first layer and the second layer to promote simultaneous adhesion of the adhesive layer to both the first layer and the second layer to opposite sides of the adhesive layer . tie or adhesive layers may be incorporated into a film or laminate by any of the well - known processes for making multilayer structures such as coextrusion , adhesive lamination and the like . typical tie materials include , but are not limited to anhydride or carboxylic acid modified polyolefins , particularly , maleic anhydride modified polyolefins such as maleic anhydride modified low density polyethylene , maleic anhydride modified linear low density polyethylene , maleic anhydride modified high density polyethylene , maleic anhydride modified ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers and blends thereof . tie layer materials may further include a blend of an unmodified polyolefin or unmodified ester copolymer or unmodified ethylene acid copolymer and a modified polyolefin or modified ester copolymer or modified ethylene acid copolymer . frangible or peelable film layers are well known in the art and are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 944 , 409 ( busche et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 4 , 875 , 587 ( lulham et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 3 , 655 , 503 ( stanley et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 4 , 058 , 632 ( evans et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 4 , 252 , 846 ( romesberg et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 4 , 615 , 926 ( hsu et al .) u . s . pat . no . 4 , 666 , 778 ( hwo ); u . s . pat . no . 4 , 784 , 885 ( carespodi ); u . s . pat . no . 4 , 882 , 229 ( hwo ); u . s . pat . no . 6 , 476 , 137 ( longo ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 997 , 968 ( dries , et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 4 , 189 , 519 ( ticknor ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 547 , 752 ( yanidis ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 128 , 414 ( hwo ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 023 , 121 ( pockat , et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 4 , 937 , 139 ( genske , et al . ); u . s . pat . no . 4 , 916 , 190 ( hwo ); and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 550 , 141 ( hoh ), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto . in one preferred embodiment , a frangible layer is included in top sheet 100 . in another preferred embodiment , a frangible layer is included in bottom sheet 200 . non - limiting examples of such blends combine polyethylene such as low density polyethylene , linear low density polyethylene or ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer as a major component with a polybutylene - 1 as a minor component . the major component of these blends is present in an amount of at least 50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 % or 90 % by weight relative to the total weight of the frangible layer . typically , these frangible layers provide a relatively weak bond to an adjacent layer whereby the interface between these layers delaminates upon application of force perpendicular to the plane of the interface . oxygen barrier materials may include , but are not limited to , polyamides , ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer ( evoh ), polyvinylidene chloride ( pvdc ), metal or metal oxide coated polymer substrates and the like . in one preferred embodiment of the present invention , both the top and bottom sheets , 100 and 200 , include at least one layer comprising an oxygen barrier material . in another preferred embodiment , both the top and bottom sheets , 100 and 200 , include at least two layers each comprising an oxygen barrier material . in yet another preferred embodiment , both top and bottom sheets , 100 and 200 , include at least three layers each comprising an oxygen barrier material . however , it should be noted that the present invention does not necessarily require that one or both of the top and bottom sheets , 100 and 200 , include a layer comprising an oxygen barrier material . but , those skilled in the art will recognize that when packaging an oxygen sensitive product which may include many food items , at least one layer of an oxygen barrier material may be required in one or both films of the present invention to provide a barrier against the ingress of oxygen . abuse materials may include , but are not limited to , polyolefins such as polyethylenes ( pe ) and polypropylenes ( pp ); polyamides ; polyamide blends ; polyesters including aromatic and aliphatic polyesters , such as polyethylene terephthalates ( pet ), polyethylene isophthalates , polyethylene naphthalates ; oriented polyamides and oriented aromatic polyesters . typically , abuse materials provide additional moisture and / or chemical barrier protection to a film . those skilled in the art will recognize that abuse materials also provide a sufficiently smooth surface for the printing of indicia or graphics that appear on most packaged food or non - food products . in one preferred embodiment of the present , the abuse layer of at least one of the top and bottom sheets , 100 or 200 , includes printed indicia . in the following example , the film structure for top sheet 100 depicted in fig8 was produced using a blown film co - extrusion apparatuses , and methods which are well known to those skilled in the art . the blown film co - extrusion film apparatus includes a multi - manifold flat die head for film through which the film composition is forced and formed into a flat sheet . the sheet is immediately quenched e . g ., via cooled water bath , solid surface and / or air , and then formed into a film which is then be axially slit and unfolded to form a flat sheet . sheet 100 of the invention may be uniaxially oriented or biaxially oriented if desired . it should be noted that the physical properties of the sheet may vary from those of the polymer blend , depending on the film forming techniques used . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the thickness of individual layers for sheet 100 may be adjusted based on desired end use performance , resin or copolymer employed , equipment capability and other factors . in at least one preferred embodiment , the top sheet 100 has a thickness of between a thickness of between 12 . 7 μm and 305 μm ( 0 . 5 mil and 12 mil ), a bending resistance of between 5 and 5000 gurley units in either the machine or transverse direction , and a heat resistance to melting up to a temperature of at least 100 ° c . ( 212 ° f .). in the following example , the film structure for a bottom sheet 200 depicted in fig9 was produced using a blown film co - extrusion apparatuses , and methods which are well known to those skilled in the art . the blown film co - extrusion film apparatus includes a multi - manifold flat die head for film through which the film composition is forced and formed into a flat sheet . the sheet is immediately quenched e . g ., via cooled water bath , solid surface and / or air , and then formed into a film which is then be axially slit and unfolded to form a flat sheet . sheet 200 of the invention may be uniaxially oriented or biaxially oriented if desired . it should be noted that the physical properties of the sheet may vary from those of the polymer blend , depending on the film forming techniques used . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the thickness of individual layers for bottom sheet 200 may be adjusted based on desired end use performance , resin or copolymer employed , equipment capability and other factors . in at least one preferred embodiment , the bottom sheet 200 has a thickness of between a thickness of between 12 . 7 μm and 305 μm ( 0 . 5 mil and 12 mil ), a bending resistance of between 5 and 5000 gurley units in either the machine or transverse direction , and a heat resistance to melting up to a temperature of at least 100 ° c . ( 212 ∞ f .). in at least another preferred embodiment , the food - contact surface of the bottom sheet 200 is corona treated . this example is one embodiment of a first flexible top sheet 100 of the present invention having a layer sequence ( in the order as shown below ) and layer compositions as described below and as illustrated in fig8 . reported below is the layer composition relative to the total weight of the layer . layer 101 ( sealant & amp ; frangible ): 82 . 5 wt .-% of an ionomer - surlyn ® 1601 ( du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del ., u . s . a . )+ 17 . 5 wt .-% of a polybutylene - polybutene - 1 pb 8640m ( equistar chemicals , lp , houston , tex ., usa ). layer 102 : 100 wt .-% of a linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe )- exxonmobil ™ lldpe 1001 . 32 ( exxonmobil chemical company , houston , tex ., usa ). layer 103 : 100 wt .-% of an anhydride modified linear low density polyethylene - bynel ® cxa 41e710 ( e . i . du pont de nemours and company , inc ., wilmington , del ., usa ). layer 104 : 100 wt .-% of an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer ( evoh )- soarnol ™ at 4403 ( soarus l . l . c ., arlington heights , ill ., usa ). layer 105 : 100 wt .-% of a nylon 6 - ultramid ® b36 01 ( basf polyamides and intermediates , freeport , tex ., usa ). layer 106 : 90 wt .-% of a linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe )- exxonmobil ™ lldpe 1001 . 32 ( exxonmobil chemical company , houston , tex ., usa )+ 10 wt .-% of an anhydride modified linear low density polyethylene - bynel ® cxa 41e710 ( e . i . du pont de nemours and company , inc ., wilmington , del ., usa ). layer 107 : 97 wt .-% of a nylon 6 - ultramid ® b36 01 ( basf polyamides and intermediates , freeport , tex ., usa )+ 3 wt .-% of processing aids . this example is one embodiment of a second flexible embossed sheet 200 of the present invention having a layer sequence ( in the order as shown below ) and layer compositions as described below and as illustrated in fig9 . reported below is the layer composition relative to the total weight of the layer . layer 201 ( sealant ): 98 wt .-% of an ionomer - surlyn ® 1601 ( du pont de nemours and company , wilmington , del ., u . s . a . )+ 2 wt .-% of processing aids . layer 202 : 100 wt .-% of a linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe )- exxonmobil ™ lldpe 1001 . 32 ( exxonmobil chemical company , houston , tex ., usa ). layer 203 : 100 wt .-% of a linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe )- exxonmobil ™ lldpe 1001 . 32 ( exxonmobil chemical company , houston , tex ., usa ). layer 204 : 54 wt .-% of a linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe )- dowlex ™ 2056g ( doe chemical company , midland , mich ., usa ), 30 wt .-% of an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer ( eva )- petrothene ® na442 ( equistar chemicals , lp , houston , tex ., usa )+ 16 wt .-% of an anhydride modified linear low density polyethylene - bynel ® cxa 41e710 ( e . i . du pont de nemours and company , inc ., wilmington , del ., usa ). layer 205 : 100 wt .-% of a nylon 6 - ultramid ® b36 01 ( basf polyamides and intermediates , freeport , tex ., usa ). layer 206 : 100 wt .-% of an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer ( evoh )- soarnol ™ at 4403 ( soarus l . l . c ., arlington heights , ill ., usa ). layer 207 : 100 wt .-% of a nylon 6 - ultramid ® b36 01 ( basf polyamides and intermediates , freeport , tex ., usa ). layer 208 : 90 wt .-% of a linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe )- exxonmobil ™ lldpe 1001 . 32 ( exxonmobil chemical company , houston , tex ., usa )+ 10 wt .-% of an anhydride modified linear low density polyethylene - bynel ® cxa 41e710 ( e . i . du pont de nemours and company , inc ., wilmington , del ., usa ). layer 209 : 97 wt .-% of a nylon 6 - ultramid ® b36 01 ( basf polyamides and intermediates , freeport , tex ., usa )+ 3 wt .-% of processing aids . once the bottom sheet has been produced as a flat sheet , it is then embossed using methods well - known to those skilled in the art . in this regard , a conventional method of producing the embossed surface topography of the bottom sheet may include passing the flat bottom sheet between a male and a female compression cylinder where one of the cylinders has a surface with an “ inverse or negative ” engraving of the desired surface topography of the final embossed bottom sheet . the protrusions projecting outwardly from the engrave surface of the male cylinder produces the desired valleys of the final embossed bottom sheet . one or both cylinders may be heated to a temperature sufficient to soften , but not melt the plastic material of the bottom sheet . the compression forces along with the temperature of one or both cylinders may be adjusted as needed . a vacuum may be advantageously applied in the area of the protrusions to draw the heated sheet into the protrusions to form deeper valleys and / or to improve the definition of each individual liquid containment cell . packages according to the present invention may be fabricated by packaging manufacturing methods well - known in the art . preferred methods of package formation include , but are not limited to , form - fill - seal and vacuum packaging equipment and techniques generally well - known in the art . form - fill - seal methods may include horizontal and vertical form - fill - seal equipment and processes known to those skilled in the art . the water and / or grease retaining capacity of the embossed bottom sheets of the present invention compared to an un - embossed bottom sheet ( control ) are reported below in table 1 . example 1 is an embossed bottom sheet having a diamond shape pattern extending continually across the entire surface as illustrated in fig4 . example 2 is an embossed sheet having a cross - hatched pattern extending continually across the entire surface as illustrate in fig5 . the embossed sheets and un - embossed sheet tested had a film structure that was identical to that described above for example 2 . the test method for the measurement of this characteristic is set forth in the following paragraph . each sheet was cut into a 5 inch by 5 inch test specimen . each test specimen was secured to a flat clipboard with adhesive tape such that there was a 0 . 375 inch overhang of the test specimen at the edge of the clipboard . the weight of the test specimen and clipboard was measured . bacon grease ( hot belly bacon grease purchased from gi gi bacon grease , llc , madisonville , la ., usa ) was heated to a temperature of approximately 52 ° c . ( 126 ° f .) and a 5 - gram aliquot of heated grease was applied to the test specimen and spread evenly across the surface of the specimen . after about 30 seconds , the clipboard and test specimen were tilted to an angle of 20 ° for another 30 seconds . the weight of grease that was not retained by the test specimen and flowed off the overhang of the specimen was recorded . table 1 reports the amount of grease which was not retained by the test specimen . based upon the amount of grease that was not retained on the embossed test specimens compared to that for the un - embossed test specimen , it is evident that embossing significantly improves the liquid containment capacity of the bottom sheet . in view of the specific dimensions of the individual liquid containment cells and the number of individual liquid containment cells of the diamond pattern and double cross - hatched patterns of examples 1 and 2 , respectively , the amount of water and / or grease retained by the flexible embossed bottom sheet of the present invention was at least 155 g / m 2 ( 0 . 10 g / in 2 ) or at least 232 . 5 g / m 2 ( 0 . 15 g / in 2 ) and each of the individual liquid containment cells had a volume of at least 1 . 64 mm 3 ( 0 . 0001 in 3 ), at least 3 . 3 mm 3 ( 0 . 0002 in 3 ) or about 4 . 7 mm 3 ( 0 . 00029 in 3 ). the above description and examples illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting . selection of particular embodiments , combinations thereof , modifications , and adaptations of the various embodiments , conditions and parameters normally encountered in the art will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are deemed to be within the spirit and scope of the present invention .
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the invention will be now described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments . those skilled in the art will recognize that many alternative embodiments can be accomplished using the teachings of the present invention and that the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated for explanatory purposes . referring to fig2 a to 2k , a description is given below of an exemplary process of manufacturing a semiconductor device in a first embodiment of the present invention . the manufacture process of this embodiment begins with forming isolation oxide films 2 with a depth of 0 . 25 to 0 . 40 μm on the surface of a p - type silicon substrate 1 by using a trench isolation technique . gate oxide films 3 are then formed with a thickness of 5 to 10 nm in respective active regions isolated by the isolation oxide films 2 . this is followed by sequentially forming an n + - doped silicon film 4 with a thickness of 0 . 1 to 0 . 15 μm , a tungsten silicide film 5 with a thickness of 0 . 1 to 0 . 15 μm , and a cvd oxide film 6 with a thickness of 0 . 2 to 0 . 3 μm to cover the p - type silicon substrate 1 , as shown in fig2 a . subsequently , mask oxide films 7 with a width of 0 . 11 to 0 . 2 μm are formed by etching the cvd oxide film 6 with a photoresist pattern used as a mask , as shown in fig2 b . furthermore , cell gate electrodes 8 of a polyside structure are formed by sequentially etching the tungsten silicide film 5 and the n + doped silicon film 4 with the mask oxide films 7 used as a mask . it should be noted that this process suffers from a problem that minute particles of 0 . 05 to 0 . 15 μm produced in etching the n + - doped silicon film 4 may work as a mask and locally produce residuals 9 formed of n + - doped silicon . n - type diffusion layers 10 are then formed by using the cell gate electrodes 8 as a mask through ion implantation of arsenic , for example , with a concentration of 1 × 10 13 to 5 × 10 13 cm − 2 , as shown in fig2 c . this is followed by forming a first nitride film 11 with a thickness of 0 . 05 to 0 . 1 μm to cover the entire structure , and then forming an interlayer dielectric 12 with the surface thereof flatten by a cmp technique as shown in fig2 d . subsequently , cell contact holes 13 with an opening of 0 . 1 to 0 . 18 μm are formed by etching the interlayer dielectric 12 with a photoresist pattern used as a mask and with the first nitride film 11 used as a stopper , as shown in fig2 e . furthermore , portions of the p - type silicon substrate 1 in the cell contacts holes 13 are exposed by etching back the first nitride film 11 . in this process , sidewalls 14 with a thickness of 0 . 03 to 0 . 08 μm of the first nitride film are concurrently formed on the side faces of the cell gate electrodes 8 . at this moment , portions of the residuals 9 are exposed because of the difference in the etching rate between the first nitride film 11 and the n + - doped silicon film 4 caused by the high selectivity of the etching , as shown in fig2 f . this is followed by forming a thermally - oxidized film 23 with a thickness of 10 to 25 nm through a thermal oxidization technique involving annealing in a dry air atmosphere in an electric furnace at a temperature of 85 ° c ., for example . it should be noted that , in this process , the oxidization of the n + - doped silicon residuals 9 is enhanced due to the electron concentration higher than that of the n - type diffusion layers 10 , allowing transformation of almost the entire of the residuals 9 into oxidation - enhanced oxide films 24 as shown in fig2 g . a second nitride film 25 with a thickness of 30 to 80 nm is then formed to cover the entire structure as shown in fig2 h . this is followed by partially exposing the p - type silicon substrate 1 by performing an etch - back process on the second nitride film 25 . the etch - back process results in removing the tip portion of the oxidation - enhanced oxide films 24 , forming cap oxide films 27 so as to cover the clearances between the sidewalls 26 formed from the second nitride film 25 and the p - type silicon substrate 1 as shown in fig2 i . this is followed by filling the cell contact holes 13 with n + - doped silicon contacts 15 through depositing an n + - doped silicon film covering the entire surface and then performing an etch - back process on the entire surface , as shown in fig2 j . subsequently , capacitor contacts 17 , capacitor electrodes 18 , capacitor dielectric films 19 , and capacity plates 20 are formed above the cell gate electrodes 8 after forming another interlayer dielectric . this is followed by forming bitlines 22 and bitline contacts 21 providing connections between the bitlines 22 and the n + - doped silicon contacts 15 above the cell gate electrodes 8 after forming another interlayer dielectric . this completes the formation of dram memory cells , each including one transistor and one capacitor as shown in fig2 k . as described above , the manufacture process of the first embodiment of the present invention allows transforming almost the entire of the residuals 9 formed of n + - doped silicon into the oxidation - enhanced oxide films 24 by the thermal oxidization after the formation of the cell contact holes 13 , making use of the difference in the oxidization speed caused by the difference in the electron concentration between the n + - doped silicon film 4 and the p - type silicon substrate 1 . in addition , the formation of the sidewalls 26 from the second nitride film 25 which cover the oxidation - enhanced oxide films 24 allows electrically isolating the n + - doped silicon contacts 15 and the cell gate electrodes 8 from each other with the sidewalls 26 and the cap oxide films 27 . specifically , the cell gate electrodes 8 and the n + - doped silicon contacts 15 are insulated by the cap oxide films 27 , which are formed of oxide of material used for the cell gate electrodes 8 , at the base region where the sidewalls 26 are in contact with the surface of the p - type silicon substrate 1 . this effectively avoids the short - circuiting between the bitlines 22 and the cell gate electrodes 8 and / or between the capacitor electrodes 18 and the cell gate electrodes 8 . a description is then given of an exemplary process of manufacturing a semiconductor device in a second embodiment of the present invention , referring to fig3 a to 3k . the first embodiment is directed to provide a solution to the problem that the local residuals 9 formed of n + - doped silicon due to the formation of the minute particles of 0 . 05 to 0 . 15 μm working as a mask in the etching process of the n + - doped silicon film 4 . on the other hand , the second embodiment is directed to avoid a problem caused by minute particles of 0 . 05 to 0 . 15 μm produced in etching the cvd oxide film 6 with a photoresist pattern used as a mask . as shown in fig3 a , the process of the second embodiment begins with forming the isolation oxide films 2 , the gate oxide films 3 , the n + - doped silicon film 4 , the tungsten silicide film 5 , and the cvd oxide film 6 in the same manner as that of the first embodiment . this is followed by forming the mask oxide films 7 by etching the cvd oxide film 6 with a photoresist pattern used as a mask . in this etching , some of the mask oxide films 7 ( the third mask oxide film 7 from the right in fig3 b ) are sometimes formed with dimensions larger than the design dimensions due to the minute particles 29 as shown in fig3 b . the cell gate electrodes 8 are then formed by sequentially etching the tungsten silicide film 5 and the n + - doped silicon film 4 with the mask oxide films 7 used as a mask . this may result in forming a length - enlarged cell gate electrode 30 having a length longer than a desired length at a portion where the dimension of a certain mask oxide film 7 is larger than the design dimension . this implies that there is a need for preventing short - circuiting between the length - enlarged cell gate electrode 30 and an adjacent n + - doped silicon contact 15 as shown in fig3 c . after forming the first nitride film 11 to cover the entire structure , the interlayer dielectric 12 is formed and the surface thereof is then flatten by a cmp technique as shown in fig3 d . this is followed by forming the cell contact holes 13 by etching the interlayer dielectric 12 with a photoresist pattern used as a mask and with the first nitride film 11 used as a stopper as shown in fig3 e . one issue in forming the cell contact holes 13 so that the cell contact holes 13 are self - aligned to the cell gate electrodes 8 is that the sidewalls 14 , which are formed from the first nitride film 11 , sometimes have an insufficient thickness due to the increased length of the length - enlarged cell gate electrode 30 in the process for etching the interlayer dielectric 12 to expose the p type silicon substrate 1 . in this case , the side face 31 of the length - enlarged cell gate electrode 30 is exposed , as shown in fig3 f . a thermal oxidization is then performed , and this thermal oxidization allows changing the exposed portion of the length - enlarged cell gate electrode 30 into a side oxide film 32 while forming the thermal oxide film 23 on the p - type silicon substrate 11 , as shown in fig3 g . a second nitride film 25 is then formed to cover the entire structure as shown in fig3 h , and this is followed by performing an etch - back process to partially expose the p - type silicon substrate 1 . this results in forming the sidewalls 26 . the sidewalls 26 , which are formed to cover the side oxide film 32 , provides a double insulation structure as shown in fig3 i . finally , the cell contact holes 13 are filled with the n + - doped silicon contacts 15 as shown in fig3 j , and thus the semiconductor device similar to that of the first embodiment is manufactured as shown in fig3 k . the manufacture process of this embodiment provides secure insulation between the n + - doped silicon contacts 15 and the cell gate electrodes 8 with the sidewalls 26 formed from the second nitride film 25 and the side oxide film 32 formed from a portion of the length - enlarged cell gate electrode 30 , even when the length - enlarged cell gate electrode 30 is formed . this effectively avoids short - circuiting between the bitlines 22 and the cell gate electrodes 8 and / or between the capacitor electrodes 18 and the cell gate electrodes 8 . the manufacture process of the second embodiment , which involves the above described thermal oxidization process , provides advantages similar to those of the first embodiment . it is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments , but may be modified and changed without departing from the scope of the invention .
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fig1 shows an aircraft passenger seat in the upright position . these aircraft passenger seats with the corresponding level of outfitting are often found in the first class compartment of airliners . the illustrated aircraft passenger seat as shown in fig1 , is preferably a component of a compartment . the seat can fundamentally also be used in an arrangement next to another seat repeatedly in a row in business class for a conventional multiseat arrangement . the aircraft passenger seat is composed of individual seat components , such as a seat part 20 , a backrest 22 and a leg rest 24 . for greater clarity , in addition the cushion support for each seat components is shown only partially , so that the underlying aircraft passenger seat parts are at least partially visible . the backrest 22 is positioned to be able to swivel around an articulation point 28 by a first actuation means 26 , partially shown inclined relative to the seat part 20 extending essentially horizontally in the initial position . of the actual backrest mechanism , the front lengthwise member 30 has a lower end leading into a fork end piece 32 . one fork end interacts with the actuation means 26 , while the other fork end engages the articulation point 28 . the seat part 20 , on its front free end , has a support surface for the thigh of the seat occupant ( not shown ), and can be mounted by four stationary legs 34 on the cabin floor 36 of a passenger aircraft , a coach or the like , using a pair of floor rails 38 . along the lengthwise direction of the aircraft passenger seat , two pairs of stationary legs 34 are joined at their lower ends to a pair of floor rails 38 . the front end and back end of the two floor rails 38 are stiffened with transverse pipes 40 . the two pairs of stationary legs 34 pass upwardly into the seat frame 42 which bears the cushion parts of the seat part 20 . by another , second actuating means 44 , the rear seat edge of the seat part 20 can be lowered to enable an intermediate rest position for the seat occupant which is not detailed . the third actuation means 46 shown in fig2 allows swiveling and tilt adjustment for the leg rest 24 . the respective triggering of different seat components by different actuating means is conventional , so that it will not be described . a lightweight construction is considered for the entire seat to be able to raise the vehicle payload accordingly . the leg rest 24 , on its lower end as shown in fig2 , has a leg rest extension 48 held by the actuating means to be able to telescope into and out of the base structure of the leg rest 24 . furthermore , the backrest 22 on its top can be provided with a headrest ( not shown ), which has a vertical adjustment possibility and is otherwise an integral component of the backrest 22 itself . in the following description , in any case , the top edge of the backrest also includes a possible headrest along its top . the aircraft passenger seat is equipped with a monitoring means , for example , in the form of a control unit , a computer unit including a process minicomputer or the like . the monitoring means ( not shown ) is used to monitor the respective collision - establishing edge geometries of the movable seat components with assigned three - dimensional boundaries . the monitoring means ensures collision - free motion of all seat components within the indicated three - dimensional boundaries at any instant by triggering the respective actuating means 26 , 44 and 46 . the collision - establishing edge geometries in this case are the top edge 50 of the backrest 22 and the bottom 52 of the leg rest 24 , optionally with the inclusion of the leg rest extension 48 ( cf . fig2 ). since each seat component 20 , 22 , 24 , and 48 has its own actuating means 26 , 44 and 46 , it is provided that the monitoring means detects the positions of each individual actuating means 26 , 44 and 46 to obtain mathematical feedback about the position of the seat components . consequently , it is possible to acquire information about the tilt adjustment angle relative to a reference plane for the seat components by the setting paths of the respective actuating means 26 , 44 and 46 , with abandonment of possible motion sensors , cam - operated limit switches and the like . it has proven especially advantageous to make the individual actuating means 26 , 44 and 46 in the form of electromechanical actuators in order to obtain a path report about the adjustment path by the adjustment path of the respective actuating rod . in addition to electromechanical actuators , spindle drives and / or hydraulic and pneumatic rod drives or working cylinders can be used . when determining the collision - establishing edge geometries , preferably the body contour of the seat occupant which forms a maximum can also be included in the considerations . the three - dimensional boundaries are described by boundary curves 54 which divide from one another the spaces 56 in which one seat respectively is independently located on the cabin floor 36 . the monitoring means combines all possible movements of the collision - establishing edge geometries 50 and 52 in the manner of a common envelope curve with edges defined at least in part by the boundary curves 54 of the three - dimensional boundary for the seat to prevent collisions . as fig1 and 2 show , the two boundary curves 54 form the space dividers of a compartment in which the seat occupant moves freely , and can , for example , have access to washing facilities or the like . the indicated boundary curves 54 moreover ensure the private sphere for the seat occupant during his flight . the boundary curves 54 can also form a three - dimensional boundary for the path of travel of another seat ( not shown ) which is present in a row in front of or behind the indicated seat and which has the corresponding adjustment geometries for its seat components . in this respect , the boundary areas 54 should then be considered to ensure collisions with the preceding and following respective seats . as shown in fig2 , between the indicated boundary curves 54 , the seat can be moved out of its completely upright position as shown in fig1 into the fully reclined position ( bed position ), in which the seat part 20 , the backrest 22 , the leg rest 24 and optionally the extended leg rest extension 48 establish a plane which is continuously tilted for a resting or sleeping position to be established . to establish the rest position by corresponding actuators , the pairs of stationary legs 34 are tilted far forward around their lower pivots on the two centers of gravity present on the floor rails 38 , extending in the lengthwise direction , so that the forward edge of the seat part 20 is tilted down and the rear transition edge to the backrest 22 is raised . the floor rails 38 on which the seat can be mounted are in contact with the rear boundary curve 54 of the illustrated three - dimensional boundary with their respective one free end by way of the rear transverse pipe 40 . by monitoring the complete overall seat , the motion of all seat components is carried out such that they all remain in a type of envelope curve or envelope for the seat . the envelope curve or the envelope being three - dimensionally is selected such that collisions with the fixed three - dimensional boundaries in the form of the boundary curves 54 cannot occur . fig3 shows one embodiment of one type of a basic model which defines the actual seat by the corresponding articulation points 1 to 9 . the articulation points 1 , 2 , 4 , and 5 tension the frame for the seat frame 42 with the pairs of stationary legs 34 . reference point 1 which is the lower one as viewed in fig3 is raised somewhat by a distance along the z - axis . this distance corresponds to the height of the respective floor rail 38 relative to the cabin floor 36 , which cabin floor defines the zero line or the zero point 13 . viewed from the reference zero point 13 in left direction of fig3 in the horizontal plane , the computation is carried out with positive x values and in the direction of the upper reference point 14 with positive z coordinates . the end points 3 and 7 in fig3 in the mathematical model border the backrest 22 , with the reference point equated to the top edge 50 of the backrest . the reference point 3 relates to the articulation point 28 for the backrest 22 . the seat part 20 extends between the upper points 2 and 4 of the seat frame in the mathematical model shown in fig3 . between points 6 and 8 the leg rest 24 extends and is hinged at the upper point 6 to the seat part 20 . at point 8 , the leg rest extension 48 extends down . the reference point 9 indicates the top of the foot of the seat occupant who is not detailed , in this way to at least partially include the profile frame of the seat occupant in the mathematical model of motion . the lower reference line shown in fig3 , as already described , reproduces the cabin floor 36 as the lower boundary . the vertically extending line 13 , 14 represents a simplified mathematical reproduction of the boundary curve 54 which is shown right at the back as viewed in fig1 and 2 . the boundary curve 54 which is the front one viewed in fig1 and 2 is reflected in the mathematical model in the form of the boundary surface 58 extending between the reference points 10 and 11 in fig3 . the formula summaries shown below are based on the basic mathematical model representation shown in fig3 . the selected definitions and mathematical formulations follow from the selected programming language excel . the formula “ x coordinate backrest ” designates the geometrical characteristic of the top edge 50 of the line of the backrest 22 . the variable quantities named in the outline of formulas generally follow from the positioner position of the actuating means in the form of an actuator , for example for the seat part 20 in the lowered position ( cf . fig2 ). “ front leg geometry ” means the extension of the leg rest 24 in length . the “ backrest length ” constitutes the length of the backrest 22 , optionally including the headrest position , if a headrest is used , and with its top edge also determines the vertical position of the top edge 50 of the backrest . a raised circumflex (^) means that the following geometrical value must be indexed . therefore , for example , b3 ^ 2 means that the variable b3 which has been determined in each case by way of the positioner position can be taken as a value in the square for use in the other formulas . conversely , for example , b3 ^ 0 . 5 means that the square root is to be extracted from the value b3 . the angle functions can be recognized directly from the formulas , in the same way as the expressions in parentheses . a raised has the meaning of a multiplication sign . the expression pi ( ) means that according to the excel programming language it is mathematically π , therefore roughly the constant 3 . 14 . in addition to the x coordinate for the backrest , the z coordinate for the backrest 22 can also be determined accordingly . likewise the x and z coordinates are given below in the formulas for the leg rest extension 48 ; and the x and z coordinates of the top of the foot , which is designated 9 in fig3 , are accordingly also included in the envelope curve consideration . if at this point the seat is moved back and forth between its maximum positions as shown in fig1 and 2 and is optionally adjusted individually , the monitoring means by the aforementioned formulas continuously determines the x and z coordinates for the backrest 22 , the leg rest extension 48 and for the top of the foot 9 of an imaginary seat occupant . it goes without saying that other , possibly collision - establishing edge geometries can be added to the illustrated mathematical base structure in order to determine as accurately as possible the envelope curve within which the seat stops in each possible adjustment position . by stipulating the corresponding boundary surfaces 56 with incorporation of the cabin floor 36 , the envelope curve is then limited in its geometrical dimensions , and the monitoring means which stores the pertinent boundary spaces or lines acts on the respective servo drive or the entirety of all servo drives such that collisions are prevented with certainty . if the leg rest 24 is swiveled , for example , the backrest 22 can track the movement in order , for example , to assume the resting or fully reclined position desired by the seat occupant ( fig2 ), then the motion of the indicated seat components 20 , 22 , 24 , 48 taking place synchronously within the envelope curve . at no time is a collision as a result of this joint triggering possible . while one embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the invention , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .
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the particular values and configurations discussed in these non - limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope thereof . fig3 illustrates a cross - sectional diagram of a low voltage triggered silicon - controlled rectifier ( lvtscr ) apparatus 300 in which a plurality of nmos fingers 333 , 335 , 337 , 339 , and 341 are incorporated therein , in accordance with a preferred embodiment . in order to improve the performance of an lvtscr without scarifying hbm performance thereof , lvtscr apparatus 300 can be inserted with multiple nmos fingers 333 , 335 , 337 , 339 , and 341 . such an improvement can be verified , for example , utilizing 0 . 25 μm technology by utilizing a transmission line pulse generator ( tlp ). note that as utilized herein , the acronym nmos refers generally to “ n - channel metal oxide semiconductor ,” which is based on a transistor technology wherein the primary current carriers are negatively charged electrons . lvtscr apparatus 300 generally includes a p - well region 304 and an n - well region 302 . a p + region 306 is located within p - well region 304 , along with an n + source region 308 , an n + drain region 310 , an n + source region 312 , an n + drain region 314 , an n + source region 316 , and an n + drain region 318 . an n + region 320 , a p + region 322 , and an n + region 324 are located within n - well region 302 . an electrical node 352 can be connected to p + region 322 , while an electrical node 354 is connected to n + region 324 . electrical nodes 352 , 354 and 356 generally comprise the same electrical node and together form an anode 301 . a poly region 332 and an oxide region 334 are also provided , which together form nmos finger 333 . similarly , a poly region 336 and an oxide region 338 are also provided , which together form nmos finger 335 . additionally , a poly region 340 and an oxide region 342 can also be provided , which together form nmos finger 337 . likewise , a poly region 344 and an oxide region 346 are also generally provided , which together form nmos finger 339 . finally , a poly region 348 and an oxide region 350 are also provided , which together form nmos finger 341 . an electrical node 328 is connected to p + region 306 and also to n + region 308 . electrical node 328 is also connected to region 332 of nmos finger 333 and region 336 of nmos finger 335 . electrical node 328 is further connected to region 340 of nmos finger 337 and to region 344 of nmos finger 339 . electrical node 328 is also connected to region 348 of nmos finger 341 . electrical node 328 is also connected to source regions 308 , 312 and 316 of nmos fingers . electrical node 328 is also connected to node 326 and node 330 . note that nodes 326 , 328 and 330 electrically comprise the same electrical node and form a cathode 303 . also , n + region 320 with n - well 302 is electrically connected to drain regions 310 , 314 and 318 of nmos fingers within p - well 304 . in order to improve cdm performance , inserting additional nmos fingers within the structure of lvtscr apparatus 300 may be helpful . too many nmos fingers , however , can increase the distance between the edge 323 of the n - well region 302 and p - well tap of region 304 and thus can degrade scr performance in hbm . thus , instead of utilizing only one nmos finger , as is the case with scr structures depicted in fig1 - 2 herein , multiple nmos fingers 333 , 335 , 337 , 339 , and 341 can be inserted into the lvtscr apparatus 300 structure . in the example depicted in fig3 , multiple nmos fingers 333 , 335 , 337 , 339 , and 341 can possess a width of , for example , 200 μm , rather than 40 μm , which is the case with the single nmos finger 207 depicted in fig2 . in the example illustrated in fig3 , w nmos = 200 μm and w scr = 40 μm , where w nmos represents the nmos finger width and is associated generally with cathode 303 , while w scr represents the scr width associated with the anode 301 . note that lvtscr apparatus 300 thus comprises a multiple nmos finger lvtscr , which can be referred to by the acronym mf_lvtscr . fig4 illustrates a graph 400 indicative of tlp current 402 versus tlp voltage 404 , and dc leakage current 401 versus tlp current 402 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment . graph 400 generally plots tlp pulsed i - v characteristics of a traditional lvtscr ( e . g ., lvtscr 100 , 200 ) and an mf_lvtscr ( e . g ., lvtscr apparatus 300 ). lines 406 and 407 depicted in fig4 generally represent tlp i - v characteristics and lines 408 and 410 re the present dc leakage current measurements at 2 . 5v after each tlp stress . mf_lvtscr data is indicated in graph 400 generally be lines 407 and 408 , while traditional scr data is indicated by lines 406 and 410 . compared to the use of only a single nmos finger , such as nmos finger 207 of lvtscr 200 , the configuration of an mf_lvtscr as illustrated by graph 400 shows that tlp pulsed i - v characteristics are almost identical for nmos with w = 40 μm and w = 200 μm in the scr with w = 40 μm . such a scenario results in the conclusion that an lvtscr with multiple nmos fingers ( i . e ., an mf_lvtscr ) sustains the same hbm performance . graph 400 demonstrates that because the total width of the nmos fingers increases in an mf_lvtscr , the nmos fingers 333 , 335 , 337 , 339 , and 341 , for example , can withstand cdm stress current if the scr is not turned on fast enough . fig5 illustrates a schematic circuit 500 of a low - voltage triggered silicon - controlled rectifier in accordance with a preferred embodiment . circuit 500 is indicative of the electrical structure , for example , of lvtscr apparatus 300 depicted in fig3 . an anode 501 is also depicted in fig5 and is connected to an n - well region or tap 504 . an n - well resistor ( i . e . r_nwell ) can be formed between tap 504 and the n + region 320 of fig3 . the p - n - p bipolar transistor 508 can be formed by p + region 322 , n - well 302 and p - well 304 in fig3 . the n - p - n bipolar transistor 516 is generally formed by n - well 302 , p - well 304 , n + source regions 308 , 312 , 316 of nmos fingers within p - well in fig3 . a p - well resistor ( i . e . r_pwell ) can be also formed between p - well 304 and p + region 306 in fig3 . these two transistors 508 and 516 construct the scr structure . the multiple nmos fingers are electrically connected to n + region 320 with n - well 304 in fig3 , and thus form the n - p - n bipolar transistor 520 . because the transistors 520 and 516 can interact with each other , the bipolar transistor 520 plays as the trigger transistor of the scr structure . in circuit 500 , path 510 ( i . e ., path a ) is comprised of the transistors 508 and 516 , and represents the scr current path that dominates during hbm events . path 512 ( i . e ., path b ), however , involves a p / n diode in series with nmos fingers , which will sink the cdm current . it should be noted that although there is another current path 514 from an n - well tap to the nmos fingers , the high esd current will not flow through the n - well tap because of a higher voltage drop within the n - well resistor ( e . g ., & gt ; 0 . 7 v ). this path triggers the nmos fingers in lower esd currents and sinks the esd current during negative hbm stresses and positive cdm stresses . in general , in circuit 500 , w nmos & gt ; 5 w scr . fig6 illustrates a schematic layout of a multiple nmos finger low - voltage triggered silicon - controlled rectifier ( mf_lvtscr ) apparatus 600 with ten nmos fingers in accordance with one embodiment . mf_lvtscr apparatus 600 generally includes two sets of nmos fingers . the first set of nmos fingers is composed of nmos fingers 604 , 606 , 608 , 610 and 612 . the second set of nmos fingers is composed of nmos fingers 614 , 616 , 618 , 620 and 622 . nmos fingers 604 , 606 , 608 , 610 and 612 are associated with nmos 601 , while nmos fingers 614 , 616 , 618 , 620 and 620 are associated with nmos 603 . an n - well region 624 is also indicated in fig6 , including respective n and p regions 626 , 628 , 630 , 632 and 634 . the n region 630 and the p regions 628 and 632 are electrically connected to the anode . the n region 626 is electrically connected to drains of nmos 601 marked as “ d ”, and the n region 634 is electrically connected to drains of nmos 603 marked as “ d ”. the aforementioned components are all surrounded by p - well tap 602 . in the layout of mf_lvtscr apparatus 600 , each five nmos fingers are designed in each side of the scr apparatus 600 , and thus both hbm and cdm performances are improved . for example , the total width of nmos fingers can be approximately 400μm for the scr with w = 40μm . because the total width of nmos fingers increases in mf lvtscr , the nmos fingers can withstand cdm stress current if the scr is not turned on quickly enough . using such a structure , the failure current of mf_lvtscr apparatus 600 can be up to , for example , 6 amps , compared to 4 amps with respect to the data indicated in graph 400 of fig4 . regarding fig6 , it is important to note that the drains of nmos fingers 601 and 603 are indicated respectively by “ d ”. in 601 , there are three drains ( marked as “ d ”), and four sources . similarly , nmos finger 603 includes three drains ( marked as “ d ”) and four sources . the drains of nmos fingers 601 are electrically connected to region 626 , and the drains of nmos fingers 603 are electrically connected to region 634 . fig7 illustrates another schematic layout of a multiple nmos finger low - voltage triggered silicon - controlled rectifier ( mf_lvtscr ) apparatus 700 with eight nmos fingers 702 , 704 , 706 , 708 and 710 , 712 , 714 , 716 in accordance with an alternative embodiment , wherein the nmos source ( i . e ., marked as “ s ”) is located next to the n - well edge , in accordance with an alternative embodiment . in the configuration depicted in fig7 , four nmos fingers 702 , 704 , 706 , 708 are designed on one side of mf_lvtscr apparatus 700 , while four nmos fingers 710 , 712 , 714 , 716 are designed on the opposite side thereof for a total of eight nmos fingers . thus , in the configuration of fig7 , the current gain of lateral n - p - n bjt in the mf_lvtscr apparatus 700 can be increased , thus an enhanced scr performance can be achieved . note that in fig7 , the n and p regions 718 , 720 , 722 , 724 and 726 within n - well 728 are identical to those depicted in fig6 . regarding fig7 , it is important to note that there are two drains ( marked as “ d ”) and three sources ( marked as “ s ”) in regions 701 and 703 , respectively . the drains of area 701 are electrically connected to region 718 , and the drains of are 703 are electrically connected to region 726 .] it will be appreciated that variations of the above - disclosed and other features and functions , or alternatives thereof , may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications . also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives , modifications , variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims .
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hereinafter , the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described specifically with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a front view of an engaging member of a fastening device according to this embodiment , fig2 is a rear view thereof , fig3 is a side view thereof , fig4 is a sectional view taken along the line ii — ii of fig1 and fig5 is a sectional view showing an example of use style of the engaging member of the fastening device . an engaging member of a fastening device 10 according to this embodiment comprises a first flat plate portion 11 having a substantially rectangular shape , a second flat plate portion 12 of a rectangular shape having a long side having the same length as a short side of the first flat plate portion 11 and a short side substantially ⅕ of the length of the long side of the first flat plate portion 11 and a connecting portion 13 for connecting a short side edge of the first flat plate portion 11 with a long side edge of the second flat plate portion in a parallel manner and with a predetermined gap , and a side view of an entire shape thereof is substantially j shaped . according to this embodiment , a tab 14 is provided on the connecting portion 13 such that it projects outward in parallel to the first and second flat plate portions 11 and 12 . the aforementioned gap between the first and second flat plate portions 11 and 12 is determined arbitrarily depending on the thickness of a mounting portion of clothes on which the engaging member of the fastening device 10 of the present invention is to be mounted . as shown in fig2 and 3 , a number of engaging elements 15 are formed so as to project in plural rows on the surface ( rear surface of the engaging member of the fastening device 10 ) of the first flat plate portion 11 . the engaging element 15 of this embodiment is in a hook shape having a standing portion 15 a standing up from the second flat plate portion 12 as shown in fig3 and an engaging portion 15 b extending outward in a curved shape from a front end of the standing portion 15 a . in the example shown in the drawing , all of the engaging portions 15 b extend in the same direction . further , because the respective hook - shaped engaging elements 15 are formed such that front ends of the engaging portions 15 b are directed in an opposite direction to the projecting direction of the tab 14 , an engaging strength thereof with a mating fastening device member 20 having a number of loop pieces 20 a as shown in fig5 is strongest in a single direction which is opposite to the extending direction of the curved engaging portion 15 b . in addition , a continuous groove portion 11 b serving as a sewing portion is formed along an entire peripheral edge of the surface of the first flat plate portion 11 . although this groove portion 11 b is not necessary if a thickness of the first flat plate portion 11 does not affect sewing operation , it is preferable to form the groove portion 11 b even if it is a very small one , so that a sewing line can be recognized . various kinds of decorative patterns may be formed on the surface of the second flat plate portion 12 although not shown in the drawings . preferably , this pattern should be formed at the same time when this plate portion is molded , but it can be formed with various welders or prints after the plate portion is molded . a groove portion 12 b is formed on the surface of the second flat plate portion 12 in a u - shape along a sewing line corresponding to part of the aforementioned groove portion 11 b formed on the surface of the first flat plate portion 11 . that is , as shown in the drawing , the groove portion 12 b is formed continuously along the edge connected by the connecting portion 13 of the second flat plate portion 12 and both right and left edges across said edge , and a distal end thereof extends up to an edge opposite to the connecting portion 13 of the second flat plate portion 12 , serving as an open edge 12 b ′. the engaging member of the fastening device 10 of this embodiment having such a structure can be molded simply in a single process of , for example , injection molding . that is , a movable die ( not shown ) has a cavity for molding the first flat plate portion 11 , a number of the engaging elements 15 and a part of the connecting portion 13 , and on the other hand , a fixed die has a cavity for molding an external shape of the second flat plate portion 12 , decorative pattern and a part of the connecting portion 13 . additionally , a plate - like insert die having a predetermined thickness is placed between the fixed die and movable die . with injection molding die having these dies , the engaging member of the fastening device can be easily molded . since a cavity for the hook - shaped engaging element 15 cannot be cut into a single die surface because of its configuration , all or partial shape of the cavity is formed in an end face of plural thin sheet materials and by overlaying these sheet materials in an appropriate combination , the cavity for the hook - shaped engaging element 15 is formed . although a molded product may be pulled out directly from the aforementioned hook - shaped cavity with such a release member as an ejector pin ( not shown ), it may be separated easily by separating the aforementioned plural thin sheet materials in direction of sheet thickness with appropriate means . to attach the engaging member of the fastening device 10 of this embodiment having such a structure to clothes or the like , with the tab 14 outside as shown in fig5 and a face of which each of the engaging elements 15 project facing inner side of the clothes , for example , an outer skirt edge 30 a of a fly portion of a ski wear 30 shown in fig6 is sandwiched by the first and second flat plate portions 11 and 12 , the engaging member of the fastening device 10 is set up at a predetermined position and sewed along the groove portion 11 b with sewing yarn 16 . the engaging member of the fastening device 10 may be adhered with adhesive instead of sewing . in case of attaching by adhering , the groove portion 11 b is also preferred to be formed for the reason described later . on the other hand , a mating fastening device member 20 having a number of loop pieces 20 a which engages with / disengages from the engaging member of the fastening device 10 is attached on an inner skirt edge 30 b of the aforementioned fly portion by sewing or bonding corresponding to the mounting position of the engaging member of the fastening device 10 as shown in fig5 . when the upper skirt edge 30 a of clothes is inserted into a gap between the first and second flat plate portions 11 and 12 of the engaging member of the fastening device 10 of this embodiment , contrary to the engaging member of the fastening device described under the aforementioned patent number , because of substantially j - shaped cross section , the upper skirt edge 30 a of clothes can be inserted easily without opening an opening end thereof . further , because the mounting posture of the engaging member of the fastening device 10 is automatically determined by bringing an insertion end thereof into contact with an inner wall of the connecting portion 13 , the engaging member of the fastening device 10 can be attached neatly . further , because the engaging member of the fastening device 10 is fixed such that at least the edge of the clothes of the mounting portion is nipped by the first and second flat plate portions 11 and 12 and connecting portion 13 , separation never occurs between the clothes edge and each edge of the engaging member of the fastening device 10 , and further , because the tab 14 extending outward from the connecting portion 13 is provided , durability and operability for opening / closing are secured . because the extending length of the second flat plate portion 12 from the connecting portion 13 is by far shorter than the extending length of the first flat plate portion 11 , a displacement is not likely to occur between the edges of the first flat plate portion 11 and second flat plate portion 12 , and therefore , a displacement of the groove portions 11 b and 12 b for forming the sewing lines on the surfaces of the respective flat plate portions 11 and 12 can be minimized . thus , only if sewing is carried out along the groove portion 11 b of the first flat plate portion 11 as described above , the engaging member of the fastening device 10 is automatically sewed along the groove portion 12 b of the second flat plate portion 12 existing on a rear surface across a clothes , ensuring a beautiful finish . further , the groove portion 12 b for determining the sewing line formed on the second flat plate portion 12 is formed in a u - shape corresponding to the sewing line corresponding to part of the groove portion 11 b formed on the surface of the first flat plate portion 11 as described above , and a distal end of the groove portion 12 b is open . therefore , a sewing yarn to be sewn along the groove portion 11 b left in the first flat plate portion 11 is sewed directly on clothes or the like on the side of the second flat plate portion 12 . according to the prior art , when the engaging member of the fastening device 10 is separated from the loop pieces 20 a of the female engaging member of the fastening device member 20 to open the engaging member of the fastening device 10 , too much force is applied in a shearing direction on sewing yarn portion which is to be fixed perpendicular to an opening direction of a portion opposite , in particular , to the connecting portion of the second flat plate portion which is fixed by the sewing yarn along the entire peripheral edge . however , with the aforementioned structure , because the sewing yarn sewed perpendicular to the separation direction is sewed directly to clothes and the second flat plate portion 12 which should be fixed by the sewing yarn does not exist , no such extra force is applied so that the clothes or sewing yarn is unlikely to be torn . fig6 shows an appearance of a ski wear to which the engaging member of the fastening device 10 of the present embodiment and a mating fastening device member ( not shown ) are attached . when the engaging member of the fastening device 10 is pressed against the mating fastening device member 20 attached to a position corresponding to the first flat plate portion 11 of the engaging member of the fastening device 10 of the present invention , both engage each other easily so that the fly portion shown in the drawing is closed . because the engaging portions 15 b of all the hook - shaped engaging elements 15 are directed toward an opening direction of the fly portion according to this embodiment , even if a strong external force is applied in a sliding direction so as to open the fly portion , the loop pieces 20 a act in a shearing direction of the standing portion 15 a of the hook - shaped engaging elements 15 , that is , a direction of a maximum engaging strength , so that the engaging member of the fastening device 10 will not easily disengage . in the closed condition , as shown by a fading line of fig5 there is a gap d between the tab 14 of the engaging member of the fastening device 10 and an inner half portion of the fly portion , and therefore it is easy to insert a finger into this gap d thereby facilitating a separating operation for separating the engaging member of the fastening device 10 from the mating fastening device member 20 . in this closed condition , if the tab 14 is picked and the engaging member of the fastening device 10 is operated in the separation direction ( downward in fig5 ), a sufficient flexibility is ensured as compared to a case in which both surfaces of the clothes are nipped by the first flat plate portion 11 and second flat plate portion 12 like the prior art , because most attaching portion is fixed to a single surface of the clothes by the first flat plate portion 11 . as a result , smooth separation is possible . fig7 is a sectional view showing a mounting state of the engaging member of the fastening device 100 of another embodiment of the present invention . according to the drawing , the tab 104 projected from the connecting portion 13 is projected on an extension line of the second flat plate portion 12 and a projection 104 a is projected in a hook shape at a distal end to be directed toward the first flat plate portion 11 . instead of the projection 104 a , it is permissible to form a cylindrical portion . when a concave portion or a cylindrical portion is formed on the tab 104 , the tab 104 is easy to pick with fingers , thereby making the opening and closing operation accurate and easy . according to the present invention , the hook directions of all the hook - shaped engaging elements 15 do not always have to be equal as the above mentioned embodiment , but for example , it is permissible to make the hook directions of hook - shaped engaging elements 15 disposed on adjacent rows opposite to each other . in this case , a necessary engaging force can be secured in any direction on the fly portion . further , according to the present invention , it is possible to mold a flat surface 12 a leaving the groove portion 11 b on the surface of the first flat plate portion 11 , and bond with adhesive for example , an ordinary fiber - made surface engaging member of the fastening device of a similar shape as the first flat plate portion 11 and having hook pieces of ordinary monofilaments on the surface of woven or knitted base cloth to the flat surface of the first flat plate portion 11 with adhesive for example , without molding the hook - shaped engaging elements 15 integrally on the surface of the first flat plate portion 11 . fig8 shows a first modification of the aforementioned embodiment . a rib 12 c is provided on a back side of a free end portion of the second flat plate portion 12 so that it extends along an edge thereof as shown in this drawing . with such a structure , when an edge of clothes or the like is nipped between the first flat plate portion 11 and second flat plate portion 12 , the aforementioned rib 12 c holds the nipped end of the clothes by pressing , thereby preventing a displacement of the clothes or the like upon sewing . fig9 and 10 show still another modification of the present invention . according to this modification , an opening end 12 b ′ of the groove portion 12 for forming the sewing line of the second flat plate portion 12 is formed slightly thicker so as to form a reinforcing portion 12 d . a width thereof in the sewing direction is preferred to be equivalent to a single seam . by forming the reinforcement portion 12 d in this manner , it prevents a fracture of the opening edge 12 b ′ of the groove portion 12 b by a sewing thread which may occur because the opening edge 12 b ′ is thin .
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fig1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention . a bracing device 1 is shown fitted to a respirator mask 2 and attached to a helmet 3 . the helmet 3 has a visor 33 mounted via hinges 34 , and attachment slots 30 ( one shown ) therein . a series of straps 35 are provided for fine adjustment of the exact fit of the helmet 3 . the respirator mask 2 comprises a front module 21 , in which exhale valve 22 is formed . the mask covers the face of the user ( not shown ), to protect from dangerous environments . the mask has fitments 23 for filter modules , and a further protective visor portion 24 for protecting the eyes of the user . of course , similar bracing devices can be used with other types of mask and headgear . in the illustrated embodiment , the bracing device 1 comprises a pressure element 10 , connection portions in the form of flexible straps 11 , and helmet mounting portions 14 . note that , although only one strap 11 and helmet mounting portion 14 can be seen in fig1 , another pair is provided on the other side of the pressure element 10 . this can be seen more clearly in fig9 . the connection portions 11 are attached to the pressure element 10 at a first end 12 , and to the attachment slots 30 of the helmet 3 at a second end 13 . the illustrated connection portion 11 is divided in two pieces 110 , 111 . the first piece 110 is attached to the pressure element at a first end 12 , and the second piece 111 ( partially obscured ) is shown attached to the helmet at the second end 13 . in the illustrated embodiment , a helmet mounting portion 14 is provided at the second end 13 of the connection portion 11 , for attaching the connection portion 11 to the attachment slot 30 in the helmet . the two pieces of the connection portion 11 are joined at a buckle 112 , through which part of the first piece 110 of the connection portion 11 is threaded . the part of the first piece 110 which is threaded through the buckle 112 can be secured to the helmet mounting portion 14 . the helmet mounting portion 14 comprises flanges 130 , 131 which combine to form a channel , a slot into the channel being formed by the gap between the flanges 130 , 131 . the part of the first piece 110 which is threaded through the buckle 112 terminates with a securing tag 113 , which is sized so that it cannot be moved through the channel created by the flanges 130 , 131 on the helmet mounting portion 14 . as shown in fig8 , by feeding the part of the first piece 110 which is threaded through the buckle 112 into the slot in the channel of the helmet mounting portion 14 , the first piece 110 of the connection portion can be positioned in the channel despite the size of the securing tag 113 . the size of the securing tag 113 then prevents the first piece 110 from accidentally slipping out of the helmet mounting portion 14 , which would lead to the piece interfering with the user . when such release is desired , for example to remove the mask 2 , the user can manipulate the first piece 110 back out of the slot formed by the flanges 130 , 131 . this complex action is very unlikely to occur accidentally in normal usage . the helmet mounting portion 14 is held on the helmet 3 by a hook projection 132 , which fits into the attachment slot 30 in the helmet 3 . an example of a helmet mounting portion 13 can be seen more clearly in fig3 . in the illustrated embodiment , the pressure element 10 fits over the front module 21 of the mask 2 . to avoid any interference with the function of the mask 2 , the mask mounting portion 10 is formed with an aperture 100 therein through which the exhale valve 22 of the mask 2 protrudes . the inner surface of the pressure element 10 may be fitted with lugs 102 ( not shown ) or other contours to fit more closely to the mask 2 being used , as shown in fig9 . in the illustrated embodiment , the connection portions 11 are attached to the pressure element 10 at positions proximal the front module 21 . this arrangement provides an optimal pressure distribution to the mask 2 , pressing it onto the user &# 39 ; s face without putting pressure on the body or form of the mask 2 or the bracing device 1 . additionally , the pressure is applied mainly on the user &# 39 ; s cheeks , as opposed to their orbital bones . fig2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is similar to that shown in fig1 , except in the shape of the pressure element 10 . in this embodiment , the pressure element 10 further comprises arms 101 extending to a position proximal the user &# 39 ; s orbital bone . the arms 101 engage the mask 2 , providing further distribution of pressure and evening the pressure of the user &# 39 ; s face . fig3 shows a close up of a helmet mounting portion 14 for use in the present invention . this figure more clearly shows the hook projection 132 for fixing the helmet mounting portion 14 to a suitably adapted headgear . the channel formed by the inwardly extending flanges 130 , 131 can also be seen . fig4 to 8 show a series of the steps involved in using a third embodiment of the present invention to hold a mask to a user &# 39 ; s face . the connection portions 11 of this embodiment are fitted with an elasticated expansion section 114 , which allows for a more comfortable and flexible fit to the user &# 39 ; s face . fig4 shows the bracing device 1 fitted over the front module 21 of a mask 2 , although the bracing device 1 and the mask 2 are separable . when the bracing device 1 is firmly seated on the mask 2 , for example by way of lugs 102 as shown in fig9 , the user positions the mask 2 on their face . this is shown in fig5 . the mask 2 fits onto the user as normal — with the illustrated arrangement , this means that the mask 2 fits partially under the helmet 3 . once the mask 2 is in position , each of the helmet mounting portions 14 is attached to the helmet 3 , as shown in fig6 , in the illustrated embodiment by way of fitting the hook projection 132 into the attachment slot 30 provided on the helmet 3 . at this point the mask 2 is fitted to the user and attached to the helmet 3 , but is most likely not properly tightened to give a secure protective seal . so , the connection portions 11 are reduced in length by increasing the amount of the first piece 110 which is threaded through the buckle 112 , by pulling the first pieces 110 towards the front module 10 . this action is shown in fig7 . this tightening motion reduces the effective length of the connection portions 11 , pressing the mask 2 more firmly onto the user &# 39 ; s face to provide a secure fit . additionally , because of the angle of the hook projection 132 and attachment slot 30 used to attach the headgear mounting portion 13 to the helmet 3 , this action increases the security of that attachment . after this action , the mask 2 is properly fitted to the user . however , there may be some length of the first piece 110 of the connection portion 11 left free , and this might interfere with the user &# 39 ; s actions or line of sight . so , as shown in fig8 , the excess of the first piece 110 can itself be attached to the helmet mounting portion 14 . the helmet mounting portion 14 has flanges 130 , 131 , between which the first piece 110 can be pressed . a security tag 113 at the end of the first piece 110 then holds the first piece 110 in place , as described above with reference to fig1 . fig9 shows a front view of the embodiment of fig1 . in this figure , the lugs 102 on the interior surface of the pressure element 10 can be seen . these lugs 102 help seat the bracing device 1 securely on the mask 2 ( not shown ) to be used . two connection portions 11 extend from substantially diametrically opposite sides of the pressure element 10 , to provide an even pressure to the mask 2 . in fig9 , there is again shown the excess of the first piece 110 positioned in the channel in the helmet mounting portions 14 , the securing tags 113 preventing withdrawal through the channel . fig1 shows a bracing device 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention , partway through the process of attachment to a helmet 3 . the bracing device 1 comprises a pressure element 10 for bearing against the front module of a respirator mask ( not shown ) as described above . in this embodiment , the connection portions 120 are formed in two pieces : a first piece 121 connected to the pressure element 10 , in this embodiment by integral moulding , and a second piece 122 for attachment to the helmet 3 . the second piece comprises a helmet mounting portion 123 , which in this embodiment has a hook projection 132 as described above . the first and second pieces 121 , 122 of the connection portions 120 are coupled together so that the second piece 122 is slideable with respect to the first piece 121 , as symbolised by the arrows “ a ” in fig1 . this coupling allows the length of the connection portions 120 to be increased or decreased as necessary . such adjustment by extension or distension of the connection portions 120 allows for a close yet comfortable fit to the user . the connection portion 120 is shown partially extended in fig1 . in the illustrated embodiment , the first piece 121 and second piece 122 are elastically coupled by a spring ( not shown ). the spring biases the first and second pieces 121 , 122 together , so that to fit the bracing device 10 the second piece 122 must be “ stretched ” away from the first piece 121 to be attached to the helmet 3 via the hook projections 132 . once the second piece 122 is fitted to the helmet 3 , the biasing of the spring pulls the first piece 121 and thereby the rest of the bracing device 1 and the mask towards the user &# 39 ; s face and thus ensures a good fit of the mask . the spring allows some movement of the bracing device 1 with respect to the helmet 3 , for improved user comfort . it is contemplated that other types of elastic coupling ( for example use of an elastomer ) between the two pieces would serve a similar purpose . the spring or other elastic material which provides this biasing may be mounted in any way to give the required coupling . in some embodiments , the spring may be directly connected to the first and second pieces 121 , 122 . to reduce the chance of fouling or damage to the spring , a covered or otherwise protected or concealed spring or elastomer etc . can be used . to facilitate secure fitment of the mask , along with smooth adjustment of the fit , the first and second pieces 121 , 122 of the connection portions 120 may be coupled by a sliding mechanism . for example , the first piece 121 may comprise a channel in which a lug on the second piece 122 can run , controlling the movement of the two with respect to one another and confining movement to a particular pathway . or , two or more such channels and lugs could be provided , on either the first piece 121 or the second piece 122 . if such lugs and channels are used as the sliding mechanism , the spring or other elastic coupling of the pieces 121 , 122 may be concealed inside one of the first and second piece , further reducing the chance of damage to it . a further feature of the present invention can be seen from fig1 . as noted above , some helmets may include a protective visor 33 , which in the illustrated example can be hinged at positions 34 to swing down in front of the user &# 39 ; s face . usually , these visors are of sufficient length to completely protect the user &# 39 ; s face , and therefore the bracing device 10 is generally covered . in these situations , the exhale valve of the respirator mask being worn is very close to the visor . when the user exhales through the valve , the warmth and moisture of the exhaled air may be sufficient to cause condensation to form on the visor 33 , leading to a ‘ fogging ’. this can seriously impair visibility and the user &# 39 ; s safety . so , the pressure element 10 is adapted such that it partially obscures the exhale valve of the respirator mask ( not shown ), and ‘ funnels ’ exhaled air downwards and away from a deployed visor 33 . this can greatly reduce the fogging effect . fig1 and 12 show a preferred mode of connection between the first and second pieces 121 , 122 of the connection portions 120 . as shown in fig1 , a helical spring 1200 is connected to the first piece 121 at a point 126 , and to the second piece 122 at a point 127 . fig1 shows the connection portion 120 fully distended . in the illustrated embodiment , the two points are not aligned , leaving the spring in a diagonal / non - parallel configuration compared with the connection portions . this angling of the spring means that , when the connection portion 120 is extended in the horizontal direction , the two pieces 121 , 122 are urged together in two dimensions , corresponding to the horizontal and the vertical in fig1 . this ensures a good connection between the first and second pieces 121 , 122 . a tongue 124 formed on the second piece 122 moves in a groove 125 ( not visible in fig1 ) in the first piece 121 , keeping the first and second pieces 121 , 122 aligned . a projection 129 overhangs the end of the groove 125 , and a notch 128 in the end of the tongue 124 can fit under the projection 129 to provide a secure fit between the pieces when the spring is contracted this is shown more clearly in fig1 . of course , the features of the first and second pieces 121 , 122 could be reversed and the same principles still apply . with no channel or lug connection between the pieces , the above described connection allows maximal flexibility of the joint , helping to absorb shock . furthermore , the positioning of the spring 1200 and the tongue 124 and groove 125 connection mean that the pieces are biased into a secure fitment position . if the user dons the device quickly , slightly mis - mounting the second piece 122 to the helmet 3 , the spring 1200 can “ pull ” the piece back into its correct alignment with the first piece 121 . the first and second pieces 121 , 122 of this embodiment are shown in more detail in fig1 . the motion of the second piece 122 as controlled by the spring 125 ( not shown in fig1 ) is illustrated by the arrow marked c . the tongue 124 slides in the groove 125 , constrained by the walls thereof . as can be seen , the pieces 121 , 122 can flex with respect to one another without loss of the joint &# 39 ; s integrity . the tongue 124 and groove 125 keep the motion of the second piece 122 limited to the direction marked by the arrow c . fig1 also shows that two springs 1200 ( not shown ) can be fitted to respective points 126 on the first piece 121 to increase the stability of the joint . in fig1 , each spring is provided with a barrel - like indentation 1260 in which it can flex and move , reducing the spatial requirement of the joint . similar indentations may be provided on the underside of the second piece 122 ( not shown ). in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the bracing device 1 further comprises a support member 103 which joins the two connection portions 120 to each other . this support member is adapted to bear against the forehead of the user . when respirator masks having , for example , a visor or goggle portion are used , it is important that a good seal is achieved in the forehead region to prevent any harmful agents getting behind the visor or goggles . the support member 103 can bear against the forehead portion of such a mask to ensure the integrity of the seal . as shown in fig1 , the support member may include , for example , fitment projections 104 for keeping a good fit between the bracing device and the helmet worn by the user , or to provide a secondary attachment to the helmet . fig1 shows a bracing device 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention , partway through the process of attachment to a helmet 3 . as with the third embodiment described above , the connection portions 220 are formed in two pieces : a first piece 221 connected to the pressure element 10 , and a second piece 222 for attachment to the helmet 3 . the second piece again comprises a helmet mounting portion 123 as previously described . as in the third embodiment , in this fourth embodiment the first and second pieces 221 , 222 are coupled together so that they are slideable with respect to one another . in the illustrated embodiment , the second piece 222 has the form of an arm , which is inserted through a slot 223 in the first piece 221 through which it can slide . the first piece 221 is shown with a shallow guide channel 224 cut therein to better guide the sliding path of the second piece 222 and thereby to prevent it interfering with the user . this guide path 224 also provides a smoother adjustment of the connection portion 220 , as the arm in the guide channel 224 does not suffer from , for example , additional friction from interference with other parts of the bracing device 1 . the guide channel 224 terminates in a ‘ stop piece ’ 228 which acts to stop the arm moving too far forward , or slipping out of the guide channel 224 when the arm is fully distended . again , as described above the two pieces 221 , 222 are adjustably coupled to one another . this may be as in the third embodiment , using a spring or elastomer etc ., but in the illustrated fourth embodiment a different arrangement is shown . a flexible strap 225 is attached to the first piece 221 ( in fig1 , by looping around the upper part of the slot 223 ) and runs to a buckle 226 on the second piece 222 . the illustrated fourth embodiment , as with the first and second embodiments described above , uses a “ ladder - lock ” type buckle for secure fastening . after the strap 225 has run through the buckle , it runs back , in this embodiment through the slot 223 , and preferably terminates with a tag 227 for easy gripping and adjustment of the strap 225 . the strap 225 may itself be elasticated in preferred embodiments . to don a bracing device of this fourth embodiment , the user fits the device over their mask as with other embodiments described above . the second pieces 222 of the connection portions 220 are then slid through the slots 223 , extending the strap lengths between the buckles 226 and the slots 223 , against the bias of any elastication in the straps 225 , and hooked into the helmet 3 at attachment slots 30 . when the bracing device 1 is fitted to the helmet 3 any elastication in the straps 225 pulls the two pieces 221 , 222 together to provide a close fit to the user &# 39 ; s face . if such fit is not tight enough for the user &# 39 ; s preference , or if , for example , conditions change requiring modification of the fit , the strap 225 can be pulled , by the user pulling tag 227 , through the buckle 226 , tightening the fit of the mask . this is symbolised by the arrows marked “ b ” in fig1 . in some circumstances , the user may wish to remove the fitted bracing device 1 quickly . in embodiments with straps 225 for adjusting the fit of the device 1 , where the user has altered the fit of the device 1 by tightening the straps 225 , the buckle 226 may cause difficulties to a quick loosening of the straps 225 . if the user must inch the strap 225 through one aperture of the buckle 226 , then move that slack through the other aperture , and then repeat the process until the straps 225 are loose enough for the mask to be removed , it may take an excessive time to remove the mask . furthermore , the intricate movements required for this slow process may not be easy or even possible if the user is wearing , for example , protective gloves . to overcome this problem , the “ ladder - lock ” buckle 226 of the illustrated fourth embodiment is attached by a hinge 229 to the second piece 222 of the connection portion 220 . when quick release is desired , the buckle 226 can be hinged ‘ upward ’, away from the second piece 222 of the connection portion 220 , allowing the strap 225 to follow a much less frictionally resisted path through the buckle 226 . combined with the tension under which the straps 225 will be in such situations , hinging the buckle 226 up in this way acts as a “ quick release ” for the bracing device 1 . as soon as the buckle 226 is hinged up , the tension in the strap 225 can act to pull it through its now freer path through the buckle 226 and thereby loosen the connection between the first piece 221 and second piece 222 of the connection portion 220 , allowing easier removal of the bracing device 1 from the helmet 3 . the fourth embodiment illustrated in fig1 also has a support member 103 as described above with respect to the third embodiment . the pressure element 10 is similarly adapted to that in the third embodiment , to divert air in a downward path by slight overlapping with the exhale valve . fig1 shows a bracing device 1 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention . similarly to other embodiments previously described , the connection portions 320 are formed in two pieces : a first piece 321 connected to the pressure element 10 , and a second piece 322 for attachment to the helmet 3 ( not shown ). the second piece comprises a helmet mounting portion 123 as previously described . the fifth embodiment illustrated in fig1 also has a support member 103 as described above with respect to the third and fourth embodiments . the pressure element 10 is similarly adapted to that in the third and fourth embodiments , to divert air in a downward path by slight overlapping with the exhale valve . the first and second pieces 321 , 322 of the connection portion 320 are coupled so as to be slideable with respect to one another . the formation of the first and second pieces 321 , 322 is shown in more detail in fig1 and 16 . in this embodiment , the second piece 322 is connected to the first piece 321 by a strap 325 which is anchored in the first piece ( not shown ), and runs through a loop in the second piece 322 ( not shown ). it then runs through a path 324 in the first piece , becoming exposed at its end for the user to adjust . in fig1 , the second piece 322 is shown in contact with the first piece 321 , but elasticity in the strap 325 allows the two to be moved apart , connected only by the strap 325 . in this embodiment , the strap 325 is toothed ( not shown in fig1 ). the underside of the second piece 322 has a pawl projection corresponding to this toothing , such that the combination forms a ratchet system — this can be seen in fig1 . as the strap 325 is pulled through the path 324 in the first piece 321 , the pawl projection on the underside of the second piece 322 ratchets over the teeth on the surface of the strap 325 . this allows the strap 325 to move freely in one direction . movement in the opposite direction is prohibited by the shape of the teeth on the strap 325 and the shape of the pawl projection on the underside of the second piece 322 . of course , the two could be reversed , the pawl projection being positioned on the first piece 321 . the pawl projection on the underside of the second piece 322 is controlled by way of a simple lever 324 . when the button end of the lever 324 is pressed the pawl projection lifts from the strap 325 , allowing free movement of the strap in both directions . when the button end of the lever 324 is released , resilience in a cantilever member 326 formed to oppose the lever 324 forces the pawl projection back into contact with the strap 325 , renewing the ratchet hold thereon . fig1 shows the connection between the first piece 321 and the second piece 322 in cross sectional detail . as can be seen in this figure , the strap 325 is anchored to the first piece 321 at a point 327 . in this instance , the anchoring is achieved simply by providing a shouldering to the end of the strap 325 , which cannot fit through the anchor slot in the first piece 321 . the strap 325 then runs to the second piece 322 , looping around a mounting point 328 and proceeding through the path 324 in the first piece 321 . the pawl projection 329 can interfere with teeth ( not shown ) on the strap 325 as it passes , to provide secure ratchet fitment as described above . the lever 324 hinges around a point 330 , meaning a user can press the button end of the lever 324 to raise the pawl projection 329 . in doing so , the cantilever member 326 is forced away from the strap . when the user releases the lever 324 the cantilever member 326 returns to its original position , forcing the pawl projection 329 back onto the toothed strap 325 . the ratchet - like interaction between the strap 325 and the pawl projection 329 is shown in more detail in fig1 . it is noted that both ‘ directions ’ of ratchet are possible — the ‘ smooth ’ side of the pawl projection 329 can face either direction ( contrast fig1 and 16 ), and the teeth 331 of the strap 325 must simply face the other direction for the ratchet connection to be effective . to fit the device of the fifth embodiment , the second piece 322 can then be stretched or pulled away from the first piece 321 ( with the lever 324 depressed to relieve the ratchet connection to the strap 325 if necessary ) and fitted to the helmet ( not shown ) by way of the helmet mounting portion 123 . then , with the lever 324 released , the user can pull the strap 325 through the path 324 , ratcheting the teeth 331 past the pawl projection 329 until the mask it suitable fixed . elasticity in the strap 325 can allow for a more comfortable fit for the user , as in other embodiments described herein .
