Datasets:

ccdv

/

patent-classification

like 18

the aforementioned alkyl and alkenyl groups , and alkyl and alkylene portions of the other aforementioned groups may be straight chain , branched chain or cyclic . examples of alkyl groups are methyl , hexyl and decyl . examples of cyclic alkyl groups are cyclohexyl and cyclooctyl . allyl and crotyl are examples of alkenyl groups . oxyalkylene groups are exemplified by methoxymethyl and methoxyethyl . aralkyl groups are exemplified by benzyl and beta naphthyl methyl . examples of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , r 8 , r 9 , r 10 and r 11 are likewise numerous . in addition to the above mentioned groups cited as examples of r , these groups are also exemplified by higher carbon analogs of the above such as octadecatrienyl and 2 , 4 , 6 - trimethyl - 1 - cyclohexyl as well as by naphthyl and biphenyl aralkyl groups such as 2 - phenethyl , 2 - chloro , 4 - bromophenyl or naphthyl . in addition to the above , r 5 and r 6 are exemplified by such groups as 3 - methacrylpropyl , and 2 - acrylamidoethyl hydroxy methyl and dihydroxy octyl . the inorganic materials that may be treated with the titanate adducts of the present invention may be particulate or fibrous and of any shape or particle size , the surfaces of which are reactive with the hydrolyzable group of the organo - titanium compound by means of hydroxyl groups , or absorbed water , or both . examples of such reactive inorganic materials are the metal oxides of zinc , magnesium , lead , and calcium and aluminum , iron fillings and turnings , and sulfur . examples of inorganic materials that are reinforcing materials are metals , clay , carbon black , calcium carbonate , barium sulfate , silica , mica , glass and asbestos . examples of such inorganic materials that are pigments are titanium dioxide , iron oxides , zinc chromate and ultramarine blue . as a practical matter , it is preferable that the particle size of the inorganic material should not be greater than 1 mm , preferably from 1 micron to 500 microns . it is imperative that the titanate adduct be properly admixed with the inorganic material so as to permit the surface of the latter to react sufficiently . the optimum amount of the titanate to be used is dependent on the effect to be achieved , the available surface area of and the bonded water in the inorganic material . reaction is facilitated by admixing under the proper conditions . optimum results depend on the properties of the titanate , namely , whether it is a liquid or solid , and its decomposition and flash point . the particle size , the geometry of the particles , the specific gravity and the chemical composition , among other things , must be considered . additionally , the treated inorganic material must be thoroughly admixed with the polymeric medium . the appropriate mixing conditions depend on the type of polymer , for example , whether it is thermoplastic or thermosetting , and its chemical structure , as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art . where the inorganic material is pretreated with the titanate adduct , it may be admixed in any convenient type of intensive mixer , such as a henschel ( trademark of prodex ) or hobart ( trademark of hobart corporation ) mixer or a waring ( trademark of dynamics corporation of america ) blender . even hand mixing may be employed . the optimum time and temperature is determined so as to obtain substantial reaction between the inorganic material and the organic titanate . mixing is performed under conditions at which the organic titanate is in the liquid phase , at temperatures below the decomposition temperature . while it is desirable that the bulk of the hydrolyzable groups be reacted in this step , this is not essential where the materials are later admixed with a polymer , since substantial completion of the reaction may take place in this latter mixing step . polymer processing , e . g ., high shear mixing , is generally performed at a temperature well above the second order transition temperature of the polymer , preferably at a temperature where the polymer will have a low melt viscosity . for example , low density polyethylene is best processed at a temperature range of 177 ° to 232 ° c . ; high density polyethylene from 204 ° to 246 ° c . ; and polystyrene from 232 ° to 260 ° c . temperatures for mixing other polymers are known to those skilled in the art and may be determined by reference to existing literature . a variety of mixing equipment may be used , e . g ., two - roll mills , banbury ( trademark of farrel corporation ) mixers , double concentric screws , counter or corotating twin screws and zsk type of werner and pfleiderer ( trademark of werner & amp ; pfleiderer ) and bussex ( trademark of bussex corp .) mixers . when the titanate adduct and the inorganic materials are dryblended , thorough mixing and / or reaction is not readily achieved and the reaction may be substantially completed when the treated filler is admixed with the polymer . in this latter step , the titanate adduct may also react with the polymeric material if one or more of the groups on the titanate adduct is reactive with the polymer . the ratio of pyrophosphato titanate to adducting agents is preferably 1 : 1 or 1 : 2 , with the latter ratio most preferred . each adducting ligand may be the same or different . in those formulations in which either the phosphorus based or the nitrogen based adducting agents are different , the product obtained is usually a mix of possible adducts including mixed as well as identical ligands . in those adducts wherein combinations of nitrogen and phosphorus are employed , it is often possible by control of stoichiometry and mode of addition to maintain an almost complete dispersity of product , if so desired . when used in conjunction with particulates , the adducts of the present invention are employed at levels of at least 0 . 01 parts by weight , preferably from 0 . 1 to 5 parts by weight , and most preferably from 0 . 2 to 2 parts by weight , per 100 parts by weight of inorganic solid . the portion of adduct actually chosen by one skilled in the art is a function of the inorganic solid , its surface area and the particular titanium adduct selected . upon reaction between the titanate and the surface of the inorganic solid , the titanate becomes chemically bonded to at least a portion of the inorganic solid , thereby modifying the surface considerably . the modified inorganic solid is generally far more easily dispersed in organic media than is the untreated solid . for treatment purposes , the titanate may be added to a suitable vehicle , such as water or a resin to be filled depending upon the investigator &# 39 ; s desire and / or the nature of the titanate being employed . this addition is followed by appropriate shear to create an adequate level of dispersion . the treated particulate , in addition to being more effectively coated , will almost certainly have substantially valuable additional properties , such as the ability to act as a catalyst , improved adhesion to substrate , and / or the ability to activate a cross - linking agent in appropriate vehicle systems , primarily due to the availability or organo - functionality added by attached titanate molecules . the amount of treated filler added to a resin generally ranges from about 1 % to about 15 % for a pigment and from about 1 % to about 500 % for an extender ( all percentages are % by weight based on the weight of the resin ). a wide variety of resins may be filled with fillers that are treated with the titanate adducts of the present invention . examples of such resins are coating resins , casting resins , thermoplastic resins and thermosetting resins . examples of all of the foregoing may be found in the reference modern plastics encyclopedia . in many instances , it is advantageous to dilute the titanate with an appropriately compatible fluid before the titanate is introduced into resin vehicles or before it is mixed with an inorganic particulate . examples of appropriate inert fluids are aromatic hydrocarbons , ethers and glycol ethers . in many applications involving the use of nitrogeneous adducts of pyrophosphato titanates , water may also be utilized as a solubilizing inert vehicle , particularly in applications involving subsequent use in aqueous systems , such as latex products . the compounds of the present invention may be prepared by numerous routes . among the synthetic routes which have proven successful are the addition of appropriate phosphites ( formula ii ) and / or amines ( formula iii ) to the corresponding pyrophosphato titanates ( formula iv ) described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 122 , 062 and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 087 , 402 . the reaction of tetraalkyl titanate phosphite adducts ( formula v ), preparation of which is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 080 , 353 with addition of an appropriate pyrophosphate , an amine and / or a phosphite and / or a chelating agent may also be utilized , as may processes employing titanium tetrachloride in place of tetraalkyl titanates . the aforementioned formulae are shown below : ## str2 ## in formulae ii , iii , iv and v , the various notations and functional groups have the definitions given above for formula i . another synthetic route found useful for the preparation of the phosphite adducts of the present invention wherein the adduct ligands are homogeneous is the reaction of tetraalkyl titanate with an admixture of disubstituted pyrophosphoric acid and the phosphite ligand ( s ). this last technique is the preferred one for the preparation of mono and di - phosphite adducts of such pyrophosphato titanates . variations of the aforementioned synthetic routes will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the preparation of phosphite adducts of corresponding pyrophosphato titanates may be accomplished under adiabatic conditions ( since minimal heat evolution occurs ) at any convenient temperature between approximately - 20 ° c . and approximately 150 ° c . the addition of the phosphite to the pyrophosphato titanate in either direct or reverse order of addition will , in general produce minimal visual or thermal indication of reaction . however , typically , a bathochromic shift of the absorption maximum toward , and , occasionally even into the visual absorption range , will generally be observed . additionally , the melting point will be depressed below that of the corresponding unadducted precursor . solubility of the resulting titanate in hydrocarbon media will generally be increased at the expense of the dispersibility in water . by contrast , those adducts produced by the addition of appropriately substituted amines to pyrophosphato titanates or their phosphite adducts will generally provide substantial exotherms of formation together with displacement of stoichiometric proportions of phosphite , if present , and will produce products of considerably enhanced water solubility as compared to the parent pyrophosphato titanate . techniques employing the addition of dibasic pyrophosphates to tetrasubstituted titanate adducts of phosphite and / or amines will also generate substantial exotherms of formation and in both of these latter two synthetic approaches , temperatures should be kept within the range of approximately 0 ° c . to approximately 150 ° c . by external cooling in order to minmize product degradation and / or by - product formation . examples 1 through 4 below , are illustrative of the above mentioned techniques in the order indicated above for the preparation of pyrophosphato organo titanate adducts of the present invention . subsequent examples 5 through 17 are illustrative of the utility of the materials of the present invention for a variety of applications , such as corrosion control , pigment / filler dispersion , catalyst activity control and impact improvement . preferred methods of incorporation of the titanate adducts of the present invention into filled resin systems and their uses both in the presence and in the absence of fillers , for purposes other than those listed above are also illustrated . this example illustrates the sequential addition mode of phosphite adduct formation . 206 g of dimethyl acid pyrophosphate ( 1 mole ) and 296 g of dibutyl acid pyrophosphate ( 1 mole ) were charged into a 2 liter stainless steel and glass assembly comprising a mechanically stirred 2 liter glass vessel equipped with a thermometer , addition funnel , and a water cooled jacket . 285 g of tetraisopropyl titanate ( 1 mole ) was added via the addition funnel over a period of 1 hour . cooling sufficient to prevent the reaction mass temperature from exceeding 150 ° c . was maintained throughout the addition period . after 20 minutes of further mixing , 62 g of ethylene glycol ( 1 mole ) were added over a period of about 20 minutes , at an addition rate and at a cooling rate such that the temperature of the reaction mass was kept between 42 ° and 46 ° c . 612 g dioctyl phosphite ( 2 moles ) were then added , all at once . the resulting mass was transferred to a 2 liter flask equipped for vacuum distillation and was distilled from a water bath to give a pot residue having a boiling point of 80 ° c . 231 g of isopropyl alcohol ( 3 . 85 moles , glc assay greater than 98 %) were recovered as a distillate via liquid nitrogen cooling of volatiles . product recover was 1246 g ( 100 % yield ). the product was a pale yellow low viscosity liquid which crystallized slowly from a 40 % solution in n - hexane at - 20 ° c . to give light amber platelike crystals having a melting point of 48 ± 3 ° c . recovery was 1014 g ( 81 %). the omission of byproduct isopropanol removal lowered product recovery on crystallization to 63 %, but otherwise gave unchanged results . the procedures , reaction conditions and materials examplified in example 1 were employed except that the dioctylphosphite was introduced with the pyrophosphates prior to titanate addition . the nature of the crude product produced and its yield ( 1248 g , 100 %) were essentially unchanged , but this order of addition was found to provide several operating advantages . among the advantages were lower and more uniform exotherms of tetraisopropyl titanate addition ( possibly due to the larger mass in the pot &# 34 ; heat sink &# 34 ;, and / or to the more efficient cooling made possible by the reaction mass &# 39 ; considerably lower viscosity ) and virtual freedom from the formation of crystalline intermediates of undetermined nature which formed copiously during the procedure given in example 1 , unless the dispersion of tetraisopropyl titanate added was extremely efficient . it should be noted that other tetraalkyl titanates , e . g ., methyl , n - butyl , t - butyl , or sec - octyl may be substituted for the tetraisopropyl titanate used in the illustration . however , the use of n - alkyl titanates frequently results in ligand exchange with the pyrophosphate moiety and may therefore result in complex product mixtures , especially via the procedure outlined in example 1 . furthermore , the removal of higher boiling by - product alkanols , if desired , usually proved more difficult than the removal of the more volatile lower alkanols . the removal of by - product alcohol is optional and is not required for the preparation of the products of the present invention . said removal merely facilitates product purification and / or may eliminate side reactions in alcohol sensitive substrates such as polyesters and urethanes and / or may provide decreased product flammability . tetraisopropyl titanate di ( dioctylphosphite ), 901 g ( 1 mole ), was charged to a 2 liter stainless steel vessel equipped with an efficient agitator and external cooling . temperature was maintained at or below 45 ° c . during the sequential addition of 206 g ( 1 mole ) of dimethyl acid pyrophosphate followed by 296 g ( 1 mole ) of dibutyl acid pyrophosphate over a period of approximately one hour each . ethylene glycol 62 g ( 1 mole ) was then added . the reaction mixture was then transferred to a pyrex ( trademark of corning glass for heat resistant borosilicate glass ) glass system equipped for simple vacuum distillation and was distilled to give 1238 g ( 99 % yield ) of pale yellow oil having a boiling point of greater than 90 ° c . which slowly crystallized to produce a white waxy crystalline mass having a melting point of 49 ± 4 ° c . this procedure was not as satisfactory as that of example 1 , because it suffered from the formation of localized gels during pyrophosphate addition . these gels made mixing difficult . numerous examples of chelated pyrophosphato titanate adducts prepared via the procedure given in examples 1 to 3 are given in table 1 . each titanate adduct is identified by a symbol in the extreme left hand column that similarly identifies the adduct in the examples that follow . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ method of melting calculatedpyrophosphato titanate adduct preparation point ° c . % p / found % p__________________________________________________________________________ ( a ) ethylene di ( butyl , octyl ) pyro - 1 , 2 , 3 & lt ; 0 16 . 4 / 16 . 1 phosphato titanate di ( tris - ethylphosphite )( b ) 1 - oxo - 1 , 3 - propylene di ( bis - 2 , 3 42 ± 5 15 . 0 / 14 . 8 phenyl ) pyrophosphato titanate dilaurylphosphite ( c ) 1 - oxo - 2 - phenylethylene , di ( 2 - 1 , 2 , 3 54 ± 3 11 . 3 / 11 . 2 chloro - p - cresyl , methyl ) pyro - phosphato titanate , triphenyl phosphite ( d ) neopentenyl , di ( bisoctadecyl ) 1 , 3 27 ± 6 9 . 74 / 9 . 5 pyrophosphato titanate di ( butyl , propyl phosphite )( e ) 1 , 3 propylene , di ( bisoctadecyl ) 1 & lt ; 0 9 . 26 / 9 . 3 pyrophosphato titanate di ( di - benzyl phosphite )( f ) oxoethylene di ( butyl , methoxy - 1 , 2 & lt ; 0 9 . 46 / 9 . 3 ethoxyethyl ) pyrophosphato titanate dimethoxethylphosphite ( g ) ethylene di ( methyl , 11 , 14 - hexa - 1 , 2 , 3 34 ± 6 16 . 2 / 16 . 1 decadienyl ) pyrophosphato titanate di ( bismethyl phosphite )( h ) 1 , 2 - propenyl , di bis ( 2 - bromo - 3 - 1 , 3 64 ± 2 12 . 5 / 12 . 6 chloro - 4 - t - butylphenyl ) pyro - phosphato titanate di ( bishexa - decyl phosphite )( i ) ethylene di ( butyl , methyl ) pyro - 1 , 2 , 3 73 ± 4 16 . 9 / 16 . 8 phosphato titanate di ( tris - ethylamine )( j ) oxoethylene di ( butyl , octyl ) 1 42 ± 5 13 . 3 / 12 . 9 pyrophosphato titanate 2 - di - methylaminoisobutanol ( k ) ethylene di ( bisoctyl ) pyrophos - 1 , 3 82 ± 4 9 . 65 / 9 . 9 phato titanate di ( 3 - dimethyl - aminopropylmethacrylamide ( l ) benzylethylene di ( phenyl , lauryl ) 1 76 ± 4 9 . 57 / 9 . 7 pyrophosphato titanate di ( ethyl - aminoethyl acrylate ( m ) ethylene , di ( butyl , methyl ) pyro - 1 not isolated * phosphato titanate di ( bisoctyl ) phosphite ( n ) oxoethylene di ( butyl , octyl ) pyro - 1 not isolated * phosphato titanate diphenyl phos - phite ( o ) 2 - methyl - 2 , 4 - butenyl di ( di - p - 1 not isolated * chlorobenzyl ) pyrophosphato titanate di ( butoxyethyl , methyl phosphite ( p ) oxoethylene , di ( benzyl , 2 - 1 , 2 not isolated * pentenyl ) pyrophosphato titanate di ( 2 - dimethylamino ) isobutanol ( q ) 2 , 3 - butenyl di ( bis - 4 - methoxy - 1 not isolated * phenyl ) pyrophosphato titanate diethylamine ( r ) 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 , 3 - butenyl di ( bis - 1 not isolated * methyl ) pyrophosphato titanate triethylamine , dibutyl phosphite ( s ) oxoethylene di ( p - bromobenzyl ) 1 not isolated * pyrophosphato titanate methyl - aminoethanol ( t ) 1 - oxoprop - 1 , 3 - enyl di ( butoxy - 1 not isolated * methoxyethyl , isobutyl ) pyro - phosphato titanate di ( bistridecyl ) phosphite ( u ) methoxyethylene di ( bispropyl ) 1 not isolated * pyrophosphato titanate di propylamino ethyl methacrylate ( v ) isopropyl , tri ( butyl , methyl ) 1 , 2 , 3 & lt ; 0 17 . 0 / 16 . 8 pyrophosphato titanate di ( bis - octyl phosphite )( w ) isopropyl , tri ( bisoctyl ) pyro - 1 , 2 , 16 ± 5 12 . 9 / 12 . 8 phosphato titanate triethanol - amine ( x ) isooctyl , tri ( bismethyl ) pyro - 1 , 2 , 3 not isolated * phosphato titanate tripropyl phosphite ( y ) ethoxytriglycolyl , tri ( 4 - bromo - 1 14 ± 6 15 . 3 / 15 . 1 phenyl , methyl ) pyrophosphato titanate di ( methoxyethyl ) phosphite ( z ) 4 - ethoxybenzyl tri ( di - alphanaph - 1 64 ± 5 10 . 4 / 10 . 1 thyl ) pyrophosphato titanate di ( di - ethylaminoethyl ( methacrylate )( aa ) t - butyl , tri ( bisbutyl ) pyro - 1 12 ± 4 17 . 2 / 17 . 0 phosphato titanate tri - methyl phosphite , dimethylaminoethanol ( ab ) methyl , tri ( bis - 4 - chlorophenyl ) 1 48 ± 3 15 . 8 / 15 . 5 pyrophosphato titanate dioctyl phosphite , dimethylaminoethyl formamide ( ac ) allyl , tri ( allyl , methyl ) pyro - 1 , 3 23 ± 3 20 . 2 / 19 . 9 phosphato titanate trimethyl phosphite , dioctyl phosphite ( ad ) ( 2 , 2 - diallyloxymethyl ) ethyl 1 , 2 38 ± 4 11 . 9 / 11 . 7 tri ( bisbutyl ) pyrophosphato titanate di ( trisphenyl phosphite )( ae ) 1 -( 2 - butenyl ) tri ( methyl , octyl ) 1 31 ± 3 13 . 1 / 12 . 9 pyrophosphato titanate , tri - ethylamine , dioctyl phosphite__________________________________________________________________________ * by - product alcohol not removed , reaction mixture used as such . this example illustrates the utility of various titanate titante adducts of the present invention as corrosion retardants . xylene degreased 20 mil panels of cold rolled steel were dip coated with a 1 weight percent solution of additive in toluene followed by a toluene wash and were then oven dried at 150 ° c . in a nitrogen atmosphere . the dried panels were cooled , weighed , subjected to 100 hours of 100 % humidity at 40 ° c . exposure in an environmental cabinet , re - dried , cooled , and re - weighed . the corrosion rate in mils per year was calculated from the following equation : ## equ1 ## the results of a study of selected examples of the titanates of the present invention are given in table 2 . table 2______________________________________ % adduct indicated corrosion rate ( mils / yr ) of control______________________________________none ( control ) 172 100a 38 22b 26 15c 69 40d 81 47e 24 14f 13 8g 32 19h 19 11i 20 12j 31 18k 38 22l 35 20x 17 10y 20 12ab 26 15ac 18 10ad 41 24ae 38 22______________________________________ in each instance , the materials of the present invention improved humidity resistance of cold rolled steel by at least two - fold and in the case of the f material , the improvement was twelve - fold . titanate adducts m through u , identified above , were compounded into an alkyl - melamine baking enamel having a brown color as indicated below . the resultant formulations were each oven baked at 100 ° c . for a period adequate to provide a film pencil hardness ( society of coatings technology test ) of f - h at 1 . 3 ± 0 . 2 mils dry film thickness . the results of this study are given in table 3 . the following materials were premixed , on a high shear disperser , at ambient temperature for fifteen minutes : ______________________________________material kilograms liters______________________________________soya alkyd short oil , 172 174 cook # s - 157 - a - 2 ( trademark of cook paint and varnish co .) pyrophosphato titanate adduct 0 . 397 0 . 33titanium dioxide , dupont # r - 960 21 5 . 08 ( trademark of e . i . dupont de nemours , co .) magnesium silicate 32 12 . 0lamp black 0 . 9 0 . 512red iron oxide 3 . 2 0 . 648yellow iron oxide 15 3 . 72bentonite clay 1 . 1 0 . 633fumed silica 1 . 1 0 . 523soya lecithin 1 . 4 1 . 42______________________________________ tetraoctyltitanate di ( dioctyl ) phospite ( 0 . 188 kilograms , 0 . 20 liters ) was added to the above mixture and the mixture was further mixed on a sand mill until the particle size was hegman 6 . 