| 0 |
the applicant has developed a range of printhead devices that use a series of printhead integrated circuits ( ics ) that link together to form a pagewidth printhead . in this way , the printhead ic &# 39 ; s can be assembled into printheads used in applications ranging from wide format printing to cameras and cellphones with inbuilt printers . one of the more recent printhead ic &# 39 ; s developed by the applicant is referred to internally as wide range of printing applications . the applicant refers to these printhead ic &# 39 ; s as ‘ udon ’ and the various aspects of the invention will be described with particular reference to these printhead ic &# 39 ; s . however , it will be appreciated that this is purely for the purposes of illustration and in no way limiting to the scope and application of the invention . the udon printhead ic is designed to work with other udon ics to make a linking printhead . the applicant has developed a range of linking printheads in which a series of the printhead ic &# 39 ; s are mounted end - to - end on a support member to form a pagewidth printhead . the support member mounts the printhead ic &# 39 ; s in the printer and also distributes ink to the individual ic &# 39 ; s . an example of this type of printhead is described in u . s . ser . no . 11 / 293 , 820 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by cross reference . it will be appreciated that any reference to the term ‘ ink ’ is to be interpreted as any printing fluid unless it is clear from the context that it is only a colorant for imaging print media . the printhead ic &# 39 ; s can equally eject invisible inks , adhesives , medicaments or other functionalized fluids . fig1 shows a sketch of a pagewidth printhead 10 with the series of udon printhead ics 12 mounted to a support member 14 . the angled sides 16 allow the nozzles from one of the ic &# 39 ; s 12 overlap with those of an adjacent ic in the paper feed direction 18 . overlapping the nozzles in each ic 12 provides continuous printing across the junction between two ic &# 39 ; s . this avoids any ‘ banding ’ in the resulting print . linking individual printhead ic &# 39 ; s in this manner allows printheads of any desired length to be made by simply using different numbers of ic &# 39 ; s . the printhead ic &# 39 ; s 12 are integrated cmos and mems ‘ chips ’. fig3 shows the configuration of mems nozzles 20 on the ink ejection side of the printhead ic 12 . the nozzles 20 are arranged into rows 26 and columns 24 to form a parallelogram array 22 with ‘ kinked ’ or inclined portion 28 . the columns 24 are not aligned with the paper feed direction 18 because the sides of the array 22 are angled approximately 45 ° for the purposes of linking with adjacent ic &# 39 ; s . the columns 24 follow this incline . the rows 26 are perpendicular to the paper feed direction except for a sloped section 28 inclined towards a ‘ drop triangle ’ 30 which has the nozzles 20 that overlap the adjacent printhead ic . this is discussed in more detail below . fig2 shows the elements of a single mems nozzle device 20 or ‘ unit cell ’. the construction of the unit cell 20 is discussed in detail in u . s . ser . no . 11 / 246 , 687 , the contents of which is incorporated herein by cross reference . briefly , fig2 shows the unit cell as if the nozzle plate ( the outer surface of the printhead ) were transparent to expose the interior features . the nozzle 32 is the ejection aperture through which the ink is ejected . the heater 34 is positioned in the nozzle chamber 36 to generate a vapour bubble that ejects a drop of ink through the nozzle 32 . the u - shaped sidewall 38 defines the edges of the chamber 36 . ink enters the chamber 36 through the inlet 42 which has two rows of column features 44 that baffle pressure pulses in the ink to stop cross talk between unit cells . the cmos layer defines the drive circuitry and has a drive fet 40 for the heater 34 and logic 46 for pulse timing and profiling . this is discussed in more detail below . ink is supplied to the unit cells 20 from channels in the opposite side of the wafer substrate of the printhead ic . these are described below with reference to fig5 c . the channels in the ‘ back side ’ of the printhead ic 12 are in fluid communication with the unit cells 20 on the front side via deep etched conduits ( not shown ) through the cmos layer . separate linking printhead ics 12 are bonded to the support member 14 so that there are no printed artifacts across the join between neighbouring printhead ic &# 39 ; s . each ic 12 contains ten rows 26 of nozzles 32 . as shown in fig4 , there are two adjacent rows 26 for each color to allow up to five separate types of ink . each pair of rows 26 shares a common ink supply channel in the back side of the wafer substrate . there are 640 nozzles per row and 2 × 640 = 1280 nozzles per color channel , which equates to 5 × 1280 = 6400 nozzles per ic 12 . an a4 / letter width printhead requires a series of eleven printhead ic &# 39 ; s ( see for example fig1 ), making the total nozzle count for the assembled printhead 11 × 6400 = 70 400 nozzles . at 1600 dpi , the distance between printed dots needs to be 15 . 875 □ m . this is referred to as the dot pitch ( dp ). the unit cell 20 has a rectangular footprint that is 2 dp wide by 5 dp long . to achieve 1600 dpi per color , the rows 26 are offset from each other relative to the feed direction 18 of the paper 48 as best shown in fig4 . fig5 a shows the parallelogram that the nozzle forms by offsetting each subsequent row 26 by 5 dp . the parallelogram 50 does not allow the array 22 to link with those of adjacent printhead ic &# 39 ; s . to maintain a constant dot pitch between the edge nozzles of one printhead ic and the opposing edge nozzles of the adjacent ic , the parallelogram 50 needs to be slightly distorted . fig5 b shows the distortion used by the udon design . a portion 30 of the array 22 is displaced or ‘ dropped ’ relative to the rest of the array with respect to the paper feed direction 18 . for convenience , the applicant refers to this portion as the drop triangle 30 . the unit cells 20 on the outer edge of the drop triangle 30 are directly adjacent the unit cells 20 at the edge of the adjacent printhead ic 11 in terms of their dot pitch . in this way , the separate nozzle arrays link together as if they were a single continuous array . the ‘ drop ’ of the drop triangle 30 is 10 dp . dots printed by the nozzles in the triangle 30 are delayed by ten ‘ line times ’ ( the line time is the time taken to print one line from the printhead ic , that is fire all ten rows in accordance with the print data at that point in the print job ) to match the triangle offset . there is a transition zone 28 between the drop triangle 30 and the rest of the array 22 . in this zone the rows 26 ‘ droop ’ towards the drop triangle 30 . nine pairs of unit cells 20 sequentially drop by one line time ( 1 dp , 1 row time ) at a time to gradually bridge the gap between dropped and normal nozzles . the droop zone is purely for linking and not necessary from a printing point of view . as shown in fig6 a , the rows 26 could simply terminate 10 dp above the corresponding row in the drop triangle 30 . however , this creates a sharp corner in the ink supply channels 50 in the back of the ic 12 ( see fig6 b ). the sharp change of direction in the ink flow is problematic because outgassing bubbles can become lodged and difficult to remove from stagnation areas 54 at the corners 52 . fig5 c shows the configuration of the ink supply channels 50 in the back of an udon printhead ic 12 . it can be seen that the droop zone 28 keeps the ink supply channels 50 less angled and therefore free of flow stagnation areas . the udon printhead ic , can operate in different modes depending on the print engine controller ( pec ) from which it is receiving its print data . specifically , udon runs in two distinct modes — sopec mode and mopec mode . sopec is the pec that the applicant uses in its soho ( small office , home office ) printers , and mopec is the pec used in its mobile telecommunications ( e . g . cell phone or pda ) printers . udon does not use any type of adaptor or intermediate interface to connect to differing pec &# 39 ; s . instead , udon determines the correct operating mode ( sopec or mopec ) when it powers up . in each mode , the contacts on each of the printhead ic &# 39 ; s assume different functions . fig7 is a schematic representation of the connection of the udon ic &# 39 ; s 12 to a sopec 56 . each of the printhead ic &# 39 ; s 12 has a clock input 60 , a data input 58 , a reset pin 62 and a data out pin 64 . the clock and data inputs are each 2 lvds ( low voltage differential signalling ) receivers with no termination . the reset pin 62 is a 3 . 3 v schmitt trigger that puts all control registers into a known state and disables printing . nozzle firing is disabled combinatorially and three consecutive clocked samples are required to reset the registers . the data output pin 64 is a general purpose output but is usually used to read register values back from the printhead ic 12 to the sopec 56 . the interface between sopec 56 and the printhead 10 has six connections . fig8 shows the connection between a mopec 66 and the printhead ic &# 39 ; s 12 of a printhead 10 installed in a mobile device . some of the same connection pins are used when the ic operates in the mopec mode . however , as the mopec printheads 10 will be physically smaller ( only three chips wide for printing onto business card sized media ) and more frequently replaced by the user , it is necessary to simplify the interface between the mopec and the printhead as much as possible . this reduces the scope for incorrect installation and enhances the intuitive usability of the mobile device . the address carry in ( aci ) 70 is the positive pin of the lvds pair of clock input 60 in the sopec mode . the first printhead ic 12 in the series has the aci 70 set to ground 68 for addressing purposes described further below . the negative pin 60 is grounded to hold it to ‘ 0 ’ voltage . the data out pin 64 connects directly to the aci 70 of the adjacent printhead ic 12 . all the ic &# 39 ; s 12 are daisy - chained together in this manner with the last printhead ic 12 in the series having the data out 64 connected back to the mopec 66 . in mopec mode , the reset pin 62 remains unconnected and the negative pin 72 of the data lvds pair is grounded . the data and clock are inputted through a single connection using the self - clocking data signal discussed below . the daisy - chained connection of the ic &# 39 ; s 12 and the self clocking data input 58 reduce the number of connections between mopec and the printhead to just two . this simplifies the printhead cartridge replacement process for the user and reduces the chance of incorrect installation . the combined clock and data 58 is a pulse width modulated signal as shown in fig9 . the signal 74 shows one clock period and a ‘ 0 ’ bit and the signal 76 shows one clock period and a ‘ 1 ’ bit . the udon ic &# 39 ; s 12 ( when in mopec mode ) takes its clock from every rising edge 78 as the signal switches from low to high ( 0 to 1 ). accordingly , the signal has a rising edge 78 at every period . a ‘ 0 ’ bit drops the signal back to ‘ 0 ’ at ⅓ of the clock period . a ‘ 1 ’ bit drops the signal to ‘ 0 ’ at ⅔ of the clock period . the ic looks to the state of the signal at the mid point 80 of the period to read the ‘ 0 ’ or the ‘ 1 ’ bit . each of the printhead ic &# 39 ; s 12 are given a write address when connected to the mopec 66 . to do this using a two wire connection between the pec and the printhead requires an iterative process of broadcast addressing to each device individually . udon achieves this by daisy - chaining the data output or one ic to the address carry in of the next ic . the default or reset value at the data output 64 is high or ‘ 1 ’. therefore every printhead ic 12 has a ‘ 1 ’ address except the first printhead ic 12 which has its address pulled to ‘ 0 ’ by its connection to ground 68 . to give the ic &# 39 ; s 12 unique write addresses , the mopec 66 sends a broadcast command to all devices with a ‘ 0 ’ address . in response to the broadcast command , the only ic with a ‘ 0 ’ address , re - writes its write address to a unique address specified by mopec and sets its data out 64 to ‘ 0 ’. that in turn pulls the aci 70 of the second ic 12 in the series to ‘ 0 ’ so that when mopec again sends a broadcast command to write address ‘ 0 ’ so that the second ic , and only the second ic , rewrites its address to a new and unique address , as well as setting its data output to ‘ 0 ’. the process repeats until all the printhead ic &# 39 ; s 12 have mutually unique write addresses and the last ic sends a ‘ 0 ’ back to mopec 66 . using this system for addressing the ic &# 39 ; s at start up , the interface need only have a connection for a combined data and clock ‘ multi - dropped ’ ( connected in parallel ) to all devices and a data out from the ic &# 39 ; s back to mopec . as discussed above , a simplified electrical interface between the pec and printhead cartridge enhances the ease and convenience of cartridge replacement . udon printhead ic &# 39 ; s 12 have a power on reset ( por ) circuit . the ability to self initialize to a known state allows the printhead ic to operate in the mopec mode with only two contacts at the pec / printhead 10 interface . the por circuit is implemented as a bidirectional reset pin 62 ( see fig7 ). the por circuit always drives out the reset pin 62 , and the ic listens to the reset pin input side . this allows sopec 56 to overdrive reset when required . on power up , the udon printhead ic 12 switches from mode to mode and suppresses fire commands until it determines the type of pec to which it is connected . once it selects the correct operating mode for the pec , it will not try to align with another pec type again until a software reset or power down / power up cycle . an udon printhead ic 12 can be in three interface modes : sopec mode , where both clock and data 58 are lvds ( low voltage differential signalling ) contacts pairs ( see fig7 and 8 ); mopec single - ended mode , where clock and data are combined 58 and single ended ( see fig8 ) because the data is pulse width modulated along the clock signal ; and , mopec lvds mode , where the clock 60 is single ended and data 58 is lvds ( this mode can be used if there are emi issues ). udon spends sufficient time in each state to align , then moves on in order if alignment is not achieved . in previous printhead ic designs , each unit cell had a shift register for the print data . print data for the entire nozzle array was loaded and then , after the fire command from the pec , the nozzles are fired in a predetermined sequence for that line of print . the shift register occupies valuable space in the unit cell which could be better used for a bigger , more powerful drive fet . a more powerful drive fet can provide the actuator ( thermal or thermal bend actuator ) with a drive pulse of sufficient energy ( about 200 nj ) in a shorter time . a bigger more powerful fet has many benefits , particularly for thermally actuated printheads . less power is converted to wasteful heat in the fet itself , and more power is delivered to the heater . increasing the power delivered to the heater causes the heater surface to reach the ink nucleation temperature more quickly , allowing a shorter drive pulse . the reduced drive pulse allows less time for heat diffusion from the heater into regions surrounding the heater , so the total energy required to reach the nucleation temperature is reduced . a shorter drive pulse duration also provides more scope to sequence to the nozzle firings within a single row time ( the time to fire a row of nozzles ). moving the print data shift registers out of the unit cells makes room for bigger drive fets . however , it substantially increases the wafer area needed for the ic . the nozzle array would need an adjacent shift register array . the connections between each register and its corresponding nozzle would be relatively long contributing to greater resistive losses . this is also detrimental to efficiency . as an effective compromise , the udon printhead ic stages the loading and firing of the print data from the nozzle array . print data for a first portion of the nozzle array is loaded to registers outside the array of nozzles . the pec sends a fire command after the registers are loaded . the registers send the data to the corresponding nozzles within the first portion where they fire in accordance to the fire sequence ( discussed below ). while the nozzles in the first portion fire , the registers are loaded with the print data for the next portion of the array . this system removes the register from the unit cell to make way for a larger , more powerful drive fet . however , as there are only enough registers for the nozzles in a portion of the array , the resistive losses in the connection between register and nozzle is not excessive . the drive logic on the ic 12 sends the print data to the array row by row . the nozzle array has rows of 640 nozzles in 10 rows . adjacent to the array , 640 registers store the data for one row . the data is sent to the registers from the pec in a predetermined row firing sequence . previously , when the data for the entire array was loaded at once , the pec could simply send the data for each row sequentially — row 0 to row 9 . however , with each row fired as soon as its data is loaded , the pec needs to align with udon &# 39 ; s row firing sequence . 2 . load data into the registers for a single row of the printhead . 3 . send a fire command , which latches the loaded data in the corresponding nozzles , and begins a fire sequence . 4 . load data for the next row while the fire sequence is in progress . ink viscosity is dependent on the ink temperature . changes in the viscosity can alter the drop ejection characteristics of a nozzle . along the length of a pagewidth printhead , the temperature may vary significantly . these variations in temperature and therefore drop ejection characteristics leave artefacts in the print . to compensate for temperature variations , each udon printhead ic has a series of temperature sensors which output to the on - chip drive logic . this allows the drive pulse to be conditioned in accordance with the current ink temperature at that point along the printhead and thereby eliminate large differences in drop ejection characteristics . referring to fig1 , each udon ic 12 has eight temperature sensors 74 positioned along the array 22 . each sensor 74 senses the temperature in the adjacent region of nozzles , referred to as temperature controlled profile generator regions , or tcpg regions 76 . a tcpg region 76 is a ‘ vertical ’ band down the ic 12 that shares temperature and firing data ( see the row firing sequence described later ). pulse width is set for each color on the basis of region , and temperature within that region . the sensors 74 allow temperature detection between 0 ° c . and 70 ° c . with a typical accuracy after calibration of 2 ° c . individual temperature sensors may be switched off and a region may use the temperature sensor 74 of an adjoining region 78 . this will save power with minimal effect on the correct conditioning of the drive pulse as the sensors will sense heat generated in regions outside their own because of conduction . if the steady state operating temperatures shown little or no variation along the ic , then it may be appropriate to turn off all the sensors except one , or indeed turn off all the sensors and not use any temperature compensation . reducing the number of sensors operating at once not only reduces power consumption , but reduces the noise in other circuits in the ic . each tcpg region 76 has separate registers for each of the five inks . the temperature of the ink is categorised into four temperature ranges defined by three predetermined temperature thresholds . these thresholds are provided by the pec . the profile generator within the udon logic adjust the profile of the drive pulse to suit the current temperature category . heat dissipates into the ink as the heater temperature rises to the bubble nucleation temperature . because of this , the temperature of the ink in a nozzle will depend on how frequently it is being fired at that stage of the print job . a pagewidth printhead has a large array of nozzles and at any given time during the print job , a portion of the nozzles will not be ejecting ink . heat dissipates into regions of the chip surrounding nozzles that are firing , increasing the temperature of those regions relative to that of non - firing regions . as a result , the ink in non - ejecting nozzles will be cooler than that in nozzles firing a series of drops . the udon ic 12 can send non - firing nozzles ‘ sub - ejection ’ pulses during periods of inactivity to keep the ink temperature the same as that of the nozzles that are being fired frequently . a sub - ejection pulse is not enough to eject a drop of ink , but heat dissipates into ink . the amount of heat is approximately the same as the heat that conducts into the ink prior to bubble nucleation in the firing nozzles . as a result , the temperature in all the nozzles is kept relatively uniform . this helps to keep viscosity and drop ejection characteristics constant . the sub - ejection pulse reduces its energy by shortening its duration . actively changing the profile of the drive pulse offers many benefits including : optimum firing pulse for varying inks and temperatures warming a region before it fires shutting down or just slowing down an ic that gets too hot ( udon provides the information , pec controls speed ) adjusting for voltage drop caused by distance ( extra resistance ) from the power source reducing the energy input to the chip , as warm ink requires less energy to eject than cold ink the pulse profile can vary according to temperature and ink type . the firing pulses generated by the tcpg regions are stored in large registers that contain values for each of five inks in each of four temperature ranges , plus universal ink and region values , and threshold values . these values must be supplied to the udon and may be stored in and / or delivered by the qa chip on the ink cartridge ( see rrc001us incorporated herein by reference ), the pec , or elsewhere . it is convenient to adjust the firing pulses by varying the pulse duration instead of voltage or current . the voltage is externally applied . varying the current would involve resistive losses . in contrast , the pulse timing is completely programmable . ideal ink ejection firing pulses for udon are typically between 0 . 4 □ s and 1 . 4 □ s . sub - ejection firing pulses are usually less than 0 . 3 □ s . more generally , the firing pulse is a function of several factors : the magnitude of the optimum firing pulse may vary depending on color and temperature . udon stores the ejection pulse time for each color , in all temperature zones , in all regions . if all nozzles in a row were fired simultaneously , the sudden increase in the current drawn would be too high for the printhead ic and supporting circuitry . to avoid this , the nozzles , or groups of nozzles , can be fired in staggered intervals . however , firing adjacent nozzles simultaneously , or even consecutively , can lead to drop misdirection . firstly the droplet stalks ( the thin column of ink connecting an ejected ink drop to the ink in the nozzle immediately prior to droplet separation ) can cause micro flooding on the surface of the nozzle plate . the micro floods can partially occlude an adjacent nozzle and draw an ejected drop away from its intended trajectory . secondly , the aerodynamic turbulence created by one ejected drop can influence the trajectory of a drop ejected simultaneously ( or immediately after ) from a neighboring nozzle . the second fired drop can be drawn into the slipstream of the first and thereby misdirected . thirdly the fluidic cross talk between neighboring nozzles can cause drop misdirection . udon addresses this by dispersing the group of nozzles that fire simultaneously , and then fires nozzles from every subsequent dispersed group such that sequentially fired nozzles are spaced from each other . the nozzle firing sequence continues in this manner until all the nozzles ( that are loaded with print data ) in the row have fired . to do this , each row of nozzles is divided into a number of adjacent spans and one nozzle from each span fires simultaneously . the subsequently firing nozzle from each span is spaced from the previously firing nozzle by a shift value . the shift value can not be a factor of the span number ( that is , the shift and the span should be mutually prime ) so nozzles at the boundary between neighbouring spans do not fired simultaneously , or consecutively . the span is the number of consecutive nozzles in the row from which only one nozzle will fire at a time . fig1 shows a partial row of nozzles being fired with a span of three , and the same row segment with a span of five . for the purposes of illustration , the shift value is one . however , as discussed above , this is not an appropriate shift value in practice as the adjacent nozzles will fire consecutively . the turbulent wake from the drop fired from the first nozzle can interfere with the drop fired from the adjacent model immediately afterwards . it can also be a problem for the ink supply flow to the adjacent nozzles . for a span of three , there are three firings before the entire row is fired . third firing : the nozzle two across from the first nozzle fires - all nozzles on this row have now fired . the nozzles in row n + 2 now begin their fire cycle using the same span pattern . one third of a row &# 39 ; s nozzles fire at any one time . for a span of five , there are five firings before the entire row is fired and one fifth of the row &# 39 ; s nozzles fire at any one time . span = 1 fires all nozzles in a row simultaneously , draws too much current and will damage the ic ; span = 640 fires one nozzle at a time , but may take too long to complete in the time allotted to a single row . in any case , span only controls the maximum number of nozzles that are able to fire at any one time . each individual nozzle still needs a 1 in its shift register to actually fire . in the examples below , we assume that the ic is printing a solid color line , so every nozzle of the color will fire . in reality , this is rarely the case . the examples shown in fig1 have a shift value of one . that is , one nozzle fires , then the next nozzle left fires , then the next , etc . as discussed above , this is impractical . fig1 shows a segment of the nozzle row with a span of 5 with a span shift of 3 . first firing : column 1 fires . second firing : the firing nozzle is 3 nozzles across at column 4 . third firing : the count has wrapped around and is back at nozzle 2 . fourth firing : nozzle 5 fires . fifth firing : nozzle 3 fires — all 5 nozzles in the span have now fired . to fire every nozzle in the row exactly once , the shift can not be a factor of the span , i . e . the span can not be divided by the shift ( without remainder ). to maximize droplet separation in time and space and still fire every nozzle exactly once per row , the closest mutual prime to the square root of the span should be chosen for span shift . for example , for a span of 27 , a span shift of 5 would be appropriate . firing all the nozzles in a row simultaneously , will draw a large amount of current that remains ( approximately ) constant for the duration of the row time . this still requires the power supply to step from zero current to a maximum current in a very short time . this creates a high rate of change of current drawn until the maximum value is reached . unfortunately , a rapid increase in the current creates inductance which increases the circuit impedance . with high impedance , the drive voltage ‘ sags ’ until the inductance returns to normal , i . e . the current stops increasing . in printhead ic &# 39 ; s , it is necessary to keep the actuator supply voltage within a narrow range to maintain consistent ink drop size and directionality . as the firing pulses in each region can be varied by the tcpg , it can be used to delay the start of firing in each region across the printhead . this reduces the rate of change in current during firing . fig1 a and 13b show the relationship between region firing delay and current drain . fig1 a shows the two extremes of power usage when printing a solid line of a color ( this is the worst case for power supply because 80 dots will fire across the region ). fig1 a shows no firing delay between regions . each region has 4 spans of 20 nozzles each . each of the regions fire for the entire row time ( row time is the time available for a complete row of nozzles to fire ). therefore , at any time during the row time , four nozzles from all of the eight regions are firing ( drawing current ). hence the profile of the supply current is a long flat step function 78 and identical for each region . the profile for the entire row is the accumulated step function 80 of the individual profiles 78 . theoretically the leading edge 90 of step function 80 is vertical but in fact it is very steep until it reaches the maximum current level 82 . the high rate of change in the current can cause the undesirable voltage sags . fig1 b shows the current supply profiles when the regions are fired in stages . to stagger the firing of each region , the time in which the nozzles in each span can fire must be reduced . in the example shown in fig1 b , each span has half the row time in which to fire its nozzles . to compress the time needed for each span to fire , the number of nozzles in the span can be reduced . for example , the span in fig1 b is 10 , so 8 nozzles ( 10 × 8 = 80 nozzles / region ) from each span will fire simultaneously . the cumulative current drawn for eight nozzles is greater than that for the four nozzles firing per span shown in fig1 a . so the current drawn for each region in fig1 b is twice that of the regions in fig1 a , but the current is drawn for half the time . region 1 is supply with current 84 at the beginning of the row time . the current supply 94 to region 2 starts after a set delay period and region 3 is similarly delayed relative to region 2 , and so on until region 8 starts its firing sequence . the delays for each region need to be timed so that region 8 starts firing at or before half the row time has elapsed . the cumulative current supply profile 86 shows the series of 8 rapid steps in the current supply as it reaches its maximum value 88 . the maximum current 88 is greater than the maximum current 82 in the non - delayed region firing , but the rate of increase in the supply current 92 is less . this induces less impedance in the circuit so that the voltage sag is lower . in each case , the total energy used is the same for a given row time but the distribution of energy consumption is adjusted . as discussed above , print data is sent to the printhead ic &# 39 ; s 12 one row at a time followed by a fire command . previously , each individual unit cell in the nozzle array had a shift register to store the print data ( a ‘ 1 ’ or ‘ 0 ’) for each nozzle , for each line time ( the line time is the time taken for the printhead to print one line of print ). the print data for the entire array would be loaded into the shift registers before a fire command initiated the firing sequence . by loading and firing the print data for each line in stages , a smaller number of shift registers can be positioned adjacent the array instead of within each unit cell . removing the shift registers from the unit cell 20 allows the drive fet 40 ( see fig2 ) to be larger . this improves the printhead efficiency for the reasons set out below . thermal printhead ic &# 39 ; s are more efficient if the vapor bubble generated by heater element is nucleated quickly . less heat dissipates into the ink prior to bubble nucleation . faster nucleation of the bubble reduces the time that heat can diffuse into wafer regions surrounding the heater . to get the bubble to nucleate more quickly , the electrical pulse needs to have a shorter duration while still providing the same energy to the heater ( about 200 nj ). this requires the drive fet for each nozzle to increase the power of the drive pulse . however , increasing the power of the drive fet increases its size . this enlarges the wafer area occupied by the nozzle and its associated circuitry and therefore reduces the nozzle density of the printhead . reducing the nozzle density is detrimental to print quality and compact printhead design . by removing the shift register from the unit cell , the drive fet can be more powerful without compromising nozzle density . the udon design writes data to the nozzle array one row at a time . however , a printhead ic that loaded and fired several rows at a time would also be achieving the similar benefits . however , it should be noted that the electrical connection between the shift register and the corresponding nozzle should be kept relatively short so as not to cause high resistive losses . loading and firing the print data one row at a time requires the pec to send the data in the row order that it is printed . previously the data for the entire nozzle array was loaded before firing so the pec was indifferent to the row firing order chosen by the printhead ic . with udon , the pec will need to transmit row data in a predetermined order . printhead nozzles are normally fired according to the span / shift fire sequence and the delayed region start discussed above . the supply channels 50 in the back of the printhead ic 12 ( see fig5 c ) supply ink to two adjacent rows of nozzle on the front of the ic , that is rows 0 and 1 eject the same color , rows 2 and 3 eject another color , and so on . the udon printhead ic has ten row of nozzles , these can be designated colors cmyk , ir ( infra - red ink for encoding the media with data invisible to the eye ) or cmykk . to avoid ink supply flow problems , every second row is fired in two passes , that is row 0 , row 2 , row 4 , row 6 , row 8 , then row 1 , row 3 , row 5 , and so on until all ten row are fired . row firings should be timed such that each row takes just under 10 % of the total line time to fire . a fire command simply fires the data that is currently loaded . when operating in sopec mode , udon printhead ic receives a ‘ data next ’ command that loads the next row of data in the predetermined order . in mopec mode , each row of data must be specifically addressed to its row . taking paper movement into account , a row time of just less than 0 . 1 line time , together with the 10 . 1 dp ( dot pitch ) vertical color pitch appears on paper as a 10 dp line separation . odd and even same - color rows of nozzles , spaced 3 . 5 dp apart vertically and fired 0 . 5 line time apart results as dots on paper 5 dp apart vertically . fig1 shows the data flows and fire command sequences for a line of data . when a fire command is received in the data stream , the data in the row of shift registers transfers to a dot - latch in each of the unit cells , and a fire cycle is started to eject ink from every nozzle that has a 1 in its dot - latch . meanwhile the data for the next row in the firing order is loaded . drop compensation is the compensation applied by udon drive logic 46 ( see fig2 ) to the sloping region 28 and drop triangle 30 of nozzles at the left of the nozzle array 22 on each ic 12 ( see fig5 c ). as shown in fig1 , the print data to the nozzles that are displaced from the rest of the array 22 needs to be delayed by a certain number of line times . fig1 shows the nozzles in one row 26 of the ic 12 . the nozzles in the drop triangle 30 are all displaced 10 dot pitches from the non - displaced nozzles in the row . the nozzles in the droop section 28 that connects the drop triangle 30 and the non - displaced nozzles have a displacement that indexes by one dot pitch every two nozzles . in the sloping droop region 28 the drive logic indexes the delay in firing the dot data correspondingly . during periods of inactivity , or even between pages , and especially at higher ambient temperatures , nozzles may become blocked with more viscous or dried ink . water can evaporate from the ink in the nozzles thereby increasing the viscosity of the ink to the point where the bubble is unable to eject the drop . the nozzle becomes clogged and inoperable . many printers have a printhead maintenance regime that can recover clogged nozzles and clean the exterior face of the printhead . these create a vacuum to suck the ink through the nozzle so that the less viscous ink refills the nozzle . a relatively large volume of ink is wasted by this process requiring the cartridges to be replaced more frequently . udon printhead ic &# 39 ; s have a maintenance mode that can operate before or during a print job . during maintenance mode the drive logic generates a de - clog pulse for the actuators in each nozzle unless the dead nozzle map ( described below ) indicates that the actuator has failed . to operate during a print job , the nozzles should fire the de - clog pulse into the gap between pages without interruption to the paper . the de - clog pulse is longer than the normal drive pulses . the bubble formed from a longer duration pulse is larger and imparts a greater impulse to the ink than a firing impulse . this gives the pulse the additional force that may be needed to eject high viscosity ink . as a preliminary measure , the de - clog pulse can be preceded by a series of sub - ejection pulses to warm the ink and lower viscosity . fig1 shows a typical de - clog pulse train with a series of short ( relative to a firing pulse ) sub - ejection pulses 94 followed by a single de - clog pulse 96 . the individual sub - ejection pulses 94 have insufficient energy to nucleate a bubble and therefore eject ink . however , a rapid series of them raises the ink temperature to assist the subsequent de - clog pulse 96 . the udon printhead ic 12 supports an open actuator test . the open actuator test ( oat ) is used to discover whether any actuators in the nozzles array have burnt out and fractured ( usually referred to as becoming ‘ open ’ or ‘ open circuit ’). fabrication of the mems nozzle structures on wafer substrates will invariably result in some defective nozzles . these ‘ dead nozzles ’ can be located using a wafer probe immediately after fabrication . knowing the location of the dead nozzles , the print engine controller ( pec ) can be programmed with a dead nozzle map . this is used to compensate for the dead nozzles with techniques such as nozzle redundancy ( the printhead ic is has more nozzles than necessary and uses the ‘ spare ’ nozzles to print the dots normally assigned to the dead nozzles ). unfortunately , nozzles also fail during the operational life of the printhead . it is not possible to locate these nozzles using a wafer probe once they have been mounted to the printhead assembly and installed in the printer . over time , the number of dead nozzles increases and as the pec is not aware of them , there is no attempt to compensate for them . this eventually causes visible artifacts that are detrimental to the print quality . in thermal inkjet printheads and thermal bend inkjet printheads , the vast majority of failures are the result of the resistive heater burning out or going open circuit . nozzles may fail to eject ink because of clogging but this is not a ‘ dead nozzle ’ and may be recovered through the printer maintenance regime . by determining which nozzles are dead with an on - chip test , the print engine controller can periodically update its dead nozzle map . with an accurate dead nozzles map , the pec can use compensation techniques ( e . g . nozzle redundancy ) to extend the operational life of the printhead . the udon ic open actuator test compares the resistance of the actuator to a predetermined threshold . a high ( or infinite ) resistance indicates that the actuator has failed and this information is fed back to the pec to update its dead nozzle compensation tables . it is important to note that the oat can discover open circuit nozzles , but not clogged nozzles . thermal actuators and thermal bend actuator both use heater elements and the oat can be equally applied to either . likewise , the drive fet can be n - type or p - type . fig1 a and 17b show the circuits for the oat as applied to a single unit cell with a single heater element driven by a p - fet and an n - fet respectively . in fig1 a , the drive p - fet 40 is enabled during printing whenever the ‘ row enable ’ ( re ) 98 and ‘ column enable ’ ( ce ) 100 are both asserted ( receive ‘ 1 ’ s at their contacts ). enabling the drive fet 40 opens the heater element 34 to vpos 104 to activate the unit cell . when the row enable 98 or the column enable 100 are not asserted , the bleed n - fet is enabled . the bleed n - fet 112 ensures that the voltage at the sense node 120 is pulled low when the unit cell is not activated to eliminate any electrolysis path . when the oat 106 is asserted , the and gate 108 pulls the gate of the drive p - fet 40 high to disable it . asserting the oat 106 also pulls the gate of the sense n - fet 114 high to connect the sense output 116 to the sense node 120 . with the bleed n - fet 112 disabled the voltage at the sense node 120 will still be pulled low through the heater element 34 to ground 68 . accordingly , the sense output 116 is low to indicate that the actuator is still operational . however , if the heater element 34 is open ( failed ), the voltage at the sense node 120 remains high and this pulls the sense output 116 high to indicate a dead nozzle . this is fed back to the pec which updates the dead nozzle map and initiates measures to compensate ( if possible ). the unit cell circuitry shown in fig1 b uses a drive n - fet 40 . in this embodiment , asserting the row enable 98 and the column enable 100 pulls the gate of the drive n - fet 40 high to enable it and allow vpos 104 to drain to ground through the heater 34 . again the bleed p - fet 118 is disabled whenever the row enable 98 and column enable 100 are asserted . to initiate an actuator test , the oat 106 is asserted , together with the row enable 98 and column enable 100 . this disables the drive n - fet 40 by pulling the gate low using nand logic 110 . it also opens the sense n - fet 114 to connect the sense output 116 to the sense node 120 . with the heater 34 insulated from ground 68 when the drive fet 40 is disabled , the sense node 120 is pulled high and a high sense output 116 indicates a working actuator . if the heater 34 is broken , the sense node 120 is left at low voltage following the last time the drive fet 40 was enabled . accordingly when the oat is enabled , the sense output 116 is low and the pec records the dead nozzle to the dead nozzle map . it will be appreciated that the open actuator test should be performed shortly after the printhead ic has been printing . after a period of inactivity , the bleed p - fet 118 or n - fet 112 drops the sense node to low voltage . the gap in printing between pages is a convenient opportunity to perform an open actuator test . the present invention has been described herein by way of example only . skilled workers in this field will readily recognise many variations and modification which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the broad inventive concept .
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while the invention will be described in connection with one or more embodiments , it will be understood that the invention is not limited to those embodiments . on the contrary , the invention includes all alternatives , modifications , and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . fig1 schematically shows a mechanical chiller 10 including a compressor 12 , a heat exchanger such as a condenser 14 , an expansion device such as an expansion valve 16 , and a heat exchanger such as an evaporator 18 . these components are connected to form a refrigerant circuit by refrigerant conduits 20 , 22 , 24 and 26 . refrigerant gas enters the compressor 12 from the conduit 20 and is compressed in the compressor 12 , thus raising its temperature . the compressed gas from the compressor 12 enters the condenser 14 via the conduit 22 . in the condenser 14 , the hot , compressed gas is condensed into liquid form and contacted with a heat sink , such as ambient air , ground water , or another cooler medium , to remove heat from the condensing refrigerant . the condensed refrigerant passes through the conduit 24 and through an expansion valve 16 . the expansion valve 16 allows a limited quantity of refrigerant to enter the evaporator 18 , while maintaining the pressure difference between the condenser 14 ( at higher pressure ) and the evaporator 18 ( at lower pressure ). the refrigerant entering the evaporator 18 evaporates after contacting a heat load , such as the refrigerator interior or ventilation air that is to be cooled , thus absorbing heat from the heat load . the refrigerant vapor leaves the evaporator 18 via the conduit 20 , returning to the compressor 12 to repeat the cycle . now refer to fig2 and 3 , and specifically to the interior of a centrifugal compressor 12 . the compressor 12 includes an impeller assembly including impellers 40 , 50 mounted on a rotatable shaft 64 . the compressor 12 has a gas inlet 30 , a gas outlet 32 , and internal passages 34 directing refrigerant gas from the inlet 30 , into and through the first stage impeller 40 , the second stage impeller 50 , and to the outlet 32 . the rear end 264 of a fastener 62 such as a bolt ( or other device allowing radial rotation while providing axial clamping force ) is connected to the rotatable shaft 64 to removably attach the impeller 40 to the rotatable shaft 64 . although the preferred embodiment of this invention is shown as a gear drive centrifugal compressor , the impeller assembly is generally applicable to all centrifugal compressors as well as to other compressors having an impeller 40 mounted on a terminal end 66 of a rotatable shaft such as rotatable shaft 64 . exemplary centrifugal compressors are sold under the registered trademark centravac by the trane company , a division of american standard inc . having a principal place of business in la crosse , wis . exemplary centrifugal compressors are shown in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 3 , 805 , 547 to eber and u . s . pat . no . 3 , 853 , 433 to roberts et al ., both of which are incorporated by reference herein . referring to figs . 2 and 3 , a first stage impeller and shaft assembly 90 including the first stage impeller 40 depicting an aspect of this invention is disclosed . the impeller 40 has an axial bore 100 through it , a front face 102 intersecting with the axial bore 100 , and a rear face 104 that is adapted to fit the driving end 66 of the rotatable shaft 64 . fig3 does not show the details of the connection between the impeller 40 and the shaft 64 , which can be conventional . for two examples , either a conventional splined joint or the three - lobed connection described in co - pending u . s . ser . no . 09 / 204 , 867 , filed by the present assignee on dec . 3 , 1998 can be used . the front face 102 of the impeller 40 is truncated at an end 105 and optionally has a recess 110 to accommodate a contoured spacer body 200 , a protective washer 120 and an expansor such as a spacer assembly 150 . for purposes of this application , a contoured spacer body is a device having an external surface which is aerodynamically contoured and having an internal portion acting as a spacer . the spacer assembly 150 provides a known resistance when compressed . the protective washer 120 , preferably a hardened steel washer , has a front face 122 and a rear face 124 . the rear face 124 is seated against the front face 102 ( the recess 110 if present ) of the impeller 40 . the protective washer 120 has an aperture 126 registered with the axial bore 100 . referring to fig3 and 4 , the contoured spacer body 200 includes a front surface 202 and a rear surface 204 . the contoured spacer body 200 is symmetrical about an axis 206 , and the front surface 202 includes a contoured surface 210 at an angle or a curve relative to the axis 206 . the rear surface 204 includes a spring spacing abutment 220 including a washer contact surface 222 at the end of the abutment 220 . the spring spacing abutment 220 is axially dimensioned relative to the axis 206 so that the spacer assembly 150 deflects at a desired amount . the contoured spacer body 200 includes a center portion 224 having a rear recess 226 arranged in the rear surface 204 about the spring spacing abutment 220 . a central bore 230 runs through the center portion 224 symmetrical about the axis 206 . the washer contact surface 222 engages the protective washer 120 . the recess 226 provides a spring bearing surface 234 for engagement with the spacer assembly 150 . the front surface 202 of the contoured spacer body 200 preferably includes a recess 235 and a forward facing shoulder 236 in the recess 235 . at least one tension providing device such as a spring 232 , which in the illustrated embodiment is a belleville spring ( though another type of spring , or a lock washer , or a compressible gasket or washer can be used instead ), is seated between the protective washer 120 and the spring bearing surface 234 to provide the spacer assembly 150 . the fastener 62 , including a headed front end 260 , a front face 262 and a rear end 264 , is positioned through the axial bore 100 , the aperture 126 , and the central bore 230 . the rear end 264 of the fastener 62 is connected to the rotatable shaft 64 ( here , the rear end 264 is threaded into a cavity 270 in the shaft 64 ), and the headed front end 260 is seated against the front surface 202 of the contoured spacer body 200 , preferably in the recess 234 and against the shoulder 236 , to provide a clamping load . after torquing the fastener 62 , the spacer assembly 150 collapses to about 75 % of its maximum deflection . the abutment 220 of the contoured spacer body 200 is seated against the protective washer 120 and is spaced by the depth of the spring spacing abutment 220 to control the deflection of the springs 232 in the spacer assembly 150 . at 75 % maximum deflection , the clamp load will exceed the axial thrust load imposed upon the impeller 40 . fig4 is an enlarged isolated side elevational view , in section , of the contoured spacer body 200 including the spring spacing abutment 220 as positioned to seat against the protective washer 120 ( as shown in fig3 ). in this embodiment , the surface 222 comes into contact with the front face 122 of the protective washer 120 . at least one spring 232 is sized to fit in the recessed pocket 226 formed between the contoured spacer body 200 and the protective washer 120 . the protective washer 120 is used to keep the at least one spring 232 from damaging the impeller 40 . a skilled mechanic would slack off slightly to avoid over - torquing the impeller shaft assembly in response to the surface 222 seating hard against the protective washer 120 . the front surface 202 of the contoured spacer body 200 can desirably be continuous from the front face 102 of the impeller 40 to the central bore 230 . the front surface 202 of the contoured washer 200 optionally has a recess 235 to accommodate the headed front end 260 of the fastener 62 . the recess 235 in the front surface 202 of the contoured spacer body 200 can be sized to ensure that the front face 262 of the headed front end 260 is seated flush across the central bore 230 in order to make a substantially continuous surface ( shown in fig3 ). a substantially continuous surface across the front surface 202 of the contoured spacer body 200 provides improved refrigerant flow during normal operation . in one aspect of this embodiment ( as depicted in fig3 ) the truncated end 105 in the front face 102 of the impeller 40 is sized to accommodate the protective washer 120 , the spacer assembly 150 and the contoured spacer body 200 . in this embodiment of the invention , the rear face 124 of the protective washer 120 seats against the recess 110 in the front face 102 of the impeller 40 . in an alternative embodiment shown in fig5 the body 224 of the contoured spacer body 200 has an aerodynamic portion 270 extending slightly around the spring spacing abutment 220 but not contacting either the impeller 40 or the protective washer 120 . in this manner , the front face 102 of the impeller 40 need only provide a recess 110 sized to accommodate the protective washer 120 . one advantage of this embodiment is that the front face 102 of the impeller 40 around such a recess would be less vulnerable to stress fractures . in another embodiment shown in fig6 the contoured spacer body 200 has an aerodynamic portion 272 which extends around the spring 232 and the protective washer 120 to make contact with the front face 102 of the impeller 40 . in still another embodiment , the spring spacing abutment 220 is spaced radially outwardly so that the surface 222 seats against an outer edge 280 of the protective washer 120 ( fig7 ). in yet another embodiment , the rear surface 204 of the contoured spacer body 200 provides two shoulder surfaces 274 and 276 ( fig8 ) including an outer shoulder 274 spaced radially outwardly and an inner shoulder 276 spaced radially inwardly . in this embodiment each shoulder , 274 and 276 , seats against the washer 120 to provide a pocket 277 to accommodate the at least one spring 232 . referring to fig9 the contoured spacer body 200 ( not shown in fig9 ) and the headed front end 260 ( not shown in fig9 ) of the fastener 62 are combined to convert the headed front end 260 into a domed front end 300 of the fastener 62 . in this aspect of the invention , the domed front end 300 has a front face 302 , a rear face 304 , a recessed spring bearing surface 306 in its rear face 304 , and a spring spacing abutment 308 positioned to seat against the protective washer 120 . in this arrangement , the spacer assembly 150 is seated between the protective washer 120 and the spring bearing surface 306 . as in fig3 the front face 102 of the impeller 40 may comprise a recess 110 in order to accommodate the protective washer 120 . the rear face 304 of the domed front end 300 ( including the surface 306 ) can be sized to correspond to the cross section area of the truncated end 105 of the impeller 40 ( or to the forward facing area of the recess 110 ). in this arrangement the rear face 124 ( and by default , the front face 122 ) of the protective washer is sized to correspond to the cross - section area of the truncated end 105 of the impeller 40 ( or the forward facing area of the recess 110 ). thus , the clamping force is transmitted from the domed front end 300 and through the relatively large surface area of the protective washer 120 . hence , large torquing may be applied without causing stress fractures in the front face 102 of the impeller 40 or the rear face 304 of the domed front end 300 . the fastener &# 39 ; s ability to carry more torque results in higher energy yield . in addition , the front face 302 of the domed front end 300 provides a continuous aerodynamic surface 309 across the front face 102 of the impeller 40 . compressors fitted with a contoured front end will result in higher speeds and higher work rates and a concomitant decrease in compressor size . the front face 302 of the domed front end 300 may be designed with indents or holes 320 to allow a suitable tool bit to attach to the aerodynamic surface 309 . this tool bit in turn attaches to a suitable torque wrench . alternatively , the tool bit might form part of a torquing tool . this would ensure that appropriate tools are used in the installation and removal of the impeller and shaft assembly thus decreasing the likelihood of damage to the impeller and shaft assembly . fig1 schematically shows a different aspect of the arrangement disclosed in fig9 . in this aspect of the invention , the rear face 304 of the domed front end 300 makes contact with the front face 102 of the impeller 40 at a shoulder area 312 of the domed front end 300 . the recess 110 in the front face 102 of the impeller 40 is less pronounced compared to that disclosed in fig9 . in another aspect of the invention , the front face 102 of the impeller 40 has a truncated end 314 which lacks the recess 110 and is essentially flat as shown in fig1 . in this embodiment of the invention , the protective washer 120 is sized to correspond more closed to the cross section area of the truncated end 314 of the impeller 40 . the protective washer 120 preferably includes a contoured , radially outward end 318 having an aerodynamic contour matching that of the domed front end 300 and the front face 102 . the domed front end 300 has an additional shoulder 322 . the comparatively large cross section area of the rear face 304 in contact with the protective washer 120 ensures maximum dissipation of the clamping load . while the invention is described above in connection with preferred or illustrative embodiments and examples , they are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the invention . rather , the invention is intended to cover all alternatives , modifications and equivalents included within its spirit and scope of the invention , as defined by the appended claims .
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as is well known in the art the light emission intensity p of a semiconductor laser varies linearly with a drive supply i supplied thereto . therefore , the light emission intensity p can be controlled by controlling the drive current i . the straight - line curves x , y shown in fig4 ( i ) show how the light emission intensities p of semiconductor lasers and the drive currents supplied thereto are related to each other , the gradient of each of the straight - line curves x , y being called a differential efficiency η . it is known that the differential efficiency varies from semiconductor laser to semiconductor laser even if the lasers of the same type . an exemplary statistical distribution is shown in fig4 ( ii ). with the semiconductor laser having a p - i characteristic indicated by x in fig4 ( i ), for obtaining a light emission intensity p ( b ), the drive current to be supplied should be made δix smaller than for obtaining a light emission intensity p ( a ). where a semiconductor laser has a p - i characteristic y , light emission intensity p ( b ) can be achieved if the laser is supplied with drive current which is δiy smaller than for obtaining light emission intensity p ( a ). an embodiment of the present invention resides in providing a power level setting circuit for controlling the drive current supplied to a semiconductor laser to obtain a desired light emission intensity . fig5 schematically shows in a cross section a laser printer incorporating the principles of the present invention . a recording sheet of paper 2 fed from a sheet feeder 1 in the direction of the arrow a is controlled in its timing by resist rollers 3 , and then delivered toward a latent image carrier comprising a drum - shaped photosensitive body 4 . the photosensitive body 4 is rotated counterclockwise about its own axis while at the same time its circumferential surface is charged by a charger 5 and then irradiated with a laser beam from a laser optical system 6 to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive body 4 . when the latent image goes through a developing device 7 , it is visualized by toner . the visible toner image is then transferred by a transfer charger 8 onto the recording sheet 2 which has been delivered to the photosensitive body 4 . the transferred visible image on the recording sheet 2 is then fixed thereto by a fixing device 9 . the recording sheet 2 which has left the fixing device 9 is fed onto a discharge tray 11 in the direction of the arrow b . after the visible image has been transferred , any remaining toner on the photosensitive body 4 is removed by a cleaning device having a cleaning blade 12 . the toner removed from the photosensitive body is retrieved and stored in a toner storage tank 13 . denoted at 10 is a printer housing , 14 a controller , and 15 a print control unit . fig1 shows in block form an apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention . the apparatus has a semiconductor laser 16 , a photosensor 17 , an amplifier 18 , a comparator 19 for comparing a reference voltage vref 1 , with a voltage vm converted from the intensity of light detected by the photosensor 17 , an up / down counter 20 with its count mode controlled by a high or low level ( u / d ) signal dependent on the levels of the voltage v m and the reference voltage vref 1 , applied to the comparator 19 , for counting up or down clock pulses from a clock pulse generator 33 , an edge detector 21 for detecting a positive - going edge or a negative - going edge of the output signal from the comparator 19 , a flip - flop 22 for resetting the counter 20 to a disable state in response to the output signal from the edge detector 21 , a third d / a converter 23 , and an adder 24 , a semiconductor laser ( ld ) driver 25 . the components indicated by the reference numerals discussed above jointly constitute a first output emission intensity control circuit . the apparatus also includes comparator 26 for comparing the voltage v m and a reference voltage vref 2 , an up / down counter 27 with its count mode controlled by a high or low level ( u / d ) dependent on the levels of the voltage v m and the reference voltage vref 2 applied to the comparator 26 , for counting up or down clock pulses from the clock pulse generator 33 , and edge detector 28 for detecting a positive - going edge or negative - going edge of the output signal from the comparator 26 , a flip - flop 29 for resetting the counter 27 to a disable state in response to the output signal from the edge detector 28 , first and second d / a converters , 30 , 31 , and an amplifier 32 . the photosensor 17 , the amplifier 18 , the components indicated by the reference numerals 26 through 36 , the adder 24 , and the ld driver 25 jointly constitute a second output emission intensity control circuit according to the present invention , the apparatus includes a power level setting circuit 34 . a digital level setting circuit 35 is responsive to an output signal from a flip - flop 29 for issuing a digital level set by the power level setting circuit 34 to the first d / a converter 30 . operation of the above apparatus will be described below . first , the generation of reference level signals will be described . a constant drive signal ( not shown ) is applied to the ld driver 25 for driving the semiconductor laser 16 to enable the latter to emit laser beams of constant emission intensity in forward and rearward directions . the laser beam emitted in the rearward direction of the semiconductor laser 16 is detected by the photosensor 17 . the photosensor 17 then produces a current proportional to the intensity of the detected laser beam . the current from the photosensor 17 is converted by the amplifier 18 into a voltage which is applied as the voltage level v m to the comparators 19 , 26 for comparison with the reference voltages vref 1 , vref 2 . the output voltage from the comparator 19 is of high or low level dependent on the magnitude relationship between the voltages v m and vref 1 for controlling the count mode of the counter 20 . for example , if v m & lt ; vref 1 , i . e ., if the light emission intensity of the semiconductor laser 16 has not yet reached the reference level p ( a ) shown in fig4 ( i ), then the output level of the comparator 19 is low , and the counter 20 operates as an up counter in an up - counter mode . conversely , if v m & gt ; vref 1 , then the counter 20 operates as a down counter in a down - counter mode . the flip - flop 22 is set by a power setting signal 36 for starting to control the quantity of light emitted by the semiconductor laser ( ld ) 16 , to produce an output signal to enable the counter 20 . this flip - flop 22 also enables the digital level setting circuit 35 to produce a digital level corresponding to the first reference level , which is converted by the first d / a converter 30 into an analog signal that is applied to the adder 24 . the counter 20 counts up or down clock pulses from the clock pulse generator 33 dependent on the input signal from the comparator 19 . the count output of the counter 20 is converted by the third d / a converter 23 into an analog signal that is applied to the adder 24 and then to the ld driver 25 to vary the drive signal . the light emission intensity of the semiconductor laser 16 is now varied . as the count of the counter 20 is gradually increased or reduced , the intensity of the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser 16 is gradually increased or reduced , and so is the voltage v m applied to the comparator 19 . when the magnitude relationship between the voltage v m and the reference voltage vref 1 becomes reversed as a result of the gradual increase or reduction in the voltage v m , the output level of the comparator 19 goes high or low . the edge detector 21 then detects a positive - going or negative - going edge of the output signal from the comparator 19 , resetting the flip - flop 22 to disable the counter 20 . therefore , the counter 20 holds the count when the output signal from the comparator 19 is reversed , and hence the magnitude of the drive current for the semiconductor laser 16 . at this time , the voltage v m is substantially equal to the reference voltage vref 1 , and the light emission intensity of the semiconductor laser 16 is set to the first reference voltage level p ( a ) which has been established by the reference voltage vref 1 . with the light emission intensity of the semiconductor laser 16 being set to the first reference level p ( a ), the digital signal issued from the counter 20 serves as a reference level signal . the edge detector 21 may be arranged such that it disables the counter 20 only when the output signal of the comparator 19 switches from a low level to a high level . with this modified arrangement , the apparatus operates in the same way as described above when the output level of the comparator 19 goes high . however , when the output level of the comparator 19 goes low , the apparatus operates as follows : when the output level of the comparator 19 goes low , the counter 20 remains enabled and operates as an up counter . the drive current for the semiconductor laser 16 increases until the output level of the comparator 19 goes high , whereupon the edge detector 21 detects a positive - going edge to disable the counter 20 , allowing the counter 20 to hold its count . the counter 20 may be arranged such that it operates as a down counter when the output signal of the comparator 19 is of a low level and as an up counter when the output signal of the comparator 19 is of a high level , making the count of the counter 20 inversely proportional to the drive current for the semiconductor laser 16 . the above modifications described with respect to the edge detector 21 and the counter 20 also hold true for the edge detector 28 and the counter 27 . when the flip - flop 22 is reset , the counter 20 is disabled , and also a digital value corresponding to a second reference level is issued from the digital level setting circuit 35 . the components ranging from the photosensor 17 to the ld driver 25 serve as the first output emission intensity control circuit for converting digital values corresponding to the first and second reference levels into analog values and applying the analog values to the ld driver 25 . at the same time that the output signal from the edge detector 21 resets the flip - flop 22 , as described above , the output signal from the edge detector 21 also sets the flip - flop 29 . the flip - flop 29 produces an output signal to enable the counter 27 . therefore , at the same time that the light emission intensity of the semiconductor laser 16 reaches the first reference level p ( a ), the counter 27 counts up or down clock pulses from the clock pulse generator 33 dependent on whether the output level of the comparator 26 is low or high . the count output from the counter 27 is converted by the second d / a converter 31 into an analog signal which is applied via the amplifier 31 , the first d / a converter 30 , and the adder 24 to the ld driver 25 . as the count of the counter 27 is increased or reduced , the intensity of the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser 16 is also increased or reduced . when the light emission intensity reaches the second reference level p ( b ) which has been established by the reference voltage vref 2 , this fact is detected as an output level reversal of the comparator 26 by the edge detector 28 , which issues an output signal to reset the flip - flop 29 . the counter 27 is now disabled to keep its output count reached when the second reference level p ( b ) is achieved . the output count of the counter 27 at this time serves as an extent - of - correction control signal . the photosensor 17 , the amplifier 18 , the components 26 - 32 , the adder 24 , and the ld driver 25 thus serve as the second output emission intensity control circuit for obtaining the extent - of - correction control signal to set the light emission intensity to the second reference level . in response to the output signal from the flip - flop 29 , the digital level setting circuit 35 issues a digital level set by the power level setting circuit 34 to the first d / a converter 30 . the first and second reference levels p ( a ), p ( b ) are determined as design conditions for the extent to which the quantity of light to be emitted is variable . the difference δi , giving the difference p ( a )- p ( b ), between drive currents as shown in fig4 ( i ) varies dependent of the differential efficiency η of a semiconductor laser used . therefore , the magnitude of the extent - of - correction control signal corresponds to the differential efficiency η of the semiconductor laser 16 . the digital extent - of - correction control signal thus obtained from the counter 27 is converted by the second d / a converter 31 into an analog signal which is then applied via the amplifier 32 to the first d / a converter 30 to vary the gain of the first d / a converter 30 in proportion to the magnitude of the extent - of - correction control signal . the reference level signal and the extent - of - correction control signal can vary each time the power setting signal is applied , but remain unchanged after a power setting signal has been applied until next power setting signal is applied . as is apparent from the above description , the reference level signal is determined based on the first reference level p ( a ) for the light emission intensity of the semiconductor laser 16 , and the setting signal is determined by the preset power level from the power level setting circuit 34 . both of the reference level signal and the setting signal do not contain information about the differential efficiency η of the semiconductor laser 16 . if the gain of the first d / a converter 30 were constant , then the digital light emission intensity with which laser power corresponding to the second reference level is to be emitted would tend to vary from the prescribed intensity p ( b ) due to a different differential efficiency η or a time - dependent variation of the differential efficiency η . thus , the light emission intensity of the semiconductor laser 16 would be shifted from the digital level corresponding to the first reference level to the digital level corresponding the second reference level . according to the present invention , however , the gain of the first d / a converter 30 is adjusted to achieve the light emission intensity p ( b ) dependent on the differential efficiency η by the extent - of - correction control signal ( the output signal , as converted into the analog value , from the counter 27 ) containing information with respect to the differential efficiency η . therefore , a desired light emission intensity may be obtained which range from the first reference level to the second reference level . fig2 shows in detail the digital level setting circuit 35 illustrated in fig1 . the digital level setting circuit 35 includes a buffer 35a having a gate input terminal , a reset input terminal , and a preset input terminal , and a decoder 35b to which the output signals from the flip - flops 22 , 29 are applied . output signals from the decoder 35b are applied to the buffer 35a . the power level setting signal from the power level setting circuit 34 is applied as an input signal to the buffer 35a . the digital value corresponding to the first reference level or the digital value corresponding the second reference level , from the flip - flops 22 , 29 , is decoded by the decoder 35b , or the output signal from the power level setting circuit 34 is applied to the buffer 35a , and the output signal from the buffer 35a is then applied to the first d / a converter 30 . with the present invention , the power level of the semiconductor laser 16 is automatically controlled at the first reference level when the power setting signal 36 is produced . subsequently , if the semiconductor laser 16 is stable with respect to temperature , the power level of the semiconductor laser 16 is not required to be automatically controlled at the second reference level each time the power setting signal is applied . when the automatic power level control is to be effected with respect to the first and second reference levels , the automatic power level control with respect to the second reference level may be performed either each time the power setting signal is applied or at suitable times . the first and second reference levels may be selected such that either p ( a )& lt ; p ( b ) or p ( a )& gt ; p ( b ). the power level setting circuit 34 may be set to a desired power level manually or automatically by a cpu . the laser beam emitted by laser 16 can be modulated with an information signal in a manner known in the art to thereby write information on photosensitive drum 4 or on some other medium . according to the present invention , as described above , each time the power setting signal 36 is applied and set , the first and second reference levels p ( a ), p ( b ) are automatically established with respect to the laser power output . therefore , a desired laser output level may be obtained which ranges from the first reference level to the second reference level . as a result , a desired laser output level can be established with accuracy irrespective of different characteristics or time - dependent variations in characteristics of semiconductor lasers .
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in describing the instant invention , reference is made to the drawings , wherein there is seen in fig1 a copier 10 having a rectangular reciprocating carriage 12 that is movably mounted on top of a cabinet 11 . the carriage 12 includes a transparent platen 14 on which documents ( not shown ) are placed face down for copying . overlying the platen 14 is an opaque , movable cover 16 which has a white surface juxtaposed to the platen 14 . the cover 16 is connected to one side of the carriage 12 . in the preferred embodiment , the cover 16 is made of a relatively flexible material that is connected by a hinge to one of the longer sides of the carriage 12 . the cover 16 has a handle 17 disposed opposite to the hinged side of the cover 16 . an operator can manipulate the handle 17 in order to raise and lower the cover 16 and so that documents can be placed on and removed from the platen 14 . the carriage 12 is shown in fig1 in its extreme right or home position . during a copy cycle , the carriage moves to the left a predetermined distance that is long enough to enable the copier 10 to make copies of fourteen inch long documents . underneath the carriage 12 is an illuminating station , generally indicated at 20 , which includes a relatively narrow , transparent window 27 that is mounted on the upper surface 19 of the cabinet 11 . the window 27 extends across the width of the upper surface 19 . a light source is operatively disposed underneath window 27 , and comprises a linear lamp 28 axially aligned and partially surrounded by a hyperbolic - shaped reflector 30 which serves to direct the light from the lamp 28 toward the window 27 . as the carriage 12 moves from right to left , a document on the carriage 12 passes over the illumination window 27 and is illuminated by the light from lamp 28 . in other words , the document is scan exposed across the illuminating station 20 , which will be discussed in further detail hereinbelow . an image of the document is transmitted to the photoreceptor belt 40 at an imaging station generally designated 35 . the image is transmitted along a z - shaped path by an optical system comprising tilted mirrors 22 and 26 and a lens 24 . the mirror 22 forms an image of the illuminated document as the latter passes over the window 27 , and reflects the light toward the converging lens 24 , which is directed upon the second tilted mirror 26 which in turn reflects the coverging rays onto a portion of the photoreceptor belt 40 at the imaging station 35 . the photoreceptor belt 40 is moved through the imaging station at a predetermined speed by a drive roller 42 in synchronism with the movement of the carriage 12 across the illuminating station 20 . the motive power for turning the drive roller 42 is supplied by a main motor 62 through a suitable drive system that includes a drive chain 61 ( partially shown ), which also drives other elements including the magnetic brush 37 , the carriage 12 , and the feed and queuing rollers 46 and 48 respectively . the fixing rollers 54 are driven by a second motor 63 . the photoreceptor belt 40 is supported underneath the z - shaped optical system 21 by the relatively large diameter drive roller 42 and also a relatively small diameter idler roller 44 . the rollers 42 and 44 are diagonally displaced from each other and by virtue of the relative difference in their size , the photoreceptor belt 40 takes on a shape similar to a teardrop . the belt 40 itself comprises an upper photosensitive layer , preferably of zinc oxide ( zno ) that is coated on a conductive substrate , preferably one made of metalized polyester film , such as mylar brand film with an aluminum base . disposed around the periphery of the photoreceptor belt 40 are a number of the operating components of the copier 10 . in particular , a two - wire corona charging unit 32 is juxtaposed to the photoreceptor belt 40 at approximately a one o &# 39 ; clock position with respect to the drive roller 42 . the charging unit 32 is operable to impart a uniform electrostatic charge to the zinc oxide surface of the photoreceptor 40 . the drive roller 42 turns in a clockwise direction , so that the uniformly charged surface of the photoconductor belt 40 moves from the charging unit 32 toward the imaging station 35 . in accordance with the well - known photocopying technique , the light - struck areas of the photoreceptor belt 40 are electrically discharged , thereby leaving a latent ( undeveloped ) electrostatic image that corresponds to the indicia areas ( printed portions ) of the document that is to be copied . as the drive roller 42 turns , the latent image on the photoreceptor belt 40 is carried past a developer station 36 disposed at a three o &# 39 ; clock position with respect to the drive roller 42 . the developer station 36 includes a hopper 39 for holding a supply of developer material which typically is a two component toner consisting of iron filings and pressure fixable marking material ; however , a single component toner can also be used . the rotating magnetic brush 37 picks up toner from the hopper 39 and carries that toner into contact with the photoreceptor 40 . the charged or latent image areas of the photoreceptor 40 electrostatically attract and hold toner particles , thus developing the latent image . the toned or developed image leaves the developer station 36 and moves toward the transfer station 50 where there is a two - wire corona transfer charging apparatus 51 . in timed relationship with the arrival of the toned image at the transfer corona 51 , a copy sheet also arrives at the transfer station 50 . the copy sheet is fed from a supply of sheets 45 stored in a removable tray 102 . a feed roller 46 feeds the uppermost copy sheet from the supply 45 , through a paper guide 47 and into the nip of the queuing rollers 48 . at a predetermined time in the course of a copy cycle , the queuing rollers 48 are actuated to feed the copy sheet along a second paper guide 49 and into contact with the developed image carried on the photoreceptor belt 40 . by virtue of the electric charge that is generated by the transfer corona 51 , toner particles are attracted from the photoreceptor belt 40 toward the copy sheet to which they loosely adhere . the copy sheet is separated from the photoreceptor belt 40 by the interaction of the small diameter idler roller 44 with the relative stiffness of the copy sheet . in other words , as the photoreceptor 40 passes around the idler roller 44 , the copy sheet does not follow the belt 40 . instead , the leading edge of the copy sheet moves away from the belt 40 along a path that is initially tangent to the idler roller 44 . the copy sheet is ultimately guided by another paper guide 52 into the nip of the pressure fixing rollers 54 . the pressure fixing rollers 54 include two stainless steel rollers that are spring loaded into contact with each other with a linear pressure of approximately three hundred pounds per linear inch , and are rotated such that the speed of a copy sheet through the rollers 54 is slightly slower than the speed at which the copy sheet is fed toward the rollers 54 . this is necessary in order to assure that the rollers 54 do not prematurely pull the copy sheet from the photoreceptor belt 40 , i . e . before transfer of toner to the copy sheet is complete , which would result in an imperfect , streaked copy . hence , the copy sheet is permitted to buckle slightly before it is completely fed through the rollers 54 . such a slight buckle does no damage to the loosely held toner image that is carried on the copy sheet . under the influence of the high pressure exerted on the pressure fixable toner by the rollers 54 , the image is permanently fixed to the copy sheet as it passes through the fixing rollers 54 and into the receiving tray 56 . after the developed image is transferred , a residual latent electrostatic image and some untransferred toner remain on the photoreceptor belt 40 . as the belt 40 continues along its path , it is carried past a single wire discharge corona 58 which neutralizes any charge on the untransferred toner . next , the belt 40 passes underneath an array ( preferably four ) of incandescent erase lamps 60 . light from the erase lamps 60 illuminates the belt 40 , discharges the residual latent image areas of belt 40 and thereby erases any remaining residual electrostatic image . as the photoreceptor belt 40 begins it second cycle , the carriage 12 starts to return from its extreme left position ( not shown ) toward its extreme right or home position seen in fig1 . during the second cycle , the corona charger 32 and the transfer corona 52 are de - actuated . by virtue of the effects of the erase lamps 60 and the discharge corona 58 , the untransferred toner is now only loosely adhering to the photoreceptor belt 40 . as the untransferred toner passes the magnetic brush 37 , the latter attracts the untransferred toner from the belt 40 onto the magnetic brush 37 . hence , the magnetic brush 37 performs two functions : on the first cycle the magnetic brush 37 develops the latent electrostatic image and on the second cycle the magnetic brush 37 cleans the photoreceptor of any untransferred toner . thus , after the second cycle , the photoreceptor belt 40 is cleaned of toner and ready to make another copy . in describing the illumination system 20 in further detail , reference is made to fig2 wherein the shape of the reflector 30 is more clearly seen . the profile of the reflector 30 is that of a hyperbola and is given by the equation : ## equ3 ## where b is a point on the x axis and represents the distance between the center line of the reflector 30 ( at 0 , 0 ) and a virtual image 70 of the light source 28 created behind the reflector 30 , and is a positive quantity , and where a is a point on the x axis and represents the distance between the center line of the reflector 30 ( at 0 , 0 ) and the linear light source located in front of the reflector 30 and is a negative quantity . situated in front of the light source 28 is a cylindrical lens 72 , which may also be a fresnel lens if so desired . the virtual image 70 is very nearly aberration free and is presented as the object to the cylindrical or fresnel lens 72 for reduction by proper object - image conjugate choice to a line image which is nearly aberration free ( suffering only from the axial aberration of the lens ) given proper construction and alignment of the individual components . since the collection angle can be made relatively large , the flux apparently emanating from the virtual image 70 can be substantial and is only modified , in an ideal sense , by the transmissions of the lens and object glass ( if present ) and the reflectance of the reflector 30 . an additional benefit of the foregoing system is that the direct component of illumination ( not shown ) is somewhat compressed over standard illuminating systems and therefore contributes more readily to useful illumination . while there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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[ 0021 ] fig1 illustrates a method 40 of managing billing information pertaining to goods and services associated with a well 42 at a well site 44 . the term , “ billing information ” refers to a price or cost for the well - related goods or services . the term , “ goods and services ” refers to any item or process used in servicing a well . well 42 is schematically illustrated to encompass any apparatus for drawing a fluid ( e . g ., oil , gas , water , etc .) from the ground . in some embodiments of the invention , well 42 includes a string of outer piping known as casing 46 . when perforated , casing 46 provides a conduit that conveys fluid from within the ground to the inlet of a submerged reciprocating pump 48 . an inner string of pipe , known as tubing 50 , provides a discharge conduit that conveys the fluid from the outlet of pump 48 to the surface . a powered pivoting beam ( not shown ) moves a string of sucker rods 52 up and down , which in turn moves the pump &# 39 ; s piston up and down to pump the fluid . to service or maintain well 42 , an oil company 54 ( e . g ., well owner , operator , or representative thereof ) hires one or more contractors 56 and 58 to provide the necessary goods and services . examples of common parts that contractors 56 or 58 may replace at well site 42 include , but are not limited to , casing 46 ; tubing 50 ; sucker rods 52 ; pump 48 or its components , such as seals and valves ; casing couplings 60 ; tubing couplings 62 ; sucker rod couplings 64 ; packer glands ; and various parts associated with the pivoting beam , such as its drive motor . examples of various consumable and non - consumable fluids 66 that may be added to the well bore include , but are not limited to hot oil , acid , or cement . examples of common services operations that contractors 56 or 58 may perform at well site 44 include , but are not limited to , delivering parts ; manipulating sucker rods ( e . g ., installing , torquing , or replacing rods 52 , as indicated by arrow 68 ); manipulating tubing ( e . g ., installing , torquing , or replacing tubing 50 , as indicated by arrow 70 ); perforating casing 46 , as indicated by a perforating gun 72 suspended from a cable or wireline 74 ; down hole logging , as indicated by a transducer 7 also suspended from a wireline ; pumping fluid 66 ( e . g ., cement , acid , hot oil , etc .) into well 42 , as indicated by pump 78 and arrow 80 ; welding ; fracture treatments ; drilling ; stimulating ; swabbing ; bailing ; testing ; providing rental equipment ; and various other work that is familiar to those skilled in the art . the list of possible goods ( e . g ., consumable and non - consumable parts and fluids ) and services could be considered endless , as new components and services are continually being developed . to provide the various goods and services , contractors 56 and 58 preferably use a service vehicle . the term , “ service vehicle ” refers to any vehicle used to facilitate delivering parts and / or performing one or more service operations on well 42 . examples of a service vehicle include , but are not limited to , mobile work - over unit 82 and a tanker 84 . work - over unit 82 includes a variety of equipment including , but not limited to , tongs 86 ( e . g ., rod tongs or tubing tongs ), and a wireline winch and / or a hoist 88 . work - over unit 82 is particularly suited for removing and installing well components , such as sucker rods , tubing , etc . ; lowering instruments into the well bore via a cable or wireline ; and may even be used in actually drilling the well bore itself . tanker 84 is schematically illustrated to encompass all other types of service vehicles including , but not limited to , pumping vehicles , such as a chemical tank truck or trailer , a cement truck or trailer , and a hot - oiler tank truck or trailer . one of the service vehicles , such as vehicle 82 , also transports a computer 90 to well site 94 , as depicted by arrow 91 . the term , “ computer ” used herein and below refers to any device for storing and / or possessing digital information . examples of a computer include , but are not limited to , personal computers , pc , desktop computer , laptop , notebook , plc ( programmable logic controller ), data logger , etc . computer 90 with common software ( e . g ., microsoft word , excel , access ; visual basic ; c ++; etc .) allows contractor 56 to enter invoice data 92 that pertains to goods or services provided by contractor 56 with the assistance of vehicle 82 . computer 90 also allows contractor 58 to enter invoice data 94 that pertains to goods or services provided by contractor 58 with the assistance of vehicle 82 . the steps of entering data 92 and 94 are schematically represented by arrows 96 and 98 respectively , and can be accomplished manually by using a keyboard 100 or can be entered in some other conventional manner , such as scanning a bar code label or sensing a radio frequency identification device . invoice data refers to any information commonly associated with a bill for goods or services . invoice data 92 and 94 may include information such as part numbers , price , quantities , descriptions , labor fees , rental costs , taxes , miscellaneous charges , or other invoice related information . invoice data 92 can be an entire invoice or just one line item of an invoice having several line items . to help support the validity of invoice data 92 and 94 , computer 90 can be provided with electrical signals from one or more transducers that monitor various activities at the well . for example , when pumping fluid 66 ( e . g ., hot oil , chemical , acid , gas , water , steam , cement , etc .) a transducer 1 can generate an electrical signal 11 in response to monitoring things such as the fluid &# 39 ; s volume or mass flow rate , pressure , temperature , acidity , or concentration . a conventional a / d converter associated with or incorporated within computer 90 converts electrical signal 11 ( or any other electrical signal ) to a digital value 21 . value 21 and perhaps a time stamp 102 ( indicating the date or time of day that transducer 1 was operating ) can then be stored on computer 90 . an internal clock of computer 90 can provide time stamp 102 . value 21 could then help validate an invoice charge for fluid 66 . likewise , various other transducers for measuring other service operations can be used to validate other invoice data . in some service operations , such as the removal and replacement of sucker rods 52 , packer glands , tubing 50 , etc ., a transducer 2 ( e . g ., a proximity switch ) could determine whether parts are being removed or installed . when replacing sucker rods 52 or other well components , a transducer 3 could monitor the load on hoist 88 by sensing the force or weight being carried by vehicle 82 . transducer 3 in conjunction with a transducer 4 for monitoring a hoist engine speed could monitor the force and horsepower required to pull rods 52 or tubing 50 from the well bore . an electrical signal 13 from transducer 3 could be converted to a digital value 23 and stored on computer 90 to help validate invoice data 92 . for tongs 86 , which are powered by a hydraulic system on vehicle 82 , transducer 5 can be used to monitor or control the tong &# 39 ; s hydraulic pressure or torque . another transducer 6 can be used to monitor or control the tong &# 39 ; s rotational speed . transducer 7 can indicate the density of the ground surrounding casing 46 or can indicate the integrity or wall thickness of casing 14 . the term , “ transducer ” refers to any device that provides an electrical signal in response to sensing a condition or status of a service operation . examples of a transducer include , but are not limited to , a pressure switch , a strain gage , a temperature sensor , a flow meter , a tachometer , a limit switch , a proximity switch , etc . for the embodiment of fig1 transducers 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 respectively provide electrical signals 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 and 17 , with digital values 21 and 23 being based on signals 11 and 13 respectively . invoice data 92 and 94 , and optional supporting information ( e . g ., values 23 , 21 , time stamp 102 , and another time stamp 104 associated with transducer 3 ) can be communicated to another computer 106 at a remote location 108 , such as a home base from which company 54 operates . the term , “ remote location ” refers to a location that is beyond the immediate property or land on which well 42 is contained or one mile away from well 42 , whichever is greater . data 92 and 94 , values 23 and 21 , and time stamps 104 and 102 can be communicated from computer 90 to computer 106 through a wireless communication link 108 . the term “ wireless communication link ” refers to data being transmitted over a certain distance , wherein over that certain distance the data is transmitted through a medium of air and / or space rather than wires . wireless communication link 108 is schematically illustrated to represent a wide variety of systems that are well known to those skilled in the art of wireless communication . for example , with a modem 110 and an antenna 112 associated with computer 106 , and another modem 114 and an antenna 116 for computer 90 , data 92 and 94 can be exchanged between computers 90 and 106 using the internet and any one of a variety of common formats including , but not limited to , html , e - mail , etc . once data 92 and 94 are made available to computer 106 , information 118 to that affect could be displayed on computer 90 . one example of information 118 would be a statement such as , “ data 92 has been successfully submitted .” a confirmation 120 could also be displayed on computer 90 to inform contractors 56 and 58 that company 54 currently has no objection to invoice data 92 or 94 . one example of confirmation 120 could be a statement , such as , “ thank you — your invoice will be processed shortly .” to expedite the process of approving invoices submitted by contractors , company 54 may provide contractors 56 and 58 with confidential alphanumeric passwords 122 and 124 , respectively . passwords 122 and 124 can be randomly generated by computer 4 , or can be generated by computer 4 and communicated to computer 4 over communication link 4 . passwords 122 and 124 can be used in different ways . for example , in some forms of the invention , entering such a password into computer 90 would serve as a prerequisite for entering data 92 and 94 and / or for displaying confirmation information 120 . in another version of the invention , a representative 126 of company 54 can be at well site 42 to witness or confirm that contractors 56 and / or 58 have actually provided their goods and services . company 54 can then immediately , but tentatively , approve invoices by having representative 126 enter ( indicated by arrow 130 ) a confidential alphanumeric password 128 into computer 90 . password 128 would indicate that representative 126 has witnessed or approved the supplied goods and services . if contractors 56 and 58 mail their invoices to company 54 , then including password 122 or 124 along with the written invoices would inform company 54 that representative 126 has already given his or her approval , thus reducing the time for processing the invoices . in this example , passwords 122 and 124 have been generated as a random number in response to representative 126 entering into computer 90 approval information in the form of password 128 . password 122 or 124 being included along with an invoice submitted to company 54 would mean that company 54 ( or its representative ) has already approved particular goods and / or services provided by a certain contractor for a particular well on a certain date and within a certain price range . by using passwords 122 and 124 in this manner , company 54 does not have to waste time investigating the accuracy or validity of submitted invoices . after the invoices have been submitted to company 54 or after company 54 processes the invoices , passwords 122 and 124 expire , thus preventing those passwords from being misapplied to other invoices . it should be noted that method 40 is particularly useful when contractors 56 and 58 are independent contractors , and vehicles 82 and 84 each assist in performing a different service operation . the term , “ independent contractors ” refers to contractors that are not employees of company 54 , wherein each contractor has their own employees . although the invention is described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications are well within the scope of the invention . therefore , the scope of the invention is to be determined by reference to the claims that follow .
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for simplicity and illustrative purposes , the principles of the present invention are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodiments thereof . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , the present invention may be practiced without limitation to these specific details . in other instances , well known methods and structure have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention . the density of states (“ dos ”) is one of main characteristics of electrons in solid states , in particular , in magnetic materials , such as ferromagnetic ni , co , and fe . dos is defined as g i ( e ) de , which is the number of electron states characterized by some quantum number i per unit volume in an energy interval ( e , e + de ). fig2 a illustrates the dos of ferromagnetic ni , where arrows indicate the dos for majority ( d - electrons with spin up ↑, d ↑) and minority ( spin down , d ↓) electrons , together with the dos for s - and p - electrons . note that the dos have high peaks for both spin - up and spin - down electrons at certain energy intervals . fig2 b illustrates the dos of ferromagnetic ni , but at a higher resolution than in fig2 a . the energy origin is chosen at the fermi level e f , i . e . e = e f = 0 . as shown , there is a very large difference in the dos of minority and majority d - electrons at e & gt ; 0 ( states above the fermi level ). the peak in the dos of minority d - electron states is positioned at e = δ 0 , which for ni , δ 0 ≈ 0 . 1 ev . similar region at e & gt ; 0 exists in co and fe . note that near e ≈ δ 0 , the dos of the majority d - electrons and dos of s - and p - electrons are all negligible when compared with the dos of minority d - electrons . thus , if electrons are injected from the ferromagnetic material with energies e ≈ δ 0 , the electrons would be almost 100 % polarized . fig3 a illustrates a hetero laser and light - emitting device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown , the device 300 may include a first semiconductor layer 310 , a second semiconductor layer 320 below the first semiconductor layer 310 , and a third semiconductor layer 330 below the second semiconductor layer 320 . the device 300 may also include a magnetic layer 370 above the first semiconductor layer 310 , a first δ - doped semiconductor layer 315 between the magnetic layer 370 and the first semiconductor layer 310 , and a second δ - doped semiconductor layer 325 between the first semiconductor layer 310 and the second semiconductor layer 320 . the device 300 may further include a substrate 340 below the third semiconductor layer 330 , and first and second contacts 350 and 360 above the magnetic layer 370 and below the substrate 340 , respectively . the first semiconductor layer 310 may be relatively heavily negatively doped ( n + ), and both the second and third semiconductor layers 320 and 330 may be relatively heavily positively doped ( p + ). in an embodiment , the energy band gap of the second semiconductor layer 320 , e g2 , is less than the energy band gaps of the first or third semiconductor layers 310 or 330 , e g1 or e g3 as shown in fig3 b . the second semiconductor layer 320 may be formed from semiconductors with direct optical transitions . in such semiconductors , an electron can directly recombine with a hole without emitting / absorbing photon . second semiconductor layer 320 may be formed , for example , from materials such as gaas , algaas , ingaas , ingapas , inas , gasb , insb , ingasb , alas , alsb , znte , cdte , hgcdte , and alloys which may include various combinations of these materials . in an embodiment , the thickness w of the second semiconductor layer 320 is less than a diffusion length of non - equilibrium carriers in this layer . the majority semiconductors with direct optical transitions , such as the ones listed above , may be characterized by two types of holes : light holes with an effective mass m pl and heavy holes with an effective mass m ph & gt ;& gt ; m pl . the light and heavy holes may be typically characterized by different effective spin projections , μ hl = ± 1 2 and μ hh = ± 3 2 . in an embodiment , to increase the degree of the radiation polarization , one type of the holes , such as the light holes , are excluded from the recombining . this may be achieved by means of size quantization of the hole levels in the second semiconductor layer 320 , which is a “ quantum well ”. ( see fig3 c ). reducing the thickness w of the second semiconductor layer 320 achieves appreciable quantization of energy of the light holes in the potential well of the p + second semiconductor layer 320 . the lower energy level may be higher than the thermal energy k b t , where t is the temperature and k b is the boltzmann constant . thus , the thickness w may satisfy the following conditions : w 0 & gt ; w ≧ w 0 √{ square root over ( m pl / m ph )}, where w 0 = h /√{ square root over ( 2 m pl k b t )} ( 2 ) as noted above , the first semiconductor layer 310 may be relatively strongly negatively doped ( n + ). also as noted above , the first and third semiconductor layer 310 and 330 may have an energy band gaps that is wider than the energy band gap of the second semiconductor layer , i . e . e g1 & gt ; e g2 , e g3 & gt ; e g2 . one way to accomplish this is to form the first , second , and third semiconductor layers 310 , 320 , and 330 from double heterostructures . examples of double heterostructures include al y ga 1 - y as — gaas — al x ga 1 - x as and in y ga 1 - y as — ingaas — in x ga 1 - x as , where x and y refer to the chemical composition of the relevant materials . typically , x ≈ 0 . 125 – 0 . 2 and y ≈ 0 . 2 – 0 . 3 . it is noted that various dopants may be used to dope the first , second , and third semiconductor layers 310 , 320 , and 330 . generally , various impurities may be used as electron donors and acceptors in different semiconductor materials . for the majority of direct - gap semiconductors such as gaas , gaasal , ingaas , zn and cd may be used to positively dope the second and third semiconductor layers 320 and 330 . also , materials such as ge , se , te , si , pb , and sn may be used to negatively dope the first semiconductor layer 310 made of the same compound semiconductors . in an embodiment , the thickness d of the first semiconductor layer 310 be much smaller than the spin diffusion length of electrons in the first semiconductor layer 310 such that d & lt ;& lt ; l es =√{ square root over ( d e τ es )}, where τ es is the relaxation time of electron spin and d e is the electron diffusion coefficient of the first semiconductor layer 310 . the ferromagnetic layer 370 may be formed from various magnetic materials such as ni , fe and co , as well as various magnetic alloys , which may include one or more combinations of fe , co , ni . in an embodiment , the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer 370 is substantially at 4 – 6 nm or greater but also less than the typical width of magnetic domain wall . both the first and the second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 may be heavily negatively doped ( n + ) and very thin ( the conditions are described below ). one or both of the δ - doped layers 315 and 325 may be formed by delta - doping portions of the first semiconductor layer 310 . in other words , lower and upper portions of the first semiconductor layer 310 may be heavily doped with electron - rich materials . for example , if the first semiconductor layer 310 is formed from gaas , materials such as ge , se , te , si , pb , and sn may be used as dopants . the device 300 thus formed may be described as having a fm1 - n δ1 + - n 1 - n δ2 + - p 2 + - p 3 + structure corresponding to the layers 370 , 315 , 310 , 325 , 320 , and 330 , respectively . an example of such structure is ni - n δ1 + - ga 0 . 875 al 0 . 125 as - n 1 - ga 0 . 875 al 0 . 125 as - n δ2 + - ga 0 . 875 al 0 . 125 as - p 2 + - gaas - p 3 + - ga 0 . 8 al 0 . 2 as . in other words , in this example , the second semiconductor layer 320 is formed from gaas . also , the first and third semiconductor layers 310 and 330 and the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 are all formed from gaalas with composition parameters x and y being 0 . 125 and 0 . 2 , respectively . other example structures include ni — gaas — gaas — gaas — in x ga 1 - x as — gaas ; ni — gaas — gaas — gaas — in x ga 1 - x as — gaas ; ni ( fe )— cdte — cdte — cdte — cd x hg 1 - x te — cdte ; and ni ( fe )— zn x cd 1 - x se — znse — zn x cd 1 - x se — zn — znycd 1 - y se . fig3 b and 3c illustrate exemplary energy diagrams of the device 300 shown in fig3 a along the line iii — iii , at equilibrium and at bias , respectively . in this embodiment , the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 are assumed to be formed by delta - doping the respective portions of the first semiconductor layer 310 . in fig3 b , the fermi level e f , the bottom conduction band energy level e c , and the top valence band energy level e v are shown . the energy origin is chosen at the fermi level , in other words , e f is defined to be at zero . also , the energy band gaps for each material e g1 ( first semiconductor layer 310 ), e g2 ( second semiconductor layer 320 ), and e g3 ( third semiconductor layer 330 ) are shown where e gi = e ci − e vi for each layer . fig3 c shows the same as fig3 b , but under a bias voltage . it is clear from that the potential well forms in the second semiconductor layer 320 under bias voltage . in an embodiment , the first δ - doped layer 315 screens the schottky barrier at interface between the ferromagnetic layer 370 and the first semiconductor layer 310 so that it becomes transparent for tunneling electrons . in other words , the electrons may easily traverse the first δ - doped layer 315 . the second δ - doped layer 325 may screen the interfacial potential barrier between the first and second semiconductor layers 310 and 320 , so that it becomes transparent for tunneling electrons . if the following conditions are satisfied , the electrons may easily traverse the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 , i . e . be transparent : n d1 l + 1 2 ≈ 2 ɛ 0 ɛ ( δ 1 - δ 3 ) q 2 , l + 1 ≤ t 1 = ℏ 2 2 m * ( δ 1 - δ 3 ) , ( 2 ) n d2 l + 2 2 ≈ 2 ɛ 0 ɛ δ 2 q 2 , l + 2 ≤ t 2 = ℏ 2 2 m * δ 2 , ( 3 ) where n d1 and n d2 represent donor concentrations of the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 , respectively ; l + 1 and l + 2 represent the thicknesses of the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 , respectively ; ε 0 represents the permittivity of free space ; ε represents a relative permittivity of the first semiconductor layer 310 ; δ 1 represents the height of the schottky barrier ( as measured from the fermi level of the ferromagnetic layer 370 ) at the boundary between the ferromagnetic layer 370 and the first δ - doped layer 315 ; δ 3 represents the height of the lower and wider potential barrier in the first semiconductor layer 310 ( also measured from fermi level of the ferromagnetic layer 370 ); δ 2 represents the step of the potential barrier at the interface between the first and second semiconductor layers 310 and 320 ; q represents elementary charge ; h is the planck &# 39 ; s constant , and m * represents an effective mass of electron of the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 . typically , the thicknesses l + 1 ≈ l + 2 ≈( 1 – 2 ) nm and the donor concentrations n d1 and n d2 may be greater than or substantially equal to ( 10 19 – 10 20 ) cm − 3 . the electrons that tunnel through the relatively high potential barrier δ 1 of the thin first δ - doped layer 315 with the energy e & gt ; e f face another potential barrier formed in the first semiconductor layer 310 , which is shallow ( barrier height δ 3 ) and much wider ( of thickness , d & gt ;& gt ; l + 1 ). in an embodiment , the width d of the first semiconductor layer 310 be wide enough , yet d & lt ;& lt ; l d1 , where l d1 is the diffusion length of carriers of the first semiconductor layer 310 . when this occurs , electrons with energies below the barrier height δ 3 are effectively filtered and , essentially , only the electrons with energies above the barrier height e & gt ; δ 3 will be able to traverse the length of first semiconductor layer 310 . as will be explained below , in an embodiment , the height of the barrier δ 3 in the first semiconductor layer 310 coincides with the peak dos for the minority d - electrons ( see fig2 a and 2b ). note that the potential barrier δ 3 in the first semiconductor layer 310 may be manipulated , for example by controlling the donor concentration n d1 of the first semiconductor layer 310 . as previously noted , the dos of minority d - electrons of the ferromagnetic layer 370 reaches maximum at energy level e ≈ e f + δ 0 ( see fig2 a and 2b ). for simplicity , origin is chosen such that e f = 0 . then , at e ≈ δ 0 , the maximum dos of minority d - electrons exceeds , by more than an order of magnitude , the dos of electrons for all other types . thus , if the potential barrier height of the first semiconductor layer 310 is such that it coincides with δ 0 ( δ 3 ≈ δ 0 ), then the electrons from ferromagnetic layer 370 tunneling through the first δ - doped layer 315 and traversing the length d of the first semiconductor layer 310 will be composed of almost all minority d - electrons . in other words , the injected current will be almost 100 % spin - polarized . with reference to fig3 c , the operation of the device 300 is explained as follows . under bias , almost 100 % spin - polarized electrons are efficiently injected from the ferromagnetic layer 370 through the n + - doped first δ - doped layer 315 into the n - doped first semiconductor layer 310 . when the thickness d of the first semiconductor layer 310 is much less than diffusion length l d1 of non - equilibrium carriers in this layer , the spin polarized electrons traverse the first semiconductor layer 310 and the n + - doped second δ - doped layer 325 and accumulate in the thin narrower band gap p + - doped second semiconductor layer 320 . simultaneously , holes are injected from the wide gap p + - doped third semiconductor layer 330 into the second semiconductor layer 320 and the heavy holes ( with projections of the effective spin accumulate there , blocked by the energy barrier δ 4 , provided that δ 4 & gt ;& gt ; k b t . highly polarized light is emitted due to radiative recombination of the holes with accumulated spin polarized electrons . this occurs when the spontaneous or stimulated radiation lifetime is less than the spin relaxation time of the electrons in the second semiconductor layer 320 . this may be realized when concentration of injected electrons n in the layer 320 is relatively high , for example , above 10 17 cm − 3 . note that the minimal energy of the light holes ( those with projections of the effective spin in the quantum well 320 exceeds k b t by design , so they cannot accumulate in the layer 320 . the electrons with 100 % spin polarization ( with projection can only recombine with heavy holes , according to selection rule for angular momentum , in the channel μ e + μ hh =− 1 , since the photon polarization can only take the value p =− 1 . another channel , μ e + μ hh = 2 , is prohibited as well . therefore , the emitted photons will all have the polarization p =− 1 , i . e . the radiation will be almost 100 % polarized . in another embodiment of the present invention , one or both first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 may be formed by growing a n + - doped epitaxial layer on the n - doped first and second semiconductor layers 310 and 320 . the epitaxially grown δ - doped layers 315 and / or 325 are doped heavily as practicable and be as thin as practicable . in an embodiment , one or both of the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 have a narrower energy band gap than the energy band gap of the first semiconductor layer 310 and that electron affinities of the δ - doped layers 315 and 325 be greater than an electron affinity of the first semiconductor layer 310 by a value close to δ 0 . if the δ - doped layer 315 is formed by epitaxial growth of a very thin heavily doped ( i . e . n + doped ) and narrower energy band gap semiconductor layer , the parameters of the first δ - doped layer 315 i . e . its donor concentrations n d and its thickness l + 1 should satisfy the following conditions : n d1 & gt ; 2 ɛ 0 ɛ ( δ 1 - δ 3 ) q 2 l + 1 2 , l + 1 ≤ t 1 ( 4 ) the device 300 thus formed may also be described as having a fm1 - n δ1 + - n 1 - n δ2 + - p 2 + - p 3 + structure corresponding to the layers 370 , 315 , 310 , 325 , 320 , and 310 , respectively . an example of such structure is fm1 - ni - n δ1 + - gaas - n 1 - ga 1 - x al x as - n δ2 + - gaas - p 2 + - gaas - p 3 + - ga 1 - x al x as . in other words , in this example , the n + - doped first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 and the second semiconductor layer 320 are formed from gaas and the first and third semiconductor layers 310 and 330 are formed from ga 1 - x al x as . other example structures include ni — in 1 - x ga x as — gaas — in 1 - x ga x as — gaas — gaas ; ni ( fe )— cd x hg 1 - x te — cdte — cd x hg 1 - x te — cdte — cd x hg 1 - x te ; and ni ( fe )— zn x cd 1 - x se — znse — zn x cd 1 - x se — znse — zn x cd 1 - x se . as noted previously , the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 should be transparent to tunneling electrons . this condition may be satisfied , for example , if the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 are such that the thickness l + 1 , 2 ≦( 1 – 2 ) nm and the donor concentration n d1 + ≧ 10 20 cm − 3 and n d2 ≧ 10 19 cm − 3 . fig3 d and 3e illustrate exemplary energy diagrams of the device 300 shown in fig3 a along the line iii — iii , at equilibrium and under bias voltage , respectively . in this embodiment , the first δ - doped layer 315 is assumed to be formed by epitaxial growth of narrower energy band gap semiconductor . the operation of this device 300 is similar to that as shown in fig3 b and 3c , but the efficiency of the device may be even greater . fig3 f illustrates another a hetero laser and light - emitting structure 300 - 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention . the device 300 - 2 is similar to the device 300 shown in fig3 a , except that the first and second electrical contacts 350 and 360 are placed as shown . the operation of the device 300 - 2 is similar and need not be repeated here . the electrical contact 350 and 360 are placed as shown . the bottom electrode 360 can be made magnetic , fm2 , to inject spin - polarized holes through the second semiconductor layer 320 ( p + - s 2 ). in an embodiment , the thickness of this layer is much smaller than the spin diffusion length of holes in the semiconductor layer 320 , w & lt ;& lt ; l hs =√{ square root over ( d h τ hs )}, where τ hs is the relaxation time of hole spin and d h is the hole diffusion coefficient in the third semiconductor layer 330 . fig4 a – 4c illustrate an exemplary method of manufacturing the device 300 shown in fig3 a . as shown in fig4 a , the contact second contact 360 and the substrate 340 may be formed . the substrate 340 may be planarized . then the third semiconductor layer 330 may be formed on the substrate 340 and the second semiconductor layer 320 may be formed on the third semiconductor layer 330 may be formed by epitaxial or molecular growth . materials to form the third semiconductor layer 330 may be deposited , sputtered , fired on the substrate 340 . likewise , the second semiconductor layer 320 may also be deposited , sputtered , fired on the third semiconductor layer 330 . one or both of the third and second semiconductor layers 330 and 320 may be planarized . then as shown in fig4 b , the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 and the first semiconductor layer 310 may be formed . in one embodiment , the second δ - doped layer 325 may be formed by epitaxial or molecular growth . the second δ - doped layer 325 may also be deposited , sputtered , or fired onto the second semiconductor layer 320 . then the first semiconductor layer 310 may be deposited , fired , or sputtered onto the second δ - doped layer 325 . then the first δ - doped layer 315 may be formed by epitaxial or molecular growth , or may be deposited ( e . g ., by molecular deposition , liquid epitaxy , or mocvd ), sputtered , or fired onto the first semiconductor layer 310 . note that each of the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 and the first semiconductor layer 310 may be planarized . also , the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 may be doped more heavily as compared to the first semiconductor layer 310 . in another embodiment , the first semiconductor layer 310 may be formed on the second semiconductor layer 320 and the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 may be formed by heavily doping appropriate portions of the first semiconductor layer 310 or by epitaxial or molecular growth . then as shown in fig4 c , the ferromagnetic layer 370 may be formed , again by epitaxial or molecular growth , or may be deposited , sputtered , or fired onto on the first δ - doped layer 315 . the ferromagnetic layer 370 may be planarized . then as shown , the first electrode 360 may be formed by sputtering , firing , or depositing materials on the ferromagnetic layer 370 . fig5 a – 5d illustrate an exemplary method of manufacturing the device 300 - 2 shown in fig3 f . as shown in fig5 a , the substrate 340 may be formed and the contact second contact 360 may be formed on the substrate 340 . the second contact 360 may be deposited , sputtered , fired on the substrate 340 and may be planarized . the second contact 360 may be from a ferromagnetic material . then the third semiconductor layer 330 may be formed on the second contact 360 and the second semiconductor layer 320 may be formed on the third semiconductor layer 330 . materials to form the third semiconductor layer 330 may be deposited , sputtered , fired on the substrate 340 . likewise , the second semiconductor layer 320 may also be deposited , sputtered , fired on the third semiconductor layer 330 . one or both of the third and second semiconductor layers 330 and 320 may be planarized . then as shown in fig5 b and 5c , the steps the form the first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 , the first semiconductor layer 310 , the ferromagnetic layer 370 , and the electrical contact 350 are similar to the steps shown in fig4 b and 4c , and thus the details need not be repeated here . then the contact 350 , ferromagnetic layer 370 , first and second δ - doped layers 315 and 325 , and first and second semiconductor layers 310 and 320 are etched to expose the third semiconductor 330 as shown in fig5 d . the etched areas are then filled with oxides 380 as shown in fig5 e . what has been described and illustrated herein are preferred embodiments of the invention along with some of its variations . the terms , descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations . many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention , which is intended to be defined by the following claims — and their equivalents — in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated .
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referring to the accompanying figures there is illustrated a camera slider system generally indicated by reference numeral 10 . the system 10 is particularly suited for replicating a dolly shot using a small portable assembly of parts which support a camera 12 for movement in a longitudinal direction which typically comprises a linear sliding or rolling movement along a suitable supporting structure such as a track . although various embodiments of the system 10 are described and illustrated herein , the common features of the different embodiments will be first described . in the illustrated embodiments , the supporting structure comprises two elongate support members 14 which comprise parallel and spaced apart rigid rails or rods which extend in the longitudinal direction . the two support members are typically straight in the longitudinal direction and have a round cross section . when supporting lightweight equipment thereon , the rods typically comprise carbon fibre material , however the rods forming the elongate support members 14 can be formed of steel or other stronger materials when used with heavier camera equipment . the two support members 14 are supported parallel and spaced apart from one another by suitable mounting blocks 16 located at opposing ends of the support members . the mounting block 16 is generally elongate in a lateral direction spanning between the two support members at each end thereof . the block 16 includes two bores 18 extending parallel and spaced apart therethrough for slidably receiving the support members 14 therein . a longitudinally extending slot extends fully through the block from each bore 18 to a bottom side of the block so that the block forms a generally c shaped clamping member about each bore which can be tightened about the respective support member 14 received therethrough by a suitable clamp fastener 20 spanning across the slot for tightening the slot as required . centrally between the two mounting bores 18 receiving the supporting members therethrough there is provided an auxiliary mounting bore 22 extending vertically through the block perpendicularly to a plane containing the two bores 18 and the support members 14 extending therethrough . the auxiliary mounting bore 22 is suitable for receiving the vertical stud of a standard camera equipment support stand known as a c - stand . the system 10 comprises a camera mount 24 which locates a standard camera mounting connection therein upon which a body of the camera 12 can be centrally supported for relative adjustment therebetween . the camera mount includes two pivot shafts 26 supported thereon to be parallel and spaced apart from one another at opposite ends of the camera mount to define respective horizontal pivot axes which are generally horizontal and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support members 14 . the camera mount 24 is supported for movement along the support members by a carriage assembly 28 which is supported directly on the two support members 14 for sliding or rolling movement therealong in the longitudinal direction . the carriage assembly comprises at least one carriage body 30 supporting suitable rollers 32 thereon which are engaged on the support members to guide the movement of the carriage body along the support members . the carriage assembly thus follows the generally linear path of the elongate support members 14 . the camera mount is adjustably supported on the carriage assembly by a suitable linkage which is pivotally coupled between the camera mount 24 and the carriage assembly 28 such that the height and angular orientation of the camera mount relative to the carriage assembly can be adjusted . the linkage generally comprises two link members 34 which are each pivotally coupled at a top end about a respective one of the pivot shafts 26 at opposing ends of the camera mounts . the two link members 34 are thus pivotal about respective independent horizontal pivot axes which are parallel and spaced apart from one another relative to the camera mount . a bottom end of each link member 34 is pivotally coupled to a respective pivot shaft 36 on the carriage assembly . the two pivot shafts 36 of the carriage assembly are parallel and spaced apart from one another and oriented to extend perpendicularly to the elongate support members 14 at spaced apart positions in the longitudinal direction . the pivot shafts 36 are fixed relative to the respective components of the carriage assembly 28 upon which they are supported for movement together with the carriage assembly in the longitudinal direction relative to the support members 14 . each link member comprises two side members 38 extending the full length between the upper and lower ends of the link member . the two side members 38 are arranged for mounting alongside one another such that respective inner faces of the side members abut one another . at both ends of the side members 38 the inner faces are provided with a recess arranged to receive a portion of the respective pivot shaft therein such that abutment of the inner faces of the two side members against one another serves to clamp opposing ends of the two side members about the upper and lower pivot shafts respectively . a suitable pivot fixing mechanism in the form of clamp fasteners 40 are provided which are connected between the two side members of the link members so that tightening the clamp fasteners serves to clamp the two side members together and clamp the pivot shafts therebetween such that relative rotation between the link members and the pivot shafts is prevented in the clamped position . releasing the clamp fasteners in turn loosens the two side members of each link member about the respective pivot shafts to permit the link members to once again be pivoted about the respective pivot shafts to vary the angular inclination thereof relative to the rail members and the camera mount . each of the two side members of each link member , and in turn the two link members are all arranged to be reversible and interchangeable with one another to simplify the number of components to be manufactured . the clamp fasteners may be any form of threaded screw including a suitable head which permits manual gripping for tightening or loosening the fasteners without tools being required , or optionally a suitable socket may also be provided for tighter securement with tools as may be desired . in addition to the link members shown in fig1 through 3 , auxiliary link members can also be provided which are identical in configuration to the link members shown so as to be formed of two side members clamped about the pivot shafts using clamp fasteners . the auxiliary link members may be approximately half as long in length as compared to the link members shown in fig1 through 3 so that the camera mount can be supported at a shorter distance above the support members 14 in the elevated position . when providing a shorter length link member a single clamp fastener 40 is provided on each link member at a central location evenly spaced between the opposing ends of the link member . alternatively when providing longer auxiliary link members , two clamp fasteners are provided at spaced apart positions between the two opposed ends so that the clamp fasteners are located adjacent the pivot shafts at the opposed ends respectively as shown in fig1 through 3 . turning now more particularly to the first embodiment of the camera slider system shown in fig1 through 5 , the camera mount 24 in this instance comprises a plate member having a central portion 42 which comprises a flat upper surface locating a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 44 therein . the slots 44 are parallel and spaced relative to one another in the lateral direction such that each slot extends substantially the full length of the central portion 42 in the longitudinal direction . the slots extend fully through from the top side to the bottom side of the central portion of the camera mount for receiving suitable fasteners therein which permit the body of the camera to be coupled directly thereto . the camera mount further comprises depending side flanges 46 which extend downwardly from respective side edges of the plate member such that the side flanges are parallel and spaced apart from one another to extend in the longitudinal direction . the two side flanges both extend outward in the longitudinal direction beyond opposing ends of the central portion to define respective end portions 48 between which the pivot shafts 26 are mounted . the pivot shaft thus each extend perpendicularly to the side flanges to extend between two respective end portions of the side flanges at longitudinally opposed ends of the camera mount . the pivot shafts 26 are spaced outwardly in the longitudinal direction relative to the central portion 42 such that the link members 34 can be coupled to the pivot shaft for pivotal movement thereabout in an unrestricted manner . furthermore according to the first embodiment shown in fig1 through 5 , the carriage assembly comprises two carriage bodies 30 which each support a respective one of the pivot shafts 36 of the carriage assembly thereon . accordingly each link member 34 is coupled to the pivot shaft of a respective one of the carriage bodies with the carriage bodies being independently supported on the support members 14 . each of the carriage bodies 30 supports respective ones of the rollers 32 thereon which engage the elongate support members 14 with the two carriage bodies and corresponding rollers being supported at an adjustable spacing in the longitudinal direction relative to one another . each carriage body centrally locates the respective pivot shaft 36 such that the pivot shaft extends in the lateral direction between two wheel support members 50 at opposing ends of the pivot shaft . two rollers 32 are supported at spaced apart locations on each wheel support member 50 with the two wheel support members being fixed relative to one another through connection to the pivot shaft . the two rollers on each wheel support member 50 are aligned with the two wheels on the other wheel support member of the same body such that each wheel is rotatable about a respective wheel axis which is in common with the corresponding wheel of the other wheel support member . the two wheel axes are spaced apart within a common plane also locating the pivot axis of the pivot shaft centrally between the two wheel axes and parallel thereto . accordingly the four rollers on each carriage body are spaced in a radial direction from the pivot shaft axis by an equal amount . the spacing between the two rollers on each wheel support member is suitable to readily receive a respective one of the elongate support members therebetween . in use each carriage body is pivoted about the respective pivot shaft axis thereof until the two wheels of each wheel support member are engaged upon diametrically opposed sides of the elongate support member received therebetween . each wheel support member is generally triangular in shape between a respective end of the pivot shaft and the two roller mounting locations respectively . a generally triangular cut - out is formed centrally within each wheel support member to reduce the weight of the carriage body as well as reducing the material used for manufacture . when the carriage bodies are supported on the elongate support members , the link members are fully pivotal or rotatable 360 degrees about the respective pivot shafts of the carriage bodies so that the inclination of the link members relative to the carriage bodies supported on the support members 14 can be adjusted at any angle . furthermore the link members and the camera mount upon which they are supported pivotally at respective top ends thereof can all be received in the space between the two elongate support members 14 to accommodate various camera positions and mounting configurations . the rollers 32 according to the first embodiment each comprise a wheel which is supported for rolling movement along a respective top or bottom side of the elongate support members . a peripheral surface of each wheel is generally concave to define a smaller diameter central groove relative to the larger diameter peripheral edges of the wheel which is suitable for mating engagement with the round cross section of the elongate support members shown in the illustrated embodiment . in further embodiments the wheels defining the rollers 32 can be readily interchanged by removing a central fastener which is secured through the respective rotation axes of the rollers to fasten the rollers onto the wheel support members respectively . the wheels defining the rollers can be readily interchanged with wheels having a suitable peripheral groove which can mate with an elongate supporting structure in the form of a cable , typically supported to span under tension to suspect the carriage assembly and camera mount therefrom . in this instance the groove is typically deeper with the peripheral edges being raised relative to the central groove at the peripheral surface by a height corresponding approximately to the diameter of the cable . in yet further embodiments , an annular member of resilient material in the form of an o - ring can be stretched into place about the periphery of the rollers such that the resilient members 52 form a resilient peripheral surface on each of the wheels forming the rollers 32 in the first embodiment so as to be suitable for rolling on a suitable supporting structure such as a table top and the like . turning now to the second embodiment shown in fig6 through 12 , the carriage body may instead comprise a single carriage body 30 which supports the two pivot shafts 36 thereon at opposing ends at a fixed spacing which is greater than the spacing in the longitudinal direction between the pivot shafts 26 located at a fixed spacing on the camera mount 24 . the camera mount 24 in this instance comprises a central bowl portion 54 which tapers downwardly and inwardly from an upper rim to a lower central opening . the bowl portion 54 is suitably shaped for mounting a commercially available tripod head of the type having a convex bottom portion with a central stud onto which a clamp fastener 56 can be threadably secured . in this manner a portion of the bowl portion 54 of the camera mount is clamped between the clamp fastener 56 and the convex bottom of the tripod head so that the tripod head can be fixed onto the camera mount at various orientations therebetween . the tripod head typically comprises a vertical pivot axis and a horizontal pivot axis between the bottom convex portion and an upper camera mounting plate thereof arranged to support the body of a camera directly thereon . in addition to the bowl portion 54 , the camera mount further comprises a pivot shaft mount at two diametrically opposed sides of the bowl portion 54 . each pivot shaft mount comprises two mounting portions 58 which extend outwardly from the bowl diametrically opposite the other pivot shaft mount . each of the pivot shafts 26 of the camera mount is mounted horizontally between a respective pair of the mounting portions 58 so as to be spaced outwardly from the upper rim of the bowl portion 54 parallel and spaced apart from the other pivot shaft for unrestricted pivoting movement of the upper ends of the link members pivotally coupled thereto respectively . the carriage body is supported for sliding movement on the elongate support members by a pair of spaced apart linear bearings 60 at each of the longitudinally opposed ends of the carriage body . the two bearings at each end are aligned with corresponding ones of the two bearing at the opposing ends such that the elongate support members 14 can be received through one of the bearings at each of the two longitudinally opposed ends with a portion of the support members between the bearings remaining exposed along an outer side thereof . the exposed portion can be readily gripped manually by a user for optimal control of the placement of the carriage assembly along the support members . the linear bearings 60 are all supported on the common carriage body so that the longitudinal spacing therebetween is fixed . in some embodiments the inner surface of each of the linear bearings 60 comprises a plurality of roller bearings which define the rollers 32 which support the carriage body for rolling movement along the support members 14 . in alternative embodiments each of the linear bearing 60 may comprise a sleeve of material having a low coefficient of friction , for example teflon , which is supported in close tolerance about the circumference of the support members for relative sliding movement therealong . the carriage body includes a central through opening 62 between the top and bottom sides thereof such that the opening is suitable for receiving the bowl portion 54 of the camera mount therein between the pivot shafts 36 at opposing ends of the carriage assembly . the central opening 62 is generally oval in shape so as to be elongate in a longitudinal direction so as not to restrict pivotal movement of the camera mount generally about a horizontal lateral axis extending between the two support members 14 relative to the carriage body . the upper rim of the central opening 62 comprises two concave surfaces 64 along opposed longitudinally extending sides of the body upon which the convex bottom surface of the bowl portion 54 can be engaged in a fixed mounting mode as shown in fig6 through 11 . the mating shape of the concave surfaces 64 and the convex bottom of the bowl portion of the camera mount permits some relative sliding therebetween to locate the camera mount relative to the carriage body as may be desired . an upper surface of the carriage body includes a recessed portion 66 spanning between longitudinally opposed ends of the opening 62 and the respective mounting locations of the two pivot shafts 36 at opposing ends of the body respectively . the recessed portions in the upper surface serve to receive the mounting portions 58 of the camera mount therein when the camera mount is engaged directly upon the top side of the carriage body . the recessed portions 66 are deeper directly below each pivot shaft 36 to provide unrestricted coupling and pivoting of the link members to the pivot shafts respectively . each of the pivot shafts 36 on the carriage body are supported at opposing ends thereof by suitable protrusions on the upper surface which protrude upwardly relative to the recessed portion 66 such that a central portion of each pivot shaft is spaced above the upper surface of the body between the two end portions 68 which are fastened to the protrusions on the upper surface of the carriage body so that the pivot shafts are fixed relative to the carriage body . a rail clamp 70 is provided on the bottom side of the carriage body such that one of the elongate support members 14 is slidably received between the rail clamp 70 and a portion of the carriage body . by providing a suitable fastener which selectively clamps the rail clamp 70 against the body with the support member received therebetween , the longitudinal position of the carriage body along the support members can be selectively fixed at any given location as may be desired . in a first mode of operation as shown in fig1 , link members of the type described above comprising two side members 38 clamped together by clamp fasteners 40 are coupled between each pivot shaft 26 on the camera mount and the corresponding pivot shaft 38 on the carriage body so that pivoting of the link members relative to the camera mount and the carriage body permits the angular orientation of the camera mount as well as the elevation of the camera mount relative to the carriage body to be adjusted . in a second mode of operation as shown in fig6 through 11 the camera mounts can be fixed onto the top side of the carriage body by engaging the convex bottom surface of the bowl portion 54 onto the two laterally opposed concave surfaces 64 on the carriage body . in order to fix the camera mount onto the carriage body , a pair of clamp members 72 are provided such that each clamp member overlaps one of the pivot shafts on the carriage body and the corresponding adjacent pivot shaft of the camera mount to prevent upward release of the camera mount from the carriage body when a suitable fastener is coupled through a central aperture in the clamp member into an anchor aperture 74 in the top side of the body 30 between the two corresponding pivot shafts . each clamp member 72 comprises a single side member 38 of a shorter one of the link members locating a single central clamp fastener therein . by overlapping the two pivot shafts at each end of the assembly by the clamp members which are in turn fastened to the carriage body the camera mount is effectively clamped against the top side of the carriage body to be fixed therewith for longitudinal sliding movement in the longitudinal direction of the support members . using the camera slider system as described herein , a camera can be supported in a variety of configurations using low cost equipment of simple construction . using the configuration shown in fig1 , a camera body can be secured directly onto the camera mount for rolling movement above the elongate support members which comprise rigid rods while the camera mount and camera supported thereon remain adjustable both in height and inclination relative to the support members . the carriage assembly is also readily operable to support the camera mount in a suspended configuration below the elongate support members as may be desired . by interchanging the rollers 32 with other wheels having a suitable profile for being suspended from cable , the camera slider system can be readily adapted for rolling movement along a cable structure . by further modifying the rollers to include a resilient peripheral surface using resilient members 52 stretched onto the periphery of the rollers , the carriage assembly can also support the camera mount for rolling movement along any supporting surface such as a table top and the like . the configuration of the mounting blocks 16 readily permits the support members to be supported on various common camera supporting equipment including c stands or tripods or any combination thereof supported at opposing ends of the support members in a more stable configuration than the prior art . alternatively in the embodiment of fig1 the camera mount can be adapted to support a camera thereon using a tripod head which is adjustably mounted within the bowl portion of the camera mount while the camera mount remains adjustable both in height and in angular orientation by pivoting of the link members relative to the camera mount and the carriage body . in any embodiment , tightening of the clamp fasteners 40 of each link member permits the link member to be fixed in place relative to the pivot shafts upon which it is pivotally supported to set the camera mount at any one of a plurality of fixed positions relative to the carriage assembly . as further shown in fig6 , in a further mode of operation , a camera mount suitable for supporting a camera using a tripod head thereon can be fixed onto the carriage body by clamping the pivot shafts to one another onto the top side of the carriage body . in this manner the inclination of the camera relative to the support members can be adjusted using the horizontal and vertical pivot axes of the tripod head . in yet further arrangements , the system according to fig1 may be varied such that one of the link members 34 is longer than the other so that the camera mount 24 is more readily supported at an inclination relative to the carriage assembly 30 therebelow . this arrangement is particularly suited for positioning the elongate support members 14 at an upward inclination while maintaining the camera mount 24 in a substantially horizontal orientation relative to the carriage assembly supported for sliding movement at an inclination along the sloped support members . for minor inclinations of the support members , links of equal length can still be used with the angular orientation thereof being different from one another relative to the carriage and camera mount to level the camera mount as may be desired . in either instance of varying inclinations of the support members , the bowl portion 54 of the camera mount still permits fine adjustment of the levelling of the camera relative to the camera mount even if the camera mount is not entirely level . turning now more particularly to the embodiment of fig1 and 14 , a camera mount 24 of the type shown in fig6 through 12 comprising a bowl portion 54 is shown mounted together with a carriage assembly comprising two separate carriage body 30 as shown in fig1 through 5 . similarly to the previous embodiments the two link members 34 are pivotally coupled at opposing ends of the camera mount on respective pivot shafts at respective upper ends thereof while also being pivotally mounted on respective pivot shafts of the two independent carriage bodies 30 at the lower end thereof . orienting the carriage bodies about their respective pivot axes relative to the link members such that all of the wheels axes are in a generally common plane as shown in fig1 permits a camera to be supported on the camera mount for rolling movement along a supporting surface , such as the horizontal surface of a table for example . annular members of resilient material 52 as described above are typically provided on the rollers of the carriage bodies in this instance . the link members of fig1 and 14 differ from previous embodiments in that each of the link members 34 in this instance is provided with a central hinge coupling which is generally centered so as to be spaced evenly from the upper and the lower end of the link member between which the hinge coupling is located . under normal operation the upper and lower ends of the link members are aligned with one another such that the first pivot axis of the pivot shaft upon which the upper end of the link member is pivotal lies parallel to a second pivot axis of the pivot shaft onto which the lower end of the link member is pivotal within a common plane therewith . the hinge coupling permits relative pivotal movement between the upper and lower ends of the link member about a hinge axis which is oriented perpendicularly to the common plane containing the upper pivot axis and lower pivot axis of the pivot shafts of the upper and lower ends of the link member respectively . pivoting of the upper end relative to the lower end within each link member results in orientation of the lower pivot axis of pivotal movement between the link member and the respective carriage body to be adjustable relative to the upper pivot axis of pivotal movement between the link member and the camera mount . as shown in the top view of fig1 , one of the link members shown at the left side is positioned in a substantially straight orientation such that the rollers of the associated carriage body are arranged for rolling movement in the longitudinal direction which extends between opposing ends of the camera mount . the link member shown at the right side of the figure is angularly offset into an offset position such that the upper and lower pivot axes of the link member are non - parallel but remain in a generally common plane with one another by being pivoted about the hinge axis of hinge coupling 100 which is perpendicular to the common plane of the upper and lower pivot axes . in this arrangement , the rollers of the respective carriage body coupled to the link member in the offset position are oriented for rolling movement in an offset direction which is angularly offset from the longitudinal direction extending between opposing ends of the camera mount so as to be angularly offset from the direction of rolling movement of the wheels of the other link member . pivoting of the upper and lower ends of the link member relative to one another about the hinge coupling axis 100 thus permits controlling a degree of curvature of the path followed by the rollers of the two carriage bodies for steering the carriage sliding system for rolling movement along a non - linear path . each of the link members 34 according to fig1 and 14 comprises two end portions 102 which are pivotally coupled at respective inner ends to one another at the hinge coupling . the opposing outer ends of the two end portions 102 are each arranged to be coupled to a respective clamp member 104 with the outer end of the end portion 102 and of the clamp member 104 each including corresponding recesses on the inner faces thereof arranged to be clamped about diametrically opposed sides of the respective pivot shaft received therethrough . a suitable clamp fastener 106 selectively clamps the clamp member and the end portion upon which it is mounted onto opposing sides of the pivot shaft to frictionally retain orientation of the link member about the pivot shaft when tightening the clamp fastener . releasing the fastener permits the pivot shaft to be readily pivoted relative to the respective end of the link member . turning now to fig1 , a further embodiment of the mounting block 16 is illustrated in which the block is arranged to have a pair of mounting bores 18 extending through the block in the longitudinal direction parallel and spaced apart from one another so as to be arranged to slidably received the respective ones of the elongate support members 14 slidably therethrough as in the previous embodiments . clamp fasteners 20 fix the position of the mounting block relative to the support members . also similarly to the previous embodiment a central auxiliary bore 22 extends vertically through the block perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the bores to receive the vertical mounting rod , for example a ⅝ of an inch diameter rod of an upright supporting structure such as a c - stand . the mounting block further comprises auxiliary mounting apertures 25 extending vertically through the block for receiving fasteners of a tripod head mounting bracket to support a camera thereon . the mounting block 16 of fig1 differs from the previous embodiment in that two integral leg members 108 are formed integrally with the block to extend generally downwardly therefrom at spaced apart positions in the lateral direction corresponding approximately to a spacing between the two support members 14 . the two leg members 108 are positioned adjacent the respective mounting bores 18 at opposing ends of the mounting block 16 to extend downwardly from the body of the block by a height corresponding to minimum clearance required between the support members 14 and a supporting surface , for example a tabletop upon which the support members 14 are to be supported to provide space for the clamp fastener 56 of the bowl portion 54 of the camera mount . since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described , and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope , it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense .
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the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of a preferred embodiment thereof in conjunction with fig1 . fig1 shows a pneumatic cylinder assembly of an exhaust brake system , in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals as in fig2 and 3 . referring specifically to fig1 there is shown a first cylinder 11 of the exhaust brake system , which cylinder 11 is closed at its one end with an end portion 11a formed integrally with the first cylinder 11 itself , with the other end being closed with a end plate 13 separate from the first cylinder 11 . it is seen that there is a boss portion 14 projecting upwardly into the inside of the cylinder 11 formed integrally therewith , and that there is a piston rod 8 extending slidably through the boss portion 14 . bearing bushes 15 , 16 and a coupling member 17 are fitted together snugly into the recess , formed in the boss portion 14 , these elements cooperate together to block exhaust gas from entering . a pressure chamber 6 is formed between a first piston 12 in the first cylinder 11 and the end portion 11a and is in communication with a pressure admitting port 18 , which is in turn connected to an air storage tank through an electromagnetic valve or the like . with this construction , when the pressure chamber 6 is fed with compressed air , the first valve piston 12 is then biased in a downward working stroke as viewed fig1 against the resilient force from a return spring 19 . incidentally , there is an atmospheric chamber 7 defined between the first valve piston 12 and the end plate 13 , which chamber is in communication with the atmosphere by way of an atmospheric valve , not shown . also , there are provided a plurality of annular stepped portions having increasing diameters from that of the first cylinder 11 around the base end of the boss portion 14 disposed within the cavity of the cylinder 11 . a second cylinder 23 is defined with these annular stepped portions and with the opposing inner circumference of the root of the first cylinder 11 . there is also a second piston 24 of ring type fitted slidably along the inner circumference of the second cylinder 23 , which is separated into a pressure chamber 25 and a resilient member chamber 26 by the second piston 24 . this pressure chamber 25 is in communication with the pressure admitting port 18 by way of a passage 27 defined longitudinally along the inner circumference of a cylinderical side wall portion 11b of the first cylinder 11 . on the other hand , there is disposed the resilient member 28 which is comprised of two coned disc springs set back to back against each other in the resilient member chamber 26 . in operation , when the pressure admitting port 18 is put under pressure of compressed air , the second piston 24 is caused to be shifted downwardly as viewed in fig1 against the resilient force from the resilient member 28 , and when the pressure admitting port 18 allows compressed air to be discharged , the second piston 24 is caused to return upwardly as viewed in fig1 under the effect of assistance with a restoring force from the resilient member 28 . the resilient member chamber 26 is placed in communication with the atmospheric chamber 7 . the second piston 24 is formed integrally with a transmitting member 29 extending upwardly in cylindrical form . this transmitting member 29 is disposed fitting slidably in the inner circumference of the first cylinder 11 in such a manner that it is adapted in function to transmit a restoring force of the resilient member 28 in a compressed state to the first valve piston 12 along the direction of its returning stroke , thus assisting its returning motion . the upper end portion 29a of the transmitting member 29 is provided projecting slightly above the upper end of the boss portion 14 so as to have the upper end portion 29a of the transmitting member 29 urged upon by the first valve piston 12 at the end of its working stroke . also shown in fig1 are a sealing washer 31 adapted to prevent exhaust gas leakage and an exhaust passage for discharging exhaust gas which has leaked out . with such arrangement of the exhaust brake system according to the present invention , when compressed air is fed in through the pressure admitting port 18 , the exhaust brake system is put into operation , and when the pressure admitting port 18 is in communication with the atmosphere , the exhaust brake system is then relieved of operation . more specifically , in operation , when compressed air is fed through the pressure admitting port 18 , it is then relayed to the pressure chambers 6 and 25 , respectively . with this pressure urging upon the first valve piston 12 downwardly as viewed in fig1 against the resilient force of the return spring 19 , the closing valve mechanism , not shown , disposed in the exhaust passage of an engine is then caused to be closed so as to stop the passage of exhaust gas therethrough . as a consequence , there is rendered an exhaust pressure upon the engine as a working load , thus effecting the braking operation of the exhaust brake system . at this moment , as the second piston 24 is also caused to be lowered in working motion as viewed in fig1 against a current pressure from the pressure chamber 25 , the upper end portion 29a of the transmitting member 29 is then caused to be lowered to a level as high as that of the upper end portion of the boss portion 14 . in this manner , as the first valve piston 12 does not abut upon the transmitting member 29 at the end of its working stroke , it is advantageous that there is attained a quick and complete closing motion of the closing valve mechanism without any sacrifices of its closing effort as well as the working effort of the first valve piston 12 , accordingly . next , when the pressure admitting port 18 is put in communication with the atmosphere , compressed air existing in the pressure chambers 6 and 25 is directed outwardly , thus causing the first valve piston 12 to return upwardly as viewed in fig1 under the resilient force from the return spring 19 , and thus opening the closing valve mechanism . consequently , an exhaust gas under pressure which has been working upon the engine is now eliminated to relieve the exhaust brake system in operation . at this moment , the second piston 24 is caused to return upwardly in its returning stroke as viewed in fig1 under the restoring effect from the resilient member 28 , while effecting the first valve piston 12 to be assisted along with its returning motion by way of the transmitting member 29 provided integrally with the second piston 24 . as the stroke of the second piston 24 is not very long , the restoring effect of the resilient member 28 to assist the first valve piston 12 to be shifted along its returning motion is limited only to the initial stage of returning stroke of the first valve piston 12 , but since a current differential pressure existing across the closing valve mechanism would soon decrease at a slight opening of the closing valve mechanism , thus reducing a current resistance working upon the sliding motion of the closing valve mechanism , the first valve piston 12 may travel smoothly along its returning stroke under the resilient force of the return spring 19 alone , which will thus result in a quick relieving response of the exhaust brake system , accordingly . while the present invention is described herein by way of a single preferred embodiment thereof , it is to be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as being exemplary of the principles of the invention , and is not intended to restrict the invention to such embodiment , but rather a variety of changes and modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , as described in the body of specification and recited in the appended claims . for instance , while the restoring effect of the resilient member 28 is adapted to work upon the first valve piston 12 only at the start of its returning stroke in this embodiment , it is of course feasible in practice of the invention to apply this effect of restoring not only in the start of the returning stroke but also in the intermediate of stroke of the first valve piston 12 , or further in continuation to the end of the stroke , in which case it suffices if the stroke of the second piston 24 is made longer correspondingly . while there is employed the resilient member 28 which is comprised of two coned disc springs by way of the embodiment of the present invention , it is equally possible in practice to adopt a variety of resilient members such as another type of resilient spring or rubber element , or else an enclosed air cylinder in place of the resilient member 28 . also , while the transmitting member 29 is formed integrally with the second piston 24 in the disclosure of the invention , it may naturally be formed as a separate member from the second piston 24 , or as being integrally with the first valve piston 12 . more specifically , since the purpose of providing the transmitting member 29 resides essentially in the attainment of the restoring effect of the resilient member 28 working in assistance upon the returning motion of the first valve piston 12 , there may be a variety of constructions to be practiced to the same effect .
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referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is seen a structure of a transistor of the invention in which a strip - like doped base layer 2 is located in a region of an actual transistor on an insulation layer 1 of a substrate . located on this base layer 2 is a highly doped base contact layer 3 , which widens in an extension of the strip - like portion to make a larger terminal surface . this base contact layer 3 is electrically insulated on top by a dielectric layer 4 and laterally by inner spacers 5 . bordering the base layer 2 on both sides are an emitter layer 91 and a collector layer 92 , which are doped with a conduction type that is opposite that of the base layer . these layers are made of silicon , and the base layer 2 is made from a monosilicon layer that was originally present over the entire surface area , while the other layers are made of polysilicon that was applied afterward . fig1 shows a junction region 23 of the base layer 2 that is created by acceptors or donors which have diffused into the base layer 2 from the base contact layer 3 . correspondingly , junction regions 29 that are correspondingly produced by diffusion of charge carriers out of the emitter layer 91 into the base layer 2 and out of the collector layer 92 into the base layer 2 , are located in the base layer 2 , in regions that border on the emitter layer 91 and the collector layer 92 . essential components of the emitter layer 91 and the contact layer 92 are each located on a respective dielectric layer 7 , which is disposed in the plane of the base layer 2 and each of which is disposed a slight distance away from this base layer 2 . in this way the emitter layer 91 and the collector layer 92 each make contact for the base layer 2 , between the base layer 2 and the structured dielectric layers 7 . this structure is covered on the top with a planarization layer 10 being formed of a dielectric , and an emitter contact 11 , a collector contact 12 and a base contact 13 ( shown in fig2 ) are installed in contact holes formed in this planarization layer 10 . fig2 shows a cross section taken along the line ii -- ii in fig1 which indicates each of the contact surfaces with dashed lines . the contact surfaces are located between the emitter layer 91 and the emitter contact 11 , between the collector layer 92 and the collector contact 12 , and between the base contact layer 3 and the base contact 13 . it can be seen that the emitter layer 91 and the collector layer 92 are each extended as far as the strip - like portion of the base layer 2 or the base contact layer 3 located on top of it , and that they each widen toward the outside to make connection surfaces . the electrical insulation between the base contact layer 3 and the emitter layer 91 on one hand and between the base contact layer 3 and the collector layer 92 on the other hand , is effected by the spacers 5 as shown . a silicon layer 20 seen in fig3 is provided with basic doping and is located on the insulation layer 1 of the substrate . the production of this transistor is carried out in such a way that a polysilicon layer and a dielectric layer disposed on top of it are deposited over the silicon layer 20 , for instance by cvd ( chemical vapor deposition ). the polysilicon layer for the base is highly doped , which can be done , for instance , by implantation during or after the application of the aforementioned layers . for instance , the dielectric layer may be sio 2 that is applied by using tetraethylorthosilicate . this double layer is then structured , for instance by dry etching processes . what remains of the polysilicon layer is the base contact layer 3 that is structured in strip - like form in the region of the actual transistor , with the dielectric layer 4 disposed on top of it as insulation . next , a conformal dielectric layer ( cvd - sio 2 , for instance ) is then deposited and etched back anisotropically , in order to produce the lateral spacers 5 in the region of these strip - like portions of the base contact layer 3 and the dielectric layer 4 located on top of it . this procedure is repeated with a further layer having a material which can be selectively etched with respect to the material of the inner spacers 5 . in this way , outer spacers 6 are produced on the sides of the inner spacers 5 opposite the base contact layer 3 . when sio 2 is used for the inner spacers 5 , these outer spacers 6 may be made from si 3 n 4 , for instance . the inner spacers 5 and the outer spacers 6 are used together with the dielectric layer 4 as a mask , in order to remove from the silicon layer 20 except for the portion intended for the base layer 2 . a further dielectric layer 70 is applied conformally over the entire surface area of the structure which is shown in fig4 and which results from this process step ( for instance by dry etching ). the further dielectric layer 70 is formed of some material ( such as sio 2 ), with respect to which the outer spacers 6 are selectively etchable . this further dielectric layer 70 is etched back in planarizing fashion , as is shown in fig5 for instance by means of cmp ( chemical mechanical polishing ) or by using photoresist . remaining portions of this further dielectric layer 70 are the dielectric layers 7 that are now only located laterally of the outer spacers 6 and leave these spacers free at the surface . the outer spacers 6 can therefore be removed ( preferably isotropically ). since the further dielectric layer was applied by using a material with respect to which these outer spacers 6 are selectively etchable , the remaining portions 7 of this further dielectric layer 70 are not removed in this etching process . openings resulting from the removal of the outer spacers 6 are utilized to etch back the base layer 2 in the vicinity of these openings . openings 8 seen in fig6 in which the surface of the insulation layer 1 is laid bare , are then located between the base layer 2 and the structured dielectric layer 7 . a conformal deposition of a layer 9 of polysilicon or of some other contact material ( for instance silicon carbide ) is then performed , in order to produce the emitter layer and the collector layer . this layer 9 is highly doped for the emitter and the collector . this can be done either during the application or afterward by implantation . this layer 9 , which is seen in fig7 is again etched back in planarizing fashion ( by cmp , for instance , or by planarizing by using photoresist ). the portions of this layer 9 that remain after this etching process are structured by using resist mask , resulting in the structure shown in a plan view in fig2 . the layer 9 breaks apart into the emitter layer 91 and the collector layer 92 , with the correspondingly widened connection regions . the planarization layer 10 that is formed of a dielectric is applied , the contact holes are made therein for the electrical connection , and then the contacts of metal are applied for the emitter , the collector and the base . the transistor according to the invention can therefore be produced over four phototechnology steps and can thus produce an lsi bipolar transistor having an entire active zone which amounts to only 1 . 8 times the surface area resulting from the minimum structural fineness .
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the poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) according to the present invention can be obtained by reacting a 2 , 5 - dihalogenated alkylpyridine , with an equimolar amount or excess of a zero - valent nickel compound added thereto in an organic solvent , followed by dehalogenation . a preferable reaction temperature ranges between room temperature and about 70 ° c . the reaction completes within about 2 ˜ 48 hours . as the above organic solvent , for example , n , n - dimethylformamide , acetonitrile , toluene , tetrahydrofuran or the like can be employed . the zero - valent nickel compound withdraws halogens from halogenated aromatic compounds and causes a coupling reaction between the aromatic groups [ for example , see &# 34 ; synthesis &# 34 ;, p . 736 ( 1984 )]. this reaction is represented by the following equation ( 13 ): wherein ar and ar &# 39 ; represent an aromatic group , x represents a halogen atom , l represents a neutral ligand and hence nil m represents a zero - valent nickel compound . accordingly , if an aromatic compound having two halogens in the molecule , such as 2 , 5 - dihalogenated alkylpyridine , is reacted with an equimolar or excess of a zero - valent nickel compound , the polymer of the present invention can be obtained by the dehalogenation polycondensation reaction shown in the following equations ( 14 ) and ( 15 ): ## str10 ## represents 2 , 5 - dihalogenated alkylpyridine , r represents a long chain alkyl group having not less than 3 carbon atoms , and x represents a halogen . in the above - described reaction , as the zero - valent nickel compound , those synthesized in a reaction system , so to speak , in situ , immediately before conducting a polymerization reaction can be used directly . alternatively , preliminarily synthesized and isolated ones also can be used . such a zero - valent nickel compound is , for example , a nickel complex produced by a reduction reaction or a ligand interchange reaction in the presence of a neutral ligand . as a typical example of the neutral ligand , mention may be made of 1 , 5 - cyclooctadiene , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- bipyridine , triphenylphosphine or the like . alternatively , the poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) shown in the chemical formula ( 6 ) can be obtained by another process wherein the 2 , 5 - dihalogenated alkylpyridine shown in the above chemical formula ( 8 ) undergoes a dehalogenation reaction when it is subjected to an electrochemical reduction reaction in the presence of a divalent nickel compound . namely , when a divalent nickel compound is electrochemically reduced in an electrolytic cell , a zero - valent nickel compound is produced by the reaction shown in the following chemical formula ( 17 ). accordingly , when an aromatic compound having two halogens in the molecule , namely , a 2 , 5 - dihalogenated alkylpyridine is electrochemically reduced in the presence of a divalent nickel compound , the polymer shown in the chemical formula ( 6 ) can be obtained according to the reaction shown in the chemical formula ( 17 ) and the reactions shown in the following formulae ( 18 )-( 20 ) consequently taking place , wherein the ni 0 l m producing in the reaction system is involved . ## str11 ## represents a 2 , 5 - dihalogenated alkylpyridine , r represents a long chain alkyl group having not less than 3 carbon atoms and , where x is a halogen . the electrolysis may be conducted generally in the following conditions : namely , polar solvents such as n , n - dimethylformamide and acetonitrile are used as the solvent , salts such as tetraethylammonium perchlorate and tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate as the supporting electrolytic salt are dissolved to prepare an electrolyte and electrodes such as a platinum electrode , ito transparent electrode and graphite electrode are employed as the electrode . the 2 , 5 - dihalogenated alkylpyridine and divalent nickel complex are dissolved in the electrolyte and the electrochemical reduction is conducted at a reduction potential of the divalent nickel complex , for example , at - 1 . 7 v vs ag / ag + in the case of tris ( 2 , 2 - bipyridine )- nickel salt . moreover , in another method , poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) having the chemical formula ( 6 ) may be manufactured by subjecting 2 , 5 - dihalogenated alkylpyridine having the chemical formula ( 8 ) to a dehalogenation polycondensation reaction by using magnesium or zinc in the presence of a divalent nickel compound . in other words , zero valent nickel compound may be prepared by a reducing reaction with magnesium or zinc and the polymerization reaction is eventually expressed as shown in the formula ( 22 ). ## str12 ## therefore , the polymer having the chemical formula 6 can be obtained by reducing a 2 , 5 - dihalogenated alkylpyridine , with an equimolar amount or excess of a mg or zn in the presence of a divalent nickel compound , as shown in the formula ( 22 ) and followed by the formula ( 14 )-( 16 ). the above nickel compounds which have been synthesized and isolated prior to the polymerization reaction can be used . alternatively , those synthesized from nickel or a nickel compound in an electrolytic cell can be used directly as they are in the cell . as such a nickel compound , mention may be made of , for example , tris ( 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- bipyridine ) nickel ( ii ) bromide [ ni ( bpy ) 3 ] br 2 , dibromobis ( triphenylphosphine ) nickel ( ii )[ nibr 2 ( pph 3 ) 2 ] or the like . there is no limit to these polymerization reaction conditions , however , from a point of raising a yield and molecular weight , it is preferable that polymerization is carried out under conditions of substantially no water and no oxygen . the present invention will be explained more concretely and detailedly by way of example hereinafter . 0 . 99 g of a bis ( 1 , 5 - cyclooctadiene ) nickel complex [ ni ( cod ) 2 ) ( 3 . 6 mmol ) was dissolved in 30 ml of n , n - dimethylformamide ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; dmf &# 34 ;), and 0 . 56 g of 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- bipyridine ( bpy ) ( 3 . 6 mmol ) and 0 . 39 g of 1 , 5 - cyclooctadiene ( cod ) ( 3 . 6 mmol ) were added thereto . to this solution was dropped 0 . 96 g of 6 - hexyl - 2 , 5 - dibromopyridine ( 3 . 0 mmol ) solved in 20 ml of a dmf solution , thereafter reacted at a reaction temperature of 60 ° c . for 48 hours , and polymerized . as a polymerization proceeds , there was produced an ocher - colored precipitate of a poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) polymer . after completion of the reaction , the precipitate was filtered and recovered , and washed with the use of the following materials ( a ) to ( e ) several times , and the polymer was refined . ( a ) ammonia water ( 29 %), ( b ) methyl alcohol , ( c ) a warm aqueous solution of sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ( prepared to ph = 3 ), ( d ) warm water and ( e ) methyl alcohol . after washed , the precipitate was vacuum - dried to obtain 0 . 40 g of ocher - colored powder of poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ). a yield of the polymer was 80 %. the infrared absorption spectrum of this polymer is shown in fig1 . there is observed absorption derived from c - h stretching vibration of a pyridine ring at 3030 cm - 1 , c - h stretching vibration by a side chain hexyl group at 2850 - 2950 cm - 1 , skeletal vibration of a pyridine ring and deformation vibration of a side chain methylene group at 1580 , 1460 and 1420 cm - 1 , and c - h out - of - plane deformation vibration of a pyridine ring at 830 cm - 1 . moreover , fig2 shows 1 h - nmr in cdcl 3 of the polymer . there is observed absorption derived from a side chain hexyl group at δ = 0 . 8 - 3 . 2 ppm ( inside standard : tetramethylsilane ) and hydrogen of a pyridine ring at δ = 7 . 32 - 8 . 5 ppm . an area ratio of respective peaks was about 13 : 2 . moreover , element analysis values of the obtained polymer were 80 . 3 % of carbon , 8 . 9 % of hydrogen , 8 . 9 % of nitrogen and 0 . 0 % of bromine . the result of the infrared absorption spectrum 1 h - nmr and element analysis supports that the polymer has the following structure . ## str13 ## where , n shows a degree of polymerization . poly ( pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) and its methyl derivative were only soluble in formic acid as an organic solvent , while the above polymer has a long - chain alkyl group as a side chain , so that it was soluble in not only formic acid but also general organic solvents shown below . that is , the polymer was soluble in chloroform ( solubility of about 300 mg / ml ), tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) ( solubility of about 300 mg / ml ), benzene ( solubility of about 300 mg / ml ), toluene ( solubility of about 300 mg / ml ), cresol and n - methylpyrrolidone ( nmp ), and partly soluble in diethyl ether . a cast film was tried to prepare from a formic acid solution of poly ( pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ), but a strong film could not be obtained , while a cast film was prepared from said solution of the present polymer , and a strong and ocher - colored free standing film was obtained . when a molecular weight of this polymer was measured in a formic acid solution by a light scattering method , a weight - average molecular weight was 37000 ( degree of polymerization 230 ) which was higher than the weight - average molecular weight 3800 ( degree of polymerization 49 ) of poly ( pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ). moreover , in case of measuring the molecular weight , even when a chloroform solution was used as solvent instead of formic acid , the weight - average molecular weight observed in chloroform was substantially the same as that observed in formic acid . the ultraviolet visible absorption spectrum of said polymer showed a sharp absorption peak at about 340 nm in a formic acid solution and at about 320 nm in either one of a chloroform , thf , benzene , toluene or nmp solution . moreover , said polymer showed a high thermal stability . as a result of thermogravimetric analysis under nitrogen , weight reduction was observed from the proximity of 300 ° c . and was about 50 % at 900 ° c . a chloroform solution of the poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) obtained in example 1 was applied onto a platinum plate , and chloroform was removed to prepare a film of the polymer . with respect to this polymer film , cyclic voltammogram was measured in an acetonitrile solution containing 0 . 1 mol / l of [( c 2 h 5 ) 4 n ][ clo 4 ]. as a result , it was found in the polymer that a cation is doped ( n - type doping ) for ag / ag + at about - 2 . 50 v , and dedoped at about - 2 . 45 v ( potential for ag / ag + ) in sweeping in the reverse direction . in case of doping , the color of the polymer film was changed from ochre to deep red orange , and in case of dedoping , discoloration went by contraries . thus , the present polymer is possible to be electrochemically reduced , that is , electrochemical n - type doping , and together with doping , electrochromic property was shown . it is shown from the above that the present polymer is usable as battery electrode material and electrochromic element material . when this electrochromic phenomenon was further compared with that of the other polypyridine derivative , poly ( pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) was discolored from yellow to red orange , and poly ( methylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) was discolored from yellow to dark blue . it was found from this fact that coloration of a film at the time of doping depends upon alkyl chain length of a side chain . a formic acid solution and a chloroform solution of poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) obtained in the example 1 were prepared . the polymer was contained in each solution in a concentration of 2 . 0 × 10 - 5 mol / l of its unit structure . fluorescence spectra were measured about the solutions at an excitation wavelength of 310 nm . as a result , luminescence was observed at 420 nm in the formic acid solution and at 360 nm in the chloroform solution . as described above , the polymer is capable of radiating fluorescence . therefore , the polymer may be utilized as a material for an electroluminescence device . 1 . 6 g of 6 - hexyl - 2 , 5 - dibromopyridine ( 5 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved into 15 ml of tetrahydrofuran ( thf ), 0 . 13 g of a piece of metal magnesium ( 5 . 5 mmol ) was added into the resulting solution . after the solution was heated and refluxed for 10 hours , dichloro [ 1 , 2 - bis ( diphenylphosphino ) ethane ] nickel ( ii ) nicl 2 ( dpe ) ( 5 mg , 0 . 01 mmol ) was added into the heated solution , which was then heated and refluxed for 13 hours . after the reaction was completed , the reaction solution was poured into diluted hydrochloric acid containing ices , the resulting mixture was neutralized by adding water containing na 2 co 3 . the polymer was recovered by filtration and was washed with water and ether , and further washed with warm water solution containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt . the resulting polymer was then vacuum dried and 0 . 50 g of poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) was obtained . the yield of the polymer as 60 %. 0 . 13 g of 6hexyl - 2 , 5 - dibromopyridine ( 5 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved into 5 ml of hexamethylphosphoric triamide ( hmpa ), a powder of zinc ( 0 . 98 g , 15 mmol ) was added into the resulting solution which was then heated to 100 ° c . then , 60 mg of dibromo [ 1 , 2 - bis ( diphenylphosphino ) ethane ] nickel ( ii ) nibr 2 ( dpe ) ( 0 . 1 mmol ) was added into the heated solution and reacted at 140 ° c . for 17 hours . after the reaction was completed , the reaction solution was poured into diluted hydrochloric acid containing ices , the resulting mixture was alkalified by adding ammonia water and the polymer was recovered by filtration . the above polymer was washed with methyl alcohol , water solution containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt and then vacuum dried . 0 . 40 g of poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) was obtained . 0 . 3 mmol of 6 - hexyl - 2 , 5 - dibromopyridine , 0 . 15 mmol of tris ( 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- bipyridine ) nickel ( ii ) bromide ([ ni ( bpy ) 3 ] br 2 ) and 3 . 75 mmol of tetraethylammonium perchlorate [( c 2 h 5 ] 4 n ][ clo 4 ) were dissolved into 15 cm 3 of n , n - dimethylformamide to prepare an electrolytic solution . this solution was filled into an electrolytic bath in which a platinum plate ( 1 × 2 cm = 2 cm 2 ) was arranged as a cathode , a platinum plate ( 1 × 2 cm = 2 cm 2 ) was arranged as an anode and a silver electrode was arranged as a reference electrode . then , an electrolytic polymerization was carried out at a polymerization temperature of 60 ° c ., at an electrolytic potential of - 1 . 7 v ( the potential was for ag / ag + which is same in the following description ) and for 16 hours to provide a film consisting of a ocher - colored polymer on the anode . this crude polymer was collected and purified using the following substances ( a ) to ( e ) by washing the polymer with the substances ( a ) to ( e ) in the following order , the crude polymer was washed several times by each substance . ( a ) water containing ammonia ( 29 %), ( b ) methyl alcohol , ( c ) warm water solution containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt ( its ph was 3 ), ( d ) warm water , ( e ) methyl alcohol . after the above washing step , the polymer was vacuum dried and ocher - colored poly ( alkylpyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl ) was obtained .
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referring to fig1 , a left shoe insert 10 is illustrated . the insert 10 comprises a heel portion 12 and a toe portion 14 . it is preferred that an arch support 16 is also provided on the insert 10 . an elastic member comprising an elastic leg strap 18 is connected to the insert 10 by stitching as indicated at 20 . the left shoe insert provides a means for connecting the elastic leg strap 18 to a left shoe . it is preferred that , as shown in fig1 , the elastic leg strap 18 is connected to the bottom of the insert 10 so that , when the insert 10 is placed within a shoe ., the elastic leg strap will be between the insert 10 and the bottom of the shoe . it will be appreciated that the elastic leg strap 18 can be connected to the insert 10 by any suitable means including , but not limited to , glue or adhesive and mechanical fasteners including , but not limited to snaps , hook and loop fasteners , rivets , staples , threaded fasteners and the like . as shown in fig1 , the elastic leg strap 18 is connected to the heel portion 12 of the shoe insert 10 . it is preferred , as shown in fig1 , that the elastic leg strap 18 be connected to the insert so that it extends from the point where it is connected to the left shoe insert 10 , to the left and towards a real or heel edge 22 of the insert 10 . a device according to the invention may also include a right shoe insert ( not shown ) that would be a mirror image of the left shoe insert 10 . a device according to the present invention may include only a right shoe insert and elastic leg strap . in a right shoe insert , the elastic leg strap would extend from the point where it is connected to the insert to the right and towards the real or heel edge of the right shoe insert . it will be appreciated that the exact location of the connection point between the elastic leg strap and a left or right shoe insert is not critical . essentially , however , the elastic leg strap 18 must be connected to the shoe insert 10 in such a manner that , when the insert 10 is positioned within a shoe and a foot is inserted into the shoe on top of the insert 10 and tension is applied to the elastic leg strap so that the elastic leg strap tends to lift the shoe , the insert 10 and the foot therein , the lifting force acts on the insert 10 on the rear half of the insert and , preferably , on the outside of the insert 10 . i . e ., the left side for a left shoe insert and the right side for a right side shoe insert . turing now to fig2 , a right elastic leg strap 24 is positioned alongside a right leg rl of a person indicated generally at p . a lower end ( not shown ) of the right elastic leg strap 24 is positioned within a right shoe rs and is connected , inside of the shoe rs , to a right shoe insert ( not shown ) as described above . a second or upper end 26 of the right elastic leg strap 24 has been fed through a cinching buckle 28 and is hanging down adjacent to a middle portion 30 of the right elastic leg strap 24 . the cinching buckle 28 is supported on a tab 32 that is securely connected to a waist belt 34 that is secured about the waist of the person p . the waist belt 34 comprises a first end 36 that overlaps a second end 38 and the overlapping portions are connected together by any suitable means such as hook and loop fasteners or other mechanical fasteners ( not shown ), alternatively , the belt 34 might be provided with straps and buckles ( not shown ). it is preferred that the belt 34 be elastic so that it can be fitted snugly and securely to the person p and so that tensile forces exerted against the belt 34 are distributed broadly through the belt 34 . in place of the belt 34 a conventional belt of the type typically used to hold lip trousers may be used . an elastic belt having a substantial width , such as the belt 34 , is strongly preferred , however . as an alternative to the cinching buckle 28 , hook and loop fasteners are illustrated for attaching an upper portion 40 of the right elastic leg strap 24 to the belt 34 . a hook strip 42 is secured by stitching , adhesive or other suitable means to the outside of the waist belt 34 . a plurality of loop strips 44 are secured to the upper portion 40 of the right elastic leg strap 24 . regardless of whether the elastic leg strap 24 is secured to the belt 34 by a cinching buckle 28 , hook and loop fasteners 42 and 44 or some other means , when the elastic leg strap 24 is so connected , it must be stretched or tensioned , as described in more detail below . a thigh strap 46 having a first end 48 and a second end 50 is slit at 52 so that the elastic leg strap 24 can be held between two rear portions 54 and a front portion 56 of the thigh strap 48 . this arrangement allows the elastic leg strap 24 to slide up and down relative to the thigh strap 46 but constrains the elastic leg strap 24 from moving around a person &# 39 ; s thigh . in other words , the thigh strap 46 cooperates with the elastic leg strap 24 to maintain the leg strap 24 in a fixed circumferential location relative to the thigh of a person p . it is preferred that the thigh strap be elasticized . connectors are provided on the ends 48 and 50 of the thigh strap 46 and hook and loop fasteners comprising a hook strip 58 and a loop strip 60 are the preferred type of connectors . the hook strip 58 and the loop strip 60 are secured by stitching , adhesive or other securing means to the first and second ends 48 and 50 of the thigh strap 46 . turning now to fig3 , a person p has on the device of the present invention . the right elastic leg strap 24 ( not show ) is secured between the right shoe insert i 0 ( not shown ) and the waist belt 34 . a left elastic leg strap ( not shown ) corresponding with the right elastic leg strap is secured between a left shoe insert ( not shown ) corresponding with but a mirror image of the right shoe insert 10 ( not shown ) and the waist belt 34 . the elastic leg straps are connected to the waist belt 34 so that when the person &# 39 ; s legs are straight , as shown in fig3 , the elastic is tensioned . further , the elastic leg straps are positioned at the rear of the person &# 39 ; s feet on the outside , behind the person &# 39 ; s knees on the outside and behind the persons limps on the outside so that , due to the tension in the elastic leg straps , the straps are operable to exert a force on the person &# 39 ; s legs tending to bend or flex the legs at the knee and the hip , and to lift the person &# 39 ; s feet . when the person is walking , and is in the swing phase of the person &# 39 ; s gait , the leg that is swinging will be acted on by the elastic strap associated with that leg . specifically , the strap will exert a lifting force on the associated foot and exert a force operable to tend to cause the leg to bend or flex at the knee and the hip . referring now to fig4 , cross sections through the lower portions , next to the feet , of a left leg ll and a right leg rl of the person p in fig3 are illustrated . four quadrants are illustrated for each lower leg portion . the left leg ll has an outer front quadrant of , an inner front quadrant if , an inner rear quadrant ir and an outer rear quadrant or . the right leg rl has an outer front quadrant of , an inner front quadrant if , an inner rear quadrant ir and an outer rear quadrant or . the elastic leg strap 26 associated with the right leg rl is positioned in the outer rear or quadrant of the right leg . a corresponding elastic leg strap 26 ′ that is associated with the left leg ll is also positioned in the outer rear or quadrant of the left leg . this positioning of the elastic straps 26 and 26 ′ in the vicinity of the lower portions of the right and left legs is achieved and maintained by the right and left shoe inserts ( not shown ) as described above with reference to fig1 . referring now to fig5 , cross sections through the thigh portions of a left leg ll and a right leg , rl of the person p in fig3 are illustrated . four quadrants are illustrated for each thigh leg portion . the left leg ll has an outer front quadrant of , an inner front quadrant if , an inner real quadrant ir and an outer rear quadrant or . the right leg rl has an outer front quadrant of , an inner front quadrant if , an inner real quadrant ir and an outer real quadrant or . the elastic leg strap 26 associated with the right leg rl is positioned in the outer real or quadrant of the right leg in the thigh region . a corresponding elastic leg strap 26 ′ that is associated with the left leg ll is also positioned in the outer real or quadrant of the left leg in the thigh region . this positioning of the elastic straps 26 and 26 ′ in the vicinity of the thigh portions of the right and left legs is achieved and maintained by the right thigh strap 46 and a left thigh strap 46 ′ ( fig3 and 5 ) and by positioning tile slits 52 thereof in the outer rear quadrants or of the right and left leg , respectively . referring now to fig6 , a cross section through the hips h of the person p in fig3 is illustrated . four quadrants are illustrated for the hip portion . the hips have a left outer front quadrant lof , a right outer front quadrant rof , a right outer rear quadrant ror and a left outer real quadrant lor . tile elastic leg strap 26 associated with the right leg is positioned in the right outer rear ror quadrant of the hips h . the corresponding elastic leg strap 26 ′ that is associated with the left leg ll is positioned in the left outer real lor quadrant of the lips h . this positioning of the elastic straps 26 and 26 ′ in the vicinity of the hips is achieved and maintained by the position of the cinching buckles on the waist belt 34 . the tension in the elastic legs straps is preferably adjustable through the cinching buckle or the hook and loop fasteners or other means for connecting the elastic leg straps to the waist belt . tile most effective tension or the elastic leg straps may vary from person to person and can be readily determined by trial and error .
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in the hybrid solar lighting ( hsl ) system , the luminous efficacy of filtered sunlight is more than double its only competition ( electric lamps ). therein lies the primary motivation for using filtered sunlight for lighting purposes in buildings . [ 0023 ] fig1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the hybrid solar concentrator where a primary mirror 30 concentrates the entire solar spectrum of incoming sunlight onto a secondary mirror 31 where the sunlight is reflected into a fiber receiver 32 for filtering and distribution to the fiberoptic lighting network . fig2 is a front view photograph showing the primary mirror 30 and the secondary mirror mount 33 . the secondary mirror mount 33 blocks less than 5 % of the sunlight reflected from the primary mirror 30 . structural features of the secondary mount 33 enable the mount to flex while maintaining the preferred optical specifications in fig4 . the flexure in the mount 33 relieves stress points where the mount 33 attaches to the primary mirror 30 . fig5 is a rendering showing the secondary mirror 31 mounted to the secondary mount 33 . [ 0024 ] fig6 shows the fiber receiver 32 mounted in the center core of the primary mirror 30 . fig7 shows the fiber receiver 32 components including a quartz rod 40 to act as heat dissipation means and filter 41 to reject remaining ir energy . fiber 43 is forcibly bonded to quartz rod 40 inside the receiver housing 42 to minimize fresnel losses and associated thermal loading . light emerging from the rod 40 into the fiber 43 is uniformly distributed so as to maximize the amount of light that can be injected into the polymer fibers . also the focal spot on the quartz rod 40 can be smaller than its diameter so as to reduce the tracking accuracy needs of the system . for building applications , the most significant loss factor in the light collection and distribution system is the end - to - end attenuation in large - core optical fibers . this invention more efficiently and cost - effectively transports sunlight through new polymer - based large - core optical fibers rather than glass fiber optic bundles . a new “ hybrid ” luminaire , illustrated spatially distributes both fiberoptic - delivered sunlight and electric light in a general lighting application and controlling the relative intensity of each based on sunlight availability using photosensors and dimmable electronic ballasts . thus , natural light is collected at a central location and distributed to multiple luminaires . one embodiment of the hybrid luminaire comprised a cylindrical diffusing rod having a 2 . 54 cm diameter , 1 . 0 m long , optically clear cylinder with a polished lower hemisphere and a diffuse upper hemisphere . light launched from a butt - coupled optical fiber , scatters from the diffuse upper surface of the cylinder and escapes through the polished lower surface of the cylinder . to improve efficiency , upward - scattered light is redirected back toward the lower hemisphere of the diffusing rod with a silver - coating on the upper hemisphere . three diffusing rods , each placed mid - way and slightly above adjacent fluorescent lamps in a 4 - tube paramax parabolic troffer with 24 - cell louvre baffle , were expected to produce a spatial intensity distribution which closely matched that of the four fluorescent tubes . however , initial modeling of the diffusing rod indicated that the intensity of the scattered light was too highly concentrated toward one end of the rod , creating uneven illumination . in addition , a large portion of the light entering the diffusing rod at small angles was not being scattered at all and , instead , was merely being reflected from the planar end of the diffusing rod back into the butt - coupled optical fiber . to overcome these deficiencies , a silver - coated concave mirror surface at the end of the rod was added to the diffusing rod model . this concave end - mirror strongly diverged low - angle incident light , hence improving the optical efficiency of the diffusing rod while also improving the overall uniformity of the scattered light . to further improve the uniformity of the scattered light , a 40 cm strip along the center of the diffusing rod &# 39 ; s top hemisphere was modeled with a larger scattering fraction than the outer ends to increase the amount of scattered light emitted from the center of the diffusing rod . simulations of the spatial intensity distribution resulting from the fluorescent lamps and / or the diffusing rods revealed only minor differences between the two distributions , and only minor deviation from the fixture &# 39 ; s original spatial intensity distribution . however , due to obstruction and scattering losses associated with the inclusion of the three diffusing rods , the optical efficiency of the fixture was decreased from 64 % to 53 %. the diffusing rod itself was estimated to be only 50 % efficient at converting a fiber optic end - emitted source into a cylindrical source . this efficiency was strongly dependent upon the intensity profile of the fiber optic end - emitted light and the combination of scattering values used along the top surface of the diffusing rod . the cylindrical diffusing rod was a 2 . 54 cm diameter , 1 m long , cast acrylic rod , with high optical clarity and optically smooth outer surface . the rod was diamond - machined on one end to create a concave surface with a radius of curvature of 4 . 0 cm , and polished on the other end to create a planar optical surface suitable for butt - coupling to a large - core optical fiber . the top hemisphere of the rod was sandblasted to produce a uniform scattering surface and both the top hemisphere and concave end - mirror were coated with aluminum . due to construction limitations , the top surface did not exhibit a variable surface scatter as originally modeled . preliminary testing of the cylindrical diffusing rod revealed a discrepancy between the desired modeled surface scatter and the actual surface scatter created by the sandblasting technique . because optical scattering is often difficult to accurately premodel in software , the result was not entirely unexpected . the actual surface scatter created by the sandblasting technique was much larger than modeled and created a diffusing rod with an uneven illumination . however , now given the correlation between the modeled scattering values and the actual scattering values , it is possible to re - simulate and re - design the cylindrical diffusing rod to emit a more uniform intensity distribution . additional factors related to optical efficiency and construction costs are currently being evaluated . a luminaire design was sought that would provide a simple means of seamlessly combining the light from the fluorescent and fiber optic sources . typically , the sunlight exiting the optical fibers produces a conical distribution pattern that is not compatible with the pattern produced by fluorescent lamps . to make the intensity distribution pattern more compatible with that from the fluorescent tubes , it was necessary to transform the light from the fiber into a more cylindrical geometry . various attempts were tried to construct nonimaging optical components to achieve this goal . ultimately , the best results were obtained by using a cylindrical , side - emitting diffusing rod 50 developed by 3m and shown in fig1 ( 3m side - emitting rod part #: lf180exn ). two versions of this optic were used in initial tests : the s version , designed for single fiber illumination via one end , and the d version , intended for use with two illuminating fibers . the best linear uniformity of the emitted light was obtained by using the d version with the illuminating fiber at one end of the rod and a reflecting element at the other . the grooves in the flat surface of the 3m side - emitting rod 50 serve to reflect light out the opposite side of the rod . ideally , all of the light would be reflected out the side of the rod by the time the last of the rays reached the far end of the rod . in practice , however , a significant portion of the light exits the end of the rod instead of the side . to further improve the efficiency of the side - emitting rod , various reflectors were attached to the end of the rod . ultimately , a concave spherical mirror ( produced by aluminizing the curved side of a plano - convex lens ) seemed to produce the best results . the mirror served to reflect and diverge any coaxial light that was not scattered on an initial pass through the rod . the rod was mounted within a custom - machined acrylic holder 55 that allowed a large - core optical fiber to mate with one end of the rod . in the initial design , two assembled rods were mounted within a four - tube fluorescent fixture . the two side - emitting rods were located on each side of the ballast cover , directly between the two corresponding fluorescent tubes . the side - emitting rods were mounted so that the light was projected toward the acrylic diffuser and out of the fixture . this dual - rod design was selected to provide good spatial distribution match to the light from the fluorescent tubes . unfortunately , the design required the use of a high - quality splitter ( low - loss , 50 : 50 split ) to divide the light from a single fiber into the two light tubes . the hybrid luminaire was mounted and tested . instead of using a splitter , two separate optical fibers sources were used . thus , the measured efficiency did not reflect the additional losses that would be contributed by the connection losses and inherent internal loss associated with using a splitter . the initial tests of the hybrid luminaire indicated that coupling losses from the fiber to the side - emitting rod were high , leading to reduced efficiency . design enhancements to the luminaire were added to stabilize the position of the side - emitting rods and improve coupling efficiency . the enhanced version of the dual - rod design was tested to measure the improvement in performance . to further improve efficiency and lower the cost of the luminaire , the instant invention used only one side - emitting rod 50 . by using only one side - emitting rod , the need for a splitter would be obviated , eliminating the connection losses into and out of the splitter as well as the inherent loss within the splitter itself . in addition , the cost of the splitter and the additional side - emitting rod would be eliminated . however , the use of a single side - emitting rod would require two major modifications to the luminaire design . the rod would have to be mounted in the center of the luminaire to maintain symmetry in the intensity distribution pattern , and it would have to be rotated 180 ° to broaden the intensity distribution pattern . to enable the side - emitting rod 50 to be centrally mounted , the standard ballast and ballast cover were removed , making the central portion of the luminaire available for development . a compact ( 16 . 5 - in .× 1 . 25 - in .× 1 - in . ), four - bulb , dimmable ballast was obtained from advance transformer ( mark 7 intellivolt series , product number izt - 4s32 ) and installed on the rear of the luminaire housing . a second feature of the invention was necessary to achieve an acceptable intensity distribution pattern from a single emitting rod . to achieve a pattern of sufficient width , the direction of the rod would have to be reversed , directing the light onto the reflective housing 51 of the luminaire and allowing the diffuse reflection to exit the acrylic diffuser , rather than projecting the light directly onto the acrylic diffuser . if the light from the single rod were projected directly onto the acrylic diffuser , the intensity distribution pattern would be unacceptably narrow in comparison to that from the fluorescent lamps . to improve the efficiency and intensity distribution characteristics of the new design , a diffuse reflective film 52 was used in conjunction with the side - emitting rod 50 . a “ light enhancement film 52 ” from 3m ( scotchcal 3635 - 100 ) was placed on the luminaire housing in the area directly behind the side - emitting rod 50 . this film provided a more diffuse reflection and higher reflectivity than the reflective paint in the luminaire ( 94 % vs 90 %). an additional invention feature was added to the single - rod design to further enhance the optical efficiency . previous designs had used a reflector at the end of the side - emitting rod to direct the coaxial light back through the rod . though the intention was to force all of the light to eventually be emitted out the side of the rod , some light was suspected of traveling back up the source fiber where it could not be used for illumination . an improvement was made in the single - rod design . rather than attaching a reflector to the end of the side - emitting rod , a bundle of small optical fibers 53 was attached to the end of the rod and routed back into the central portion of the luminaire . coaxial light that was not emitted from the side - emitting rod would enter the bundle of fibers and be redirected into the luminaire where it would add to the side - emitted light from the rod . the fibers were simply routed around the ends of the fluorescent tubes and back toward the center of the luminaire where the exiting light was scattered off of the 3m light enhancement film 52 . in future embodiments , the fibers could be arranged to achieve a more uniform contribution to the overall intensity distribution . the light distribution characteristics and overall efficiency for each of the luminaire designs are compared in table 1 . note that the actual amount of light used in the comparisons of the fiber optic systems varied considerably . when illuminated by sunlight , the lumen input to the fiber portion of the luminaires is expected to be between 4500 and 5000 lumens . however , the percentage distribution of the light among the walls and floor should not change . the characteristics of the fluorescent lamp system were essentially identical for the three cases and thus are presented only once . the efficiency of the luminaires shows consistent improvement , with the single - rod luminaire providing almost 79 % efficiency . this is very comparable to the 81 % efficiency of the fluorescent portion of the luminaire . the light distribution for the single - rod luminaire is comparable to that of the fluorescent system as well , noting that the dual - rod designs placed a higher percentage of the incident light on the floor of the illumination cell . the only undesirable feature of the single - rod luminaire is an uneven distribution of light between the different walls of the illumination cell . in particular , the scattering characteristics of the side - emitting rod in the inverted configuration tended to increase the light on one end - wall of the illumination cell . this is considered to be within the bounds of acceptable variation , but efforts will be made to further equalize the distribution from this design . a major step toward the realization of using fiber optic transported solar light for internal lighting purposes involves the development of a hybrid luminaire to seamlessly balance lamp and fiber optic transported solar illuminants . fluctuations in the intensity of collected solar light , due to changing cloud coverage or solar collector movement , requires rapid compensation by electric lamps to maintain a constant room illumination . if the spatial intensity distribution of a hybrid luminaire &# 39 ; s electric lamp does not closely match the spatial intensity distribution of the luminaire &# 39 ; s fiber optic end - emitted solar illuminant , then the shift between artificial and solar lighting will be noticeable to the occupant and is highly undesirable . to date , there are a wide variety of commerically - available daylighting sensors manufactured by a variety of vendors . these sensors range in price from $ 50 -$ 300 and come in a variety of optical packages suitable to various workspace environments ( i . e . office spaces , conference rooms , atriums , etc .). despite the variation in packaging , these sensors all work on essentially the same basic principle . the sensor , which is mounted in the ceiling , contains a plastic lens that images light from the workplane onto a photodetector . the output from the photodetector is a measure of the combined sunlight and artificial lighting levels within a specified viewing angle ( also called the sensor &# 39 ; s “ cone of response ”) from the photodetector &# 39 ; s output ( and the ballast voltage ), the sunlight levels versus artificial lighting levels can be calculated . these indirect measurements are used with a control algorithm ( either a constant set point or a sliding set point algorithm ) to appropriately adjust the intensity of the fluorescent lighting . when the sunlight and artificial lighting are identically distributed over a given area , current commercial sensors have been shown to perform well . however , when the spatial distribution of the sunlight and artificial lighting are quite different , which is typically the case in an office environment , the indirect calculation of sunlight levels versus artificial lighting levels is inaccurate . because of the high ratio of uplighting to downlighting associated with sunlight entering through a window , this indirect measurement often results in a sensor that is overly sensitivity to sunlight . as a result , commercially available sensors overcompensate for sunlight , resulting in controlled lighting levels that can fall well below desired workplane illuminance levels . to improve the performance of daylight harvesting algorithms , a sensor is needed that allows for the independent measurement , as opposed to the combined measurement , of sunlight and artificial light within a controlled area . unlike commercial sensors , the daylight harvesting sensor in the instant invention is capable of measuring sunlight and artificial lighting level separately . the daylighting sensor accomplishes this by exploiting the frequency differences between sunlight and fluorescent lighting . although undetectable to humans , the intensity of fluorescent lighting actually oscillates , or “ flickers ”, at a very high frequency (& gt ; 10 khz for most dimmable ballasts ). in contrast , sunlight does not flicker and is extremely constant over a short period of time (& lt ; 1 sec ). a high - speed photo - detector is capable of measuring both signals simultaneously as shown in fig8 . the magnitude of the photodetector &# 39 ; s high - frequency component is proportional to the fluorescent lighting levels at the workplane . the magnitude of the signal &# 39 ; s constant , or dc , component is proportional to the sunlight levels at the workplane . factoring in phase differences between nearby fluorescent fixtures , which can complicate the simple relationship shown in fig8 the following equation comprises the harvesting sensor &# 39 ; s control algorithm : k s · v dc + ( 1 - k s ) · m p · v p2p + ( 1 - k s ) · b p [ m p · v p2p + b p m b · v ballast + b b ] = constant this equation represents the basic control algorithm for workspaces illuminated with sunlight and fluorescent lighting . the ballast voltage ( vballast ) is modified to keep the above equation constant with increasing sunlight . modifications can be made to this control algorithm to accommodate unique lighting environments where sunlight and fluorescent lighting are supplemented with non - fluorescent artificial lighting . the performance of a prototype daylight harvesting sensor was tested against leading commercial daylighting sensors . comparative tests performed in a typical 10 ′× 10 ′ office environment , with a 24 ″× 30 ″ window , demonstrated the sensor &# 39 ; s superior performance over commercial sensors . fig9 compares the performance of the harvesting daylighting sensor against a popular daylighting sensor manufactured by lithonia . in sharp contrast to the commercial sensor , which exhibited large fluctuations in room illumination throughout the day ( maximum fluctuation = 65 %), the harvesting daylighting sensor exhibited only minor illumination fluctuations ( maximum fluctuation & lt ; 5 %). while there has been shown and described what are at present considered the preferred embodiments of the invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope .
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referring to fig1 , the apparatus 10 of the present invention includes a social expressions piece 12 that includes a first panel 14 , a second panel 16 , a third panel 18 , a fourth panel 20 , and a fifth ( optional ) panel 22 . the first and second panels 14 , 16 are separated by a first folding line 24 . the third panel 18 is separated from the second panel 16 by a first cut - out 26 ( see e . g ., fig1 and 3 ). the third panel 18 is also separated from the first panel 14 by the fourth and ( optional ) fifth panels 20 , 22 . the third panel 18 is separated from fourth and ( optional ) fifth panels 20 , 22 by a second folding line 28 . the fourth and ( optional ) fifth panels 20 , 22 are separated from the first panel 14 by third folding line 29 . the apparatus 10 is convertible between a generally flat social expressions piece 12 ( e . g ., a wedding invitation ) and a folded , three - dimensional decorative item 30 ( e . g ., a candle votive ). the apparatus 10 is formed from a single , unitary piece of sheet metal . common types of sheet metals include aluminum , brass , copper , steel , tin , nickel and titanium . for decorative uses , important sheet metals also include silver , gold , and platinum . referring now to fig1 - 3 , the outer shape of the apparatus 10 can be any type desired based on aesthetics and size . in the embodiment shown , the outer shape is generally round . however , other shapes ( e . g ., triangular , rectangular , irregular ) can be utilized based on the needs and wants of the designer . preferably , when positioned as a flat , social expressions piece 12 , it is preferable that the outer shape is sized so that it will fit into one of the numerous standard sizes of envelopes that are readily commercially - available ( see e . g ., fig2 ). however , the present invention should not be considered to be limited by any particular size or outer shape . the apparatus 10 can have any thickness ( see fig3 ) since sheet metals are readily available in a variety of thicknesses . preferably , the sheet metal used is 0 . 35 mm thick since it is readily available and easily folded by an end user . continuing to refer to fig1 - 3 , the first panel 14 is shaped based on the part it plays in the overall design of the social expressions piece 14 and / or decorative item 30 . in the embodiment shown , the first panel 12 is semi - circular in shape . the first panel includes first side 34 and a second side 36 . preferably , the first side 34 of the first panel 14 includes information 32 relating to a social function , such as a wedding . information 32 provided can be information generally found in a wedding invitation , such as but not limited to names , locations , dates , and times . alternatively , the information may not disclose an event , but may include a general greeting ( e . g ., a birthday wish or congratulations ). the information can be included on the apparatus in any suitable manner , or manners . for instance the information can be printed directly onto the apparatus in paint or ink . the paint or ink can include one or more colors . alternatively , the information can be etched chemically , or otherwise imprinted or embossed into the metal ( e . g ., laser engraved ). a combination of etching and / or imprinting and printing of the information can be utilized . another alternative is to simply punch out the letters , numbers and / or symbols of the information so that the material is completely removed from the apparatus . the first panel can optionally further include design elements such as cut - outs of one or more designs or images . in embodiments where the apparatus 10 is used as a candle votive , the first panel is sized such that a candle can be positioned on the second side 36 of the first panel when it is folded into the decorative item ( discussed infra ). a first folding line 24 separates the first panel 14 from the second panel 16 . the first folding line 24 is a weakened section in the sheet metal that is formed by any one of the commonly known means . for instance , a series of holes or slots can be punched or cut with a laser along a line to create the first folding line 24 . alternatively , the first folding line can be created by simply weakening , without cutting through the apparatus ( e . g ., by creating a groove in the sheet metal ). although the first folding line 24 is shown as a continuous line in the embodiment shown in , e . g ., fig1 , the folding line can be split into two or more lines that are co - axial . the second panel 16 is separated from the third panel by the first cut - out 26 . the second panel 16 , like the first panel 14 , can be shaped based on the part it plays in the overall design of the social expressions piece 14 and / or decorative item 30 . in the embodiment shown , the second panel is shaped to reflect the cityline of the city of cincinnati . therefore , the first cut - out generally follows the shape of the cityline image shown in , e . g ., fig1 . in addition to , or alternatively , the second panel 16 can include some or all of the information 32 . images 38 and / or information 32 provided on the second panel 16 can be provided in any of the manners described above ( e . g ., printing , etching , cut - outs , etc ) in relation to the first panel 14 . the second folding line 28 separates the third panel 18 from the fourth and ( optional ) fifth panels 20 , 22 . the second folding line 28 can be formed in a manner consistent with that described above in relation to the first folding line 24 . in some embodiments , the first and second folding lines 24 , 28 are formed in a generally similar manner . however , the second folding line 28 does not necessarily need to be formed using the same technique as the first folding line 24 in all embodiments . for example , in some embodiments , the first folding line 24 can be formed with a groove and the second folding line 28 can be formed with a series of holes , or vice versa . the third panel 18 , like the first and second panels 14 , 16 , can be shaped based on the part it plays in the overall design of the social expressions piece 14 and / or decorative item 30 . in the embodiment shown , the third panel 18 is generally semi - circular on the upper portion , and the lower portion is defined by the first cut - out 26 . the third panel 18 can include some or all of the information 32 . images 40 and / or information 32 provided on the third panel 18 can be provided in any of the manners described above ( e . g ., printing , etching , cut - outs , etc .) in relation to the first and second panels 14 , 16 . the fourth and ( optionally ) fifth panels 20 , 22 are separated from the first panel by a third folding line 28 , and from the second panel 16 by the first cut - out 26 . the fourth and ( optionally ) fifth panels 20 , 22 are generally present to provide depth to the decorative item 30 when in the final folded form . therefore , they are sized and shaped to provide the desired effect . generally , these panels 20 , 22 do not include features , but can include design features in a similar manner to the first , second and third panels 14 , 16 , 18 described above . the third folding line 29 separates the first panel 14 from the fourth and ( optional ) fifth panels 20 , 22 . the third folding line 28 can be formed in a manner consistent with that described above in relation to the first and second folding lines 24 , 28 . the third folding line can be a continuous line , or as shown in , e . g ., fig1 , in two or more generally co - axial sections . in use , the apparatus is created in a generally flat form by forming the social expressions piece 12 in a series of , e . g ., stamping , etching and / or printing steps as shown , for example , in fig1 . the social expressions piece 12 is then placed in an envelope 42 , and mailed to the recipient , as shown in fig2 . when received by the end user , the social expressions piece 12 is removed from the envelope 42 , and the information 32 pertaining to the social event is transferred to the end user when read . rather than discarding or recycling the social expressions piece 12 , the end user folds the social expressions piece 12 into the decorative item 30 by folding the apparatus 10 along the first , second and third folding lines 24 , 28 , 29 . the degree about which the various panels are folded can vary depending on the desire of the designer and / or end user . in the embodiment shown , the second panel 16 is folded approximately 90 degrees relative to the first panel 14 at the first fold line 24 ( see fig3 ). as shown in fig4 , the third panel 18 is then folded relative to the fourth and fifth panels 20 , 22 at an approximately 90 degree angle ( see fig4 ). now referring to fig5 and 6 , the first panel is folded about 180 degrees relative to its original position ( as shown in e . g . fig4 ) about the third folding line 29 . once the folding is completed , the social expressions piece 12 , such as a wedding invitation , is converted into a reusable decorative item 30 , such as a votive candle holder , instead of trash . in the votive candle holder form , the decorative item 30 is placed on a surface so the second side 36 of the first panel 14 is placed so that it is facing upwards . the end user can then place a candle on the second side so that , when the candle is lit , the light illuminates the various features ( e . g ., the images 38 , 40 ). alternative embodiments are shown in fig9 - 12 , 13 - 15 , and 16 - 18 . referring now to fig9 - 12 , a second embodiment is shown . referring to fig9 , the apparatus 110 is formed from a single , unitary piece of sheet metal ( or similar material ). in the embodiment shown , there is a first panel 114 that includes information 132 . additional panels 116 , 118 , 120 are all generally shaped like flowers , leaves and birds . the additional panels 116 , 118 , 120 are all separated from the first panel by folding lines 124 , 126 , 128 . folding lines 124 , 126 , 128 are all generally parallel , but offset from one another . the end user can determine the amount the additional panels 116 , 118 , 120 are bent about the fold lines 124 , 126 , 128 . in the embodiment shown , the additional panels 116 , 118 , 120 are bent approximately 90 degrees relative to the first panel 114 . additionally , in order to provide more three - dimensional features , the end user can optionally curve the panels to make them appear more attractive and / or lifelike . referring to fig1 , the folded apparatus 110 can be used as , e . g ., a candle votive . in this embodiment , the information 132 is visible to the user when folded and used as a candle votive . referring now to fig1 - 14 , a third embodiment of the present invention is shown . in this embodiment , the apparatus 210 includes a first panel 214 that include information 232 and is separated from a second panel 216 by a fold line 224 . the second panel 216 includes additional cut - outs to add decorative features ( e . g ., butterflies ). in embodiments like these , the end user is able to bend the cut - out features , as shown in fig1 , as desired . fold lines can be optionally provided to assist the end user in the folding process for features such as these . referring to fig1 , the folded apparatus 210 can be used as , e . g ., a candle votive . in this embodiment , the information 132 is not visible to the user when folded and used as a candle votive because it is on the underside of the first panel 214 during use as the candle votive . referring now to fig1 - 17 , a fourth embodiment is shown . in this embodiment , the apparatus 310 includes a first panel 314 includes information 332 and includes at least three ( 3 ) cut - outs and optionally more ( as shown in fig1 ). each cut - out forms decorative panels 316 , 318 , 320 that are separated from the first panel 314 by folding lines 324 , 326 , 328 . notably , in the embodiment shown , folding lines 324 , 326 , 328 are at arranged at an angle relative to each other . in addition , the additional panels are shown bent at an angle less than 90 degrees relative to the first panel 314 , and each has been curved by the end user for display . while the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto ; but may be otherwise embodied . for example , the apparatus 10 can include additional panels and folding lines . in addition , one or more folding lines can be positioned co - axial to one another , or positioned so that they are not co - axial to one another . furthermore , features from one embodiment can be imported to another embodiment without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention .
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the silver iodide coated silver powders used in the present invention may be produced by stirring a slurry of finely divided silver ( generally less than 200 mesh and preferably less than 400 mesh ) with a solution of iodine . the nature of the liquid media is not critical , so long as the halogen is dissolved in the solvent , permitting chemical attack upon the slurried silver particles . where the iodine solution is an aqueous solution , ki is used to solubilize the iodine . where the iodine solution uses an organic solvent such as acetone , ethers or alcohols , of course ki need not be present since iodine dissolves in those organic solvents . the slurry and solution are agitated together for as little as half a minute . agitation for half an hour normally completes the reaction . the degree of coating is a matter of choice , dependent upon desired properties , and may be varied by varying exposure of the silver particles to halogen , as seen in examples 1 and 2 . the silver metallizing compositions normally comprise , in addition to silver and inert liquid vehicle , finely divided inorganic binder . the inorganic binder is present to promote adhesion of the metal to the substrate on firing . the chemical nature of the inorganic binder is not critical ; the binder is selected according to principles well known in the art dependent upon the final properties desired . glassy ( vitreous ) and / or glass ceramic materials may be employed . the powders are finely divided , i . e ., the particles are generally sufficiently finely divided to pass through a 200 mesh screen , preferably a 400 mesh screen ( u . s . standard sieve scale ). the powders are finely divided to be useful in conventional screen or stencil printing operations , and to facilitate sintering . the compositions are prepared from the solids and vehicles by mechanical mixing and printed as a film on ceramic dielectric substrates in the conventional manner . any inert liquid may be used as the vehicle . water or any one of various organic liquids , with or without thickening and / or stabilizing agents and / or other common additives , may be used as the vehicle . exemplary of the organic liquids which can be used are the aliphatic alcohols ; esters of such alcohols , for example , the acetates and propionates ; terpenes such as pine oil , terpineol and the like ; solutions of resins such as the polymethacrylates of lower alcohols , or solutions of ethylcellulose , in solvents such as pine oil and the monobutyl ether of ethylene glycol monoacetate . the vehicle may contain or be composed of volatile liquids to promote fast setting after application to the substrate . the ratio of inert liquid vehicle to solids in the dispersions may vary considerably and depends upon the manner in which the dispersion is to be applied and the kind of vehicle used . generally , from 0 . 2 to 20 parts by weight of solids per part by weight of vehicle will be used to produce a dispersion of the desired consistency . preferred dispersions contain 20 - 75 % vehicle . the compositions are then printed by conventional thick - film printing techniques . by &# 34 ; thick film &# 34 ; is meant films obtained by printing dispersions of powders ( usually in an inert vehicle ) on a substrate using techniques such as screen and stencil printing , as opposed to the so - called &# 34 ; thin &# 34 ; films deposited by evaporation or sputtering . thick - film technology is discussed generally in handbook of materials and processes for electronics , c . a . harper , editor , mcgraw - hill , new york , 1970 , chapter 11 . the compositions are then fired below the melting point of the silver and glass substrate to sinter or cure the silver pattern and make it adherent to the glass substrate . the actual temperature used is dependent on these melting points , and is dependent on the particular compositions employed and the desired degree of sintering , as will be known to those skilled in the art . generally , shorter firing times may be employed at higher temperatures . the following examples are given to illustrate the present invention . all parts , percentages , ratios , etc ., in the specification and claims are given by weight , unless otherwise stated . two hundred grams of silver powder having an average particle diameter about 1 micron were suspended in 2 . 5 l . of water . a solution was prepared consisting of 0 . 2 g . of iodine , 1 . 0 g . ki and 1200 ml . of water . after the iodine had completely dissolved turning the solution a deep brown color , the ki / i 2 solution was poured into the silver suspension and stirring was continued for 30 minutes . the powder was then allowed to settle ; the brown color had completely disappeared , indicating that the iodine ( or ki 3 ) had reacted with the silver . the coated silver powder was filtered , washed free of ki and dried . the dry powder was mixed with lead borate glass powder (- 325 mesh ) and printing vehicle in the following proportions : 70 % silver , 10 % lead borate , and 20 % vehicle ( 10 % ethylcellulose , 90 % terpineol ). this paste was used to print a silver pattern which was a line 24 inches long and 0 . 030 inch wide in a serpentine array on a 4 inch square glass panel . the printed substrate was fired to 625 ° c . and cooled to room temperature . resistance was measured and then the panel was tested for chemical resistance to partially cured neoprene by placing the fired panel in contact with a rope of partially cured sulfurized neoprene for 150 hours in a cabinet held at 40 ° c . and 100 % relative humidity . the electrical resistance was again measured after the neoprene test . the electrical and chemical resistance were compared against an identical panel using the same composition except that silver not treated with iodine was used . the silver iodide coated silver of this invention was observed to have a resistance of 1 . 7 ohms , both before and after exposure to the neoprene , whereas silver not so treated underwent a substantial change in resistance during exposure to neoprene , from 1 . 2 to 2 . 0 ohms . further indication of chemical reactivity of the untreated silver was that exposure to neoprene in the above test caused the pattern to change from silvery white to very dark grey , while the color of the pattern produced according to this invention with silver iodide coated silver remained silvery grey in appearance even after exposure . example 1 was repeated except that 0 . 5 g . of iodine was used instead of 0 . 2 g . results were the same except that resistance was 2 . 7 ohms before and after the neoprene exposure test . silver particles are coated with silver halide by similarly agitating a slurry of silver particles with ( a ) a solution of iodine dissolved in alcohol , ether , or acetone ( no ki need be present ), ( b ) an aqueous solution of chlorine , or ( c ) an ether solution of bromine .
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it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many uses and variations arc possible for the systems and methods described herein . the following detailed description includes various exemplary embodiments . other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art given the benefit of this disclosure . the drawings are merely exemplary , and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure . fig1 is a block diagram of a voltage control circuit according to a first exemplary embodiment . the exemplary voltage control circuit may be used as a power supply circuit for supplying a stable lower voltage to logic circuits and / or other components operated at 5v , for example , in an electronic apparatus operated at a higher main power supply voltage of , for example , 24v . the voltage control circuit 6 f fig1 includes an npn 3 having a collector connected to an input terminal 1 provided with a main power supply voltage of the input voltage vi , and an emitter connected to an output terminal 2 outputting a stable lower voltage of an output voltage vo . the base of the npn 3 is connected to the node n 1 , and a resistor 4 is connected between the above node n 1 and the input terminal 1 . furthermore , one end of a resistor 5 is connected to the node n 1 , and the other end of the resistor 5 is connected to a node n 2 . in addition , the collector of the npn 6 is connected to the node n 2 , and the emitter of the npn 6 is connected to a node n 3 . the collector and base of a npn 7 are diode - connected to each other in a forward direction and are connected to the node n 3 . ( a “ diode - connected ” transistor is a transistor in which two terminals are shorted to give diode action . npn 7 is referred to as “ forward connected ” because its collector and base arc shorted .) the emitter of the npn 7 is connected to a node n 4 , and the node n 4 is connected to the ground voltage gnd through a resistor 8 . a voltage divider includes resistors 9 , 10 , and is connected between the output terminal 2 and the ground voltage gnd . a voltage vd is provided to the base of the npn 6 . in addition , a phase compensation circuit for preventing oscillation and including a capacitor 11 and a resistor 12 is connected between the node n 1 and a base of the npn 6 . furthermore , a source of a p - channel mos ( metal - oxide semiconductor ) transistor ( hereinafter referred to as “ pmos ”) 13 is connected to the - node n 1 , and a drain of the pmos 13 is connected to the ground voltage gnd . the gate of the pmos 13 is connected to the node n 2 . the voltage control circuit of fig1 operates as follows : if the voltage inputted to the input terminal 1 is vi , the voltage outputted from the output terminal 2 is vo , the resistance of the resistor 4 is r 4 , and the current flowing through the resistor 4 is ic , then the current ic is given by the following formula ( 1 ): in addition , if the current flowing through the resistor 5 is i o , the current flowing through the pmos 13 is ip , and the base current of the npn 3 is neglected , then the relationship between ic , i o , and ip is given by the following formula ( 2 ): a current ip flowing through the pmos 13 is generally given by the flowing formula ( 3 ): in the above formula , k is a constant , vgs is a gate - source voltage of the pmos 13 , vt is a threshold voltage . since vgs is the voltage across resistor 5 , if the resistance of the resistor 5 is r 5 , then vgs = r 5 × i o . consequently , the formula ( 3 ) is changed to the formula ( 4 ). meanwhile , since a voltage vd applied to a base of the npn 6 is obtained by dividing the output voltage vo by resistors 9 , 10 , if resistances of the resistors 9 , 10 are r 9 and r 10 , respectively , then the voltage vd is given by the following formula ( 5 ). furthermore , since the voltage vd equals the sum of the base - emitter voltages of the npns 6 , 7 and the voltage across resistor 8 , if a resistance of the resistor 8 is r 8 , then the voltage vd is given by the following formula ( 6 ). consequently , the required output voltage vo is outputted corresponding to the input voltage vi by setting appropriately the resistances of r 4 , r 5 , r 8 to r 10 based on the formulas ( 1 ) to ( 6 ). variations of the output voltage vo in the case where the load current , the input voltage , and the temperature vary in the above voltage control circuit are discussed below . in the voltage control circuit depicted in fig1 , when the output voltage vo falls ( by an increase in the load current , for example ) voltage vd also falls . consequently , the base voltage of the npn 6 falls , and the current i o flowing through the npn 6 decreases . as a result , the current ic flowing through the resistor 4 decreases , and the base voltage of the npn 3 rises . accordingly , the emitter current of the npn 3 increases and the output voltage vo rises so as to control the output voltage to the required voltage . meanwhile , when the output voltage vo rises ( by a decrease , of the load current , for example ) the voltage vd correspondingly rises to raise the base voltage of the npn 6 , and the current i o flowing through the npn 6 increases . accordingly , the current ic flowing through the resistor 4 also increases to reduce the base voltage of the npn 3 , and the emitter current of the npn 3 decreases . consequently , the output voltage vo falls so as to control the voltage to the required output voltage vo . when the required output voltage vo is produced corresponding to a given input voltage vi , when the input voltage vi rises , the current ic flowing through the resistor 4 increases , as given by formula ( 1 ). then , the current ic is divided to current i o ( through the resistor 5 ) and current ip ( through the pmos 13 ). when the current i o through the resistor 5 increases due to an increase in the input voltage vi , a gate - source voltage vgs of the pmos 13 increases to reduce an on - resistance of the pmos 13 . consequently , the current ip through the pmos 13 increases to restrain the variation ( increase ) of the current i o . meanwhile , when the input voltage falls , the current ic through the resistor 4 decreases . when the current i o through the resistor 5 decreases due to a decrease of the current ic , the gate - source voltage vgs of the pmos 13 decreases to increase the on - resistance of the pmos 13 . consequently , the current ip through the pmos 13 decreases to restrain the variation ( decrease ) of the current i o . as discussed above , since the variation of the current ic caused by the variation of the input voltage vi can be absorbed by the pmos 13 connected in parallel to the current path of the current i o ( the resistor 5 , the npns 6 , 7 , and the resistor 8 ), the variation of the current i o can be restrained and the variation of the output voltage vo can be restrained , as well . generally , as temperature rises , the reverse saturation current of a bipolar transistor increases and the base - emitter voltage vf decreases . meanwhile , as a temperature rises , the resistance of a resistor increases . in the voltage control circuit of fig1 , when the ambient temperature rises , the base - emitter voltages vf of the npns 6 , 7 decrease and the resistance r 8 of the resistor 8 simultaneously increases , and then the voltage drop across the resistor 8 increases . when the ambient temperature falls , the base - emitter voltages vf of the npns 6 , 7 increase and the resistance r 8 of the resistor 8 simultaneously decreases , and then the voltage drop across the above resistor 8 decreases . consequently , since a negative temperature coefficient of the base - emitter voltage vf and positive temperature characteristics of the voltage drop caused by the resistor 8 cancel each other , the temperature variation of the voltage vd is restrained to suppress the variation of the current i o , and , accordingly , the variation of the output voltage vo is restrained . in particular , the output voltage vo may be made immune to temperature variations by selecting one or more of the serially diode - connected npns 7 and the resistance r 8 of the resistor 8 so that the temperature coefficient becomes zero . as discussed above , the voltage control circuit of fig1 is configured so that the current ip through the pmos 13 is controlled based on the current i o by connecting the pmos 13 in parallel with the path of the current i o ( the resistor 5 , the npns 6 , 7 , and the resistor 8 ). by employing such a configuration , when the current i o increases , most of the increased current is divided to the pmos 13 as the current ip , and when the current i o decreases , the decreased current is returned back from the current ip to the current i o side . consequently , the current i o can be maintained approximately constant independently of the variation of the input voltage vi and a constant output voltage vo can be outputted by the simplified circuit configuration . furthermore , since the control voltage vd is generated by serially connecting the npns 6 , 7 and the resistor 8 , which have complementary characteristics to each other , respectively , a constant output voltage vo immune to changes in the ambient temperature can be obtained . fig3 is a block diagram of a voltage control circuit according to a second exemplary embodiment . in general , the elements identical to those ones in fig1 are given the same numerals as in fig1 . the voltage control circuit of fig3 is configured to use a pnp - type transistor ( hereinafter referred to as “ pnp ”) instead of the pmos 13 of fig1 . the emitter of the pnp 14 is connected to the node n 1 , the collector is connected to the ground voltage , and the base is connected to the node n 2 . other configurations are generally the same as in fig1 . operations of the voltage control circuit of fig3 are basically the same as those described above for the voltage control circuit of fig1 . however , since the pnp bipolar transistor 14 is used instead of the pmos 13 , there is ah advantage that the sensitivity to restrain the variation of the output voltage vo can be improved compared with the circuit shown in fig1 , and the temperature characteristics can be improved as well . the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments , and various modifications are possible . for example , several exemplary modifications are described below : ( a ) the circuit configuration for the case in which the input voltage vi and the output voltage vo are positive is shown ; however , in a case where the input voltage vi and the output voltage vo are negative , the same configuration is possible by reversing the transistor conductive type ( for example , using a pnp type instead of an npn type ). ( b ) the component depicted as the diode - connected npn 7 is not limited to a single npn transistor , and embodiments may include a plurality of serially connected npns 7 corresponding to a required output voltage vo . ( c ) a phase compensation circuit for preventing oscillation ( such as the capacitor 11 and the resistor 12 ) can be added as heeded . following from the above description and invention summaries , it should be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art that , while the systems herein described constitute exemplary embodiments , it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the above precise embodiments and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claims . likewise , it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of the claims , since inherent and / or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein .
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according to fig1 - 5 , a closure assembly 1 is provided on the top end 2 of a can 2a . the closure assembly 1 comprises a closure element 4 and a plastic insert 8 having a pouring aperture 3 . the closure is normally retained in the aperture by a bayonet type connection 14 . in place of the plastic insert 8 , a metal fitting or a suitable deformation of the can top 2 can be provided for receiving the closure element 4 . in the embodiment of fig3 to 5 , an anchor 7 is initially joined to the closure element 4 by three frangible bridges 10 separated by perforations . the anchor 7 is fastened firmly on an extension 12 of the plastic insert 8 by means of the pin 11 ( fig1 ). the pin 11 extends through a hole 13 in the anchor 7 and is flattened at its upper end by heating so that the anchor 7 is permanently connected to the plastic insert 8 . a lever arm 9 provided on the closure element 4 facilitates opening and closing of the closure element 4 . in order to open the container , the lever arm 9 is grasped and rotated in the clockwise direction . as shown in fig4 first of all the bridges 10 are ruptured , providing a visible indication that the container has been opened . then , after being rotated approximately 35 degrees , the bayonet type connection disengages and the closure element 4 can be removed from the aperture . thereafter , as shown by fig5 the closure element 4 remains tethered to the anchor 7 and thus to the can end 2 . preferably , the plastic insert 8 and the extension 12 are formed as a single piece injection molded component . the closure element 4 , the connecting member 5 and the anchor 7 are likewise manufactured as a single piece by the injection molding method . the plastic insert 8 can be inserted into the can end and then closed by the closure element 4 . alternatively , it is possible for the plastic insert 8 and the closure element 4 to be preassembled and later jointly affixed in the can end 2 . as can mainly be seen from fig2 and 6 - 10 , a cylindrical plug element 16 is provided on the closure element 4 . this plug element protrudes into the aperture defined by the cylindrical wall portion 19 of the plastic insert 8 . four dogs 17 are provided on the plug element 16 , and four complementary dogs 20 are formed on the plastic insert 8 , protruding inwardly from the cylindrical wall portion 19 . the elements 17 and 20 form a bayonet type connection 14 . the dogs 17 and 20 have respective bearing surfaces 17a and 20a . fig6 to 12 are diagrams intended mainly to show the function of the dogs 17 , 20 , without necessarily being true to scale or definitive of the exact arrangement of the dogs 17 , 20 on their respective parts . each of the bearing surfaces 20a shown in fig6 to 10 on the cylindrical wall portion 19 has a curved bottom surface 23 which runs slightly oblique to the horizontal . after insertion of the closure element 4 , the inclined surface 23 slides over the bearing surface 17a , pulling the plug into the aperture and thereby creating a sealing connection between the sealing rim 25 and the sealing groove 26 . during opening of the closure , in accordance with fig8 the bearing surface 17a slides under the inclined surface 23 . if , as suggested in fig8 the closure element 4 is pressed upwards by internal pressure within the can , the protrusions 27 , 28 on the bearing surfaces 17a , 20a respectively will strike one another so that further rotation of the closure element 4 is impossible , as can be seen in fig8 . the protrusions 27 , 28 therefore together constitute an interlocking means 22 which prevents complete opening of the closure element 4 as long as internal pressure exists within the can and the closure element is accordingly pressed upwards . in the position illustrated in fig8 the sealing rim 25 and the sealing groove 26 are out of engagement so that the internal pressure within the can is able to escape . as soon as the internal pressure has sufficiently lowered , the closure element 4 can be pushed into the plastic insert sufficiently far that the protrusions 27 , 28 disengage . the position shown in fig8 and 9 corresponds to the position in fig4 while the position according to fig7 corresponds to the position in fig3 . once the interlocking means 22 has disengaged , the closure element 4 can be further rotated , whereupon the bayonet connection 14 is free and the closure element 4 can be removed from the aperture , as shown in fig5 . fig1 shows a modified embodiment wherein an inclined surface 23 , 23a is provided both on the dog 17 on the closure element 4 and on the dog 20 on the cylindrical wall portion 19 . with this design , the opening or closing rotational travel of the plug is increased . fig1 shows another embodiment wherein , as an inter - locking means 22 , a protrusion 27 is provided on the dog 17 , opposite a recess 29 on the dog 20 . when the closure element 4 is opened , the protrusion 27 slides into the recess 29 as the closure element 4 is pressed upwards by internal pressure within the can . only after pressure is relieved can the connection be completely unscrewed . inasmuch as the invention is subject to modifications and variations , the foregoing description and accompanying drawings should not be regarded as limiting the invention , which is de - fined by the following claims and various combinations thereof :
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in the reconstituted charged slurry obtained by the process of the invention , the weight ratio zinc : aqueous group ia metal hydroxide ( s ) solution is preferably 1 : 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 , and when component ( c ) is present the preferred zinc : ( c ) weight ratio is 1 : 0 . 0005 - 0 . 04 . components ( d ), ( e ), ( f ) and ( g ), if any or all of these are present in the reconstituted charged slurry , are preferably present within the following weight percentages based on the weight of the total slurry , namely , ( d ) 0 . 3 - 3 . 0 %, ( e ) 1 . 0 - 10 . 0 %, ( f ) 0 . 001 - 1 . 0 % and ( g ) 0 . 1 - 10 . 0 %, provided that the percentage of zinc in the slurry is within the range of 33 . 3 - 67 . 0 wt . %, preferably 45 . 0 - 60 . 0 wt . %. it is preferred that in step ( ii ) the current density at the cathode ( which may be , for example , within the range 10 - 600 milliamp ./ cm 2 ) is preselected so that in conjunction with the non - zinc - adherent characteristic of the cathode , the electrowon zinc will have , after consolidating into a particular structure , a density within the range 0 . 3 - 1 . 1 g ./ cc and a surface area within the range 0 . 75 - 5 . 0 m 2 / g . exemplary non - zinc - adherent cathodes may be made of , e . g ., magnesium , titanium or stainless steel . an exemplary corrosion - resistant anode may be made of , e . g ., nickel , sintered nickel , or nickel mesh with a surface coating of cobalt / nickel oxide catalyst . the electrolysis step may , for example , be carried out at a temperature within the range 20 °- 35 ° c ., e . g . for a time period of between 10 and 60 minutes . it is also contemplated that the electrolysis step may be carried out continuously , as part of an overall continuous or semi - continuous regeneration process . illustratively , the dissolved phase separated in step ( i ) may be from 5 to 12 molar in potassium ions and may contain from 1 to 100 g ./ l . dissolved zinc . the electrolysis may be carried out until ( by way of example ) no more than 20 g ./ l . of zinc remains in the solution . the process of the invention will now be illustrated by the following non - limitative example . a zinc - containing electrolyte slurry was prepared for discharge in a zinc - air cell . the slurry was made by thoroughly mixing together zinc powder ( 50 g ., 30 mesh , having a density and surface area , respectively , of approximately 0 . 6 g ./ cc . and 1 . 0 m 2 / g . ), 30 wt . % aqueous potassium hydroxide solution ( 40 g . ), acheson graphite ( 7 . 5 g .) as conductive filler , mercuric oxide ( 2 g .) as zinc - corrosion inhibitor and polyacrylic acid ( 0 . 5 g .) as gelling agent . the slurry had a density of approximately 2 g ./ ml . ; it was a gel - like suspension which exhibited no segregation of zinc particles and no appreciable generation of hydrogen over a time period . there was about 25 ml . slurry introduced into the slurry compartment of a zinc - air cell , when about 10 ahr . of discharge capacity was observed , 1 a for 10 hours at an average voltage of 1 . 2 v until a 1 v cutoff . at this point , there was only about one - half of the zinc had actually been discharged . the partially discharged slurry was rinsed out of the cell with the aid of about 250 ml . 30 wt . % aqueous potassium hydroxide solution containing 2 wt . % dissolved zinc oxide . the slurry / rinsing solution mixture was stirred for about 30 minutes at 50 ° c . this mixture contained dissolved potassium zincate , potassium hydroxide and gelling agent , and undissolved zinc particles , corrosion inhibitor and graphite filler . the solid and liquid components were separated by filtration through porous nylon and the filtered solids were retained for later reformulation . the clear filtrate was transferred to an electrolytic bath which contained two immersed nickel anodes flanking a central stainless steel cathode . each plate had the dimensions 50 × 50 × 1 mm . and was fitted with current carrying leads ; there was a 10 mm . space on each side between the cathode and the anodes . the electrolyte was circulated at a rate of 25 ml ./ minute while a current of 25 a was applied ( 500 milliamp / cm 2 at the cathode ) at a voltage of 3 v . the bath temperature was maintained at 20 °- 30 ° c . by external cooling . the electrolyte returning from the cooler was directed so as to stream between the plates , entering at the base of the bath and exiting at above the level of the top of the plates , thereby immediately removing the hot liquid zone and any gas bubbles . from time to time , deionized water or alkali was added to the bath to maintain the alkali concentration . the cathode was transferred to a separate container every ten minutes , where the deposited zinc was removed and consolidated into a particulate structure by means of a revolving nylon brush , while a clean cathode was placed in the electrolytic bath to continue the zinc recovery process . the brush was operated at 1000 rpm for three minutes , which afforded alkali - moist zinc particles below about 30 mesh particle size , suitable for reformulation of the slurry for re - use in the battery discharge process . the zinc particles had a density of 0 . 7 g ./ cc and a surface area of 1 . 1 m 2 / g . after about 30 minutes of electrolyzing the separated liquid phase from the discharged slurry , the bath was found on analysis to contain about 2 wt . % zinc , the original concentration of the slurry rinse - out solution . this indicated that all of the zinc in the dissolved phase of the discharged slurry had been recovered . on a duplicate run , with washing ( to remove alkali ) and drying of the electrolytically recovered zinc , the dry zinc content of the particles was about 12 . 5 g ., indicating a current efficiency of about 80 % at the specified current density . approximately , 25 ml . of slurry were reconstituted for a further discharge cycle in the zinc - air cell . the alkali - moist zinc particles were mixed with the solid residue from the nylon filter and 10 ml . more of alkaline rinse solution . the mixture was stirred for one hour to ensure adequate equilibration of the inhibitor additive with freshly regenerated zinc particles . an extra make - up quantity of 0 . 25 wt . % polyacrylic acid gelling agent was added to the reformulated slurry , because , the gelling agent previously present in the electrolyte had been unduly diluted and to some extent destroyed by the recovery process steps . the slurry now appeared gel - like as before and exhibited neither obvious segregation of zinc particles nor generation of hydrogen bubbles . in the zinc air cell , it gave an equivalent discharge performance to the first run . the zn : k ratio in the slurry ( which contained approximately 50 wt . % zn ), as determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy , was about 6 : 1 . while the invention has been particularly described , it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that many modifications and variations are possible . the invention is accordingly not to be construed as limited to the particularly described embodiments , rather its concept , scope and spirit are to be understood in the light of the claims which follow .
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n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrrolidinones of the formula ( 1 ) [ hereinafter , abbreviated as boc - 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 1 ) in some cases ] can be obtained by reacting 2 - pyrrolidinones of the formula ( 2 ) [ hereinafter , abbreviated as 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ) in some cases ] with di - tert - butyl dicarbonate in an aromatic solvent . this reaction is preferably carried out in the presence of a base in an aromatic solvent . r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 and r 6 in the above - described 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ) represent each independently a hydrogen atom , halogen atom , cyano group , optionally substituted linear , branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms , optionally substituted linear , branched or cyclic alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms , optionally substituted aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms , optionally substituted amino group , — or a group , or — sr b group , r a and r b represent each independently a hydrogen atom , alkylcarbonyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms , arylcarbonyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms , aralkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms , alkoxyalkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms , trialkylsilyl group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms , alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms , aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms . alternatively , r 1 and r 2 may be connected to form a & gt ; c ═ o group together with a carbon atom to which they are connected , r 3 and r 4 may be connected to form a & gt ; c ═ o group together with a carbon atom to which they are connected , r 5 and r 6 may be connected to form a & gt ; c ═ o group together with a carbon atom to which they are connected . alternatively , any two of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 and r 6 may be connected to form an optionally substituted polymethylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms . one or no - mutually - adjacent two methylene groups constituting the polymethylene group may be substituted by an oxygen atom or sulfur atom , one or two ethylene groups constituting the polymethylene group may be substituted by a vinylene group . no - mutually - adjacent two methylene groups constituting the polymethylene group may be mutually connected via an oxygen atom , sulfur atom , methylene group , ethylene group or vinylene group . as the substituent optionally substituted on the polymethylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms , the same substituents as those represented by r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 and r 6 described above are mentioned . it is preferable that r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 and r 6 represent each independently a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms , alternatively , any two of these groups are connected to form an optionally substituted polymethylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms . further , it is preferable that r 1 , r 2 , r 4 and r 6 represent a hydrogen atom , and r 3 and r 5 are connected to form an optionally substituted polymethylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms . here , the halogen atom includes a chlorine atom , bromine atom , fluorine atom , iodine atom . examples of the optionally substituted alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms include linear alkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a methyl group , ethyl group , n - propyl group , isopropyl group , n - butyl group and the like ; cyclic alkyl groups having 3 to 10 carbon atoms such as a cyclopentyl group , cyclohexyl group and the like ; halogenated alkyl groups such as a chloromethyl group , dichloromethyl group , trichloromethyl group , fluoromethyl group , difluoromethyl group , trifluoromethyl group and the like ; hydroxyalkyl groups such as a hydroxymethyl group or hydroxyethyl group and the like optionally substituted with a substituent such as an acetyl group , benzoyl group , benzyl group , phenyl group , methyl group , methoxymethyl group , trimethylsilyl group and the like ; aminoalkyl groups such as an aminomethyl group , aminoethyl group and the like optionally having a substituent such as an acetyl group , benzoyl group , methyl group , benzyl group , phenyl group , tert - butoxycarbonyl - group , benzyloxycarbonyl group and the like ; hydroxycarbonylalkyl groups such as a hydroxycarbonylmethyl group , hydroxycarbonylethyl group and the like optionally having a substituent such as a methyl group , ethyl group , n - propyl group , isopropyl group , benzyl group and the like ; aralkyl groups such as a phenylmethyl group , phenylethyl group and the like optionally substituted with a halogen atom , alkoxy group , hydroxyl group , nitro group , cyano group , alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms , aryl group and the like . examples of the optionally substituted alkenyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms include alkenyl groups having 2 to 10 carbon atoms such as a vinyl group , ethenyl group , 1 - propenyl group , 2 - propenyl group , 1 - butenyl group , 2 - butenyl group , 3 - butenyl group and the like ; hydroxycarbonylalkenyl groups such as a hydroxycarbonylethenyl group and the like optionally substituted with a substituent such as a methyl group , ethyl group , n - propyl group , isopropyl group , benzyl group and the like . examples of the optionally substituted aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms include a phenyl group , naphthyl group and the like optionally substituted with a halogen atom , alkoxy group , hydroxyl group , nitro group , cyano group , alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and the like . examples of the optionally substituted amino group include amino groups optionally substituted with a substituent such as an acetyl group , benzoyl group , methyl group , benzyl group , tert - butoxycarbonyl - group , benzyloxycarbonyl group and the like , and oxime groups such as a hydroxyimino group , methoxyimino group and the like . examples of r a of the — or a group include a hydrogen atom , alkylcarbonyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as an acetyl group and the like , arylcarbonyl groups having 6 to 20 carbon atoms such as a benzoyl group and the like , arylalkyl groups having 6 to 20 carbon atoms such as a benzyl group and the like , alkoxyalkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a methoxymethyl group and the like , trialkylsilyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a trimethylsilyl group and the like , alkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a methyl group , ethyl group , n - propyl group , isopropyl group , tert - butyl group and the like , aryl groups having 6 to 20 carbon atoms such as a phenyl group , and the like . examples of r b of the — sr b group include a hydrogen atom , alkylcarbonyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as an acetyl group and the like , arylcarbonyl groups having 6 to 20 carbon atoms such as a benzoyl group and the like , arylalkyl groups having 6 to 20 carbon atoms such as a benzyl group and the like , alkoxyalkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a methoxymethyl group and the like , trialkylsilyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a trimethylsilyl group and the like , alkyl groups having 1 to 10 carbon atoms such as a methyl group , ethyl group , n - propyl group , isopropyl group , tert - butyl group and the like , aryl groups having 6 to 20 carbon atoms such as a phenyl group , and the like . as the specific structure of the group to be formed by connecting any two of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 and r 6 , divalent groups of the following formulae , and the like are mentioned . — ch 2 —, —( ch 2 ) 2 —, —( ch 2 ) 3 —, —( ch 2 ) 4 —, ( ch 3 ) 2 c & lt ;, ( cl ) 2 c & lt ;, ( f ) 2 c & lt ;, & gt ; ch ( co 2 c 2 h 5 ) examples of the 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ) include 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 5 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 5 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - ethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - propyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - cyclohexyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - methyl - 4 - propyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 2 - azabicyclo [ 3 , 1 , 0 ] hexan - 3 - one , 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , 2 - azabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] heptan - 3 - one , 2 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 3 - one , 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 2 - one , 7 - azabicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] nonan - 8 - one , 8 - azabicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] nonan - 7 - one , 4 - azatricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 1 . 0 2 . 6 ] decan - 3 - one , 4 - azatricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 2 . 0 2 . 6 ] undecan - 3 - one , 2 - azaspiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonan - 3 - one , spiro [ bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] octan - 2 , 3 ′- pyrrolidin ]- 5 ′- one , 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 - pyrrolidinone , 2 - azabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hepta - 5 - en - 3 - one , 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 2 . 0 ] heptan - 2 - one , 2 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octa - 7 - en - 3 - one , 8 - azabicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] nonan - 3 - en - 7 - one , 4 - azatricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 1 . 0 2 . 6 ] decan - 8 - en - 3 - one , 4 - azatricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 2 . 0 2 . 6 ] undecan - 8 - en - 3 - one , 6 , 6 - dichloro - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , 6 , 6 - difluoro - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , 3 - benzyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 5 - benzyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - benzyl - 4 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 6 - ethoxycarbonyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , ethyl 2 -( 5 - oxopyrrolidin - 2 - yl ) acetate , methyl 3 -( 2 - oxopyrrolidin - 3 - yl ) acrylate , 3 - phenyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - phenyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 5 - diphenyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 5 -( 3 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - phenyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , 4 - chloro - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 , 4 - difluoro - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - hydroxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - hydroxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - acetoxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - methoxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - tert - butoxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - benzyloxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - phenyloxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - hydroxy - 4 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - hydroxy - 3 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - hydroxy - 5 - hydroxymethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 , 4 - dioxa - 7 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 6 - one , 3 - phenyl - 2 , 4 - dioxa - 7 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 6 - one , 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxa - 7 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 6 - one , 1 , 4 - dioxa - 7 - azaspiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonan - 8 - one , 4 - aza - 10 - oxa - tricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 1 . 0 2 . 6 ] decan - 3 - one , 4 - aza - 10 - oxa - tricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 1 . 0 2 . 6 ] decan - 8 - en - 3 - one , 3 - hydroxy - 9 - azabicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] nonan - 8 - one , 4 - mercapto - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - mercapto - 5 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - phenylthio - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 , 4 - dithia - 7 - azaspiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonan - 8 - one , 1 , 4 - dithia - 7 - azaspiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonan - 6 - one , 6 , 10 - dithia - 2 - azaspiro [ 4 . 5 ] decan - 3 - one , 4 - acetylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - dimethylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - benzylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - benzoylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - tert - butoxycarbonylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - benzyloxycarbonylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - acetylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - dimethylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - benzylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - benzoylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - tert - butoxycarbonylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 - benzyloxycarbonylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - tert - butoxycarbonylaminomethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 5 - tert - butoxycarbonylaminomethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 4 - methoxyimino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , succinic imide , 2 , 4 - pyrrolidinedione and the like , and optically active bodies thereof and the like . the 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ) may be produced according to known methods or may be produced by other methods , or commercially available products may be used . examples of the base to be used in the reaction include pyridine , quinoline , isoquinoline , n , n - dimethylaminopyridine , 2 - picoline , 3 - picoline , 4 - picoline , 2 , 3 - lutidine , 2 , 4 - lutidine , 2 , 5 - lutidine , 2 , 6 - lutidine , 3 , 4 - lutidine , 3 , 5 - lutidine , 3 - chloropyridine , 2 - ethyl - 3 - methylpyridine , 5 - ethyl - 2 - methylpyridine , n , n - dimethylaniline , n , n - diethylaniline , triethylamine , tri - n - butylamine , benzyldimethylamine , n - methylmorpholine , phenethyldimethylamine , n - methylpiperidine , 1 , 8 - diazabicyclo [ 5 . 4 . 0 ] undec - 7 - en , 1 , 4 - diazabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] octane , and the like . these bases can be used singly or in combination of two or more . as the base , it is preferable that n , n - dimethylaminopyridine and triethylamine are used each singly , or these are used in combination . the use amount of the base to be used is usually 0 . 01 to 5 mole ratio , preferably 0 . 02 to 1 mole ratio with respect to the 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ). examples of the aromatic solvent to be used in the reaction include benzene , toluene , ethylbenzene , isobutylbenzene , xylene , diethylbenzene , cumene , cymene , diisopropylbenzene , mesitylene , 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 - tetramethylbenzene , chlorobenzene , dichlorobenzene , trichlorobenzene , bromobenzene , dibromobenzene , bromochlorobenzene , fluorobenzene , α , α , α - trifluorotoluene , nitrobenzene , nitrochlorobenzene , benzonitrile , styrene , anisole , dimethoxybenzene , ethyl benzoate , di ( 2 - ethylhexyl ) phthalate , n , n - dimethylaniline , and the like . as preferable aromatic solvents , toluene , xylene , chlorobenzene and α , α , α - trifluorotoluene are mentioned . as a particularly preferably solvent , toluene is mentioned . these solvents may be used in admixture of two or more . the use amount of the aromatic solvent is usually 1 to 50 weight ratio , preferably 1 to 10 weight ratio with respect to the 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ). the use amount of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate is usually 1 to 10 mole ratio , preferably 1 to 2 mole ratio with respect to the 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ). the above - described reaction is carried out , for example , by mixing 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ) and di - tert - butyl dicarbonate and an aromatic solvent , if necessary , a base , and adjusting the mixture at desired reaction temperature . the above - described reaction may also be carried out by dropping a solution composed of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate or di - tert - butyl dicarbonate and a solvent into a solution composed of 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ) and an aromatic solvent , and if necessary , a base . the above - described reaction temperature is usually in the range of 0 ° c . to temperature not higher than the boiling point of the reaction solvent , preferably in the range of 10 to 100 ° c . thus , a reaction solution containing n - boc - formed 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 1 ) is obtained . it is possible that , after completion of the reaction , a solvent is distilled off an isolation performed by silica gel column chromatography , however , usually , a post - treatment operation is carried out for removing a base and the like used in the reaction . in the post - treatment operation , water or an acidic aqueous solution is added to a solution obtained after completion of the n - boc formation reaction and these are mixed , and liquid partitioning is carried out , thereby removing the above - described base into an aqueous solution . the washing operation with water or an acidic aqueous solution may be carried out repeatedly . it is also permissible that after washing with an acidic aqueous solution , washing is repeated using an alkaline aqueous solution or water . examples of the acid to be used in the above - described acidic aqueous solution include inorganic acids ( hydrogen chloride , hydrogen bromide , sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid and the like ) and organic acids ( acetic acid , citric acid and the like ). the use amount of these acids is usually in the range of 0 . 5 to 20 mole ratio , preferably 1 to 5 mole ratio with respect to a base . examples of the base to be used in carrying out the washing operation with an alkaline aqueous solution include alkali metal hydroxides ( sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide and the like ), alkali metal carbonates ( sodium carbonate , potassium carbonate and the like ), alkali metal bicarbonates ( sodium hydrogen carbonate , potassium hydrogen carbonate and the like ), etc . in the post - treatment , the aromatic solvent used in the reaction is usually used as it is , and for the purpose of dissolving the product or improving liquid partitioning property , an organic solvent other than the aromatic solvents may be added in performing the washing operation . the kind and use amount of the organic solvent other than the aromatic solvents are not particularly restricted . thus obtained solution can be subjected to concentration of an organic solvent and the like , to isolate boc - 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 1 ). the boc - 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 1 ) may be further purified by column chromatography , re - crystallization and the like . the method of re - crystallization is not particularly restricted , and usual re - crystallization methods may be used . examples of the re - crystallization method include a method in which a crystal is deposited by dropping a poor solvent after dissolving in a good solvent , a method in which boc - 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 1 ) are dissolved in a re - crystallization solvent with heating , then , the solution is cooled to deposit a crystal , a method in which after dissolving in a re - crystallization solvent , the solvent is distilled off by concentration , to cause deposition of a crystal , combinations of these methods , and the like . when the boc - 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 1 ) are optically active bodies , if the above - described re - crystallization is carried out , the optical purity of the optically active body is improved in some cases . r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 and r 6 in the boc - 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 1 ) represent the same meanings as for r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 and r 6 defined in the 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 2 ). specific examples of the boc - 2 - pyrrolidinones ( 1 ) include n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 5 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - dimethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 5 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - ethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - propyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - cyclohexyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - methyl - 4 - propyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 2 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - azabicyclo [ 3 , 1 , 0 ] hexan - 3 - one , 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , 2 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - azabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] heptan - 3 - one , 2 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 3 - one , 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 2 - one , 7 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 7 - azabicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] nonan - 8 - one , 8 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 8 - azabicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] nonan - 7 - one , 4 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - azatricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 1 . 0 2 . 6 ] decan - 3 - one , 4 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - azatricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 2 . 0 2 . 6 ] undecan - 3 - one , 2 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - azaspiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonan - 3 - one , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - spiro [ bicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 2 ] octan - 2 , 3 ′- pyrrolidin ]- 5 ′- one , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 -( 2 - propenyl )- 2 - pyrrolidinone , 2 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - azabicyclo [ 2 . 2 . 1 ] hepta - 5 - en - 3 - one , 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 2 . 0 ] heptan - 2 - one , 2 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octa - 7 - en - 3 - one , 8 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 8 - azabicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] nonan - 3 - en - 7 - one , 4 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - azatricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 1 . 0 2 . 6 ] decan - 8 - en - 3 - one , 4 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - azatricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 2 . 0 2 . 6 ] undecan - 8 - en - 3 - one , 6 , 6 - dichloro3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , 6 , 6 - difluoro - 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - benzyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 5 - benzyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - benzyl - 4 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 6 - ethoxycarbonyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , ethyl n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 -( 5 - oxopyrrolidin - 2 - yl ) acetate , methyl n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 -( 2 - oxopyrrolidin - 3 - yl ) acrylate , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - phenyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 5 - diphenyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 5 -( 3 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - phenyl - 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - chloro - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - difluoro - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - hydroxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - hydroxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - acetoxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - methoxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 2 , 4 - di - tert - butoxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - benzyloxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - phenyloxy - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - hydroxy - 4 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - hydroxy - 3 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - hydroxy - 5 - hydroxymethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 , 4 - dioxa - 7 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 7 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 6 - one , 3 - phenyl - 2 , 4 - dioxa - 7 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 7 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 6 - one , 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - oxa - 7 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 7 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 3 . 0 ] octan - 6 - one , 1 , 4 - dioxa - 7 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 7 - azaspiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonan - 8 - one , 4 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - aza - 10 - oxa - tricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 1 . 0 2 . 6 ] decan - 3 - one , 4 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - aza - 10 - oxa - tricyclo [ 5 . 2 . 1 . 0 2 . 6 ] decan - 8 - en - 3 - one , 3 - hydroxy - 9 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 9 - azabicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] nonan - 8 - one , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - mercapto - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - mercapto - 5 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - phenylthio - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 , 4 - dithia - 7 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 7 - azaspiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonan - 8 - one , 1 , 4 - dithia - 7 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 7 - azaspiro [ 4 . 4 ] nonan - 6 - one , 6 , 10 - dithia - 2 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - azaspiro [ 4 . 5 ] decan - 3 - one , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - acetylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - dimethylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - benzylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - benzoylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - tert - butoxycarbonylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - benzyloxycarbonylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - acetylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - dimethylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - benzylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - benzoylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - tert - butoxycarbonylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 3 - benzyloxycarbonylamino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - tert - butoxycarbonylaminomethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 5 - tert - butoxycarbonylaminomethyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone , 1 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 4 - methoxyimino - 2 - pyrrolidinone , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - succinic imide , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 , 4 - pyrrolidinedione and the like , and optically active bodies thereof , and the like . according to the present invention , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrrolidinones which are useful as a chemical raw material or medical - agricultural drug intermediate can be provided . according to the present invention , 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one which is useful as a chemical raw material or medical - agricultural drug intermediate can be provided . further , according to the present invention , ( 1r , 5s )- 3 - n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one which is useful as a chemical raw material or medical - agricultural chemical precursor can be provided . according to the n - boc formation reaction of the present invention , it is not necessary to substitute a water - soluble polar solvent by a hydrophobic solvent in the post - treatment operation and it is not necessary to use a solvent of strong harmful effect , thus , special harm - protecting equipments and the like are not required , and n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrrolidinones can be produced simply and industrially advantageously . the n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrrolidinones of the present invention are useful as a chemical raw material or medical - agricultural drug intermediate , and for example , can be suitably used as a production intermediate of the following compound ( see , wo2004 / 113295 ) which is one of anti - hepatitis c drugs ( hcv drugs ). the present invention will be illustrated in further detail based on examples below , but it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to these examples . to 1158 . 5 g of a toluene solution containing 195 . 5 g ( 1 . 562 mol ) of 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one was added 19 . 08 g ( 0 . 156 mol ) of n , n - dimethylaminopyridine and these were dissolved at 25 ° c . into this solution , a solution composed of 443 . 2 g ( 2 . 031 mol ) of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate and 195 . 5 g of toluene was dropped over a period of 2 hours , and the mixture was thermally insulated at 25 ° c . for 12 hours . to this solution was added 569 . 5 g of 1 % hydrochloric acid and mixed , and liquid - partitioning was caused . an organic layer obtained by liquid - partitioning was washed with 262 . 5 g of a 5 % sodium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution , further washed with 262 . 5 g of water , then , 1652 . 8 g of a toluene solution containing 349 . 7 g ( 1 . 552 mol ) of 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one was obtained . the yield with respect to 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one was 99 . 4 %. the determinate quantity of 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one was obtained by high performance liquid chromatography . as the column , sumipax ods d - 210ff , 4 . 6 mmφ × 150 mm , 3 μm ( manufactured by sumika chemical analysis service , ltd .) was used . to 36 . 0 kg of a toluene solution containing 5 . 89 kg ( 47 . 1 mol ) of ( 1r , 5s )- 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one having an optical purity of 93 . 0 % ee was added 0 . 58 kg ( 4 . 75 mol ) of n , n - dimethyl - aminopyridine , and these were dissolved at 25 ° c . into this solution , a solution composed of 13 . 36 kg ( 61 . 2 mol ) of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate and 5 . 9 kg of toluene was dropped over a period of 3 hours , and the mixture was thermally insulated at 25 ° c . for 2 hours . the reaction progressed quantitatively . to this solution was added 17 . 38 kg of 1 % hydrochloric acid and mixed , and liquid - partitioning was caused . subsequently , the resultant organic layer was washed with 7 . 89 kg of a 5 % sodium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution , further washed with 7 . 9 kg of water , to obtain a toluene solution containing ( 1r , 5s )- 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one . most of toluene in this solution was distilled off by concentration under reduced pressure . to this was added 58 . 8 kg of heptane , and concentration under reduced pressure was carried out to distill off most of the solvent . an operation of substituting this solvent was repeated again , then , to the resultant residue was added 38 . 7 kg of heptane and the mixture was heated up to 50 to 55 ° c ., to dissolve all the deposited crystal . this solution was cooled down to 45 ° c ., then , a seed crystal of ( 1r , 5s )- 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one was added . after confirmation of deposition of a crystal , it was cooled down to 0 ° c . the resultant crystal was filtrated , then , washing with 15 . 9 kg of heptane was carried out twice . then , the product was dried under reduced pressure . 8 . 35 kg ( 37 . 1 mol ) of a crystal of ( 1r , 5s )- 3 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 6 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 1 . 0 ] hexan - 2 - one having an optical purity of 99 . 6 % ee was obtained . the optical purity was measured by high performance liquid chromatography . as the column , chiralcel of , 4 . 6 mmφ × 250 mm , 10 μm ( manufactured by daicel chemical industries , ltd .) was used . the results of 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ) are shown below . δ = 3 . 81 dd ( 1h ), 3 . 59 d ( 1h ), 1 . 88 dd ( 1h ), 1 . 67 dt ( 1h ), 1 . 56 s ( 9h ), 1 . 13 s ( 3h ), 1 . 09 s ( 3h ) 2 . 55 g ( 30 . 0 mmol ) of 2 - pyrrolidinone , 25 . 5 g of toluene and 0 . 37 g ( 3 . 0 mmol ) of n , n - dimethyl - aminopyridine were added , and the temperature of the mixture was adjusted to 25 ° c . into the resultant solution , a solution composed of 8 . 50 g ( 39 . 0 mmol ) of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate and 2 . 55 g of toluene was dropped over a period of 30 minutes , and the mixture was thermally insulated at 25 ° c . for 8 hours . to the resultant solution was added 10 . 9 g of 1 % hydrochloric acid and mixed , then , liquid - partitioning was caused . the resultant organic layer was washed with 5 . 0 g of a 5 % sodium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution , then , further washed with 5 . 0 g of water . the resultant organic layer was concentrated under reduced pressure , to obtain 5 . 70 g of an oily substance containing 5 . 30 g ( 28 . 6 mmol ) of n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone . the determinate quantity of n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone was obtained by gas chromatography . as the column , db - 5 ( 0 . 53 mmφ × 30 m , 1 . 5 μm ) manufactured by j & amp ; j was used . 2 . 97 g ( 30 . 0 mmol ) of succinic imide , 29 . 7 g of toluene and 0 . 37 g ( 3 . 0 mmol ) of n , n - dimethylaminopyridine were added , and the temperature of the mixture was adjusted to 25 ° c . into this solution , a solution composed of 8 . 79 g ( 40 . 3 mmol ) of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate and 4 . 83 g of toluene was dropped over a period of 30 minutes , and the mixture was thermally insulated at 25 ° c . for 24 hours . to this solution was added 10 . 9 g of 1 % hydrochloric acid and mixed , then , liquid - partitioning was caused . next , the resultant organic layer was washed with 5 . 0 g of a 5 % sodium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution , and further washed with 5 . 0 g of water . the resultant organic layer was concentrated under reduced pressure , to obtain 5 . 21 g of an oily substance containing 4 . 22 g ( 21 . 2 mmol ) of n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - succinic imide . the yield of n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - succinic imide with respect to succinic imide was 70 . 7 %. the determinate quantity of n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - succinic imide was obtained by gas chromatography . as the column , db - 1 [ 0 . 25 mmφ × 30 m , 0 . 25 μm ] manufactured by j & amp ; j was used . n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 - pyrrolidinones obtained by the production method of the present invention are useful as chemical raw materials or medical - agricultural drug intermediates . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof . it is understood , therefore , that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed , but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .
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detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention , which may be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure . referring now to the drawings in detail , and initially to fig1 , numeral 20 generally designates a wireless portable vehicle lift system having four individual lifts 22 . although fig1 depicts a four lift system , it should be understood that any combination of two or more lifts can be used . for example , the lift system 20 can employ two , four , six , or eight individual lifts 22 . in certain embodiments , each of the portable lifts 22 is substantially identical . it should also be understood that lift system 20 is not limited for use with vehicles , but also may be used to raise or lower other objects relative to a floor or ground surface , such as aircraft , industrial machinery , shipping containers , construction subassemblies , and the like . the wireless portable vehicle lift system 20 depicted in fig1 can be equipped with an electronic control system that controls the lifts 22 in response to operator commands . the electronic control system can include a wireless communication system that wirelessly communicates lift control signals to , from , and / or among the lifts 22 . as shown in fig1 , of the individual lifts 22 of the lift system 20 can be equipped with a user interface 24 that , after initial set - up of the lift system 20 , permits the entire lift system to be controlled via a single user interface 24 . as discussed in detail below , the user interface 24 can include a touch screen display that enables enhanced operating features of the lift system 20 . for example , when the user interface 24 includes a touch screen display , the touch screen display can be programmed to display a real time animation of the lift positions and / or the vehicle position as the vehicle is lifted and / or lowered by the lift system 20 . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the user interface 24 can include a remote control module that can be readily detached from the lift 22 and used to wirelessly control the lift system 20 , while the lift operator stands away from the lift system 20 . the remote control module can have a touch screen display incorporated therein . when the user interface 24 includes a remote control module , each lift 22 can be equipped with a docking station 26 that allows the remote control module to be removably attached to the lift 22 . the docking station 26 can be configured to allow for easy physical connection and disconnection of the remote control module to and from the lift 22 . further , the docking station 26 can be configured to allow for easy electrical connection and disconnection of the remote control module to and from the lift 22 . the electrical connection between the remote control module and the lift 22 can permit wired communication between the remote control module and the lift 22 when the remote control module is received in the docking station . thus , the remote control module can be used to control the lift system 20 whether it is attached to or detached from the lift 22 . the lift 22 can be equipped with a charger for charging a battery of the remote control module when the remote control module is received on the docking station 26 . in certain embodiments , the user interface 24 can employ a remote control module equipped with wireless communication capability and multimedia functionality . examples of such remote control modules include portable electronic devices such as notebook computers , tablet computers , pdas , and smart phones . in certain embodiments , both the remote control module and each lift 22 can be capable of independently accessing the internet , so that the remote control module can control the lift system 20 via the internet . when the remote control module has both wireless communication capability and multimedia functionality , the remote control module can be used to not only wirelessly control the lifts 22 , but also to contact the lift manufacture or service provider for technical support and / or training . the wireless communication between the remote control module and the lift manufacture or service provider can be accomplished via satellite , the internet and / or via a cellular phone network . to facilitate communication between the operator of the lift system 20 and the entity providing technical support or training , the remote control module can be equipped with a camera , a microphone , and / or a keyboard . the camera can be a still camera or a video camera that allows the operator of the lift system 20 to transmit images or video of the lift system 20 and / or the environment around the lift system to the entity providing technical support or training . the microphone allows the operator of the lift system 20 to verbally communicate with personnel at the technical support or training entity using the remote control module . when the remote control module is equipped with a video camera and a microphone , technical support and / or training can be facilitated via video conference . the keyboard on the remote control module can permit communication between the operator of the lift system 20 and the technical support or training entity via textual messaging . in certain embodiment , the user interface 24 can also include a voice activated command module . when the lift system 20 is equipped with wireless internet capability ( via a remote control module or otherwise ), technical support or training can be greatly enhanced . in addition to the technical support and training features described above , support can also be provided in the form of remote diagnostics , remote troubleshooting of lift problems , and remote tracking and / or storing of lift information . lift information tracked and / or stored can included any lift data that may be relevant to the safety , maintenance , and / or proper operation of the lift system 20 . this lift data can be regularly gathered and stored for use in diagnosing lift problems , notifying lift owners of maintenance needs , and / or warning lift owners of improper lift operation . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the electronic control system comprises a distributed wireless server network configured to collect operational and maintenance data about the lift system . the distributed wireless server network can be capable of being remotely accessed by owners , operators , and / or manufactures of the lift so as to provide real time data to remote parties . such real time data can include operational status , lift operational data , and / or lift diagnostics data . turning now to fig2 a , and 3 b , a wireless portable lift 22 configured in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . the lift 22 can include a base 30 , a post 32 , a carriage assembly 34 , a lift actuator 36 , and a main housing 38 . the base 30 supports the lift on the floor or the ground . the post 32 is rigidly coupled to the base 30 and extends upwardly therefrom . the carriage assembly 34 is configured to engage the wheel of a vehicle and is vertically shiftable relative to the post 32 . the lift actuator 36 is received in the post 32 and is operable to vertically raise and lower the carriage assembly 34 relative to the post 32 and the base 30 . the main housing 38 is attached to the post 32 and encloses many of the components of that make up the control and power systems of the lift 22 . the main housing 38 includes a removable access panel 40 for providing access to various components of the control and power systems . fig3 b provides a view of the back of the lift 22 with the access panel 40 being removed to show certain internal components located in the upper portion of the main housing 38 . in fig3 b , a lower portion of the main housing 38 is also cut away to show certain internal components located in the lower portion of the main housing 38 . the lift 22 generally includes an electrical power supply , an electronic control system , and a hydraulic power system . more specifically , fig3 b shows that the electrical power supply system of the lift 22 can include two rechargeable batteries 42 , a battery charger 44 , and a main power switch 46 ; the electronic control system of the lift 22 can include a modular control unit 48 and an antenna 50 ; and the hydraulic power system of the lift 22 can include a hydraulic reservoir 52 and a hydraulic pump 54 . many other components of the power supply system , electronic control system , and hydraulic power system of the lift 22 are not shown in detail in fig3 b , but will be described in greater detail below . fig3 b shows that the modular control unit 48 includes a user interface 24 that includes a touch screen display 56 and an emergency stop ( e - stop ) switch 58 . fig4 provides a simplified representation of a wireless portable lift system 20 , where each lift 22 is equipped with an enhanced e - stop system . as shown in fig4 , each lift can include a base 30 , a post 32 , a carriage assembly 34 , a power source ( e . g ., battery 42 ), a main power switch 46 , an electronic control system 60 , and a hydraulic power system 62 for vertically shifting the carriage assembly 34 relative to the post 32 . the electronic control system 60 can be used to control the hydraulic power system 62 . the electronic control system 60 can include a touch screen display 56 , an e - stop switch 58 , an antenna 50 , and communication lines 64 a , b . the hydraulic power system 62 can include a hydraulic reservoir 52 , a hydraulic pump 54 , a dump valve 66 , and a hydraulic actuator 36 ( e . g ., a hydraulic cylinder ). the combination of the e - stop switch 58 and the dump valve 66 provides the lift system 20 with enhanced safety , as described below . as shown in fig4 , the dump valve 66 can be shiftable between a powering configuration ( shown by the vertical solid line in the dump valve 66 of fig4 ) and a recirculating configuration ( shown by the horizontal dashed line in the dump valve 66 of fig4 ). when the dump valve 66 is in the powering configuration , the dump valve 66 routes hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump 54 to the hydraulic actuator 36 for use in raising the carriage assembly 34 relative to the post 32 . when the dump valve 66 is in the recirculating configuration , the dump valve 66 routes ( recirculates ) hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump 54 back to the hydraulic reservoir 52 , bypassing hydraulic actuator 36 . an important feature of the dump valve 66 is that it is biased toward the recirculating configuration and is only shifted into the powering configuration when electrical power is supplied to the dump valve 66 . as such , if electrical power is cut to the dump valve 66 , the dump valve 66 automatically shifts into the recirculating configuration . once the dump valve 66 is in the recirculating configuration , the hydraulic actuator 36 cannot be used to raise the carriage assembly 34 , even if the pump 54 continues to run , because hydraulic fluid is diverted around the hydraulic actuator 36 and back to the reservoir 52 . in order to raise the carriage assembly 34 , electrical power must be provided to the dump valve 66 to shift the dump valve 66 into the powering configuration . such instructions to raise the carriage assembly 34 can be received via the touch screen display 56 . upon receiving the raise instructions input from the touch screen display 56 , the electronic control system 60 can communicate a dump valve power - up signal to all the lifts 22 of the system 20 . this dump valve power - up signal ensures that all the dump valves 66 of all the lifts 22 are shifted into a powering configuration in order to raise the lifts 22 . in certain embodiments of the present invention , each lift 22 has an e - stop switch 58 . when the e - stop switch 58 is actuated by an operator of the lift system 20 , the electronic control system 60 sends a signal via communication line 64 b to cut electrical power to the dump valve 56 of the lift 22 on which the e - stop switch 58 was actuated . in addition , when the e - stop 58 switch is actuated , the electronic control system 60 of the lift 22 on which the e - stop was actuated wirelessly transmits an e - stop signal for receipt by the other lifts 22 of the system 20 . once the e - stop signal is received by the other lifts 22 , power is cut to the dump valves 66 of all the lifts 22 of the system 20 . as depicted in fig4 , the lift system 20 can optionally employ a remote control module 70 to wirelessly control the lifts 22 from a location spaced from the lift system 20 . in embodiments where the lift system 20 is controlled using the remote control module 70 that is not rigidly coupled to the lifts 22 , the remote control module 70 communicates wirelessly with components of the lifts 22 that are physically coupled to the lifts 22 . in one embodiment , the remote control module 70 can be a user interface that is readily attached to and detached from one of the lifts 22 . in certain embodiments , only one of the lifts 22 of the lift system is equipped with a detachable remote control unit 70 . in other embodiment , each of the lifts of the lift system 20 includes an identical detachable remote control unit 70 . as depicted in fig4 , the remote control module 70 can be equipped with a touch screen display 56 and an e - stop switch 58 . when the e - stop switch 58 on the remote control module 70 is actuated , the remote control module 70 wirelessly transmits an e - stop signal , which the results in power being cut to all the dump valves 66 on all the lifts 22 of the system 20 . in one embodiment , the e - stop signal transmitted by the remote control module is directly received by each of the lifts 22 of the system 20 . in another embodiment , the e - stop signal transmitted by the remote control module 70 is received by a master lift of the system 20 , and the master lift thereafter communicates the e - stop signal to the remaining slave lifts of the system . referring again to fig4 , in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention , the hydraulic power system 60 of the lift 22 can include one or more features for enhancing performance and reliability of the hydraulic power system 60 . for example , as shown in fig3 b and 4 , the hydraulic pump 54 can have a fluid inlet that is located below the fluid outlet of the hydraulic reservoir 52 . this configuration can be advantageous in that it facilitates gravity feed of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic reservoir to the hydraulic pump 54 . this gravity - feed feature provides improved energy efficiency ( battery life ) over conventional portable lift systems because the hydraulic pump 54 is not required to pump hydraulic fluid up from the reservoir 52 every time the lift 22 is actuated . in addition , the tank used as the hydraulic reservoir 52 can have an enhanced physical configuration . in certain embodiment the hydraulic reservoir 52 can be non - cylindrical , with substantially planar side walls . in one embodiment , the hydraulic reservoir 52 has a generally inverted l configuration , with the hydraulic pump 54 and / or dump valve 66 being at least partly received in the gap of the inverted l . referring now to fig5 a and 5 b , where there is provided an enlarged view of the modular control unit 48 originally described with reference to fig3 b . fig5 a shows the front of the modular control unit 48 in its assembled configuration , while fig5 b shows the modular control unit in an open configuration , revealing its internal components . as depicted in fig5 b , the modular control unit 48 can include a housing 72 into and / or onto which all components of the unit 48 are mounted . specific components mounted on / in the modular control unit 48 include a touch screen display 56 , an e - stop switch 58 , a primary circuit board 74 ( motherboard ), a secondary circuit board 76 ( daughter board ), and a wireless communication device 78 . the wireless communication device 78 can be a radio frequency transceiver . in one embodiment the wireless communication device is an adaptive frequency hopping transceiver . in additions , one or both of the circuit boards 74 , 76 can include a lift control microprocessor 80 for processing information relating to the lift sensors and actuators . the primary circuit board 74 , secondary circuit board 76 , and wireless communication device 78 are mounted inside the housing 72 , where they are protected from the external environment . the touch screen display 56 and e - stop switch 58 are mounted in openings in the front panel 82 of the housing 72 , so that they can be accessed by a lift operator when the housing 72 is closed . in certain embodiments , the front panel 82 of the housing 72 can be equipped with a docking station so that a remote control module that includes the touch screen display 56 can be releasably attached to the modular control unit 48 . one advantage provided by the modular control unit 48 is that it can easily be removed from the lift and replaced by another modular control unit 48 . most of the key components of the lifts electronic control system are included in the modular control unit 48 . thus , if a problem with the lifts electronic control system is experienced , a new modular control unit can simply be shipped to the lift owner and easily swapped out for the old one . this avoids downtime and expense associated with having a service technician travel to the lift location to diagnose and repair a problem with the electronic control system . to facilitate easy change out the modular control unit 48 , the modular control unit 48 can be equipped with electronic communication plugs for electrically connecting the modular control unit 48 to other components of the lift . in certain embodiments , the modular control unit is equipped with not more than five , not more than four , or not more than three electronic communication plugs . for example , one electronic communication plug can be used to connection the wireless communication device 78 of the modular control unit 48 with the antenna 50 ; one electronic communication plug can be used to connect the e - stop switch 58 of the modular control unit 48 to the dump valve 66 ; and one electronic communication plug can be used to connect one or both of the circuit boards 74 , 76 to various sensors or actuators of the lift 22 . referring generally to fig1 - 4 , several enhanced performance and safety features suitable for implementation into the wireless portable lift system 20 will now be briefly described . in particular , the lift system 20 can be provided with an auto - engage performance feature , an auto - resynchronize performance feature , a motion sensing safety feature , obstruction detection safety feature , a physical lockout - tagout safety feature , a pass code safety feature , a training verification safety feature , and / or a dual input safety feature . these various performance and safety features are described immediately below with reference to fig1 - 4 . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the electronic control system 60 of the wireless portable vehicle lift system 20 can be programmed with an auto - engage function that simultaneously raises the carriage assemblies 34 of all of the lifts 22 until the carriage assemblies 34 engage the vehicle wheels and then stops each of the carriage assemblies 34 in an engaged position upon engagement with the wheels . when the lift system 20 is equipped with auto - engage functionality , each of the lifts 22 can include a weight sensing mechanism configured to detect the weight supported by the carriage assembly 34 . the auto - engage function is configured to stop the carriage assembly 34 when the weight sensing mechanism senses a weight above a preset engagement weight . the electronic control system 60 can programmed to use the engaged positions to determine an initial level configuration for the carriage assemblies 34 . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the electronic control system 60 of the portable vehicle lift system 20 can be programmed with an auto - resynchronization function that automatically resynchronizes the vertical positions of the carriage assemblies 34 after an unsynchronized condition has been identified . the electronic control system 60 can be configured to automatically detect the existence of the unsynchronized condition and provide the lift operator with a visual indication of the unsynchronized condition . in certain embodiments of the present invention , each of the lifts 22 of the system 20 can include a lift motion indicator for providing an audible and / or visual warning when the lift 22 is being raised and / or lowered . the lift motion indicator can include a light configured to flash during raising and / or lowering of the lift 22 . the lift motion indicator can additionally or alternatively include an audible alarm that beeps during raising and / or lowering of the lifts 22 . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the lift system 20 can be equipped with an obstruction detection system for detecting foreign objects located below the lifted vehicle prior to lowering the lifted vehicle . the obstruction detection system can be configured to scan the area within the perimeter of the lifts 22 for foreign objects . such scanning can utilize optical , thermal , acoustical , infrared , and / or microwave energy to detect foreign objects . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the lift system can be equipped with a physical lockout - tagout system for preventing unauthorized operation of the lift system . the physical lockout - tagout system can include at least one removable key associated with each lift , wherein insertion or removal of one or more of the keys from one or more of the lifts disables the lift system . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the touch screen display of the user interface 24 can be programmed to include a pass code screen that prompts the operator to enter a pass code prior to operating the lift system 20 . such a pass code screen can include an input section for the operator to input a pass code . the electronic control system 60 can include onboard database , or can have access to a remote database , containing one or more stored authorized pass codes . if a pass code is entered that does not match one of the stored authorized pass codes , the lift system 20 can be rendered inoperable . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the touch screen display of the user interface 24 can be programmed to include a training verification screen that queries the lift operator as to whether the operator has been trained to operate the lift system 20 . the training verification screen can include an input section for the operator to confirm or deny whether the operator has been trained to operate the lift system 20 . the lift system 20 can be rendered inoperable if the operator denies having been trained on the lift system 20 . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the electronic control system 60 of the lift system 20 can be programmed so that movement of the lifts requires dual operator input from at least two locations on the touch screen display of the user interface 24 . the user interface 24 can also include one or more function buttons separate from the touch screen display . in certain embodiments , the electronic control system 60 is programmed so that movement of the lifts requires dual operator input from via both the touch screen display and at least one of the function buttons . fig6 provides a schematic depiction of an electronic control system 100 for a wireless portable lift system , such as the lift system described above . the control system 100 of fig6 includes of a parallel group of microprocessor and microcontroller systems each functioning in a specific task area in a coordinated manner to provide a high performance , safe lifting system . the control system 100 enables a complex coordinated lift involving anywhere from two to twenty independent lifts . the lift or lower must be performed rapidly , and with a high degree of safety and precision . each individual lift involved in the lift ensemble must be capable of tracking its own actions together with the actions of all other lifts in the group and determining as part of a collective intelligence a lift or lower strategy keeping the lifts together , maintaining a high level of safety , precision , and lift integrity . the task of lifting , safety checking , and coordination of the individual tasks in a wireless portable lift system is large and may be difficult or impossible to be done in a real time manner by a single processor in each lift that is single or even multi threaded . because of the safety and performance requirements of the modern portable lift system the inventors have found that the task may advantageously be divided into functional areas with processors accomplishing their individual tasks in a near real time environment . the processors can be tied together with a network or by a direct memory access ( dma ) technology . this method allows all of the processors to share a common area of memory 108 where the individual processors push and pop commands or data between one another and other processors in a multiple lift system in an achromous manner . this method provides for a very rapid response of the system to commands and to the varying conditions in the multi - lift system during a lift or lowering operation , or lift housekeeping tasks . the use of parallel multi - processors is unique in the portable lift industry because up to this point the lifting task has been simple . however , recently the requirements on the lift systems has increased and has become more complicated . thus making use of a single microcontroller would result in degraded safety , lack of capability , and lift performance . by dividing the task into a set of parallel , yet coordinated , set of microprocessors or microcontrollers the more complex tasks as well as the fundamental tasks can be performed more quickly , more safely and with greater precision . in certain embodiments , the multiprocessor system consists of two , three , four , five or six processors in each lifting column . the control processor 102 in the individual lifting columns is an adaptive gain control processor . this processor 102 receives data from all of the sensors 104 in the lift system ensemble as well as the data from its own portable lift sensors including but not limited to pressure , energy use and energy levels , lift height , lift velocity , and parameters that check the environment for the safe use of the lift system . all of this data is used by the collective intelligence of the lifting ensemble to effectively perform a coordinated lift or lower of the ensemble . the adaptive gain processor 102 is also interfaced to all user portable lift ensemble control inputs and emergency requests from sensors or the lift &# 39 ; s operator . this adaptive processor 102 performs control of all actuators , valves , pumps , stops , and emergency equipment 106 . this processor 102 gives and receives commands from the dma data hub area of shared memory 108 for the system , as well as the local controls and display . the adaptive control processor 102 takes advantage of an artificial intelligence algorithm to perform its intended task . this is the ability of the control processor 102 to learn from its environment and use this data to more effectively and safely perform the lifting tasks . control of the individual portable lift system as well as the control of the ensemble of lifts has become more complex due to the increased capability of the newer lift systems and the higher margins of safety that are required . current technology uses a simple text display and a raise lower switch as the input / output devices . the new lift systems must have more elegant and ergonomically designed human interfaces that inform the operator in a clear and concise manner of the operational aspects of the lift when in operation . the interface must allow the operator to easily and safely access the full functionality of the new features of the modern lift system . this interface system can consist of a touch screen display , voice actuated commanding and recognition systems and audio and visual feed back to the operator . this display can be capable of surveying the work area of the lift using such sensors as lidar or acoustic techniques , thus insuring a safe and accident free lift operation . the display processor 110 can communicate using the dma interface to assure near real time functionality . however , a conventional network technology can be used , but it may result in degraded performance . an integral part of the multi - processor lift system 100 is an adaptive communication system 112 for the communication between individual lifts in an ensemble that have a common lifting purpose . it is the responsibility of the communication system to keep all dma areas of all lifts synchronized , and to provide emergency data in the event of an unplanned movement of the lift system or the user . because communication is so critical in a high performance lift system the tolerance for error is very small . it is for this reason that an adaptive rather than a conventional data communication system is chosen . the adaptive communication system 112 is frequency agile , protocol agile , and power agile . the system is capable of changing its rf channel if the current frequency is congested and determining a radio frequency of minimum noise content . this channel agility process occurs on a continual basis during the operation of the lift system . the communication system &# 39 ; s 112 moves are coordinated between the individual adaptive communication processors in the lifting ensemble . the adaptive system 112 uses an artificial intelligence algorithm to learn and adapt to the area of operation . the system , in addition to conventional error processing such as parity and crc checking , can change its message timing and protocol in order to assure no possibility that the system can be jammed or spoofed causing a hazardous movement of the lift system . the adaptive communication system 112 is capable of providing a separate isolated smart rf channel or link for the handling of emergency information in the event of the failure of one or more of the communication processors . the adaptive primary communication system and the smart emergency communication system are dma devices allowing the information programmed for the individual lift columns to be moved rapidly from the display and control processor &# 39 ; s memory to the other lifts in the ensemble in a near real time manner . the adaptive communication processor provides the secure communication link between the individual portable lifts in a lifting ensemble . a smart network server processor / microcontroller 114 provides a link from the individual lifts to the cloud 116 . this link allows the lifts to be part of a collective the intelligence of all lifts of the model type , or that have the server processor / microcontroller 114 as part of their architecture and that have been manufactured by a common manufacturer . the network server processor / microcontroller 114 allows the individual lift to be part of a data sharing network by which individual lifts can share use data , maintenance data , and status , and operational status data with a common server or server family for the purpose of determination of maintained scheduling , malfunction determination , fault analysis , and software and firmware update . this data link takes advantage of local open or secures data networks or cellular data networks . this connection to the cloud 116 allows the remote operation of the lifts , and a remote diagnosis of faults , maintenance practices , and usage of the individual lifts . the multi - processor architecture of control system 100 is configured to make the wireless portable vehicle lift system a high performance , extremely safe and secure , and versatile piece of shop equipment . the multi - processor architecture provides a new communication capability between individual lifts and a unique intelligent network of all lifts in a production family . in view of the foregoing , in certain embodiments of the present invention , each of the portable lifts can be equipped with at least a first microprocessor and a second microprocessor that are configured to communicate with one another , perform distinct tasks operate in parallel , share a common memory , and / or communicate with one another using direct memory access ( dma ) technology . each of the portable lifts can include a common command buffer system for provide communication between the first and second microprocessors . the common command buffer system can include a transmit buffer for transmitting information to the first and second microprocessors and a common receive buffer for receiving information from the first and second microprocessors . in certain embodiments , each of the portable lifts can further include a third microprocessor configured to communicate with the first and second microprocessors . the first , second , and third microprocessors can be configured to operate in parallel , share a common memory , and / or communicate with one another using dma technology . the common transmit buffer , described above , can transmit information to the first , second , and third microprocessors and the common receive buffer can receive information from the first , second , and third microprocessors . in certain embodiments , each of the portable lifts can further include a fourth microprocessor configured to communicate with the first , second , and third microprocessors . the first , second , third , and fourth microprocessors can be configured to operate in parallel , share a common memory , and / or communicate with one another using dma technology . the common transmit buffer can transmit information to the first , second , third , and fourth microprocessors and the common receive buffer can receive information from the first , second , third , and fourth microprocessors . in certain embodiments , each of the lifts can include a lift control system having one or more sensors and one or more actuators . one microprocessors of the lift can be a control microprocessor configured to process information related to the lift control system . the sensors of the lift control system can include a height sensor , a pressure sensor , an energy status sensor , a velocity sensor , and / or an actuator position sensor . the actuators of the lift control system can include the lift actuator , a down - stop actuator , an emergency stop actuator , a hydraulic valve , and / or a hydraulic pump . in certain embodiments , each of the lifts further includes a user interface system having one or more input and / or output devices . one of the microprocessors of the lift can be the interface microprocessor that is configured to process information related to the user interface system . the user interface system can include a touch screen display . the interface microprocessor can be programmed to display at least 40 , 80 , 120 , 160 , 200 , 240 , 280 , 320 , 360 , 400 unique operator interface screens on the touch screen display . further , the user interface can include a voice actuated command module . in certain embodiments , the lift system can include a wireless inter - lift communication system including one or more wireless transmitters and / or wireless receivers associated with each of the lifts . in such an embodiment , one of the microprocessors of the lift can be an inter - lift communication microprocessor configured to process information related to the inter - lift communication system . the wireless transmitters and / or wireless receivers of the inter - lift communication system can include a radio frequency ( rf ) transceiver . in certain embodiments , the inter - lift communication microprocessor can be an adaptive communication microprocessor configured to automatically adjust one or more communication parameters to thereby maintain communication integrity and / or security . such communication parameters can include frequency , protocol , and / or power . the adaptive communication system can be configured to automatically scan communication frequencies and select a frequency with minimal noise . in certain embodiments , the wireless inter - lift communication system can include an artificial intelligence system configured to gather wireless environment information about the local communication environment and control the wireless transmitters and / or wireless receivers based on the wireless environment information . in certain embodiments , the lift system can include a wireless network server communication system transmitting information to and / or from a remote location . in such an embodiment , one of the microprocessors can be a wireless network server communication microprocessor configured to process information related to the network server communication system . the remote location can be at least 10 , 50 , 100 , or 200 miles away from the location of the wireless portable vehicle lift system . the wireless network server communication system can be configured to communicate with the remote location via a cellular telephone network or the internet . in certain embodiments , each of the lifts includes a control microprocessor configured to process information related to the lift control system , an interface microprocessor configured to process information related to the user interface system , an inter - lift communication microprocessor configured to process information related to the inter - lift communication system , and a wireless network server communication microprocessor configured to process information related to the network server communication system . fig7 a and 7 b provide an overall flow diagram outlining major steps involved in operating a wireless portable lift system configured in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention . when the lift unit is initially turned on , the lift unit will perform a self - check of all of the operable systems that control the movement of the lift system or display data or take commands from the operator . if all systems come back with a valid response the unit will determine its state of position ( i . e ., is the lift in the home position or is the lift in some position other than the home position thus telling the central processor that the lift may have been shut off or failed in the lift position ). if the unit is in other than the home position it will measure the weight of the lift forks to determine if there is a vehicle on the lift or is the lift empty . if there is no weight on the system the lift will initiate a request to the operator to return to home . if there is weight on the system the lift system will assure that paws are engaged and that the lift remains in this position until grouped or manually lowered by the operator . the lift now uses the radio link system in a pre - determined default channel and later looking to all available channels to determine if there are other lifts that the lift could be grouped with ( i . e ., lifts that have not been grouped but are on line and transmitting an identification ). the radio will ignore all lifts that are already grouped or are part of another lifting ensemble . if there are no other lifts in the potential ensemble then the lift will initiate a beacon signal on a pre - determined channel indicating that it the first to be on line and it is looking for others that it could be potentially be grouped with . it determines of the 256 channels of communication that are available which one is the clearest channel and places that channel id in the beacon message with its id and type of lift . if the lift determines that it is not the first of the lifts to be powered up by detecting the beacon of an unpaired lift then the lift will listen for the clear channel id and then on the beacon frequency broadcast its id , type of lift and its status . the lift will then initiate the control operator display and indicate that the unit is ready and ready for a lift assignment and continue to broadcast its id , type , and status , and listen for other lifts that might be potential group members . . . ignoring lifts that already are in an ensemble . this loop will continue until the operator initiates the lift and assigns its position in a lifting ensemble . the communication between the adaptive communication device and the control processor is carried out using a communication buffer resident in the control processor . the display , communication processor , network server , and the control processor all function asynchronously using the communication buffer of the control processor . commands , data , and status information is pushed and popped from the register in real time with each independent device acting on the buffer in real time manner ( i . e ., the system is interrupt driven ). in the event of a interrupt failure the system is halted and reset to the initial state of turn on . this serves as an operational self - check of each system and prevents unexpected or un - programmed movement or actions on the part of the individual lift system . if the system senses other unassigned or assigned but not complete grouped units . the system will anticipate a lift assignment . once the unit is requested by the operator as a potential lift for a lifting system it will gather the data of the other lifts as to their position number , number of lifts in the system , unit ids , statuses , heights , weights , and communication channels and protocols and await its lifting assignment . the unit will display on the operator console all other potential lifts and their current position in an assigned lifting ensemble . the operator must now assign the position of the lifting system . the lift will determine if it is a valid lift position from the data from the other lifts . if it is a valid lift position then the unit will broadcast its unit id , status , height , weight , and current assigned position on request by the first unit in the lifting ensemble . at this point the lifts parameters and status are kept current in the transmit receive buffers so that the radio system can reply to inquiries by the first lift to enter the lifting ensemble . if the lifting ensemble is not complete but the lift has an assignment the lift will continue to broadcast its id , status , lifting position , and all lifting parameters in the communication buffer on request of the first unit in the ensemble . if the unit is the first in the ensemble the unit will beacon to all potential lifts requesting them to broadcast their ids , status , and lifting parameters in their communication buffers , as well as broadcasting its own unit id number , assigned position , number in the projected ensemble , channel numbers , and lifting parameters in its communication buffer . the lifting parameters include but are not limited to the status , height , weight , channels , state of emergency , lift rates , and lift acceleration , and move with id . once the lifting ensemble is complete the first unit in the ensemble assumes a pseudo master of the ensemble as far as communication is concerned this unit serves to pole the other units as to their id and lifting and command buffer data . once the lift ensemble is ready it will either be in the home position or the position that the lift system was left in when it was turned off . if the system is in the home position the lifts will ask the user if he wants to auto engage the vehicle to be lifted . if the answer is yes the units are asked to reduce the lift gain and advance in a lifting mode until a predetermined weight is captured on each of the lifts and to then stop and wait for a home or a lift command from the operator . if the lifts are not in the home position each units height will be broadcast to determine if all of the lifts are within the synchronization limit , if so the operator will be asked if he or she wants to auto synchronize the system , meaning all of the lifts will be brought to ⅛ of an inch of each other in height were the lowest units are brought to the height of the highest unit . if the units are not within the predetermined auto synchronization limits the units will error out and the operator will have to manually bring the units into the auto sync region and restart the lift process . or the operator will be asked if he or she wants to operate in the paired mode . once all of the units are at the same height and weight either by an auto engage or by a manual or auto synchronization the ensemble is ready for a command to any of the units to lift or to lower or to park . at this point there is no master or slave relationship between the units in the ensemble each of the units is an independent operator with each unit knowing all other units status and lift parameters via way of the common communication buffer that all units now have . all of the communication buffers are kept in sync by the way of the intelligent radio network of the column ensemble . all units operate off the same communication buffer so a single unit whose buffer is altered by the control operator forwards this communication buffer to all other units which assume the same status thus allowing the system to make a coordinated lift or lower or common stop , emergency shut down or system reset . there is only one intelligent radio that assumes the auto poling responsibility and that is the first unit to be put on line . any of the units can assume the auto poling task by being the first one of the ensemble to be powered on . this first unit &# 39 ; s only unique responsibility is the poling all of the other units in the ensemble and assuring that the communication buffers remain in sync . if any communication buffer is altered by the operator control or emergency stop the first unit &# 39 ; s intelligent radio is responsible for the propagation of the new communication buffer during an operation or shut down . by keeping a common communication buffer within all of the units and having an auto update of the buffers all of the units function as clones of each other thus lifting and lowering in the same manner . the first unit also has the task of choosing the lead lift device in any lifting or lowering operation . the lead lift is the slowest column lift during a lifting operation and the fastest column lift during a lowering operation . each of the lifts tracks the lead lift adjusting its lifting or lowing gain to track the lead lift . any of the lifts can become the lead lift by being the slowest during lifting and fastest during the lowering . the lead lift may not be the same during the lift as during lower . the lead lift is determined by the comparative velocity of each lift at the onset of the lift or lower operation . in the event of an emergency stop or system reset then the lift issuing the stop becomes the lead lift . the stopping lift remains the lead lift until the stop is cleared . the lift where the command to lift or lower is not the lead lift but the command lift the lead lift is driven only by performance during the lifting or lowering operation . fig8 provides a flow diagram outlining steps involved in raising and lowering a wireless portable lift system configured in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention . a raise or lower operation is initiated by one of the lifting columns receiving a command from the operators console and this command alters the common communication buffer and command buffer in all of the units . an initial lift and lower gain that has been predetermined is chosen and the lift or lowering is begun . the velocity of each of the units is immediately reported to the common communication buffer and the slowest unit is determined by all of the columns at once . each of the column lifts then adjusts its lifting or lowering gain so that its velocity is the same as the lead unit . where the lead unit in a lift is the slowest and the lead on a lower is the fastest . this comparison continues during the entire lift or lower operation . the gain of each unit is manifested in the pwm rate that is being used by the control processor to control the orifice of the hydraulic valve from the pump / dump tank to the lifting cylinder of the column . during the lifting or lowering operation , all of the lifts heights are continually monitored to determine if they are staying within a predetermined difference of height . in the event that one or more of the lifting columns does not remain within the predetermined lifting or lowering predetermined parameters the lifting or lowering operation is halted by the offending unit issuing a stop to the lift or lower operation . this unit is now the lead unit . the operator is given notice of the problem and is asked to go to the unit and manually bring the unit to within lifting or lowering difference specifications . once the operator goes to the offending column and performs a manual re - synchronization on the offending column the ensemble lift or lower may be resumed by any of the columns operator consoles . this process is called resynchronization of the lift ensemble . the problem is broadcast by way of the common communication buffer so all of the units in the ensemble are on notice of the problem and it appears on all display consoles of the lifting ensemble . the re - synchronization is usually not necessary except in very unusual lifting or lowering operations as the adaptive gain of the family of control processors works to prevent lift synchronization error . the error should only occur when the difference lifting weight is so extreme that the bandwidth of the adaptable gain is not sufficient to accommodate the lift or lower . this would be the case in the event that the lifted vehicle radically changed weight during a lift or lower operation . a lift or lower may be accomplished from any of the columns in the lifting ensemble . once a lift or lower is initiated on a column this column declares itself the command column and no other column can be used for controlling the lift ensemble until the lifting or lowering operation is complete by the command column . once the operation is complete any of the columns can now become the command column and thus initiate a lifting or lowering operation or any other command of the system . the only event that can remove control from a command column during a lifting or lowering operation is the issue of an emergency stop from any other column . the emergency stop sets the stopping column as lead and control column and remains as such until the stop is cleared at the column . fig9 provides a flow diagram outlining steps involved in parking a wireless portable lift system configured in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention . the park operation is used as a way to transfer the lifted weight of the column system from the hydraulic cylinder to a set of stationary metal stops when the lift is used a single height for a prolonged period of time . it is also used to provide the user of the lifting system with an additional margin of safety when working under the vehicle on the column lift system as the weight supported by a set of metal stops on the lifting column as opposed to the hydraulic lifting cylinder . in the park mode of operation the hydraulic lift mechanism lowers the weight of the vehicle on to the nearest set of mechanical stops and locks the stops into position to assure no movement up or down of the vehicle being lifted . when the park command is executed by the operator the command is placed in the common command data buffer and the command is then sent to all of the command buffers in the lifting ensemble . the height of the column lift is compared with all other lifts to assure that the lifting system is in sync and all lifts are within a predetermined height . the lifts height is compared to the heights of the fixed stops that are on each of the steel columns . if there is a metal stop below the current position of the lift then the control processor will verify that the same condition exists for all of the lifts through the common communication buffer . if all heights are the same and all target stops are the same the gain of the lower command is set very low . the weight of the vehicle is determined and stored . the parking paws are released and set to engage the designated stop . the lower command is given to all lifts through the common communication buffer . the weight supported by the hydraulic system is monitored and the vehicle is lowered until weight is removed from the hydraulic system . when the predetermined weight remains on the hydraulic system the lowering is halted . all units report to each other on the common communication bus that the park has been accomplished and the operator is given a park indication on the operator &# 39 ; s console . in the event that weight has not been removed from all of the hydraulic systems the control processor will enter an error mode indicating that one or more of the parking paws has failed and a park is not possible and the unit halts . the operator is then asked to intervene and check the system for a mechanical fault . if the park command is issued by the operator and the lift happens to be on one of the metal stops or if any of the positions of the lifts are ambiguous with respect to the position of the metal stops , the park command will not be executed and the operator is asked to raise or lower the lift system until the ambiguity can be resolved . this is done to assure that the metal parking paws will engage with the metal stops on the columns . the control processors assure that there is a prescribed clearance above each stop before the park can be executed . this prescribed clearance must be met or exceeded before a coordinated park can be executed . the operators console returns to the command mode . fig1 provides a flow diagram outlining steps involved in un - parking a wireless portable lift system configured in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention . the un - park operation is used to return the column lift system from the park or column weight supported mode to a hydraulic weight supported mode so that the vehicle can be lifted or lowered . the un - park command is issued by the operator from any of the columns operator consoles . on a un - park common command buffer is loaded and sent to all of the columns . if the ensemble is complete and no stops exist the gain of the lifting pwm will be adjusted to a prescribed value , and the command will be given to lift the vehicle a prescribed amount . the individual weights will be monitored and when the derivative of the weight is zero for all of the columns during the lift sequence , and the columns are raised an additional prescribed amount to assure clearance of the stops , the un - park is said to be successful . the parking paws are retracted on all lifts and verified , and the lift is returned to the lifting and lowering mode of operation , or the command mode . the un - park can be accomplished from any of the column lift consoles like the park can be accomplished from any of the column lift consoles . fig1 provides a flow diagram outlining steps involved in operating a wireless portable lift system in a paired mode . the paired operation is used to allow the lift system to move any two of the lift columns of a lift ensemble and operate them independently of the other lifts in the ensemble . during this time other columns in the lift system are locked out from moving unless an e - stop occurs . it is recommended that the paired lifts be assigned to positions opposite each other on either side of the vehicle under lift . the control processors using the intelligent communications processors of the lifting system will verify that the two lifts that have been operator assigned as paired lifts have assigned positions opposite each other in the lifting ensemble . in the event that the two columns do not have opposite positions in the ensemble the control processors will prevent the unit from entering the paired operation . this aspect is to provide a margin of safety for the operator during an asymmetric lift operation . once the operator has selected a valid pair of lifts to be independently operated , the system will lock all other lifting columns in the ensemble . the communication processor will update all command buffers , post all column heights to the common data buffer and set a low raise / lower pid control gain in each of the paired columns that have been selected . the paired set may be operated from either of the paired columns operator consoles . the unit will now allow the operator to operate the paired lifts up or down and allow the raise / lower movement as long as the difference in height of the paired group is within a prescribed distance from the height of the remainder of the lifting columns . this is done to provide a margin of safety to the operator and the vehicle under lift during an asymmetric lifting operation . the units may be parked in any position within the predetermined range of operation . the units will remain in the paired operation until the operator executes an un - pair operation from the operator &# 39 ; s console of the two selected lifts . fig1 provides a flow diagram outlining steps involved un - pairing a wireless portable lift system configured in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention . the un - pair operation is used to return a lifting ensemble from the paired operation and return the ensemble to its full coordinated column lifting mode . the un - pair command can be given from either of the paired column &# 39 ; s operator console . once the command is given the control processors of the paired columns recall the height of the rest of the ensemble and compare it to the current height of the two paired columns . the processor will then issue a small pid raise / lower gain to the control program , the processor will then place on the common data bus for the paired units gains , destination weights , and heights , and using the communication processors perform a coordinated move the columns in a direction that will make the paired column assume the height of the rest of the ensemble . this move is executed by the raise / lower portion of the control programs in each of the lifts . during this lower or lift , the lift weight of each of the rejoining columns is monitored to assure that the column does not assume a dominant or slacker weight of the columns in the ensemble , but will assume its divided share of the weight . once the predetermined heights and weights are reached the ensemble is returned to the full ensemble mode with all columns assuming equal partnership . fig1 provides a flow diagram outlining steps involved in operating an adaptive communication system of a wireless portable lift system configured in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention . the adaptive communication system in each of the column lifts provides communication of all command and control information and in addition provides for a continuous synchronous updating of a common data buffer in each of the lifts . the common data buffer is in the same form in all of the lift systems as no lifting system is either a master or slave . each common data buffer in each lift contains the status and operation of all lifts in the ensemble . this common data buffer is maintained in the control processor of each column lift in the working ensemble . the data buffer contains , communication channel data , frequency data , and current protocol data , all column weights , heights , operational and health status of all lifts , assigned lift positions of all lifts , current mode of operation of all lifts , and a current roll call of all lifts in the ensemble , the buffer also contains security information or encryption data needed to interpret all lift communication and to validate command data . the buffer also contains whether there are other lifts , not in the ensemble , in the working vicinity and whether they are joined in an ensemble . the command data buffer is continually kept up to date by the poling of all of the ensemble columns by the first unit in the ensemble . ( the first unit is defined as the first unit powered up or the beacon unit . this unit can be any of the columns . the only requirement is that it is the first unit powered up .) any unit can initiate the pole of all units . the poling is an asked and answered protocol followed by all data on the member of an ensemble . this reply is heard by all columns and logged in each column . the data is sent in an encrypted form with parity , and a cyclic redundancy check ( crc ) to insure security . the roll call contains multiple calls and requests and retries to insure valid data and provide for data collision reduction . in the event that a column is absent from the roll call or a roll call ceases for a predetermined length of time , the ensemble goes into an error mode with the loss of a column . if the unit returns the error code is removed and normal operation is resumed . if the communication processor is the first column to come on line , the communication processor assumes the polling task . the communication processor with the polling task assumes the task of determining the clearest channel that is to be used by the ensemble for all data and determines the hop sequence based on the assessment of channel activity at the time of power up . the polling processor also is responsible for the periodic assessment of the rf environment in order to keep the used channels as clear as possible . this process is initiated when excessive communication errors are detected on one or more of the column &# 39 ; s data . this communication processor is responsible for establishing the encryption key that will be used by the formed ensemble . all of this channel data is placed on the beacon so that joining columns can adjust their communication processors accordingly . the polling processor will maintain the beacon until all of the units that are to be joined have been acquired . once all units are joined the secure communication occurs to all columns in the form of an asked and answer on the secure channels and designated encryption key . this roll call and movement of the common data buffers continues until the ensemble is dissolved . the communication processor is frequency agile , encryption key agile , protocol agile . all communication processors are the same and can assume the polling task if they are the first that are powered up of an ensemble . fig1 provides a flow diagram outlining steps involved in operating an e - stop system of a wireless portable lift system configured in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention . the e - stop is an overriding system interrupt . the e - stop performs two operations . first the e - stop removes power from all of the mosfets that drive the pump and valves of the unit where the e - stop is executed . this action causes the dump valve to open and the output of the pump to be jettisoned to the dump tank . the dump valve is executed in the event of the failure of the main power contactor in the on position . the e - stop assures that the hydraulic circuit is broken thus assuring a positive stop to the hydraulic circuit . this action assures that the unit where the local e - stop is pressed comes to a positive halt . second the e - stop alerts the control processor of the condition , places the e - stop message in the common communication buffer and the intelligent communications processor broadcasts an e - stop message so all other lift columns are also sent into the e - stop mode as well . the broadcast e - stop message causes a termination of power to the active hydraulic components of all of the members of the ensemble . the e - stopped unit now becomes the command and the lead unit for purposes of control of the column lift ensemble . in the event of a communication and control buffer failure the column will offending column lift will exhibit a communication failure causing all columns go into a failure to sync and halt all motion . in the event of the failure of or locking of any of the control processors the separate cop watchdog processor in the effected column will perform a cold reset of the processor causing a loss of ensemble communication thus causing the entire ensemble to halt . there are three levels of emergency stop . a controlled stop under processor control , a stop by the issuing of the halt command in the common communication buffer thus causing the entire ensemble to halt , and a cop watchdog system reset resulting in loss of system sync and halting of the entire ensemble . if the later occurs , this failure requires the e - stop to be cleared and the system to be restarted from scratch . if the first occurs the e - stop can be cleared by resetting the e - stop button and the ensemble will continue with the lift operations . the e - stop is designed to be a positive halt to the column lift system . the same result as a cop watchdog stop can be obtained if the operator turns the main power switch off on any one of the ensemble . the ensemble has to restart from scratch . a cop watchdog and a power down is an absolute halt of the column lift system requiring operator intervention . fig1 - 18 provide simplified representations of wireless portable lift system configurations within which one or more of the inventive features discussed above can be implemented . although each of the lift systems depicted in fig1 - 18 show four lifts , it should be understood than any number of lifts can be used . fig1 depicts a wireless portable lift system utilizing a remote control module that provides two - way wireless communication with each individual lift of the system . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , the individual lifts only communicate with one another via the remote control module . as such , direct lift - to - lift two - way wireless communication need not be used during operation of the lift system . each lift of the system can include a height sensor so that the information wirelessly communicated between the lifts and the remote control module can include information regarding the height of the carriage assembly of each lift . the remote control module employed in the system of fig1 can be configured in the manner describe above with reference to fig1 - 4 . fig1 depicts a wireless portable lift system utilizing a remote level sensor located on a vehicle as the vehicle is being raised and lowered . the level sensor can be used to gather and wirelessly transmit information regarding the level condition of the vehicle . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , the level detector only communicates with a master lift having a height sensor . using height information gathered from the height sensor on the master lift and level information gathered from the remote level sensor , the master lift can determine the height of all the slave lifts . in such a configuration , it may not be necessary for the lifts to employ two - way communication with one another . rather , the master lift can communicate instructions to the slave lifts without receiving feedback from the slave lifts , while still ensuring that the vehicle being lifted is not undesirably out of level . fig1 depicts a wireless portable lift system utilizing a remote height sensor located on a vehicle as the vehicle is being raised and lowered . the remote height sensor can be used to gather and wirelessly transmit information regarding the height of the vehicle to a master lift . in certain embodiments , the remote height sensor can be a directional height sensor that also gathers information regarding the level condition of the vehicle . in such an embodiment , the height detector need only communicate with the master lift . using height and level information from the height detector , the master lift can determine the height of all the lifts . in such a configuration , it may not be necessary for the lifts to employ two - way communication with one another . rather , the master lift can communicate instructions to the slave lifts without receiving feedback from the slave lifts , while still ensuring that the vehicle being lifted is not undesirably out of level . fig1 depicts a wireless portable lift system utilizing velocity controllers , rather than height sensors , to ensure that the vehicle is maintained in a substantially level condition during raising and lowering . in such an embodiment , it is not necessary for height signals to be communicated between lifts . rather , each lift is set to only operate within a certain narrow velocity range , so that the relative heights of the lifts stay within a certain narrow range . such a velocity controller can be used instead of height sensors or in conjunction with height sensors to ensure proper leveling of the vehicle during lifting . it is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein , it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown .
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referring now to the drawings , and , in particular , to fig1 there is shown a heat - sealed package 10 in the form of a four - side seal having front and back opposing walls provided with top , bottom and side peripheral seals 12 which define a compartment or pouch 14 . the heat - sealed package has a form - fill - seal construction wherein opposing , heat sealable webs are provided with side and bottom peripheral seals to form a compartment for receiving and holding a dispensable product and thereafter the package is completed by providing the compartment with a top peripheral seal . in order to facilitate the opening of the package , the compartment 14 is provided with an inner seal 16 which incorporates a pivotally disposed 18 , die - cut 20 , swing - out flap 22 that defines a finger traversing aperture 24 , as shown in fig2 . the inner seal is advantageously positioned near the top seal . the sealing mechanism for preparing the inner seal can be included in the top sealing platen , in which event the top seal and inner seal are formed in one step , or a separate sealing platen can be utilized to form the inner seal . the die - cut 20 , which forms the swing - out flap 22 , is preferably made after the package is completed , but , if desired , the die - cut can be made substantially simultaneously with the formation of the inner seal . to open the heat - sealed package described herein , one hand is used to grip the package and one finger from the other hand is passed through the aperture of the inner seal whereupon a pull - apart force is applied to the package to remove an upper segment 26 of the package so as to provide one or more openings 28 for dispensing contents from the main body 30 of the package , as shown in fig2 . other embodiments of this invention are shown in fig3 - 6 . in fig3 the inner seal 32 and its swing - out flap 34 have a triangular configuration and this seal is triangularly aligned at a corner 36 of the package . in fig4 the package is provided with first and second semi - circular inner seals 38 , 40 having first and second semi - circular swing - out flaps , respectively , 42 , 44 . in fig5 the package is provided with a circular inner seal 46 having a circular , finger traversing aperture 48 . in fig6 the package is provided with an inner seal 50 having a slit - type finger traversing aperture 52 and a portion of the inner seal is sealingly bridged 54 to the peripheral seal 12 . the tear - open structure of this invention can be incorporated into heat - sealed packages of diverse configuration and construction including the four - side seal , the three - side seal and the pillow type . it is particularly well suited for incorporation into heat - sealed packages containing fluidic products such as hair and other body - care preparations , food dressings and the like . since these packages are frequently opened under conditions where the hands are wet or oily , the presence of the perforated inner seal in the package compartment permits finger gripping traversal of the package to thereby facilitate the opening of such packages . this feature is particularly advantageous where the heat - sealed package is constructed from a high - strength laminate such as a polyethylene / polyester laminate , since such packages are particularly difficult to tear open when the hands are wet or oily . while in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention , it will be understood , of course , that minor changes may be made in the details of construction as well as in the combination , arrangement , and composition of parts , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed .
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attention is initially directed to fig1 and 2 which illustrate a preferred feedthrough pin subassembly 10 utilized in accordance with the present invention . the subassembly 10 is comprised of an elongate pin 12 , preferably formed of a solid electrically conductive material , having low electrical resistance and high corrosion resistance such as platinum iridium , preferably 90pt / 10ir . the pin 12 extends through , and is hermetically sealed to a header 14 . the header 14 is comprised of dielectric disks , e . g ., ceramic , 16 and 18 which sandwich a glass hollow cylinder 20 therebetween . the glass hollow cylinder is hermetically sealed to the pin 12 . the outer surface of the glass hollow cylinder 20 is sealed to the inner surface of an electrically conductive hollow member 22 , e . g ., titanium - 6ai - 4v . as will be seen hereinafter , the conductive hollow material 22 functions as a battery case endcap in the final product to be described hereinafter . attention is now directed to fig3 , and 5 which illustrate a preferred positive electrode strip 30 which is utilized in the fabrication of a preferred spirally wound jellyroll electrode assembly in accordance with the present invention . the positive electrode strip 30 is comprised of a metal substrate 32 formed , for example , of aluminum . positive electrode active material 34 , 36 is deposited , respectively on the upper and lower faces 38 and 40 of the substrate 32 . note in fig3 , and 5 that the right end of the substrate 32 is bare , i . e . devoid of positive active material on both the upper and lower faces 38 , 40 . it is to be pointed out that exemplary dimensions are depicted in fig1 - 5 and other figures herein . these exemplary dimensions are provided primarily to convey an order of magnitude to the reader to facilitate an understanding of the text and drawings . although the indicated dimensions accurately reflect one exemplary embodiment of the invention , it should be appreciated that the invention can be practiced utilizing components having significantly different dimensions . [ 0039 ] fig6 depicts an early process step for manufacturing a battery in accordance with the invention utilizing the pin subassembly 10 ( fig1 ) and the positive electrode strip 30 ( fig3 - 5 ). a topside electrode insulator ( not shown ), which may comprise a thin disk of dupont kapton ® polyimide film , is slipped onto the pin 12 adjacent the header 14 . in accordance with the present invention , the bare end of the electrode strip substrate 32 is electrically connected to the pin 12 preferably by resistance spot welding , shown at 44 . alternatively , substrate 32 may be ultrasonically welded to the pin 12 . the thinness , e . g . point 0 . 02 mm of the substrate 32 , makes it very difficult to form a strong mechanical connection between the substrate and the pin 12 . accordingly , in accordance with a significant aspect of the present invention , an elongate c - shaped mandrel 48 is provided to mechanically reinforce the pin 12 and secure the substrate 32 thereto . the mandrel 48 preferably comprises an elongate titanium or titanium alloy such as ti - 6ai4v tube 50 having a longitudinal slot 52 extending along the length thereof . the arrow 54 in fig6 depicts how the mandrel 48 is slid over the pin 12 and substrate 32 , preferably overlaying the line of spot welds 44 . the mandrel 48 , pin 12 , and substrate 32 are then preferably welded together , such as by resistance spot welding or by ultrasonic welding . alternatively , the mandrel 48 may be crimped onto the pin 12 at least partially closing the “ c ” to create a strong mechanical connection . in the case of forming only a mechanical connection and not necessarily a gas - tight electrical connection between the mandrel 48 and the pin and substrate , the mandrel material is preferably made of a material that will not lead to electrolysis . when used with electrolytes that tend to - contain hydrofluoric acid , the mandrel is preferably made of 304 , 314 , or 316 stainless steels or aluminum or an alloy thereof chosen for its compatibility with the other materials . fig7 is an end view showing the step of crimping the mandrel 48 to the pin 12 and substrate 32 . supporting die 126 is used to support the mandrel 48 and crimping dies 124 and 125 are used to deform the edges of the mandrel 48 to bring them closer together and mechanically connect the mandrel 48 to the pin 12 and substrate 32 . by crimping in the direction of arrows 127 and 128 , a strong connection is formed without damaging the thin electrode or disturbing the electrical connection between the pin and the electrode . [ 0041 ] fig8 is an end view showing the slotted mandrel 48 on the pin 12 with the substrate 32 extending tangentially to the pin 12 and terminating adjacent the interior surface of the mandrel tube 50 . the tube 50 is preferably sufficiently long so as to extend beyond the free end of the pin 12 . as depicted in fig9 this enables a drive key 56 to extend into the mandrel slot 52 . [ 0042 ] fig1 schematically depicts a drive motor 60 for driving the drive key 56 extending into mandrel slot 52 . with the pin subassembly header 14 supported for rotation ( not shown ), energization of the motor 60 will orbit the key drive 56 to rotate the mandrel 48 and subassembly 10 around their common longitudinal axes . the rotation of the mandrel 48 and subassembly 10 is employed to form a jellyroll electrode assembly in accordance with the present invention . more particularly , fig1 depicts how a jellyroll electrode assembly is formed in accordance with the present invention . the bare end of the substrate 32 of the positive electrode strip 30 is electrically connected to the pin 12 as previously described . the conductive mandrel 48 contains the pin 12 and bare substrate end , being welded to both as previously described . a strip of insulating separator material 64 extending from opposite directions is introduced between the mandrel 48 and positive electrode substrate 32 , as shown . a negative electrode strip 70 is then introduced between the portions of the separator material extending outwardly from mandrel 48 . the preferred exemplary negative electrode strip 70 is depicted in fig1 - 15 . the negative electrode strip 70 is comprised of a substrate 72 , e . g . titanium , having negative active material formed on respective faces of the substrate . more particularly , note in fig1 that negative active material 74 is deposited on the substrate upper surface 76 and negative active material 78 is deposited on the substrate lower surface 80 . fig1 depicts the preferred configuration of the inner end 82 of the negative electrode strip 70 shown at the left of fig1 and 13 . fig1 depicts the configuration of the outer end 83 of the negative electrode strip 70 shown at the right side of fig1 and 13 . note in fig1 that one face of the substrate inner end 82 is bared . this configuration can also be noted in fig1 which shows how the negative substrate inner end 82 is inserted between turns of the separator strip 64 . after the strip 70 has been inserted as depicted in fig1 , the aforementioned drive motor 60 is energized to rotate pin 12 and mandrel 48 , via drive key 56 , in a counterclockwise direction , as viewed in fig1 . rotation of pin 12 and mandrel 48 functions to wind positive electrode strip 30 , separator strip 64 , and negative electrode strip 70 , into the spiral jellyroll assembly 84 , depicted in fig1 . the assembly 84 is comprised of multiple layers of strip material so that a cross section through the assembly 84 would reveal a sequence of layers in the form pos / sep / neg / sep / pos / sep / neg /. . . , etc . [ 0046 ] fig1 depicts a preferred configuration of the outer end 83 of the negative electrode strip 70 . note that the outer end 88 of the substrate 72 is bared on both its top and bottom faces . additionally , as shown in fig1 , a flexible metal tab 90 is welded crosswise to the substrate 72 so as to extend beyond edge 92 . more particularly , note that portion 94 of tab 90 is cantilevered beyond edge 92 of negative electrode strip 70 . this tab portion , as will be described hereinafter , is utilized to mechanically and electrically connect to an endcap for closing a battery case . attention is now called to fig1 , which illustrates a preferred technique for closing the jellyroll assembly 84 . that is , the bared end 88 of the negative electrode substrate 72 extending beyond the negative active material coat 78 is draped over the next inner layer of the jellyroll assembly 84 . the end 88 can then be secured to the next inner layer , e . g ., by appropriate adhesive tape 96 . one such suitable adhesive tape is dupont kapton ® polyimide tape . it is important to note that the outer end configuration 88 of the negative electrode strip 70 enables the outer radius dimension of the jellyroll assembly 84 to be minimized as shown in fig1 . more particularly , by baring the substrate 72 beyond the active material 78 , the tape 96 is able to secure the substrate end without adding any radial dimension to the jellyroll assembly . in other words , if the outer end of the substrate were not sufficiently bared , then the tape 96 would need to extend over the active material and thus add to the outer radius dimension of the jellyroll 84 . furthermore , the bare substrate 72 is more flexible than the substrate coated with active material 78 and conforms more readily to the jellyroll assembly 84 , making it easier to adhere it to the surface of the jellyroll . these space savings , although seemingly small , can be clinically important in certain medical applications . it should be noted that the electrode need only be bared at an end portion long enough to accommodate the tape 96 , as shown in fig1 . because the uncoated substrate does not function as an electrode , it would waste space in the battery to bare any more than necessary to accommodate the tape . in a preferred embodiment , the length of uncoated substrate is between 1 and 8 mm , and more preferably about 2 mm . [ 0048 ] fig1 depicts the completed jellyroll assembly 84 and shows the cantilevered tab portion 94 prior to insertion into a battery case body 100 . the case body 100 is depicted as comprising a cylindrical metal tube 101 having an open first end 104 and open second end 106 . arrow 107 represents how the jellyroll assembly 84 is inserted into the cylindrical tube 101 . fig2 depicts the jellyroll assembly 84 within the tube 101 with the cantilevered negative electrode tab 94 extending from the case open second end 106 . the case open first end 104 is closed by the aforementioned header 14 of the pin subassembly 10 shown in fig1 and 2 . more particularly , note that the metal hollow member 22 is configured to define a reduced diameter portion 108 and shoulder 110 . the reduced diameter portion 108 is dimensioned to fit into the open end 104 of the cylindrical tube 101 essentially contiguous with the tube &# 39 ; s inner wall surface . the shoulder 110 of the hollow member 22 engages the end of the case tube 101 . this enables the surfaces of the reduced diameter portion 108 and shoulder 110 to be laser welded to the end of the case 100 to achieve a hermetic seal . attention is now directed to fig2 - 24 , which depict the tab 94 extending from the second open end 106 of the case tube 101 . note that the tab 94 extends longitudinally from the body close to the case tube adjacent to tube &# 39 ; s inner wall surface . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , the tab 94 is welded at 110 to the inner face 112 of a circular second endcap 114 . in accordance with a preferred embodiment , the tab 94 is sufficiently long to locate the weld 110 beyond the center point of the circular endcap 114 . more particularly , note in fig2 - 24 that by locating the weld 110 displaced from the center of the cap 114 , the tab 94 can conveniently support the endcap 114 in a vertical orientation as depicted in fig2 misaligned with respect to the open end 106 . this end cap position approximately perpendicular to the end 122 of the case 100 is a first bias position wherein the end cap advantageously tends to remain in that orientation with the case end open prior to filling . to further describe the relationship between the weld location and the various components , fig2 shows a front view with various dimensions . l represents the length from the weld 110 to the top of the case 100 as measured parallel to the edge of the case . r is the radius of the end cap 114 . for the preferred geometry , l ≦ 2r . weld 110 is preferably made above the center point 111 of the end cap 114 . preferably , the end cap 114 overlaps the case 100 by approximately r / 2 . by configuring the tab 94 and weld 110 as indicated , the endcap 114 can be supported so that it does not obstruct the open end 106 , thereby facilitating electrolyte filling of the case interior cavity via open end 106 . a filling needle or nozzle can be placed through open end 106 to fill the case . this obviates the need for a separate electrolyte fill port , thereby reducing the number of components and number of seals to be made , thus reducing cost and improving reliability . furthermore , for small medical batteries , the end caps would be very small to have fill ports therein . in a preferred embodiment in which the case wall is very thin , for example , 0 . 002 inches , providing a fill port in the side wall of the case would be impractical . even in the case of larger devices where space is less critical and the wall is more substantial , providing a fill port in the side of the case would mean the electrolyte would have a very long path length to wet the jellyroll . note that while the case could be filled with electrolyte prior to welding tab 94 to endcap 114 , it would be difficult and messy to do so . therefore , it is advantageous to configure the tab 94 and weld 110 as described to allow the weld to be made prior to filling . preferably before filling , a bottomside electrode insulator ( not shown ), which may comprise a thin disk of dupont kapton ® polyimide film , is installed into the case between the rolled electrode assembly and the still open end of the battery case . in a preferred filing method , there is a channel of air between the pin and the crimped or welded c - shaped mandrel , which is used as a conduit for quickly delivering the electrolyte to the far end of the battery and to the inside edges of the electrodes within the jellyroll . filling from the far end of the battery prevents pockets of air from being trapped , which could form a barrier to further filling . this facilitates and speeds the filling process , ensuring that electrolyte wets the entire battery . thereafter , the flexible tab 94 can be bent to the configuration depicted in fig2 . note that the endcap 114 is configured similarly to header hollow member 22 and includes a reduced diameter portion 118 and a shoulder 120 . the reduced diameter portion snugly fits against the inner surface of the wall of tube 101 with the endcap shoulder 120 bearing against the end 122 of the cylindrical case 100 . the relatively long length of the tab 94 extending beyond the center point of the endcap surface 112 minimizes any axial force which might be exerted by the tab portion 94 tending to longitudinally displace the endcap 114 . the end cap position covering the end 122 of the case 100 is a second bias position wherein the end cap advantageously tends to remain in that orientation prior to welding . with the endcap in place , it can then be readily welded to the case wall 101 to hermetically seal the battery . with tab 90 welded to negative substrate 72 and with the negative electrode strip 70 as the outermost layer of the jellyroll , the endcap 114 becomes negative . in turn , welding the endcap 114 to the case 100 renders the case negative . from the foregoing , it should now be appreciated that an electric storage battery construction and method of manufacture have been described herein particularly suited for manufacturing very small , highly reliable batteries suitable for use in implantable medical devices . although a particular preferred embodiment has been described herein and exemplary dimensions have been mentioned , it should be understood that many variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art falling within the spirit of the invention and the intended scope of the appended claims .
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in the digital speed control shown in fig1 a speed signal 10 is received from the vehicle at the &# 34 ; speed signal in &# 34 ; terminal . the speed signal is in the form of a series of pulses as illustrated in fig2 a . as the speed of the vehicle increases , the number of pulses per unit of time increases proportionately . thus , speed signal 10 represents the actual speed of the vehicle at any instant of time . the speed signal 10 may be derived in any of the number of ways known for generating a series of pulses responsive to the speed of a moving vehicle . for example , speed signal 10 may be generated by a rotating gear operatively connected to the drive train rotating at a speed proportional to the speed of the vehicle and inducing impulses into a detector as each gear tooth passes by the detector . the number of pulses produced per unit of time is proportional to the speed of the vehicle . in other words , the frequency of the speed signal is proportional to the speed of the vehicle . a reference clock 11 produces three series of pulses , two of which are shown in fig2 b and 2c . reference clock 11 produces the three pulse trains as follows . a digital clock produces pulse train xr at output 12 of reference clock 11 . pulse train xr has a frequency which is low compared to the speed signal 10 at normal driving speeds . binary dividers within reference clock 11 divide the frequency of pulse train xr to produce a pulse train r shown in fig2 b . the frequency of reference clock r is much lower than the frequency of speed signal 10 shown in fig2 a . it is within the scope of the invention , however , to provide reference clock pulse train r timing having a much higher frequency than the speed signal . choice of timing schemes may be dictated by digital equipment limitations and not theory . therefore , for purposes of the following discussion , reference will be made only to a timing scheme employing a reference clock pulse train r that is lower than the frequencs of the speed signal . reference clock pulse train r is further divided by two , within reference clock 11 , to produce a pulse train r / 2 at output 13 . reference clock pulse train r / 2 is shown in fig2 c . an inverter 14 operates upon r / 2 to produce the wave form shown in fig2 d . the inverted r / 2 wave form will hereinafter be referred to as r / 2 . to engage the digital speed control , the vehicle operator adjusts the speed of the vehicle to the desired value and activates a set speed switch 15 . activating switch 15 triggers a memory loader 16 which causes a memory counter 17 to count and store the number of speed signal pulses for one r period of the reference clock shown in fig2 b . thus , the number of speed signal pulses stored in any r clock period is a binary digital number proportional to the speed of the vehicle during that r clock period . the desired speed of the vehicle , which is proportional to the number of speed signal pulses stored in memory counter 17 , is hereinafter referred to as the &# 34 ; set speed .&# 34 ; to understand more fully how memory loader 16 and memory counter 17 operate , reference is made to a timing generator 18 . timing generator 18 receives speed signal pulses 10 and the r output of reference clock 11 . timing generator 18 produces output pulses t . sub . o , t o / 2 and ( t o / 2 )&# 39 ; shown in fig2 e , 2f and 2g respectively . as shown in fig2 timing pulse t o rises to a preselected potential at the initiation of the first r reference clock pulse occurring at time t o . at the initiation of the next speed signal timing pulse , occurring at time t 1 , timing pulse t o returns to zero . at the initiation of the next r reference clock pulse , occurring at time t 2 , timing pulse t o again rises to the preselected potential and falls to zero at time t 3 , which time is coincident with the initiation of the next speed signal pulse . similarly , timing pulse t o rises up at time t o &# 39 ; and falls at t 1 &# 39 ;, rises up at time t 2 &# 39 ; and falls at time t 3 &# 39 ;. timing generator 18 uses timing pulse t o to make timing pulses t o / 2 and ( t o / 2 )&# 39 ;. timing pulse t o is derived from every odd numbered t o timing pulse . thus t o / 2 timing pulses coincide with the beginning of each r / 2 clock period . timing pulse ( t o / 2 )&# 39 ; is derived from every even numbered t o timing pulse . thus t o / 2 timing pulses coincide with the beginning of each r / 2 clock period . it is within the scope of the invention to derive the t o / 2 and ( t o / 2 )&# 39 ; timing pulses from the r / 2 and r / 2 clock pulses respectively . memory loader 16 receives speed signal pulses 10 , r reference clock pulses , and a t o timing pulse . when set speed switch 15 is activated , memory loader 16 is enabled to operate at the beginning of the next r clock period . referring to fig2 assume that set speed switch 15 is activated a time t s . the next r clock period will begin at time t o . at time t o , a t o timing pulse resets memory counter 17 via the reset line and speed signal 10 is directed by memory loader 16 via the memory clock line to memory counter 17 . memory counter 17 is a digital counter clocked by speed signal 10 , which counts for one r clock period . at time t o &# 39 ;, memory counter 17 ceases counting and memory loader 16 completes its function until set speed button 15 is depressed to enter a new set speed . since memory counter 17 has counted the number of speed signal pulses in a known period of time , i . e ., one r clock period , the digital number stored therein is proportional to the set speed of the vehicle during that r clock period which immediately follows activation of set speed switch 15 . a speed counter , 19 , which is a digital counter , is clocked by either speed signal 10 or the xr output of reference clock 11 , and is reset to zero by a t o / 2 timing pulse . a digital comparator , 20 , receives inputs from memory counter 17 , and speed counter 19 . when the outputs of memory counter 17 and speed counter 19 coincide , digital comparator 20 outputs a pulse to an output logic 21 . the operation of output logic 21 will be explained in detail later . speed counter 19 is clocked as follows . the xr pulse train and r / 2 are fed to a first and gate 22 . speed signal 10 and r / 2 are fed to a second and gate 23 . the outputs of first and second and gates 22 and 23 are fed to an or gate 24 . the output of or gate 24 is used to clock speed counter 19 . referring to fig2 from time t o until time t 2 , r / 2 will be high and r / 2 will be low . thus , and gate 23 will be enabled and and gate 22 will be disabled , therefore speed signal 10 will clock speed counter 19 via and gate 23 and or gate 24 . from time t 2 until time t o &# 39 ;, r / 2 will be low and r / 2 will be high . thus and gate 23 will be disabled and and gate 22 will be enabled , therefore the xr output of reference clock 11 will clock speed counter 19 via and gate 22 and or gate 24 . fig2 h shows the output of speed counter 19 . the line labeled &# 34 ; set speed &# 34 ; represents a count corresponding to the output of memory counter 17 . if the &# 34 ; set speed &# 34 ; line were higher , the set speed of the vehicle would be higher . conversely , if the &# 34 ; set speed &# 34 ; line were lower , the set speed of the vehicle would be lower . at time t o , t o &# 39 ;, etc ., timing pulse t o / 2 resets speed counter 19 and digital comparator 20 follows to zero in response to speed counter 19 . from time t o until time t 2 speed counter 19 is clocked by speed signal 10 . from time t 2 until time t o &# 39 ; speed counter 19 is clocked by the xr output of reference clock 11 . at a time t 4 , the output of speed counter 19 equals that of memory counter 17 causing digital comparator 20 to output a pulse as shown in fig2 . the output of comparator 20 remains high , and speed counter 19 continues to count until time t o &# 39 ;, when they are reset to zero in response to a t o / 2 timing pulse . output logic 21 controls the speed of the vehicle as follows . output logic 21 receives timing pulses t o / 2 and ( t o / 2 )&# 39 ; from timing generator 18 , and the output of digital comparator 20 . the output of logic 21 is amplified by an output amplifier 25 which in turn drives a throttle actuator 26 . throttle actuator 26 directly controls the speed of the vehicle . the operation of output logic 21 can be explained with reference to the logic diagram of fig3 . an outut flip - flop 27 is set upon receipt of a ( t o / 2 )&# 39 ; pulse and reset via an or gate 28 upon receipt of a pulse from digital comparator 20 or a t o / 2 pulse from timing generator 18 . the output of output flip - flop 27 is fed to output amplifier 25 via a third and gate 29 . the system may be disengaged or engaged by means of a disengage flip - flop 30 . it should be remembered that output flip - flop 27 is gated to drive throttle actuator 26 by a third and gate 29 . third and gate 29 is enabled and disabled by the output of disengage flip - flop 30 . when the disengage flip - flop is set , the logical one output enables and gate 29 . thus the output from flip - flop 27 is able to drive throttle actuator 26 . when the disengage flip - flop is reset , the logical zero output disables and gate 29 to cut off the output of flip - flop 27 from throttle actuator 26 . a disengage pulse to reset flip - flop 30 may be generated by applying the brakes of the vehicle , or by moving the transmission to a neutral position . to re - engage the system , a resume speed switch 31 is activated to generate a pulse to set flip - flop 30 to enable third and gate 29 to gate the output of flip - flop 27 to throttle actuator 26 . the generation of the throttle actuator signal may be explained with reference to fig2 and 3 . a ( t o / 2 )&# 39 ; pulse occurring at time t 2 sets output flip - flop 27 . when speed counter 19 counts up to the set speed , the output of digital comparator 20 resets flip - flop 27 at time t 4 . digital comparator 20 is reset in response to a t o / 2 pulse at time t o &# 39 ;. if the actual speed of the vehicle is less than the set speed , the comparator will output a pulse after time t 2 . the length of time from time t o until t 4 is proportional to the difference in speed between the set speed and the actual speed of the vehicle . to produce a square wave having a pulse width proportional to this difference in speed , output flip - flop 27 is set by a t o / 2 pulse at time t 2 , and reset by the digital comparator at time t 4 . if the actual speed of the vehicle is much lower than the set speed , speed counter 19 may never count up to the set speed prior to the beginning of the next r / 2 clock period . to insure that output flip - flop 27 will be reset in time for the next ( t o / 2 )&# 39 ; timing pulse , a t o / 2 timing pulse resets flip - flop 27 at times t o , t o &# 39 ;, etc . therefore , the maximum duty cycle of output logic 21 is 50 percent . if the actual speed of the vehicle is equal to the set speed , speed counter 19 will count up to the set speed at time t 2 . when this occurs the throttle actuator signal will be inhibited and no throttle will be applied . this condition will produce a zero voltage command to throttle actuator 26 . if the actual vehicle speed is greater than the set speed , speed counter 19 will count up to the set speed at a time t 5 , prior to time t 2 &# 39 ;. the output of digital comparator 20 will occur at time t 5 and will inhibit output flip - flop 26 from being set at time t 2 &# 39 ; by timing pulse ( t o / 2 )&# 39 ;. thus no throttle will be applied and the vehicle will slow down to the set speed . the output of logic 21 is therefore a pulse width modulated square wave having a pulse width proportional to the difference in speed between the set speed and the actual speed of the vehicle , so long as the actual speed of the vehicle is less than the set speed . if the actual speed of the vehicle is greater than the set speed , no throttle will be applied until the speed of the vehicle falls to just below the set speed . throttle actuator 26 directly controls the throttle , and thus the speed of the vehicle . throttle actuator 26 may be an electro - pneumatic device responsive to a pulse width modulated signal . typically , actuator 26 overrides the normal throttle control of the vehicle when the digital speed control is engaged . when the system is engaged , if no voltage is applied to actuator 26 , zero throttle is applied to the vehicle . as the pulse width of the input voltage to actuator 26 increases , the average voltage increases proportionately , and the speed of the vehicle increases , as shown in fig4 . referring to fig4 if the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the set speed &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, the output of digital comparator 20 will inhibit the throttle actuator signal so that it will be flat , thus yielding a zero throttle actuator voltage . the zero throttle actuator voltage produces a zero throttle which causes the vehicle to slow down until it reaches the set speed . at speeds below set speed &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, the average throttle actuator voltage increases linearly until it reaches maximum value . the maximum value occurs when the actual speed of the vehicle is so far below the set speed that speed counter 19 will not count up to the set speed during one r / 2 clock period . when this occurs , the throttle actuator signal will rise up at time t 2 and remain high until a t o / 2 timing pulse resets output flip - flop 27 . thus , a 50 percent duty cycle is produced at the output of logic 21 to cause throttle actuator 26 to apply maximum throttle to bring the actual speed of the vehicle up to the set speed . the maximum value of the average throttle actuator voltage is proportional to the maximum value of output amplifier 25 . by adjusting the gain of amplifier 25 , the maximum average throttle actuator voltage can be raised or lowered . the gain of the speed control error voltage is the slope δy / δx of the plot of average throttle actuator voltage versus speed shown in fig4 . the slope can be adjusted by altering the frequency of the xr output of reference clock 11 . if the frequency is decreased , speed counter 19 will take longer to count up to the set speed for a given difference between the set speed and an actual vehicle speed . since speed counter 19 takes longer to count up to the set speed , the pulse width of the output from logic 21 is increased and the average throttle actuator voltage is increased . therefore , the slope of the curve shown in fig4 is steepened and the gain of the speed control error voltage is increased . similarly , if the frequency of the xr output of reference clock 11 is increased , speed counter 19 will count up to the set speed faster for a given difference in speed between the set speed and an actual vehicle speed , and the average throttle actuator voltage will be lower . therefore , the slope of the curve shown in fig4 is lessened and the gain of the speed control error voltage is decreased . if a higher set speed , such as &# 34 ; x &# 39 ;&# 34 ; is chosen , the gain of the system δy &# 39 ;/ δx &# 39 ; equals δy / δx because , as explained above , the average throttle actuator voltage is proportional to the absolute difference in speed between the set speed and the actual vehicle speed , not a percentage difference in speed . it can therefore be seen that when the actual speed of the vehicle drops below the set speed , the average throttle actuator voltage increases until a maximum voltage is reached producing maximum acceleration . as the speed of the vehicle nears the set speed , the average throttle actuator voltage decreases proportionately , reaching zero at the set speed , to prevent jerky movement of the vehicle . at speeds above the set speed , the average throttle actuator voltage remains at zero . it is within the scope of the invention to provide means for applying the brakes of the vehicle to slow it down when the vehicle speed rises substantially above the set speed . the invention further includes a digital speedometer 32 . digital speedometer 32 includes a storage element having decoding and readout means . as shown in fig1 digital speedometer 32 receives the output of speed counter 19 and a t o / 2 timing pulse from timing generator 18 . recall that speed counter 19 counts a number proportional to the actual speed of the vehicle during one r / 2 clock period . at time t o &# 39 ;, the speed counter has a digital number stored therein proportional to the actual speed of the vehicle , and the t o / 2 timing pulse transfers that number to the digital speedometer . digital speedometer 32 stores that number , decodes it , and displays it by readout means . the operator of the vehicle , therefore , is provided with a virtually instanteous digital readout of the actual speed of the vehicle at all times .
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embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 shows the structure of a color laser printer 1 according to an embodiment of the invention . the color laser printer 1 of this embodiment includes a belt type photosensitive medium 14 extended between a drive roller 10 , driven rollers 11 and 12 , and a tension roller 13 and rotating at a constant speed in the direction indicated by an arrow , a transfer drum 40 which is disposed so as to make a partial area thereof contact the photosensitive medium , a charger 18 for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive medium , an exposure device 2 for subjected the surface of the uniformly charged photosensitive medium 14 to exposure and forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive medium 14 , four developers 50 , 52 , 54 , and 56 each for developing the latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive medium 14 and forming a toner image , stays 15 and 16 for maintaining a distance between the photosensitive medium 14 and the developers 52 and 54 constant , a transfer roller 78 for transferring the toner image to a recording medium such as a recording paper , a fuser 80 for fixing the toner image transferred to the recording medium , a blade 17 for removing residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive medium 14 after the toner images have been transferred to the transfer drum 40 , an erase lamp 19 for removing residual electric charges on the surface of the photosensitive medium 14 after the toner images have been transferred to the transfer drum 40 , and a conductive fur brush cleaner 41 for removing residual toner on the surface of the transfer drum 40 . the exposure device 2 applies a laser beam on the surface of the photosensitive medium 14 in accordance with video data sent from an external information processing system ( not shown ). the developers 50 , 52 , 54 , and 56 include yellow , magenta , cyan , and black toner . a bias voltage is applied to each developer to attach toner to the photosensitive medium . processes of recording a color image by using this apparatus will be described . first , conventional color image recording processes will be described . an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a yellow toner image is formed on the photosensitive medium 14 by the exposuring device 2 . the toner image developed by the yellow developer 50 is transferred to the surface of the transfer drum 40 at the contact area thereof with the photosensitive medium . residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive medium 14 is removed by the blade 17 . for the preparation of the next developing process , residual electric charges on the surface of the photosensitive medium 14 are also removed by the erase lamp 19 . with similar processes as above , magenta , cyan , and black toner images superposed upon the yellow toner image are transferred to the surface of the transfer drum 40 . next , a paper feed roller 74 is rotated to pick up a sheet of paper 73 accommodated in a cassette . the feed roller 74 is rotated until the front end of the paper abuts on a registration roller 66 and a slanted paper alignment , if any , is corrected . next , the registration roller 66 is rotated at the timing of aligning the front edge of the toner images with the front end of the paper . after the front end of the paper under transportation contacts the transfer drum 40 , a transfer roller 78 is pressed against the back surface of the paper to transfer the toner images on the transfer drum 40 to the paper . the paper with the color toner images transferred thereto in the manner described above is passed between a heating roller and a pressing roller of the fuser 80 to fix the color toner images , and ejected out of the apparatus by an eject roller 82 . after the toner images have been transferred to the paper , the fur brush cleaner 41 for removing residual toner on the transfer drum 40 is driven to contact the surface of the transfer drum 40 . after the residual toner on the surface of the transfer drum 40 has been removed , the next image forming processes start . fig2 illustrates the timings of the conventional image forming processes to be performed by each constituent element of the apparatus . in fig2 a rise - up of each line corresponds to an operation start , and a fall - down corresponds to an operation end . the abscissa corresponds to a rotation angle of the transfer drum , represented by the unit of radian . 2 π corresponds to one rotation of the transfer drum 40 . when an image forming operation starts , a yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum 40 . until the front edge of the toner image reaches the operation point 42 of the fur brush cleaner 41 relative to the drum , the cleaner 41 is driven to remove toner attached to the surface of the transfer drum 40 , thereby preventing an image from having uneven color . before the magenta and cyan toner images formed on the photosensitive medium 14 are transferred to the transfer drum 40 , these images are subjected to exposure by a fade lamp 20 to remove electric charges on the photosensitive medium 14 , thereby facilitating to transfer the toner images to the transfer drum 40 . if there is some twist between the center axes of the photosensitive medium driven roller 12 and the transfer drum 40 respectively supported on the housing of the printer 1 , a transportation force of the photosensitive medium 40 is generated in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction , in proportion to the quantity of the twist . this transportation force becomes greater as the electrostatic attractive force between the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 becomes larger . a transportation force is therefore generated at the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 in the axial direction thereof . although the transfer drum 40 will not be moved by this force because the motion thereof is restricted in the axial direction , the photosensitive medium 14 is moved slightly in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction because the motion thereof is not restricted in the former direction . the fur brush cleaner 41 is driven to remove toner on the transfer drum 40 after the photosensitive medium 14 is moved and until the front edge of the yellow toner image reaches the operation point 42 of the fur brush cleaner 41 . during this period , no toner exists between the transfer drum 40 and the photosensitive medium 14 so that the electrostatic attractive force therebetween is very large . a large transportation force is therefore exerted to the photosensitive medium 14 in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction . as a result , the photosensitive medium 14 is greatly displaced in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction before the yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum 40 . the displaced photosensitive medium 14 gradually restores the original position by a belt displacement correcting unit ( not shown ) while the magenta , cyan , and black toner images are transferred . each color toner image is therefore formed at a different area on the transfer drum 40 , resulting in a color registration error . it is necessary to eliminate a twist between the center axes of the driven roller 12 and the transfer drum 40 so as to solve the problem of a color registration error . however , this is practically difficult from the manufacturing viewpoint . fig3 is a timing chart explaining one example of the registration controlling method of the invention wherein a transportation force exerted to the photosensitive medium 14 in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction is reduced while even allowing a twist more or less . with this method , the fade lamp 20 is maintained to exposure the photosensitive medium 14 and the fur brush cleaner 41 is maintained to be detached from the transfer drum 40 , until the yellow toner image is transferred from the photosensitive medium 14 to the transfer drum 40 . since light 21 ( refer to fig4 ) is radiated from the fade lamp 20 until the yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum 40 , electric charges on the photosensitive medium 14 are removed . as a result , the electrostatic attractive force between the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 is reduced so that the photosensitive medium 14 is prevented from being moved in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction of the photosensitive medium 14 . furthermore , as shown in fig4 since the fur brush cleaner 41 is detached from the transfer drum 40 , a small amount of toner 43 is resident on the transfer drum 40 . this small amount of toner 43 forms a fine space between the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 so that an electrostatic attractive force therebetween is reduced . the larger the space , the smaller the electrostatic attractive force between the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 because of a smaller electrostatic capacitance of the space . in the above manner , it becomes possible to prevent the photosensitive medium 14 from being moved immediately after the start - up in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction , by using the fade lamp 20 and the fur brush cleaner 41 . if a toner image is formed on the photosensitive medium 14 after the printer 1 has not been used for a long period , and if the fur brush cleaner 41 is detached from the transfer drum 40 until the yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum 40 , an uneven image may be formed in some times because of toner dropped from the developers or the like by vibrations of the printer 1 and attached to the transfer drum 40 . in such a case , it becomes necessary to contact the fur brush cleaner 41 with the transfer drum 40 to clean it at least for the period corresponding to one revolution of the transfer drum 40 , before the yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum 40 . for this purpose , as shown in fig5 the fade lamp 20 is maintained to expose the photosensitive medium 14 until the yellow toner image is transferred from the photosensitive medium 14 to the transfer drum 40 , whereas the fur brush cleaner 41 is made in contact with the transfer drum 40 at least for the period corresponding to one revolution of the transfer drum 40 , before the yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum 40 . since the fade lamp 20 exposes the photosensitive medium , an electrostatic attractive force between the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 is reduced , and since the fur brush cleaner 41 is detached from the transfer drum 40 until the yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum , a small amount of toner is resident on the transfer drum 40 . accordingly , an electrostatic attractive force between the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 is reduced and the photosensitive medium 14 is prevented from being moved in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction . if the fur brush cleaner 41 is detached from the transfer drum 40 so as not clean it for the period corresponding to two revolutions of the transfer drum 40 , before the yellow toner image on the photosensitive medium 14 is transferred to the transfer drum 40 , then a residual amount of toner increases enhancing the effects of reducing an electrostatic attractive force . in the case shown in fig6 the fade lamp 20 is maintained to expose the photosensitive medium 14 until the yellow toner image is transferred from the photosensitive medium 14 to the transfer drum 40 , whereas the fur brush cleaner 41 is made in contact with the transfer drum 40 for the period corresponding to one revolution of the transfer drum 40 , after the front edge of the yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum 40 and the yellow toner image reaches the operating point 42 of the fur brush cleaner 41 . since the fur brush cleaner 41 is detached from the transfer drum 40 until the yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum 40 , a small amount of toner is resident on the transfer drum 40 , and since the yellow toner image is transferred to the transfer drum 40 generally at the same time when the fur brush cleaner 41 is operated , a sufficiently small amount of toner is still resident between the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 , reducing an electrostatic attractive force therebetween and preventing the photosensitive medium 14 from being moved in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction . the timing charts shown in fig7 , and 9 illustrate the methods of preventing the photosensitive medium 14 from being moved by using only the operation control of the fur brush cleaner 41 without the help of the fade lamp 20 . even if electric charges on the surface of the photosensitive medium 14 are not removed by exposing the photosensitive medium 14 by the fade lamp 20 , an electrostatic attractive force between the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 can be reduced and the photosensitive medium 14 can be prevented from being moved in the direction perpendicular to the transportation direction , by making a small amount of toner exist between the photosensitive medium 14 and the transfer drum 40 . the timing chart shown in fig1 illustrates another method in which the fur brush cleaner 14 is operated in the manner similar to a conventional operation and only the fade lamp 20 is used for reducing an electrostatic attractive force . the degree of a color registration error as a result of the registration control by each of the above - described methods is shown in fig1 . in fig1 , the condition 1 corresponds to the method explained with fig2 and the conditions 2 to 8 correspond to the methods of the invention explained with fig3 to 9 . as appreciated from fig1 , the invention methods can considerably reduce a color registration error . of these methods , the conditions 2 to 7 provide a small color registration error , and the condition 2 provide the highest precision .
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the invention is typically embodied in a large offset press , which normally would have two to six page packs and a continuous series of rollers extending the width of the press . in such presses , it is always necessary to have a movable distribution head swing through an arc to go from an operating position , wherein it is adjacent to the fountain roller , and in another position , wherein the distribution head assembly and related parts are spaced apart from the fountain roller . a description will now be made of a typical offset press , and the portions thereof with which the invention is concerned . accordingly , and referring now to fig1 and 2 , there is shown a fountain roller 20 with the distribution head assembly generally designated 22 including an ink passage 24 , and the reduced thickness passage 26 , and this passage may narrow further toward the end of the tapered face 28 on the lower margin of the distribution head assembly . the transfer blade 30 lies just below the narrow end of the ink passage 32 . an adapter plate 34 comes next , and this is secured to a spacer block 36 , which in turn is attached to the swing frame 38 . the swing frame in turn is attached to the swing frame mounting block 40 . these parts , together with the interconnect hose 42 and its individual fittings 44 , 46 constitute the moveable parts of the distribution head assembly . these portions are adapted to swing counterclockwise as shown in the drawings , to leave a substantial space between the distribution head assembly and the fountain roller . portions of the press unit which are fixed include a pivot block support base 48 , a transfer plate 50 , and a feed plate 52 . each of the feed plate and the transfer plate are drilled , milled , or otherwise machined to provide passages 54 , 56 , for ink to flow therethrough . accordingly , the ink flows through the vertical passage 58 into a stationary pocket 59 in the pivot block support base 48 . the remainder of these components and their functions will be described presently . referring now in particular to fig2 and 3 , there is shown a page pack generally designated 60 , and shown to include an ink reservoir generally designated 62 , and an l - shaped and rectangular support structure 63 , 65 . the page pack has a plurality , usually 8 , of individual passages , one of which will now be described . each one of these passages includes a horizontal passage 64 , a vertical passage 66 , and a topmost horizontal passage 68 in this embodiment of the invention . the ink from here flows down through another horizontal passage 70 in the stem receiver , and into the stem housing 72 which connects removably with a stem generally designated 74 . the stem 74 is shown to include a circular sidewall portion 76 , plural o rings 78 , 80 , 82 , and a center passage 84 . the ink then passes from the center passage 84 through the short vertical passage 86 and then horizontally through the passage 88 , where it meets with the passage 90 ( fig2 ) in the feed plate 52 . from here , the ink passes through the ink passages 56 , 54 and 58 , and ends up in a pocket designated 59 . the function of the page pack is to feed separate streams of ink as desired by the layout of the paper and yet to be readily removable from the press for purposes of maintenance , changing the type or color of ink , etc . this can be done readily as the assembly 62 , including all of the various passages is removable as a unit . at this point , assuming that the ink has flowed through the various passages from the reservoir of the page pack 62 , it will flow as shown in fig4 and 5 . the pocket area 59 in the pivot block support base is served by the passage 58 , which brings the ink into an area concentric with the hinge pin 100 having two cavities 102 , 104 . this hinge pin 100 is double - ended ( fig5 ) so as to have a passage 102 that preferably has a depth of just less than half of the extent of the hinge pin 100 . the other end 104 has a similar depth . the hollow hinge pin 100 is centered in the swing frame mounting block 40 , and the pivot block support base 48 remains immobile at all times . the swing frame mounting block 40 pivots through an arc of perhaps 45 degrees . the small chamber or pocket 59 is filled with ink at up to 100 p . r . i . the seal 106 keeps the ink from leaking into the bearing assembly . the radial load is taken by a bearing assembly generally designated 108 . this assembly 108 includes a center series of balls 110 , a cage 112 and pair of shims on either of its sides 114 , 116 . the passage 102 in the hollow hinge pin 100 communicates with a radial passage 118 which in turn communicates with the fitting 46 at one end of interconnect hose 42 . from the foregoing example , one may appreciate that there will be a number of different manners in which the fountain roller and the distribution head may be separated from each other and return to their initial position from time to time . accordingly , while the preferred apparatus for performing this function includes a distribution head and spacers , adapters , and swing frames , etc . as well as interconnect hoses for each column to be printed , this construction is only exemplary . the main concept is that a plurality of hinged pieces are located by hinge pins which have a hollow bore in their middle , and each of which serves to transfer the direction of the ink flowing therein from radial to axial to radial again , and then to the printing apparatus . likewise , the construction of the hinge mechanism is only exemplary . the preferred method includes a seal 106 closely surrounding the diameter of the hinge pin , and this seal includes a garter spring 120 for creating a radial load on the hinge pin 100 , a radially outwardly acting spring 122 for maintaining a radial load on the housing 48 in which the seal 106 is located . in this way , the seal 120 is secure and it keeps the ink in the pocket , and also keeps the grease out of the pocket and in the bearing area where it is desired to be kept . the construction has been shown using ball bearings , however , other methods might be used including roller or tapered roller bearings , or merely bushings , which would allow the bearings to be eliminated . the object here is to allow the hinge pins to be positively located with respect to the movable parts of the structure . an example has been shown wherein the pivot frame mounting block uses a couple of fittings for the interconnect hoses . this is the best use of the application ; however , it is not necessary that these flexible hoses be used , or the fittings be used with them , since another method of making this connection will occur to those skilled in the art . likewise , the hoses have been shown to exit the fitting in pairs , but it is not strictly necessary that this be done . the most effective presently preferred way has been that which is described . regarding the page pack , the preferred method of providing the page pack so as to make it readily removable is the present concept . for example , the o - rings make an easily manufactured seal allowing the stem and the receiver to interfit is the preferred method , but another form of seal could be used , or the seal could be located elsewhere in the system . likewise , the provision of the various holes or passages through the feed plate and the transfer plate is made so as to be most convenient and effective in the present application . however , every angle and turn is not necessary . the page pack support is provided to limit the downward travel of the page pack , but other constructions could be used . it will thus be seen that the present invention provides a construction having a number of advantages and characteristics including those pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention . variations and changes to the described structure will occur to those skilled in the art , and such variations and changes may be made without departing from the invention or from the scope of the appended claims .
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referring now to fig1 showing the fully assembled device 10 showing the front side 12 of the device 10 which forms a cd jacket in the assembled configuration with back surface 14 . fig1 also displays the top flap 16 generally quadrahedral in shape with the indicia 18 forming a labeling designation area , folding instructions , or pattern , and with bottom edge 20 , of the top flap 16 tucked under top edge 22 of the bottom flap 24 generally quadrilateral in shape . the corner tab 26 is formed where the tip or acute angle of the quadrilateral falls short . this corner tab 26 enables the bottom edge 20 to slip beneath top edge 22 easily , without catching on an extended acute angle . [ 0041 ] fig2 depicts a pre - printed perspective view of a sheet of paper 32 , with the second surface 28 in the up position , and the first surface 30 down . the sheet of paper may be 21 conventional 8 . 5 inch by 11 . 5 inch paper or in an especially preferred embodiment of the device 10 as depicted in fig2 a , the sheet of paper 32 would be substantially 8 . 5 inches by substantially 11 . 769 inches . a folding pattern is placed on the second surface 28 or if desired the first surface 30 having primary and secondary fold lines positioned as targets for the folding necessary to yield the device 10 . the first primary fold line 34 translates diagonally from the upper corner 36 of the sheet of paper 32 . of course the use of upper and lower and locational terms are used for illustrative purposes as those skilled in the art will realize that the lines and patters may be mirrored or otherwise imparted to the sheet of paper 30 to yield the device 10 . the second primary fold line 38 translates substantially parallel , diagonally across the sheet of paper 32 , substantially 4⅞ inches from the first primary fold line 34 when making a jacket for a conventionally sized cd . it should be noted that using diagonal lines allows the second primary fold line 38 to fall short of the lower corner 40 of the sheet of paper 32 thereby creating the desired corner tab 26 when 16 assembled . as is obvious to those skilled in the art the folding pattern may be mirrored on the sheet of paper 32 and yield the same jacket when folded . when using a sheet of paper 32 custom sized to substantivally 8 . 5 inches by 11 . 769 inches the fold line 38 extends exactly the bottom left lower corner 50 as depicted in fig2 a thereby yielding the current preferred embodiment of the device 10 when folded . a first secondary fold line 42 a translates diagonally across the sheet of paper 32 , substantially normal or 90 ° to the first and second primary fold lines 34 and 38 . the second secondary fold line 44 a translates substantially parallel to the first secondary fold line 42 a and diagonally across the sheet of paper 32 , substantially 4⅞ inches from the first secondary fold line when the folding pattern formed is for a conventionally sized cd . to initiate the four step folding sequence 33 which can be explained in directions distributed with the device 10 or printed on the device 10 as shown in fig2 as letters in sequence a , b , c , d , displayed in fig2 and shown in folds of fig3 - 6 . the folding sequence 33 proceeds first as the top right corner 46 is folded across the sheet of paper 32 creasing along the primary fold line 34 placed as a target and creating the folded edge 48 . fig4 depicts a perspective view of the parallelogram shape created when bottom left lower corner 50 is folded over along the second primary fold line 38 and creased to form the left folded edge 52 . optional means of attachment such as the aforementioned adhesives such as adhesive tape 51 may be placed to hold the lower corner 50 in operative engagement when folded . notably shown in this view is that the first surface 30 of the sheet of paper 32 covers most of the second surface 28 . because of this , in a preferred embodiment providing better viewing of the secondary fold lines 42 a and 42 b during folding of the device 10 the secondary fold lines 42 a and 44 a can be printed on the first surface 30 of the sheet of paper 32 , creating the secondary fold lines 42 b and 44 b . however the device 10 will function with both secondary fold lines 42 b and 44 b just placed on the second surface 28 with a little more attention paid to the line positions . [ 0044 ] fig5 depicts a perspective view of the device 10 formed after the first three steps in the folding sequence yielding an open cd jacket with the bottom flap 24 folded up along the second secondary fold line 44 b forming the bottom folded edge 54 . compact disc 56 is displayed being inserted into aperture 58 which communicates with the storage pocket 59 formed between the folded flaps allowing a means for the cd to be inserted easily and slide into the storage pocket 59 or removed therefrom after the fourth fold in the sequence is completed by reversing the last fold and thereby providing access to the aperture 58 communicating with the storage pocket 59 . [ 0045 ] fig6 displays the device 10 pictured as a cd jacket with the top flap 16 partially folded along the secondary fold line 44 b . in the unique folding sequence of yielding the device 10 in the form of a cd jacket , the second surface 28 of the sheet of paper 32 is completely enclosed , exposing only the first surface 30 of the paper 30 . this surface may be printed upon by the user using indicia identifying the cd enclosed in the storage pocket 59 and any desired ornamentation . while not necessary to function as a cd jacket , additional utility is yielded by a means of holding the top flap 16 to the bottom flap 24 to thereby securely hold the cd in the storage pocket 59 with the aperture 58 closed . several common means of attachment the top flap 16 and bottom flap 24 into position may be incorporated as depicted in fig7 . most common , but not limited to , the use of adhesive means such as double sticky back tape 53 placed substantially ½ inch from , and parallel to the top edge 22 of the bottom flap 24 . or optionally pre - applied , moisture activated adhesive 62 applied to special paper for the device 10 will be available . or , the double sticky back tape 53 can be placed only on the inside of the bottom flap 24 to secure the bottom flap to the folded over first surface 30 and thereby providing an overlapping edge 63 at top edge 22 under which the top flap 16 may be removably secured . as is obvious to those skilled in the art , an adhesive means suitable to the purpose of permanent or temporary and removable attachment would be chosen . [ 0047 ] fig8 displays an alternate embodiment of the device 10 as a cd jacket with a cellophane window 64 allowing visual communication through back surface 14 displaying the literature or indicia about the enclosed compact disc thereby being self labeling . [ 0048 ] fig9 and 11 display perspective views of different means to impart the folding pattern to the sheet of paper 32 other than by the aforementioned printing of the folding pattern . in this embodiment the folding pattern is scored into the sheet of paper 32 and could be used instead of the aforementioned printed folding pattern , or in addition to the printed folding pattern to yield an both visual and tactile aids to the precise diagonal pattern required to yield the device 10 . in this embodiment , a mechanical means to score the paper along the folding pattern would be provided . the first is a platen 70 that has top plate 72 with raised lines 74 projecting off the surface 76 , and a bottom plate 78 with matching grooves 80 , in surface 82 . when these two plates are folded together by means of hinge 84 , with a computer style sheet of paper 32 inserted , depressions 86 are inscribed in the sheet of paper 32 generally along the folding pattern , making the folding sequence easier . the second method would make use of a rectangular plastic template 90 , with slots 92 communicating therethrough that a creasing tool ( not shown ) can be inserted into to impart scores along the diagonal lines forming the folding pattern on the sheet of paper 32 . should the printer on the computer which prints the lines on the paper fail , this templet 90 would also allow a pencil to be used to draw the folding pattern on the sheet of paper 32 . another embodiment of a device for scoring the paper that can be provided to provide a mechanical means of scoring the paper along the lines of the folding pattern would be an embossed sheet 94 of plastic or other hard material , with protrusions 96 rising from the surface and in positions to register with the desired fold lines of the folding pattern noted above . when the sheet of paper 32 is placed on a surface under the sheet 94 and a small roller 98 is rolled over the , impressions are transferred into the sheet of paper 32 , scoring the sheet of paper 32 in positions to correspond to the folding lines of the folding pattern . the device 10 could thus be formed by printing the folding pattern on the sheet of paper 32 as depicted in fig2 and three and then folding the sheet of paper 32 to yield the device 10 in cd jacket form . or the device could be formed using the scoring apparatus depicted in fig9 - 11 to score the paper along the fold lines of the folding pattern . or , the device could be formed using both the printing and scoring to aid in the proper folding along the folding patter needed to yield the proper sized cd jacket . if provided in a kit form with both a mechanical means for scoring the paper with the desired folding pattern and software to print the fold pattern , the user could choose one or both means of imparting the folding pattern of diagonal lines to the paper as desired . while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof , a latitude of modification , various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure , and it will be appreciated that in some instance some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth .
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electronic mail ( e - mail ) is a standard feature of untrusted computer devices used in many computer networks . it is reasonable to expect that such mail will be freely exchanged between users within a computer network . in the case of a secure network comprising a collection of trusted and untrusted computer devices , however , potential security problems arise when there is a need to send e - mail outside of the secure network , either to the outside computer environment or via special communication channels to other secure computer networks . in cases where such connections are implemented , a check needs to be implemented on the outgoing link to ensure that only appropriately authorised information is released . this can be implemented by a gateway , which would typically be a dedicated computer device but may alternatively be a dedicated program resident in a multipurpose computer device . security problems may be precipitated anywhere along the e - mail path by software or hardware , potentially resident in the untrusted computer devices of the secure network , which may add covert or overt information to the e - mail , change the classification of information or otherwise attempt to compromise the security of the secure computer network . consider , for example , a mail routing configuration file which has been either : ( a ) surreptitiously or otherwise adjusted so as to send e - mail messages directly to the gateway , without first obtaining appropriate export authorisations ; or ( b ) it adds an unauthorised or unexpected e - mail header in the message ; or the most basic barrier to unauthorised information leaving the network is to have the gateway check , in a sufficiently trustworthy fashion , for the presence of an electronic data - like seal on each message received . without a seal , the message is not passed , and furthermore the message is audited to determine its prior path and source . this basic barrier suffices to circumvent wayward configuration files as would be expected in circumstance ( a ) above . in order for even this basic barrier to be effective , the seal associated with a message must represent a legitimate authority for that message to leave the secure network . the most desirable way to achieve this is to have an authorised human view the message , and once they are satisfied with its contents , to create the seal and attach it to the message . the seal may be created by a dedicated computer device or by a program on a multipurpose computer device . highly desirable properties of the seal are that it should not be possible to forge a seal ( i . e . an unauthorised user cannot create a valid seal for a message ) and that the seal should be uniquely identifiable with a particular message ( i . e . changes to the message should invalidate any existing seal ). in many cases , it will be found that the author or originator of the information is a suitable human to authorise its release from the secure network . some mail transport mechanisms , for example the unix &# 34 ; sendmail &# 34 ; program , add one or more headers to each message they process , and it is generally unreasonable to expect a human to be able to verify these headers ( e . g . the internal message id number used by the transport mechanism ). in order to prevent the malicious signalling of information through such headers , only those headers which are required on the message and verifiable by a human are accepted . all other headers are removed from the message before processing by either the seal creation or the gateway function . this is possible since the deleted information was generated by the transport mechanism in the first place , so a fresh set can be generated if and when the message is passed back to the transport mechanism after processing . the removal of all but a few predefined headers also serves to eliminate the threat posed by the addition of unauthorised or unexpected headers to the message , as identified at ( b ) above . addition of headers not of the allowed set will be detected by the visual inspection process conducted as a matter of course by the releasing officer prior to creating the seal for the message . as discussed above , even modification of the message headers after the seal is created , should invalidate the seal , and the message will thus be rejected at the gateway before it can leave the secure network . the visual inspection process must preferably detect adjusted or additional information of the nature identified in ( c ) and ( d ) above . this is aided by presenting to the releasing officer only those headers which are necessary for correct message delivery and contain easily verifiable information . again , modifications done after seal creation will invalidate the legitimacy of the seal associated with that message and prevent the message leaving the secure network . there are , of course , more sophisticated covert information secretion techniques . however , generally speaking , these are also easily circumvented by limiting e - mail messages to pure text form , as opposed to &# 34 ; complex &# 34 ; documents ( i . e . those which contain non - textual information and / or representational structure , such as a word - processor document ) which typically provide much more fertile ground for the secretion of covert information . it is important to recognise that this discussion is related to means and methods of combating software and hardware covert information creations , and does not deal with the obvious breaches of security which a wayward operator , with adequate clearance , may impose on a highly classified or secure network . consider now an error in the various connection programs resident in the untrusted source computer or the untrusted components of the gateway which may : ( a ) not pass the message to the appropriate device ( s ) to have a seal attached ; or ( b ) pass incorrect or unauthorised seals with messages directed to the gateway ; or ( c ) not eliminate all but a predetermined set of headers from the message , in effect leaving certain potentially security threatening headers in the message . in the case of ( a ), as in prior instances , the most basic barrier mechanism of the gateway fails to pass the message on , since it will not have an acceptable seal attached to it . such messages will be audited and then discarded . in the instance ( b ), where part of the seal is altered after it is created or a new seal which has not been properly calculated is associated with the message , the basic gateway barrier will detect that the seal does not correspond to the message , and again invoke the error and audit procedures . in the third instance , ( c ) above , when headers for one reason or another are not correctly stripped between message creation and display , the onus is on the human operator to check the veracity and authenticity of the message they are visually checking . furthermore , headers not included in the process of sealing by the operator are liable to be identified by the basic barrier at the gateway , since the process of checking the seal will reveal that the seal is not correct for the message . it will be seen that the following methods and means are designed to accommodate the circumstances described above as well as others which will become apparent . although the basic gateway barrier ( seal verification means ) and its reciprocal sealing device ( seal creation means ) have been designed to be a generic module capable of monitoring many types of information transmission , we describe herein the issues associated with text - only electronic mail and in particular describe an embodiment which is applicable to a sun sparcstation platform employing the sendmail mail transport mechanism . this document contains functional descriptions of both gateway and sealing devices . fig1 shows the physical path of an e - mail message through a system , beginning at the user &# 39 ; s machine ( source ) and ending at the message &# 39 ; s destination address ( destination ). when the user at the source machine sends a message to an address outside the secure network , instead of being immediately forwarded to the gateway it is diverted to a trusted sealing device which is attached to the source machine ( 1 ). the trusted sealing device displays the message in a trusted manner on the source machine &# 39 ; s screen , and the user must visually verify that the contents of the message have not been altered in any way . if the user accepts the message as displayed , the sealing device calculates a tamper proof seal for the message , which is returned to the source machine with the message ( 2 ). the source machine then routes the message and its seal to the gateway ( 3 , 4 ). the gateway passes the message and its seal to the seal verification means ( 5 ) which recalculates the seal for the message as provided . the newly created seal is then compared with the supplied seal . if the two seals differ , a copy of the message may be passed to auditing facilities ( 6 &# 39 ;) and there is likely no further processing of the message , although the message could be returned to its author . if the two seals are identical , the message is allowed to continue to the outside network ( 6 ), where the mail spooler processes the message and passes it to the usual mail delivery facilities ( 7 ) which forward the message through any required intermediate network ( s ) to the required destination network . even in this case , a copy of some or all of the message and / or its seal may also be passed to the auditing facilities ( 6 &# 39 ;) to form part of the system audit trail . as will be appreciated , the only trusted devices in the above processes are the sealing device and the seal verification means . the method required to allow export of data from the secure network preferably incorporates untrusted method steps additional to the typical e - mail handling procedures of the standard untrusted computer network . when appropriately used in conjunction with the trusted functionality of the trusted sealing device and trusted seal verification means , acceptable security for the export of e - mail from the source secure network is provided . fig2 shows the software modules which handle the e - mail message . the user at the source workstation constructs and sends a message in the normal way . the user &# 39 ; s mailtool then passes the message to the sendmail program for delivery . the sendmail program uses information contained in its configuration file (/ etc / sendmail . cf ) to process the message , carry out any required address rewriting and route ( 1 ) the message appropriately for its destination . local mail ( i . e . mail with a destination address within the secure network ) is delivered normally , without any use of the trusted sealing device . mail to any external network , however , is input into a program called sealconnect ( 2 ), which interacts with the trusted sealing device daemon ( sealstubd ) which must be running in the background on the user &# 39 ; s workstation . sealconnect passes the message to the trusted sealing device daemon , which then forwards the message , possibly along with some extra information such as a serial number , to the trusted sealing device ( 4 ). the trusted sealing device displays the message on the user &# 39 ; s display , allowing the user to visually inspect the message and satisfy themselves that no alterations have been made to the message . once satisfied of this , the user activates a trusted input into the sealing device , which then calculates the correct seal for the message and returns the seal , possibly along with some additional information , to sealstubd ( 5 ). sealstubd passes the message back to sendmail ( 6 ) for further processing and routing ( 7 ). sendmail must have some means of determining that the message has already been sealed . one possible implementation is to have sendmail detect the presence of the seal ( e . g . by including the seal as extra headers added to the existing ones ), while another is to add a marker to the message &# 39 ; s destination address before it was sent to sealconnect . such a marker may need to be removed before the message leaves the secure network , so as to allow for correct delivery and seal verification . having determined that the message has indeed been sealed , sendmail routes the message ( 8 ) through to the appropriate gateway out of the secure network . the sendmail program on the gateway workstation invokes the seal verification means connect program ( gatewayconnect ) which passes the message to the seal verification mean s for verification and validation of the seal ( 11 ) which indicated that the e - mail message is the same as that sealed by the user and the seal is correctly associated with that e - mail message . when the seal is validated , the message is passed to the external gateway , or spooler machine ( 12 ). the marker , which indicates to sendmail that a message has already been sent to the trusted sealing device which has calculated and associated a seal for this message , may preferably be removed and the message forwarded to its final destination . the use of a marker is an optional indication means since the presence of a seal achieves the same effect if need be . if the seal is found to be invalid by the seal verification means , the message and any associated information may be passed to the network message auditing means ( 12 &# 39 ;), or it may be returned to the author . it is to be noted that the description of this embodiment does not include any of the header stripping or other steps required to ensure that a sealed message remains verifiable . for quick reference , the metasymbols for the left hand side of sendmail rewrite rules are : ______________________________________ . $* match zero or more tokens . $+ match one or more tokens . $- match exactly one token . $= x match any string class in x . $. sup .˜ x match any token not in class x . $% x match any token in nis map $ x . $| x match any token not in nis map $ x . $ x match macro x______________________________________ the configuration file on the source machine is responsible for determining which messages should be passed to the trusted sealing device and which messages should be sent directly to the mail system . the configuration file examines the recipient address of a given mail message to determine if the message is local or needs to be forwarded to an external network . if the message is local , the message is sent as usual . messages with non - local addresses which have not already been sealed are passed to the trusted sealing device interface . the configuration file follows the usual rewrite rules defined for the local system . there need not be any changes to these rules , as they just adjust the various forms of addressing to a canonical form . after all rewriting has taken place , the address is checked to see if it is local or not . local addresses have the string &# 34 ; local &# 34 ; inserted into the recipient address or consist of just a username ( i . e . $+), and anything else is assumed to be a non - local address . all non - local mail must be sealed by a trusted sealing device and then have its seal verified at the verification means . if the address is identified as non - local , a standard configuration file will send the message via the ethernet mailer to the gateway . however , an alternative mailer called the trusted sealing device mailer can be used . this receives all non - local mail needing a seal . the following shows a message being redirected to the trusted sealing device mailer : any recipient address matching the left hand side has the right hand side rewrite rule applied to it . the syntax of the right hand side is $# mailer $@ host $: user . for example , an input address lmn @ itd . dsto would match the left hand side of the second rule and be sent to the trusted sealing device mailer with host @ itd . dsto and user lmn @ itd . dsto . the specification for the trusted sealing device mailer is as follows : the f field indicates mailer flags . there are no specific requirements defined here for the trusted sealing device . the specified flag are typical of many mailer interfaces . s = 17 indicates that the address of the sender of the message must be passed through the rewriting rule s17 . the macro j is expanded as the address of the sender . r = 27 indicates that the address of the recipient of the message must be passed through the rewriting rule s27 . before the message is sent to the trusted sealing device mailer , the recipient address is adjusted to include a flag indicating that the message has been identified as one which needs a seal and has been forwarded to the trusted sealing device . this rule inserts a string defined by the macro t into the recipient address to indicate that the message has passed through the trusted sealing device mailer . in this implementation , t defines the string &# 34 ; tcs -- customs &# 34 ;. the address in the above example would , again , match the second rule and the final form of the recipient address would be &# 34 ; lmn @ itd . dsto . tcs -- customs &# 34 ;. after processing by the trusted sealing device , the mail message is returned to the sendmail program on the source machine . the configuration file will again recognise the recipient address as &# 34 ; foreign &# 34 ; and , if not for the flag inserted into the address in the previous step , the message would be forwarded to the trusted sealing device again . prior to the call to the trusted sealing device mailer ( as previously discussed ), there is a rule which checks recipient addresses for the expansion of the t macro . the macros m and r are defined as the ethernet mailer and the mailhost respectively , so any recipient address matching the rewrite rule on the left hand side will be sent via the ethernet mailer to the mailhost machine . the ethernet mailer specification needs no adjustment since the vendor supplied default performs as required for transmission of the mail message to the gateway . in a similar manner to the configuration file on the source machine , the configuration file on the gateway is required to distinguish between non - local addresses , which need to be sent via the seal verification means , and local addresses , which are sent as usual . this is achieved in the same way as on the source machine . all non - local addresses are checked for the t macro expansion . if this is present , the message is sent to the seal verification means interface via the trusted sealing device mailer . if the t macro is not found , processing continues until all local rewrite rules have been checked . if at this point the message still hasn &# 39 ; t been delivered the message is probably a non - local message which was not correctly sealed . this type of message is sent to the gateway and from there can be directed to the auditing means . however , it could instead be sent back to its originator for reprocessing . in any event , a message containing anomalies which arrives at the seal verification means without a correct ( or indeed any ) seal will be refused exit permission , and audit facilities will be invoked . the gateway configuration file identifies all recipient addresses which contain the macro t at the end of the address of the recipient . these messages are redirected to the seal verification mailer as shown in the following rule : r = 27 indicates that the address of the recipient of the message must be passed through the rewriting rule s27 . in this case , the rewriting rule for the recipient makes no change to the address other than removing angle brackets if any appear . non - local messages with no t macro in the recipient address are sent to the seal verification means by the following rewrite rules : it should be noted that any messages which are not &# 34 ; caught &# 34 ; by these rules and forwarded to the seal verification means , but are addressed to a machine on the external network , will be flagged by the error mailer , as a local machine fitting the address of the message will not be found . if sendmail should try to send a message to the external network , it must be sent via the seal verification means , as this is the only physical connection to the external network . the gateway workstation could also be used as a source machine , provided the changes described above for the source machine were included in the configuration file of the gateway . however , ( t ) and ( tt ) would need to be replaced by (*) and (**) respectively . the function of the sendmail configuration file on the spooler machine is to restore the address of the recipient to its original state . the &# 34 ; tcs -- customs &# 34 ; string which is inserted by the source machine is removed so the message can be placed in the mail system and be delivered as usual . this is achieved by a single rewrite rule as follows : this rewrite rule should be carried out before any other rewriting of the address occurs . clearly there is no sense in using the spooler machine to compose and send mail via trusted sealing device or seal verification means since the spooler is itself external to the secured source network and hence may be under a different security policy to the secured source network . the spooler machine needs only to be capable of running unix mailing facilities . connection software is the term used for the software interface between ( a ) either the trusted sealing device or seal verification means and ( b ) the mail system software . the software modules involved in providing a unique path for a sealed and to - be - sealed mail message are shown in fig4 . the interface to the trusted sealing device is a software module called sealstubd , which runs in the background and deals with : 1 . mail messages arriving from sendmail via the sealconnect software module ( 3 ); when sealstubd starts , it establishes a means of communication with the trusted sealing device , sealauditd and sealconnect processes . sealstubd communicates with the trusted sealing device via the serial port and , upon start - up , opens a non - blocking , read / write connection with the serial port . to communicate with the sealauditd and the sealconnect processes it also creates two unix domain stream socket connections . after the communication channels have been successfully established , sealstubd waits for any communication over these channels . sealstubd checks for any attempted connections to the sealconnect socket for messages to be sealed . if data is found on the socket , sealstubd checks the sealauditd socket to make sure no auditable actions have occurred . when audit data ( if any ) has been processed and , if there were no shutdowns , as may be provided for by actuation of a predetermined switch on the trusted sealing device indicating such an action , the message is read in until an eof marker in the e - mail is found . certain headers are not to be passed onto the trusted sealing device due to the difficulty in visual verification and the necessity to maintain consistency between separate passes through sendmail , so sealstubd checks for an allowed set of headers and removes all others from the message . sealstubd then obtains a serial number from a file and passes the serial number , message length and message to the trusted sealing device via the serial port in the following order : 1 . one byte indicating trusted sealing device communication ( an ascii character ), a flag is set at this point to indicate that sealstubd is not to receive any further communications over the sealconnect socket until the trusted sealing device has completed processing of the current message . when this flag is set , sealstubd alternately checks the serial port for the resulting seal and the sealauditd socket for incoming audit data . after the trusted sealing device has calculated the seal , it returns the classification which has been selected by the user , the calculated seal and the time the seal was calculated to sealstubd , which then inserts this information , along with the serial number , into the mail message as part of the header and passes the adjusted message back to sendmail . x - label : a user defined classification , represented by an 8 digit hexadecimal number x - serialno : the current serial number , represented by a 40 digit hexadecimal number x - time : the time the message was sealed , represented by two 8 digit hexadecimal numbers however , some condition may have occurred to prohibit the trusted sealing device from sending the seal to sealstubd . this could happen if : 1 . the user decides that the message is incorrect or he / she no longer wants to send the message and , accordingly , actuates a predetermined switch on the trusted sealing device to reject the message ; or in any of these circumstances , the audit data is sent from sealauditd to sealstubd , and sealstubd takes appropriate action . in case 1 , 2 or 3 , sealstubd resets the flag to indicate that it is no longer currently processing a message . in case 4 , sealstubd exits with exit status sealdeviceshutdown . however , if no data is found on the sealconnect socket , sealstubd will alternately check the sealauditd socket and the sealconnect socket for any incoming audit data . as previously discussed , mail headers need to be handled in a specific manner . if the htemplate macro expansion is empty , the header is not included in the mail message . if the mflags are specified , the mailer invoked must specify at least one of these special flags for the header to be included . any header already included in the input of a message is automatically output . the set of possible headers that can be inserted into a mail message is therefore dependent on the local network . the operative set of headers is usually decided upon when the mailing system is set up and would rarely be adjusted at a later stage . however , there seems to be an unofficial set of standard headers which does not vary much between networks . there are three special header lines which have their definitions built into sendmail and cannot be changed without changing the sendmail code . they are : return - receipt - to : a message will be sent to any specified names when the final delivery is complete errors - to : errors will be sent to listed names rather than to the sender a problem which has been encountered is that some headers contain information that , when displayed for inspection , cannot be verified by the user as being correct . all headers which are considered impossible or too difficult to verify by inspection must be stripped from the mail message by the sealstubd program . all headers which contain the macros c -- the hop count , i -- the queue id , p -- sendmail &# 39 ; s process id or t -- a numeric representation of the time , are not included in the mail header . in the configuration file of the present embodiment these are found to be message - id and resent - message - id . for example , the message - id header is defined as : as can be seen , this could not be checked easily by visual inspection . the second problem encountered is headers which contain fluid information . for example , consider the unix - style &# 34 ; from &# 34 ; line at the front of the message which contains the sender &# 39 ; s surname , date , and the time the message was sent . this is prepended to the message each time it is received by sendmail . this occurs at steps ( 1 ) and ( 7 ) in fig3 . when the message arrives at the seal verification means , the seal is recalculated using the new &# 34 ; from &# 34 ; header line . this will give a different seal from the originally calculated seal , as the times in the two &# 34 ; from &# 34 ; header lines will be different , causing every message to be rejected at the gateway . this problem has been solved by stripping the &# 34 ; from &# 34 ; header line from the message by the sealconnect program . alternatively , a flag in the mailer definition for the trusted seal device mailer can be inserted , which will indicate that this header is not required ; however , it preferable to retain the unix - style &# 34 ; from &# 34 ; header flag for the purposes of retaining this header for local mail . headers which fit into either of the above categories of problem are the unix - style &# 34 ; from &# 34 ; header , &# 34 ; message - id :&# 34 ;, &# 34 ; resent - message - id :&# 34 ;, &# 34 ; resent - from :&# 34 ;, &# 34 ; received :&# 34 ; and &# 34 ; resent - date :&# 34 ;. the sealstubd program module operates on the basis of checking for headers which are allowed and rejecting all others . the sendmail configuration file will need to be checked to make sure neither of the above problems will be encountered with the headers we have chosen to be acceptable . the headers which are currently accepted by the connect module are &# 34 ; to :&# 34 ;, &# 34 ; from :&# 34 ;, &# 34 ; cc :&# 34 ;, &# 34 ; date :&# 34 ;, &# 34 ; return - path :&# 34 ; and &# 34 ; subject :&# 34 ;. note also that the number of header lines which appear in the header should be kept at a minimum to encourage the user to be effective in checking the headers . if too many headers remain in the message , the operator may become weary of checking too much superfluous information . the sendmail configuration file specifies that the module ( sealconnect ) is to be invoked when mail requiring a seal is received . sealconnect is invoked with the mail message sent to its standard input . sealconnect first tries to open a connection to the sealstubd socket . if sealstubd is currently processing a message , the socket connection will be made but no data read from the socket by sealstubd until processing of the current message is completed or cancelled . the mail message is then read in , line by line , by sealconnect and placed on the socket to be read by sealstubd . note : sealconnect is necessary as an intermediary , since sendmail invokes its mailer as a new process , with the message being provided as standard input . since sealstubd is a perpetually running process , output from sendmail could not be passed to it in this manner . the trusted sealing device audit daemon ( sealauditd ) opens a connection to the audit serial port and waits for any audit messages from the trusted sealing device . when an audit message is received sealauditd stores the message in an audit file . the sealstubd also needs to know of any audit messages so a socket connection is made , allowing any audit messages to be passed to sealstubd also . the current list of possible audit messages and their meanings is : seal verification software including originating network to sealing device and verifying means as depicted in fig4 the interface from the originating network to the seal verifying means is a software module called gatewayconnect . the sendmail configuration file specifies that this module is to be invoked , when mail which has already been sealed is received . gatewayconnect is invoked with the mail message sent to its standard input . gatewayconnect establishes communication with the serial port used for communication with the seal verification means , which reads the mail message from standard input and adjusts the headers , as previously described . the gatewayconnect module will also recognise the special seal headers that the sealstubd module has inserted ( i . e ., x - seal , x - label , x - serialno and x - time ). the unique marker may comprise x - seal alone or include the others as well , but note , that they are then made part of the message which is sealed and must also be part of the message which is subsequently seal verified by the trusted seal verification means . the seal , label , time and serial number information is extracted and the corresponding headers removed from the message . this information is then passed to the trusted seal verification means in the following order : the seal verification means compares the newly calculated seal with the seal supplied with the mail message . if the seals do not match , audit facilities are invoked or the message is returned to the author , or both . otherwise , the message is passed to the spooler machine for further processing and delivery . when gatewayconnect has passed the message to the seal verification means the serial port connection is closed and the process terminates . the interface from the seal verification means to the spooler machine is a software module called spoolerconnect . this process establishes a permanent connection with the seal verification means output serial port and waits for any communication . the message is received in raw form , i . e . with no seal headers inserted into the message ( these should have been removed by gatewayconnect ). the process then opens a pipe to / usr / lib / sendmail and pipes the message into the mail system . the process should only terminate on receiving an error condition when opening a connection to the serial port . when it has finished processing a message , it continues to wait for further messages from the seal verification means . this gateway auditing daemon ( gatewayaudit ) is identical to spoolerconnect in that it is a permanent listening process waiting for communication over the serial port from the seal verification means . however , this module receives the serial , number along with the audit message . the module then generates an audit message , stores it and continues to listen for any communication from the seal verification means over the serial port . the current list of possible audit messages and their meanings is : all communication over the serial port is done as hexadecimal characters . this was done to avoid any data that was sent being interpreted as control characters by the serial port . the ser -- init ( s ) routines take a device name as input and open a connection to the device . flags are set to indicate baud rate and number of bits / transmission , and to enable the receiver . five initialise routines exist : ser -- init -- rw -- no - wait ( s ), ser -- init -- rw ( s ), ser -- init -- r -- no -- wait ( s ), ser -- init -- r ( s ), ser -- init -- w ( s ) denoting non - blocking read / write , blocking read / write , non - blocking read , blocking read only and blocking write only connections respectively . ser -- getc ( c ), ser -- get ( s ), ser -- putc ( c ), and ser -- puts ( s ) deal with getting a character or string from the serial port or putting a character or string on the serial port respectively . ser -- putn ( s , n ) puts the first n characters of a string , s , onto the serial port . thus it can be seen that special handling is required if electronic mail is to be provided to users on secure computer networks wishing to exchange messages with external network users . however , it will be noted that the preceding discussion has not specifically addressed the issue of message content checking ( as in covert information elimination ) since , for pure text messages , such techniques will be relatively well known to the person skilled in the art .