5 grind guage . the resulting blend was added to the following material letdown solution and was mixed at ambient temperature . ______________________________________material letdown solution kilograms liters______________________________________xylene 41 . 8 48 . 5butyl cellosolve ( trademark of union 10 . 2 11 carbide corporation ) triethylamine 2 . 0 2 . 73n - butanol 0 . 90 1 . 1250 % melamine formaldehyde resin , 74 . 5 76 cargil # 2218 ( trademark of cargill inc .) 6 % cobalt naphthenate 0 . 90 0 . 95______________________________________ ______________________________________weight per liter 1 . 05viscosity (# 2 zahn ± 6 sec .) 28 . 0volume solids (%) 32 . 0weight solids (%) 49 . 0thickness dry film 1 . 0 - 1 . 75pencil hardness f - hgloss (± 5 °) 55 . 0letdown solution to grind ratio 5 : 1______________________________________ the bake time at 93 ° c . required to achieve specification hardness was determined for several titanate adducts of the present invention . the results are shown in table 3 . table 3______________________________________ bake time at 93 ° c . time required topyrophosphato titanate achieve specificationadduct employed hardness (+ 2 minutes ) ______________________________________none ( control ) 117m 43n 41o 57p 84f 21q 39r 48s 83t 42u 38______________________________________ the reduction in bake time required in order to achieve specification properties is clearly shown to be substantial for all members of the class tested . a considerable reduction in cost results from the savings in both time and energy expended during baking . this example illustrates the utility of certain pyrophosphato titanate adducts in the simultaneous control of viscosity and pot life of polyester casting resins . polyester resin composites were prepared by thoroughly admixing in the following order , 100 g of polyester resin (# 30001 , trademark of reichhold chemical co . ), 0 . 5 g of pyrophosphato titanate adduct , 100 g of talc (# 42 , trademark of englehard mineral & amp ; chemical co . ), and 1 g of 6 % cobalt naphthenate . the resultant dispersions were deaerated by mixing in vacuo to eliminate variable air entrainment . the viscosities of the dispersions were then measured employing a brookfield rvf viscosimeter ( trademark of brookfield corp ., stoughton , mass .). thereafter , 0 . 5 g of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide was added to 100 g aliquots of deaerated dispersion and pot life was measured ( time to achieve 2 million cps viscosity ) at 21 ° c . the results are given in table 4 . table 4______________________________________ viscosity of compositeadduct employed ( thousands of poise ) minutes______________________________________none 2 . 7 33n 1 . 6 109o 1 . 3 127f 0 . 8 18t 1 . 4 142u 0 . 6 14v 3 . 7 37w 5 . 2 35______________________________________ the data show that the phosphite adducts n , o and t retard the increase of viscosity due to premature gellation , thereby providing substantially increased useful working pot life , whereas the unsaturated nitrogen based adducts f and u act as accelerators , useful where rapid cure is desired . furthermore , all of the adducts tested , other than v and w , provided the bonus of lower composite viscosities useful in many low energy application situations . adducts v and w acted as thixotropes without material effect on pot life , a characteristic not shared by conventional tixotropes such as fumed silica and asbestos which , normally , markedly slow peroxide cures . this example illustrates the use of various pyrophosphato titanate adducts to improve the scrubbability of a latex coating . test batches of latex paint were prepared by mixing 25 g of titanium dioxide ( dupont # r931 , trademark of e . i . dupont de nemours ) in 20 g of ethylene glycol monobutyl ether containing 0 . 25 g of pyrophosphato titanate adduct on a high shear disperser ( at constant torque ) to a hegman grind gauge of minus 6 . this was followed by letdown ( dilution ) with 100 g of acrylic latex ( ucar 4550 , trademark of union carbide corp .). test panels were then prepared as 3 mil wet ( about 2 mil dry ) drawdowns on toluene degreased milk steel and the resultant films were dried at 25 ° c . for 48 hours prior to scrub testing . the scrub tester employed was a 1 / 8 &# 34 ; wide , 10 micron silica impregnated phenolic grinding wheel rotated at 10 rpm . grinding was continued in each case until magnetic dust was detected . results are given in table 5 . table 5______________________________________ grind time ( minutes ) adduct required for - 6 ( hegman ) scrub cycles______________________________________control 22 38b 14 57c 12 83d 13 71e 9 46q 14 143g 15 71h 12 62i 14 49j 13 53k 15 168______________________________________ these data show that the use of the adducts of the present invention markedly improved both the grinding efficacy and the scrub resistance in those formulations in which they were employed and that in several cases ( c , f and k ) the improvements in scrub resistance were twofold or higher . this example illustrates the utility of pyrophosphato titanium adducts of the present invention for the improvement of epoxy polyamide coatings . the coating components a and b were prepared separately by mixing the ingredients listed in tables 6a and 6b , respectively , in the order indicated at 33 ° c . to 45 ° c ., using a cowles dissolver ( trademark of moorhouse cowles co .). components a and b were admixed at ambient temperature using the same equipment . q - panels ( trademark of q - panel corp .) of cold rolled steel were coated with portions of the test coating to provide a film one mil dry thickness . the coatings were aged for one week at ambient temperature before testing . test results are given in table 6c . table 6a______________________________________component a blsc control silica systemingredient parts by weight parts by weight______________________________________epoxy resin ( araldite 210 210571cx80 , trademarkof ciba - geigy corp .) basic lead silicochromate 480 none ( blsc ) titanium dioxide 30 30red iron dioxide 15 15fumed silica 6 . 4 6 . 4talc 235 235amorphous silica none 400xylene 193 193diacetone alcohol 96 96urea formaldehyde resin 10 . 5 10 . 5 ( beetle 216 - 8 , trademarkof america cyanamid corp .) chelated pyrophosphato none 3 . 3titanate adductparts by weight 1276 1199______________________________________ table 6b______________________________________component b blsc control silica systemingredient parts by weight parts by weight______________________________________polyamide curative 105 105 ( araldite 820 , trademarkof ciba - geigy corp .) xylene 24 24butanol 12 12parts by weight 141 141______________________________________ the cost per gallon of the component a blsc control was $ 1 . 35 ; the cost per gallon of the component a titanate adduct formulation was about $ 0 . 66 . table 6c______________________________________ rusting stripped after 1000 panel rust - hour salt ing after initial four month fog expo - 500 hours , viscosity viscosity sure at 100 % humid - adduct ku * ku 27 ° c . ity at 27 ° c . ______________________________________blsc ( control ) 192 216 m ( moderate ) s ( severe ) b 112 126 sl ( slight ) slc 103 104 sl md 106 118 sl sle 102 104 sl slq 116 109 sl mg 109 111 m mh 113 115 sl sli 96 100 m slj 101 107 sl sl______________________________________ * krebs units note that as compared with the blsc control , each of the pyrophosphato titanate adducts of the present invention provided improved protection against corrosion at a cost considerably lower than that of the blsc control without the employment of environmentally damaging heavy metals as required by the best previously available technology . also demonstrated are the massive viscosity reduction achieved via the use of the products of the present invention as a major contributing capability to the functional utility of the silica system since control viscosity would otherwise prevent effective application coverage . this example illustrates the utility of pyrophosphato titanium adducts of the present invention as adhesion promoters for polymer laminates . the titanate adducts listed in table 7 below were compounded into virgin low density polyethylene ( ldpe ). thirty mil sheets of the ldpe were extrusion laminated onto performed 50 mil surlin ( trademark of dupont de nemours for metalated polyolefin ) ionomer sheets at 107 ° c ., employing a 24 : 1 vented national plastics machinery ( trademark ) extruder . the peel strength of each laminate was measured with a constant speed motor and a strain gauge at 27 ° c . after 24 hours at ambient temperature and pressure . the results are given below in table 7 . the formulations contained 0 . 2 weight percent of the indicated chelated pyrophosphato titanium adduct on ldpe . table 7______________________________________adduct peel strength , kg / cm . sup . 2______________________________________control 4 . 8a 9 . 0b 19c 20d 17e 20g 17h 16i 24z 13______________________________________ note that in each instance , the use of the adducts improved peel strength ( bonding ) between the dissimilar polymer layers . this example illustrates the utility of pyrophosphato titanium adducts of the present invention in enhancing the tensile and elongation properties of cellulosics ( cross - linked low density polyethylene filled with cotton linters ). one hundred parts by weight of low density cross - linkable polyethylene , 20 parts cotton linters ( chopped to 20 - 45 micron length , 0 . 5 parts dicumyl peroxide and 0 . 2 parts of pyrophosphato titanate adduct were compounded on a two roll mill at 93 °± 6 ° c . ( all parts given are parts by weight ). samples were then press cured at 149 ° c . for 20 minutes . the samples were equilibrated at 21 ° c . for 24 hours prior to testing on an instron ( trademark of instron corporation ) tensile tester at an extention rate of 0 . 2 inches / min . the results are given below in table 8 . table 8______________________________________adduct tensile strength , kg / cm . sup . 2 elongation at break , % ______________________________________control 6 . 11 × 10 . sup . 3 80a 6 . 53 × 10 . sup . 3 90d 7 . 95 × 10 . sup . 3 170q 10 . 9 × 10 . sup . 3 230k 8 . 80 × 10 . sup . 3 210______________________________________ this example illustrates the use of pyrophosphato titanate adducts as viscosity control agents and / or dispersants in dissimilar media ( for example , water and mineral oil ). in each instance , the indicated titanate was precoated at 0 . 5 weight percent on hisil 223 ( trademark of ppg industries ) in a household type blender prior to dispersion in the liquid vehicle ( water or mineral oil ) at 70 weight percent hisil using a hochmeyer disperser ( trademark of hochmeyer corp .). the resulting dispersions were evaluated at 27 ° c . using a brookfield rvf viscometer ( trademark ). the results are given in table 9 . table 9______________________________________ aqueous dispersion visco - mineral oil dispersionadditive sity ( mcps ) ( 10 . sup . 3 centipoise ) viscosity mcps______________________________________control 152 23a 130 28b 37 56c 52 72d 168 22e 182 18q 154 21g 172 19h 41 62i 227 separates rapidlyj 47 62k 164 18z 194 17y 184 18ad 171______________________________________ this example demonstrates the wide range of viscosity control available in vehicles as diverse as water and mineral oil via the employment of small proportions of pyrophosphato titanium adducts in conjunction with a single ( silica ) particulate . this example illustrates the utility of pyrophosphato titanium adducts as promoters of conductivity in metal filled polymer composites . in each instance , the metal indicated was precoated with the specified adduct by admixture in a household type blender prior to incorporation into the polymer base on a laboratory two roll mill . the formulations were press cured and formed as 6 inch × 6 inch × 100 mil sheets for 20 minutes at 170 ° c . and stress relieved at 27 ° c . for 24 hours , prior to evaluation . resistivities were measured using a field effect transistor type ohmeter equipped with a decade runup box of 10 1 to 10 9 ohms range on a through the sample basis . the results are given in table 10 ( tables 10a , 10b and 10c ). table 10a______________________________________formulation ( in parts by weight ): nickel ( 1 micron nominal powder , manufactured by potterindustries ), 87 . 5 ; geon 103ep ( trademark of b . f . goodrich co . for pvc resin ), 7 ; dioctyl phthalate , 4 . 5 ; mixed barium , cadmiumand zinc oxalate stabilizer , 0 . 5 ; epoxidized soybean oil , 0 . 5 ; pyrophosphato titanate adduct , 0 . 25 . resistance resistanceadduct ohm / cm nickel ohm / cm tin______________________________________control 1 . 3 × 10 . sup . 6 3 . 9 × 10 . sup . 6b 16 6 . 2 × 10 . sup . 2c 28 4 . 8 × 10 . sup . 2q 45 87e 63 1 . 1 × 10 . sup . 2k 1 . 1 × 10 . sup . 2 96______________________________________ table 10b______________________________________formulation ( in parts by weight ): nickel ( 1 micron nominal powder ), 75 ; sws ( trademark ofstauffer chemical co . for silicone resin ), 24 ; dicumyl peroxide , 1 . 0 ; pyrophosphato titanium adduct , 0 . 25adducts resistance ohm / cm______________________________________control 1 . 6 × 10 . sup . 8b 2 . 0 × 10 . sup . 4c 1 . 4 × 10 . sup . 4e 4 . 7 × 10 . sup . 2q 6 × 10 . sup . 2k 1 . 7 × 10 . sup . 2y 5 . 7 × 10 . sup . 5z 6 . 2 × 10 . sup . 3aa 4 . 1 × 10 . sup . 3ab 8 . 1 × 10 . sup . 1ad 6 . 2 × 10 . sup . 2ae 3 . 8 × 10 . sup . 2______________________________________ table 10c______________________________________formulation ( in parts by weight ): viton e430 ( trademark of e . i . dupont de nemours forfluoroelastomer ), 24 ; calcium hydroxide powder , regent grade ( manufactured by j . t . baker chemical company ), 1 . 28 ; nickel ( 1micron nominal powder ), 75 ; pyrophosphato titanium adduct , 0 . 25 . adduct resistance ohm / cm______________________________________control 9 × 10 . sup . 8b 5 × 10 . sup . 5c 7 × 10 . sup . 4e 1 . 8 × 10 . sup . 2q 38k 61f 6 . 1 × 10 . sup . 6m 5 × 10 . sup . 3p 8 × 10 . sup . 3ab 3 . 4 × 10 . sup . 2______________________________________ in each and every instance the use of pyrophosphato titanate adduct provided for substantial conductivity enhancement versus the control , despite the gross variation in polymer binders employed ; ( i . e . the silicone and viton ( trademark ) are grossly differing thermosets , and the pvc is a thermoplastic ). this example illustrates the use of selected pyrophosphato titanium adducts as insulation value enhancers in hard clay filled flexible polyvinyl chloride . sp - 33 clay ( trademark of burgess pigment co . ), 20 parts by weight ; dioctyl phthalate , 50 ; and pyrophosphato titanium adduct , 0 . 01 ; were admixed in a household type blender . the resulting mixture was added to polyvinyl chloride resin ( geon 103ep , trademark of b . f . goodrich co . ), 100 ; epoxidized soybean oil , 3 ; powdered lead diphthalate , 3 ; and stearic acid , 0 . 3 , all quantities are in parts by weight . the mix was compounded on a laboratory two - roll mill at 135 ° c . and press - formed for 10 minutes at 160 ° c . prior to evaluation of resistance of a sheet having a cross - section of about 100 mils by employing a mehohm bridge coupled to a 10 4 - 10 5 ohm decade box assembly . the results are shown in table 11 . table 11______________________________________adduct resistance ohms / cm______________________________________control 5 × 10 . sup . 12b 2 × 10 . sup . 13c 3 × 10 . sup . 13d 8 × 10 . sup . 12q 7 × 10 . sup . 12j 1 × 10 . sup . 13______________________________________ these data show that significant resistivity increases result from the employment of pyrophosphato titanate adducts in vinyl based insulation . this example illustrates the advantages in terms of shelf stability resulting from the adduction of pyrophosphato titanates with certain types of amines and / or phosphites . test formulations containing 40 weight percent bakelite ck - 1634 phenolic resin ( trademark of union carbide corp .) and 10 weight percent of powdered coal ( carbofil # 1 -- shamokin filler co . ), together with 0 . 2 weight percent of pyrophosphato titanate ( as shown ) in xylene were coated on aluminum q - pannels ( trademark of q - pannel corp .) to a wet film thickness of 5 mils and placed in a 150 ° c . forced draft oven until the resultant film showed a pencil hardness of 3h . a second sample of each formulation was shelf aged in a closed container , at 25 °± 3 ° c . to determine package stability . the test results are shown in table 12 . table 12______________________________________pyrophosphato titanate shelf life ( days ). sup . ( 1 ) cure time min . ______________________________________control ( none ) 60 ± 3 25 ± 3a 55 ± 5 16 ± 2non - adducted a . sup . ( 2 ) 22 ± 2 15 ± 2b & gt ; 120 14 ± 2non - adducted b 20 ± 3 15 ± 2j & gt ; 120 17 ± 2non - adducted j 20 ± 3 16 ± 2 ( same as a ) k & gt ; 120 20 ± 2non - adducted k 28 ± 3 19 ± 2q & gt ; 120 16 ± 2non - adducted q 22 ± 3 15 ± 2 ( same as a ) aa 74 ± 5 11 ± 2non - adducted aa 18 ± 3 10 ± 2ae 82 ± 5 12 ± 2non - adducted ae 16 ± 4 12 ± 2______________________________________ . sup . ( 1 ) time to 100 % brookfield ( trademark ) viscosity increase . sup . ( 2 ) prepared as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 122 , 062 or 4 , 087 , 402 this example shows that while both abducted and non - adducted pyrophosphato titanates decrease cure time with consequent reduction in energy requirements when employed in conjunction with phenolic resins , the non - adducted analogs negatively effect formulation shelf life whereas their adducted analogs either effect shelf life positively or negligibly compared to the control . this example also shows that the choice of adducting agent also has a substantial effect on the properties of the resulting adduct . this example shows the advantages of appropriate adduction of pyrophosphato titanates for purposes of melting point depression and ease of dispersion . one gram of the specified adducts of the present invention and , separately , their non - adducted analogs were added to separate 200 mil portions of water . 100 grams of optiwhite calcined clay ( trademark of burgess corp .) was then dispersed at 30 °± 5 ° c . using a hochmeyer disperser and the viscosity of each dispersion measured immediately and after boiling for two hours at 30 °± 1 ° c . using a brookfield rvf viscometer ( trademark of brookfield corp .). the results are shown in table 13 . table 13______________________________________pyrophosphato initial 30 ° c . boiled dispersiontitanate employed viscosity ( cps ) 30 ° c . viscosity ( cps ) ______________________________________control 4 . 3 ± 10 . sup . 5 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7i 6 . 7 × 10 . sup . 3 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7non - adducted i 4 . 1 × 10 . sup . 5 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7j 3 . 9 × 10 . sup . 3 5 . 2 × 10 . sup . 4non - adducted j 4 . 5 × 10 . sup . 5 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7k 6 . 3 × 10 . sup . 4 4 . 7 × 10 . sup . 4non - adducted k 5 . 0 × 10 . sup . 5 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7l 3 . 9 × 10 . sup . 3 8 . 4 × 10 . sup . 3non - adducted l 4 . 0 × 10 . sup . 5 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7w 6 . 1 × 10 . sup . 3 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7non - adducted w 4 . 2 × 10 . sup . 5 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7z 4 . 8 × 10 . sup . 5 5 . 2 × 10 . sup . 5non - adducted z 4 . 5 × 10 . sup . 5 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7ab 2 . 9 × 10 . sup . 2 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7non - adducted ab 4 . 5 × 10 . sup . 5 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7ae 8 . 2 × 10 . sup . 4 9 . 5 × 10 . sup . 5non - adducted ae 4 . 1 × 10 . sup . 5 & gt ; 10 . sup . 7______________________________________ this example shows that pyrophosphato titanate adducts of the present invention may be utilized to achieve controlled viscosity reduction of aqueous clay dispersions at ambient temperature with or without controlled viscosity lowering after boiling whereas their non - adducted analogs give essentially negligible response in comparable formulations . this example shows the utility of adduction of pyrophosphato titanates with amines of formula iii and / or phosphites of formula ii with respect to melting point reduction and with respect to solubility enhancement in selected media . the indicated phosphato titanates , prepared according to the procedures described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 122 , 062 or 4 , 087 , 402 , were converted to the indicated adducts via the procedure outlined in example 1 and solubility ( as weight percent ) at 25 °± 3 ° c . was measured in n - hexane ( hexane sol .). melting points of the phosphato titanate were determined before and after adduction . the results are given in table 14 . table 14______________________________________pyrophos - pyrophos - phato non - hexane phato hexaneadducted melting sol . titanate melting sol . titanate point ° c . wt . % adduct point ° c . wt . % ______________________________________i dec 182 & lt ; 0 . 5 i 73 ± 4 7v 171 - 174 & lt ; 0 . 5 v & lt ; 0 & gt ; 25aa 158 - 161 1 aa 12 ± 4 & gt ; 25ac 179 - 184 & lt ; 0 . 5 ac 23 ± 3 & gt ; 25ae 129 - 134 3 ae 31 ± 3 12______________________________________ this example shows the improvement in hexane solubility and melting point lowering effected upon prior art phosphato titanates via the practice of adduction as described in the present invention . this example shows the utility of pyrophosphato titanate adducts as thermally activated catalysts in the controlled interconversion of esters , i . e ., the transesterification of ethyl propionate with methyl butyrate in solutions containing ethyl acetate . in a 2 liter pyrex flask equipped with facilities for mechanical agitation , pot and head thermometers , innert gas inlet , fractionating column ( 30 theoretical plates ), automatic reflux - takeoff assembly , vacuum receivers , external heat and vacuum sources was placed 3m each of ethyl ( acetate , ethyl propionate and methyl butyrate , together with 1 . 0 g of the indicated catalyst . vacuum and reflux ratios were adjusted to 25 mm and 25 : 1 , respectively , and the pot contents distilled to recover 97 ± 1 % of the feed overhead . analysis of the distillate ( s ) was performed by gas liquid chromatography results are given in table 15 . table 15__________________________________________________________________________catalyst % yield byproduct % recovery % yield % recovery % recoveryemployed methyl acetate ethyl acetate methyl propionate ethyl propionate methyl butyrate__________________________________________________________________________sulfuric 97 2 & lt ; 1 95 & lt ; 1acidaluminum 94 5 4 97 & lt ; 1chlorideb 13 85 84 13 3non adducted b 89 9 8 90 3h 7 91 90 8 1non adducted h 91 8 5 92 2i & lt ; 1 99 + 94 5 3non adducted i 87 11 10 88 2j 2 96 93 5 2non adducted j 94 4 5 95 1__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . a all numerical data in mole %. note that both conventional acid catalysts and non - adducted pyrophosphato titanates , when employed in the above system , produce substantial proportions of by - product methyl acetate due to preferential volatilization of same once formed , whereas the adducts of the instant invention , having little catalytic activity until temperatures in excess of 50 ° c ., permitted recovery by vacuum distillation of the bulk of the ethyl acetate prior to onset of catalytic transesterification .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

referring now to the drawings of the targeting device 10 of the present invention , targeting device 10 is comprised of several integrated components . these components are illustrated and described with regard to fig4 a - 4 c , which show the completely assembled device , an alternate embodiment of the invention for use with intramedullary screws is shown in fig5 a - 5 b . turning initially to fig4 a - 4 c there is shown arm member 12 for targeting device 10 . in a preferred embodiment arm member 12 is comprised of a plurality of separate elements which , upon being assembled as described below , form arm member 12 adapted for providing targeting for targeting device 10 . the benefit of forming targeting device 10 from a plurality of separate , interconnected elements is that the dimensions of targeting device 10 may thereby be varied as necessary by substituting various sizes and variations of elements to conform to the size and shape of a particular area of a particular patient &# 39 ; s body . in an alternate embodiment , however , it is further contemplated that targeting device 10 may be formed , e . g ., molded , as a unitary construct containing only a single , or a limited number of structured elements . in the preferred embodiment , targeting device 10 may be formed from , for example , various length arms 12 , various sizes and shapes of angle guides 16 , various styles of guide pieces 14 , and various types of radio - opaque target markers 18 . arm member 12 may be preferably formed from raydel ™ but may also use alternate materials , i . e ., other than raydel ™, including plastics , glasses ( e . g ., fiberglass ), metals and even wood , as long as such materials are capable of supporting targeting device 10 . arm member 12 can be different lengths to accommodate targeting for different sizes of femurs 2 or other bony tissue and can either be fixed to guide piece 14 or may be removable so that diffrerence lengths or styles can be interchanged . arm member 12 extends from base 40 to end 42 . the preferred embodiment of arm member 12 has a rectangular section removed proximal end 42 of arm member 12 creating a rectangular gap at the end 42 of arm member 12 . the removal of this rectangular section makes the relatively radio - opaque target markers 18 show more distinct by x - ray or fluoroscopic imaging device . this portion may be small or could extend the length of arm member 12 . the gap may also be various other shapes so as to allow an enhanced view of the relatively radio - opaque target marker 18 . similarly , target markers 18 may be small or could extend the entire length of arm member 12 . an alternative embodiment of arm member 12 comprises only the two target markers 18 essentially extending from guide piece 14 . another embodiment of targeting device 10 includes two or more arms 12 displaced from each other . ( see fig4 c ). where targeting device 10 has two arms displaced from each other , e . g . by 90 ° so that one arm member 12 is in the ap position while the other arm member 12 is simultaneously in the ml position . ( see fig4 c ). angle guides 16 are preferably formed from some metal such as stainless steel or aluminum , however , the material used to form this component is only limited in that it should be a material that is hard enough to grip the bone tissue and to maintain its passageway , for example , various plastics could be used . angle guides 16 can vary by the type and the cut of teeth 20 that are used ; for example , a preferred embodiment of angle guide 16 has a small number , of inwardly angled , cylindrically cut teeth 20 to grip femur 2 when using targeting device 10 . alternatively , angle guide 16 could have more teeth and a different cut . angle guide 16 can be made with many different angles and is easily interchangeable so that the targeting device 10 can be custom fit to the particular femur 2 . another embodiment includes a quick release connection to facilitate the exchange of angle guides 16 . angle guide 16 is connected to guide piece 14 . guide piece 14 is preferably made of the same material as arm member 12 . guide passageway 22 aligns and extends through both guide piece 14 and angle guide 16 and can be of varying sizes to accommodate different size pins , screws , nails , wires , or drill bits . another embodiment of angle guide 16 contains a recessed pin that the surgeon can extend with a button or switch to secure angle guide 16 to femur 2 for increased stability . a further embodiment of angle guide 16 is secured to the femur 2 through the use of a vacuum , clamp or strap . another embodiment of angle guide 16 contains an opening to drill a screw or pin through to secure angle guide 16 to femur 2 . another embodiment employs a simple clamping device which secures angle guide 16 to femur 2 . the relationship between the guide piece 14 and arm member 12 can be fixed or rotational . a preferred embodiment has a guide piece 14 which rotates at least from the ap orientation to the ml orientation , rotating arm member 12 accordingly , while the angle guide 16 remains fixed on femur 2 . another embodiment has a guide piece 14 with an indexing rotation which may correlate to a particular number of degrees of rotation relative to the angle guide 16 which remains fixed on femur 2 . another embodiment may have a friction fit between guide piece 14 and angle guide 16 , to prevent arm member 12 from freely swinging without a minimal amount of force . yet another embodiment has a guide piece 14 with a variable friction setting to increase and decrease the friction resistance when rotating the guide piece 14 relative to the fixed angle guide 16 . another embodiment of guide piece 14 has a lock - out feature so that when target markers 18 of arm member 12 are aligned in the ap position , the lock - out feature can be enacted and the guide piece 14 will turn to the ml position and stop or lock in that position . fig4 d shows a fluoroscopic image of targeting device 10 from the ap perspective over femur 2 and , in particular , femoral head 4 . radio - opaque target markers 18 are aligned so that only first marker 18 appears with second marker 18 co - planar to first marker 18 . these aligned target markers 18 are then co - planar with a beam from an x - ray or fluoroscopic imaging device and a desired location or trajectory relative to a bony target , such as femoral head 4 . these aligned target markers 18 are also co - planar with passageway 22 . the superimposed position of aligned target markers 18 indicates where the guide - pin will insert into femoral head 4 through passageway 22 . in addition to this view , a surgeon will also align target markers 18 in the ml position to ensure that the guide - pin will insert into the middle of femoral head 4 . this is done by turning or rotating arm member 12 orthogonally from the ap position to the ml orientation and moving the x - ray or fluoroscopic imaging device so that it is also oriented in the ml position . arm member 12 is then moved until target markers 18 overlap and appear as one marker 18 . when target markers 18 overlap , the positioning of the superimposed target markers 18 indicates the position of the guide - pin if inserted into the femoral head 4 . a surgeon may easily align target markers 18 in the ap position and then the ml position and have a certainty that the guide - pin will be in the appropriate position in the femoral head 4 without having to iteratively remove and reinsert the guide - pin until satisfactory positioning is achieved . radio - opaque target markers 18 may be made from any relatively radio - opaque material . in a preferred embodiment , stainless steel wires are used as target markers 18 . other embodiments may use tantalum , gold , or other high atomic number metals . alternatively , a contrast coating such as barium sulfate may be used to coat portions of arm member 12 to substitute for or to enhance target markers 18 . other possible radio - opaque materials will be obvious to one skilled in the art . target markers 18 may be of various shapes and configurations so that when aligned co - planar with passageway 22 , target markers 18 provide some indication of alignment . target marker 18 may be substantially one dimensional , such as a wire , substantially two dimensional such as a triangle , or three dimensional . examples of such target markers 18 include : two wires which overlap when co - planar with passageway 22 ; two sets of wire segments which appear separate with gaps between segments when not co - planar with passageway 22 , however , appear as one solid line when co - planar with passageway ; two wires , one of which is larger than the other to indicate the direction to rotate arm member 12 to be co - planar with passageway 22 ; one two dimensional target marker 18 , e . g . triangular , circular , trapezoidal , which appears one dimensional when co - planar with passageway 22 . fig5 a and 5 b pertain to an embodiment of the present invention that can be used with an intramedullary nail . the device 110 is comprised of several components . component 100 in fig5 b is a standard intramedullary alignment device which is well known in the art and is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 334 , 192 to behrens . this alignment device attaches to the intramedullary nail to assist in determining the proper point and trajectory of insertion . device 110 fits onto component 100 to allow the alignment of the lag screw after the intramedullary nail is inserted into femur 2 . this is done similarly to targeting device 10 where the surgeon orients device 110 in the ap position so that markers 118 align . the x - ray or fluoroscopic imaging device is moved to the ml position and arm 112 is also moved so that markers 118 align . this will orient the guide - pin so that it may be inserted through guide 114 , through the proximal opening on the intramedullary nail and into femoral head 4 . the components of device 110 may be varied similarly to that of the corresponding components of targeting device 10 . in a preferred embodiment , arm 112 is attached to guide 114 for rotation therewith by a standard spring clip 140 . arm 112 can then be rotated from the ap plane to the ml plane by rotating guide 114 . another object of the present invention is to provide a method of aligning an orthopedic instrument or implant with bony tissue using an x - ray or fluoroscopic imaging device . this is done by providing a passageway 22 through guide piece 14 and angle guide 16 , through which the instrument implant such as a pin , screw , nail , wire , or drill bit is passed , and further providing at least one targeting device , such as arm member 12 , fixed to said guide piece 14 and containing at least one relatively radio - opaque target marker 18 that establishes a plane that is co - planar with an axis of said passageway 22 . the targeting device is then in manipulated until the plane established by the targeting device is co - planar with a beam from an x - ray imaging device and a desired location or trajectory relative to a bony target in at least one view and passing said instrument or implant through said guide passageway 22 . in another method , said targeting device rotates about the passageway 22 axis . fig6 a - 6 c show another embodiment of the present invention which is angle guide 216 which can be used to assist in the positioning of the insertion of an instrument , such as a nail , pin , rod , screw , wire , drill bit , or other implant into a bony target . angle guide 216 may have a plurality of teeth 220 which are attached along the front portion of angle guide 216 . teeth 220 may be a cylindrical cut or other cut to allow for angle guide 216 to grip the bony surface without unintentional movement or sliding of angle guide 216 . at the same time , teeth 220 allow the user to intentionally move or adjust the position of angle guide 216 to achieve the best alignment . fig6 c shows an embodiment of angle guide 216 with opening 250 through which an attachment means may be inserted to further secure the angle guide 216 to a bony surface . the attachment means may be a vacuum tube , a securing pin , or a screw . alternatively , a simple strap or clamp may also be used to secure angle guide 216 . this means of securing the angle guide 216 would further guard against incidental movement of the targeting device . such movement may require the removal of the vacuum , strap or clamp securing angle guide 216 or the retraction of a securing pin or screw . teeth 220 may extend straight across the front face of angle guide 216 or may angle inwardly or even outwardly . a preferred embodiment angles teeth 220 in from each side 224 of angle guide 216 to center line 226 . angle guide 216 may be formed with the front portion 228 extending toward the back portion 230 along sides 224 at any angle from 0 ° to 90 °. also , the angle may be fixed or variable from front portion 228 to back portion 230 . fig7 shows another embodiment of the present invention which is an arm 212 which can be used to assist a surgeon or other medical personnel with the determination of the proper insertion point for an instrument or implant , such as a nail , pin , rod , screw , or drill bit . arm 212 may be fixed or attached in some manner to a device at base 240 or used alone in some manner . arm 212 may have a rectangular piece cut from arm 212 which is relatively small or relatively large proximal end 242 . arm 212 may be comprised of a small body made of raydel ™, or some substitute material as described above , with long or short target markers 218 which extend from the body of arm 212 . target markers 218 may be some relatively radio - opaque material such as stainless steel , tantalum , or a high atomic number metal . alternatively , target markers 218 may be some contrast , such as but not limited to barium sulfate , painted or otherwise interposed on arm 212 . the present invention also includes a kit which may contain all components or a variety of the components mentioned above . one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments , which are presented for the purpose of illustration only and not of limitation . the present invention is therefore only limited by the following appended claims . although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments , it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention . it is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .