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referring to fig1 , a wireless system constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described . test strip 101 electrically communicates with client device 102 , which wirelessly communicates with server device 104 , such as by two - way radio frequency ( rf ) contact , infrared ( ir ) contact , bluetooth contact or other known wireless means 103 . optionally , server device 104 can also communicate with other devices such as data processing terminal 105 by direct electronic contact , via rf , ir , bluetooth or other wireless means . test strip 101 is a commonly known electrochemical analyte test strip , such as a blood glucose test strip as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 434 , 026 filed nov . 4 , 1999 entitled “ small volume in vitro analyte sensor and methods ”, incorporated herein by reference . it is mechanically received in a test strip port of a client device 102 , similar to a commonly known hand - held blood glucose meter as described in the aforementioned patent application . in the preferred embodiment , client device 102 is constructed without a user interface or display to keep the size and cost of device 102 to a minimum . client device 102 can take the form of a highlighter or easel - sized pen , as shown in fig4 , and can be powered by a single aa or aaa size battery . client device 102 wirelessly communicates with server device 104 , preferably using a common standard such as 802 . 11 or bluetooth rf protocol , or an irda infrared protocol . server device 104 can be another portable device , such as a personal digital assistant ( pda ) or notebook computer , or a larger device such as a desktop computer , appliance , etc . as shown by the examples in fig4 . preferably , server device 104 does have a display , such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), as well as an input device , such as buttons , a keyboard , mouse or touch - screen . with this arrangement , the user can control client device 102 indirectly by interacting with the user interface ( s ) of server device 104 , which in turn interacts with client device 102 across wireless link 103 . server device 104 can also communicate with another device 105 , such as for sending glucose data from devices 102 and 104 to data storage in device 105 , and / or receiving instructions or an insulin pump protocol from a health care provider computer 105 . examples of such communication include a pda 104 synching data with a personal computer ( pc ) 105 , a mobile phone 104 communicating over a cellular network with a computer 105 at the other end , or a household appliance 104 communicating with a computer system 105 at a physician &# 39 ; s office . referring to fig2 , internal components of a blood glucose meter 102 of the preferred embodiment are shown . alternatively , user input 202 , such as push button ( s ), and other sections can be eliminated to reduce size and cost of client device 102 . the glucose meter housing may contain any glucose sensing system of the type well known in the art that can be configured to fit into a small profile . such a system can include , for example , the electrochemical glucose strip and meter sensing system sold by therasense , inc . of alameda , calif . under the freestyle ® brand , or other strip and meter glucose measuring systems . the housing may thus encompass the sensor electronics and a strip connector , which connector is accessed via a test strip port opening in the housing . the housing will typically also include a battery or batteries . referring to fig3 , internal components of a server device 104 of the preferred embodiment are shown . note that a redundant test strip interface 301 can be provided if desired for receiving test strips 101 . device 104 can be a proprietary unit designed specifically for use with blood glucose meters , or can be a generic , multipurpose device such as a standard pda . an example of a similar device designed for blood glucose testing is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 560 , 471 issued may 6 , 2003 to therasense , inc . entitled “ analyte monitoring device and methods of use ”, incorporated herein by reference . fig4 shows examples of the devices to and from which the meter of the invention can communicate . such devices will become part of an individual &# 39 ; s personal area network and each becomes enabled with short range wireless communication capabilities . desktop , laptop and handheld computers , as well as printers can be so enabled and will provide displays and printouts valuable as records for the diabetic . telephones will also be enabled in this fashion and can be used for displaying glucose data as well as further transmitting the data over larger networks . many of these devices can assist the diabetic by responding to glucose levels by providing alarms , or suggesting that action be taken to correct a hypo or hyperglycemic condition , or to call necessary medical assistance . diabetics are aware of the risks involved in driving when glucose levels are out of range and particularly when they are too low . thus , the navigation computer in the diabetic &# 39 ; s car may become part of the local area network and will download glucose data from the meter when the diabetic enters the car . for safety sake , the car computer system may be programmed to require that the diabetic perform a glucose test before driving , and more specifically the car may be disabled unless the diabetic takes the test and the result is in an appropriate range . the pen shaped client device 102 shown in fig4 preferably has a test strip port 201 ( not shown in fig4 ) located on its distal end . because the sensitive analog “ front end ” circuitry associated with measuring the very small electrochemistry currents from test strips 101 is located adjacent strip port 201 , it is advisable to not design a wireless link antenna too close to this distal end as it may interfere with the proper operation of the glucose sensing circuitry . on the other hand , if the wireless link antenna is located at the proximal end of the client device 102 , it will likely be covered by the hand of the user holding it , which may limit the range of the low transmission power device to an unacceptable distance . accordingly , it is preferable to design the layout of client device 102 such that an internal antenna is located in a middle section of the device away from the distal and proximal ends . referring to fig5 , an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown . due to the reduced size of a blood glucose meter 102 when it does not include a display or push buttons , it can be combined with a lancing device to form an integrated unit 102 ′. test strip port 201 can be located in the side of integrated device 102 ′ or wherever there is room available . a test strip storage compartment can also be located within integrated device 102 ′ and accessed through a flip - lid 220 or other suitable closure means . if room permits , a second test strip storage compartment ( not shown ) can be included so that fresh strips and used strips can be separately stored . preferably , a desiccant is provided in one of the storage compartments to preserve the fresh strips . the design and use of lancing devices is described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 283 , 982 issued to therasense , inc . on sep . 4 , 2001 entitled “ lancing device and method of sample collection ”, incorporated herein by reference . by integrating these features together in a single device without a user interface , the typical test kit that is carried around by people with diabetes can be made much smaller , easier to handle , and less costly . thus , one of the important features of the invention is reliance of the “ displayless ” glucose meter unit on a separate display device in order to minimize the complexity and cost of the meter unit . this permits the user to use the larger display units within his or her personal area network , all of which can be synchronized as they interact and communicate with the wireless enabled meter . when the meter is used , the sequences through which the user must “ step ” to complete the test are readily viewed on the larger display units ( e . g . entering the calibration code , prompting application of the sample ). at the same time the meter unit is simplified , smaller and less expensive to manufacture . additionally , control buttons that are found on typical glucose meters can be eliminated , saving additional size and cost , since the user can rely on the user in out features of the server device instead . it is expected that the simplified , wireless enabled meters of the invention may ultimately become inexpensive enough to make them disposable after a specified number of uses , permitting the producer to routinely upgrade as appropriate . additionally , the system permits the user to include security coding at any time the meter unit accesses a display device , so that the user &# 39 ; s data is secure . that is , it is considered an important feature of the invention that when the “ client ” meter of the invention is used , that the system will require the user to enter an identity code in order to verify that the person handling the meter is indeed an authorized user . of course , it is possible for the system to permit more than one user if the meter owner so desires . moreover , the user &# 39 ; s data may optionally be encrypted prior to wireless transmission and thereafter respectively decrypted upon wireless reception . while the module need not include a large or expensive display , it may nevertheless be advantageous to include some ability to advise the user of a glucose level which is determined when the module is used as a “ stand - alone ” unit . for example , the module could include a very low cost , small three digit lcd display . alternatively , the module could include led indicator lights ( e . g . red for out of desired range , green for within desired range ). other possibilities include a red led for below range , a green led for within range , and a yellow led for above range , or a column of leds or an electroluminescent strip ( similar to those used on common batteries to indicate battery life ) to indicate approximate or relative glucose levels . various other modifications and alterations in the structure and method of operation of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments . it is intended that the following claims define the scope of the present invention and that structures and methods within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby .
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the present invention allows a surgeon to rapidly and securely attach the edges of a wound in human tissue without the necessity for threading and tying numerous individual stitches or for using a complicated or elaborate tool . as used herein , the term “ wound ” means an incision , laceration , cut , or other condition where suturing , stapling , or the use of another tissue connecting device might be required . with reference to fig1 and 2 , there is shown a barbed tissue connector 2 constructed in accordance with the present invention . connector 2 includes a body 4 which is generally circular in cross section and a plurality of closely - spaced barbs 6 which extend around the periphery of the body 4 . a pointed end 9 is formed on the body 4 to facilitate penetration of the connector 2 into tissue . the body 4 preferably has sufficient dimensional stability to assume a substantially rigid configuration during use and is sufficiently resilient to return to a predetermined shape after deflection therefrom . in some applications , it may be desirable for the body 4 to be flexible and substantially nonresilient so that the shape of an inserted connector will be determined by surrounding tissue . barbs 6 serve to hold the connector in tissue and resist retraction of the connector from the tissue . the barbs 6 can be arranged in any suitable pattern , for example , in a helical pattern as shown in fig1 . in a helical pattern of barbs 6 , it is preferable that the number of barbs occupying one revolution not be an integer , thereby avoiding parallel axial rows of barbs ; such an arrangement provides a more uniform distribution of forces on the tissue and lessens the tendency of an inserted connector 2 to cut through tissue . if the number of barbs in one revolution is not an integer , the barbs in successive revolutions will be offset , as shown in fig2 , and the amount of offset will determine which barbs are in axial alignment . for example , if the barbs in successive revolutions are offset by ½ barb , the barbs in every second revolution will be in axial alignment , and by extension , if the barbs in each successive revolution are offset by 1 / x barb , the barbs in every x revolution will be in axial alignment . as shown in fig1 , each barb 6 includes a first side 8 which forms an obtuse angle alpha with the body 4 and a second side 10 which forms an acute angle beta with the body 4 . each barb 6 tapers to a point 7 , and the amount of difference between the angle alpha of side 8 and angle beta of side 10 will control the amount of taper in the barb 6 . a barb 6 which tapers from a broad base to a narrow tip can be effective in resisting retraction , yet will yield toward the body 4 during insertion to reduce the effort and tissue damage associated with insertion of the connector 2 . the barbs 6 can be generally conical , as shown in fig1 , or they can be any other shape which will function in substantially the same manner as the conical barbs . the configuration of barbs 6 and the surface area of the barbs can vary depending upon the tissue in which the connector 2 is used . the proportions of the barbs 6 can remain relatively constant while the overall length of the barbs and the spacing of the barbs are determined by the tissue being connected . for example , if the connector 2 is intended to be used to connect the edges of a wound in skin or tendon , each barb 6 can be made relatively short to facilitate entry into this rather firm tissue . if the connector 2 is intended for use in fatty tissue , which is relatively soft , the barbs can be made longer and spaced farther apart to increase the holding ability in the soft tissue . as shown in fig1 , the barbs 6 on connector 2 have a uniform unidirectional configuration , that is , the barbs 6 are uniformly spaced on body 4 and all the sides 8 are oriented in the same direction , facing pointed end 9 . connector 2 can be inserted into tissue with the sides 8 of each barb 6 facing in the direction of motion . connector 2 will prevent movement of tissue in the direction in which it was inserted . a pair of connectors 2 inserted adjacent to each other and in opposite directions will prevent movement of tissue in either direction across a wound . connector 2 can be formed of a material sufficiently hard for point 9 to pierce tissue and enable the connector to be inserted in tissue when a substantially axial force is applied to body 4 . connector 2 is preferably composed of a bioabsorbable compound , such as a polyglycolic acid or polylactic acid polymer or copolymer . the use of a bioabsorbable material eliminates the necessity of removing the connector from the patient , which can be a painful and possibly dangerous process . connector 2 can be formed , for example , by injection molding . in one representative example of connector 2 for use in muscular tissue , the body 4 is formed from polyglycolic acid , has a length of 1 to 5 cm , and a diameter of about 1 mm . the diameter of a circle extending around points 7 of barbs 6 will be about 3 mm , and the barbs are spaced apart from each other on body 4 by a distance of 1 mm . side 8 forms an angle of 135 degrees with the body 4 and side 10 forms an angle of 75 degrees with the body 4 . in fig3 , there is shown a second embodiment of the present invention in which barbs 16 are arranged in a uniform bidirectional configuration on a barbed tissue connector 12 . barbs 16 are constructed in the same manner as barbs 6 on connector 2 . a first set of barbs 15 on connector 12 are arranged in a helical pattern and face a pointed end 20 , and a second set of barbs 16 on connector 12 are arranged in a helical pattern and face a pointed end 21 . each of the pointed ends 20 , 21 should be sufficiently hard and sharp to easily penetrate tissue in which the connector is to be used . connector 12 is particularly suitable for applications where the edges of a wound are prone to separate . connector 12 can be used by inserting one of the ends , for example end 20 , into a first side of a wound ( not shown ), spreading the wound slightly to expose the second side of the wound , inserting the end 21 of the connector 12 into the second side of the wound , and then pressing the edges of the wound together . the barbs 15 and 16 on the ends of the connector 12 will grasp the tissue on each side of the wound and prevent the edges of the wound from spreading . with reference to fig4 , there is shown another embodiment of the present invention in which a barbed tissue connector 22 has a nonuniform bidirectional configuration . connector 22 comprises a pointed end 23 and one or more barbs 26 facing a first direction which alternate with one or more barbs 27 facing a second direction . at each axial location , there can be a number , e . g . 4 - 9 , of circumferentially - spaced barbs 26 or 27 . to insert connector 22 into tissue , the surgeon would use an inserting device 80 as described below . the arrangement of barbs 26 , 27 on connector 22 would prevent any localized movement of tissue relative to the connector in an axial direction . with reference to fig5 , there is shown another embodiment of the present invention in which a barbed tissue connector 32 has a uniform bidirectional configuration . connector 32 comprises a body 34 having pointed ends 33 and 35 . a plurality of axially - spaced barbs 36 adjacent pointed end 33 face toward end 35 , and a plurality of axially - spaced barbs 37 adjacent pointed end 35 face toward end 33 . barbs 36 and 37 can be circumferentially - spaced around body 34 at each axial location , or the barbs 36 and 37 can be of the same construction and arranged in the same pattern as barbs 6 on connector 2 . to insert a connector 32 , the surgeon would use an inserting device 80 as described below . if the body 34 of the connector 32 is sufficiently rigid , the connector 32 would prevent tissue retained by the barbs 36 from moving toward end 35 and tissue retained by barbs 37 from moving toward end 33 . it will be apparent that only one end of connector 32 needs to be pointed ; two pointed ends are preferable , however , so that the surgeon does not have to take the time to insure that connector 32 is oriented in the inserting device 80 with a pointed end protruding from the inserting device . with reference to fig6 and 7 , there is shown another embodiment of the present invention in which a barbed tissue connector 42 comprises a body 44 having a pointed end 45 for penetration into tissue . a head 47 is formed on an opposite end of body 44 . a plurality of circumferentially - spaced barbs 46 are formed on body 44 at each of a number of axial locations . as shown in fig7 , three barbs 46 are formed at each axial location ; however , more or less than three barbs 46 could be used for certain applications . barbs 46 include a first side 48 formed at an obtuse angle to the body 44 and a second side 49 which projects from body 44 at an acute angle . the connector 42 can be forced into tissue by applying a force to the head 47 . the connector 42 can be applied by hand , or it can be inserted using an inserting device 80 as described below . the connector 42 can be formed entirely of a bioabsorbable material , or the head 47 and the body 44 can be composed of different materials . for example , the body 44 can be composed of a bioabsorbable material , and the head 47 can be composed of metal for superior strength and to facilitate insertion of the connector 42 . head 47 can be made flat , as shown in fig6 , or the head can be formed by a single ring of barbs ( not shown ) facing in a direction opposite to that of the barbs 46 . in use , a series of connectors 42 can be inserted into tissue , such as along the edges and in the field of a skin graft . after an adequate amount of time has passed for the wound to heal , the tissue beneath each head 47 could be depressed slightly to permit the head 47 to be cut from the body 44 . the tissue would then rise up over the cut end of the body . such a process would reduce scarring which could result from a long - term projection of the body 44 through tissue and would eliminate the necessity to remove connectors 42 from the patient . with reference to fig8 and 9 , there is shown another embodiment of the present invention in which a barbed tissue connector 52 has a uniform unidirectional configuration . connector 52 comprises a body 54 having a non - circular cross - sectional shape . body 54 includes a plurality of barbs 56 which are generally triangular in cross section and are equally spaced around the periphery of the body at a series of axial locations . each of the barbs 56 includes a first side 58 disposed at an obtuse angle to body 54 and a second side 60 disposed at an acute angle to the body . body 54 includes a pointed end 53 to facilitate entry in tissue . use of a non - circular cross - sectional shape increases the surface area of the connector 52 and facilitates the formation of the multiple barbs on the connector . for example , barbs 56 can be formed on a piece of stock having a triangular cross section by removing material at successive axial locations from the three edges of the stock . it will be apparent that a similar process could be used to form barbs on stock of a different cross section ( not shown ), for example , a rectangular or hexagonal cross section . in the use of the disclosed connectors , such as connectors 2 and 42 , the surgeon can grip the connector in one hand and push the connector into the tissue . as an alternative to directly inserting the connectors into the tissue , the surgeon can use an inserting device 80 as shown in fig1 and 11 . the inserting device 80 comprises a circular tubular body 82 . the tubular body 82 can be generally arcuate in an axial direction , and the body 82 is sufficiently long to contain at least a portion of a barbed tissue connector c . device 80 has an inwardly tapered leading end 84 and an outwardly tapered , or flared , trailing end 86 . a handle 83 is provided on body 82 adjacent trailing end 86 to enable the surgeon to manipulate the inserting device 80 . in order to facilitate entry of the connector c and the device 80 into tissue , a connector c is positioned in tubular body 82 with a pointed end p of the connector c extending from leading end 84 . in a preferred embodiment , the interior diameter of the body 82 is made slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the connector c so that the barbs b of a connector c in the body 82 will press against the body 82 ; as a result , the connector c will be retained in the body 82 during insertion in tissue with the point p properly positioned outside of the body 82 . the connector can also be positioned in body 82 with a barb b outside of body 82 to insure that the connector c will not be pushed back in the body 82 during insertion . in one application of device 80 , the surgeon inserts the body 82 having connector c therein into the patient &# 39 ; s tissue 87 until the connector c reaches a desired position , for example , the position shown in fig1 . device 80 is then withdrawn in the direction of arrow 90 , and a barb , or barbs , b on the connector c penetrates and catches the tissue 87 to hold the connector c in the inserted position . use of the inserting device 80 is particularly recommended when the connector c includes multiple barbs facing more than one direction , such as connectors 22 and 32 , or when the connector is too flexible for insertion without additional support . while the present invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments thereof , it is to be understood that numerous variations in the details of construction , the arrangement and combination of parts , and the type of materials used may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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two electrolytes designated as k - 1 and k - 2 were prepared in accordance with this invention as shown in table 1 . the koh concentration was 2 . 56 m / l , in both . the potassium phosphate , k 3 po 4 , was 1 . 66 and 1 . 47 m / l , respectively and the amounts of potassium fluoride , kf , was limited to 0 . 34 and 0 . 68 m / l , respectively . in addition , an electrolyte was prepared as specifically described in claim 5 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 273 , 841 of carlson . the weight percentages given there have been recalculated into molarities as shown in table 1 . it should be noticed that the koh molarity of 177 is well below the range specified in the present invention , which is 2 . 5 - 11 m / l , and that the kf concentration of 2 . 74 m / l is also well above the upper limit of the kf range of the present invention , which is 0 . 01 - 1 . 00 of m / l . four ampere - hour nominal capacity nickel - zinc cells employing four double nickel - oxide cathodes were constructed each 1 . 7 × 1 . 75 inches in size and 0 . 035 inches thick . the cells were assembled with zinc anodes of the same size and a separator system of non - woven nylon and microporous polyethylene film . groups of three cells each were filled correspondingly with electrolytes k - 1 , k - 2 ( prepared according to this invention ) and electrolyte nc - 101 prepared according to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 273 , 841 . all cells were vacuum - filled and allowed to stand for three days to assure good wetting of the plates . after initial charging cells were discharged at 1 amp to a 1 volt cut - off point . the experiment covered many cycles , the first eight of which are summarized in table 1 . table 1______________________________________comparison of capacity yields of nickel - oxide - zinc - cells filled with 3 electrolytescompositions based on average density of 1 . 327 g / ccelectrolyte electrolyte electrolyte # k - 1 ( accord - # k - 2 ( accord - # n c - 101ing to this ing to this ( according toinvention ) invention ) pat . 4 , 273 , 841 ) ______________________________________koh 2 . 56 10 . 32 % 2 . 56 10 . 82 % 1 . 77 7 . 5 % k . sub . 3 po . sub . 4 1 . 66 22 . 03 % 1 . 47 19 . 51 % 1 . 00 16 % kf 0 . 34 1 . 49 % 0 . 68 2 . 98 % 2 . 74 12 % amp capacities delivered in discharge to a1 . 0 v / cell cut - offcycle # 1 4 . 8 - 5 . 35 ah 4 . 3 - 525 ah 1 . 75 - 2 . 05 ah # 2 4 . 6 - 4 . 9 ah 4 . 9 - 5 . 1 ah 2 . 00 - 2 . 9 ah # 3 4 . 65 - 5 . 2 ah 4 . 65 - 5 . 2 ah 2 . 1 - 2 . 4 ah # 4 4 . 2 - 5 . 3 ah 4 . 2 - 4 . 7 ah 2 . 5 - 3 . 2 ah # 8 4 . 5 - 4 . 8 ah 4 . 5 - 4 . 8 ah 1 . 9 - 2 . 2 ah______________________________________ as can be seen in the first cycle , the group of k - 1 filled - cells yielded 4 . 8 - 5 . 35 amp hours ( ah ). the k - 2 group yielded 4 . 3 - 5 . 25 ah . however , the nc - 101 group yielded 1 . 75 - 2 . 05 ah . in cycle 2 , this last group delivered a slightly better capacity of 2 to 2 . 9 ah , but still far below the 4 . 6 - 5 . 1 ah values for groups k1 and k2 . even after eight cycles , this situation did not change and in subsequent cycling the capacity yields of the cells in the last group remained in the range of 1 . 9 to 2 . 2 ah compared to 4 . 5 to 4 . 8 for electrolytes k1 and k2 prepared in accordance with the present invention . an electrolyte was prepared from an 8 . 08 moles per liter ( 8 . 08 chemical equivalents per liter ) solution of potassium hydroxide to which boric acid was added in the amount of 1 . 50 moles per liter ( 4 . 50 chemical equivalents per liter ). this provided formation of a solution of 1 . 50 moles per liter of potassium borate and a 3 . 58 moles per liter of excess potassium hydroxide . this solution was designated as solution # 1 . to solution # 1 was added potassium fluoride ( kf ) in an amount which resulted in a 0 . 8 moles per liter concentration . this solution was designated as solution # 2 . finally , a conventional potassium hydroxide solution of 34 % by weight of koh which corresponds to 8 . 08 moles per liter was prepared and designated as solution # 3 . table 2______________________________________solution content cycle no . average capacity , ah______________________________________1 koh 8 4 . 1 borate 30 3 . 7 92 3 . 0 ( 75 %) 2 koh 8 3 . 9 borate 30 3 . 8 kf 92 3 . 7 ( 93 %) 3 koh 8 4 . 3 only 30 3 . 5 92 ( shorted ) ______________________________________ it is clear from these results that after 92 cycles the solution # 1 gave an 80 % capacity retention but solution # 2 with both borate and kf gave a 93 % retention . the koh solution # 3 resulted in cells shorting by zinc dendrites before cycle 92 was reached . hence , the combination of the potassium hydroxide and borate and potassium fluoride ( as represented by solution # 2 ) yielded the best retention of cell capacity after the extended cycling even so the capacity may have been somewhat lower in the initial cycle , for instance , in cycle # 8 . in this experiment larger nickel oxide zinc cells of a nominal capacity of 16 - 20 ampere - hours ( ah ) were employed . again , three solutions were employed . solution # 4 contained 1 . 9 moles per liter ( m / l ) of potassium borate and 2 . 6 m / l potassium hydroxide . solution # 5 contained 0 . 8 m / l potassium fluoride ( kf ) and 3 . 3 m / l potassium hydroxide ( koh ). solution # 6 contained 0 . 8 m / l potassium fluoride 2 . 8 m / l koh and 0 . 9 m / l borate ( k 3 bo 3 ) in addition , all three of these solutions contain 0 . 2 m / l lithium hydroxide ( lioh ). three groups of three cells each were cycled at 80 % depth of discharge using a 9 hour charge and 3 hour discharge . table 3 gives the average cell capacities after a number of cycles . table 3______________________________________average nickel zinc cell capacities ( ah ) cycle no . solution 4 solution 5 solution 6______________________________________ 4 20 ah 8 . 7 ah 10 . 4 ah 79 19 ah 13 ah 16 ah188 19 ah 18 ah 22 ah283 17 ah 20 ah 23 ah______________________________________ from this it is clear that the combination of the three constituents , as represented by solution # 6 , gave the best overall results except in the initial cycle . particularly impressive were the results after cycle # 79 . two groups of three nickel zinc cells , each as described in experiment iii , were filled with solution # 1 from experiment ii , koh and borate and a modified solution # 7 containing in addition 0 . 3 m / l phosphate , k 3 po 4 and 0 . 3 m / l sodium fluoride ( naf ). the two groups of cells were cycled to a 100 % dod . at cycle # 137 the group with solution # 1 showed an average 74 % capacity retention . however , the group with solution # 7 averaged an 85 % retention of cell capacity . nine small silver oxide - zinc cells of a nominal capacity of 500 milliampere - hours ( ma ) were divided into three groups of 3 cells each and after the second discharge , subjected to automatic cycling to an 80 % depth dod . the first group of three cells was filled with solution # 8 which contained 11 . 6 m / l koh . a solution # 9 contained 9 . 3 m / l koh and 0 . 5 m / l k 3 bo 3 . finally , a solution # 10 in the third group contained 9 . 3 m / l koh , 0 . 5 k 3 bo 3 and 0 . 12 m / l potassium fluoride . the results of the tests are given in table 4 . table 4______________________________________average capacities ( ma ) of silver - zinccells for three electrolytes ( 80 % dod ) solution 8 solution 9 solution 10______________________________________compositions m / l koh 11 . 6 koh 9 . 3 koh 9 . 3 k . sub . 3 bo . sub . 3 0 . 5 k . sub . 3 bo . sub . 3 0 . 5 kf 0 . 12cycle # 2 650 mah 600 mah 580 mah13 504 565 58563 120 & amp ; 2 510 556 shorted123 -- 392 ( 65 %) 430 ( 74 %) ______________________________________ as can be seen solution # 8 with potassium hydroxide only ( koh ) gave in the initial cycle # 2 the highest capacity . however , by cycle # 13 it already dropped from 650 to 504 ma and by cycle # 63 one cell delivered only 120 mah and two cells were already shorted . since the 45 % koh solution is a currently accepted standard for silver oxide zinc cells , the effects of the borate and fluoride additives in solutions # 9 and # 10 can be appreciated . as shown in table 4 , these two groups average capacities still in excess of 500 ma in cycle # 63 and even in cycle # 123 delivered respectable fractions of original capacity . in this generally low cycle life rechargeable battery system , it is also interesting to note that solution # 10 , containing both the fluoride and the borate , provided in cycle # 123 , at 75 % capacity retention compared to 65 % for the solution # 9 with only the borate . it should also be noted that with koh alone silver oxide - zinc cells rarely exceed 40 - 60 cycles at 80 % dod . two groups of similar cells as described in experiment 4 were filled with electrolytes 8 and 11 , the compositions of which are given in table 6 . the cells were subject to full discharge , i . e . 100 % dod . table 6______________________________________average capacities ( ma ) of silver - zinccells with two electrolytes - cycled 100 % dod solution 8 solution 11______________________________________composition m / l koh 11 . 6 koh 9 . 5 k . sub . 3 bo . sub . 3 0 . 5cycle # 3 636 ma 610 ma17 505 55057 0 . 170 460 ( shorted ) 93 -- 363______________________________________ the group with the solution # 8 ( standard ) did not reach cycle # 57 , failing by dendrite shorting . the group with solution # 11 with borate survived at least to cycle # 93 , at which point it still averaged a capacity of 363 ma . it should be understood that the just described embodiments merely illustrate principles of the invention in its preferred forms . many modifications , additions , and deletions may , of course , be made thereto without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims .
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to illustrate the preferred embodiments of the present invention , which is the electrode system , the following drawings are presented ; however , these are not meant to be limits to the invention . fig1 is a schematic elevation view , showing the bowl - shaped electrode in cross - section and illustrating the general alignment of the fibers within the field . fig2 is a schematic elevation view , showing the external appearance of the assembled unit containing the electrode as well as the driving means , and surrounding components . fig3 is a schematic elevation view illustrating , in cross section , several contour combinations of opposing surfaces of the stationary electrode and the revolving electrode ( not including the spindle and twisting element ). fig1 illustrates the electrode portion of the apparatus wherein electrode element 1 is rigidly attached to cylinder 2 , which is rotatably mounted , axially and radially supported through suitable bearings by column 3 , and independently rotated by a variable speed electric motor ( not shown ) to which it is coupled by means of an electrically non - conducting &# 34 ; v &# 34 ; belt ( not shown ) driving pulley 4 . spindle 5 is constructed with a conducting knife edge ring 6 which extends axially through an opening in the center of electrode element 1 , terminating slightly above its surface and comprising the second element of the revolving electrode . spindle 5 is rotatably mounted , axially and radially supported through suitable bearings , by column 3 , and independently rotated by a variable speed electric motor ( not shown ). attached to and extending axially from spindle 5 is electrically non - conducting twisting element 7 . stationary electrode 8 is bowl - shaped and is rigidly attached in an upside - down position so that its axis coincides with the axis of the revolving electrode elements 1 and 6 , and the twisting element 7 . electrode 8 is represented in this figure by a cross - section view through and parallel with the axis of the electrodes . an opening 9 through the side of electrode 8 is provided to permit injection of fibers 10 in a radial direction . electrode 8 is also provided with an opening 18 axially aligned with twisting element 7 . the inner surface of stationary electrode 8 is circular with respect to the axis of electrode elements 1 and 6 and twisting element 7 , and is designed so that the distance between it and the surface of electrode element 1 is continuously increasing in a radial direction from the axis , and is designed so that it substantially encloses electrode element 1 by extending below the side of element 1 . the side of element 1 is defined as the plane at which its diameter is greatest . the perimeter of element 1 is curved radially to eliminate sharp edges that would cause anomalies in the electrical field . electrode element 1 is energized by a high voltage power supply ( not shown ) from which the electrical charge is conducted by conventional wire and slide contacting means to cylinder 2 and thence to element 1 . electrode element 6 is also energized by the electrical charge being conducted through supporting bearings and column 3 from cylinder 2 . stationary electrode 8 is grounded . fig2 schematically illustrates the assembled apparatus which contains the pertinent parts , including the driving means , motor coupling means , and a supporting frame , as well as a fiber opening and feeding means . the literature provides suitable means for supplying cotton fibers to the apparatus of fig2 ( see u . s . pat . no . 3 , 685 , 100 ). with reference to both fig1 and 2 , the column 3 , supporting revolving electrode elements 1 and 6 , is rigidly attached to frame 11 by an electrically non - conducting support 12 . stationary electrode 8 and variable speed electric motors 13 and 14 are rigidly attached to frame 11 . motor 13 is coupled to spindle 5 by means of electrically non - conducting coupling 15 . motor 14 is coupled to pulley 4 by means of electrically non - conducting v - belt 16 . the fiber feeding apparatus 16 is positioned so that it is in contact with electrode 8 and its fiber discharge port is aligned with the opening in the side of electrode 8 . in operation , separated fibers 10 are injected by fiber feeder 17 through opening 9 into the electrical field existing between revolving electrode element 1 and stationary electrode 8 . the fibers are subsequently formed into a textile strand by the process of kotter and salaun , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 696 , 603 , which discloses an apparatus in which the electrical field existing between the revolving electrode and the stationary electrode is not disclosed in a direction radial from the revolving electrode and the twisting element . in the apparatus and process of the prior art under some conditions a portion of the fibers injected into the electrical field would tend to pass completely through the field and consequently be lost from the process as the fibers would fly into the surrounding area . on the other hand , the design of stationary electrode 8 enlarges the effective electrical field , without increasing the size of the revolving electrode , thus eliminating or greatly reducing fiber loss . actual tests show that some operating conditions result in a heavy loss of long fibers when the stationary electrode is flat . when the stationary electrode is bowl - shaped as described herein , the same operating conditions can be used with the loss of only a very small amount of extremely short fibers . another benefit of the special design of stationary electrode 8 is that fibers may be injected into the electrical field existing between it and the revolving electrode in a direction parallel to the axis of the electrodes . this would permit the elimination of opening 9 in the side of electrode 8 . the interior surface of stationary electrode 8 comprises the exterior limit of the effective electrical field . this surface may be mathematically described as being generated by rotating a radial line through a 360 ° angle about an axis . the radial line thus rotated may be described as continuously increasing in separation , in a direction radial from the axis , from a radial line on the surface of revolving electrode element 1 . for the apparatus depicted in fig1 and 2 revolving electrode element 1 is a conical section having an included angle of 160 °, having a maximum diameter of 5 . 875 inches , and having its perimeter rounded to a radius of 0 . 295 inches . stationary electrode 8 is positioned so that its axis coincides with the axis of revolving electrode element 1 and its minimum separation from revolving electrode element 1 ( at a point about the top edge of electrode element 1 and parallel to the axis ) is 1 . 483 inches . in a direction to the left of the axis the radial line , by which the interior surface of stationary electrode 8 is generated , extends perpendicular to the axis of the electrode to a point where it intersects a radial line defined as a spiral curve generated about the center of curvature of the perimeter of revolving electrode element 1 . the spiral curve depicted herein is r = ( 1 . 438 + 0 . 008329θ ) inches when θ is in degrees . the radial line along the surface of stationary electrode 8 and perpendicular to the axis intersects the spiral curve at a distance of approximately 3 . 448 inches from the axis which corresponds to approximately θ = 110 . 0 °. from this point the radial line along the surface of the electrode is defined by the spiral curve through θ = 211 . 0 ° at which point the effective electrical field terminates . the electrodes of the instant invention are not limited either with respect to size or shape provided by the drawings of fig1 and 2 . these serve to illustrate a preferred embodiment . the revolving electrode can have other flat or curved shapes , and the stationary electrode may be any corresponding shape that will provide a continuously increasing distance between the electrodes in a direction radial from the axis of rotation . fig3 illustrates , in cross section -- in a plane through and parallel with the axis -- various combinations of electrode surface shapes ( including that of fig1 and 2 ) which provide radially increasing electrode separation and a substantially enclosed rotatable electrode . the spindle and twisting element are not shown in these illustrations . in each set of electrodes the perimeter of the revolving electrode is a convex curve of constant radius and the opposing portion of the surface of the stationary electrode is contoured to a concave spiral curve . in fig3 a ( illustated also in fig1 and 2 ) the major portion of the revolving electrode surface is a convex cone having straight sides and the opposing surface of the stationary electrode is flat . in fig3 b the major portion of the revolving electrode surface is flat and the opposing surface of the stationary electrode is a convex cone having straight sides . in fig3 c the major portion of the revolving electrode surface is a concave cone having straight sides and the opposing surface of the stationary electrode is a convex cone having straight sides and having a smaller included angle . in fig3 d the major portion of the revolving electrode surface is a convex cone having sides convex curved to a constant radius and the opposing surface of the stationary electrode has sides contoured to a concave spiral curve . in fig3 e the major portion of the revolving electrode surface is a convex cone having sides concave curved to a constant radius and the opposing surface of stationary electrode has sides contoured to a convex spiral curve . in fig3 f the major portion of the revolving electrode surface is a concave cone having sides concave curved to a constant radius and the opposing surface of the stationary electrode has sides contoured to a convex spiral curve . in reducing the instant invention to practice the electrodes were machined from solid aluminum block because of ease of fabrication ; however , this should not be construed as a limit to the invention with respect to either that material or method of fabrication , since what is of consequence is the configuration of the opposing surfaces of the two electrodes and the electrical conductivity of the opposing surfaces of electrode 8 and electrode element 1 .
| 3 |
a grooved grating shown in cross section is denoted by 1 in fig1 . a slit grating 2 is mounted on the plane side of said grooved grating , the ledges of this slit grating being opposite both the peaks and the troughs of the respective grooves . this slit grating 2 represents an amplitude grating as well known in the art and , for example , disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 812 , 352 , issued may 21 , 1974 to alan j . macgovern . the light incident from the objective comes from the left and moves in the direction of arrow a . by the grooved grating the light flux a is split into two light beams a &# 39 ; and a &# 34 ; travelling in two directions inclined to one another . the two light beams eventually form two separate images of the objective aperture as more clearly described with reference to fig4 . when first image point p 1 is considered , which is illuminated from an aperture at an angle α , in the absence of the amplitude grating 2 , then it is noted that the aperture region is split and that upon moving the grating in the x - direction , switching of all aperture regions do not always take place simultaneously . when on the other hand the amplitude grating is introduced , which is equivalent to covering the peaks and troughs of the grooved grating , some light indeed is lost , but one obtains signals from different aperture regions which are always equal and in phase provided the focus is on the plane of the grating . the embodiment of fig1 requires masking both the groove peaks and troughs , the width of the masks (= ledges ) depending on the thickness of the grooved grating , and this thickness cannot be made arbitrarily small . this limitation is avoided in the embodiment of fig2 . in this embodiment , the amplitude grating 3 is mounted on a special grating substrate 4 and the peaks of the grooved grating 5 are located in the manner shown , always halfway between two grating ledges , resting on substrate 4 . where k is the f - stop number . if it is assumed further that the two images of the objective aperture which are produced by the grooved grating and are projected by a field lens ( not shown ) may touch one another , then the two deflection angles must be at least +/- 1 / 2α , and the wedge angles must be at least α . therefore the height h of the grooved grating is given by where g is the grating constant . the width b of the grating ledge must be if for instance , an f - stop number of k = 2 is assumed , the masking factor will be 12 . 5 percent . this masking factor however does not imply that the signal amplitude is decreased by that percentage . this state of affairs is clearly shown in fig3 and 3a . fig3 represents a top view of the amplitude grating 2 of fig1 and further , fig3 a above same , the grating transmission in the x - direction . the negative transmission indicates that the light fluxes passing through every second slit of the grating 2 are processed into electrical signals with inverted signs . the present invention introduces ledges 22 , 23 , 24 etc . and so achieves square transmission curves with zones 33 , 34 , 35 etc . of zero transmissivity . it is to be noted that such curves are closer to sines than pure square waves and that the loss in total transmission essentially applies to a decrease in the third harmonic which cannot be used anyway . it is shown that for small widths of the ledges , the fundamental of the spatial frequency filter is attenuated not by the factor p computed above , but by about 11 / 4 p 2 and for the example cited , this amounts to 2 percent . the grooved gratings of fig1 and 2 , together with a field lens project two images of the aperture of the objective , these aperture images lying sequentially in the x - direction . however , it is possible also to array these images next to each other in the x - direction , that is , sequentially in the y - direction . this is especially significant when the aperture is made large in the x - direction and when the entrance pupil is other than circular or cannot be of such shape . fig4 is a perspective view showing an objective 41 of which the aperture , i . e . the frame of the lens , is imaged onto a detection plane 44 by a field lens 43 . in front of the field lens 43 there is arranged a scanning grating x . this scanning grating comprises an amplitude grating 51 of the type described with reference to fig1 and a plurality of saw - tooth prismatic strips 52 as shown in cross section in fig5 . while in the embodiment shown in fig1 it was assumed that by the grooved grating 1 two aperture images are formed which are offset from one another in the x - direction , the embodiment of fig4 is such that the aperture images are formed side by side in the y - direction . this is accomplished by the saw - tooth prismatic strips 52 as more clearly shown in fig6 . a plurality of strips 52 denoted as + strips and - strips are shown to be arranged side by side in an alternating order with the ledges of the amplitude grating 51 covering the edges along which the strips are in touch . from this figure it will be comprehended that the incident light rays b are deflected by the + strips into a lower y - direction and by the - strips into an upper y - direction so that eventually two images 45 , 46 of the objective aperture are formed offset from one another in the y - direction . a set of two photo - detectors 47 , 48 and 49 , 50 is disposed on the detection plane in each aperture image , with each detector of each set covering a different image area . fig4 further shows the electric circuit of which the photo - detectors 47 , 48 and 49 , 50 are component parts . this circuit comprises a first differential amplifier 53 and a second differential amplifier 54 , a phase evaluator 55 and an indicating meter 56 . the photo - detectors 47 and 49 are connected to the amplifier 53 and the photodetectors 48 and 50 are connected to the amplifier 54 . the differential amplifiers function in such a way that they form the difference of the supplied signals and carry this difference at their output . the forming of two images of the objective aperture on the detection plane 44 and placing one photo - detector -- for example the detectors 47 and 49 -- in either image serves to generate signals in said two detectors which are out of phase by 180 °. this will best be understood if it is assumed that a given object point is imaged on the slit 57 . if , now , the subsequently arranged saw - tooth strip is a minus strip the light rays imaging this object point in the plane of the amplitude grating 51 are deflected in an upward direction and are incident on the photo - detector 47 there causing an electric signal . at the same time no light rays fall on the photo - detector 49 ( from this given object point ) so that this given point generates no signal on the photo - detector 49 . if , however , the scanning grating now undergoes its scanning movement in the x - direction the image of the given object point falls on a slit adjacent to the slit 57 and , consequently , the light rays are deflected in a downward direction so that they are incident on the photo - detector 49 generating the electric signal on this detector , while the photo - detector 47 does not receive light ( from this given object point ) and carries no signal . from the foregoing it will be comprehended that generally the signals generated by the two photo - detectors 47 and 49 -- as well as by the photo - detectors 48 and 50 -- are offset in phase from one another by 180 °. in addition it must be understood that the signals which show a sine configuration are not obtained from the photo - detectors in a pure form but as a modulation on top of a large d . c . component which results from stray light ( fig7 a , 7b ). since the signals are phase - shifted by 180 ° one signal may be denoted + signal and the other the - signal . when both signals are fed to the differential amplifier the - signal is subtracted from the + signal . this substraction has the double effect that the signal itself is doubled in amplitude while the d . c . component is reduced to zero . this method is known as the &# 34 ; split aperture method &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; split pupil method &# 34 ; and is also disclosed , for example in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 856 , 401 and , to a certain degree , in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 527 , 896 . it is not the object of the present invention . however , this method is applied only for obtaining clear and processable signals that may be readily evaluated . it has nothing to do with the focus detection proper . whether the optical system is in focus or not is rather detected by comparing the phase of the two signals obtained by the split aperture method , i . e . by comparing the phase of the signals carried by the output terminals of the amplifiers 53 and 54 . these signals are supplied to the phase evaluator 55 and from the indicating meter 56 it may be read whether the signals are in phase or not , which is equal to whether the system is focused or not . from the fig8 a and 8b it will be understood why the phasee relation of the two signals provides an information on the focussing state of the system . the figures are a schematic top view in the direction of arrow c ( fig4 ) of the device shown in fig4 however , with the field lens 43 being omitted for sake of simplicity . fig8 a shows the system in focus , i . e . the parallel light rays 58 and 59 from an object are properly focussed on the plane of the amplitude grating 51 . behind the grating the light ray 58 travles to the photo - detector 47 while the light ray 59 travels to the photo - detector 48 . if now in the course of its scanning movement the grating 51 ( together with the strips 52 ) moves in the x - direction it will readily be seen that both light rays are blocked simultaneously which means that the light incident on the photo - detectors 47 and 48 becomes dimmer at the same time , which in turn means that the amplitude of either electric signal generated by either photo - detector becomes lower at exactly the same moment : the signals are in phase . from fig8 b it will be comprehended that when the object is not focussed on the plane of the amplitude grating and the grating executes its scanning movement for example in the x - direction of the arrow , that then first the light ray 59 is cut off by the grating so that the light intensity on the photo - detector 48 is gradually reduced which also reduces the amplitude of the signal generated by the detector 48 . this occurs at a time when the light ray 58 is still fully incident on the photo - detector 47 so that the signal generated by this detector still has its greatest amplitude . this all results ina phase shift between the two electric signals generated by the two photo - detectors . from this plane shift it may be concluded that the system is out of focus . the degree of the phase difference provides an information on how far the system is out of focus , and , judging from which signal is first reduced in amplitude and which one is lagging , it may also be discerned in what direction the objective has to be moved in order to achieve a proper focussing . it should , however , be borne in mind that neither the &# 34 ; split aperture method &# 34 ; described above nor the focusing method is an object of the invention . the object of the present invention is merely to obtain clear signals especially in the transition areas and this object is attained by combining an amplitude grating with a grooved grating or with the saw - tooth strips .
| 6 |
the compounds of the present invention are of the following formula : ## str2 ## wherein : n is an integer 2 , 3 , 4 or 5 ; r 2 and r 3 together form a heterocyclic ring , e . g . piperidine , pyrrolidine . procedures for synthesis of various compounds of the present invention are presented below . while previous nitrobenzenesulfonamides have been described as effective radiation sensitizers , the dinitro derivative of this invention are selectively toxic to hypoxic cells without radiation . these compounds therefore exhibit properties which make them more effective for cancer treatment . the method of treatment of human patients or domestic animals undergoing radiation treatment of malignant disease processes employs the compounds of the present invention in pharmaceutical compositions that are administered orally or intravenously , or in depot formulations . when the compounds are used in conjunction with radiation treatments , the dose employed depends on the radiation protocol for each individual patient . they can be administered from 10 minutes to 5 hours prior to the radiation treatment in a dose of from 0 . 25 to 4 . 0 grams per square meter of body surface . the compounds may be employed at intervals during a multi - fraction protocol , and not necessarily with each treatment . when the compounds are used as cytotoxic agents to hypoxic cells , they can be administered daily in divideddoses up to 0 . 25 to 4 . 0 grams per square meter of body surface . the dosage range given is the effective dosage range and the decision as to the exact dosage used must be made by the administering physician based on his judgment of the patient &# 39 ; s general physical condition . in determining the dose for the individual patient , the physician may begin with an initial dose of 0 . 25 g / square meter of body surface to determine how well the drug is tolerated and increase the dosage with each succeeding radiation treatment , observing the patient carefully for any drug side effect . the composition to be administered is an effective amount of the active compound and a pharmaceutical carrier for said active compound . the dosage form for intravenous administration is a sterile isotonic solution of the drug . oral dosage forms such as tablets , capsules , or elixirs may also be used . capsules or tablets containing 25 , 50 , 100 or 500 mg of drug / capsule or tablets are satisfactory for use in the method of tratment of our invention . the following examples are intended to illustrate but do not limit the process of preparation , product , compositions , or method of treatment aspects of the invention . temperatures are in degrees celsius unless otherwise indicated throughout the application . to a suspension of 3 , 5 - dinitroaniline ( 10 . 0 g , 55 mmol ) in glacial acetic acid ( 70 ml ) and conc hcl ( 100 ml ) cooled to - 5 ° was added slowly , a solution of sodium nitrite ( 4 . 07 g , 59 mmol ) in water ( 18 ml ). after addition was complete , the mixture was stirred at - 5 ° to 0 ° for an additional 30 min . during this time , a solution of cucl 2 • 2h 2 o ( 4 . 43 g , 26 mmol ) in water ( 11 ml ) was prepared and added to a cold solution of so 2 ( 37 g ) in glacial acetic acid ( 74 ml ). the diazonium salt solution was then added in portions to the cooled so 2 - cucl 2 mixture . after stirring in an ice bath for 3 hours , the reaction mixture was allowed to arm to room temperature and then poured on ice ( 800 g ). the light tan solid was filtered of and dried to give 11 . 3 g of the sulfonyl chloride , mp 98 °- 100 °. a solution of 3 , 5 - dinitrobenzensulfonyl chloride ( 4 . 6 g , 17 . 3 mmol ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 130 ml ) was added oer 50 min . to a cooled , stirred solution of n , n - dimethyl ethylenediamine ( 4 . 0 ml , 34 . 6 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 100 ml ). after stirring at room temperature overnight , tetrahydrofuran was removed under reduced pressure and the residue flash chromatographed over silica gel . the sulfonamide ( 5 . 1 g ) was eluted with 5 % methanol - 95 % chloroform and purified as the hydrochloride salt , mp 238 °- 40 °. anal calcd . for c 10 h 14 n 4 o 6 s • hcl : c 33 . 88 ; h , 4 . 26 ; n , 15 . 79 . found : c , 34 . 18 ; h , 4 . 47 ; n , 15 . 99 . a solution of 3 - dimethylaminopropylamine ( 4 . 9 ml , 39 mmol ) and n , n - diisopropylethylamine ( 6 . 8 ml , 39 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 50 ml ) was added over 30 min to a cooled , stirred solution of 3 , 5 - dinitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride ( 10 . 4 g , 39 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 175 ml ). after addition was complete , the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature and was stirred at this temperature for 3 hrs . tetrahydrofuran was removed under reduced pressure and the residue partitioned between ethyl acetate and water . the ethyl acetate extract was washed with brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure . flash chromatography over slica gel and elution with 20 - 25 % methanol - 80 - 75 % chloroform gave 6 . 7 of pure sulfonamide which was further purified by recrystallization of the hydrochloride salt , mp 232 °- 38 ° dec , from methanol . anal calcd for c 11 h 16 n 4 o 6 s • hcl : c , 35 . 82 , h , 4 . 65 ; n , 15 . 18 . found : c , 35 . 67 ; h , 4 . 64 ; n , 15 . 20 . by following the same procedure as in example 2 , n -( 2 - piperidinoethyl )- n - methyl - 3 , 5 - dinitrobenzenesulfonamide hydrochloride was prepared from 3 , 5 - dinitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride and n -( 2 - methylaminoethyl )- piperidine . a solution of di ) tert - butyl ) dicarbonate ( 16 . 4 g . 75 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 50 ml ) was added over 2 hr to a stirred , cooled solution of n - methylethylenediamine ( 22 ml , 0 . 25 mol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 250 ml ). after addition was complete , the reaction mixture was stirred in an ice bath for 1 hour and then at 20 °- 25 ° overnight . solvents were removed under reduced pressure and the residue partitioned between ethyl acetate and brine . the ethyl acetate extract was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and concentrated to give 13 . 5 g of crude product . flash chromatography over silica gel and elution with 20 % methanol - 80 % chloroform gave 9 . 9 g of the desired mono boc protected diamine . a solution of n - methyl - n -[ 2 - aminoethyl ] tert . butylcarbamate ( 0 . 33 g , 1 . 88 mmol ) and n , n - diisopropylethylamine ( 0 . 33 ml , 1 . 88 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 5 ml ) was added oer 5 min to a stirred , cooled solution of 3 , 5 - dinitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride ( 0 . 50 g , 1 . 88 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ). after stirring at 20 °- 25 ° for 20 hours , tetrahydrofuran was removed under reduced pressure and the residue partitioned between ethylacetate and water . the organic extract was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and concentrated . flash chromatography of the residue over silica gel and elution with chloroform gave 0 . 30 g of product . an analytical sample , mp 175 . 0 °- 177 . 0 ° was obtained by recrystallization rom ethyl acetate - hexane . anal . calc &# 39 ; d for c 14 h 20 n 4 o 8 s : c , 41 , 58 ; h , 4 . 99 ; n , 13 . 86 . found : c , 41 . 71 ; h , 5 . 24 ; n , 14 . 07 . step c : n -( 2 - methylaminoethyl )- 3 , 5 - dinitrobenzenesulfonamide hydrochloride a solution of the protected sulfonamide from step b ( 0 . 30 g ) in ethyl acetate ( 30 ml ) was cooled in an ice bath and saturated with anhydrous hydrogen chloride for 5 min . after stirring in the ice bath for 20 min and then at 20 °- 25 ° for 20 min , solvents were removed under reduced pressure . the residue was recrystallized from a water - methanol - ethyl acetate - hexane mixture to give 0 . 20 g of product , mp 248 °- 51 ° dec . anal . calc &# 39 ; d for c 9 h 12 h 4 o 6 s • hcl : c , 31 . 72 ; h , 3 . 84 ; n , 16 . 44 . found : c , 31 . 58 ; h , 3 . 76 ; n , 16 . 48 .
| 2 |
as shown in fig1 the oil circuit breaker 10 is a three - pole breaker and each pole is housed in a receptacle or tank 11 that is substantially filled with oil . a common pull rod mechanism 14 extending horizontally through the upper portion of pole mechanism housings 16 is provided for effecting the operation of the movable contact structure 24 in each of the tanks 11 . the contact structure 24 of each of the pole units includes stationary contact means 17 and 18 rigidly secured to the lower ends of the bushings 19 and 21 and a cooperable movable bridging contact member 24 that is rigidly secured to the lower end of a lift rod 26 . the upper end of the lift rod 26 is pivotally connected to drive means generally indicated at 30 . operation of the drive means 30 is effected by means of a suitable power operating and tripping means ( not shown ) located within an end cabinet 31 . the power operating mechanism ( not shown ) located within the cabinet 31 has an operative connection with a pivotally displaceable crank 33 also located within the cabinet 31 . the free end of the crank 33 is pivotally connected to the lower end of a vertically extending motion transmitting rod 34 that is enclosed in the suitable conduit 36 extending between the end cabinet 31 and the pole unit housing enclosure 16 . the upper end of the rod 34 extends into the pole unit enclosure 16 and is pivotally connected as at 38 to one arm of a bellcrank 40 . the bellcrank 40 is pivotally connected as at 41 to a fixed abutment or plate 42 located within the housing 16 . the opposite arm of the bellcrank 40 is pivotally connected as at 43 to the end of the pull rod 14 . as previously mentioned , the pull rod 14 extends horizontally across the top of each oil tank through each pull rod mechanism enclosure for actuating the contact of each oil circuit breaker . each lift rod contact operating mechanism 30 associated with each circuit breaker tank 11 is operated simultaneously . thus , the description given for one operating mechanism 30 will apply to all mechanisms . as shown in fig3 and 4 , the upper end of the lift rod 26 is pivotally connected as at 47 to one end of the compensating arm 48 . the opposite end of the compensating arm 48 has a pivotal connection as at 49 to a swing link 51 that is pivotally secured to a fixed pivot pin 52 carried by the side walls 53 and 54 of a frame member 55 located within the pole unit enclosure 16 . in fig3 and 4 , the side wall 54 has been omitted to more clearly show the mechanism . a second or power arm 57 has one end thereof pivotally secured as at 58 to the compensating arm 48 . the opposite end of the second arm 57 has a pivotal connection with a fixed pin 61 which is carried in the side walls 53 and 54 . the articulated connection effected between the power arm 57 and the upper end of the lift rod 26 through the compensating arm 48 provides a unique arrangement for applying the force from the power arm 57 to the lift rod 26 and also to maintain the lift rod 26 in a straight line as the arm 57 moves the lift rod 26 either upwardly to a breaker closed position or downwardly to a breaker open position . it will be appreciated that if there is no requirement for maintaining the lift rod 26 in a straight line as it is moved axially , then the end of the arm 57 that is shown pivotally connected to the compensating arm 48 at 58 can be pivotally connected directly to the upper end of the lift rod 26 . it will also be appreciated that is lieu of the swing link 51 other construction can be provided for providing the necessary lateral adjustment for the compensating arm 48 for maintaining a straight line path of travel for the lift rod 26 . for example , the side walls 53 and 54 can be provided with slightly arcuate horizontally extending slots 56 in which the pivot pin 49 would be disposed for horizontal movement . with this arrangement , the lower end of the compensating arm will be connected to the pin 49 as it is to the upper end of the swing link 51 and thus will be adjustable laterally with respect to the lift rod 26 so that no lateral force will be applied to the lift rod 26 to displace it from its straight line path of travel . the pin 61 also supports a crank or lever 62 , one end of which is pivotally connected as at 63 to a flexible joint assembly 64 that is provided between the external portion of the rod 14 and that portion of the rod 14a which extends into the pole unit enclosure 16 . the lever or crank 62 is provided with an opening or slot 66 which receives the extending end of a pin 67 . the pin 67 pivotally connects the two adjacent ends of a pair of links 68 and 69 of a two - bar scissor toggle constituting a force - coupling arrangement . the link 68 has a pivotal connection as at 71 with the second arm 57 . the point of connection of the link 68 with the second arm 57 is determined by the relationship between the load on second arm 57 and the available force of the scissor toggle . on the other hand , the link 69 has a pivotal connection with a fixed pivot 72 that is carried by the side plates 53 and 54 . an operational sequence will be described and for this purpose , it will be assumed that the circuit breaker is in open position wherein the linkage of the drive mechanism 30 and the associated operating mechanism will be in the positions as indicated in fig3 . under this assumed condition , the movement of the contact from an open to a closed position will be effected in the following manner . when the operator crank 33 is pivotally moved downwardly from the position that it occupies in fig3 to the position that it occupies in fig4 the vertical motion transmitting rod 34 will cause the bellcrank 40 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about the fixed pivot 41 . as a result , the bellcrank 40 will move from the position shown in fig3 to the position shown in fig4 and in doing so will cause the rod 14 and the associated rods 14a to move leftwardly with it . leftward movement of the rod 14 will cause the lever 62 to pivot about the pivot pin 61 . the lever 62 pivoting on the fixed pivot pin 61 will cause the side wall or surface 66a of the opening or slot 66 to engage with the pin 67 forcing the links 68 and 69 of the scissor toggle to spread . that is , the lever 62 through the cooperative operation of the slot 66 and pin 67 acts on the link 69 forcing the link 69 to pivot in a clockwise direction about the pin 72 . this movement , in turn , forces the link 68 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about the pin 67 . since the right end of the arm 57 , as viewed in fig3 is pivotally connected to the compensating arm 48 at 58 , the arm 48 will be forced upwardly , lifting the rod 26 and thereby moving the contacts 24 to closed position . as the compensating arm 48 rotates in a clockwise direction about the pin 49 in a breaker closing direction , the swing link 51 permits a lateral adjustment to take place in the position of the compensating arm . this is true because as the compensating arm 48 rotates clockwise about pin 49 , the swing link 51 rotates first in a clockwise direction and then in a counterclockwise direction about the pin 52 . the compensating arm 48 therefore moves bodily rightwardly , then leftwardly during the breaker closing operation . thus , no strain nor lateral displacement is placed on the rod 26 in moving the lift rod 26 from the open to closed position . the wall surface 66a cooperates with the pin 67 to effect the displacement of the links 68 and 69 away from each other in a contact closing operation . on the other hand , the wall surface 66b cooperates with the pin 67 to effect a displacement of the links 68 and 69 toward each other in a contact opening operation . thus , the slot 66 is formed in the end of the lever 62 in a manner that the wall surfaces 66a and 66b are generated so that these surfaces , depending upon whether the lever 62 is being operated in a contact closing or a contact opening operation , will be continuously perpendicular to a bisector of the angle between the links 68 and 69 of the scissor toggle . the circuit breaker is opened by operation of a stored energy device ( not shown ), such as springs , which are operatively connected to the pull rod mechanism 14 . when the stored energy device ( not shown ) is released , it operates to move the pull rod mechanism 14 in a rightwardly direction as viewed in fig4 . this rightward movement of the pull rod mechanism 14 operates to effect the movement of the lever 62 to pivot in a clockwise direction on the pin 67 . as a result , the wall surface 66b of the slot 66 forcefully engages the pin 67 , and the links 68 and 69 will be displaced towards each other drawing the scissor toggle together . as a result of the collapse of the scissor toggle , the arm 57 pivoting about the pin 61 will pull the compensating arm 48 in a counterclockwise direction about the pin 49 . this counterclockwise pivotal movement of the compensating arm forces the lift rod 26 downwardly thereby opening the bridging contacts 24 . as the compensating arm 48 pivots in an opening movement , the swing link 51 pivots about the pin 52 thereby maintaining the compensating arm in straight line driving engagement with the lift rod 26 .
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fig1 is a partially sectioned illustration of an embodiment of an automated capillary electrophoresis , henceforth ce , apparatus according to the invention . the apparatus includes an environmental enclosure 11 , which has access openings ( not shown ), and feedthroughs of various kinds through the walls of the enclosure 11 for internal elements that must be connected to elements outside the enclosure 11 . electrophoresis is accomplished within the enclosure 11 in a capillary tube 13 , preferably constructed of fused silica , such as is typically used for high sensitivity liquid or gas chromatography . view 23 is an enlargement of the capillary tube 13 in cross section the internal diameter of the capillary , d1 , varies for different kinds of samples and for other reasons . d1 generally may be between zero and 200 microns . a typical value for d1 is 50 microns . the wall thickness of tube 13 allows for efficient heat transfer and is small enough that the tube is flexible and may generally be manipulated without breaking . one end 14 of the capillary tube 13 is immersed in a first buffer solution 19 held in a first container 21 . the other end of the capillary tube 13 is immersed for the duration of the process in a second buffer solution 15 in a second container 17 . buffer solutions 15 and 19 are typically the same solution , and many are well known in the art . second container 17 preferably has an airtight top 25 to preclude evaporation . capillary tube 13 enters the second container through a stopper 27 maintaining an airtight seal . there are two additional penetrations through top 25 . a hollow tube 29 enters through a stopper 31 and an electrode 33 enters through another stopper 35 . stopper 35 is typically made of an electrically non - conducting material . an electrical lead 37 goes from electrode 33 to an insulated electrical feedthrough 39 which allows an electrical signal or power to cross the wall of the enclosure 11 without shorting to the enclosure . on the outside , electrical lead 41 goes to one terminal of a high voltage power supply 43 . another electrical lead 45 goes to another feedthrough 47 from an opposite terminal of the power supply 43 . a lead 49 inside the enclosure 11 goes from the feedthrough 47 to an electrode 51 attached to and positioned with the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 immersed in the first buffer solution 19 in the first container 21 . the electrode 51 and the end 14 of the tube 13 move together throughout the following discussion . the ends of the tube 13 are initially immersed in the buffer solution in the two buffer containers 17 and 21 . the power supply 43 , through the electrical leads , feedthroughs and electrodes , is used to maintain an electrical potential between the ends of the capillary tube 13 . the second container 17 rests on a support 53 with an electrical insulator 55 between the container and the support . the insulator 55 is needed if the container and support are electrically conductive . first container 21 rests on an insulator 59 on a movable , sliding support 57 for a similar reason . a detector 61 is positioned adjacent to one portion of the capillary tube 13 to measure the results of electrophoresis in the capillary tube . such detection instruments are well known in the art , and include for example an applied biosystems model 783 spectroflow uv / visible detector , which is a variable wavelength programmable detector that is specifically adapted for on - column detection . electrical leads through feedthroughs 63 carry power and signals for the instrument . there may be more than the two leads shown . an automatic sample handling system is incorporated into the apparatus to handle multiple samples . thus , when the electrophoresis process is complete on one sample , and another sample is wanted in the capillary tube 13 for analysis , a new sample may be loaded without manual intervention or disturbing the environmental enclosure 11 . a motor 65 , controlled by computer 117 via leads through feedthrough 67 and supported by bracket member 69 is activated to turn lead screw 71 . nut 73 supports an arm member 75 which has a clamp 77 securely holding capillary tube 13 , so that turning lead screw 71 will raise and lower the nut 73 and , in turn , tube 13 . the vertical travel of nut 73 is determined by the distance between stops 79 and 81 . this distance is set to be sufficient for the lower end of the capillary tube 13 along with the electrode 51 to be raised above the rim of the container 21 , and lowered again . with tube 13 raised above the rim of the container 21 , a pair of motors 83 ( one of which is not shown ) may be actuated by the computer 117 , one of the motors 83 activated via leads through feedthroughs 85 to turn lead screw 87 moving support 57 horizontally along support 89 in an &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; direction . similarly , the other motor 83 and lead screw ( not shown ) translates the sliding support 57 horizontally in a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; direction transversely to the &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; direction , for x - y positioning of the support 57 under the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 . a sample container tray 91 with multiple microvolume sample containers 93 , arranged in at least one row in the container tray 91 , and more typically in an 8 × 12 array , is prepared in advance and placed adjacent to the container 21 on the sliding support 57 . each sample container 93 may contain a sample to be analyzed . a sample may be hydrodynamically drawn into the capillary tube 13 , e . g ., by pressurizing container 21 or by drawing a vacuum on the opposite end of the tube . the embodiment of the apparatus of the invention shown in fig1 uses the second approach , a relative vacuum is drawn in second container 17 by means of tubing 29 which exits the environmental enclosure 11 and is connected to a vacuum reservoir 99 to introduce a new sample into the capillary tube 13 , while one end of the capillary 13 is in one of the microvolumes 93 of sample material . a valve motor 95 controlled by computer 117 rotates a three - way rotary valve 97 to connect the tubing 29 to the vacuum reservoir 99 to draw a vacuum in the container 17 . the reservoir is maintained at desired vacuum level by vacuum pump 101 through isolation valve 103 . a vacuum sensing gauge 115 with programmable signal points monitors the vacuum level in reservoir 99 . the vacuum pump is powered by motor 105 . careful control of timing and vacuum level provides a very accurate method for drawing a predetermined amount of sample material into the capillary tube 13 . as an example , using a pressure differential of 5 . 0 in . of hg between the vacuum reservoir and the enclosure 11 , with a 65 cm long fused silica capillary filled with a buffer solution and having a 50 micron inside diameter , a 2 second open time for valve 97 results in an injection quantity of 5 nanoliters of an aqueous solution . typical injection volumes range from 1 nl to 10 nl in this preferred embodiment , although other size samples could , of course , be chosen depending on the size of the reservoir used to hold the sample and the size internal volumetric of the capillary tube 13 . the following discussion , for simplicity , assumes that the separation medium in the capillary tube is a buffer solution or entangled polymer solution . distinctions for rigid gel separation media will be made where appropriate . when a new sample is drawn into the one end 14 of the capillary tube 13 , the vacuum is removed from container 17 , the capillary tube end 14 and electrode 51 are again raised , the container 21 is returned to a position in registry under the capillary tube 13 , and the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 and electrode 51 are re - immersed in the buffer 19 by lowering the tube 13 via energizing motor 65 . the container tray 91 preferably also includes a vial 94 containing a meltable plug material such as an agarose gel if the electrophoresis separation medium being utilized is a buffer or entangled polymer solution . the vial 94 may alternatively be a separate container or trough located on the slide 57 adjacent the container 21 and the sample array container 91 . if the separation medium is an acrylamide gel , the meltable plug must be preinstalled in the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 and therefore a vial 94 is not required . the plugged end 14 of the capillary tube 13 is shown enlarged and in section in fig2 . the meltable plug 96 in the end 14 is sandwiched between the separation medium 98 and a receiving volume 100 of separation media or buffer solution . if a flowable liquid such as a buffer solution or entangled polymer solution is the separation medium , then the receiving volume 100 will also be a flowable liquid and the plug 96 will be sandwiched by the separation medium . if , however , the separation medium 98 is a gel which cannot readily move through the capillary tube , then the volume 100 may be filled with a buffer solution or , alternatively , the plug may be positioned flush with the end of the tube . a volume 100 of buffer solution is preferable to permit concentration of the analyte against the upstream face of the meltable plug 96 during electrokinetic sample loading . an important aspect of the preferred apparatus according to the invention is that the temperature inside the environmental enclosure 11 is automatically and accurately controlled and cycled by computer 117 to melt or solidify the plug of meltable material in the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 at a predetermined , user - defined time in order to separate the analytes of interest from the contaminant ions in the sample . a heating element 107 is powered through feedthroughs 109 to provide heat , and a heat sensing element 111 monitors temperature through leads 113 . cooling is provided by chiller 108 connected to cooling coils 110 in the environmental chamber 11 . a fan 112 may also be provided in the chamber 11 to circulate the internal air to achieve a uniform temperature throughout the chamber 11 . the amount of heating and cooling required is determined by the computer 117 into which is fed the desired temperature protocol for use during ce by the user and the actual enclosure temperature via temperature sensing element 111 . the apparatus in accordance with the present invention shown in fig1 operates as follows for free solution ce . first , the sample containers 93 and the meltable plug vial 94 are prepared in the tray 91 and placed inside the environmental chamber 11 on the platform 57 . the environmental chamber 11 is then closed . the computer 117 then automatically initiates and controls the following actions . the capillary tube 13 is lowered into the buffer container 21 and a vacuum is established in the container 17 by the computer sending a signal to open valve 97 in order to draw the buffer solution through the capillary tube 13 if the tube has not previously been filled . the vacuum is then removed from the container 17 . the motor 65 is then energized to raise the end of the tube 13 out of the container 21 . when the stop 81 is reached , the motor 65 is de - energized and the motor 83 is energized to translate the platform 57 in the &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; direction to a position at which the tube 13 is in registry over the vial 94 . the motor 65 is again energized in the opposite direction to lower the end 14 of the tube 13 into the vial 94 . when the lower stop 79 is reached , motor 65 de - energizes and the temperature of the chamber 11 raised , if not done previously , to at least the melting temperature of the plug material in the vial 94 , for example , 45 degrees c , to melt the plug material . when this temperature is reached , a vacuum is then drawn in container 17 . this vacuum causes a volume 96 of melted plug material to be drawn from the vial 94 into the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 . the vacuum is then removed and the capillary tube 13 is raised out of the vial 94 . any one of the microvolume sample containers 93 or the vials 94 of the container tray 91 may be selectively moved via computer control to a position directly beneath the raised end 14 of the capillary tube 13 and the electrode 51 . the end 14 and the electrode 51 may then be lowered into either the sample container 93 or vial 94 by computer control of motor 65 . there are two options for sample loading for free solution ec . first , the sample may be loaded electrokinetically . this method concentrates the analytes against the end face of the plug 96 . second , the sample may be loaded hydrodynamically as above described . alternatively , to achieve the same result , a seal may be provided on container 21 and container 21 pressurized to push a sample into the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 . if the separation medium is a rigid gel , however , the sample must be electrokinetically loaded . electrokinetic loading is preferred in either case . the volume 100 of buffer should be provided in the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 adjacent the plug 96 if the sample is to be loaded electrokinetically to permit concentration of the analytes . accordingly , the platform 57 is again translated via motor 83 to position the capillary tube 13 over the buffer container 21 . the tube 13 is lowered into the buffer solution 19 and a vacuum is established again in container 17 to hydrodynamically draw a predetermined volume of buffer into the end of the tube 13 . the vacuum is then removed from the container 17 , the capillary tube 13 raised out of the container 21 , and the platform 57 again translated to a position in registry above one of the sample containers 93 . the temperature in the chamber 11 is then lowered to a temperature below the solidification or gelling temperature of the plug 96 material . the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 is then lowered into the sample container 93 . a sample is drawn into the buffer volume 100 just established in the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 electrokinetically by establishing an electrical potential between the sample container 93 and the buffer container 17 at the other end of the capillary tube 13 via the high voltage power supply 43 through lead 121 , pass through 123 , and lead 125 connected to the electrode 51 alongside end 14 . during electrokinetic loading , the analytes concentrate on the end surface of the solidified plug 96 in the capillary tube 13 and the charged contaminant ions pass right through the plug into the separation medium 98 . if , on the other hand , the sample is to be hydrodynamically loaded , the volume 100 is eliminated and the plug 96 is located flush with the end 14 of the tube 13 . the plug must remain liquid at this point . the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 is lowered via motor 65 into the sample container 93 prior to lowering the chamber temperature below the solidification temperature of the plug . a vacuum is applied to the buffer container 17 , drawing the sample from the sample container 93 into the tube 13 and moving the still liquid plug 96 and the separation medium further into the tube 13 . alternatively , a positive pressure could be applied to container 21 to push the sample , liquid plug , and separation medium further into the tube 13 . this process does not concentrate the analytes . the vacuum is then removed as above described and the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 raised out of the sample container 93 and lowered again into the buffer container 21 . the temperature of the enclosure 11 is then lowered to solidify the plug 96 . a high voltage is then applied to electrodes 51 and 33 to draw the ion contaminants through the plug 96 into the separation medium 98 . at a predetermined subsequent time , the temperature of the enclosure 11 or specifically the plug 96 is raised to melt the plug 96 , allowing electrophoretic passage of the analytes to proceed through the melted plug 96 and through the separation medium 98 and past the detector 61 . the operative steps of the preferred method of the invention may be summarized as basically the steps of 1 ) providing melted plug 96 which is effective to substantially retard passage of analytes of interest only when solidified , i . e . gelled , in one end 14 of the ce capillary tube 13 filled with a separation medium 98 , 2 ) cooling the capillary tube 13 to gel the plug 96 , 3 ) placing the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 into a liquid sample 93 containing the analytes of interest and ionic contaminants , applying an electrical potential between the ends of the tube to electrophoretically draw the contaminants through the plug and at least partially through the capillary tube 13 , and 5 ) raising the temperature of the chamber to melt the plug , and 6 ) electrophoretically drawing the analytes through the capillary tube 13 to the detector 61 . step 1 of the method just described more preferably includes the step of introducing a volume 100 of a buffer solution 19 immediately after introduction of the melted plug into the capillary tube 13 and prior to cooling the capillary tube 13 to gel the plug 96 . this buffer volume in turn provides a space in the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 adjacent the plug 96 to receive and concentrate the analytes in the sample against the surface of the gel plug 96 during electrokinetic loading of the sample . the method more preferably includes the steps of 1 ) introducing a melted plug material which is effective to block passages of analytes of interest only when solidified into a tube filled with a separation medium ; 2 ) cooling at least the plug material to gel the plug 96 ; 3 ) placing the end 14 of the capillary tube 13 into a liquid sample 93 containing the analytes of interest and at least one contaminant ; 4 ) drawing a portion of the sample 93 into the capillary tube ; 5 ) placing the ends of the capillary tube into the buffer solutions 15 and 19 ; 6 ) applying an electrical potential between the ends of the capillary tube to electrophoretically draw the contaminants through the plug and at least partially through the capillary tube 13 , raising the temperature of the plug to melt the plug ; and 7 ) electrophoretically drawing the analytes in the sample through the melted plug and through at least a portion of the capillary tube 13 . when the high voltage is applied between the ends of the capillary tube , the contaminants begin to pass through the plug 96 and into the separation medium 98 . after the contaminants have traveled through the capillary tube sufficiently to preclude interference with the analytes during detection , the capillary temperature may be raised to melt the plug 96 . when the plug melts , the plug material and the analytes electrophoretically pass through the capillary tube if the medium is a free solution , i . e . a buffer or entangled polymer solution . otherwise , only the analytes and contaminants pass through the tube . as previously stated , the separation medium 98 in the tube may be a buffer solution or an entangled polymer solution used in free - solution capillary electrophoresis , or a rigid gel . the meltable plug 96 may be any material which melts at a specific temperature and which has the ability to selectively retard migration of analytes during the injection and subsequent steps . the meltable material may be any polymer colloid which has a lower temperature gel phase and a higher temperature liquid phase . the meltable plug 96 is preferably an agarose gel material which becomes liquid at a specific temperature , for example , about 45 ° c . the liquid plug is injected at or above that temperature hydrodynamically into the capillary tube which has been previously loaded with a separation medium which may also be an agarose gel having a higher melting temperature , for example , about 50 ° c . in this latter case , hydrodynamic plug injection would have to be done at a temperature above the melting temperature of the separation medium . in either case , injection of the liquid agarose gel plug is preferably immediately followed by introduction of a volume 100 of buffer solution . this provides a volume inside the entrance end of the capillary tube for analyte concentration the temperature of the capillary tube is then lowered below the solidification temperature of the agarose gel plug 96 ( and the separation medium if it is a rigid gel ) so that the crosslinking of the gel plug is of sufficient magnitude that macromolecules are not permitted to migrate freely through the plug ; however , small molecules may migrate unimpeded through the plug and the separation medium . the plugged end 14 of the capillary tube 13 is then inserted into a sample container 93 containing analytes of interest . the sample is then loaded electrokinetically into the capillary tube . by applying a voltage between the ends of the tube , the charged molecules migrate into the capillary . the macromolecules stack against the surface of the gel and the small ions continue migration through the separation medium in the capillary tube . at some subsequent point in time the temperature of the solidified gel plug is raised to the melting temperature of the agarose gel plug and electrophoresis of the concentrated macromolecules begins , now free of small molecule contamination . it is not necessary to completely flush all the small contaminant molecules through the separation medium before raising the plug temperature . only a sufficient amount of time is required so that the most mobile macromolecule does not electrophoretically overtake the small contaminant molecules prior to reaching the detection region of the capillary tube . the entire capillary tube 13 may be heated and cooled to achieve the separation of the small molecules as described above . alternatively , only the capillary portion containing the gel plug 96 may be heated and cooled separately from the portion of the capillary tube containing the separation medium 98 . however , for stability and viscosity considerations , it is preferred that the overall temperature of the capillary , e . g . the enclosure 11 be heated and cooled . viscosity and therefore electrophoretic mobility are often strong functions of temperature , so that for desired reproducibility in the system , temperature uniformity is preferred . power and control leads for all the electrical equipment associated with the apparatus of the preferred embodiment are carried by electrical conduit 121 to a control interface 119 which provides power terminations and switching of signals for control purposes . the control interface 119 is connected to and manipulated by the computer 117 which can be pre - programmed so that critical parameters may be maintained and sequences of analyses may be performed automatically by the apparatus . for example , the vacuum level desired can be entered by the operator as control data , and the computer 117 , through the control interface 119 , monitors the signal from vacuum gauge 115 and opens and closes vacuum isolation valve 103 so that the desired vacuum level is closely maintained . similarly , the computer 117 is used to control the temperature inside the environmental enclosure by monitoring temperature sensor 111 and controlling power to heating element 107 or the cooling device 108 as needed to maintain the programmed temperature . also , the computer can be programmed to allow a sequence of analyses to be made , using the several samples preloaded into the sample containers 93 in the container tray 91 , controlling the electrical devices in the required sequence . the computer program may be set to run analyses on all of the microvolume samples , one - after - the - other , or to allow for manual intervention and initiation between each analysis . it will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there are several ways to control the temperature of the solvent / solute system and the plug 96 . for example , one way has already been described which uses a heater and cooling system to control the interior of the environmental chamber 11 . another approach would be to use one or more electrical heaters wrapped around the capillary tube . those skilled in the art will undoubtedly be able to think of other equivalent methods for controlling the temperature to effect electrophoretic mobility . those skilled in the art will also understand that in some instances it may be preferred to not have all components inside the enclosure 11 . for example , the detector sometimes may be located outside the enclosure along with the corresponding portion of the capillary where the uv detection is to take place . such an approach would facilitate service of the uv detector system . also , instead of raising and lowering the capillary , one could raise and lower the sliding support to insert and remove the capillary from the sample and buffer reservoir . it should also be apparent that one could use electrophoretic media other than aqueous solutions , for example organic fluids could also be used , a specific example being acetonitrile . one alternative application of the present invention involves the electrophoretic analysis of serum . in this case , the small molecules are the analytes of interest and the large proteins , etc ., are the contaminants . when the macromolecules are restrained by the plug , the smaller molecules , the analytes of interest , can be electrophoresed past the detector . the plug may then be melted and the large molecules , proteins , etc ., flushed through the capillary tube in the case of a free solution or entangled polymer medium or electrophoresed through a rigid gel medium and the tube prepared for loading a subsequent sample . while the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments thereof , it should be apparent that the apparatus and method may be practiced other than as specifically described . for example , although a capillary electrophoresis apparatus has been shown and specifically described , the method of the invention may be applied to other physical arrangements for electrophoretic separations such as a slab type gel electrophoresis apparatus , thus the embodiments of the invention are subject to modification , variation , and change without departing from the proper scope and fair meaning of the appended claims . accordingly , it is intended to embrace all such changes , modifications , and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims . all patents , patent applications , and publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety .
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referring to fig1 an inflatable disposable paper plastic dunnage bag is shown generally at 10 . such a bag is made from multi - layers of high grade paper , as shown at 11 on fig2 with an inner wall 12 of leak - proof polyethylene film . a valve is shown at 13 and comprises a valve of the automobile tire type wherein an actuate air inflow is permitted with no outflow . thus , a spring - pressed valve head is shown at 14 which seats against a valve seat 16 and which is carried in a valve body 17 . an air inlet 18 can be selectively closed by a snap - in cover 19 carried on the end of an arm 20 . a t - shaped handle 21 extends from the other side of the valve member to facilitate manipulation of the valve and the bag during inflation thereof . in usage , deflated , or partially inflated , bags are simply placed in an open space 22 between a load illustrated in fig1 as constituting any typical load having part a and part b on opposite sides of the space 22 and which parts a and b are loaded on pallets 23 and 24 , respectively . compressed air is then applied to the valve inlet 18 until the required pressure is reached . when the shipment reaches its destination , the bags are simply punctured and discarded . the inner wall of leak - proof polyethylene film formng the inside bladder of the inflatable dunnage bag is customarily provided as a high density polyethylene which is linear in molecular structure . thus , when air is initially introduced into the inlet 18 of the valve , there is sometimes a tendency of such airstream to set up vibratory forces and high frequency vibrations which tend to produce holes or ruptures in the polyethylene film . if that occurs , the bag will be prematurely broken and will lose its functional utility . under the circumstances , some effort has been made to correct such problem which is frequently referred to as &# 34 ; dry burn &# 34 ; by taping a loose flap of polyethylene film on the opposite inside surface of the bladder . however , such loose flap is not completely reliable and may actually be destroyed itself by the vibratory air forces since the flap is so thin as to be practically negligible insofar as its influence on the inrush of air is concerned , when the bag is in a deflated condition . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , it is contemplated that a baffle means be provided which is of sufficient size to have an included area for baffling substantially all of the air projected through the valve into the interior of the bag . moreover , such baffle means also has an expanded thickness sufficient to separate the confronting surfaces of the plastic ply or bladder a discrete distance . moreover , such baffle means is selected and constructed to form laterally disposed air passage means which diffuse the airstream directed through the valve transversely of the valve and the plastic ply to dissipate any vibratory forces tending to produce a dry burn effect on the surface of the plastic ply adjacent the valve outlet . referring specifically to fig2 it will be noted there is provided a baffle means shown generally at 26 and constituting a square approximately 3 inches in each direction of corrugated paper . thus , the baffle means 26 has a backing sheet 27 approximately 3 inches square and the backing sheet has connected thereto in firm assembly therewith a corrugated sheet 28 defining a plurality of individual undulations 29 , which project outwardly from the backing sheet 27 a discrete distance . as shown in fig3 the baffle means 26 may be secured to the plastic ply oppposite the valve by an adhesive tab shown at 30 and 31 , or any other adhesive securement could be utilized . for example , an adhesive medium could be interposed between the backing sheet 27 and the plastic ply . it is also contemplated that the backing sheet could be provided with a pressure - sensitive adhesive or any other well known form of adhesive connection to facilitate the permanent or semi - permanent connection of the baffle means 26 to the plastic ply . moreover , the baffle means 26 is positioned on the plastic ply opposite the valve head 14 . the baffle means 26 is located relative to the valve so that substantially all of the air projected past the valve head 14 will be substantially baffled . by using the corrugated paper , it will be apparent that even in fully deflated condition , when the plastic plies are in confronting adjacency to one another , the inner position of the undulations 29 of the corrugated sheet 28 will space the plastic plies from one another . for convenience in identification , the plastic ply on the side in which the valve is connected is shown at 12 , while the plastic ply opposite thereto is shown at 12a . thus , as depicted in dotted lines wherein the plies 12 and 12a are shown in deflated condition , the undulations 29 of the corrugated sheet 28 tend to separate the plies by a spacing dimension shown at s . by virtue of such provision , the corrugations provide a series of air passages shown at 32 which extend transversely relative to the axis of the valve . accordingly , when air is projected through the valve into the interior of the bag , the baffle means 26 diffuses the airstream through the air passages 32 transversely of the valve and the plastic ply to dissipate any vibratory forces tending to produce a dry burn effect on the surfaces of the plastic ply adjacent the valve outlet . good results have been obtained with corrugated paper in a 26 pound weight and utilizing pieces of corrugated paper approximately 3 to 4 inches square . similar baffle means providing the criterion of the present invention , i . e ., sufficient size to baffle substantially all of the air projected through the valve and sufficient thickness to separate the confronting surfaces of the plastic ply a discrete distance and sufficient lateral air passage means to diffuse the airstream transversely of the valve into the interior of the bag can also be used . thus , as shown in fig4 another form of the invention contemplates the utilization of expanded polyethylene . in fig4 there is shown a baffle means 126 which may be adhesively secured to one ply 120a of a dunnage bag bladder . the expanded polyethylene baffle means 126 has a discrete thickness 129 between a first face 127 and a second face 128 . it will be apparent that the expanded polyethylene is characterized by randomly disposed transverse air passages 132 which will tend to diffuse the air transversely of any valve through which air is directed towards the sureface 128 of the baffle means 126 . although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art , it should be understood that i wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art .
| 1 |
the compounds of formula 1 are novel compounds belonging to the family of amino substituted monocycles . without wishing to be bound to any particular theory , it is believed that the interaction of the compounds of formula 1 with a kinase ( i . e ., one or more kinases ) results in modulation of the activity of the kinase ( s ). the compounds of formula 1 are thus expected to have therapeutic application in mammalian kinase - implicated conditions . as used herein , “ modulation ” refers to a change in kinase activity as a direct or indirect response to the presence of a compound of formula 1 , relative to the activity of the kinase in the absence of the compound . the change may be an increase in activity or a decrease in activity , and may be due to the direct interaction of the compound with the kinase , or due to the interaction of the compound with one or more other factors that in turn affect kinase activity . for example , the presence of the compound may increase or decrease kinase activity by directly binding to the kinase , by causing ( directly or indirectly ) another factor to increase or decrease the kinase activity , or by ( directly or indirectly ) increasing or decreasing the amount of kinase present in the cell or organism . when any variable occurs more than one time in formula 1 , its definition on each occurrence is independent of its definition at every other occurrence . by “ heteroaryl ” is meant systems , ( as numbered from the linkage position assigned priority 1 ), such as 2 - pyridyl , 3 - pyridyl , 4 - pyridyl , 2 , 3 - pyrazinyl , 3 , 4 - pyrazinyl , 2 , 4 - pyrimidinyl , 3 , 5 - pyrimidinyl , 2 , 3 - pyrazolinyl , 2 , 4 - imidazolinyl , isoxazolinyl , oxazolinyl , thiazolinyl , thiadiazolinyl , tetrazolyl , and the like . by “ heteroalkyl ” is meant an aliphatic ring containing at least 1 carbon atom in addition to 1 – 3 heteroatoms independently selected from oxygen , sulfur , or nitrogen . by “ sulfonamide ” is meant — s ( o ) 2 nr — in either s - linked or n - linked orientation , where the nitrogen atom can be unsubstituted ( i . e ., r is hydrogen ), mono - or disubstituted with cyclo ( c 3 – c 6 alkyl ) methyl ; or mono - or disubstituted with straight or branched chain ( c 1 – c 7 ) alkyl , in which the branched alkyl chains are allowed to also form a 3 – 7 member alkyl or heteroalkyl ring . by “ piperazinyl ” is meant unsubstituted piperazine , as well as piperazinyl independently substituted on 1 – 4 carbon atoms with hydroxy , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , or sulfonamide . by “( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ” is meant straight or branched chain alkyl groups or cycloalkyl groups having 1 – 6 carbon atoms , such as , for example , methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , sec - butyl , tert - butyl , pentyl , 2 - pentyl , isopentyl , neopentyl , hexyl , 2 - hexyl , 3 - hexyl , and 3 - methylpentyl . preferred ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl groups are methyl , ethyl , propyl , butyl , cyclopropyl , cyclopropylmethyl , cyclohexyl , and the like . similarly , by “( c 1 – c 7 ) alkyl ” is meant straight or branched chain alkyl groups or cycloalkyl groups having 1 – 7 carbon atoms , such as , for example , methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , sec - butyl , tert - butyl , pentyl , 2 - pentyl , isopentyl , neopentyl , hexyl , 2 - hexyl , 3 - hexyl , and 3 - methylpentyl . preferred ( c 1 – c 7 ) alkyl groups are methyl , ethyl , propyl , butyl , cyclopropyl , cyclopropylmethyl , cyclohexyl , cycloheptyl , norbornyl , and the like . by “( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy ” is meant an alkyl group of indicated number of carbon atoms attached through an oxygen bridge such as , for example , methoxy , ethoxy , propoxy , isopropoxy , n - butoxy , sec - butoxy , tert - butoxy , pentoxy , 2 - pentyl , isopentoxy , neopentoxy , hexoxy , 2 - hexoxy , 3 - hexoxy , and 3 - methylpentoxy . preferred ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy groups herein are ( c 1 – c 4 ) alkoxy groups . preferably , one of r 1 or r 2 is hydrogen ; straight or branched chain ( c 1 – c 7 ) alkyl , in which the branched alkyl chains are allowed to also form a 3 – 7 member heteroalkyl or alkyl ring ; r 1 or r 2 is each independently ( cyclo ( c 3 – c 6 ) alkyl ) methyl ; ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl ; ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy ; phenyl , benzyl , or heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , benzamide which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , benzenesulfonamide which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , mono - or dibenzylamino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl wherein the benzyl may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , or halogen , amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , or heteroaryl linked to the phenyl by an ether , sulfide , ( c 1 – c 3 ) carbonyl , or secondary amine ; heteroaryloxyphenyl or phenyloxyphenyl where each heteroaryl or phenyl may be independently unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , sulfonamide , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , or amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ; 4 - phenyl - or 4 - heteroaryl - 1 - piperazinyl where the phenyl or heteroaryl ring may be independently unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , sulfonamide , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy ; wherein x is c and r 4 – r 10 are independently hydrogen ; straight or branched chain ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ; phenyl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl ; or heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , or halogen ; wherein r 11 and r 12 are independently hydrogen ; straight or branched chain ( c 1 – c 7 ) alkyl , in which the branched alkyl chains are allowed to also form a 3 – 7 member heteroalkyl or alkyl ring ; ( cyclo ( c 3 – c 6 ) alkyl ) methyl ; ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl ; mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 alkyl ); phenyl , benzyl , or heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , amino (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ); heteroaryloxyphenyl or phenyloxyphenyl where each heteroaryl or phenyl may be independently unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , sulfonamide , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy ; phenyl - or heteroaryl - piperazinyl where the phenyl or heteroaryl ring may be independently unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , or di ( c 1 – c 6 alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 alkyl ). more preferably , one of r 1 or r 2 is hydrogen ; straight or branched chain ( c 1 – c 7 ) alkyl ; r 1 and r 2 is each independently phenyl , benzyl , or heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perfluoroalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , benzamide which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , benzenesulfonamide which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perfluoroalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , mono - or dibenzylamino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl wherein the benzyl may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , or halogen , amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , or heteroaryl linked to the phenyl by an ether , sulfide , ( c 1 – c 3 ) carbonyl , or secondary amine ; heteroaryloxyphenyl or phenyloxyphenyl where each heteroaryl or phenyl may be independently unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , sulfonamide , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , or amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ; 4 - phenyl - or 4 - heteroaryl - 1 - piperazinyl where the phenyl or heteroaryl ring may be independently unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , or halogen ; wherein x is c and r 4 – r 10 are independently hydrogen ; or straight or branched chain ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ; wherein r 11 and r 12 are independently hydrogen ; straight or branched chain ( c 1 – c 7 ) alkyl , in which the branched alkyl chains are allowed to also form a 3 – 7 member heteroalkyl or alkyl ring ; phenyl , benzyl , or heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perfluoroalkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy ; or heteroaryloxyphenyl or phenyloxyphenyl where each heteroaryl or phenyl may be independently unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , sulfonamide , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy . most preferably , one of r 1 or r 2 may be hydrogen ; r 1 and r 2 each independently phenyl , benzyl , or heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perfluoroalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , benzamide which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , benzenesulfonamide which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perfluoroalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , mono - or dibenzylamino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl wherein the benzyl may be unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , or halogen , amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , or heteroaryl linked to the phenyl by an ether , sulfide , ( c 1 – c 3 ) carbonyl , or secondary amine ; or phenyloxyphenyl where each phenyl may be independently unsubstituted , mono -, di -, or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , sulfonamide , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyloxy -( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy , mono - or di (( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ) amino , or amino ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl ; wherein r 11 and r 12 are independently hydrogen ; straight or branched chain ( c 1 – c 7 ) alkyl ; phenyl , benzyl , or heteroaryl which may be unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perfluoroalkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy ; or phenyloxyphenyl where each phenyl may be independently unsubstituted , mono -, di - or trisubstituted with one or more of hydroxy , nitro , cyano , amino , halogen , sulfonamide , ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkyl , ( c 1 – c 6 ) perhaloalkyl , or ( c 1 – c 6 ) alkoxy . if the compounds of formula 1 have asymmetric centers , then formula 1 includes all of the optical isomers and mixtures thereof . in addition , compounds with carbon - carbon double bonds may occur in z - and e - forms , with all isomeric forms of the compounds being included . these compounds can be , for example , racemates or optically active forms . in these situations , the single enantiomers , i . e ., optically active forms can be obtained by asymmetric synthesis or by resolution of the racemates . resolution of the racemates can be accomplished , for example , by conventional methods such as crystallization in the presence of a resolving agent , or chromatography , using , for example a chiral hplc column . where a compound of formula 1 exists in various tautomeric forms , the invention is not limited to any one of the specific tautomers , and includes all tautomeric forms of the compound . representative compounds of the present invention , which are encompassed by formula 1 , include , but are not limited to their pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts . non - toxic “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” include , but are not limited to salts with inorganic acids , such as hydrochlorate , phosphate , diphosphate , hydrobromate , sulfate , sulfinate , or nitrate salts ; or salts with an organic acid , such as malate , maleate , fumarate , tartrate , succinate , citrate , acetate , lactate , methanesulfonate , p - toluenesulfonate , 2 - hydroxyethylsulfonate , benzoate , salicylate , stearate , and alkanoate such as acetate , hooc —( ch 2 ) n — cooh where n is 0 – 4 , and the like salts . similarly , pharmaceutically acceptable cations include , but are not limited to sodium , potassium , calcium , aluminum , lithium , and ammonium . in addition , if the compound of the invention is obtained as an acid addition salt , the free base can be obtained by basifying a solution of the acid salt . conversely , if the product is a free base , an addition salt , particularly a pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt , it may be produced by dissolving the free base in a suitable organic solvent and treating the solution with an acid , in accordance with conventional procedures for preparing acid addition salts from base compounds . those skilled in the art will recognize various synthetic methodologies that may be used to prepare non - toxic pharmaceutically acceptable addition salts encompassed by formula 1 . the present invention also encompasses the prodrugs of the compounds of formula 1 , for example acylated prodrugs of the compounds of formula 1 . those skilled in the art will recognize various synthetic methodologies that may be used to prepare non - toxic pharmaceutically acceptable acylated and other prodrugs of the compounds encompassed by formula i . methods for obtaining the compounds described herein are known to those of ordinary skill in the art , suitable procedures being described , for example , in the references cited herein . the present inventors have discovered new amino - substituted monocycles and determined that they are active as kinase inhibitors . the inhibitors of the present invention are expected to have therapeutic application in mammalian kinase - implicated conditions . without wishing to be bound to any particular theory , it is believed that the interaction of the compounds of formula i with various kinases results in the pharmaceutical utility of these compounds . suitable kinases include but are not limited to tyrosine kinases and serine / threonine kinases , which may be classified as including the agc group ( cyclic nucleotide regulated family ) of protein kinases , which includes the cyclic nucleotide regulated protein kinase family ( e . g ., pka and pkg ), the diacylglycerol - activated / phospholipid - dependent family protein kinase c family ( e . g ., pkc ), the pka and pkc - related family ( e . g ., rac and akt ), the kinases that phosphorylate g protein - coupled receptors family , the budding yeast agc - related protein kinase family , the kinases that phosphorylate ribosomal protein s6 family , the budding yeast dbf2 / 20 family , the flowering plant pvpk1 protein kinase homolog family , and other agc related kinase families . the camk ( calcium calmodulin dependent ) group of protein kinases includes kinases regulated by ca 2 + / cam and close relatives family , the kin1 / snf1 / nim1 family , and other related camk related kinase families . the cmgc group ( named because it includes the cyclin - dependent kinases ) includes the cyclin - dependent kinases ( e . g ., cdks ) and close relatives family , the erk ( e . g ., map ) kinase family , the glycogen synthase 3 ( e . g ., gsk3 ) family , the casein kinase ii family , the clk family and other cmgc kinases . the ptk group of protein kinases includes protein - tyrosine kinases that may be nonmembrane - spanning or membrane - spanning tyrosine kinases . the ptk group of protein kinases includes the src family , the tek / atk family , the csk family , the fes ( fps ) family , the abl family , the syk / zap70 family , the ttk2 / jak1 family , the ack family , the focal adhesion kinase ( fak ) family , the epidermal growth factor receptor family , the eph / elk / eck receptor family , the axl family , the tie / tek family , the platelet - derived growth factor receptor family , the fibroblast growth factor receptor family , the insulin receptor family , the ltk / alk family , the ros / sevenless family , the trk / ror family , the ddr / tkt family , the hepatocyte growth factor receptor family , the nematode kin15 / 16 family and other ptk kinase families . the opk group ( other protein kinases ) includes the polo family , the mek / ste7 family , the pak / ste20 family , the mekk / ste11 family , the nima family , the wee1 / mik1 family , the kinases involved in transcriptional control family , the raf family , the activin / tgfb receptor family , the flowering plant putative receptor kinases and close relatives family , the psk / ptk leucine zipper domain family , the casein kinase i family , the pkn prokaryotic protein kinase family and other opk protein kinase families . a large number of kinases are found in g . hardie and s . hanks , eds ., “ protein kinase factsbook ”, academic press ( 1995 ), isbn 0 - 12 - 324719 - 5 ( 1995 ). accordingly , a method of treating a kinase - implicated disease or condition in a mammal , preferably a human , comprises administration to the mammal of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . the mammal may be a human , a companion animal , such as , for example , a dog or a cat , or a livestock animal . as used herein “ therapeutically effective ” includes alleviation of disease , disease symptoms , preventative , and prophylactic treatment . kinases are implicated in a large variety of diseases , as certain mutations in protein kinases can lead to activation of pathways causing , for example , the production of tumors , while other mutations in protein kinases block pathways and prevent a response . some diseases that are linked to mutations in protein kinases are listed in the kinmutbase database ( stenberg et al ., nucleic acids research , vol . 28 , pp . 369 – 372 , 2000 ). diseases caused by protein kinase mutations include x - linked agammaglobulinemia ( xla ), and non - insulin dependent diabetes mellitus ( niddm ), and severe combined immunodeficiency ( scid ). mutations related to tumor development have been linked to such diseases as hirschprung &# 39 ; s disease , multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 ( men2 ) a and b , medullary thyroid carcinoma ( fmtc ), papillary renal carcinoma ( hprc ), and peutz - jeghers syndrome . mutations in growth factor receptor kinases are linked to diseases such as mastocytosis , systemic mast cell disease , piebaldism , hypochondroplasia , thanatophoric dysplasia , and skeletal dysplasia . other protein kinase - linked diseases include coffin - lowry syndrome , congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis ( cipa ), hypertension , vascular dysplasia , errors in vascular morphogenesis , and x - linked mental retardation . mutations in protein kinases have also been linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( als ) and alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease ( ad ). other diseases associated with protein kinases include gaucher disease , hypochromic anemia , granulomatous disease , ataxia - telangiectasia , familial hypercholesterolemia , certain types of muscular dystrophy such as driefuss - emory type , cystic fibrosis , type 1 hyperlipoproteinemia , treacher collins franceschetti syndrome 1 , tay - sachs disease , type 1 neurofibromatosis , adenomatous polyposis of the colon , x - linked ichthyosis , and beckwith - weidemann syndrome . altered pka ( cyclic amp - dependent protein kinase ) expression is implicated in a variety of disorders and diseases including cancer , thyroid disorders , diabetes , atherosclerosis , and cardiovascular disease . altered map ( mitogen - activated protein ) kinase expression is implicated in a variety of disease conditions including cancer , inflammation , immune disorders , and disorders affecting growth and development . rtks ( receptor tyrosine kinases ), cdks and stks ( serine / threonine kinases ) have all been implicated in a host of pathogenic conditions including , significantly , large number of diverse cancers . other pathogenic conditions that have been associated with ptks include psoriasis , hepatic cirrhosis , diabetes , atherosclerosis , angiogenesis , restinosis , ocular diseases , rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders , autoimmune disease , and a variety of renal disorders . preferably , the conditions , diseases and / or disorders that can be affected using compounds and compositions according to the invention include , but are not limited to , psoriasis , cancer ( for example , chronic myelogenous leukemia , gastrointestinal stromal tumors , non - small cell lung cancer , breast cancer , ovarian cancer , recurrent ovarian cancer , prostate cancer such as hormonal refractory prostate cancer , kidney cancer , head and neck cancer , or colorectal cancer ), immunoregulation ( graft rejection ), atherosclerosis , rheumatoid arthritis , parkinson &# 39 ; s disease , alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease , diabetes ( for example insulin resistance or diabetic retinopathy ), septic shock , and the like . the invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one compound of the invention together with one or more non - toxic , pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and / or diluents and / or adjuvants and if desired other active ingredients . such pharmaceutical compositions include packaged pharmaceutical compositions for treating disorders responsive to modulation of kinase activity . the packaged pharmaceutical compositions include a container holding a therapeutically effective amount of at least one kinase modulator as described supra and instructions ( e . g ., labeling ) indicating that the contained composition is to be used for treating a disorder responsive to kinase modulation in the patient . those skilled in the art will also recognize a wide variety of non - toxic pharmaceutically acceptable solvents that may be used to prepare solvates of the compounds of the invention , such as water , ethanol , mineral oil , vegetable oil , and dimethylsulfoxide . the compounds of general formula 1 may be administered orally , topically , parenterally , by inhalation or spray or rectally in dosage unit formulations containing conventional non - toxic pharmaceutically acceptable carriers , adjuvants , and vehicles . oral administration in the form of a pill , capsule , elixir , syrup , lozenge , troche , or the like is particularly preferred . the term parenteral as used herein includes subcutaneous injections , intradermal , intravascular ( e . g ., intravenous ), intramuscular , spinal , intrathecal injection or like injection or infusion techniques . the pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds of general formula i may be in a form suitable for oral use , for example , as tablets , troches , lozenges , aqueous or oily suspensions , dispersible powders or granules , emulsion , hard or soft capsules , or syrups or elixirs . compositions intended for oral use may be prepared according to any method known to the art for the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions and such compositions may contain one or more agents selected from the group consisting of sweetening agents , flavoring agents , coloring agents , and preserving agents in order to provide pharmaceutically elegant and palatable preparations . tablets may contain the active ingredient in admixture with non - toxic pharmaceutically acceptable excipients that are suitable for the manufacture of tablets . these excipients may be for example , inert diluents , such as calcium carbonate , sodium carbonate , lactose , calcium phosphate or sodium phosphate ; granulating and disintegrating agents , for example , corn starch , or alginic acid ; binding agents , for example starch , gelatin or acacia ; and lubricating agents , for example magnesium stearate , stearic acid or talc . the tablets may be uncoated or they may be coated by known techniques to delay disintegration and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby provide a sustained action over a longer period . for example , a time delay material such as glyceryl monostearate or glyceryl distearate may be employed . formulations for oral use may also be presented as hard gelatin capsules wherein the active ingredient is mixed with an inert solid diluent , for example , calcium carbonate , calcium phosphate or kaolin , or as soft gelatin capsules wherein the active ingredient is mixed with water or an oil medium , for example peanut oil , liquid paraffin , or olive oil . aqueous suspensions contain the active materials in admixture with excipients suitable for the manufacture of aqueous suspensions . such excipients are suspending agents , for example sodium carboxymethylcellulose , methylcellulose , hydropropylmethylcellulose , sodium alginate , polyvinylpyrrolidone , gum tragacanth and gum acacia ; dispersing or wetting agents may be a naturally - occurring phosphatide , for example , lecithin , or condensation products of an alkylene oxide with fatty acids , for example polyoxyethylene stearate , or condensation products of ethylene oxide with long chain aliphatic alcohols , for example heptadecaethyleneoxycetanol , or condensation products of ethylene oxide with partial esters derived from fatty acids and a hexitol such as polyoxyethylene sorbitol monooleate , or condensation products of ethylene oxide with partial esters derived from fatty acids and hexitol anhydrides , for example polyethylene sorbitan monooleate . the aqueous suspensions may also contain one or more preservatives , for example ethyl or n - propyl p - hydroxybenzoate , one or more coloring agents , one or more flavoring agents , and one or more sweetening agents , such as sucrose or saccharin . oily suspensions may be formulated by suspending the active ingredients in a vegetable oil , for example arachis oil , olive oil , sesame oil , or coconut oil , or in a mineral oil such as liquid paraffin . the oily suspensions may contain a thickening agent , for example beeswax , hard paraffin , or cetyl alcohol . sweetening agents , such as those set forth above , and flavoring agents may be added to provide palatable oral preparations . these compositions may be preserved by the addition of an anti - oxidant such as ascorbic acid . dispersible powders and granules suitable for preparation of an aqueous suspension by the addition of water provide the active ingredient in admixture with a dispersing or wetting agent , suspending agent , and one or more preservatives . suitable dispersing or wetting agents and suspending agents are exemplified by those already mentioned above . additional excipients , for example sweetening , flavoring , and coloring agents , may also be present . pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may also be in the form of oil - in - water emulsions . the oily phase may be a vegetable oil , for example olive oil or arachis oil , or a mineral oil , for example liquid paraffin , or mixtures of these . suitable emulsifying agents may be naturally - occurring gums , for example gum acacia or gum tragacanth , naturally - occurring phosphatides , for example soy bean , lecithin , and esters or partial esters derived from fatty acids and hexitol , anhydrides , for example sorbitan monoleate , and condensation products of the said partial esters with ethylene oxide , for example polyoxyethylene sorbitan monoleate . the emulsions may also contain sweetening and flavoring agents . syrups and elixirs may be formulated with sweetening agents , for example glycerol , propylene glycol , sorbitol , or sucrose . such formulations may also contain a demulcent , a preservative , and flavoring and coloring agents . the pharmaceutical compositions may be in the form of a sterile injectable aqueous or oleaginous suspension . this suspension may be formulated according to the known art using those suitable dispersing or wetting agents and suspending agents that have been mentioned above . the sterile injectable preparation may also be sterile injectable solution or suspension in a non - toxic parentally acceptable diluent or solvent , for example as a solution in 1 , 3 - butanediol . among the acceptable vehicles and solvents that may be employed are water , ringer &# 39 ; s solution , and isotonic sodium chloride solution . in addition , sterile , fixed oils are conventionally employed as a solvent or suspending medium . for this purpose any bland fixed oil may be employed including synthetic mono - or diglycerides . in addition , fatty acids such as oleic acid find use in the preparation of injectables . the compounds of general formula 1 may also be administered in the form of suppositories , e . g ., for rectal administration of the drug . these compositions can be prepared by mixing the drug with a suitable non - irritating excipient that is solid at ordinary temperatures but liquid at the rectal temperature and will therefore melt in the rectum to release the drug . such materials are cocoa butter and polyethylene glycols . compounds of general formula 1 may be administered parenterally in a sterile medium . the drug , depending on the vehicle and concentration used , can either be suspended or dissolved in the vehicle . advantageously , adjuvants such as local anesthetics , preservatives , and buffering agents can be dissolved in the vehicle . for administration to non - human animals , the composition may also be added to the animal feed or drinking water . it will be convenient to formulate these animal feed and drinking water compositions so that the animal takes in an appropriate quantity of the composition along with its diet . it will also be convenient to present the composition as a premix for addition to the feed or drinking water . dosage levels of the order of from about 0 . 1 mg to about 140 mg per kilogram of body weight per day are useful in the treatment of the above - indicated conditions ( about 0 . 5 mg to about 7 g per human patient per day ). the amount of active ingredient that may be combined with the carrier materials to produce a single dosage form will vary depending upon the host treated and the particular mode of administration . dosage unit forms will generally contain between from about 1 mg to about 500 mg of an active ingredient . frequency of dosage may also vary depending on the compound used and the particular disease treated . however , for treatment of most disorders , a dosage regimen of 4 times daily or less is preferred . for the treatment of eating disorders , including obesity , a dosage regimen of 1 or 2 times daily is particularly preferred . for the treatment of impotence a single dose that rapidly reaches effective concentrations is desirable . it will be understood , however , that the specific dose level for any particular patient will depend upon a variety of factors including the activity of the specific compound employed , the age , body weight , general health , sex , diet , time of administration , route of administration , and rate of excretion , drug combination and the severity of the particular disease undergoing therapy . preferred compounds will have certain pharmacological properties . such properties include , but are not limited to oral bioavailability , low toxicity , low serum protein binding , and desirable in vitro and in vivo half - lives . penetration of the blood brain barrier for compounds used to treat cns disorders is necessary , while low brain levels of compounds used to treat peripheral disorders are often preferred . assays may be used to predict these desirable pharmacological properties . assays used to predict bioavailability include transport across human intestinal cell monolayers , including caco - 2 cell monolayers . toxicity to cultured hepatocyctes may be used to predict compound toxicity . penetration of the blood brain barrier of a compound in humans may be predicted from the brain levels of the compound in laboratory animals given the compound intravenously . serum protein binding may be predicted from albumin binding assays . such assays are described in a review by oravcová , et al . ( journal of chromatography b 1996 , volume 677 , pages 1 – 27 ). compound half - life is inversely proportional to the frequency of dosage of a compound . in vitro half - lives of compounds may be predicted from assays of microsomal half - life as described by kuhnz and gieschen ( drug metabolism and disposition 1998 , volume 26 , pages 1120 – 1127 ). in another embodiment , the compounds of formula 1 are also useful as probes for the localization of kinases of therapeutic interest , that is , for both in vivo and in vitro identification and isolation the specific proteins to which it binds . in another embodiment , the compounds of formula 1 are also useful as probes for the localization of kinases of therapeutic interest , that is , for both in vivo and in vitro identification and isolation the specific proteins to which it binds . a method for identifying a kinase comprises contacting an organism , cell , or preparation comprising the kinase with compound or salt according to formulas 1 , 2 , or 3 , and detecting modulation of an activity of the kinase . suitable methods for detecting kinase modulation are known , for example those described herein . 3 , 5 - bis -( 4 - phenoxyphenyl )- pyrazin - 2 - ylamine ( 3 ). a solution of 1 . 00 equivalents ( eq .) of 3 , 5 - dibromo - 2 - aminopyrazine ( 2 ) in 3 ml toluene is treated with 10 mole percent tetrakis ( triphenylphospine ) palladium under nitrogen at room temperature . to this solution is added directly 2 . 00 eq . of 4 - phenoxyphenyl boronic acid at room temperature and then 2 ml na 2 co 3 ( 1 . 0 m ) solution . the reaction vial is capped and the reaction stirred under nitrogen at 90 ° c . for 10 hours . the toluene layer is separated and removed under reduced pressure , and the resulting oil is purified via flash chromatography to provide ( 3 ). mf = c 28 h 21 n 3 o 2 , mw = 431 . 49 mass spec m / z ( m + + 1 ) 432 . 14 . 5 - bromo - n3 -( 2 - methoxybenzyl )- pyrazine - 2 , 3 - diamine ( 4 ). a solution of 1 . 00 eq . of ( 2 ) is dissolved in n - methylpyrrolidine ( 2 ml ) at room temperature . to this solution is added 3 . 00 eq . of 2 - methoxybenzyl amine and 0 . 4 ml hunig &# 39 ; s base . the resulting solution is heated to 90 ° c . and stirred for 12 – 24 hours under nitrogen . the resulting mixture is partitioned between ethyl acetate and h 2 o . the aqueous layer is extracted twice with ethyl acetate and the combined organic extracts are dried over na 2 so 4 . the solvent is removed under reduced pressure and the resulting residue is purified via flash chromatography to provide ( 4 ). n3 -( 2 - methoxybenzyl )- 5 -( 4 - phenoxyphenyl )- pyrazine - 2 , 3 - diamine ( 5 ). a solution of 1 . 00 eq . of ( 4 ) in 1 ml toluene is treated with 10 mole percent tetrakis ( triphenylphospine ) palladium under nitrogen at room temperature . to this solution is added directly 2 . 50 eq . of 4 - phenoxyphenyl boronic acid at room temperature and then 1 ml na 2 co 3 ( 1 . 0 m ) solution . the reaction vial is capped and the reaction stirred under nitrogen at 90 ° c . for 10 hours . the toluene layer is separated and removed under reduced pressure , and the resulting oil is purified via flash chromatography to provide ( 5 ). the following compounds were prepared using the procedures described in example 1 a ) ( 4 -{ 6 -[( 4 - chlorobenzyl )- methyl - amino ]- pyrazin - 2 - yl }- phenyl )- piperidin - 1 - yl - methanone ( 6 ), mf = c 24 h 25 cln 4 o , mw = 420 . 93 mass spec m / z ( m + + 1 ) 420 . 98 . b ) 4 - chloro - n -( 3 -{ 6 -[( 4 - chloro - benzyl )- methyl - amino ]- pyrazin - 2 - yl }- phenyl )- benzamide ( 7 ), mf = c 25 h 20 cl 2 n 4 o , mw = 463 . 36 mass spec m / z ( m + + 1 ) 462 . 99 . c ) 4 - chloro - n -( 3 -{ 6 -[( 4 - chloro - benzyl )- methyl - amino ]- pyrazin - 2 - yl }- phenyl )- benzenesulfonamide ( 8 ), mf = c 24 h 20 cl 2 n 4 o 2 s , mw = 499 . 01 mass spec m / z ( m + + 1 ) 498 . 92 . d ) ( 4 - chlorobenzyl )-[ 6 -( 3 - dibenzylaminophenyl )- pyrimidin - 4 - yl ]- methylamine ( 9 ), mf = c 32 h 29 cln 4 , mw = 505 . 05 mass spec m / z ( m + + 1 ) 505 . 22 e ) n -( 3 -{ 4 -[( 4 - methoxybenzyl )- methylamino ]- pyrimidin - 2 - yl }- phenyl )- 4 - methylbenzamide ( 10 ), mf = c 27 h 26 n 4 o 2 , mw = 438 . 52 mass spec m / z ( m + + 1 ) 439 . 22 f ) 4 - methyl - n -( 3 -{ 4 -[ methyl -( 4 - trifluoromethylbenzyl )- amino ]- pyrimidin - 2 - yl }- phenyl )- benzamide ( 11 ), mf = c 27 h 23 f 3 n 4 o , mw = 476 . 49 mass spec m / z ( m + + 1 ) 477 . 16 in a final reaction volume of 40 microliters ( μl ), active recombinant n - terminus his - tagged akt - 1 / pkbα kinase expressed in sf21 cells ( ubi # 14 - 276 ; 50 – 100 ng ; 19 – 38 nm ; about 4 . 5 – 9 mu ) was incubated in 25 mm tris ph 7 . 6 ; 5 mm beta - glycerophosphate ; 2 mm dtt ; 100 μm sodium vanadate ; 10 mm mgcl 2 in a 96 - well pierce reacti - bind ™ streptavidin - coated high binding capacity coated white plate ( pierce # 15502 ) coated with saturating amounts of biotinylated crosstide peptide ( ubi # 12 - 385 ; biotin - kgsgsgrprtssfaeg ; 50 pmoles ; about 1 . 25 μm ) and initiated with the addition of 2 . 5 μci 32 p - γatp ( specific activity 3000 ci / mmole ; 10 mci / ml ; about 21 nm ). compounds were tested initially in duplicate wells for determination of initial ic 50 inhibition in half log serial dilutions starting at 100 μm with a final concentration of 2 % dmso . following a 30 min incubation at 30 ° c ., the reaction was stopped by aspiration and 4 × 100 μl washes with tbs plus 0 . 05 % tween - 20 prior to addition of 100 μl scintillant and counting in beckman topcount instrument . percent inhibition was calculated as [ 1 -(( ave cpm compound − ave cpm no peptide background )/( ave cpm no compound max − ave cpm no peptide background ))* 100 ]. staurosporine , a general atp competitive kinase inhibitor was used as a reference compound and showed an ic50 of approximately 60 – 100 nm for akt - 1 in the current assay format . approximate s / n ratios are 8 – 12 × with ave cpm of maximum about 15 k and no peptide background about 1 . 5 k . improved s / n ratios can be obtained using higher amounts of either akt - 1 kinase or 32 p - γatp . cold atp was not added in current format but has been added at up to 200 μm in the presence of 5 μci 32 p - γatp resulting in s / n ratios of approximately 5 – 10 ×. a generalized description the standard assay to evaluate modulation of cell growth in soft agar ( using cell lines hct - 15 ( colon cancer ), miapaca2 ( pancreatic cancer ), mcf - 7 ( breast cancer ) and a nih3t3 clone stably over - expressing transfected myrakt - 1 human gene , for example ) is as follows . preparation of the agar base layer : a quantity of 500 ml of 2 × dmem ( phenol red free , sigma cat # d2902 ) is prepared , and sterile filtered . to that solution is added 10 ml of sodium pyruvate ( gibco , cat # 11360 - 070 ), 10 ml of penicillin / streptomycin ( gibco , cat # 15140 - 122 ), 10 ml of glutamax ( gibco , cat # 33050 - 061 ) and 100 ml of heat - inactivated fbs ( gemini ) to make 2 × dmem complete media stock . two stock concentrations of sea plaque low melt agar ( biowhittaker , cat # 431097 ), 1 %, and 0 . 6 %, are prepared with ultra pure milliq water , and sterilized by autoclaving . to prepare the agar base layer for a 12 - well plate ( falcon # 353042 ), 6 ml of the 2 × dmem stock is mixed with 6 ml of 1 % agar stock , both at 37 ° c ., and 1 ml of the resulting mixture is added to each well of the 12 well plate , 3 hrs prior to setup of top layer . top layer with cells and compound for evaluation : cells at 60 – 80 % confluency ( log growth ) in t75 are trypsinized with 1 ml of 1 × trypsin solution ( gibco ), neutralized with 10 ml of 1 × dmem 10 % fbs and viable cells counted using a hemocytometer via trypan blue exclusion . a working stock of 2 . 5 × 10 4 cells / ml is prepared in 1 × dmem 10 % fbs . a 15 ml centrifuge tube is prepared for each concentration of compound tested in duplicate wells of a 12 well plate . the following are added in order : 1 ml of 2 × dmem stock at 37 ° c . ; compound at 2 × final desired concentration ( using 4 microliter volume from a 1000 × concentrated dilution series in 100 % dmso ); followed by 2 , 500 cells ( using 100 microliters of 1 × 10 4 cell / ml working stock ), and finally 1 ml of 0 . 6 % agar stock at 37 ° c . following careful mixing , 1 ml each is added to duplicate wells of the 12 - well plate . the plate is then placed in a 37 ° c ., 5 % co 2 , humidified incubator for 10 to 14 days and read . rapid diffusion of cpd throughout top and bottom agar layer results in final drug concentration of 1 ×. counting colonies : after 10 days of incubation , the plates are removed from the incubator for photography and colony counting . each well is scanned using an eyepiece with a micrometer guide and 5 × phase optics . colonies 50 micrometer or greater in diameter are scored as positive . duplicate wells are averaged and percent inhibition calculated using number of colonies in no compound control wells as 100 %. all compounds described in examples 1 and 2 were tested according to the above protocols in examples 3 and 4 and determined to exhibit an ic 50 value less than or equal to 25 micromolar . all cited references are incorporated herein in their entirety . while preferred embodiments have been shown and described , various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitations .
| 2 |
referring to fig1 a zif socket in accordance with the present invention comprises a rectangular base 1 , a rectangular cover movably connected to the base 1 , and a cam lever 3 pivotally received between the cover 2 and the base 1 for selectively driving the cover 2 to move along opposite directions of a virtual line 6 parallel to opposite sides of the cover 2 . the cover 2 has a hole 20 which is bound by a forward follower side portion 21 , a backward follower side portion 26 and two parallel walls ( not labeled ) between the side portions 21 , 26 . the cam lever 3 has a cam 3 a formed at one end thereof comprising a pivot 31 extending downward for pivotally engaging with the base 1 . the cam 3 a is confined in the hole 20 of the cover 2 and comprises a forward driving portion 32 operative to move the cover 2 forward on the forward follower side portion 21 thereof , and a backward driving portion 33 operative to move the cover 2 backward on the backward follower side portion 26 thereof . the cover 2 defines a plurality of upper passageways 200 each of which is adjacent to a corresponding retention aperture 210 defined through the cover 2 . referring to fig2 each upper passageway 200 has a main portion 200 a and a branch portion 200 b communicating with the main portion 200 a , wherein the main portion 200 a is conical for facilitating insertion of cpu pins 81 extending from a cpu 8 . the main portion 200 a is circular and has a diameter greater than the width of the branch portion 200 b for indicating and guiding a user to insert the cpu pin 81 thereinto . referring to fig4 b , the base 1 defines a plurality of lower passageways 10 ( only one is shown ) each of which has a lower narrow portion 100 extending downward through the base 1 . each lower passageway 10 communicates with a corresponding upper passageway 200 and receives a contact 5 therein , wherein the contact 5 exposes to exterior via the lower narrow portion 100 . referring to fig3 a and 3b , the contact 5 comprises an upper straight section 51 connected to a middle diverged section 52 , a contacting section 53 extending from an intersection between the upper section 51 and the diverged section 52 . an engagement section 54 extends from two sides of the diverged section 54 . a solder tail 55 extends downward from the engagement section 54 . referring to fig4 a , each lower passageway 10 ( shown by phantom line ) has opposite side narrow portions 10 a for firmly retaining the engagement section 54 of the contact 5 . further referring to fig4 , each lower narrow portion 100 of the lower passageway 10 has a diverged portion 10 b defined at a lower end thereof . when assembling , the contact 5 is top loaded into the lower passageway 10 and the cover 2 is then assembled to the base 1 , with each retention aperture 210 thereof accommodating the upper section 51 of the contact 5 . the retention aperture 210 is diverged at a lower portion which is bound by opposite tapered walls 210 a . a solder ball 9 is then soldered to the soldering tail 55 of the contact 5 and partially received in the diverged portion 10 b partially extending outward beyond the diverged portion 10 b . the solder ball 9 is then soldered onto conductive traces of a printed circuit board ( not shown ) to which the socket is mounted . the lower narrow portion 100 of the lower passageway 10 can effectively prevent wicking problem during soldering procedure due to its narrow width . the socket is in a neutral state as shown in fig4 a and 4b , wherein the contact 5 remains straight and the socket is not ready for receiving cpu pins 81 inserted therein . also referring to fig5 a and 5b , the cover 2 is driven by the cam lever 3 to a loosened state in which a vertical space constituted by the main portion 200 a of the upper passageway 200 and the lower passageway 10 can receive the cpu pin 81 extending from the cpu 8 with substantially zero insertion force . the cpu 8 is in advance fixed in a frame 7 before the pins 81 thereof being inserted into the socket . the upper section 51 of the contact 5 is bent by the cover 2 especially by one of the tapered walls 210 a bounding the engagement aperture 210 . the engagement section 54 can absorb most of the tension due to the bending of the upper section 51 thereby preventing the solder ball 9 from being damaged when the socket is changed from the neutral state to the loosened state . under this situation , the contacting section 53 is in an disengagement position which is away from the engagement position where the contacting section 53 substantially mechanically and electrically connects to the corresponding pin 81 . after the cpu pins 81 is inserted into the socket , the socket may be operated from the loosened state to a tightened state as shown in fig6 a and 6b . when the socket is changed from the loosened state to the tightened state , the cover 2 is driven by the cam lever 3 thereby bending the contact 5 from the upper section 51 thereof and rendering the contacting section 53 thereof to be in contact with the cpu pin 81 . the cpu pin 81 remains stationary when the cover 2 moves from the loosened state to the tightened state . the branch portion 200 b of the upper passageway 200 provide a free space allowing the cover 2 to move with respect to the cpu pin 81 without forcing the cpu pin 81 to move accordingly . specifically , the contact 5 is driven by one of the tapered walls 210 a bounding the engagement aperture 210 . the base 1 and the cpu 8 remain stationary when the cover 2 is moved from the loosened state to the tightened state . while the present invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment , the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention . therefore , various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .
| 7 |
the present invention features an innovative approach for working with critical systems , data and infrastructure within complex and distributed organizations . the invention is uniquely designed to seamlessly overlay existing systems and acquire targeted information from these systems or data stores . the evaluation of information can now occur in real - time , enabling adjustments on - demand and presenting immediate visualization of results . ease of configuration ensures that our clients can continuously adapt models , recast analytics and evaluate results immediately under multiple scenarios , risk tolerances or operational slas . the highly distributed and parallel processing infrastructure enables organizations to distribute pneuron instances in close proximity to or on the target systems , and allows local processing , acquisition , and evaluation without aggregating and normalizing all of the enterprise information . this approach facilitates incremental and phased delivery of targeted information and intelligence . all configuration information is managed in the pneuron database and can be applied to creating a “ best practices ” suite of models that can be readily adapted to other activities and clients . consistent with the core invention principles , the build - out of the platform of the invention incorporates the following key features : distributed architecture — allows critical functions to be performed at the source rather than through layers of migration , translation , and normalization . this eliminates costly pre - processing of data integration and ongoing normalization challenges resiliency — robust performance via discovery , access , and use of available processing resources in a distributed , application - clustered , and fault - tolerant framework ; elastic execution — supports scalability and seamless access / provisioning / use of processing resources within and outside an enterprise ; lightweight footprint — optimizes system resources by allocating pneurons only when processing is required , limits impact on existing processing infrastructure , allows local processing by hosting functionality on source system servers , and minimizes requirements for added infrastructure investment ; service self - awareness — speeds up enterprise - wide integration and allows for many - to - many service integration ; instrumentation — capability for both operational and business process performance monitoring to allow analysis and follow - on optimization ; higher level , business oriented , integrated platform — combines the design / build / deploy / run activities of the solution to simplify environment setup , integration , configuration , and tuning ; provides for a single intuitive interface for business and technical users ; security & amp ; governance integration — provides simple integration with existing security policies and governance models ; target only the information required to solve a business problem and build on that foundation to any level of complexity . data can be selectively acquired as well as updated across target systems ; deploy remote pneuron instances in proximity to target systems , perform the acquisition and evaluation at the local level and marshal selected source and intelligence results in real time ; processing is clustered and configured to enable automatic concurrency and increases in pneuron instances based on load . clusters are reformed dynamically based on workload and health of the system ; combine multiple data acquisition results and evaluate at runtime without normalization of information , all using a meta - data virtualization model ; target only the information required for specific use cases and scenarios ; visualize real - time results and apply changes to recast and evaluate . pass results to any client or third party target system for seamless integration into the current application environment ; work with intuitive gui tools for configuration and management , minimizing pressure on it resources . enable a streamlined and incremental methodology for configuration , testing , and deployment . high availability , performance optimization , load management , dr and security inherently handled by the pneuron “ cortex ”; all information is maintained in the database and can be exported and applied for future use , enabling organizations to establish and build upon an ip base for future clients and expanded client initiatives . best practices models and organizational simplification can be realized quickly and effectively ; manual intervention activities can be configured and automated to perform activities programmatically ; and record all activities performed automatically with audit details on each acquisition , use case , and results for future reference . in literally every aspect of a project &# 39 ; s lifecycle , these value points radically improve organizational tco and ongoing roi versus traditional approaches . the illustration in fig1 a and 1b recaps the value comparison for the approach utilizing the present invention versus the traditional model , and highlights the intrinsic benefits of the invention — the stimulation of constant enterprise intelligence rather than declining value and replacement . according to the current solution , designs degrade in performance and value as volume and complexity grows . functional value becomes antiquated or a huge code - line base over time as requirements and user demands evolve , creating stagnation or over - reliance on vendor roadmap / costly customization . in contrast , the present invention provides intelligence segments that are easily and continuously updated in real - time . additionally , services allow for continuous creation of new products , output and models as business evolves and new data or product demands are invented . no replacement is required . just constant business driven enhancements and innovations . the primary vendors involved in business intelligence ( bi ) and data acquisition focus on a model that requires detail evaluation of all systems , implementation of extraction , transformation , and loading ( etl ) programs , acquisition of all enterprise information and mapping and normalization of data into an aggregated data warehouse . as a result , most organizations also adopt this model as the defacto standard when building internal systems to aggregate and combine all information . the present invention offers a unique set of innovations that shift the paradigm in managing distributed analytics . information can be selectively targeted at run - time , processed and evaluated without extracting all information and normalizing the data in a large aggregated data warehouse . the model according to the present invention shown in fig2 offers a profound new approach to ( business intelligence ) bi 110 , enterprise transparency and the resulting total cost of ownership ( tco ) challenges that hinder enterprise competitiveness namely , taking analytics to the data to finally realize enterprise transparency . there is no alien or abstract data model dependency , with full leverage of existing bi investments and intellectual property ( ip ). the database becomes a repository 114 of results and solutions rather than a slow and expensive source for raw enterprise data . the invention is agile , real - time , and cost effective in deployment and ongoing maintenance . unlike conventional data acquisition in enterprise applications that require normalized databases for efficient retrieval and processing , the present invention allows application designers to create custom data acquisition networks ( pneurons ) that do not require normalized data . these data acquisition networks can be a single query pneuron or a complex sub network constructed using simple query pneurons augmented with data from a completely different database using a matching pneuron , thereby creating a virtual relationship and linkage between the two potentially disparate databases in real time . data acquisition is selective and focused at obtaining targeted information from different systems . data acquisition is organized by type , including database , application programming interface ( api ) or service interaction , and file . specialized pneurons 116 are implemented for each data acquisition type in order to assist clients with easily configured access , regardless of source type ; e . g . db , service , file pneuron . these pneurons are configured for each data source and system , and become a function of configuration rather than creation . the configuration focuses on selective data acquisition specific to the pneuron network it will “ reside ” in , and workflow , and can obtain what is required in real - time . this , among other features of the present invention , is in direct contrast to traditional systems which obtain , normalize , and consolidate the total information in a delayed model . pneuron data acquisition networks can also be built to gather and process data as a scheduled operation , based on client preference or business process . these networks can easily be modified to include additional data sources to strengthen existing queries . pneuron data networks , which are created in the design studio 112 , provide a flexible and efficient approach to add , modify or delete sources or attributes during the data gathering phase . in addition to acquiring information , the pneurons can selectively update target systems of record with evaluated information , enabling synchronization of information where necessary . finally , the complexity associated with most traditional acquisitions in enterprise applications can be daunting , often requiring an organization to construct and run complex queries with multiple levels of nesting and joins in real time or scheduled mode on a centralized database or warehouse . this increases the cost and time of execution and is inefficient as the dataset inevitably grows larger . the pneuron data acquisition model of the present invention provides greater flexibility by breaking down complex queries into smaller coordinated queries that can be triggered at individual sources in real - time or in scheduled mode , thereby decreasing the cost and time of execution . the present invention includes a suite of rich internet architecture ( ria ) applications using the google web toolkit ( gwt ) and smart client . the applications are thin client and managed from the pneuron server , requiring no client applications to be installed on the client computers . pneuron provides an intuitive , graphical tool suite that enables business and subject matter experts to define and configure the pneurons and pneuron networks . graphical configuration tools are provided to define the data access configuration . the data acquisition sql and api service calls are generated automatically and can be adjusted . this approach minimizes the requirement of internal it resources , including dbas and programmers . fig3 a , 3 b and 3 c describe in greater detail some functionalities of the present invention utilizing some screen shots . for example , the design studio 118 shown in fig3 a allows the user or a team of users to centrally design , develop integrate , deploy across enterprise data sources and systems , and manage from a single user interface . the design studio provides for end - to - end integration , business intelligence and distribution for the creation of pneuron intelligence networks across the entire enterprise data and application environment . the design studio also provides the ability to organize multiple pneurons together into a processing plan ( neuron network ). tailored editors for each type of pneuron are also provided . the definition of each pneuron is stored in a pneuron database while simulation and testing of a pneuron network and adjustments thereto may be provided . the heads up display 120 shown in fig3 b provides floating real - time information . visualization widgets integrated with any legacy or third - party application is also provided by the heads up display . the heads up display also provides incremental information , such as data , from other systems as well as analysis , third - party or workflow information and automatically interfaces with and updates the legacy or third party application finally , the enterprise control manager 122 shown in fig3 c provides a suite of tools with interactive ability to perform what - ifs and to recast results instantaneously . easy to use graphical tool sets enable business users and the subject matter specific experts to visually configure , test , and deploy pneurons and pneuron networks specific to each business with no or minimal programming and customization . within the design studio , tailored editors for each pneuron provide ease of use in configuring data acquisition and rules processing . for example , a data acquisition editor allows users to link to target data sources , select the tables and columns and develop the queries without a deep knowledge of sql . a screen shot of a database data acquisition editor 124 is presented in fig4 . similar to the data acquisition editor , analytics and rules are also configured through an intuitive rules editor 126 , as shown in fig5 additionally , the pneuron report writer 128 shown in fig6 also applies the “ wizard ” driven approach to report creation , and allows for reporting of intelligence generated by pneuron networks or data accessed directly from target systems . as always , organizations can choose to utilize the pneuron reporting tool or simply use the generated intelligence for reporting in other applications , networks , workflows or modeling products . robust , flexible data integration infrastructure . the pneuron data model provides an enterprise level schema focused on managing security , cloud , pneuron configurations , audit and logging , and evaluated intelligence data . a representation of a virtualized data integration and meta - data model 130 is shown in fig7 . a meta - data dictionary is implemented and provides the definition and processing characteristics for each data element and its associated properties . the overall data dictionary and data acquisition configuration establishes a pneuron meta - data virtualization model , which deploys one or more customized remote pneuron instances in close proximity to the target system ( s ) for local data acquisition and / or processing . a normalized , aggregated data model is not required . changes to the pneuron meta - data model will automatically be synchronized across the remote pneuron instances while the meta - data mapping is aligned to the pneuron xml schema and is used for pneuron communications . the value of the pneuron approach disclosed and claimed herein includes the ability to wrap and apply existing integration adapters ; support for major data acquisition types ; selective data acquisition and mapping with meta - data definitions and structure implicitly defined and reusable ; real time acquisition and updates of information ; the ability to define transient and permanent information to persist ; and all acquisition managed through intuitive user interface . additionally , new sub - schemas can be incorporated into the present data model . sub - schemas are custom to a specific client . an organization may elect to apply custom schemas for various business reasons including : ( 1 ) performance optimization to maintain non - transactional reference information ; ( 2 ) critical source data that is used for time - series , comparative , or trending analysis ; ( 3 ) compliance and regulatory storage and reporting ; and ( 4 ) client preference . as the data is acquired from the pneuron processing , it is automatically updated in the custom schema . organized pneuron process models : pneuron networks are configured in the design studio and represent a collection of pneurons that are linked together to perform a series of processing steps , which can be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous functions based on the pneuron network process plan . see fig8 a and 8b for example . fig9 is an overview of different pneurons . depending upon the configuration of these pneurons , information acquired from previous pneurons is either stored in memory or inserted into a custom pneuron schema . pneurons , when connected together , become aware of previous data attributes and new data derived by pneuron operations . the data attributes or tags passed between pneurons can be configured and applied in subsequent pneuron operations . information is stored in memory is cached using either temporary in - memory tables or hash maps or maintained in distributed cache files . relevant , acquired information is then marshaled and utilized as subsequent queries and data acquisition for different systems . an example is shown in fig1 and involves acquiring the customer id and name from one system and then launching simultaneous data acquisition requests to multiple account and transaction systems using the acquired customer id and name from the first one system . these subsequent systems then return their results and are evaluated . by utilizing this approach , the present invention is able to construct ( create ) and maintain or persist holistic information across multiple systems and present a targeted and combined perspective of the information . as part of the configuration of distributed processing , the distributed remote pneuron instances are configured with their specific pneuron network and pneurons . the configurations are identified by their server or host identifier . this information is stored in the pneuron data model . using the pneuron deployment manager , multiple instances of the pneuron platform are provisioned to target servers for distribution . during the runtime pneuron processing , a configuration pneuron on each remote instance manages the processing and orchestration with the various pneurons required for the business process . pneuron messaging utilizes self - describing xml messages with the context of the message and the record set results incorporated within the message . the xml messages include context , meta - data , and acquired data . all pneurons communicate by passing xml requests to the pneuron cortex and remote pneuron instances , which then allocate pneurons and send the requests to pneuron for processing . the pneuron platform maintains an overall xml schema that is dynamically adjusted as the data dictionary and acquisition models are changed . automated cross referencing and matching . a matching pneuron 132 ( shown in greater detail in fig1 ) is configured within the pneuron network and is applied to perform different matching algorithms and weighting sequences across one to multiple systems of information acquired . the matching pneuron enables custom rules , confidence levels , and sequencing . by combining the matching process with the acquired multi - system information , a pneuron is able to evaluate and align records based on the criteria configured in real - time . the matching pneuron integrates multiple sources of data and applies multiple matching algorithms based on confidence levels . the result is the highest level of accuracy to link , reconcile and unify record sets and identification patterns . the system in method of the present invention allows a user to configure a neuron network in the design studio to create and link one or more data acquisition pneurons as well as to link dependent data sources together with he attributes . finally , the analytical output of various pneurons may be linked together is well easy configuration , distribution and management of rules and analytics . the pneuron platform is utilized to define , configure or import rules and analytics . rules can include use cases , business functions , deviation and threshold evaluation , ad - hoc criteria , algorithms , sequencing and confidence levels , as well as configuring custom matching algorithms and other choices defined by the client . analytics can include simple and complex math and statistics ( algorithms ), correlation , classifiers , and other types of analytics . a specialized predictive pneuron is also available for the import of scoring and predictive models . regardless of type , all configuration information is maintained in the pneuron data model . rules and analytics are then simply configured to the specific pneuron network . as a result , different pneuron networks can have different rules and analytics applied . the result is a system in method which taylor matches models and confidence levels to that required . records may be removed as criteria is met , focusing on exceptions . in addition , the system in method provides the ability to link and apply relationships across different systems for combined match aggregation and data linkage . the unique system and method of the invention streamlines the rules definition and management process , while providing a comprehensive suite of data acquisition , matching , rules , and analytics linked together . these definitions can be replicated for expedited creation of similar pneuron processes across disparate business units within an organization , preserved as global library for use across the enterprise , or exported into different pneuron instances to create focused products for an organization &# 39 ; s clients . there are several unique components that make up the present invention &# 39 ; s approach to rules , analytics and modeling capabilities . one component of the present invention is the rich rules and analytics capabilities in the invention , which has integrated the drools ® runtime rules engine . drools is considered one of the most capable rules engines available today . users have the option of configuring their own rules within the rules pneuron or importing existing rules definitions from third party rules systems using the ruleml ® standard . an example of the rules pneuron 134 is shown in fig1 . the rules pneuron shown in fig1 utilizes the rules tool / application to create and link data acquisition neurons ; import rule models using the ruleml standard ; and configure rules in the tool editor . an embedded platform runtime rules engine will process the rules . the rules tool allows the user to create and manage rule pneurons using design studio property editor to configure rules , import rules and set thresholds or learning . the value of this feature of the invention is the ability to encapsulate use cases into configured rules ; automate use cases , decision flows and outcomes based on rules evaluation ; and to adapt and evolve rules based on historical performance and machine learning . another component of the rules and analytics capabilities of the present invention is the analytical pneuron 136 , fig1 , which enables system users to define complete analytical models , varying from simple to highly complex . champion - challenger models can be applied by configuring the pneuron network to evaluate multiple analytical pneurons , with one being identified as the champion and the secondary analytical pneurons as the challengers . this approach enables fine - tuning and automated application of the best analytical results . the analytical pneuron is configurable in the design studio and allows the user to configure analytical models , operate on previously acquired data from pneurons , and initiate multiple simultaneous operations using the call pneuron . the design studio or property editor may also be used to manage the analytical pneuron and to define conditional logic ; analytical functions ; and to cluster neurons to maximize performance and specialize each pneuron by individual analytical function . the resulting configuration provides different analytical function configurations for each analytical pneuron providing separation of data acquisition and consolidation from decision tree and analytical functions . this allows the system user to tailor analysis specific to each model or in the performance is integrated into the user deployment methodology . rounding out the sophisticated rules and analytics function within the system of the present invention is the predictive model pneuron 138 , fig1 which enables the import of third party predictive model markup language ( pmml ®) standard files as well as the direct import and conversion of native sas programs into the system of the present invention . once the files are imported , the predictive model pneuron will perform the predictive and scoring processing , utilizing information obtained from the pneurons and generating the results . the solution provided by the present invention was developed with a single uncompromising guiding principle — eliminate the historic technological barriers that prevent organizations from functioning as a cohesive , transparent enterprise . pneuron &# 39 ; s technology design delivers on this promise by removing the traditional demands and costs associated with bringing data , analytics , rules , models and results together . the very nature of the technology manifests into a deployment model that minimizes human resource hours and maximizes speed to delivery . combining these intrinsic delivery benefits with a deployment methodology that is as unique as its technology , pneuron allows clients to implement distributed analytics solutions 140 ( see fig1 ) at a fraction of the traditional costs of most enterprise deployments . fig1 is an overview of an enterprise 10 incorporating the system and method of the present invention of utilizing pneurons , including several categories 12 of pneurons ( that will be described in detail below ) deployed as a comprehensive infrastructure to take control of an enterprise 10 and connect knowledge workers 18 to intelligence gathered from siloed application data 20 and or cloud services that was previously hidden from them . this is the top level generic view of the entire system . the data silos 20 containing various enterprise application data use the neurons 12 ( as will be described in connection with fig1 below ) to mine data stored in the silos 20 and / or to monitor activity logs ( not shown ). the knowledge workers 18 ( enterprise employees / users ) preferably have a heads up displays ( huds ) on their desktops that bond to their proprietary enterprise applications , feeding perspective data and suggestions , such as customer heuristics , buying trends and habits , impulsiveness , sensitivity to up sell or cross sell pressure , current receivables status and history and the like to the knowledge workers 18 . the hud may manifest itself as an advisor window and take the form most suitable for the specific enterprise application . the executive controller module 24 is preferably implemented as software and allows the system data or enterprise data manager to create and modify policies that effect how the data monitor neurons 30 , fig1 and application interception neurons 51 and 52 fig1 act , how the knowledge worker huds work , and reports on effectiveness of policies on a near - real time basis . cloud computing is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service ( i . e . cloud services ) over the internet . cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the internet . these services are broadly divided into three categories : infrastructure - as - a - service ( iaas ), platform - as - a - service ( paas ) and software - as - a - service ( saas ). the name cloud computing was inspired by the cloud symbol that &# 39 ; s often used to represent the internet in flowcharts and diagrams . a cloud service has three distinct characteristics that differentiate it from traditional hosting . it is sold on demand , typically by the minute or the hour ; it is elastic — a user can have as much or as little of a service as they want at any given time ; and the service is fully managed by the provider ( the consumer needs nothing but a personal computer and internet access ). users need not have knowledge of , expertise in , or control over the technology infrastructure in the “ cloud ” 26 that supports them . cloud services are available , for example , from microsoft corporation , amazon , force . com , and a few others . the present invention is agnostic about programming languages , operating system environments , web application servers , and most technical choices made by an it organization in the past . the invention is also indifferent as to the source of information that can be used to distill business actionable intelligence . most large global companies have no need for cloud services . they have already invested heavily in highly customized enterprise software . as you move down the chain to smaller than global entities , however , the need for software as a service , due to the lack of investment in a critical area of enterprise software , begins to emerge . cloud services 26 , in effect , opens the flood gates of raw information to the smaller business , effectively flooding them , the way global enterprises are flooded with their own proprietary data . the system 10 of the present invention can be implemented to assimilate information from any source , introducing its relevance to a business &# 39 ; business model in real time , and stimulating any automated activity deemed important by the executives of the business . fig1 depicts specific neurons in the network deployed as knowledge gatherers atop the siloed application data 20 . the first category of neurons includes data farmers or condition monitors 30 . in the example of a mobile telephone carrier , the carrier has determined that they must regain lost market share while the economy is down . to do this , they must know their customers better . assigning a customer to a taxonomy ( cust_type ) ( 32 ) does not mean that the customer is impervious to the pressures associated with other drivers . for instance , an affluent customer , lost to at & amp ; t because of the iphone , will be categorized as driven by having the latest toy . it doesn &# 39 ; t infer that they wouldn &# 39 ; t be moved by an unsolicited call , offering to change their plan to accommodate and eliminate a $ 500 overcharge this month for unplanned minutes spent by one of their children overspending their text allocation in their first month of college . this taxonomy is used to direct the csr ( customer service rep ) toward the ‘ deal sweeteners ’ with the highest appeal . there is no reason why this has to be a singular taxonomy . it might be wise to capture a hierarchy of “ drivers ” that will uniquely identify the customer &# 39 ; s spending characteristics rather than group them . the one or more monitors or neurons 34 on or associated with the business &# 39 ; crm system 36 will gather the information from the ops log history and report the changes to the one or more neurons 34 . the neuron 34 receives the message , updates its state and evaluates the message based on its rules . if the execution rules are met , the neuron notifies the heads up display of the knowledge worker 18 ( fig1 ) with a prescribed message which is conveyed through the user experience to the knowledge worker 18 along with prescribed recommendations associated with the condition described in the message . the term user experience ( ux ) is in common usage today . it is a higher abstraction of the user interface ( ui ) or graphical user interface ( gui ). it addresses the entire user experience , including the incorporation of telephones or additive , advisory displays like the hud . for example , if the customer has been categorized as an impulse purchaser who is driven by the need to have the latest toy , the system will advise that the new plan that the enterprise is trying to sell them may include a new phone that is not yet available but would be included in the new plan . the customer neuron 31 is a state condition set by either the sales guy in the crm system , a workflow that sets this state to ‘ focused ’, or the engagement of a csr by phone , chat , twitter , or other contact initiated by the customer . the customer status neuron 33 holds the financial state of the current customer in focus . the complexity of this neuron will vary from client to client . the simplest version is that the customer status neuron 33 on top of the systems , applications and products ( sap ) 38 will query and maintain status changes for all customers in a binary fashion . 1 = status good , 0 = status delinquent . in the more sophisticated versions , a business may engage cloud services to track changes in their credit score , current credit card balances , or whatever to determine up - sell capacity . the caller neuron ( 48 ) is set with the unique identifier ( uid ) of the customer who has just initiated contact with the business , assuming it has come from a passive source like the web . this may also be set in the case of a phone call to a customer service rep . the plan neuron ( 47 ) maintains the meta - data based a description of the customer &# 39 ; s current plan , including renewal date . in this simplified model , plans are made up of the monthly limits associated with only three elements , data surfing minutes using the customer &# 39 ; s device as a browser , text messaging minutes , and voice telephony minutes . within the neuron are stored metadata rules that are unique and specific to its purpose . in the case of a monitor neuron , the variable or data name is stored as the element to be monitored . this data name is specific to the data schema of the database being monitored by said neuron . for example , in the mobile telephony example , a neuron could be created to monitor the customer &# 39 ; s current accumulated number of text messages in the current billing period . this value is compared whenever it changes to the limit of the customer &# 39 ; s plan . the executive control model will have determined the rule to apply to the comparison . the simplest rule would be that if the amount of messages exceeded the limit by a certain amount , the rule would fire the spu to change the state of the neuron , construct a message and transmit the message to another neuron ( that may be monitoring a related condition ) or transmit the message to the workflow initiation module of the crm ( sales ) system that would create a workflow that would show up in the in basket of the account representative who owned this customer account . with the customer set as focus or perspective , the data , text and voice minutes neurons ( 44 , 45 , and 46 ) maintain the current state of these three dimensions of standard plans . they have , built within their metadata rules , proximity alarms that will change their state from normal to concerned and to critical . these changes are triggered within the specific customer &# 39 ; s instance as the data changes within the customer usage log . the executive control system 24 sets and manages these thresholds on a real time basis , thus controlling when an action or event is fired ; for instance , contact the customer with a relief plan . fig1 illustrates perspective neurons ( customer ( 51 ) and caller ( 52 )) used to interact within the processes of existing applications enhancing the quality of decision making on the part of the knowledge worker . knowledge workers 18 run the client side of enterprise applications . they include sales and customer service representatives , although they are far from limited to these individuals . we will focus on them since they represent the customer facing side of a business &# 39 ; business model ; however it is understood that the present invention can be utilized by or implemented on behalf of various individuals having various titles and responsibilities within a given organization . this also introduces the ‘ transaction ( or application ) interception ’ class of neurons 51 , 52 and 54 . as a call is received , the caller is identified within the customer service application and the perspective neuron is set to that id . the ‘ transaction or application interception ’ neurons 51 , 52 and 54 interact with their farmer / monitor counterparts ( neurons 31 through 46 in fig2 ) in the same network . their primary function is to intercept transaction data on the fly from siloed application data 20 and to feed the knowledge worker useful intelligence at just the right time . in this simplified illustration , we see the desktops 56 of the sales and customer service knowledge workers 18 . they are primarily running instances of siebel and clarify enterprise software systems . the difference is that their perspective is set by in - coming calls for help ( caller ) ( mostly unless an outgoing policy is created in the executive controller for the clarify users ) and the customer in the out - bound call work packet in siebel . the present invention sets the knowledge worker &# 39 ; s 18 perspective based on one of these neural states for that user &# 39 ; s desktop . all associated intelligence is displayed in the heads up display ( hud ) along with any rules imposed by programs in place as dictated by the executive control system 24 . this includes special offers , early previews of new phones , forgiveness of overage in exchange for a new 2 year contract , etc . this hud acts as a business development , intelligent advisor that knows all about what information the business executives are willing to give up to expand the business . in this case , it can create a custom plan for each customer and feed it to the representative and billing system . any forgiveness of debt will have to be forced as an override to the billing system and to the sap system . this is accomplished automatically within the neural net by triggering update neurons 47 that fire additional transactions with acknowledgements . fig1 is a diagram of a generic business intelligence neuron 58 explaining its components and how it fulfills its purpose . a neuron is a software object that contains seven ( more or less ) primary methods or tasks . it is capable of interacting within the neural network in a number of ways . there are many types of neurons , but they all share this common prototypical construction . the neurons are all generally capable of subscribing to and receiving notification of system events , 60 and receiving messages 61 ; they are all capable of parsing xml messages and compiling them to the binary form recognizable by the spu , 62 ; they are all based on a ‘ soft processing unit ’ or spu , 64 ( this the neural network equivalent of a cpu in a computer , it can process a stream of binary codes and perform it &# 39 ; s primary purpose once it receives the appropriate code stream ); they are all capable of setting and preserving their state , 66 ( the state is persistent , similar to sram ); they are all capable of storing a metadata based rules matrix 68 that will determine whether or not the primary function is executed and in what way , ( the primary function is expressed as some combination of state setting , message construction 70 , message transmission 72 , and event broadcast 74 ); and they are all capable of constructing outgoing messages and of transmitting outgoing messages to the enterprise message bus or to a list of neuron receptors 70 , 72 and 74 . the unique instance of a neuron is defined by its rules , perspective and focus . perspective is the target of its core purpose . an example of perspective is customer . the depth dimension of a neuron may be viewed as instances tracking individual customers . this can be visualized as a ‘ stack ’ of neuron clones with most elements held consistent across instances , but some like ‘ state ’ stored uniquely . it is the nature of a neuron to be extremely small , simple and provide very simple processing , but as part of a complex network of inter - reactive neurons they can be assembled to serve much more complex purposes . the primary target for neural network enhancement is a company that has already seen the value in breaking down the walls of siloed applications to enhance the performance of knowledge workers in mission critical functions . the invention is designed to anneal to an existing it infrastructure without regard to programming language , operating system , or communication technology . in the perfect implementation , the company will have already deployed enterprise applications pertinent to their business model within their industry along with an enterprise message bus , like tibco for example . the neural consultants will focus on understanding the ‘ best practices ’ published for the company &# 39 ; s industry , and determine where the most leveraged processes exist within the company . they will then model the existing system in the executive controller simulator . this model is then shared with the executives of the company . the neural network consultants then poke and probe the executives deepest desires for the way that they would like the company to perform . adjustments are made to the model , and the consultants begin to build out the neural network to support the model in the simulator . this process includes building adaptors , standard services interfaces built on top of the application databases , where necessary for the databases of existing systems , creation of permissions across the various applications to be connected to the neural network , interceptor agents , as described in fig1 , for the targeted mission critical applications to be enhanced , and the design and implementation of custom huds ( heads up displays ) designed to interact with the knowledge workers of the designated mission critical applications . finally , any deficiency in the distributed neural network deemed important to fill by the operational executives that can be supplemented by available software services made available by any of the cloud computing vendors ( amazon , microsoft , force . com , etc ) will be provided by cloud computing neurons created to monitor information retrieved from the cloud services provider . these neurons react and interact with the network like any other neuron within the system , giving the company the power to automatically react to conditions outside of its proprietary data centers , like changes in the prognosis of future activities within an industry as predicted by forrester or gartner , or changes in and industry subsection of the s & amp ; p 500 . when the neural network is ready , the executive controller releases the current metadata to the neurons within the it infrastructure which activates them . from this point on , the it infrastructure of the company is forever bonded to the will of the executives as expressed by them through the executive controller 24 . new pricing can be rolled out from here ; new sales programs with incentives can be created here ; modifications of policies will be rolled out from here in real time and can be changed from moment to moment , giving operational executives real - time agility into the controls of their company . modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention , which is not to be limited except by the allowed claims and their legal equivalents .
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in the following description , for purposes of explanation and not limitation , specific details are set forth , such as particular networks , communication systems , computers , terminals , devices , components , techniques , data and network protocols , software products and systems , operating systems , development interfaces , hardware , etc . in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details . detailed descriptions of well - known networks , communication systems , computers , terminals , devices , components , techniques , data and network protocols , software products and systems , operating systems , development interfaces , and hardware are omitted so as not to obscure the description . as used herein , the term video content includes , but is not limited to , movies , television programs ( e . g ., a sitcom , a comedy , an infomercial , a commercial , a documentary , news programming ), a sporting event , etc .— any of which can comprise video on demand , pay per view , and a live ( when possible ) or a recorded content . in addition , such content may comprise multiple segments between which the broadcaster may insert other content units ( e . g ., commercials and / or news alerts ). fig1 illustrates a system for practicing embodiments of the present invention . fig1 illustrates the interaction of the remote control 2 with the set top box 4 , and cloud digital video recorder ( dvr ) 8 as well as the interaction of the mobile device 10 with the set top box 4 , internet 14 and cloud dvr 8 . additional users 12 can access the dvr 8 through the internet 14 . the mobile device 10 can be any mobile device capable of connecting to the internet and playing video content , for example , but not limited to a smartphone or tablet . the cloud dvr 8 can be located anywhere as desired and is connected to the internet 14 . the set top box 4 is connected to a television 6 and to the internet 14 . the set top box 4 can comprise a stand along device , a circuit card configured to be inserted into a television , or be integrated into the television 6 . the mobile device 10 can have display for displaying recorded video content . not all embodiments need to make use of the internet 14 and instead may include a local or private network , or telephone network 16 . the cloud dvr 8 can include a computer system for hosting a website and user information . alternatively , a separate computer system can be used to host a website . an exemplary use of the system is illustrated in fig2 . as shown at 20 , the user can initiate the process by using the remote control 2 or mobile device 10 to create a video clip from the set top box 4 ( which can have a dvr ). the timing of the clip can be pre - determined or user determined , or limited by an application . an application can provide preset clip lengths for the user to select so that the provider of the content wants to limit the length of the clip that can be shared . the user interface ( the television or display on the mobile device ) informs the user of video content 22 . the user can select desired video content and initiate the start of the recording 24 . the user is prompted with a question as to whether a preset record time is desired 26 . if no , the user can press stop button at the desired end or enter a desired amount of time 30 . if yes , the recording ends at the pre - set time 28 . once the recording is completed , sharing options for the saved video clip are displayed to the user 32 . the user chooses a sharing option 34 . a link is generated for the saved video clip sent to sharing option selected by user 36 . a broadcaster or content provider can include ads , promotional information , or other information and track usage to the video clip 38 . users 12 can access the saved video clip by accessing the link . the link can be sent to the other users 12 via a sharing or social application , such as facebook , or any other method , such as email or messaging . in a preferred embodiment , both the set top box and cloud dvr are where the clip is created from . the clip &# 39 ; s storage and link distribution can be handled by another server on the cable network intranet ( cable headend ) or any server on the internet . the operations described in figs . and herein can be implemented as executable code stored on a computer or machine readable non - transitory tangible storage medium ( e . g ., floppy disk , hard disk , rom , eeprom , nonvolatile ram , cd - rom , etc .) that are completed based on execution of the code by a processor circuit implemented using one or more integrated circuits ; the operations described herein also can be implemented as executable logic that is encoded in one or more non - transitory tangible media for execution ( e . g ., programmable logic arrays or devices , field programmable gate arrays , programmable array logic , application specific integrated circuits , etc .). the server and / or dvr described herein can include one or more computer systems directly connected to one another and / or connected over a network . each computer system includes a processor , non - transitory tangible memory , user input and user output mechanisms , a network interface , and executable program code ( software ) comprising computer executable instructions stored in non - transitory tangible memory that executes to control the operation of the server . similarly , the processors functional components formed of one or more modules of program code executing on one or more computers . various commercially available computer systems and operating system software can be used to implement the hardware and software . the components of each server can be co - located or distributed . in addition , all or portions of the same software and / or hardware can be used to implement two or more of the functional servers ( or processors ) shown . the server can run any desired operating system , such as windows , mac os x , solaris or any other server based operating systems . it is to be understood that the foregoing illustrative embodiments have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the invention . words used herein are words of description and illustration , rather than words of limitation . in addition , the advantages and objectives described herein may not be realized by each and every embodiment practicing the present invention . further , although the invention has been described herein with reference to particular structure , s and / or embodiments , the invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein . rather , the invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures , methods and uses , such as are within the scope of the appended claims . those skilled in the art , having the benefit of the teachings of this specification , may affect numerous modifications thereto and changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention .
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the disclosures of u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 651 , 213 filed oct . 12 , 2012 entitled “ data center network architecture ,” u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 651 , 212 filed oct . 12 , 2012 entitled “ affinity modeling in a data center network ,” u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 651 , 224 filed oct . 12 , 2012 entitled “ control and provisioning in a data center network with at least one central controller ,” u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 651 , 255 filed oct . 12 , 2012 entitled “ hierarchy of control in a data center network with at least one central controller ,” u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 528 , 501 filed jun . 20 , 2012 entitled “ optical architecture and channel plan employing multi - fiber configurations for data center network switching ,” u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 528 , 211 filed jun . 20 , 2012 entitled “ optical junction nodes for use in data center networks ,” and u . s . provisional patent application no . 61 / 554 , 107 filed nov . 1 , 2011 entitled “ data center network switching ,” are each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes . u . s . provisional patent application ser . no . 61 / 733 , 154 , filed dec . 4 , 2012 and entitled “ method and apparatus for connectivity control in a data center network ” is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes . for a better understanding of the embodiments of the present invention , a data center network 700 , as shown in fig1 , including a central controller ( c 3 ) 708 that provides centralized control of a plurality of optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n will first be described . the optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n are arranged on a logical optical ring network 702 . each of the optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n includes a co - resident controller ( c 2 ) communicably coupled to the central controller ( c 3 ) 708 . each of the optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n can further include a switch , e . g ., a packet switch , a packet switch and a cross - point switch , or a packet switch and a cross - bar switch , and a forwarding information base ( fib ). specifically , the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) associated with the optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n are communicably coupled to the central controller ( c 3 ) 708 by controller interfaces 711 . 1 - 711 . n , respectively . further , each of the optical nodes can employ in - band management through a switch fabric , or out - of - band management . in addition , each of the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) associated with the respective optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n is communicably coupled to one or more adjacent co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) on the optical ring network 702 by a common control channel , namely , a supervisor channel 734 . as a convention , each co - resident controller c 2 includes an eastbound port and a westbound port on the supervisor channel 734 each of the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) includes a supervisor controller ( sc ) function . the sc is coupled to the supervisor channel 734 . the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) can employ the supervisor channel 734 to perform at least the following exemplary tasks : ( 1 ) detect incorrect wiring and / or fiber connections , e . g ., “ east - to - east ” instead of “ east - to - west ”); ( 2 ) assist in locating physical wiring and / or fiber breaks ; ( 3 ) learn the topology of the optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n on the optical ring network 702 , e . g ., the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) can exchange neighbor - to - neighbor connectivity information , allowing the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) to build the topology of the supervisor channel 734 , or a partial segment thereof , and , by inference , the topology of the optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n on the optical ring network 702 ; ( 4 ) determine the placement of what is referred to herein as a “ logical break ,” e . g ., the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) can determine the placement of the logical break , and move the logical break , if necessary — such a logical break is typically adjacent to the last known physical break in the fiber of the optical ring network 702 and will be further defined below ; ( 5 ) propagate real - time optical ring network connect and / or disconnect notifications ; ( 6 ) learn mac address / ip address entries , e . g ., the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) can learn all of the mac addresses / ip addresses that represent host computers where the “ hosts ,” are , for example , servers and / or any other suitable network equipment attached to the access ports of the optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n , and announce the mac addresses / ip addresses to the other co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) so that they can determine how each mac address / ip address can be reached ; ( 7 ) remove or update mac address / ip address entries ; and ( 8 ) propagate shared configuration information . the supervisor census protocol in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention maintains connectivity of the nodes across the supervisor channel 734 . as will be described in more detail below , a node on the network can go through several operational stages and its co - resident controller ( c 2 ) can restart , bog down or hang . these conditions may result in nodes appearing , disappearing or being excluded from active operation as determined and reported by the supervisor census protocol . the supervisor census protocol also negotiates the placement of the logical break on the supervisor channel and — by inference — the flooding break on the outer rings . more specifically , the census protocol is concerned with maintaining the “ supervisor topography ” where the term “ topography ” is referencing the physical layout of the nodes on the ring rather than any “ logical ” paths that may be defined for other purposes . the supervisor topography describes the configuration of the nodes on the supervisor channel ring as follows : active list : a sorted list of active nodes in the order they appear on the supervisor ring ( or segment thereof ) in the eastbound direction where each list entry is a tuple containing : the station mac address . the supervisor channel ip address . an operational condition or “ sub - stage .” the list ends with the node that currently controls the logical break ( named the “ übervisor ”) blocking its eastbound port . a node that has been excluded from operating on the ring will not be part of the active list . active checksum : a crc calculated over the active list used as a signature to quickly determine whether two active lists are the same . the checksum is calculated over the entire active list in order but starting at the node that has the lowest station mac address ( resuming the computation with the node at the start of the active list when the end is reached until all nodes have been included ). black list : an unsorted list of nodes to be excluded from the ring where each entry is a tuple containing : the station mac address of the excluded node . the station mac address of a node calling for the exclusion . an enumeration describing the reason for the exclusion . it is acceptable and expected that multiple nodes ( usually the direct neighbors ) are calling for exclusion of the same node but it is desirable that this list remains small ( no need for all nodes on the ring to pick on the same target ). nodes calling for exclusion will self - administer and eventually end their embargo so that the excluded node can then try to join the active nodes . in one embodiment , the c 3 controller may black list a node and use the null mac address as the station mac address of the excluding node so that the c 3 controller can recognize and modify the exclusion . a node may blacklist itself if , through onboard diagnostics for example , it detects a hardware failure , for example , a failed memory , a transceiver failure or even over heating . a node may be black listed by another node on the ring if an already operational node ( s ) detects the node is constantly rebooting . the already operational nodes would then place the offending node on the black list . once the offending behavior has been resolved the node may be removed from the black list . whole flag : a boolean indicating the ring is fully connected , i . e ., the nodes on the ring are sequentially connected without disruption . stable flag : a boolean indicating the topography has not recently changed . c 3 controller : a list of zero or more synonym ip addresses to reach one ( and only one ) c 3 controller . ring id : a uuid representing the ring or segment thereof ( null if unknown ). confluent rings : an integer ( n ) representing the number of outer rings shared by logical topology planes — as configured by the c 3 controller . in one embodiment of the present invention , l2 messaging is implemented in order to function independently of any l3 address assignment on the channel . in one embodiment of the present invention , a predetermined number of “ next - hop ” multicast mac addresses , for example , two , are reserved and predefined : advantageously , the sc can send a message from its own supervisor port ( source address is the station mac address ) to the east or westbound next - hop multicast address and the one receiving neighbor , if any , will respond to the requesting node if the multicast direction matches , i . e ., a request with the eastbound multicast address is received on the westbound port of the neighbor and vice versa , and will not otherwise forward the multicast frame further along the supervisor channel . in this way each node can communicate individually with its neighbor ( s ), either an immediately adjacent node on the supervisor ring or a more distant node , if one or more adjacent nodes are not in active mode . a logical break is created when an active node transitions to become an übervisor and configures its eastbound port to block all unicast , broadcast and multicast packets with the sole exception of the packets received with the westbound multicast destination address , which will be intercepted by the sc and not forwarded ( but only processed when received on the eastbound port ). the übervisor enforces the logical break on the supervisor channel to avoid creating a bridge loop when it is fully interconnected . if the supervisor channel is not whole , the easternmost active node on the supervisor ring segment becomes the übervisor and its logical break avoids temporary bridge loops in case all ring segments are joined at the same time . in addition an übervisor performs a beaconing process as described below . the supervisor census protocol is the lowest level protocol on the supervisor channel 734 and provides the following services to the sc : the supervisor topography ( defined above ) is conveyed to each node by beacon messages , described in more detail below , and is stored locally by the sc and made available upon request . the sc also provides a subscription service to help a subscriber identify what topography changes took place by providing the following information : an unsorted list of ( station mac , ip address ) tuples representing nodes removed with the last change , if any . an unsorted list of ( station mac , ip address ) tuples representing nodes added with the last change , if any . advantageously , implementing the census protocol throttles a rate at which active nodes can be added and , therefore , the logical break will not move in rapid succession so that , as a practical matter , subscribers to topography updates will not be overwhelmed with transients . the supervisor census protocol provides reliable and unreliable l2 messaging services for use internally and by other sc subcomponents , for instance , to propagate mac address attachment information , uplink state change events or transaction processing phases . the maximum payload is set to 9 , 000 bytes using ethernet jumbo frames . all messaging services will throw an exception if the payload size was too large if the node is not in active mode . the supervisor channel forms a separate l2 broadcast domain . an l2 broadcast message is used to convey information to all nodes on the ring but its delivery is considered unreliable . when this messaging primitive is used , recovery due to message loss must be considered as there is no indication whether the broadcast frame actually was transmitted or reached its destinations . when attachment information for a new mac address has been distributed to all nodes on the ring , a broadcast can be used to grant ejection eligibility ( each node is waiting for permission and will recover if broadcast message is lost ). an l2 multicast message is used to convey information to all or some nodes on the ring as per the given multicast destination address but its delivery must be considered unreliable . when this messaging primitive is used , recovery due to message loss must be considered as there is no indication whether the multicast frame actually was transmitted or reached its intended destinations . when the beacon message is propagated , a multicast message with the next - hop destination address is used to transfer the message to the next active node on the supervisor ring . a peer - to - peer l2 unicast message is used for unreliable information transfer between two individual nodes . when this messaging primitive is used , recovery due to message loss must be considered as there is no indication whether the unicast frame actually was transmitted or reached its intended destination . after ejection eligibility is granted with a broadcast message that was not received by a given node , it will recover by requesting the grant using a peer - to - peer message to the node that owns the mac address in question . a hop - by - hop relay is a sequential transfer of an l2 next - hop multicast message from node to node where the message is eventually returned to the originator to verify that the information made it to all intended destinations . the originator first copies the active list / checksum from the current topography and pre - calculates two crcs over the station mac addresses of the nodes to be visited given the current topography in the west and eastbound direction . next it transmits a copy of the message to the west and then the eastbound neighbors ( unless either direction represents an end of ring segment or logical break ) and if the hop - by - hop relay reaches the end of the segment or the logical break , the last node returns the message to the originator with a peer - to - peer unicast . if the originator receives the expected number of returns within a “ relay retransmission ” timeout ( 1 second ) it will verify that the actual nodes visited ( recorded inside the message during the hop - by - hop relay when each node calculates the cumulative crc by adding its own station mac address ) matches the expected nodes by verifying the pre - calculated crcs and if so , the originator considers the messaging completed without error . if the relay retransmission timeout elapses before the expected returns are received , or if the pre - calculated and recorded crcs do not match , the message relay is not repeated but a failure indication is returned to the caller . each message is only relayed to the next hop after it has been processed and each node can record a processing result in the relayed message that is eventually returned to the originator . when this messaging primitive is used , the processing result is further defined . a completion status provides a failure indication or else the active list / checksum ( that were copied by the originator ) representing the set of nodes on the ring that were reached . the caller must handle the race condition where the hop - by - hop relay messaging completes after the expiration of the relay retransmission timeout , either by reverting or retrying the intended operation . when a node learns a new mac address on an access link it can distribute the information using a hop - by - hop relay , which at the same time resolves concurrent learning conflicts ( when the same mac address is learned by multiple nodes as the result of external bridge loops ). some events need to be propagated both quickly and reliably . to that end the event relay combines an initial broadcast for instant propagation , followed by a hop - by - hop relay to ensure reliable delivery . the event relay messaging service implicitly combines the broadcast and hop - by - hop messaging services used under the covers and should perform an optimization so that a client does not get notified of both the broadcast and the hop - by - hop event but only of the latter if the former was not received . when an uplink state change occurs , the event needs to be propagated reliably across the supervisor channel so that all nodes can take action to adjust the topology . the event relay can is be used for that purpose . when a transaction needs to be committed , aborted or rolled back such operations are performed on all nodes at roughly the same time to reduce configuration glitches . in the data center network 700 each of the optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n can perform an orderly transition through a plurality of successive operational stages s 0 - s 3 . operational stage s 0 corresponds to an optical node that is powered - off . operational stage s 1 corresponds to an optical node that is “ self - aware ,” but isolated from the uplinks of the optical node as well as the supervisor channel 734 . such an optical node operating in operational stage s 1 does not communicate with co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) associated with any other optical nodes , nor does it communicate with the central controller ( c 3 ) 708 . in operational stage s 2 , an optical node is not only self - aware , but also “ peer - aware .” such an optical node operating in operational stage s 2 can communicate with co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) associated with other optical nodes over the supervisor channel 734 , exchanging network traffic between one or more of the uplink ports and / or the access ports of the respective optical nodes , but does not communicate with the central controller ( c 3 ) 708 . in operational stage s 3 , an optical node can communicate with the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) associated with the other optical nodes over the supervisor channel 734 , and with the central controller ( c 3 ) 708 . the operational stages s 1 , s 2 , s 3 of an optical node , with respect to the protocol are described in more detail below . in one embodiment of the present invention , the following census operation modes for a node are defined : reset : the supervisor switch is held in reset and will not forward frames at all , effectively causing a break in the supervisor ring . no software will send or receive frames on the supervisor port . this operation mode is an expected transient at boot time and an active westbound neighbor , if any , will move the logical break to handle the communication disruption on the supervisor ring . early bypass : the supervisor switch is configured to forward all multi - destination ( broadcast , multicast and unknown unicast ) frames along the supervisor ring , i . e ., a frame received east is forwarded westbound and vice versa . no frames will be sent or received on the supervisor port , which remains disabled . standby : the supervisor switch is configured to forward multi - destination frames along the supervisor ring and matching unicast , multicast and broadcast frames are received on the supervisor port . the sc processes received frames as necessary but is not allowed to transmit frames . note that standby mode is not a promiscuous operation in that the sc receives only frames with matching destination addresses . transit : the supervisor switch is configured to forward multi - destination frames along the supervisor ring and matching unicast , multicast and broadcast frames are received on the supervisor port with exception of special “ next - hop ” multicast frames that are received only on the supervisor port and not forwarded along the supervisor ring . the sc processes received frames as necessary and is allowed to transmit frames onto the supervisor channel but only if it can guarantee that there is no bridge loop on the supervisor channel , i . e ., a logical break is in place . ubervisor : the supervisor switch is configured as in transit mode but the eastbound port will not transmit any frames and all frames received on the eastbound port are blocked with the exception of special “ next - hop ” multicast frames that are received only on the supervisor port and not forwarded along the supervisor ring . the sc processes received frames as necessary and is allowed to transmit out the westbound port . this mode is used to create a logical break on the supervisor channel . excluded : identical to standby mode but persisting across c 2 controller or sc component restarts until such time that the node restarts or explicit permission is received to exit excluded mode . reset and early bypass modes are entered in operational stage s 1 . transit and übervisor modes are used in either s 2 or s 3 . standby and excluded modes are used exclusively in stage s 2 , which implies that any transition to these states causes the co - controller to disconnect from the c 3 controller . nodes in transit or übervisor mode are said to be active nodes and placed in the active list of the supervisor topography while excluded nodes are placed in the black list . nodes in other modes are not recorded in the supervisor topography , as they cannot communicate their presence on the supervisor channel . nodes in unmanaged , early bypass , standby or excluded mode are said to be passive nodes . the associated finite state machine for these census operation modes is shown in fig2 when a node is booted or rebooted , there is a brief period where it lingers in reset mode before early bypass mode is configured ( transition a ). when the c 2 controller ( more specifically its sc component ) is started , the node will transition from early bypass to standby mode ( b ) where it stays and observes the supervisor census protocol traffic until it can determine that it can become a transit node ( c ) or übervisor ( d ) or is excluded ( e ). a transit node can become an übervisor ( f ) when it needs to place a logical break or revert back to transit mode ( g ) when it removes the logical break . any time an active node recuses itself or determines that it has been blacklisted it will transition to excluded mode ( h , i ) where it remains until the node restarts or has received explicit permission to return to standby mode ( j ). note the case where the c 2 controller ( or just the sc ) restarts while in excluded mode ( k ) when the node must not be permitted to return to standby mode ( requiring some non - volatile information to be maintained outside the c 2 process space ). the übervisor not only places a logical break but also engages in a beaconing process . beacon messages are used to determine the current supervisor topography and to coordinate node transitions on the supervisor channel . the beacon message is always sent from the supervisor port in the westbound direction with the station mac address as the source mac address and the westbound next - hop multicast address as the destination . a diagram of the fields in a beacon message is presented in fig3 . every t1 , e . g ., 250 , milliseconds the übervisor will transmit a beacon message in the westbound direction that contains the most recent topography ( as maintained by the übervisor ) and an embedded “ stale ” flag initialized as false . the next active node on the supervisor channel ( or segment thereof ) processes the received beacon message as follows : if the stale flag is true , it will forward the beacon message unmodified . if the stale flag is false , it will verify that the source mac address of the node that transmitted the beacon message precedes the receiving node in the active list of the contained topography ( active nodes are listed in the eastbound direction ). if the embedded topography is incorrect , it will send an update unicast message with the modified topography back to the originating übervisor and then also forward the beacon message with the stale flag set to true . if the embedded topography is correct , it forwards the beacon message unmodified . thus the beacon message either reaches the last node on the ring segment or the originating übervisor itself when the ring is whole , propagating similarly to a hop - by - hop relay ( except that the last node does not report back to the originator ). in the degenerate case of a single übervisor on the ring ( no other active nodes ) this will result in a single - node topography . if the übervisor receives an update message it will immediately issue a corrected beacon message . the topography in the beacon message contains a “ stable ” flag that is controlled by the übervisor and set to false unless the topography information is considered stable , e . g ., defined as three consecutive beacon messages containing the same topography information while no other übervisor has been detected for the last 5 * t1 milliseconds . the “ whole ” flag in the topography is set by the übervisor once it receives its own , recently sent beacon frame as determined by comparing a “ rollover ” count incremented and embedded by the übervisor in each originated beacon frame . any update message copies the rollover count from the corresponding beacon message so that the übervisor can ignore stale update messages . the t1 interval is chosen so that the size of the ring and the processing latency per node permits using only the most recent rollover . to ensure that an übervisor is reachable by the unicast update message , and more generally that all active nodes are reachable , and not impeded by any stale mac address table entries , any active node sends a pre - beacon message before each beacon message until the propagated topography is marked as “ stable .” a pre - beacon message uses the station mac address of the transmitting node as the source address , the multicast address e1 - 39 - d7 - 00 - 00 - 02 as destination and has no payload . a pre - beacon message is sent in both the eastbound and westbound directions unless it is sent by an übervisor in which case it must be sent in the westbound direction only . source address learning cannot be disabled by all supervisor switch hardware . a pre - beacon message will be propagated through the supervisor switch but not received by software in any node and is a cost - effective way to leverage automatic source address learning to correct any stale mac address table entries , for instance , in nodes that are rebooting or excluded . note that nodes with stale mac address table entries do not hamper the propagation of the beacon message itself as the destination address is the next - hop multicast address but update and other unicast messages might be discarded , for instance , if a stale entry erroneously points westbound an update message received on the westbound interface will be dropped . determine if an übervisor is present on the segment by monitoring beacon messages . exclude other nodes from the ring by adding them to the black list . establish whether this node is excluded from becoming active ( which can only be determined once the topography is stable so that nodes further down the segment have been able to contribute to the black list ). maintain a local copy of the latest topography . immediately propagate any changes in the topography — no need to wait for a stable topography — to the c 2 manager component , which in turn will notify the c 3 controller if connected . the beacon message uses a next - hop multicast destination address because its westbound neighbor may change at any moment , i . e ., an adjacent node can transition to active or standby mode , which would cause disruptions if unicast addressing were used and the multicast address conveniently passes the logical break . the use of the update message causes immediate propagation of topography changes back to the übervisor on the segment and simplifies overall operation . alternatives , such as the use of a sole “ reflector ” node at the western end of a ring segment , require an election mechanism to handle cases where one or more westernmost node ( s ) are in standby mode and cannot transmit . forwarding the beacon message , even if it is stale , helps to converge on a single übervisor even in the face of stale mac address table entries that could hinder the delivery of update messages back to that übervisor . if the system did not propagate stale beacon frames , the rest of the ring would not receive any beacon frames and might select a second übervisor . in case of a supervisor channel segment , i . e ., the ring is not whole , the last node in the active list could disappear from the ring without the topography being corrected . this is because the beacon messaging and the validation of the topography where each node verifies its predecessor is essentially unidirectional . as this issue does not exist in a ring that is whole , it is an acceptable situation . while more than one übervisor can operate on the supervisor channel because each übervisor propagates the beacon message of the other as if it were a transit node , the intention is for one remaining übervisor to be selected per supervisor ring or segment because multiple logical breaks will disrupt inter - node communication . note that concurrent übervisors can advertise the same set of nodes but that the active list will be in a different order , however , the active crc will be the same . the beacon message contains a “ start of segment ” flag that is set by the originating übervisor if and only if one or two of the following conditions are true : the eastbound port is down . this facilitates the selection of a new übervisor on the west side of a cable break . no beacon message was received from any übervisor in the last 4 * t1 milliseconds while this node was übervisor itself . in other words , do not become übervisor with the east port up and immediately set the start of segment flag . this facilitates the selection of a new übervisor west of a hung node that absorbs beacon messages . when a given übervisor receives a beacon message from another übervisor it will immediately defer to the other übervisor under either of the following conditions : the start of segment flag in the beacon message from the other übervisor is true . the whole flag is set in both the current topography of the given übervisor and in the embedded topography in the beacon message from the other übervisor and the station mac address of the other übervisor is larger then the station mac address of the given übervisor ( applying unsigned arithmetic on the mac address in canonical representation ). merge its own topography information with the received topography and either send an update message to the other übervisor ( when the merged topography differs from its own ) or else forward the received beacon message westbound . enter transit mode using transition g , as shown in fig2 . the selected übervisor propagates the topography of the ring , which includes centrally provisioned information like the list of c 3 controller ip addresses , the ring id and the number of confluent rings . the übervisor propagates that information as retrieved from local storage or received through update messages ( or from any connected c 3 controller in operational stage s 3 ). each node on the ring retains the list of announced synonym c 3 controller addresses ( s ) in local non - volatile storage . the ring id and number of confluent rings are retained in volatile storage local to the supervisor controller and are lost when the latter restarts . an optical node 710 in operational stage s 0 represents a discontinuity in the supervisor channel . an optical node 710 can enter operational stage s 1 when the optical node is first powered - on or rebooted . in operational stage s 1 , the optical node is transparent to , and isolated from , the links connected to the uplink ports of the optical node , while interconnectivity is provided among the links connected to the access ports . further , in operational stage s 1 , one or more self - tests can be performed on the optical node , as desired and / or required , to determine whether or not the optical node is operational . it is noted that , in operational stage s 1 , an optical node is prohibited from exchanging network traffic with the links connected to its uplink ports , but is allowed to perform bidirectional pass - through with regard to such network traffic , and / or control traffic on the supervisor channel 734 . it is further noted that so - called “ bridge loops ” in the layer - 2 broadcast domain can be avoided when an optical node is operating in its bidirectional pass - through mode by assuring that : ( 1 ) all of the optical nodes on the network are operating in either operational stage s 0 or s 1 , and are therefore prohibited from exchanging network traffic with the links connected to their uplink ports , or ( 2 ) at least one of the optical nodes on the network is operating in either operational stage s 2 or s 3 , and therefore may have already established a logical break on a supervisor channel , and / or a flooding break on one or more outer rings of the network , to prevent the creation of such a bridge loop . for example , an optical node can place such a logical break on the supervisor channel 734 and / or can place such a flooding break on one or more outer rings of the optical ring network 702 . such outer rings generally correspond to a plurality of eastbound uplink ports , e . g ., four ( 4 ) eastbound uplink ports , or any other suitable number of ports , and a plurality of westbound uplink ports , e . g ., four ( 4 ) westbound uplink ports , or any other suitable number of ports , of an optical node . it is noted that a logical break can be placed on an optical ring network when it is fully connected , and can be co - located with the last known physical break in the fiber of the optical ring network . for example , an optical node may place a logical break on the supervisor channel , and / or a flooding break on one or more of the outer rings of an optical ring network , by filtering network traffic in both directions on the eastbound uplink ports of the optical node . specifically , when the optical node places the logical break on the supervisor channel , the optical node can filter the network traffic on its eastbound uplink ports to prohibit the propagation of all unicast , broadcast , and multicast data packets or frames except for a specified multicast data packet / frame , referred to herein as the “ beacon frame ,” which can be permitted to traverse the logical break to enable the network to determine whether or not the supervisor channel is faulty . moreover , when the optical node places the flooding break on the outer rings , the optical node can filter the network traffic on its eastbound uplink ports to prohibit the flooding of all multi - destination data packets or frames , while permitting unicast data packets / frames having known destinations to traverse the flooding break . such multi - destination data packets or frames are defined herein as broadcast data packets / frames , multicast data packets / frames , and unicast data packets / frames having unknown destinations . as a result , following the placement of such a flooding break , an optical node can still transmit unicast data packets / frames having known destinations in either direction around an optical ring network , and have the unicast data packets / frames successfully reach their respective destinations . in operational stage s 1 , a node will progress through reset mode to early bypass mode so the outer rings and the supervisor channel can transparently carry traffic through the node . this is the normal path from operational stage s 0 on a cold boot . the mac address table of the supervisor switch should remain disabled to avoid retaining learned mac addresses that might blackhole traffic once the logical break moves ( an event that a bypassed node cannot observe ). the supervisor port is disabled so that the node will leave the supervisor channel untouched . an optical node 710 can enter operational stage s 2 when its associated co - resident controller ( c 2 ) achieves connectivity to the links connected to the optical node &# 39 ; s uplink ports . in operational stage s 2 , the co - resident controller ( c 2 ) can communicate with one or more other co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) associated with the other optical nodes 710 on the network over the supervisor channel 734 without mixing any control traffic with the data plane . when an optical node enters operational stage s 2 from operational stage s 1 , the co - resident controller ( c 2 ) associated with the optical node can employ the supervisor channel to exchange information with its peer co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) to determine : ( 1 ) the topology of the optical network , or the topology of a partial segment of the optical network , and ( 2 ) the placement of a break , e . g ., a logical break , a flooding break , on the optical network . the optical node can then exchange network traffic between the links connected to its access ports and uplink ports . it is noted that the co - resident controller ( c 2 ) associated with the optical node can avoid creating bridge loops by learning the placement of the break , e . g ., a logical break , a flooding break , via the supervisor channel , and filtering network traffic in both directions on the eastbound uplink ports of the optical node , as required . when an optical node enters operational stage s 2 from operational stage s 3 , e . g ., communication between the optical node and the central controller ( c 3 ) may have been disrupted , all access ports and uplink ports of the optical node can remain operational . moreover , in operational stage s 2 , an optical node can employ the supervisor channel to remain in synchronization with the other optical nodes on the optical network ( or a partial segment of the optical network ), until : ( 1 ) the co - resident controller ( c 2 ) associated with the optical node is re - started , in which case the optical node reverts to operational stage s 1 , ( 2 ) the co - resident controller ( c 2 ) is considered to be non - responsive , and is therefore excluded from active participation on the supervisor channel , e . g ., adjacent co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) may detect this condition , causing the central controller ( c 3 ) to regard the optical node as being inoperable ; the optical node may eventually be re - started , in which case it will revert from operational stage s 2 to operational stage s 1 , or ( 3 ) a connection between the optical node and the central controller ( c 3 ) is established , causing a transition from operational stage s 2 to operational stage s 3 . it is noted that changing the placement of a logical break on a physical or logical optical ring network , e . g ., in response to a fiber cut , or an optical node powering - off , can cause at least some endpoint addresses learned by the optical nodes to become out - of - date . for example , a mac address learned on an eastbound port of an optical node may now be reachable through a westbound port of the optical node . in such a case , the co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) associated with the optical nodes on the optical ring network can cooperate to remove or re - point the mac address entries when a logical break is either first placed on the optical ring network or subsequently changed , as conveyed over the supervisor channel . an optical node operating in operational stage s 2 can provide connectivity between the links connected to its access ports and uplink ports via ( 1 ) any residual links that were previously configured by the central controller ( c 3 ) and are still operational , or ( 2 ) the outer rings . moreover , such an optical node operating in operational stage s 2 can recover from failures , for example , by tearing down any such residual links that are deemed to be inoperative , and / or by forwarding network traffic in an alternate direction on the outer rings . progress from early bypass mode to standby mode using transition b when the c 2 component is first started after a reboot . this is the normal path from operational stage s 1 on a cold boot . enter standby mode when the c 2 controller or sc component is restarted while in standby , transit or übervisor mode . this is the normal path after a software failure ( possibly exiting and re - entering operational stage s 2 ). remain in excluded mode using transition k when the c 2 controller or sc component is restarted while in excluded mode . this is the normal path after compounded failures to prevent continuous restarts from affecting the operation . a break message is broadcast with the station mac address as the source address and the broadcast address as the destination . no payload is defined . both nodes on either side of a downed supervisor link ( single - node rings are not of interest here ) detect the port state change and send a break message as an immediate notification to all active nodes of a disruption in the supervisor channel . the active nodes will clear their mac address table and the existing übervisor will transition to a transit node ( removing the logical break ) but only if it is not adjacent to the cable break . this will cause any subsequent unicast traffic to resort to flooding and find its way around the cable break resulting in minimal communication disruption . note that passive nodes will not listen to the break broadcast and may be left with stale mac address table entries and that makes the break message an optimization useful only to the normal case of rings with only active nodes . emitting a pre - beacon message when a break is received should be avoided because that causes a spike of multicast messages ( which on large rings may interfere with the propagation of the break messages itself ). loss of one or both break messages is not detrimental because the node with the cable break on the eastbound port will immediately become the übervisor ( placing a new logical break in case the link down was transient ) and start beaconing , which will correct any stale mac table entries on the ring ( including passive nodes )— just more slowly then the break broadcasts . if the node with the eastbound port down is already the übervisor there is no need to emit these break broadcasts . in standby and excluded modes the mac address table of the supervisor switch will rely on explicit break ( described above ) and pre - beacon messages ( also described above ) to correct stale mac address table entries in passive and active nodes . when a node enters standby mode the mac address table is cleared . when a node enters transit or übervisor mode the first time , the mac address table is enabled and a default aging time of 30 seconds should be configured . for simplicity , while in active mode , a node will track the last übervisor that originated a beacon message and will clear the mac address table every time the originating übervisor becomes known or changes once known . as described above , an active node will clear the mac address table when it receives a break broadcast . in standby mode the sc waits until one of the following conditions occurs : 1 . reception of a beacon message with a stable topography representing that another node functions as übervisor and has placed a logical break to prevent a bridge loop on the supervisor channel . this also represents that all nodes on the supervisor channel ( or segment thereof ) have had a chance to contribute to the black list so that this node can determine whether to transition to excluded mode ( i ) as described above or to transition to transit mode ( c ) and process beacon messages as described earlier . 2 . no beacon message is received for an interval of 3 * t1 milliseconds or the eastbound port goes down : transition to übervisor mode ( d ) after emitting a break broadcast . in excluded mode the sc waits for reception of beacon messages ( from any übervisor ). if the excluded node does not receive any beacon messages , it must not leave excluded mode to cover the case where an excluded node is located east of the übervisor on the easternmost section on a supervisor channel segment and will thus not receive any beacon messages . otherwise if over a 5 second interval , or other predetermined amount of time , after this node receives a stable topography ( as embedded in the beacon message ) this node is no longer blacklisted then it will transition to standby mode ( j ). in transit mode the node can immediately transition to excluded mode ( h ) when it is blacklisted in a topography ( whether stable or not ) embedded in any beacon message . if no beacon message is received for 2 * t1 milliseconds or if the eastbound port goes down the node will transition to übervisor mode ( f ) after emitting a break broadcast . in übervisor mode the node can immediately transition to excluded mode ( h ) when it is blacklisted by a topography ( whether stable or not ) embedded in any beacon message . if a beacon message is received from another übervisor a transition to transit mode ( g ) can result as described above . if the eastbound port of an existing übervisor goes down , it will not emit a break broadcast but immediately send a beacon message with the start of segment flag set . an optical node 710 can enter operational stage s 3 once the optical node has successfully established a connection with the central controller ( c 3 ) 708 . if the optical node were to lose contact with the central controller ( c 3 ), then the optical node can revert from operational stage s 3 to operational stage s 2 . it is noted that the address of the central controller ( c 3 ) 708 can be propagated through the supervisor channel 734 to allow all of the optical nodes 710 on the optical ring network 702 to connect to the same central controller ( c 3 ) 708 . as described above , in the data center network 700 each of the optical nodes 710 . 1 - 710 . n can perform an orderly transition through a plurality of operational stages , namely , operational stage s 0 , operational stage s 1 , operational stage s 2 , and operational stage s 3 . in normal operation , all of the optical nodes on a physical or logical optical ring network can eventually enter operational stage s 3 , establishing connectivity with a central controller ( c 3 ), which , in conjunction with co - resident controllers ( c 2 ) associated with the respective optical nodes , can configure the various links in the optical ring network for more efficient network traffic flow . in operational stage s 3 a node ( which must be in active mode ) connects to the c 3 controller , which is made known either by local configuration or by the topography embedded in a beacon message . the c 2 controller will independently cycle through all synonym ip addresses when trying to connect to the c 3 controller and there is no coordination among c 2 controllers which synonym c 3 controller address to use . the removal of a given synonym will cause any c 2 controller using it to switch to an alternate address , if available . once connected , the c 2 controller will present a ring id ( null if unknown ) and the c 3 controller either provisions or validates a non - null ring id so that the c 2 controller will obtain a valid ring id . from then on the c 3 controller can change the list of c 3 ip addresses , the ring id or the number of confluent rings . a node will distribute such changes either by issuing a new beacon message if it is the übervisor or else by issuing an update message to the last seen übervisor to get it to issue a corrected beacon . note that the c 2 controller must not store any new c 3 controller address without first negotiating them over the supervisor channel . this prevents the configuration of a c 3 controller address that might take effect later . when multiple c 2 controllers present null ring ids to the c 3 controller as they connect , repeated conflicts in negotiating ring ids over the supervisor channel could result . this scenario will happen when all nodes on the ring ( or segment thereof ) have previously learned the c 3 address , but are then rebooted and connect to the c 3 controller at the same time — now with a null ring id . this situation is avoided by requiring that when the ring id is null only the übervisor should connect to the c 3 controller . it is noted that the operations depicted and / or described herein are purely exemplary . further , the operations can be used in any sequence , as appropriate , and / or can be partially used . with the above illustrative embodiments in mind , it should be understood that such illustrative embodiments can employ various computer - implemented operations involving data transferred or stored in computer systems . such operations are those requiring physical manipulation of physical quantities . typically , though not necessarily , such quantities can take the form of electrical , magnetic , and / or optical signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , and / or otherwise manipulated . further , any of the operations depicted and / or described herein that form part of the illustrative embodiments are useful machine operations . the illustrative embodiments can also relate to a device or an apparatus for performing such operations . the apparatus can be specially constructed for the required purpose , or can be a general - purpose computer selectively activated or configured by a computer program stored in the computer to perform the function of a particular machine . in particular , various general - purpose machines employing one or more processors coupled to one or more computer readable media can be used with computer programs written in accordance with the teachings disclosed herein , or it may be more convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the required operations . instructions for implementing the network architectures disclosed herein can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium . the computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data , which can thereafter be read by a computer system . examples of such computer readable media include magnetic and solid state hard drives , read - only memory ( rom ), random - access memory ( ram ), blu - ray ™ disks , dvds , cd - roms , cd - rs , cd - rws , magnetic tapes , and / or any other suitable optical or non - optical data storage device . the computer readable code can be stored in a single location , or stored in a distributed manner in a networked environment . the foregoing description has been directed to particular illustrative embodiments of this disclosure . it will be apparent , however , that other variations and modifications may be made to the described embodiments , with the attainment of some or all of their associated advantages . moreover , the procedures , processes , components , and / or modules described herein may be implemented in hardware , software , embodied as a computer - readable medium having program instructions , firmware , or a combination thereof . for example , the functions described herein may be performed by at least one processor executing program instructions out of at least one memory or other storage device . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications to and variations of the above - described systems and methods may be made without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein . accordingly , the disclosure should not be viewed as limited except as by the scope and spirit of the appended claims .
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hereinafter , an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail by reference to the drawings . fig1 a to 7 b are drawings showing a handle unit according to the embodiment . fig1 a and 1b are perspective views showing an overall configuration of the handle unit according to the embodiment , and fig2 is an exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of the same handle unit . as is shown in fig1 a to 2 , the handle unit of the embodiment includes a main body 10 which is attached to a portion of a trunk board 1 to which the main body 10 is designed to be attached and a handle 30 which is attached to the main body 10 and is adapted to rotate freely within a preset range from a stored position to an operating position . fig1 a shows a state in which the handle 30 is in the stored position , while fig1 b shows a state in which the handle 30 is in the operating position . as will be described later , the handle 30 is normally disposed in the stored position by the urging force of a torsion coil spring . in addition , the main body 10 and the handle 30 are resin molded products made from a synthetic resin , such as plastic . as is shown , for example , in fig8 , the handle unit is attached to a position which lies in the vicinity of the center of one side edge of the trunk board 1 which closes a storage space under a floor 2 of a luggage compartment of an automotive vehicle . this trunk board 1 normally closes an opening of the storage space , and the opening of the storage space can be opened by the handle 30 of the handle unit being gripped and pulled up so as to lift up the trunk board 1 from the closed state . fig3 a to 3c are development views showing the handle of the handle unit according to the embodiment , of which fig3 a is a top view , fig3 b is a rear view and fig3 c is a side view of the handle . as is shown in fig2 to 3c , the handle 30 of the handle unit has a proximal end portion 31 which is pivotally supported on the main body 10 and an operating portion 32 which continues from the proximal end portion 31 and which is opened in the center thereof . on the proximal end portion 31 of the handle 30 , a pair of support walls 34 that extend downwardly from respective side edges of the proximal end portion 31 and a pair of rotational shafts 33 that project outwardly from respective exterior side of the support walls 34 are formed integrally . fig4 a to 4c are development views showing the main body of the handle unit according to the embodiment , of which fig4 a is a top view , fig4 b is a side view and fig4 c is a sectional view taken along the line a - a in fig5 a . as is shown in fig2 to 4c , a storage recess 12 is formed on the main body 10 of the handle unit in such a manner as to be recessed from a surface 11 thereof . in this storage recess 12 , a front portion thereof is formed as a first recessed portion 13 which has a given depth for storing the proximal end portion 31 of the handle , and a rear portion thereof is formed as a second recessed portion 14 for storing the operating portion 32 of the handle 30 which is made shallower in depth than the first recessed portion 13 . these first recessed portion 13 and second recessed portion 14 are formed continuously , and a stepped portion 15 is formed in a boundary portion therebetween . in addition , a bulge portion 16 is formed in the rear portion of the storage recess 12 in such a manner that a substantially central portion protrudes from the second recessed portion 14 to the same height as that of the surface 11 of the main body . a pair of bearings 18 made up of through holes are opened in inner surfaces of both side walls 17 of the storage recess 12 which face each other at both ends of the first recessed portion 13 . the rotational shafts 33 , which will be described later , of the handle 30 are inserted into these bearings 18 . in the embodiment , the bearings 18 are formed as through holes . however , the bearings 18 may be formed into concave or recessed grooves . in addition , in this storage recess 12 , a pair of holding walls 19 and a pair of rotation stoppers 20 are formed integrally in the first recessed portion 13 , and furthermore , a spring support piece 21 is formed integrally on the stepped portion 15 between the first and second recessed portions 13 , 14 . the pair of holding walls 19 are formed , respectively , in positions which are spaced a given distance apart from the corresponding bearings 18 in such a manner as to be in parallel , respectively , with the side walls 17 . on the other hand , the rotation stoppers 20 are each formed into a shape which protrudes from the first recessed portion 13 while being inclined at an arbitrary angle , so that a further rotation of the handle 30 is restricted through a contact between a proximal end of the handle 30 and the rotation stoppers 20 . the rotation stoppers 20 define the operating position of the handle 30 to be pulled by a user . as is shown in fig2 and 4b , in the spring support piece 21 which extends from the stepped portion 15 , a base portion 21 a extends from the stepped portion 15 of the main body 10 , and furthermore , a cylindrical spring support portion 21 b horizontally extends from a distal end of the support portion 21 a , a distal end of the spring support portion 21 b being made a free end . the spring support portion 21 b is positioned on a straight line which passes through the pair of bearings 18 , and a torsion coil spring 40 is mounted on the spring support portion 21 b . the handle 30 is normally urged in a rotating direction directed from the operating position towards the stored position by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 40 . in this embodiment , since the spring support piece 21 is formed integrally with the main body 10 , the number of constituent parts is not increased . fig5 a to 5c show sectioned side views showing rotating positions of the handle of the handle unit according to the embodiment , of which fig5 a shows the handle being in the stored position , fig5 b shows the handle being exposed or tilted up from the stored position , and fig5 c shows the handle being in the operating position . as is shown in fig5 a , the support walls 34 and the holding walls 19 are set so as to not face each other , when the handle 30 is in the stored position . when assembling the handle 30 on the main body 10 , firstly , the torsion coil spring 40 is mounted on the spring support piece 21 of the main body 10 , and following this , the pair of rotational shafts 33 of the handle 30 are inserted into the corresponding bearings 18 from inside of the main body 10 , whereby the handle 30 is assembled on to the main body 10 ( refer to fig2 ). as this occurs , since the support walls 34 of the handle 30 are brought into contact with the side walls 17 of the main body 10 to thereby generate deflection therein , by assembling the handle 30 onto the main body 10 while keeping the posture thereof so as to be in the stored position , the support walls 34 are prevented from interfering with the holding walls 19 , and the rotational shafts 33 can be brought into engagement with the bearings 18 . in the handle 30 assembled on to the main body 10 , the rotational shafts 33 are pivotally supported in the bearings 18 so that the handle 30 can rotate freely on the rotational shafts 33 . by lightly pushing the proximal end portion 31 of the handle 30 , the handle 30 is rotated from the stored position , whereby the handle 30 can come out of the storage recess 12 ( refer to fig5 b ). after the handle 30 came out of the storage recess 12 , the handle 30 is rotated to the operating position by being gripped at the operating position 32 thereof . the support walls 34 and the holding walls 19 are made to face each other when the handle 30 is in the operating position ( refer to fig5 c ). fig6 a and 6b are drawings which depict a relationship between the rotational shaft and the bearing of the handle unit according to the embodiment , of which fig6 a is an enlarged perspective view , and fig6 b is an enlarged sectional view . as is shown in fig6 a and 6b , a flat bearing surface 33 a is formed on the periphery of a proximal end of the rotational shaft 33 in such a manner as to protrude from an exterior side of the support wall 34 . in addition , a flat bearing surface 18 a is also formed on the periphery of the opening of the bearing 18 in such a manner as to protrude from an interior side of the main body . these bearing surfaces 18 a , 33 a are disposed to face each other when the handle 30 is assembled on to the main body 10 . a play of the rotational shaft 33 in an axial direction thereof is regulated by a length l 5 defined between these bearing surfaces 33 a , 18 a . with the main body 10 and the handle 30 which are the molded resin products , the machining accuracy of portions corresponding to corner portions such as the periphery of the proximal end of the rotational shaft 33 and the periphery of the opening of the bearing 18 is reduced in general . because of this , the handle 30 may be loosely assembled on to the main body 10 due to a gap being defined between the support walls 34 and the side walls 17 of the main body 10 . in the embodiment , however , the flat bearing surfaces 18 a , 33 a are formed on the periphery of the proximal end of the rotational shaft 33 and the periphery of the opening of the bearing 18 in such a manner as to protrude therefrom so as to regulate the play of the rotational shaft 33 in the axial direction between the bearing surfaces 18 a , 33 a , whereby the play can be adjusted with high accuracy . fig7 a and 7b are enlarged sectional views depicting a relationship between the rotational shaft and the bearing when the handle of the handle unit according to the embodiment is in the operating position , of which fig7 a shows a state in which no external force is applied on the handle in a direction in which the handle is lifted upwards , and fig7 b shows a state in which an external force is applied on the handle in the direction in which the handle is lifted upwards . as is shown in fig7 a , with the handle unit according to the embodiment , when the handle 30 is in the operating position , a length l 1 defined between a side of the holding wall 19 which faces the support wall 34 and an inner side of the side wall 17 is set to be smaller than a length l 2 from a side of the support wall 34 which faces the holding wall 19 to a distal end of the rotational shaft 33 . in addition , looking at this from a different point of view , a length l 3 defined between the facing sides of the holding wall 19 and the support wall 34 is set to be smaller than a length l 4 over which the rotational shaft 33 is inserted into the interior of the bearing 18 . then , when the handle 30 is gripped to lift up the trunk board 1 , a strong external force is applied on a contacting point between the rotational shaft 33 and the bearing 18 in a direction in which the handle 30 is pulled upwards . the support wall 34 is deflected in a way as shown in fig7 b due to the external force being so applied , causing the rotational shaft 33 to attempt to come out of the bearing 18 . however , since the lengths are set to satisfy l 1 & lt ; l 2 and l 3 & lt ; l 4 as has been described above , the support wall 34 is brought into contact with the holding plate 19 before the rotational shaft 33 comes out of the bearing 18 , whereby a further deflection of the support wall 34 is restricted . because of this , the rotational shaft 33 is prevented from being dislocated from the bearing 18 . in addition , as is shown in fig7 a , a length l 5 defined between the respective bearing surfaces 18 a , 33 a which are formed on the peripheries of the rotational shaft 33 and the bearing 18 is set to be smaller than the length l 3 defined between the facing sides of the holding wall 19 and the support wall 34 . consequently , even though the handle 30 shifts in the axial direction within the range of the length l 5 , the support wall 34 is never brought into contact with the holding wall 19 , whereby the generation of wear due to contact of the side wall 34 and the holding wall 19 and striking noise due to collision of the walls can be prevented , thereby making it possible to obtain a good operability . note that the invention is not limited to the embodiment that has been described heretofore , and hence , the invention can , of course , be modified and / or altered variously without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . for example , the invention can be applied to the handle unit with the latch which is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 719 , 332 . as has been described heretofore , according to an aspect of the present invention , since the rotational shafts are formed integrally on the support walls of the handle , the number of constituent parts is reduced , and the assembling work and part management can be simplified , whereby the product costs can be reduced . moreover , even though a strong pulling force is applied on the rotational shafts to generate deflection in the support walls , since the holding walls are brought into contact with the support walls from inside to regulate the deformation of the support walls , the rotational shafts are surely prevented from being dislocated from the bearings .
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fig1 is a simplified block diagram showing an actuator system 10 for selectively operating the reciprocating trimming knives and the locking mechanism . a programmable logic controller ( plc ) 12 is programmed to operate the trimming and locking actuators in a predetermined sequence which can be modified according to the type of profile being trimmed . a source 14 provides the desired “ shop ” pressure , typically of the order of 90 psi , which is coupled through line 16 to a booster regulator 18 , and line 16 a to 16 b and 16 c which are respectively coupled to solenoid - operated control valves 18 and 20 for respectively operating the fixture locking cylinder 22 and trimming blade cylinder 24 . the output of booster 18 , which is of the order of 170 psi , is coupled to a safety valve 28 through reservoir 26 . a pair of one - way valves provided in valve structure 30 prevent the pressure in high pressure line 16 d from entering into low pressure line 16 b , and vice versa . the plc 12 receives a signal from the 4 - point welder , as will be more fully described , to initiate the operation of the trimming apparatus . the cooperating fixtures are shown in fig3 a and 3 b separated from one another while fig4 shows the fixtures in the trimming - ready position locked together in readiness for operation of the trimming blades . the upper and lower fixtures 32 and 34 embrace one of the frame members f 1 therebetween and are each provided with diagonally aligned faces 32 a and 34 a which are arranged to be directly opposite the diagonally aligned faces 36 a and 38 a of the upper and lower fixture members 36 and 38 , respectively , which receive a cooperating frame member f 2 . the fixtures 32 - 34 and 36 - 38 are arranged in the manner shown in fig2 and 4 and clamp the frame members f 1 and f 2 in the manner shown so that their cooperating surfaces to be joined are arranged in spaced , parallel fashion and are maintained in this alignment throughout the welding and trimming operation . the end surfaces of frame members f 1 and f 2 protrude of the order of 0 . 25 inches beyond the end surfaces of their associated fixtures . each upper and lower fixture 32 and 34 is provided with an elongated slot 32 b , 34 b for slideably receiving and guiding a locking actuator 22 as shown in fig1 , as well as a swingably mounted locking plate 40 and 42 . each locking plate is mounted to pivot about a pivot pin 44 , only one of which is shown in fig4 and in fig5 and is swingable between a retracted position 40 ′ shown in dotted fashion and a locking position 40 shown in solid line fashion in fig5 . other locking techniques may be used to restrain the fixture from moving during operation of the trimming blades . for example , making reference to fig5 , the plate 40 of fig5 , may enter into slot 50 in upper fixture 36 and containing pin 54 . plate 40 may have an opening for receiving pin 54 in the slot of fixture 32 . as the two fixtures 32 and 36 move together , the locking plate 40 may move over pin 54 . cylinder 22 operates by extending piston rod 22 a causing the end portion of the piston rod to press locking plate 40 downwardly causing pin 54 to enter the opening in plate 40 and thereby lock fixtures 32 and 36 against movement during the trimming operation . locking plate 40 of fig4 and 5 , for example , is swung about pivot 44 by means of a pin 46 on piston arm 22 a which is received within a slot 40 a provided in locking plate 40 . the fixture locking actuator cylinder 22 shown in fig1 , 3 a , 4 and 5 , drives piston arm 22 a in the direction of arrow a to move locking plate 40 , by pin 46 , in a counter clockwise direction about pivot pin 44 , as shown in fig5 so as to reach the locking position . as was mentioned hereinabove , the shop pressure ( typically 90 psi ) enters into cylinder 22 through line 16 e under control of the solenoid operated valve 18 when in a first state . piston 22 a is retracted by operating solenoid controlled valve to move to a second state to apply shop pressure to cylinder 22 through line 16 f causing the blocking plate 40 to occupy the dotted line position 40 ′ shown in fig5 . the upper and lower fixtures 36 and 38 shown in fig3 b are each provided with elongated slots 50 and 52 which slidably receive the free ends of the pistons 22 a and also receive at least a portion of the locking plate 40 . each of the slots 50 and 52 is provided with a locking pin 54 , 56 which cooperates with locking slot 40 b in each locking plate 40 . fig4 shows a portion of the upper fixture 32 removed to expose the locking mechanism actuator cylinder 22 and showing the piston 22 a in the extended state , causing the locking plate 40 to be pivoted into the position where its slot 40 b captures the pin 5 a shown in fig3 b , the locking position being shown best in fig4 and 5 . it should be understood that the upper fixtures 32 and 36 are locked to one another and that the lower fixtures 34 and 38 are locked to one another , the lower locking fixture assembly being substantially identical in design and function to the upper locking fixture description described hereinabove . the locking mechanism prevents the fixtures from moving relative to one another when the trimming blades are operated to prevent the frames being joined from experiencing any movement during trimming of the flashing and also to prevent the cooperating fixture members from moving during the trimming operation , thereby providing a trimming operation which completely removes the flashing , thus avoiding the need for any further trimming and / or polishing operations . the locking mechanism actuating cylinders 22 are operated to retract the pistons 22 a upon completion of the trimming operation to enable separation of the fixtures preparatory to removal of the joined frame members . each of the fixtures 32 , 34 , 36 and 38 is provided with a reciprocating trimming blade assembly 58 , 60 shown in fig3 a and 62 , 64 , shown in fig3 b . each trimming blade assembly has its blades joined to a boot b , each boot having a projection which is driven by an associated trimming cylinder 24 . fig6 a and 6 b are top and front end views of a boot holding four ( 4 ) trimming blades 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 , which are secured to the boot b by suitable fastening screws ( not shown ). fig7 a - 10 c show front , side and top views of blades 1 - 4 . openings o in the blades 1 - 4 receive the aforementioned fasteners for securement to boot b . the cutting edges 1 a - 4 a are arranged along the edges of the boot b . a plurality of blades are employed to trim flashing in the embodiment of fig6 a , 6 b . blades may be provided to trim flashing from outside corners . surfaces s 1 , s 2 , etc . of the more complex frames of fig1 a to 12 c are the surfaces trimmed by the trimming blades . it should be understood that the number , sizes and configurations of the blades are a function of the surfaces of the frames to be trimmed and may be easily designed / modified to accommodate different profiles whether simple or complex . fig2 shows a simplified plan view of one corner trimming assembly showing the pneumatic lines coupled thereto for activating the latching and trimming assemblies . fig3 a is a perspective view showing a portion of the trimming assembly of fig2 which incorporates the latching hook and the pneumatic activators therefor . fig3 b is a perspective view showing the latching assembly portion which cooperates with that shown in fig3 a and having the latch receiving slot for receiving the latching hook which is latched to the pin provided in the slot . fig4 shows portions of the upper fixtures 32 and 36 removed , exposing the trimming actuator cylinders 24 the boots 58 a , 62 a and the boot projections 56 b and 62 b . each of the trimming actuator cylinders 24 is provided with a piston 24 a , each piston having its free end coupled to the associated boot projection 58 b , 62 b . making reference to fig1 and 2 , solenoid operated valve 20 , in a first position , couples the high pressure line 60 d to line 16 g causing the piston 24 a to be extended , driving the associated trimming blade toward the trimming / cutting position . when the solenoid operated valve 20 is moved to a second state , compressed air at shop psi ( typically 90 psi ) is coupled to cylinder 24 through line 16 h retracting the associated trimming blade at the lower pressure level . although fig1 shows only a single trimming actuator cylinder 24 and locking actuator cylinder 22 , it should be understood that two locking activating cylinders 22 are provided at each corner assembly comprised of upper and lower fixtures as shown in fig3 a and 3 b and that four trimming actuating cylinders are provided at each corner for selective operation of the trimming knives 58 , 60 , 62 and 64 . a typical operating sequence will now be described . initially , the welding operation takes place prior to the trimming operation . it should be understood that the welding operation may comprise equipment for fusing all four corners of a frame or alternatively for fusing only one corner , it being understood that the present invention may be utilized with equal success and efficiency in either single corner or four corner fusing equipment as well as 2 or 3 corner point welding units . the operation of the joining of two frame members at one corner will be described herein for purposes of simplicity , it being understood that the welding and trimming operations that are not shown are substantially identical in design and function . the frame members f 1 and f 2 to be joined are respectively placed between the fixture pairs 32 - 34 and 36 - 38 . although not shown for purposes of simplicity , it should be understood that suitable clamping means that such as hydraulically or pneumatically operated clamping pistons or electrically operated solenoids urge the cooperating fixtures 32 - 34 and 36 - 38 toward one another to suitably clamp the frame member f 1 and f 2 therebetween . a locator plate , not shown for purposes of simplicity , is extended into the region between the fixture pairs 32 - 34 and 36 - 38 and the fixtures are closed into the locator plate . the members being joined are inserted into the fixtures and the clamping actuators clamp the frame members in place . as is conventional , the processed ends f 1 a and f 2 a of the frame members of f 1 and f 2 are arranged by the locator plate so as to extend slightly beyond the end faces of the fixtures . for example , the mitred end of frame member f 1 is arranged to extended preferably about ⅛ th of an inch beyond faces 32 a and 34 a for fixtures 32 and 34 . frame member f 2 has its processed surface f 2 a extending a similar distance beyond the faces 36 a and 38 a of fixtures 36 and 38 . these distances may be modified according to the materials being joined , as well as other factors . with the frame members in this position and locked in place , the fixtures are moved apart and the locator plate is retracted . the heating plate is then extended into the gap between the mitred end surfaces and the fixtures are moved towards one another causing the end surfaces to make contact with the heated plate in order to melt the end portion of each frame member for a period sufficient to render the plastic material softened or molten . the ends of the frame members f 1 and f 2 are typically maintained in contact with the heat plate for approximately 20 seconds . the heat plate is typically maintained at a temperature of 450 ° f . when joining frames formed of pvc , for example , which is used for storm windows and the like . other materials may require different temperatures and different dwell times according to the material being used . for example , resilient gaskets used in refrigerators for sealing a refrigerator door , require less heat to soften the material sufficient for fusing two joined pieces . thereafter , the fixtures are moved apart and the heat plate is retracted from the region between the fixtures . the fixtures are then moved into an engaged position joining the heated , molten ends of the frame members . the members are maintained in this fusion position for about 20 to 25 seconds , allowing the frame members to be fused together and cooled . in the present invention , the plc 12 takes the signal from the welder assembly which may be signals provided to 24 volt dc solenoids employed in conventional welder machines . the trim cycle begins whereby plc 12 , upon receipt of the appropriate signal from the welder , operates the solenoid controlled valves 18 causing the valves to couple the “ shop ” psi to the line 16 e of the locking mechanism actuator cylinder 22 whereupon the piston arms 22 a are extended causing the latching plates 40 and 42 to enter into the cooperating slots 50 and 52 in fixtures 36 and 38 ( see fig3 a and 3 b ) whereby the slot 40 b in the upper latching plate 40 and 42 b in the lower latching plate 42 move into the locking position with the associated locking pins 54 and 56 , the manner in which the cooperating locking pin 54 is received within slot 40 b of locking plate 40 being shown best in fig5 . once the locking plates are in the locking position , the trimming operation can now be initiated . fig1 a shows a table of one trimming sequence comprised of 25 steps . the headings of the five columns reading from left to right are the step numbers ; relationship of each step to the prior step ( i . e . is it before or after ); the timing of each step ; the activity of each step and the total time elapsed . making reference to the table shown in fig1 a , initially the heads lock ( step 1 ) and thereafter actuating cylinders 24 are activated whereby the higher psi is applied to the lines 16 g causing both pairs of trimming blades , i . e . the upper pair of assemblies 58 - 62 and , simultaneously therewith the cooperating lower pair of trimming knife assemblies 60 - 64 provided in the lower fixtures 34 - 38 , to be extended ( step 2 ). at step 3 the left trimming knife of each trimming pair , i . e ., the trimming knives of assemblies 58 and 60 of fixtures 32 and 34 , are retracted at the lower psi . at step 4 the left trimming knives of assemblies 58 and 60 are then extended . at step 5 , the right trimming knives i . e . the trimming knives of assemblies 62 and 64 of the upper and lower fixtures 36 and 38 are retracted at the lower psi and then at step 6 they are extended at the higher psi . by retracting and extending the trimming blade assemblies 58 - 64 through a number of different steps , this assures the complete removal of the flashing . the number of steps typically may vary in accordance with the nature of the members and / or materials being fused . for example , when making gasket frames formed of a resilient compressible material , it has been found that such materials require a lesser number of steps to perform a trimming operation . thus , according to the material , the program is selected which removes the flashing without the need for further removal by cutting by hand and / or polishing . in addition to operating the trimming blades so as to open and close simultaneously or so as to hold one blade closed while the other is repeatedly opened and closed , a shearing operation may be performed by holding one of the cooperating blades of each blade pair in a retracted position and repeatedly extending and retracting the other blade of the blade pairs . for example , the right hand blades 62 and 64 ( fig3 b ) may be held in the retracted position while blades 58 and 60 are repeatedly retracted and extended , causing a shearing action whereby the blades 58 and 60 move to a position to shear and cut through the flashing formed at the jointure of the two joined frame members . the shearing sequence may be alternated whereby the left - hand blades of assemblies 58 , 60 perform shearing while the right - hand blades of assemblies 62 and 64 are retracted and the blade assemblies then reverse their operations so that the left - hand blades of assemblies 58 and 60 are retracted while the right - hand blades 62 and 64 perform the shearing operation . the program of fig1 b provides for repeated shearing operations where one blade assembly is retracted while the cooperating blade assembly is extended . see steps 3 - 5 ; 21 - 23 and 27 - 29 , for example , in addition to both extending and retracting at the same time . a variety of different combinations of cutting and shearing operations may be performed depending typically upon the nature of the material being trimmed . in the example given , the frame members have a fairly regular shape . it should be understood that the fixture and blades of the present invention may be provided with any desired configuration so as to conform to the profile of the frame members being joined and trimmed . for example , the frame profiles may be quite simple such as a gasket having substantially flat surfaces or maybe a frame for a window such as a storm window and have a much more complicated frame profile , as shown by the different profiles of fig1 a to 12 d . it can be seen that the present invention provides a novel apparatus and method for trimming plastic frame members and the like , and which is utilized in conjunction with conventional welding apparatus enabling the trimming operation to be performed while the frame members are retained at the welding apparatus thus eliminating the need for removing the fused frame members and relocating them to a separate independent apparatus . although the preferred embodiment is directed to joining frame members , it should be understood that the trimming apparatus of the present invention may be used to trim any joined plastic members , regardless of their orientation and may be used to trim members whose center lines are arranged to be parallel , perpendicular or any angle there between . in addition to the trimming apparatus embodiment described hereinabove , the present invention may be adapted for use in trimming joining members , such as , but not limited to , frame members and utilized with heating / fusing / joining apparatus capable of performing heating / fusing / joining operations on a single stack or frame or on multiple stacks of frames , simultaneously . for example , the embodiment shown in fig1 a , as well as the embodiment of fig3 and 3 a are utilized for trimming a single stack of profiles . fig1 a shows a somewhat complex “ right - hand ” profile p arranged in a suitable clamping fixture f to be joined to a “ left - hand ” profile , not shown for purposes of simplicity . for example , the fixture 32 , 34 of fig2 is assumed to hold the “ left - hand ” profile and the fixture 36 , 38 is assumed to hold the “ right - hand ” profile when viewing fig2 from the left - hand side of fig2 . the surfaces to be trimmed are s 1 - s 7 . heating / fusing / joining structures are also available which are capable of simultaneously operating on a stack of two ( 2 ) or more members . for example , fig1 b shows two identical “ right - hand ” profiles p arranged in a suitable clamping fixture f ′ in which the profiles p , similar to that shown in fig1 a , to be joined to “ left - hand ” profiles are arranged stacked one upon the other . thus , for example , a single point or multiple point welder capable of joining frame members of two frames stacked one upon the other , may be utilized with the present invention to thereby simultaneously trim two stacked frame members which have been joined . single or multiple point welders are not limited to joining double stacks and may be utilized to join multiple stacks greater in number than two . for example , fig1 c shows a “ quad ” stack in which four ( 4 ) “ right - hand ” profiles p 1 are arranged stacked one upon another in a frame assembly f ″ for joining with four ( 4 ) cooperating “ left - hand ” profiles . the trimmer arrangement of the present invention may trim surfaces s 1 - s 3 of the “ quad ” stack of profiles p 1 , the actual number of stacked profiles to be trimmed being a function of the single or multiple point welding apparatus as to whether it is capable of handling a single stack or multiple stacks of profiles . it should be understood that the “ right profiles ” for single , double or quad stacks are held by clamping fixtures similar to those respectively shown in fig1 a - 13 c .
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the present invention provides an edger / trimmer having a two - piece construction which is mountable to a variety of sized paint roller , as shown in fig2 a and 2b . the edger / trimmer according to the present technology may also be manufactured already attached to a paint roller , as shown in fig3 and 4 . the size of this invention can vary , depending on the size of the paint roller which it is intended for use . the edger can be manufactured as a plastic or medal product , or other suitable materials i . e ., wood , cardboard , composite , etc . the type of plastic used can be of multiple types , such as polyvinyl chloride , polyethylene , polyethylene terephthalate , high density polyethylene , low density polyethylene , polypropylene , polystyrene , polylactic acid , nylon , rubber , acrylic , polycarbonate , epoxy , for example , or any combination thereof . the type of metal can vary as well , such as aluminum or steel , for example , or any combination thereof . this edger can also be manufactured with a combination of plastic and metal , including all types previously mentioned . where the edger is manufactured as an attachment 40 , it will typically have be attached at a base of the handle 60 with an attachment clip 42 , which attaches to the metal frame 14 , 12 ( directly above the handle 60 ) of the paint roller , and is secured to the base of the handle 60 with a screw or multiple screws ( not shown ). the edger has a hinge 43 , which may include an elastic element , which allows the roller to be deployed from and retracted into the roller cover 37 as desired . an optional clamp 46 , as shown in fig2 a and 2b , can be provided to secure the edger in the deployed position by surrounding the metal frame 14 . a lip 33 along the top of the edger roller cover 37 provides a convenient location to manually displace the edger roller cover 37 between the deployed ( not shown ) and retracted position ( shown in fig2 a and 2b ). this lip 33 can also serve as a stop to prevent the roller 8 from abutting a surface along the line of the roller . there are a variety of techniques in which the edger as an accessory can be attached to a paint roller . this accessory can be attached to a paint roller with clamps or brackets of various types . the edger includes a paint roller cover 37 , which has a semi - circular shape , having an outside shield 46 at a respective side edge , beyond the outboard cover support assembly 26 , and an inside shield 32 with recess 35 through which the frame element 29 , 18 enters to axially support the roller 8 . the paint roller in use is shielded from view . the outside shield 46 of roller cover 32 has direct contact with the surface of the adjacent wall , and protects the adjacent wall from being painted . the outside shield 46 prevents the paint roller 8 from reaching the adjacent wall , therefore applying paint up to approximately ¼ of an inch from the adjacent wall . this outside shield 46 has rounded edges and a smooth surface , in order to avoid scratching or scathing the adjacent surface not to be painted ; specific types of plastic , or smooth applications to the shield ( such as teflon , cloth or foam ) are useful for this function . this outside shield 46 serves as a natural guide , directing the roller 8 along the edge or trim being painted , in a straight line . the outer shield &# 39 ; s lower edge , which touches the wall being painted , is preferably 1 / 32 inch or less thick , and has rounded edges as well . the edge consist of a very smooth and slippery ( low friction ) surface , as to travel along a piece of trim without getting stuck on imperfections on the surface of whatever material the paint is being applied to . this smooth and slippery edge can be created with various materials , for example slippery tape , and fiberglass . the paint roller cover holds four small paint brushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d on the under - carriage of the roller cover 37 , positioned directly under each corner end of the outside shield 46 and inside shield 32 . these four small paintbrushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d are removable , to permit insertion new paintbrushes when the original paintbrushes become old and worn out . the purpose of these four paintbrushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d is to assist in the process of creating a straight and accurate line along the edge or trim being painted . the paint roller applies paint to the wall or surface being painted ( approximately ¼ inch from the edge or trim ); the small paintbrushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d then push the paint applied by the roller closer to the edge or trim , creating a perfect line along the edge or trim being painted . the small paintbrushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d are able to get closer to the wall because of their positioning on the under - carriage of the paint roller cover 37 . the traditional style of a paint roller is challenged in creating a straight line near an edge because of the nature of its inherent structure ( it is not structured to create perfect lines against edges or trim ). the roller 8 edge can mar or mark the adjacent surface . the small paintbrushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d are structured to create perfect lines along edges and trim , and are able to do so only when positioned close enough to the edge or trim being painted . the painter is able to paint a perfect line to the intended surface of application , since the roller shield 37 guides the paint roller 8 along the adjacent wall in a steady and straight manner . the positioning of the paintbrushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d directly under the roller shield 37 allows the paint applied from the roller 8 to be perfectly pushed over to the edge or trim by the paintbrushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d . the brushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d also thin and spread paint applied at the edge of the roller 8 , which can often be thicker than in the central region of the roller 8 due to compression . the thickness of the roller shield 37 on the lateral edges is preferably 1 / 16 of an inch thick or less . the remaining area of the roller shield 37 is preferably ⅛ of an inch thick or less . the paint roller cover 40 will have a hinge 43 , which is adjacent to the point of attachment to the paint roller frame 12 , 14 , as to allow the roller cover 37 to swivel upward and away from the roller 8 . when in the open position , this feature allows the painter to apply paint to the roller 8 without getting paint on the cover , shield , or four small paintbrushes 34 a , 34 b , 34 c , 34 d on the under - carriage of the roller cover 37 . there is a small tab / handle 44 extended from the point of attachment , which will assist the painter in swiveling the shield to its open or closed position without getting paint on his / her hands . the hinge 43 also serves another very important purpose . when the painter is using the roller 8 on one side of a piece of trim , the roller shield 37 will be in the correct position in relation to the adjacent surface not to be painted . however , when the painter needs to paint the opposite side of the trim , the roller shield 37 will be in the incorrect position in relation to the adjacent surface not to be painted , and the roller 8 will need to be flipped onto its opposite side , completing a 180 degree turn . when the painter performs this task of rotating to the opposite side , it is necessary that the roller cover 37 be able to swivel to the opposite side of the roller 8 as well , which is also a function of the attachment clip 42 and hinge 43 . the attachment piece 42 and hinge 43 is thus structured as to be able to swivel to the opposite side of the roller 8 . there are many varieties of hinges that may be used in manufacturing this shield . when the roller cover 37 is in the open position , it would be necessary for it to stay open when applying paint to the roller 8 , such as in a roller pan . a lock ( not shown ) may be provided to hold the hinge open . the painter may also apply a pressure on the tab 33 while the painter applies the paint to the roller 8 . it is also desirable to have a manner in which the roller cover 37 can be held in a locked position when the roller cover 37 is closed . this is achievable in a variety of ways . directly in front of the roller cover &# 39 ; s 37 point of attachment ( i . e ., near the hinge 23 ), the roller cover stem 25 may have a notch or clamp 46 to permit secure connection to the metal frame 12 , 14 of the paint roller . when the roller cover 37 is in the closed position , it remains locked , so as not to move while painting any edge . this will ensure a straight line is painted upon the intended edge or trim . an alternate embodiment provides an integral edger for a roller 8 , as shown in fig3 a and 3b . in fig3 a , the roller 8 is shown protruding from the housing 50 . the roller 8 is spring loaded ( not shown ), and under pressure from the painter , is recessed into the roller cover housing 50 by way of groove 52 . the corner brushes 34 a , 34 b touch the wall when sufficient pressure is applied , and thus the painter is able to control the use of the corner brushes 34 a , 34 b by the amount of pressure applied . further , the protruding roller 8 permits paint to be applied to the roller 8 without immersing the roller 50 cover in paint . fig3 b shows a variation of the roller cover of fig3 a , in which extensions 51 from the lateral sides of the roller cover 50 may ensure that the roller cover 50 does not abut the adjacent wall . further , the corner brushes 34 e , 34 f , 34 g , 34 h may be splayed outwards , to paint the area adjacent to the edge of the roller . fig4 a , 4 b and 4 c show a paintbrush embodiment , of an edger , wherein a brush has a hinged attachment on a side . in the deployed position , the edger sits at right angles to the main brush , with a lateral shield to protect the wall surface adjacent to the surface being painted from getting marred by paint from the side of the brush . fig4 b shows the edger partially disengaged . in the fully disengaged state , the auxiliary brush is vertical ( away from main brush ), and may be held in either the deployed or disengaged state by a magnetic latch . the external side of the auxiliary brush may be coated with teflon or other non - stick surface , to help avoid paint sticking . the size of the edger can be varied in dependence on the size of the brush , or in some cases , the particular application . the edger may be formed of plastic ( polyvinyl chloride , polyethylene , polypropylene , polyethylene terephthalate , etc . ), metal ( steel , aluminum , etc . ), wood , cellulose fiber / cardboard , or other suitable materials . the edger can be provided as an attachment for a brush of standard type , or as an integral device . in the case of an attachment , a preferred embodiment has an attachment clip , which is attached to the paintbrush and secured with a screw or multiple screws as may be necessary . the accessory edger can also be mounted onto the side of the paintbrush without a clip and simply attached directly with a one or two screws , nails , adhesive ( e . g ., glue , double - sided tape , etc . ), or the like . a mounting bracket may also be used . a planar shield , having a first edge is provided , which has direct contact with the surface of the wall , edge or trim which is being painted . this planar shield prevents any paint from reaching the adjacent surface not intended for painting . the edger has a second edge as well , which blocks any paint from traveling or seeping around the first edge , and ensures that no paint reaches the adjacent surface to be protected . essentially , there are two planar shields with two edges , which can be manufactured as one piece , or as a laminated structure . in some cases , the planar shield is detachable and replaceable . for example , if the shield becomes soiled or contaminated , it may be replaced with a clean one . in the area between the two planar shields there is a hollow space , in essence a reservoir . if paint is able to travel around the first edge , the paint will be blocked by the second edge and travel up into the reservoir by capillary action , therefore reducing the tendency for the paint to leak to the adjacent wall . indeed , the reservoir may have a sponge or wick which actively draws paint into the space as it wets . such a sponge or wick would generally be disposable . the first and second edges of the shield are very thin ( 1 / 32 of an inch thick or less ) at the point in which they are touching the surface being painted . the top of the shield ( where the shield is attached to the paint brush ) has a thickness of no greater than ⅛ of an inch . the thickness of the shield becomes progressively thinner toward its distal edge . this creates a sloping effect , which has an important function in the edging process . as noted earlier , there are times in which small amounts of paint may travel around the first edge of the shield ; the angle the shield creates wicking force due to the surface tension of the paint , which assists the unwanted paint in traveling up the shield and away from the second edge . this system creates a an extra safety net in terms of keeping the excess and unwanted paint from reaching the adjacent surface , which is not intended to be painted . the distal edge of the planar shield , away from the handle , serves as a natural guide when inserted into the intended edge at a 45 degree angle ; and insures a straight line will be applied to the trim or edge of intended applied surface , as the painter moves the brush either up or down the intended line . that is , the brush is used to paint trim , and the edger is particularly useful in corners . when the painter inserts the brush with edger into the corner , it is preferred that the brush sit at a 45 degree angle to the corner , wherein one side is intended to be painted , and the other side is intended to be shielded . the planar edges consist of a very smooth and slippery surface , as to travel along an edge without getting stuck on imperfections on the surface of whatever material the paint is being applied to . this smooth and slippery edge can be created with various products , such as a slippery tape , teflon or fiberglass . the shape of the planar shield may be , for example , square or triangular in shape . the corners of the first and second edges at the bottom of the shield are preferably rounded , as to ensure a smooth path along any surface traveled . thus , the edges server as a guide for the brush in the corner , and the leading portion of the edger preferably does not have a sharp extension that might dig into the wall or otherwise become lodged . the planar shield has a hinge on the upper portion of the shield , as to allow the bottom half of the shield to swivel upward and away from the bristles of the paintbrush . this feature allows the painter to apply paint to the bristles of the brush without getting paint on the planar shield , and also to paint areas that do not require edging . a small tab / handle is provided on each side of the planar shield , which assists the painter in swiveling the shield to its open or closed position , without getting paint on his / her hands . for example , a piano hinge may be used for a metal edger attachment . the hinge may also be formed of a locally thinned line of plastic , and can be formed by molding or in a post - process . thus , an integral plastic hinge may be formed together with one or both shields . for example , a groove may be formed at the hinging line about ¾ of the way through the plastic shield , which creates a natural hinge . a latch or hitch may be provided on the bottom portion of the shield , which permits it to be locked in position when open ( for applying paint to the brush ) or closed ( for edging ). this will insure a straight line is painted upon intended edge or trim . another type of system may also be used for opening and closing the shield . this system involves a track in which the shield may slide up or down the paintbrush . this track system involves no hinges and allows the painter to slide the shield up the paintbrush , as to not get paint on the shield while applying paint to the bristles , with a locking mechanism to keep the shield in an open position . the shield would then be able to slide down the paintbrush to a closed position , with a locking mechanism to keep the shield in a closed position . therefore , a paint brush accessory mountable on a paint brush handle includes a planar shield having a first edge and an opposed second edge . the first edge is used as a sliding guide upon the intended surface to be guided in a straight line when inserted to said trim or edge at an angle . the first edge is very thin at the point of contact with the wall or said surface , and is preferably rounded at each end of the shield . the first edge blocks paint from reaching the adjacent wall to be protected . a second edge is provided between the brush bristles and the first edge , providing a double barrier and a space in between which acts by capillary action to remove paint from the distal edge of the edger attachment . this hollow space may cover the entire bottom half of the shield . the first and second edge are either formed of a low frictional coefficient material , or have a suitable lubricating coating , in order to provide a smooth ride over the intended surface . the shield may be displaced while applying paint to the bristles of the brush , and close while applying paint to the edge on the wall or trim . thus there has been shown various embodiments of the invention . the invention may encompass combinations and subcombinations of the features herein disclosed and described . the scope of the invention is limited solely by the scope of the claims hereinafter provided .
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preferred embodiment methods provide for distribution of items , such as blocks of identification numbers , for programming integrated circuits as part of circuit testing . fig1 illustrates a simple system of two sites with two automated testers at each site with each tester running various test software ( e . g ., tester automation and data collection tools ); the testers blow electrical fuses to program a circuit . the preferred embodiments extend the tester software to provide automatic distribution of programming items from a master database through site operational databases to each tester as needed while maintaining tester throughput and limiting item inaccuracies . a first preferred embodiment method provides distribution of identification numbers ( ids ) used in the bluetooth wireless standard plus additional items , such as customer identifications and encryption keys , for an integrated circuit manufacturer which makes multiple products for various customers and , additionally , has contracted some work out to one or more foundries . each pertinent site has multiple ( e . g ., 100 ) automatic testers for electrically testing each circuit ( still in wafer form or already packaged ), and these testers are also capable of electrically blowing fuses in circuits under test to program various items , from ids to activation of redundant circuitry , during the testing . the contract foundries would have similar setups . each tester runs various software tools ( e . g ., tester automation and data collection ) so its operator can set the tester to automatically test each circuit , record test results , program ( blow fuses ) ids for circuits which had tested as good , and so forth . fig1 illustrates a system where each tester at a site communicates with an operational database for the site . the tester downloads from the operational database blocks of bluetooth ids if bluetooth circuits are under test , and customer identifications or other keys such as for des , rc4 , . . . encryption if circuits requiring these are under test . conversely , the tester uploads to the operational database test results and requests for items being programmed into the circuits under test . for bluetooth ids every circuit requires a unique id ; whereas , for customer identification , the programmed item may be the same for all circuits within a lot ( e . g ., 24 wafers with 500 circuits per wafer may require a single customer identification but 12000 bluetooth ids ). the preferred embodiments have a tester download bluetooth ids in blocks of size 128 . any unused bluetooth ids at the end of a lot are simply discarded . the small size of the blocks in the tester implies little cost to discarding unused bluetooth ids . the operational database for a site ( including a foundry &# 39 ; s site ) acquires bluetooth ids from a master database in blocks of size 128k . and the master database has bluetooth ids stored in blocks of size 1m ; see fig1 . the preferred embodiment methods may waste bluetooth ids if the key handler task is shut down . however , by not recycling unused ids from the tester level , this allows for a robust system which will minimize the chance of duplicate ids being used for two different circuits . the system of fig1 operates as follows . an ic manufacturer acquires a block of 1m bluetooth ids or customer keys . a web interface is used by an engineer of ( a business unit of ) the ic manufacturer to input bluetooth ids or customer keys to the master database . in the case of bluetooth , each id has 48 bits or , equivalently , 12 hexadecimal digits . as an example , presume the block of acquired ids consists of the range from 0x0800e7300000 to 0x0800e73fffff . the ids are stored in blocks of size 128k ( 0x20000 ), that is , storing 1m ids would add just the 8 entries 0x0800e7300000 , 0x0800e7320000 , 0x0800e7340000 , . . . , 0x0800e73c0000 , 0x0800e73e0000 to the inventory of the master database . the master database is connected to the operational databases of the various testing sites ( using local / wide area network or vpn ) of the ic manufacturer ( and any contract foundries ) plus the manufacturer &# 39 ; s it systems which include entry points for the acquired ids . next , an operational database at a testing site pulls one 128k block of ids from the master database , and the corresponding entry ( e . g ., 0x0800e7340000 ) in the master database inventory is updated as “ allocated ” to the operational database which requested it . this pulling of a 128k block can be triggered by the inventory of available ids at the operational database dropping to near - empty ( low water mark ). the operational database divides the block of 128k ids into blocks of size 128 ( 0x80 ). thus the inventory addition from the 128k block would initially be 0x0800e7340000 , 0x0800e7340080 , 0x0800e7340100 , . . . , 0x0800e735ff80 ; a total of 1k entries . the site operational database is locally connected to the site testers , and the individual testers will pull a block of 128 ids from the operational database as needed . this hierarchical id storage has the following benefits : further minimizes the chance that an id will be used twice . allows histories of the used ids to be kept for a longer time period . the distribution of customer keys , such as customer identification , encryption keys , and so forth can likewise be distributed with a master database , site operational databases , and the testers programming the information . the following section has implementation details for a typical system . the web interface could be an application that can be accessed by anyone entering a valid user identification and password . in order to update the values in the bluetooth table or the customer key table , the user identification must be in a list of authorized users . the web form will enable a business unit engineer to load new bluetooth ids and customer / device - specific public and private keys , and to view current key status ( e . g ., available / allocated ). bluetooth ids are entered in a range , same as that given by the ieee : for example ids in the range 080028800000 - 080288fffff . bluetooth ids are stored in blocks of 128k ( 0x20000 ). only the beginning block address is stored in the master database . the web interface tool will verify that ids being entered do not duplicate ids already stored in the master database . it will also verify that the range of ids being entered is evenly divisible by 0x20000 . customer ids , public keys and other key types can be loaded and / or modified using the web interface tool . public keys are encrypted by the tool before they are stored in the master database . the low water mark for bluetooth ids is set by the user using the web interface . when this mark is reached , the master database notifies the escalation list that ids are running low and need to be replenished . one week leadtime is typically needed for getting additional ids from the ieee , so the low water mark should be set accordingly . the master database holds bluetooth ids in blocks of 128k . the operational database pulls one or more blocks from the master database whenever a low water mark is reached . the operational database breaks up one 128k block into smaller blocks of 128 ids . the operational database will tell the master database which site pulled the ids for tracking purposes and keep them in a history table . customer keys are automatically pulled from the master database when requested ; no push operation from the master database is required . if a new customer key is entered into the master database , it will be allocated to a local operational database when a tester requests it . a stored procedure on the operational database is used by the key handler ( from a tester , see below ) to grab the starting address of a block of 128 bluetooth ids . this stored procedure updates the table containing available ids . it will also update a history table to show which testers are being allocated the ids . a table - level lock is made when a block is requested , guaranteeing that multiple key handlers hitting the same table will not get a duplicate block of ids . tables for the master database include a table for authorized users , a table for available and allocated bluetooth ids and a table for current customer keys . the bluetooth id tables : the tables for the operational database include a table for available bluetooth ids , a table for allocated bluetooth ids and a table for current customer keys . a stored procedure allows the key handler task to easily pull one block of bluetooth ids ; the procedure will take care of locking the “ available ” table , getting the next id , and then it to the “ allocated ” table . key handler is a daemon task running a tester . key handler will not connect to the operational database or grab any bluetooth ids until the first request by the test program . key handler connects and disconnects to the operational database as needed . it does not remain connected while in an idle state . the test program can request one or more bluetooth ids , which key handler requests from the operational database and returns to test program . key handler will pull one block of 128 ids from the operational database and keep it as cache . this way the test program can request one id at a time without having the key handler hit the operational database every time . also , the ids are not recycled ( unused ids are not returned to the operational database ), so uniqueness is guaranteed at the expense of discarding unused ids in the blocks of 128 . if a customer public key is requested by the test program , the key handler will get it from the operational database , decrypt it , and then pass it back to the test program . the test program talks to the key handler task through a pair of named pipes or through a socket using a predefined set of ascii messages . for example , the pipe names could be / tmp / twkey_in for the input pipe to send messages to the key handler and / tmp / twkey_out for the output pipe to receive messages from the key handler . a predefined set of messages types are available . key_request message : get a key from a particular key type ( public key , customer id , etc .) and a key id ( device name , system item id , etc . ); and bt_request message : get one or more bluetooth ids . all messages to key handler are responded to with an acknowledge ack or a not acknowledge nak , along with additional information . note that in ascii “ ack ” is taken to be 0x06 and “ nak ” is 0x15 . a nak response message will include a reason . for example , the response could be one of : if a bluetooth id is needed , the test program can request one id , which key handler will return to it . the test program can also request a number of ids , such as a full block of 128 , which the key handler will return to it as a range . if a customer key is needed , the test program will request it by a key_type = customer_key and a key_id , which the key handler will request from the operational database and return to the test program . the customer key is the same for all circuits in a lot , so the test program will only need to request it once at the beginning of the lot . if a public key is needed ( or any other key that is encrypted in the operational database ), the key handler will decrypt it before giving it to the test program . if the key handler cannot get the required number of bluetooth ids or a customer key , it will return a nak to the test program . the preferred embodiments may be varied while retaining the hierarchical distribution feature . for example , the block sizes in the master database , operational databases , and testers could be varied such as block sizes 64 or 256 in a tester , 64k or 256k in an operational database , and so forth .
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