0Human Necessities

now , the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described . fig1 shows the structure of the apparatus according to the present invention . a vacuum processing apparatus 1 comprises a plurality of vacuum processing chambers 7 - 1 , 7 - 2 , 7 - 3 , hereinafter generally referred to as vacuum processing chamber 7 , for subjecting samples 2 - 1 , 2 - 2 , 2 - 3 , 2 - 4 , 2 - 5 , hereinafter generally referred to as sample 2 , to vacuum processing , a vacuum carriage means 8 for carrying samples 2 into and out of the vacuum processing chambers 7 , switchable chambers 9 - 1 , 9 - 2 , hereinafter generally referred to as switchable chamber 9 , that can be switched between atmosphere and vacuum for carrying samples 2 into and out of the vacuum processing chamber 7 , cassette supporting means 10 - 1 , 10 - 2 , 10 - 3 , hereinafter generally referred to as cassette supporting means 10 , for supporting plural cassettes 3 - 1 , 3 - 2 , 3 - 3 , hereinafter generally referred to as cassette 3 , capable of housing samples 2 , a carriage means 4 capable of moving vertically and taking out a sample 2 from a given cassette on the cassette supporting means , a control unit performing carriage control for carrying the sample 2 stored in the given cassette via the carriage means 4 , the switchable chamber 9 and the vacuum carriage means 8 into the vacuum processing chamber 7 and for carrying the processed sample out of the vacuum processing chamber , a waiting cassette 5 disposed newly according to the present invention in the atmosphere for temporarily storing the unprocessed sample or the processed sample to be put in waiting , and a waiting chamber 6 for temporarily storing the processed sample in vacuum . the number of hands equipped to the vacuum carriage means 8 and the atmospheric carriage means 4 is not limited to one . according to a first embodiment of the invention , a first sample 2 - 1 taken out of cassette 3 - 1 by the carriage means 4 disposed in atmosphere is carried via the switchable chamber 9 - 1 and the vacuum carriage means 8 into the vacuum processing chamber 7 - 1 , and there the sample is subjected to an etching process . in an example where the plural vacuum processing chambers 7 are operated to perform processing according to the same recipe in a continuous manner , a second sample 2 - 1 is subsequently carried via the carriage means to the vacuum processing chamber 7 - 2 for continuous processing thereof , and subjected to etching process . similarly , a third sample 2 - 1 is subjected to etching process in the vacuum processing chamber 7 - 3 . thereafter , all the unprocessed samples left in the cassette 3 - 1 are sequentially carried via the carriage means 4 into the waiting cassette 5 disposed in the atmosphere , starting from the n - th cassette and sequentially in descending order thereof if the number of samples housed in the cassette is n . when all the unprocessed samples are removed from cassette 3 - 1 , the processed samples 2 - 1 in the vacuum processing chamber 7 - 1 are returned to the cassette 3 - 1 , and thus , the unprocessed samples and processed samples are prevented from being stored in mixture in a single cassette . the waiting cassette 5 desirably has a capacity to store not less than n - m samples , if the number of vacuum processing chambers operated according to the above - described operation is m . for example , if two cassettes are continuously processable in the process for manufacturing products , the waiting cassette is designed to have a capacity to store samples from plural cassettes , and is capable of moving in the vertical or horizontal direction . if the waiting cassette 5 is disposed within the range of movement of the carriage means ( atmospheric robot ) 4 , the cassette can be in a fixed state and the movement mechanism can be omitted . according to some processing operations , the carriage control can be performed without deteriorating throughput by starting processing of a first processable sample without storing the first sample in the waiting cassette . in other words , according to the present embodiment , the vacuum processing apparatus is equipped with plural vacuum processing chambers for subjecting samples to vacuum processing , a vacuum carriage means for carrying samples into and out of the vacuum processing chamber , a switchable chamber capable of being switched between atmosphere and vacuum for carrying samples into and out of the vacuum processing chamber , a cassette supporting means for supporting plural cassettes capable of housing samples , a carriage means capable of moving in the vertical direction and taking out samples from a given cassette on the cassette supporting means , and a control means performing carriage control for carrying the sample stored in the given cassette via the carriage means , the switchable chamber and the vacuum carriage means into the vacuum processing chamber and for carrying the processed sample processed in the vacuum processing chamber out of the chamber , wherein the vacuum processing apparatus is further equipped with awaiting cassette supporting means for supporting a waiting cassette that prevents the processed samples and the unprocessed samples from being mixed . the waiting cassette supporting means disposed in the atmosphere is capable of supporting the waiting cassette for storing the unprocessed samples to be put in waiting . according to embodiment 1 , the unprocessed samples were stored temporarily in the waiting cassette , but the present invention is not limited to such example . according to embodiment 2 , the unprocessed samples 2 stored in the cassette 3 are carried to the vacuum processing chamber 7 sequentially in order and subjected to processing . the samples having been processed in the vacuum processing chamber are temporarily stored in the waiting cassette 5 . then , when the carriage control determines that all the unprocessed samples in the cassette 3 have been carried out , the processed samples are carried out of the waiting cassette and returned to the original cassette 3 . in this case , throughput will not be deteriorated if the samples are started to be carried out when it is determined that all the unprocessed samples have been carried out of the cassette 3 , and not waiting until all the processed samples are housed in the waiting cassette 5 . in other words , according to the present embodiment , and therefore , according to the present invention , the waiting cassette supporting means disposed in the atmosphere is capable of supporting a waiting cassette housing the processed samples to be put in waiting . in order to reduce the reaction of any residual corrosive gas adhered to the processed sample with moisture etc . in the atmosphere that may affect the ambient surroundings , it is preferable to provide a purging mechanism for performing inert gas replacement of the waiting cassette 5 . the purging mechanism introducing inert gas into the waiting cassette from the exterior or from above the waiting cassette will effectively improve the environmental atmosphere inside the cassette . further , an exhaust mechanism can be provided to the lower area of the waiting cassette . moreover , a door can be disposed on the waiting cassette 5 that is closed when the carriage means 4 is not operated with respect to the waiting cassette 5 , so as to achieve more effective results by the inert gas replacement . embodiment 3 is an example adopting a waiting chamber 6 disposed in vacuum . after processing the sample 2 taken out of the cassette 3 in the vacuum processing chamber 7 , the processed sample 2 is temporarily stored in the waiting chamber 6 . similar to embodiment 2 , the present embodiment is equipped with a carriage means capable of determining that all the unprocessed samples have been taken out of the cassette 3 , and the samples in the waiting chamber 6 are sequentially carried back to the original cassette 3 . by providing a waiting chamber in vacuum , the sample is prevented from having its surface exposed to the atmosphere , so the affect of corrosion or other causes that may deteriorate the yield factor can be reduced . in other words , according to the present embodiment , a waiting cassette supporting means is disposed in vacuum and equipped with awaiting chamber for storing the processed samples to be put in waiting . according to the embodiments described above , the vacuum processing apparatus is equipped with a waiting cassette supporting means capable of supporting a waiting cassette housing either processed samples or unprocessed samples to be put in waiting until lot processing is completed . furthermore , according to the vacuum processing apparatus , the waiting cassette supporting means is disposed in atmosphere , and capable of being moved either vertically or horizontally . thus , if the unprocessed samples are taken out from plural cassettes , the processed or unprocessed samples can be sorted and stored in the waiting cassette based on the cassettes that the samples were originally taken from . in each of the above - mentioned embodiments , the apparatus was equipped with either a waiting cassette 5 disposed in atmosphere or a waiting chamber 6 disposed in vacuum , but the apparatus can be equipped with both . as explained , according to the present invention , the deterioration of yield factor caused for example by corrosion can be reduced without deteriorating the operation efficiency , by preventing the unprocessed samples and the processed samples from being mixed in atmosphere .

8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology

the present invention provides a composite tape cassette , composed of a plastic frame having a paperboard shell or sheath bonded or welded thereto . the plastic frame is designed to enhance the structural integrity of all areas of the cassette which contact the tape playback and / or recorder unit , the tape and reels , and other areas of the cassette subject to wear and tear , such as the corners . the tape cassette of the present invention is intended for use in either video or audio format ; the features of the invention remain the same . referring now to fig1 - 8 , a tape cassette intended for use as a video cassette is shown in detail . the tape cassette shown is designed to fit standard vhs format , however , it should be understood that video tape cassettes of any format can be made a subject of the present invention . the video tape cassette shown in fig1 - 8 includes a frame member 10 , preferably composed of a durable lightweight thermoplastic material . the frame member 10 is encased by a lightweight flexible sheath 12 , preferably composed of paperboard , which is bonded to the frame member 10 to form the cassette shown in fig2 . referring now to fig1 and 4 - 8 , the frame member 10 of the video cassette of the present invention is constructed to have the standard outside dimensions designed for use in a standard vhs playback and recording machine . the thermoplastic frame member 10 includes open cut - out areas 14 located in the top surface 16 and bottom surface 18 of the frame member 10 . the cut - out areas 14 are designed to eliminate as much thermoplastic material from the tape cassette as possible , without negatively affecting the structural rigidity of the frame member 10 and the structural support for the tape reels 20 . as can be seen from the figures , the tape reels 20 are supported by thermoplastic cross members 22 extending perpendicularly through the cut - out areas 14 . the frame member 10 is provided with two distinct thicknesses . the protective tape gate area 24 , corners 26 , and bottom edges 28 are designed to have a thickness of thermoplastic material that is comparable to that found in the &# 34 ; standard &# 34 ; commercial vhs cassette . the thermoplastic material of the remaining frame structure is designed to be about 0 . 014 to 0 . 018 mils thinner . the protective tape gate 24 , corners 26 and bottom edges 28 , are designed to have the thicker structure in order to provide the necessary strength , integrity and durability to the frame member 10 . preferably the difference in thickness between the protective tape gate 24 , corners 26 , bottom edges 28 , and the remainder of the frame is equivalent to the thickness of the sheath 12 which is designed to encompass the frame member 10 and bond to the thinner plastic area surrounded by the protective tape gate 24 , corners 26 , and bottom edges 28 . thus , after the sheath 12 is bonded to the frame member 1 0 , there will be no exposed edges of the sheath 12 which could be subject to damage . located about the periphery of the thin portion of the frame member 10 , on all sides of the cassette , are up - raised energy director beads 29 which are formed from the same thermoplastic material as the frame member 10 . the energy director beads 29 are utilized to bond the paperboard sheath member 12 to the frame member 10 . the sheath member 12 is , preferably , coated on its interior surface with a styrene film or other product known to be compatible with the thermoplastic material of the energy bead 29 . in production , the sheath member 12 is positioned over the frame member 10 and ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the composite frame member 10 and sheath member 12 . the ultrasonic vibrations &# 34 ; melt &# 34 ; the energy beads 29 and causes their material to blend with the styrene coating , thus welding the sheath member 12 to the frame member 10 as the molten blend solidifies . of course , other methods of bonding , such as adhesives and hot melt gluing , may be used in place of energy director beads 29 and the ultrasonic weld technique . it should also be noted that the styrene coating serves a secondary purpose of providing a moisture vapor transmission barrier , thereby assisting in maintaining the integrity of the sheath member 12 . referring now to fig1 and 3 , the sheath 12 of the present invention includes a top flap 30 , bottom flap 32 , end flaps 34 , and back flap 36 . the sheath 12 is patterned to fit on the thin portion of the plastic frame 10 , within the edges provided by the protective tape gate 24 , corners 26 and top edges 28 of the frame member 10 . the bottom flap 32 includes holes 38 to allow access to the reels 20 and the top flap 30 is , preferably , composed of solid material . graphics may be applied to the exterior surface of the paperboard sheath 12 shown in fig3 prior to application and bonding of the sheath member 12 to the frame member 10 . thus , after application and bonding of the sheath member 12 to the frame member 10 as shown in fig2 a composite tape cassette having applied graphics is provided . it should be noted that the construction of the frame member 10 usually includes a top half a and a bottom half b which are separated to insert the reels 20 and tape ( not shown ). in the embodiment shown in the figures , the two halves a and b are fastened together by screws 39 . however in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the top half a and bottom half b can be designed to include a post and hole friction fit , snap - fit , or any other means of joinder without the need for loose parts , which can be reinforced by the bonding of the sheath member 12 to the frame member 10 . this elimination of the need for loose parts such as screws serves to eliminate the cost of the parts , the assembly time required to utilize the parts , as well as eliminate the weight of the screws and further , to hinder the potential for tampering with the tape cassette after manufacture . referring to fig9 - 17 , the tape cassette of the present invention is shown in its preferred embodiment for audio tape cassette use . the structure of the audio tape cassette features the same advantages as the video tape cassette referred to in fig1 - 8 . referring now to fig9 - 14 , the frame member 110 of the audio tape cassette is shown with cut - out areas 114 surrounding the reels 120 . cross members 122 support the reels 120 and provide structural rigidity to the frame member 110 . all areas of the frame member 110 are of a thin cross section with the exception of the ends 140 and the tape feed area 142 . the cassette ends 140 and tape feed area 142 are provided with a thicker material to provide structural rigidity and durability to the tape cassette . the difference in thickness , preferably , between the cassette ends 140 , tape feed area 142 and the remaining portion of the frame member 110 is the thickness of the sheath member 112 , approximately 0 . 014 to 0 . 018 mils . a line of energy director beads 129 are provided proximate the cassette ends 140 and tape feed area 142 . the energy director beads 129 are used in the process of ultrasonic welding and bonding of the sheath 112 to the frame member 110 , as described earlier with regard to the video tape embodiment . as with the video tape embodiment , other methods of adhering the sheath member 112 to the frame member 110 may be used . as shown in fig1 , the sheath 112 includes a top flap 130 , bottom flap 132 , and back flap 136 . the top flap 130 and bottom flap 132 include holes 138 designed to provide access to the reels 120 of the cassette . optionally , a window 144 may also be provided in the top flap 130 to assist in viewing the tape during running conditions . as in the video cassette version of the present invention , the frame member 110 is provided with a top half aa and a bottom half bb . the two halves are preferably friction fit together and sealed by the bonded sheath member 12 , thus eliminating the need for screws to hold the halves together , for the same reasons earlier described with regard to the video cassette . referring now to fig1 - 17 , the audio tape cassette constructed in accordance with the present invention usually is designed to have a tape feed area 142 that is open and accessible to infiltration by dirt or other foreign objects when not in use . to prevent damage to the tape from such foreign objects and dirt , a clip member 146 is designed to attache to the cassette and cover the tape feed area 142 in a protective manner . the clip member 146 is also designed to provide stability to the cassette so that it can stand upright , horizontally or vertically . the clip member 146 is generally constructed of plastic and includes inwardly projecting extrusions 148 designed to mate with indentations 150 located in the frame member 110 . the mating of the extrusions 148 with the indentations 150 retain the protective clip member 146 in position . an alternative embodiment for the clip member 146 , not shown in the drawings , envisions the extension of one side of the member 146 to a location proximate the reels 120 whereby the reels 120 are engaged and locked in place by the extended side of the clip member 146 . referring now to fig1 , an alternative embodiment of a composite video cassette is shown in detail . the video cassette is composed of a plastic frame 210 having a thin clear plastic sheath 211 , enclosing a paperboard label 21 2 , bonded to the plastic frame 210 . the plastic frame 210 is constructed in the same manner as the frame 10 described in accordance with the previous embodiment . the thermoplastic frame 210 preferably includes cut - out areas 214 located in the top surface 216 and bottom surface 218 of the frame member 210 . the cut out areas 214 leave thermoplastic cross members 222 extending perpendicularly through the cut out areas 214 . the cross members 222 provide the structural support for the tape reels and tape 220 . the frame member 210 is provided with two distinct thicknesses . the protective tape gate area 224 , corners 226 and sides 228 are designed to have a thickness of thermoplastic material that is comparable to that found in the &# 34 ; standard &# 34 ; commercial cassette . the thermoplastic material of the remaining frame structure is designed to be approximately 0 . 014 to 0 . 018 mils . thinner . the thicker structure of the tape gate 224 , corners 226 and sides 228 provides the necessary strength , integrity and durability to the frame member 210 . preferably , the difference in thickness between the tape gate 224 , corners 226 and sides 228 and the remainder of the frame is equivalent to the combined thickness of the thin clear plastic sheath 211 and paperboard label 212 , which are designed to encompass the frame member 210 and bond to the thinner plastic area surrounded by the protective tape gate 224 , corner 226 and sides 228 . thus , after the thin clear plastic sheath 211 is bonded to the frame member 210 , there will be no exposed edges of the sheath 211 or enclosed paperboard label 212 , which could be subject to damage . the thin clear plastic sheath 211 of this embodiment includes a top flap 230 , bottom flap 232 and back flap 236 . the paperboard label 212 , which is enclosed between the sheath 211 and the frame 210 also includes a top flap 231 , bottom flap 233 and back flap 235 . the surface area of the top flap 231 and bottom flap 233 of the paperboard label 212 is sized to be slightly less than the surface area of the top flap 230 and bottom flap 232 of the clear plastic sheath 211 . the surface area of the paperboard label 212 is designed to fit within the surface area of the plastic sheath 211 , which in turn has a surface area designed to fit within the surface area of the thinner cross - sectional portion of the frame member 210 . thus , preferably , the thin clear plastic sheath 211 can be bonded or adhered to the frame member with the paperboard label 212 sandwiched there between , without bonding . the non - bonding of the paperboard label 212 to the frame member 210 allows the paperboard label 212 freedom to expand and contract when exposed to extreme environmental conditions , thus eliminating potential problems with warpage and distortion of the paperboard due to changes in the environmental conditions . the clear plastic sheath 211 , when properly bonded to the frame member 210 , will provide an impermeable barrier enclosing the paperboard label 212 to prevent deleterious effects from exposure to extreme environmental conditions on the paperboard label 212 . it should be noted that the bottom flap 232 , 233 of the thin plastic sheath 211 and the paperboard label 212 , respectively , includes holes 238 , which allow access to the reels 220 and the top flap 230 , 231 , respectively , is composed of solid material . graphics are applied to the exterior surface of the paperboard label 212 prior to insertion of the paperboard label 212 into the thin plastic sheath 211 and the bonding of the sheath 211 to the frame member 210 . thus , after application and bonding of the thin clear plastic sheath 211 to the frame member 210 , a composite tape cassette having applied graphic enclosed in a protective plastic cover is provided . bonding of the thin clear plastic sheath 211 to the frame member 210 is provided by one of a variety of alternative methods . the plastic sheath 211 can be sonically bonded with the thermoplastic frame member 210 about the perimeter edge of the sheath 211 . further the plastic sheath 211 may be applied to the frame member 210 and adhered thereto with a solvent adhesive . on the perimeter of the plastic sheath 211 could be heat sealed with the thermoplastic frame 210 . if sonic bonding is the chosen method , the bond may be achieved either with or without the use of sonic beads as discussed with reference to the previous embodiment . further , the construction of the frame member is similar to that described earlier with regard to the first embodiment . referring now to fig1 , an alternative embodiment of a composite audio cassette as shown in detail . the structure of the audio tape cassette features the same advantages as the video tape cassette referred to in fig1 . the frame member 310 of the audio tape cassette shown with cut out areas 314 surrounding the reels 320 . cross members 322 support the reels 320 and provide structural rigidity to the frame member 310 . all areas of the frame member 310 are of a thin cross section with the exception of the ends 340 and the tape feed area 342 . the cassette ends 340 and tape feed area 342 are provided with a thick material to provide structural rigidity and durability to the tape cassette . the difference in thickness , preferably between the cassette ends 340 , tape feed area 342 and the remaining portion of the frame member 310 is the thickness of the thin clear plastic sheath member 311 enclosing a paperboard label 312 , approximately 0 . 014 to 0 . 018 mils . the thin clear plastic sheath 311 , enclosing the paperboard label 312 , is bonded to the plastic frame 310 in the same manner as that described with regard to fig1 . the thin clear plastic sheath 311 and paperboard label 312 include , respectively , a top flap 330 , 331 , bottom flap 332 , 333 and a back flap 336 , 335 . the top flap 330 , 331 and bottom flap 332 , 333 include holes 338 designed to provide access to the reels 320 of the cassette . optionally , a window 344 may also be provided in the top flap 330 , 331 to assist in view the tape during running conditions . the frame member 310 is constructed in the same manner as the earlier described embodiment of the audio cassette . further , the audio tape cassette 310 constructed in accordance with this embodiment is designed to accept a clip member ( not shown ) as discussed with the earlier embodiment of the tape cassette shown in fig1 - 17 . the above descriptions of the video and audio tape cassette version of the present invention are meant to be illustrative in nature and are not intended to be solely limiting upon the scope and content of the following claims .

6Physics

the following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments . as used herein , the word “ exemplary ” or “ illustrative ” means “ serving as an example , instance , or illustration .” any implementation described herein as “ exemplary ” or “ illustrative ” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations . all of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure , which is defined by the claims . for purposes of description herein , the terms “ upper ”, “ lower ”, “ left ”, “ rear ”, “ right ”, “ front ”, “ vertical ”, “ horizontal ”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in fig1 . furthermore , there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field , background , brief summary or the following detailed description . it is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings , and described in the following specification , are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims . hence , specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting , unless the claims expressly state otherwise . the illustration of fig1 shows a general perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention , consisting of a soap recycling device 100 comprised of a compact , sleek housing 110 inside of which most of the soap recycling components are comprised . the housing 110 is essentially formed by a main body 120 and a cover assembly 130 , generally manufactured of a thermoplastic material . an open space 124 is delimited in the lower portion of the main body 120 , wherein the device 100 is able to deliver sterilized liquid soap formed out of solid soap remnants , as will be explained , at the open space 124 . a removable cavity tray 140 is also included in a front portion of the device 100 . reconstituted , sterilized soap bars are formed inside the cavity tray 140 from solid soap remnants , as will also be explained . the device 100 further includes a user interface 150 accessible to a user at a front area of the housing 110 . in the embodiment shown , the user interface 150 includes a set of push buttons 152 and a small display 154 . however , a person skilled in the art will understand that the user interface can present many different embodiments that allow communicating a person with an electronic device , such as tactile screen , a voice recognition module , a sound recognition module , or the like . the user interface could also be external to the device 100 , such as a remote control or a separate device in wireless or wired communication with the device 100 . in addition , a cover assembly 130 is included in the upper portion of the housing 110 . the device 100 stands on a base portion 160 , above which the open space 124 is arranged . the illustration of fig2 shows the device 100 in a second position in which the cover assembly 130 has been opened to reveal certain inner components of the device 100 . in the present embodiment , the cover assembly 130 is hinged to the housing 110 , so that it can be easily opened or closed without the risk of losing or dropping the cover assembly 130 . the cover assembly 130 can further include a snap - locking system . as shown in the figure , the device 100 further comprises a solid soap remnant receiving space 170 inside which a user will place solid soap remnants for recycling . the receiving space 170 is defined above a soap remnant receiving surface 180 , which is precisely where the user will rest and pile the solid soap remnants until appropriately filling the receiving space 170 . the receiving surface 180 comprises a drainage opening 190 and is preferably slightly tilted towards the drainage opening 190 to favor fluid drainage therethrough . the device 100 further includes at least one uv emitter 200 arranged above the receiving space 170 , capable of emitting uv radiation that destroys bacteria and viruses , disinfecting solid soap remnants placed in the receiving space 170 . in the embodiment shown , the uv emitter 200 is an array of uv - emitting leds 204 oriented towards the receiving space 170 when the cover assembly 130 is closed as shown in fig1 and the device 100 is in operating condition . in addition , the device 100 includes at least one heat source 210 configured to heat the receiving space 170 and cause the solid soap remnants to melt into liquid form . in the present embodiment , the heat source 210 is a heating coil that is horizontally arranged over the receiving space 170 when the cover assembly 130 is closed as shown in fig1 and the device 100 is in operating condition . in addition , in the present embodiment the uv emitter 200 is arranged between the heating coil heat source 210 and the receiving space 170 . having a coil heat source 210 arranged on top of a uv emitter 200 that is , in turn , above the solid soap remnant receiving space 170 , where the coil heat source 210 is horizontally arranged over the receiving space 170 when the cover assembly 130 is closed , provides a very compact and effective final construction of the device 100 , as can be appreciated in fig1 and 2 . preferably , the uv emitter 200 is horizontally movable along the receiving space 170 when the cover assembly 130 is closed as shown in fig1 and the device 100 is in operating condition . for instance , in the present embodiment , the array of uv - emitting leds 204 is supported on a structure 220 including opposite end walls 224 that glide along respective guide channels 134 formed in the cover assembly 130 . having a horizontally movable uv emitter 200 allows to homogeneously disinfect the solid soap remnants and melted liquid soap present throughout the entire receiving space 170 . in other words , in the present embodiment , the uv emitter 200 and the heat source 210 are arranged inside the top cover assembly 130 . the uv emitter 200 , the heat source 210 and the top cover assembly 130 are jointly movable with respect to the main body 120 from a closed position in which the uv emitter 200 and the heat source 210 are arranged on top of the receiving space 170 , and an open position in which the uv emitter 200 and the heat source 210 are arranged separated from the receiving space 170 so that the receiving space 170 is accessible from the outside allowing a user to place soap remnants in said receiving space 170 . such an arrangement of the uv emitter 200 and the heat source 210 inside the cover assembly 130 contributes to reduce the total volume of the device 100 . the cross - sectional view of fig4 allows to observe internal components of the device 100 . as shown , the device 100 further comprises a first receptacle 230 and a second receptacle 240 . both the first receptacle 230 and the second receptacle 240 are in downward fluid communication with the drainage opening 190 through an inverted y - shaped tubing structure composed of a common drainage tube 250 , a first branch tube 254 and a second branch tube 258 . in addition , the device 100 comprises a directional valve unit 260 comprised of a directional valve 264 ( schematically illustrated as a switch ) and a directional valve sensor 268 . the directional valve unit 260 is operable to switch between a first position in which the directional valve 264 blocks any downward fluid communication from the drainage opening 190 to the second receptacle 240 and allows downward fluid communication from the drainage opening 190 to the first receptacle 230 , and a second position in which the directional valve 264 allows downward fluid communication from the drainage opening 190 to the second receptacle 240 and blocks any downward fluid communication from the drainage opening 190 to the first receptacle 230 . the directional valve unit 260 is shown in the figure in the second position , i . e ., in the position in which fluid would flow from the drainage opening 190 to the second receptacle 240 . the directional valve sensor 268 allows the position of the directional valve 264 to be controlled and varied by a commanding processor unit 270 . the processor unit 270 is normally located on a printed circuit board 274 . the processor unit 270 includes storage memory in which computer executable instructions , i . e ., instructions that are executable by the processor unit 270 , are stored for operating the directional valve unit 260 to switch between the aforementioned first and second positions . in a preferred embodiment , the processor unit 270 is responsive to user operation of the user interface 150 and operates the directional valve 264 to switch from one position to another in dependency of user operation of the user interface 150 . therefore , the user can select whether soap remnants are to be recycled into disinfected liquid form or into disinfected , reconstituted solid soap bars . the illustration of fig4 also depicts the internal components in charge of controlling and operating uv emitter 200 and heat source 210 . specifically , the device 100 includes a heating coil controller 280 for activating and deactivating the coil heat source 210 , i . e ., for allowing or preventing an electric current flow through the coil heat source 210 . the device 100 also includes a uv emitter motor 290 for causing a horizontal movement of the uv emitter 200 along the receiving space 170 . horizontal movement is indicated by arrow 300 and by having represented the uv emitter 200 in a first extreme position 200 a and a second extreme position 200 b , shown in dashed lines . a uv and heating controller 310 is also included for controlling and causing operation of the uv emitter motor 290 and the heating coil controller 280 as commanded by the processor unit 270 . the open space 124 of the present embodiment is arranged below the first receptacle 230 , as best shown in fig5 . said open space 124 is delimited by a top surface 320 , a bottom surface 324 and at least one side wall 328 — one side wall 328 , in the embodiment shown in the figures -. a dispensing nozzle or opening 330 is arranged on the top surface 320 , in fluid communication with the first receptacle 230 , in order to allow fluid soap to be delivered from the first receptacle 230 to the open space 124 . the device 100 further includes a fluid soap dispenser controller 340 which activates and deactivates a motor ( not shown ) in charge of moving two pressing elements 350 , 360 , such as two movable walls , in an inward direction as indicated by arrows 370 , in order to exert a pressure on the first receptacle 230 and cause fluid soap to be expelled through the dispensing opening 330 . the fluid soap dispenser controller 340 is again communicated with the processor unit 270 , which controls the operation of the fluid soap dispenser controller 340 . as shown in fig3 and 5 , the device 100 can further comprise a proximity sensor unit 380 for detecting the presence of an object inside the open space 124 , and a closure valve unit ( not shown ) operable to switch between a closed position and an open position in which fluid communication between the first receptacle 230 and the dispensing opening 330 is respectively blocked and unblocked . a person skilled in the art will understand that the closure valve unit can be a separate element or can be integrated in the dispensing opening 330 , for instance by the closure valve consisting of a contractible and expandable mechanism integrated in the dispensing opening 330 . having a proximity sensor unit 380 arranged next to the open space 124 allows the device 100 to be used as an automatic liquid soap dispenser from which a user can directly dispense soap onto his or her hands by simply inserting the hands inside the open space 124 . the device 100 can further include a removable tray 390 shaped and sized to fit on the bottom surface 324 , and to collect any liquid soap that might drip from the dispensing opening 330 . in the present embodiment , the second receptacle 240 is accessible from outside the housing 110 , to allow a user to easily collect reconstituted solid soap bars formed inside the second receptacle 240 . the device 100 preferably also comprises at least one cavity tray sized to fit inside the second receptacle 240 . for instance , as has been mentioned , the illustrations of fig1 and 2 show a first exemplary cavity tray 140 respectively inserted into and pulled out from the second receptacle 240 . the illustrations of fig6 and 8 show alternative embodiments of cavity trays 400 , 410 , 420 . all cavity trays 140 , 400 , 410 , 420 are externally sized and shaped to easily but snugly fit into the second receptacle 240 , and include differently - shaped inner cavities 142 , 402 , 412 , 422 for the formation of differently - shaped reconstituted solid soap bars . a block diagram is shown in fig9 representing the processor unit 270 centrally controlling the operation of the heating coil controller 280 , the uv emitter motor 290 , the uv and heating controller 310 , the directional valve sensor 268 and the fluid soap dispenser controller 340 , in dependency of user commands received from the user interface 150 . a power source 430 provides electrical power to the processor unit 270 and all other electric components comprised in the device 100 . the flow chart of fig8 allows to understand the method of operation of the device 100 of the present embodiment . a user willing to recycle solid soap remnant pieces begins by opening the cover assembly 130 and placing the pieces of soap in the receiving space 170 , as indicated in step 500 . the user then optionally adds water to the soap remnant pieces , as indicated in step 510 . scents and / or disinfecting , antibacterial agents can be incorporated as well . the user then closes the cover assembly 130 and starts the device 100 , for instance by pressing an on / off push button 152 of the user interface 150 , as indicated in step 520 . the user selects whether the solid soap remnants are to be recycled into liquid soap or solid soap bars , as indicated in step 530 , for instance by pressing one of two respective “ liquid soap ” and “ soap bar ” push buttons 152 of the user interface 150 . steps 520 , 530 can be performed in any given order . the processor unit 270 detects the user command originated in the user interface 150 , associated to the selected final product form ( liquid or solid ). the processor unit 270 then switches the uv emitter 200 arranged above said receiving space 170 to an activated state in which it emits uv radiation towards the receiving space 170 in order to purify the soap pieces , and in which it preferably moves horizontally across the receiving space 170 , as indicated in step 540 . the processor unit 270 also switches the heat source 210 to an activated state , as indicated in step 550 , in which it heats the receiving space 170 in order to melt the solid soap remnant pieces . in addition , as shown in step 560 , the processor unit 270 operates the directional valve 264 to provide downward fluid communication between the drainage opening 190 and either the first receptacle 230 or the second receptacle 240 , in dependence of the specific user command received from the user interface 150 . for instance , in the event of receiving a “ soap bar ” command , the processor unit 270 switches the directional valve 264 to provide fluid communication from the drainage opening 190 to the second receptacle 240 ; in consequence , melted soap flows from the receiving space 170 down to the second receptacle 240 and into the cavity 142 , 402 , 412 , 422 of a cavity tray 140 , 400 , 410 , 420 placed inside the second receptacle 240 , as indicated in step 570 . the melted soap is allowed to solidify into the pattern of the cavity 142 , 402 , 412 , 422 as indicated in step 580 . the user eventually pulls the cavity tray 140 , 400 , 410 , 420 out and , as indicated in step 590 , removes the reconstituted soap bar from the cavity tray . if , however , the processor unit 270 receives a “ liquid soap ” command , the processor unit 270 switches the directional valve 264 to provide fluid communication from the drainage opening 190 to the first receptacle 230 ; in consequence , melted soap flows from the receiving space 170 down to the first receptacle 230 , as indicated in step 600 . the first receptacle 230 therefore becomes partially or fully loaded with liquid soap . the user then places his or her hands inside the open space 124 , as indicated in step 610 , and the proximity sensor unit 380 detects the presence of the hands and thus signals , via the fluid soap dispenser controller 340 , the processor unit 270 to operate the fluid soap dispenser controller 340 to open the dispensing opening 330 and activate liquid soap dispensing on the user &# 39 ; s hands . the method can further comprise the steps of measuring the time elapsed since the directional valve unit 260 has switched to the second position , in which downward fluid communication from the drainage opening 190 to the first receptacle 230 is blocked and downward fluid communication from the drainage opening 190 to the second receptacle 240 is not blocked , and providing a sensory indication to a user through the user interface 150 upon expiration of a predetermined amount of time . for instance , the sensory indication can consist of a visual indication on the display 154 and an audible beeping sound . the device 100 is thus able to inform the user when a solid soap bar has finished hardening inside the cavity and is ready to be removed by the user . the above - described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention . many variations , combinations , modifications or equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all the embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims .

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

the vivid system is comprised of eight distinct software functions — a ) ladder circuits simulator , b ) wave normalizer , c ) wave to image converter , g ) ‘ signature ’ image generator and h ) image differencer . the block schematic of the system is depicted in fig1 . any alphanumeric string serves as input into the ladder circuits simulator which consists of two parts — one part generates a serial - parallel ladder circuit , the other a parallel - serial ladder circuit . the block schematic of the ladder circuits simulator is shown in fig2 . both circuit types are based on a standard set of elementary circuit components consisting of a single resistor ( r ), a single inductor ( l ) and a single capacitor ( c ). values for the three electrical components are input by the user in response to a system prompt . the r , l and c elements are configured in seventeen distinct ways . in what follows the symbol ‘+’ means a serial connection and ‘∥’ a parallel connection . the seventeen circuit configurations are classified as follows : i ) single - element circuits [ there are 3 of these — just r , just l and just c ], ii ) two - element circuits where the two elements are connected either serially [ there are 3 of these —( r + l ), ( r + c ) and ( l + c )] or in parallel ( there are 3 of these —( r ∥ l ), ( r ∥ c ) and ( l ∥ c )] and iii ) three - element circuits [ there are 8 of these — r +( l + c ), r ∥( l + c ), r +( l ∥ c ), r ∥( l ∥ c ), l +( r ∥ c ), l ∥( r + c ), c +( r ∥ l ) and c ∥( r + l )]. each character in the input alphanumeric string is assigned exactly one of the above seventeen circuits . since there are more than seventeen distinct characters in the ascii character set , the characters are placed in seventeen different partitions and each partition is assigned a dedicated circuit . the placement of a character into a partition is based on the frequency of occurrence of the character in normal and computer text . if the same character appears more than once in the input string , it is assigned the same circuit assigned to the partition into which the character falls . note that all characters that belong to the same partition will be assigned the same circuit identified with the partition . this method ensures that no character can be assigned more than one circuit since no character occurs in more than one partition . if there are ‘ k ’ characters in the input alphanumeric string , there will be ‘ k ’ circuits not all of which will be distinct . these ‘ k ’ individual circuits are combined to create a single overall ladder network . this combining is done in two distinct ways — a ) serial - parallel connections of consecutive circuits [ sp circuit ] and b ) parallel - serial connections of consecutive circuits [ ps circuit ]. the very first character in the input string is assigned the circuit associated with the partition into which the character falls . the processing of subsequent elements in the input string is as follows : the circuit associated with the second character is connected in series with the first circuit to create a single composite circuit . the circuit associated with the third character is now connected in parallel with this composite circuit to create yet another single composite circuit . the circuit for the fourth character is now connected in series with the composite circuit , the circuit for the fifth character is connected in parallel with the newest composite circuit , and so on — i . e ., in strictly alternating fashion [ serial - parallel - serial - parallel - serial - etc .]. the circuit associated with the second character is connected in parallel with the first circuit to create a single composite circuit . the circuit associated with the third character is now connected in series with this composite circuit to create yet another single composite circuit . the circuit for the fourth character is now connected in parallel with the composite circuit , the circuit for the fifth character is connected in series with the newest composite circuit , and so on — i . e ., once again in strictly alternating fashion [ parallel - serial - parallel - serial - parallel - etc .]. the two resulting ladder circuits are structurally different and have different overall impedances . the frequency responses ( wave forms ) of these circuits are quite different when voltage is applied to them . a simple sine wave voltage is used by the system . the frequency of the sine wave is input by the user in response to a prompt by the system . the wave normalizer function takes a wave signal as input and produces as output the same signal in normalized form . the normalization is performed by dividing the amplitude of every data point of the signal by the signal spread where signal spread is defined as the absolute value of the difference between the maximum amplitude and the minimum amplitude of the signal . this procedure only affects the signal amplitude and has no impact on the phase . the wave mixer takes two input waves and combines them into a single wave taking into account both the magnitude and phase of each data point in the input waves . each data point in the output wave will have its own magnitude and phase values . the wave to image converter takes the one - dimensional input wave signal and transforms it into two - dimensional form . this is done by interpreting every three consecutive data points of the wave as representing the red , green and blue color values of a single pixel and mapping the set of pixels so obtained into a two - dimensional square structure . the signature image generator takes as input any digital image and computes the sum of squares of the color value for each of the three colors by examining the color composition of each pixel in the image . the ‘ signature ’ color value is defined as the sum of squares value modulo 256 . each pixel in the image is then assigned the signature red value , the signature green value and the signature blue value . this means every pixel in the newly created image will have the same color — this color constitutes the ‘ signature ’ of the input image . the image differencer takes two same - size images as input , computes the difference between corresponding pixels in the two images for all the pixels and outputs the difference image . this functionality is required for data validation and verification purposes . the entire circuit ( both sp and ps versions have been considered ) representing an alphanumeric input string has been subject to a current i ( t )= sin ( ωt ) where ω = 2 · π · frequency . the frequency value is supplied by the user . the circuit voltage v = iz is computed for a specific set of time steps . z represents the overall impedance of the circuit . the set of voltage values at these time steps has been cast into matrix form ; the matrix is now taken to represent a set of pixel elements so that the matrix can be converted into an image . for each set of user provided input data , the vivid system outputs 4 textured images and 4 signature images . for every texture image , there is a corresponding signature image . of the four textured images , two are from the sp circuit , the other two from the ps circuit . consequently , there are four signature images as well , two per circuit version . the sp and ps circuit representations for a select set of id strings have been generated to obtain the frequency response of these circuits . the image representations of the circuits &# 39 ; frequency responses , both magnitude and phase , are depicted in fig3 to 6 . in fig3 the images output by the vivid system for 3 types of input strings — a ) numeric , b ) alphabetic , c ) mixed — are shown . fig4 shows the images output by the vivid system for two social security number input strings which differ only in the last digit . fig5 shows the images output by the vivid system for input strings representing dollar amounts and dates . in fig6 the images shown are the vivid system &# 39 ; s output for two palindrome input strings ; the second string contains the same characters throughout . the difference images produced by vivid and shown in fig7 are for two id strings which differ in just one position ( the single character difference is shown in red and blue ).

6Physics

before the description of the present invention proceeds , it is to be noted that like parts are designated by like reference numerals throughout the accompanying drawings . referring now to the drawings there is shown in fig1 a copying apparatus a according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention . the copying apparatus a is of a scanning type having a movable optical system , and in the optical system 10 of this apparatus , a exposure lamp 11 and a first scanning mirror 12 move together to the left in fig1 ( in the direction indicated by an arrow a ) at a speed v / n ( n : copying magnification ), a second scanning mirror 13 and a third scanning mirror 14 move likewise to the left in fig1 at a speed v / 2n , under a condition in which a photosensitive or a photoreceptive drum 1 , provided as an electrostatic latent image support member approximately the center of the apparatus , is rotating in the direct indicated by an arrow . reflected light of the light coming from the exposure lamp 11 and illuminating an original document od on an original document platform g , passes through a projecting lens assembly 18 through the first , second and third scanning mirrors 12 , 13 , 14 , and is exposed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 charged uniformly by a corona charger after being reflected by a fourth mirror 15 . in this manner , an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an original document image to be copied is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 . this electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image by a developing device 3 , and this toner image is transferred on a copy paper which is fed from a paper feed portion 8 in a timed relation with respect to a transfer charger 4 . thereafter , a copy paper , which is transferred the toner image , is separated from the photosensitive drum 1 by a separating charger 5 , and after fixing the toner image by melting the toner on the copy paper by a fixing device 9 , the copy paper is discharged into a paper stacking arrangement ( not shown ). on the other hand , after the toner image is transferred , residual toner is removed from the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 by a cleaning device 6 , and residual charge is removed by an eraser lamp 7 so as to prepare for a subsequent copying . in an optical system 10 of the copying apparatus of the above described structure , as shown in fig2 the projecting lens assembly 18 is mounted on a frame 20 , which is freely movable along a rail 21 arranged along the direction of the scanning , and is moved in the direction indicated by an arrow b at a reduced size magnification or in the direction indicated by an arrow b &# 39 ; at an enlarged size magnification according to a copying magnification by a wire 22 driven by a pulse motor , not shown . on the frame 20 , a cam plate 23 having a cam portion 24 on the upper edge is arranged parallel to the rail 21 . this cam portion 24 is made of an inclined portion 24b which has a predetermined upward slope from position s1 to position s2 along the direction indicated by an arrow b &# 39 ;, a horizontal portion 24a located at a side of the cam portion 24 extending in the direction indicated by an arrow b from the point s1 , and a horizontal portion 24c located at a side of the cam portion 24 extending in the direction indicated by an arrow b &# 39 ; from the point s2 . at the side portion of the cam plate 23 , a light quantity detecting device 30 of an automatic exposure control device is attached as shown in fig2 . in this light quantity detecting device 30 , a slit 31 is formed at the front side ( the side facing in the direction indicated by an arrow b &# 39 ;) of the case 32 in the form of box . while , in the rear portion of the case 32 , a photo detector 35 is accommodated such that its sensitive surface faces the slit 31 , and at one side of the case 32 , a lever 34 is provided by means of a support shaft 33 . meanwhile , the photo detector 35 is connected with a control device , not shown , so as to output an electric signal converted from the received light quantity into the control device . the case 32 is also supported rotatably by means of the support shaft 33 on a support plate 37 , which is arranged parallel to the side portion of the cam plate 23 . the support shaft 33 is wound spirally by a coil spring 36 , the both ends of which are fixed respectively to the support plate 37 and lever 34 . in this manner , the case 32 and the lever 34 is forced in the direction indicated by an arrow c , and the end of the lever 34 is positioned under a pressed condition on the cam portion 24 of the cam plate 23 . more specifically , when the copying magnification is an equal size magnification , the end of the lever 34 is arranged to be pressed against the horizontal portion 24a located at a side of the cam portion 24 extending in the direction of an arrow b from position s1 , and the photo detector 35 measures a light which comes along a light path r2e from a second location p2e from which a light to be measured is reflected , the light path r2e being at an angle of θ with a light path r1 passing through a center of the projecting lens assembly 18 , and the second location p2e deviating from the first location p1 to be exposed on the light path r1 by a distance x in the direction ( the direction indicated by an arrow a ) of scanning as shown by dotted line in fig4 . accordingly , when the original document od is illuminated by the exposure lamp 11 by starting the copying operation under the above described conditions , the projecting lens assembly 18 projects an image of the first location p1 , and exposes an image on the photosensitive drum 1 . on the other hand , the photo detector 35 receives light which is reflected at the second location p2e deviating from the first location p1 by a distance x in the forward direction , and outputs its detected value to the control device , not shown . in the control device , a density of an original document is detected by receiving a signal output by the photo detector 35 , and electric power supplied to the exposure lamp 11 is controlled according to the detected value . in this case , the exposure lamp 11 responds to the signal output by the control device with a time - lag of itself and the electric circuit . however , the second location p2e to be measured by the photo detector 35 is deviated in front of the first location pl by a distance x so as to cancel the time - lag of the exposure lamp 11 , so that the time - lag is substantially cancelled , and an intensity of light of the exposure lamp 11 is controlled suitably according to the density of an original document at a position approximately equal to the first location p1 . when the copying magnification is a reduced size magnification , the projecting lens assembly 18 and the cam plate 23 move in the direction indicated by an arrow b . as a result , the lever 34 rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow c &# 39 ; so as to increase the angle θ and displace the second location in a forward direction from the second location p2e at the time of equal size magnification , making the end of the lever 34 slide along the inclined portion 24b between the position s1 and the position s2 on the cam portion 24 . for example , when copying magnification is 1 / 2 , the distance x between the second location p2r and the first location p1 is twice the distance at the time of equal size magnification . in other words , at the time of reduced size magnification , because the scanning speed of the movable optical system becomes fast and the influence caused by the time - lag of the exposure lamp 11 has a tendency to increase , the distance is extended according to this situation . therefore , the time - lag of the response of the exposure lamp 11 is substantially canceled , so that a light quantity of the exposure lamp 11 is controlled suitably according to the density of an original document at a position approximately equal to the first location p1 . when copying magnification is an enlarged size magnification , the projecting lens assembly 18 moves in the direction indicated by an arrow b &# 39 ;. as a result , the lever 34 is arranged to be pressed against the horizontal portion 24a located at a side of the cam portion 24 extending in the direction of an arrow b from the position s1 , and the lever 34 and case 32 maintain the same condition as the condition at the time of equal size magnification . therefore , the photo detector 35 measures a light coming from the second location p2 deviating by a distance x in forward direction from the first location p1 . accordingly , when the copying magnification is an enlarged size magnification , the photo detector 35 measures a light coming from the second location p2e , and controls the light quantity of the exposure lamp 11 according to a density of an original document at a position approximately equal to the first location p1 , in a same manner at the time of equal size magnification . thus , when copying magnification is an enlarged size magnification , so far as the distance at the time of equal size magnification is maintained , the time - lag of the exposure lamp 11 is compensated without reducing the distance according to copying magnification . however , it is more preferable that the second location p2 is displaced close to the first location p1 according to the enlarged size copying magnification . meanwhile the present invention is not restricted to the embodiment in which the second location p2 to be measured by the photo detector 30 is adjusted by changing an inclination of the light quantity detecting device 30 , but the height of the light quantity detecting device 30 may be adjusted according to copying magnification . in other words , the distance between a light path r2 attaining to the photo detector and a light path r1 passing through the center of the projecting lens assembly 18 may be adjusted with the light path r2 being maintained parallel to the light path r1 , so as to adjust the distance x according to copying magnification . although the present invention has been fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted here 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 .

6Physics

the present invention will be explained in detail , hereinafter . first , in the polyimide having a structural unit represented by the formula ( 1 ), —( o — x — o )— represents a structure defined by the formula ( 2 ) or the formula ( 3 ), —( y — o )— represents an arrangement of one kind of structure defined by the formula ( 4 ) or a random arrangement of at least two kinds of structures defined by the formula ( 4 ), ar represents a tetravalent aromatic group selected from the group consisting of a monocyclic aromatic group , a condensed polycyclic aromatic group and a non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups are connected to each other directly or through a connecting group , and each of a and b is an integer of 0 to 100 , provided that at least one of a and b is not 0 . in the formula ( 2 ), r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 7 and r 8 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 4 , r 5 and r 6 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . in the formula ( 3 ), r 9 , r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , r 14 , r 15 and r 16 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and - a - represents a linear , branched or cyclic bivalent hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms . in the formula ( 4 ), r 17 and r 18 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 19 and r 20 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . in particular , preferred are a polyimide having a structural unit of the formula ( 1 ) wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 7 and r 8 in the formula ( 2 ) represent an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms and r 4 , r 5 and r 6 in the formula ( 2 ) represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms , a polyimide having a structural unit of the formula ( 1 ) wherein r 9 , r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , r 14 , r 15 and r 16 in the formula ( 3 ) represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms and a polyimide having a structural unit of the formula ( 1 ) wherein r 17 and r 18 in the formula ( 4 ) represent an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms and r 19 and r 20 in the formula ( 4 ) represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms . especially preferred is a polyimide having a structural unit of the formula ( 1 ) wherein —( o — x — o )— represented by the formula ( 2 ) is represented by the formula ( 6 ) or —( o — x — o )— represented by the formula ( 3 ) is represented by the formula ( 7 ) or the formula ( 8 ) and —( y — o )— represented by the formula ( 4 ) is an arrangement of a structure of the formula ( 9 ) or the formula ( 10 ) or a random arrangement of a structure of the formula ( 9 ) and a structure of the formula ( 10 ). wherein r 21 , r 22 , r 23 and r 24 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group and - a - represents a linear , branched or cyclic bivalent hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms . wherein - a - represents a linear , branched or cyclic bivalent hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms . examples of ar in the formula ( 1 ) include tetravalent aromatic groups having molecular structures such as molecular structures of benzene , biphenyl , naphthalene , benzophenone , 2 , 2 - diphenylpropane , 2 , 2 - diphenyl - 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropane , diphenyl ether , diphenyl sulfone , 9 , 9 - diphenylfluorene and perylene . ar is not limited to these . further , ar in the formula ( 1 ) can be a tetravalent non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group in which monocyclic aromatic groups such as benzene or biphenyl are connected to each other through a connecting group such as an oxygen atom , a carbonyl group , an ester group , methylene , ethylidene , 1 - methylethylidene , 1 , 1 - propylidene , 1 , 4 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), 1 , 3 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), cyclohexylidene , phenylmethylene , naphthylmethylene or 1 - phenylethylidene . the aromatic group used for ar can have a substituent such as a methyl group or an ethyl group . of these , a tetravalent aromatic group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms or a tetravalent aromatic group represented by the formula ( 11 ) is preferred as ar . further preferably , the structural unit of the formula ( 1 ) is a structural unit represented by the formula ( 15 ), the formula ( 16 ) or the formula ( 17 ). wherein —( o — x ′— o )— is a structure defined by the formula ( 12 ) or the formula ( 13 ), —( y ′— o )— is an arrangement of one kind of structure defined by the formula ( 14 ) or a random arrangement of at least two kinds of structures defined by the formula ( 14 ) and each of a ′ and b ′ is an integer of 0 to 100 , provided that at least one of a ′ and b ′ is not 0 . wherein r 24 , r 25 , r 26 , r 30 and r 31 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 27 , r 28 and r 29 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . wherein r 32 , r 33 , r 34 , r 35 , r 36 , r 37 , r 38 and r 39 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and - a ′- represents a linear , branched or cyclic bivalent hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms . wherein r 40 an r 41 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 42 and r 43 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . wherein —( o — x ′— o )— is a structure defined by the formula ( 12 ) or the formula ( 13 ), —( y ′— o )— is an arrangement of one kind of structure defined by the formula ( 14 ) or a random arrangement of at least two kinds of structures defined by the formula ( 14 ) and each of a ′ and b ′ is an integer of 0 to 100 , provided that at least one of a ′ and b ′ is not 0 . examples of - a - in the formula ( 3 ) include bivalent organic groups such as methylene , ethylidene , 1 - methylethylidene , 1 , 1 - propylidene , 1 , 4 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), 1 , 3 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), cyclohexylidene , phenylmethylene , naphthylmethylene and 1 - phenylethylidene . - a - is not limited to these examples . the polyimide of the present invention can further contain a structural unit represented by the formula ( 5 ) in a formula ( 1 ): formula ( 5 ) ratio of 100 : 0 - 50 : 50 . wherein ar represents a tetravalent aromatic group selected from the group consisting of a monocyclic aromatic group , a condensed polycyclic aromatic group and a non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups are connected to each other directly or through a connecting group and b represents a bivalent aromatic group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms which is selected from the group consisting of a monocyclic aromatic group , a condensed polycyclic aromatic group and a non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups are connected to each other directly or through a connecting group . examples of b , which represents a bivalent aromatic groups having 6 to 30 carbon atoms , include monocyclic aromatic groups such as 1 , 3 - phenylene , 1 , 4 - phenylene , 4 , 4 ′- biphenylene , 5 - chloro - 1 , 3 - phenylene and 5 - methoxy - 1 , 3 - phenylene ; condensed polycyclic aromatic groups such as 1 , 4 - naphthylene , 2 , 6 - naphthylene , 1 , 4 - anthrylene , 9 , 10 - anthrylene and 3 , 4 - perylenylene ; and bivalent non - condensed polycyclic aromatic groups having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups , typified by phenyl or biphenyl , are connected to each other through a connecting group , such as 2 , 2 - propylidenebis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ), 2 , 2 -( 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropylidene ) bis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ), carbonylbis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ), oxybis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ), sulfonylbis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ) and 9 , 9 - fluorenylidenebis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ). examples of the above connecting group include an oxygen atom , a carbonyl group , an ester group , methylene , ethylidene , 1 - methylethylidene , 1 , 1 - propylidene , 1 , 4 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), 1 , 3 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), cyclohexylidene , phenylmethylene , naphthylmethylene or 1 - phenylethylidene . b is not limited to these examples . further , the aromatic group used for b can have a substitute such as methyl group or an ethyl group . the polyimide of the present invention can be produced by cyclodehydrating a polyamic acid having a structural unit represented by the formula ( 18 ). wherein —( o — x — o )— is a structure defined by the formula ( 2 ) or the formula ( 3 ), —( y — o )— is an arrangement of one kind of structure defined by the formula ( 4 ) or a random arrangement of at least two kinds of structures defined by the formula ( 4 ), each of a and b is an integer of 0 to 100 , provided that at least one of a and b is not 0 , and ar represents a tetravalent aromatic group selected from the group consisting of a monocyclic aromatic group , a condensed polycyclic aromatic group and a non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups are connected to each other directly or through a connecting group . wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 7 and r 8 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 4 , r 5 and r 6 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . wherein r 9 , r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , r 14 , r 15 and r 16 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and - a - represents a linear , branched or cyclic bivalent hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms . wherein r 17 and r 18 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 19 and r 20 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . as for imidation , it is possible to adopt a thermal imidation method or a chemical imidation method . as the thermal imidation method , for example , ( 1 ) a method in which a solution of a polyamic acid is flowed and expanded on a base plate having a flat and smooth surface such as a glass plate or a metal plate and then cyclodehydration is carried out by heating or ( 2 ) a method in which a solution of a polyamic acid is directly heated to carry out cyclodehydration is adopted . for example , an organic solvent which is used for the production of the polyamic acid , to be described later , can be used as a solvent in the above methods . in the above thermal imidation method ( 1 ), a thin film formed by flowing and expanding the polyamic acid solution on the base plate is heated under normal pressure or under reduced pressure , whereby a film - like polyimide can be obtained . the heating temperature for the cyclodehydration in this case is generally 100 to 400 ° c ., preferably 150 to 350 ° c . it is preferred to gradually increase the temperature during the reaction . in the above thermal imidation method ( 2 ), the polyamic acid solution is heated , whereby a polyimide in the form of a powder or a solution can be obtained . the heating temperature for the cyclodehydration in this case is generally 80 to 300 ° c ., preferably 100 to 250 ° c . in the above thermal imidation method ( 2 ), a component which is azeotropic with water and , in particular , can be easily separated from water outside a reaction system , such as an aromatic hydrocarbon typified by benzene , toluene or xylene , can be used as a dehydrating agent for the purpose of easily removing water generated as a by - product . further , a catalyst such as a tertiary amine can be used for accelerating the cyclodehydration in the above thermal imidation method ( 2 ). the amount of the catalyst is , for example , 10 to 400 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the polyamic acid . examples of the tertiary amine as the catalyst include aliphatic tertiary amines such as trimethylamine , triethylamine , tri - n - propylamine , tri - 1 - propylamine and tri - n - butylamine ; aromatic tertiary amines such as n , n - dimethylaniline and n , n - diethylaniline ; and heterocyclic tertiary amines such as pyridine , quinoline and isoquinoline . as the chemical imidation method , for example , ( 3 ) a method in which poly - imidation is carried out in the state of a solution by the use of a cyclization agent capable of cyclodehydrating a polyamic acid is adopted , whereby a polyimide is obtained in the form of a powder or a solution . for example , an organic solvent which is used for the production of the polyamic acid , to be described later , can be used as a solvent for this method . examples of the cyclization agent used in the chemical imidation method ( 3 ) include acid anhydrides such as acetic anhydride , propionic anhydride and butyric anhydride . the cyclization agent can be used singly or at least two cyclization agents can be used in combination . the amount of the cyclization agent is generally 2 to 100 mol , preferably 2 to 50 mol , per 1 mol of a repeating unit of the polyamic acid . the reaction temperature in the chemical imidation method ( 3 ) is generally 0 to 200 ° c . further , a tertiary amine can be used as a catalyst also in the chemical imidation method similarly to the above thermal imidation method . when the polyimide is obtained in the form of a powder by the above thermal imidation method or the chemical imidation method , the polyimide powder can be separated and recovered from a medium by proper means such as filtration , spray drying or steam distillation . the imidation rate of the polyimide of the present invention is 50 % or more , preferably 90 % or more . in the polyamic acid having a structural unit represented by the formula ( 18 ), —( o — x — o )— represents a structure defined by the formula ( 2 ) or the formula ( 3 ), —( y — o )— represents an arrangement of one kind of structure defined by the formula ( 4 ) or a random arrangement of at least two kinds of structures defined by the formula ( 4 ), ar represents a tetravalent aromatic group selected from the group consisting of a monocyclic aromatic group , a condensed polycyclic aromatic group and a non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups are connected to each other directly or through a connecting group , and each of a and b is an integer of 0 to 100 , provided that at least one of a and b is not 0 . in the formula ( 2 ), r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 7 and r 8 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 4 , r 5 and r 6 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . in the formula ( 3 ), r 9 , r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , r 14 , r 15 and r 16 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and - a - represents a linear , branched or cyclic bivalent hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms . in the formula ( 4 ), r 17 and r 18 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 19 and r 20 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . in particular , preferred are a polyamic acid having a structural unit of the formula ( 18 ) wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 7 and r 8 in the formula ( 2 ) represent an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms and r 4 , r 5 and r 6 in the formula ( 2 ) represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms , a polyamic acid having a structural unit of the formula ( 18 ) wherein r 9 , r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , r 14 , r 15 and r 16 in the formula ( 3 ) represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms and a polyamic acid having a structural unit of the formula ( 18 ) wherein r 17 and r 18 in the formula ( 4 ) represent an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms and r 19 and r 20 in the formula ( 4 ) represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 3 or less carbon atoms . especially preferred is a polyamic acid having a structural unit of the formula ( 18 ) wherein —( o — x — o )— represented by the formula ( 2 ) is represented by the formula ( 6 ) or —( o — x — o )— represented by the formula ( 3 ) is represented by the formula ( 7 ) or the formula ( 8 ) and —( y — o )— represented by the formula ( 4 ) is an arrangement of a structure of the formula ( 9 ) or the formula ( 10 ) or a random arrangement of a structure of the formula ( 9 ) and a structure of the formula ( 10 ). examples of ar in the formula ( 18 ) include tetravalent aromatic groups having molecular structures such as molecular structures of benzene , biphenyl , naphthalene , benzophenone , 2 , 2 - diphenylpropane , 2 , 2 - diphenyl - 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropane , diphenyl ether , diphenyl sulfone , 9 , 9 - diphenylfluorene and perylene . ar is not limited to these . further , ar in the formula ( 18 ) can be a tetravalent non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group in which monocyclic aromatic groups such as benzene or biphenyl are connected to each other through a connecting group such as an oxygen atom , a carbonyl group , an ester group , methylene , ethylidene , 1 - methylethylidene , 1 , 1 - propylidene , 1 , 4 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), 1 , 3 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), cyclohexylidene , phenylmethylene , naphthylmethylene or 1 - phenylethylidene . the aromatic group used for ar can have a substituent such as a methyl group or an ethyl group . of these , a tetravalent aromatic group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms or a tetravalent aromatic group represented by the formula ( 11 ) is preferred as ar . further preferably , the structural unit of the formula ( 18 ) is a structural unit represented by the formula ( 20 ), the formula ( 21 ) or the formula ( 22 ). wherein —( o — x ′— o )— is a structure defined by the formula ( 12 ) or the formula ( 13 ), —( y ′— o )— is an arrangement of one kind of structure defined by the formula ( 14 ) or a random arrangement of at least two kinds of structures defined by the formula ( 14 ) and each of a ′ and b ′ is an integer of 0 to 100 , provided that at least one of a ′ and b ′ is not 0 . wherein r 24 , r 25 , r 26 , r 30 and r 31 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 27 , r 28 and r 29 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . wherein r 32 , r 33 , r 34 , r 35 , r 36 , r 37 , r 38 and r 39 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and - a ′- represents a linear , branched or cyclic bivalent hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms . wherein r 40 an r 41 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 42 and r 43 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . examples of - a - in the formula ( 4 ) include bivalent organic groups such as methylene , ethylidene , 1 - methylethylidene , 1 , 1 - propylidene , 1 , 4 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), 1 , 3 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), cyclohexylidene , phenylmethylene , naphthylmethylene and 1 - phenylethylidene . - a - in the formula ( 4 ) is not limited to these examples . the polyamic acid of the present invention can further contain a structural unit represented by the formula ( 19 ) in a formula ( 18 ): formula ( 19 ) ratio of 100 : 0 - 50 : 50 . wherein ar represents a tetravalent aromatic group selected from the group consisting of a monocyclic aromatic group , a condensed polycyclic aromatic group and a non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups are connected to each other directly or through a connecting group and b represents a bivalent aromatic group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms which is selected from the group consisting of a monocyclic aromatic group , a condensed polycyclic aromatic group and a non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups are connected to each other directly or through a connecting group . examples of b , which represents a bivalent aromatic groups having 6 to 30 carbon atoms , include monocyclic aromatic groups such as 1 , 3 - phenylene , 1 , 4 - phenylene , 4 , 4 ′- biphenylene , 5 - chloro - 1 , 3 - phenylene and 5 - methoxy - 1 , 3 - phenylene ; condensed polycyclic aromatic groups such as 1 , 4 - naphthylene , 2 , 6 - naphthylene , 1 , 4 - anthrylene , 9 , 10 - anthrylene and 3 , 4 - perylenylene ; and bivalent non - condensed polycyclic aromatic groups having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups , typified by phenyl or biphenyl , are connected to each other through a connecting group , such as 2 , 2 - propylidenebis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ), 2 , 2 -( 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropylidene ) bis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ), carbonylbis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ), oxybis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ), sulfonylbis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ) and 9 , 9 - fluorenylidenebis ( 1 , 4 - phenylene ). examples of the above connecting group include an oxygen atom , a carbonyl group , an ester group , methylene , ethylidene , 1 - methylethylidene , 1 , 1 - propylidene , 1 , 4 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), 1 , 3 - phenylenebis ( 1 - methylethylidene ), cyclohexylidene , phenylmethylene , naphthylmethylene or 1 - phenylethylidene . b is not limited to these examples . further , the aromatic group used for b can have a substitute such as methyl group or an ethyl group . the polyamic acid of the present invention can be produced by condensation polymerization of a diamine represented by the formula ( 23 ) or a diamine represented by the formula ( 23 ) and a diamine represented by the formula ( 24 ) with an acid dianhydride in an organic solvent . wherein —( o — x — o )— is a structure defined by the formula ( 2 ) or the formula ( 3 ), —( y — o )— is an arrangement of one kind of structure defined by the formula ( 4 ) or a random arrangement of at least two kinds of structures defined by the formula ( 4 ), and each of a and b is an integer of 0 to 100 , provided that at least one of a and b is not 0 . wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 7 and r 8 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 4 , r 5 and r 6 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . wherein r 9 , r 10 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , r 14 , r 15 and r 16 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and - a - represents a linear , branched or cyclic bivalent hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms . wherein r 17 and r 18 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 19 and r 20 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . wherein b represents a bivalent aromatic group having 6 to 30 carbon atoms which is selected from the group consisting of a monocyclic aromatic group , a condensed polycyclic aromatic group and a non - condensed polycyclic aromatic group having a structure in which monocyclic aromatic groups are connected to each other directly or through a connecting group . the method for producing the diamine represented by the formula ( 23 ) is not specially limited . the diamine of the formula ( 23 ) can be produced by any method . for example , the diamine of the formula ( 23 ) can be produced by reducing a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound obtained by reacting a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer , which is obtained by oxidative coupling of a bifunctional phenol compound and a monofunctional phenol compound , with a nitro halobenzene compound or a dinitro benzene compound in an organic solvent in the presence of a basic compound . the method of the above reduction of the bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound is not specially limited . for example , it is possible to adopt a known method in which a nitro group is reduced to an amino group . the reduction reaction of the bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound is carried out by , for example , reducing the bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound to an bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer diamino compound by use of hydrogen in a reaction solvent , which is inactive in the reaction , at a temperature of 20 to 200 ° c . at a pressure of normal pressure to 50 kgf / cm 2 in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst such as a metal catalyst typified by nickel , palladium or platinum , a supported catalyst in which such a metal is carried on a proper support , or a raney catalyst of nickel , copper or the like . examples of the above reaction solvent include aliphatic alcohols such as methanol , ethanol and isopropanol , ethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers such as methyl cellosolve and ethyl cellosolve , aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene , benzene and xylene , and ethers such as tetrahydrofuran , dioxane , dipropyl ether , diethylene glycol dimethyl ether , diethylene glycol ethyl methyl ether and diethylene glycol diethyl ether . the reaction solvent is not limited to these examples so long as it is a solvent which dissolves the bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound . the reaction solvent may be used singly or at least two reaction solvents may be used in combination . the number average molecular weight of the diamine of the formula ( 23 ) is preferably in the range of from 500 to 3 , 000 . the dispersity ( weight average molecular weight / number average molecular weight ) is preferably in the range of 1 to 3 . when the number average molecular weight is less than 500 , it is difficult to obtain electric characteristics possessed by a phenylene ether structure . when it exceeds 3 , 000 , the reactivity of a terminal functional group is decreased and the solubility into solvent is also decreased . when the dispersity exceeds 3 , the solubility into solvent is decreased . the substitution position of an amino group of the diamine represented by the formula ( 23 ) is not specially limited so long as it is a para position or a meta position with regard to the substitution position of an oxygen atom . then , the bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound , which can be a precursor of the diamine represented by the formula ( 23 ), will be explained . the method for producing the bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound is not specially limited . the bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound can be produced by any method . for example , the bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound is produced by reacting a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer , which is obtained by oxidative coupling of a bifunctional phenol compound and a monofunctional phenol compound , with a nitro halobenzene compound or a dinitro benzene compound in an organic solvent in the presence of a basic compound at a temperature of 50 to 250 ° c ., preferably 50 to 180 ° c ., for 0 . 5 to 24 hours . the method for producing the bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound can be selected from known methods . for example , the methods described in jp - a - 4 - 178358 , jp - a - 2006 - 219396 , etc ., can be adopted . the above - mentioned bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer can be produced by , for example , dissolving a bifunctional phenol compound , a monofunctional phenol compound and a catalyst in a solvent and then introducing oxygen into the resultant solution under heat with stirring . examples of the bifunctional phenol compound include 2 , 2 ′, 3 , 3 ′, 5 , 5 ′- hexamethyl -( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 , 4 ′- diol , 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol ), 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxyphenyl methane and 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane . the bifunctional phenol compound is not limited to these examples . the monofunctional phenol compound is typically 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol or 2 , 3 , 6 - trimethylphenol . the monofunctional phenol compound is not limited to these . the catalyst is , for example , a combination of a copper salt and an amine . examples of the copper salt include cucl , cubr , cui , cucl 2 and cubr 2 . examples of the amine include di - n - butylamine , n - butyldimethylamine , n , n ′- di - t - butylethylenediamine , pyridine , n , n , n ′ n ′- tetramethylethylenediamine , piperidine and imidazole . the catalyst is not limited to these examples . examples of the solvent include toluene , methanol , methyl ethyl ketone and xylene . the solvent is not limited to these examples . examples of the diamine represented by the formula ( 24 ) include p - phenylenediamine , m - phenylenediamine , 3 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylether , 4 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylether , 1 , 5 - naphthylenediamine , 4 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylmethane , 3 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylsulfone , 4 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylsulfone , 2 , 4 - diaminochlorobenzene , 2 , 2 - bis [ 4 -( 4 - aminophenoxy ) phenyl ] propane , 2 , 2 -[ 4 -( 4 - aminophenoxyphenyl )][ 4 -( 3 - aminophenoxyphenyl )] propane , 2 , 2 - bis [ 3 -( 3 - aminophenoxy ) phenyl ]- 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropane , 2 , 2 - bis [ 4 -( 4 - aminophenoxy ) phenyl ]- 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropane , 2 , 2 -[ 4 -( 4 - aminophenoxyphenyl )][ 4 -( 3 - aminophenoxyphenyl )- 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropane , 1 , 3 - bis ( 3 - aminophenoxy ) benzene , 1 , 4 - bis ( 3 - aminophenoxy ) benzene , 1 , 4 - bis ( 4 - aminophenoxy ) benzene , 1 , 3 - bis ( 4 - aminophenoxy ) benzene and 4 , 4 ′- bis ( 4 - aminophenoxy ) biphenyl . the amount of the diamine of the formula ( 24 ) is 50 mol % or less based on the total of the diamine components . the diamine of the formula ( 24 ) can be used singly or a mixture of at least two diamines of the formula ( 24 ) can be used . examples of the acid dianhydride include pyromellitic dianhydride , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - benzenetetracarboxylic dianhydride , 3 , 3 ′, 4 , 4 ′- benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride , 2 , 2 ′, 3 , 3 ′- benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride , 3 , 3 ′, 4 , 4 ′- biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride , 2 , 2 ′, 3 , 3 ′- biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride , 2 , 3 , 3 ′, 4 ′- biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 , 4 - dicarboxyphenyl ) propane dianhydride , 2 , 2 - bis ( 2 , 3 - dicarboxyphenyl ) propane dianhydride , bis ( 3 , 4 - dicarboxyphenyl ) ether dianhydride , bis ( 2 , 3 - dicarboxyphenyl ) ether dianhydride , bis ( 3 , 4 - dicarboxyphenyl ) sulfone dianhydride , bis ( 2 , 3 - dicarboxyphenyl ) sulfone dianhydride , 2 , 3 - bis ( 3 , 4 - dicarboxyphenyl )- 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropane dianhydride , 2 , 2 - bis ( 2 , 3 - dicarboxyphenyl )- 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoropropane dianhydride , 9 , 9 - bis ( 4 -( 3 , 4 - dicarboxyphenoxy ) phenyl ) fluorene dianhydride , 9 , 9 - bis ( 4 -( 2 , 3 - dicarboxyphenoxy ) phenyl ) fluorene dianhydride , 2 , 3 , 6 , 7 - naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride , 1 , 4 , 5 , 8 - naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride , 3 , 4 , 9 , 10 - perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride and an acid dianhydride represented by the formula ( 25 ). among these acid dianhydrides , pyromellitic dianhydride , 2 , 2 ′, 3 , 3 ′- biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride , 3 , 3 ′, 4 , 4 ′- biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride , 2 , 3 , 3 ′, 4 ′- biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride and the acid dianhydride represented by the formula ( 25 ) are preferred . the acid dianhydride can be used singly or at least two acid dianhydrides can be used in combination . wherein —( o — x ′— o )— is a structure defined by the formula ( 12 ) or the formula ( 13 ), —( y ′— o )— is an arrangement of one kind of structure defined by the formula ( 14 ) or a random arrangement of at least two kinds of structures defined by the formula ( 14 ) and each of a ′ and b ′ is an integer of 0 to 100 , provided that at least one of a ′ and b ′ is not 0 . wherein r 24 , r 25 , r 26 , r 30 and r 31 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 27 , r 28 and r 29 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . wherein r 32 , r 33 , r 34 , r 35 , r 36 , r 37 , r 38 and r 39 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and - a ′- represents a linear , branched or cyclic bivalent hydrocarbon group having 20 or less carbon atoms . wherein r 40 an r 41 are the same or different and represent an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group and r 42 and r 43 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom , an alkyl group having 6 or less carbon atoms or a phenyl group . the method for producing the acid dianhydride represented by the formula ( 25 ) is not specially limited . the acid dianhydride of the formula ( 25 ) can be produced by any method . for example , the acid dianhydride of the formula ( 25 ) can be obtained by reacting the aforementioned bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer with trimellitic anhydride chloride in the presence of a base such as pyridine or triethylamine . a solvent which does not react with an acid anhydride and an acid chloride such as toluene , xylene , dichloromethane or chloroform can be used as a solvent for the above reaction . it is preferred to carry out the reaction in an atmosphere of an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon in order to prevent the deactivation of the acid anhydride and the acid chloride . the acid dianhydride represented by the formula ( 25 ) can be also obtained by reacting the aforementioned bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer with trimellitic anhydride in the presence of a condensing agent . a known esterification agent such as sulfuric acid can be used as the condensing agent . a solvent which does not react with an acid anhydride such as toluene or xylene can be used as a solvent for the above reaction . it is preferred to carry out the reaction in an atmosphere of an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon in order to prevent the deactivation of the acid anhydride . the number average molecular weight of the acid dianhydride represented by the formula ( 25 ) is preferably in the range of 500 to 3 , 000 . the dispersity ( weight average molecular weight / number average molecular weight ) is preferably in the range of 1 to 3 . the polyamic acid of the present invention can be produced by using at least two kinds of diamines represented by the formula ( 23 ), at least two kinds of diamines represented by the formula ( 24 ) or at least two kinds of acid dianhydrides . the polyamic acid can be a block copolymer in which an amic acid having the same repeating unit repeats to a certain extent and then another kind of amic acid repeats to a certain extent or a random copolymer in which amic acids obtained from different raw materials are respectively repeated at random . the reaction between the diamine and the acid dianhydride is generally carried out in an organic solvent . examples of the organic solvent include n , n - dimethylformamide , n , n - dimethylacetamide , n , n - dimethylmethoxyacetamide , n , n - diethylmethoxyacetamide , n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone , n - methylcaprolactam , 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane , diethylene glycol dimethyl ether , diethylene glycol ethyl methyl ether , diethylene glycol diethyl ether , tetrahydrofuran , 1 , 3 - dioxane , 1 , 4 - dioxane , pyridine , picoline , dimethylsulfoxide , dimethylsulfone and tetramethylurea . the organic solvent can be used singly or at least two organic solvents can be used in combination . the concentration of the reaction raw materials in the aforesaid condensation polymerization reaction is generally 2 to 50 wt %, preferably 5 to 30 wt %. the reaction temperature is generally 60 ° c . or lower , preferably 50 ° c . or lower . the reaction pressure is not specially limited . generally , the condensation polymerization can be carried out under normal pressure . further , the reaction time is generally 0 . 5 to 24 hours . the polyamic acid of the present invention can be obtained by the above - explained condensation polymerization . the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., concentration 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid of the present invention is preferably 0 . 1 to 5 dl / g . further , the polyamic acid of the present invention can be partially imidized so long as the imidation rate does not exceed 50 %. the film made of the polyimide of the present invention is obtained by applying a solution containing the polyimide of the present invention or the polyamic acid of the present invention to a surface of a supporting material such as a glass plate , a metal plate or a plastic film with a device such as a bar coater , a die coater , a doctor blade or a baker applicator , carrying out drying and cyclodehydration by heating , and then removing the supporting material . as for the heating conditions for the cyclodehydration , the temperature is generally 100 ° c . to 400 ° c ., preferably 150 ° c . to 350 ° c ., and it is preferred to gradually increase the temperature . the heating time is preferably 1 to 10 hours . it is possible to use a reduced pressure or use an atmosphere of an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon during the heating , as required . as the method of removing the supporting material , peeling - off , etching or the like is used . the supporting material can be removed before the completion of the drying and cyclodehydration . it is possible to adopt a method in which the drying and cyclodehydration are carried out until the applied solution becomes capable of supporting itself , then , it is peeled off from the supporting material , and then , drying and cyclodehydration are carried out again . when the thickness of the applied solution is large , a solvent is apt to remain . therefore , the thickness of the film of the present invention is preferably 0 . 1 to 500 μm , more preferably 0 . 5 to 200 μm . the laminate of the present invention which has metal layer ( s ) on one side or both surfaces will be explained . the laminate of the present invention can be obtained by a method in which the film of the present invention and a metal foil or a metal plate are pressure - bonded by heating and pressurization , a method in which the film of the present invention and a metal foil or a metal plate is bonded with an adhesive , a method in which a metal layer is formed on the film of the present invention by plating or sputtering or a method in which a solution of the polyamic acid of the present invention is flowed and expanded on a metal plate or a metal foil , followed by drying and cyclodehydration by heating , to form a polyimide . the present invention will be more concretely explained with reference to examples , hereinafter , while the present invention shall not be specially limited to these examples . a number average molecular weight and a weight average molecular weight were obtained by a gel permeation chromatography ( gpc ) method ( calculated as polystyrene ). tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) was used for a developing solvent for gpc . a hydroxyl group equivalent and an amino group equivalent were obtained by quantification of a terminal functional group by means of titration . a dielectric constant and a dielectric loss tangent were measured at 10 ghz by a cavity resonance perturbation method . in examples of the present invention , the term “ at a dried time ” means the state of a sample after the sample was kept in a calcium chloride - containing desiccator ( humidity 21 %) at a temperature of 20 ° c . for 12 hours and the term “ at a moisture - absorbed time ” means the state of a sample after the sample is kept at a humidity of 50 % at a temperature of 25 ° c . for 12 hours . as for the reduction viscosity of a polyamic acid , a polyamic acid solution was dissolved into n , n - dimethylacetamide such that the concentration became 0 . 5 g / dl , and then the reduction viscosity was measured at 25 ° c . with a ubbelohde viscosimeter . a 12 l longitudinally long reactor equipped with a stirrer , a thermometer , an air - introducing tube and baffleplates was charged with 3 . 88 g ( 17 . 4 mmol ) of cubr 2 , 0 . 75 g ( 4 . 4 mmol ) of n , n ′- di - t - butylethylenediamine , 28 . 04 g ( 277 . 6 mmol ) of n - butyldimethylamine and 2 , 600 g of toluene . the mixture was stirred at a reaction temperature of 40 ° c . separately , 129 . 32 g ( 0 . 48 mol ) of 2 , 2 ′, 3 , 3 ′, 5 , 5 ′- hexamethyl -( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 , 4 ′- diol , 292 . 19 g ( 2 . 40 mol ) of 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol , 0 . 51 g ( 2 . 9 mmol ) of n , n ′- di - t - butylethylenediamine and 10 . 90 g ( 108 . 0 mmol ) of n - butyldimethylamine were dissolved in 2 , 300 g of methanol , to obtain a mixed solution . the mixed solution was dropwise added to the mixture in the reactor over 230 minutes with stirring while bubbling was carried out with a nitrogen - air mixed gas having an oxygen concentration of 8 % at a flow velocity of 5 . 2 l / min . after the completion of the addition , 1 , 500 g of water containing 19 . 89 g ( 52 . 3 mmol ) of tetrasodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate dissolved therein was added to the mixture to terminate the reaction . an aqueous layer and an organic layer were separated . the organic layer was washed with 1n hydrochloric acid aqueous solution and then washed with pure water . the thus - obtained solution was concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure at 120 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain 416 . 7 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer ( resin “ a ”). the resin “ a ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 035 , a weight average molecular weight of 1 , 598 and a hydroxyl group equivalent of 435 . a 2 l reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a thermometer was charged with 999 . 3 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide , 250 . 4 g of the resin “ a ”, 89 . 4 g ( 0 . 63 mol ) of 4 - fluoronitrobenzene and 95 . 3 g ( 0 . 69 mol ) of potassium carbonate . the atmosphere in the reactor vessel was replaced with nitrogen . then , the resultant mixture was heated and the mixture was continuously stirred for 5 hours at 110 ° c ., to allow the mixture to react . after the completion of the reaction , filtering was carried out at 90 to 100 ° c . to remove an inorganic salt . then , the thus - obtained filtrate was cooled down to room temperature . the filtrate was poured to a mixed solvent of 1 , 000 g of methanol and 500 g of pure water , to precipitate a solid . the solid was recovered by filtering , washed with methanol and dried , to obtain 286 . 9 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound ( resin “ b ”). the resin “ b ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 246 and a weight average molecular weight of 1 , 779 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ b ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 1 , 520 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 1 , 343 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — o bond . then , a 2 l reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer was charged with 100 . 0 g of the resin “ b ”, 600 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide and 2 . 5 g of a 5 % pd / alumina catalyst . the mixture was stirred under a hydrogen atmosphere at 80 ° c . for 7 . 5 hours , to allow the mixture to react . then , the resultant reaction solution was filtered , to remove the catalyst , and then poured to 1 , 000 g of pure water , to precipitate a solid . the solid was recovered by filtering , washed with pure water and dried , to obtain 85 . 1 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer diamine ( resin “ c ”). the resin “ c ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 269 , a weight average molecular weight of 1 , 788 and an amino group equivalent of 590 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ c ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 3 , 448 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 3 , 367 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — h bond . a 200 ml reactor equipped with a stirrer , a thermometer , a dropping funnel and a reflux tube was charged with 6 . 31 g ( 0 . 03 mol ) of trimellitic anhydride chloride and 40 g of toluene . the mixture was stirred under heat at 70 ° c . under nitrogen , and 8 . 27 g ( hydroxyl group 0 . 019 mol ) of the resin “ a ”, 2 . 41 g of pyridine and 80 g of toluene placed in the dropping funnel were dropwise added over 1 hour . after the completion of the addition , the resultant mixture was further heated and refluxed for 2 hours . after the completion of the reaction , the reactor was cooled by ice bath . the thus - precipitated trimellitic anhydride chloride and pyridine hydrochloride were removed by filtering . the thus - obtained filtrate was evaporated and dried under reduced pressure , to obtain 11 . 6 g of an acid dianhydride ( resin “ d ”) represented by the aforementioned formula ( 24 ). the resin “ d ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 343 and a weight average molecular weight of 2 , 782 . the structure of the resin “ d ” was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum and infrared spectroscopic spectrum . a 12 l longitudinally long reactor equipped with a stirrer , a thermometer , an air - introducing tube and baffleplates was charged with 9 . 36 g ( 42 . 1 mmol ) of cubr 2 , 1 . 81 g ( 10 . 5 mmol ) of n , n ′- di - t - butylethylenediamine , 67 . 77 g ( 671 . 0 mmol ) of n - butyldimethylamine and 2 , 600 g of toluene . the mixture was stirred at a reaction temperature of 40 ° c . separately , 129 . 31 g ( 0 . 48 mol ) of 2 , 2 ′, 3 , 3 ′, 5 , 5 ′- hexamethyl -( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 , 4 ′- diol , 878 . 4 g ( 7 . 2 mol ) of 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol , 1 . 22 g ( 7 . 2 mmol ) of n , n ′- di - t - butylethylenediamine and 26 . 35 g ( 260 . 9 mmol ) of n - butyldimethylamine were dissolved in 2 , 300 g of methanol , to obtain a mixed solution . the mixed solution was dropwise added to the mixture in the reactor over 230 minutes with stirring while bubbling was carried out with a nitrogen - air mixed gas having an oxygen concentration of 8 % at a flow velocity of 5 . 2 l / min . after the completion of the addition , 1 , 500 g of water containing 48 . 06 g ( 126 . 4 mmol ) of tetrasodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate dissolved therein was added to the mixture to terminate the reaction . an aqueous layer and an organic layer were separated . then , the organic layer was washed with 1n hydrochloric acid aqueous solution and then washed with pure water . the thus - obtained solution was concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure at 120 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain 990 . 5 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer ( resin “ e ”). the resin “ e ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 975 , a weight average molecular weight of 3 , 514 and a hydroxyl group equivalent of 990 . a 500 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser , a thermometer and a dean and stark water separator was charged with 250 . 2 g of n , n - dimethylformamide , 148 . 5 g of the resin “ e ”, 52 . 1 g ( 0 . 33 mol ) of 4 - chloronitrobenzene and 25 . 0 g ( 0 . 18 mol ) of potassium carbonate . 20 . 0 g of toluene was added to the reactor vessel . the atmosphere in the reactor vessel was replaced with nitrogen . then , the resultant mixture was heated and the mixture was continuously stirred for 5 hours at a temperature of 140 to 150 ° c ., to allow the mixture to react . water generated by the reaction was sequentially removed by azeotropy with toluene . after the completion of the reaction , filtering was carried out at 80 to 90 ° c ., to remove an inorganic salt . then , the thus - obtained filtrate was cooled down to room temperature . the filtrate was poured to 320 . 1 g of methanol , to precipitate a solid . the solid was recovered by filtering , washed with methanol and then dried , to obtain 140 . 3 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound ( resin “ f ”). the resin “ f ” had a number average molecular weight of 3 , 081 and a weight average molecular weight of 5 , 587 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ f ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 1 , 519 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 1 , 342 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — o bond . then , a 300 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer was charged with 3 . 60 g of the resin “ f ”, 105 . 0 g of n , n - dimethylformamide and 0 . 468 g of a 5 % pd / c catalyst . the mixture was allowed to react under a hydrogen atmosphere at room temperature for 8 hours with vigorously stirring . then , the resultant reaction solution was filtered to remove the catalyst , then concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure , to obtain 2 . 97 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer diamine ( resin “ g ”). the resin “ g ” had a number average molecular weight of 2 , 905 , a weight average molecular weight of 6 , 388 and an amino group equivalent of 1 , 351 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ g ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 3 , 447 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 3 , 365 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — h bond . a 12 l longitudinally long reactor equipped with a stirrer , a thermometer , an air - introducing tube and baffleplates was charged with 13 . 1 g ( 0 . 12 mol ) of cucl , 707 . 0 g ( 5 . 5 mol ) of di - n - butylamine and 4 , 000 g of methyl ethyl ketone . the mixture was stirred at a reaction temperature of 40 ° c . separately , 410 . 2 g ( 1 . 6 mol ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol ) and 586 . 5 g ( 4 . 8 mol ) of 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol were dissolved in 8 , 000 g of methyl ethyl ketone to obtain a solution . the solution was dropwise added to the mixture in the reactor over 120 minutes with stirring while bubbling was continuously carried out with 2 l / min of air . a disodium dihydrogen ethylenediamine tetraacetate aqueous solution was added to the resultant mixture to terminate the reaction . then , washing was carried out with 1n hydrochloric acid aqueous solution three times and then washing was carried out with ion - exchanged water . the thus - obtained solution was concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure at 120 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain 946 . 6 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer ( resin “ h ”). the resin “ h ” had a number average molecular weight of 801 , a weight average molecular weight of 1 , 081 and a hydroxyl group equivalent of 455 . a 500 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser , a thermometer and a dean and stark water separator was charged with 200 . 2 g of n , n - dimethylformamide , 68 . 3 g of the resin “ h ”, 52 . 2 g ( 0 . 33 mol ) of 4 - chloronitrobenzene and 24 . 9 g ( 0 . 18 mol ) of potassium carbonate . 19 . 0 g of toluene was added to the reactor vessel . the atmosphere in the reactor vessel was replaced with nitrogen . then , the resultant mixture was heated and the mixture was continuously stirred for 5 hours at a temperature of 140 to 150 ° c ., to allow the mixture to react . water generated by the reaction was sequentially removed by azeotropy with toluene . after the completion of the reaction , filtering was carried out at 80 to 90 ° c ., to remove an inorganic salt . then , the thus - obtained filtrate was cooled down to room temperature . the filtrate was poured to 290 . 2 g of methanol , to precipitate a solid . the solid was recovered by filtering , washed with methanol and then dried , to obtain 63 . 8 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound ( resin “ i ”). the resin “ i ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 250 and a weight average molecular weight of 1 , 719 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ i ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 1 , 522 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 1 , 340 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — o bond . then , a 300 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer was charged with 3 . 45 g of the resin “ i ”, 90 . 0 g of n , n - dimethylformamide and 0 . 48 g of a 5 % pd / c catalyst . the mixture was allowed to react under a hydrogen atmosphere at room temperature for 6 hours with vigorously stirring . then , the resultant reaction solution was filtered to remove the catalyst , then concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure , to obtain 2 . 64 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer diamine ( resin “ j ”). the resin “ j ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 205 , a weight average molecular weight of 2 , 009 and an amino group equivalent of 560 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ j ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 3 , 446 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 3 , 367 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — h bond . a 12 l longitudinally long reactor equipped with a stirrer , a thermometer , an air - introducing tube and baffleplates was charged with 13 . 1 g ( 0 . 12 mol ) of cucl , 707 . 0 g ( 5 . 5 mol ) of di - n - butylamine and 4 , 000 g of methyl ethyl ketone . the mixture was stirred at a reaction temperature of 40 ° c . separately , 82 . 1 g ( 0 . 32 mol ) of 4 , 4 ′- methylenebis ( 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol ) and 586 . 5 g ( 4 . 8 mol ) of 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol were dissolved in 8 , 000 g of methyl ethyl ketone to obtain a solution . the solution was dropwise added to the mixture in the reactor over 120 minutes with stirring while bubbling was continuously carried out with 2 l / min of air . a disodium dihydrogen ethylenediamine tetraacetate aqueous solution was added to the resultant mixture , to terminate the reaction . then , washing was carried out with 1n hydrochloric acid aqueous solution three times and then washing was carried out with ion - exchanged water . the thus - obtained solution was concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure , to obtain 632 . 5 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer ( resin “ k ”). the resin “ k ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 884 , a weight average molecular weight of 3 , 763 and a hydroxyl group equivalent of 840 . a 500 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser , a thermometer and a dean and stark water separator was charged with 250 . 5 g of n , n - dimethylformamide , 126 . 0 g of the resin “ k ”, 51 . 9 g ( 0 . 33 mol ) of 4 - chloronitrobenzene and 25 . 0 g ( 0 . 18 mol ) of potassium carbonate . 19 . 2 g of toluene was added to the reactor vessel . the atmosphere in the reactor vessel was replaced with nitrogen . then , the resultant mixture was heated and the mixture was continuously stirred for 5 hours at a temperature of 140 to 150 ° c ., to allow the mixture to react . water generated by the reaction was sequentially removed by azeotropy with toluene . after the completion of the reaction , filtering was carried out at 80 to 90 ° c ., to remove an inorganic salt . then , the thus - obtained filtrate was cooled down to room temperature . the filtrate was poured to 330 . 3 g of methanol , to precipitate a solid . the solid was recovered by filtering , washed with methanol and then dried , to obtain 115 . 0 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound ( resin “ l ”). the resin “ l ” had a number average molecular weight of 2 , 939 and a weight average molecular weight of 5 , 982 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ l ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 1 , 518 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 1 , 343 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — o bond . then , a 300 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer was charged with 6 . 39 g of the resin “ l ”, 105 . 3 g of n , n - dimethylformamide and 0 . 56 g of a 5 % pd / c catalyst . the mixture was allowed to react under a hydrogen atmosphere at room temperature for 8 hours with vigorously stirring . then , the resultant reaction solution was filtered to remove the catalyst , then concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure , to obtain 5 . 67 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer diamine ( resin “ m ”). the resin “ m ” had a number average molecular weight of 2 , 733 , a weight average molecular weight of 6 , 746 and an amino group equivalent of 1 , 271 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ m ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 3 , 449 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 3 , 366 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — h bond . a 2 l longitudinally long reactor equipped with a stirrer , a thermometer , an air - introducing tube and baffleplates was charged with 18 . 0 g ( 78 . 8 mmol ) of 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane ( bisphenol a ), 0 . 172 g ( 0 . 77 mmol ) of cubr 2 , 0 . 199 g ( 1 . 15 mmol ) of n , n ′- di - t - butylethylenediamine , 2 . 10 g ( 2 . 07 mmol ) of n - butyldimethylamine , 139 g of methanol and 279 g of toluene . separately , 48 . 17 g ( 0 . 394 mol ) of 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol , 0 . 245 g ( 1 . 44 mmol ) of n , n ′- di - t - butylethylenediamine and 2 . 628 g ( 25 . 9 mmol ) of n - butyldimethylamine were dissolved in 133 g of methanol and 266 g of toluene , to obtain a mixed solution . the mixed solution was dropwise added to the reactor , in which the mixture was stirred at a liquid temperature of 40 ° c ., over 132 minutes while bubbling was carried with air at a flow velocity of 0 . 5 l / min . after the completion of the addition of the mixed solution , the resultant mixture was further stirred for 120 minutes . 400 g of water containing 2 . 40 g of tetrasodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate dissolved therein was added to the stirred mixture to terminate the reaction . an aqueous layer and an organic layer were separated . then , washing with pure water was carried out . the thus - obtained solution was concentrated with an evaporator and then dried in vacuum at 120 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain 54 . 8 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer ( resin “ n ”). the resin “ n ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 348 , a weight average molecular weight of 3 , 267 and a hydroxyl group equivalent of 503 . a 500 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser , a thermometer and a dean and stark water separator was charged with 200 . 1 g of n , n - dimethylformamide , 75 . 5 g of the resin “ n ”, 52 . 0 g ( 0 . 33 mol ) of 4 - chloronitrobenzene and 25 . 0 g ( 0 . 18 mol ) of potassium carbonate . 20 . 0 g of toluene was added to the reactor vessel . the atmosphere in the reactor vessel was replaced with nitrogen . then , the resultant mixture was heated and the mixture was continuously stirred for 5 hours at a temperature of 140 to 150 ° c ., to allow the mixture to react . water generated by the reaction was sequentially removed by azeotropy with toluene . after the completion of the reaction , filtering was carried out at 80 to 90 ° c ., to remove an inorganic salt . then , the thus - obtained filtrate was cooled down to room temperature . the filtrate was poured to 300 . 2 g of methanol , to precipitate a solid . the solid was recovered by filtering , washed with methanol and then dried , to obtain 72 . 1 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound ( resin “ o ”). the resin “ o ” had a number average molecular weight of 2 , 103 and a weight average molecular weight of 5 , 194 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ o ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 1 , 516 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 1 , 340 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — o bond . then , a 300 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer was charged with 3 . 93 g of the resin “ o ”, 90 . 0 g of n , n - dimethylformamide and 0 . 49 g of a 5 % pd / c catalyst . the mixture was allowed to react under a hydrogen atmosphere at room temperature for 6 hours with vigorously stirring . then , the resultant reaction solution was filtered to remove the catalyst , then concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure , to obtain 3 . 30 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer diamine ( resin “ p ”). the resin “ p ” had a number average molecular weight of 2 , 051 , a weight average molecular weight of 6 , 142 and an amino group equivalent of 954 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ p ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 3 , 450 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 3 , 365 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — h bond . a 12 l longitudinally long reactor equipped with a stirrer , a thermometer , an air - introducing tube and baffleplates was charged with 3 . 88 g ( 17 . 4 mmol ) of cubr 2 , 0 . 75 g ( 4 . 4 mmol ) of n , n ′- di - t - butylethylenediamine , 28 . 04 g ( 277 . 6 mmol ) of n - butyldimethylamine and 2 , 600 g of toluene . the mixture was stirred at a reaction temperature of 40 ° c . separately , 129 . 3 g ( 0 . 48 mol ) of 2 , 2 ′, 3 , 3 ′, 5 , 5 ′- hexamethyl -( 1 , 1 ′- biphenyl )- 4 , 4 ′- diol , 233 . 7 g ( 1 . 92 mol ) of 2 , 6 - dimethylphenol , 64 . 9 g ( 0 . 48 mol ) of 2 , 3 , 6 - trimethylphenol , 0 . 51 g ( 2 . 9 mmol ) of n , n ′- di - t - butylethylenediamine and 10 . 90 g ( 108 . 0 mmol ) of n - butyldimethylamine were dissolved in 2 , 300 g of methanol , to obtain a mixed solution . the mixed solution was dropwise added to the mixture in the reactor over 230 minutes with stirring while bubbling was carried out with a nitrogen - air mixed gas having an oxygen concentration of 8 % at a flow velocity of 5 . 2 l / min . after the completion of the addition , 1 , 500 g of water containing 19 . 89 g ( 52 . 3 mmol ) of tetrasodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate dissolved therein was added to the mixture to terminate the reaction . an aqueous layer and an organic layer were separated . the organic layer was washed with 1n hydrochloric acid aqueous solution and then washed with pure water . the thus - obtained solution was concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure at 120 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain 418 . 1 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer ( resin “ q ”). the resin “ q ” had a number average molecular weight of 986 , a weight average molecular weight of 1 , 530 and a hydroxyl group equivalent of 471 . a 500 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser , a thermometer and a dean and stark water separator was charged with 200 . 0 g of n , n - dimethylformamide , 70 . 7 g of the resin “ q ”, 52 . 0 g ( 0 . 33 mol ) of 4 - chloronitrobenzene and 25 . 1 g ( 0 . 18 mol ) of potassium carbonate . 19 . 3 g of toluene was added to the reactor vessel . the atmosphere in the reactor vessel was replaced with nitrogen . then , the resultant mixture was heated and the mixture was continuously stirred for 5 hours at a temperature of 140 to 150 ° c ., to allow the mixture to react . water generated by the reaction was sequentially removed by azeotropy with toluene . after the completion of the reaction , filtering was carried out at 80 to 90 ° c ., to remove an inorganic salt . then , the thus - obtained filtrate was cooled down to room temperature . the filtrate was poured to 300 . 3 g of methanol , to precipitate a solid . the solid was recovered by filtration , washed with methanol and then dried , to obtain 64 . 1 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer dinitro compound ( resin “ r ”). the resin “ r ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 538 and a weight average molecular weight of 2 , 432 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ r ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 1 , 522 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 1 , 344 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — o bond . then , a 300 ml reactor vessel equipped with a stirrer was charged with 4 . 50 g of the resin “ r ”, 90 . 9 g of n , n - dimethylformamide and 0 . 51 g of a 5 % pd / c catalyst . the mixture was allowed to react under a hydrogen atmosphere at room temperature for 6 hours with vigorously stirring . then , the resultant reaction solution was filtered to remove the catalyst , then concentrated with an evaporator and then dried under reduced pressure , to obtain 3 . 42 g of a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer diamine ( resin “ s ”). the resin “ s ” had a number average molecular weight of 1 , 465 , a weight average molecular weight of 2 , 809 and an amino group equivalent of 681 . an infrared absorption spectrum ( ir ) of the resin “ s ” showed absorptions at a wavenumber of 3 , 447 cm − 1 and a wavenumber of 3 , 360 cm − 1 , which correspond to an n — h bond . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 1 . 18 g of the resin “ c ” was charged into the container . then , 12 . 6 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the resin “ c ” was fully dissolved therein . then , 0 . 22 g of pyromellitic dianhydride was added and then the mixture was stirred at 30 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ t ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ t ” was 1 . 09 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ t ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 300 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 1 . 18 g of the resin “ c ” was charged into the container . then , 10 . 3 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the resin “ c ” was fully dissolved therein . then , 0 . 29 g of 3 , 3 ′, 4 , 4 ′- biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride was added and then the mixture was stirred at 30 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ u ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ u ” was 0 . 53 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ u ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 304 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 1 . 18 g of the resin “ c ” was charged into the container . then , 22 . 3 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the resin “ c ” was fully dissolved therein . then , 1 . 30 g of the resin “ d ” was added and then the mixture was stirred at 30 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ v ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ v ” was 0 . 67 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ v ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 301 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 2 . 70 g of the resin “ g ” was charged into the container . then , 12 . 6 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the resin “ g ” was fully dissolved therein . then , 0 . 22 g of pyromellitic dianhydride was added and then the mixture was stirred at 30 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ w ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ w ” was 0 . 99 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ w ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 305 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 1 . 12 g of the resin “ j ” was charged into the container . then , 10 . 3 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the resin “ j ” was fully dissolved therein . then , 0 . 22 g of pyromellitic dianhydride was added and then the mixture was stirred at 30 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ x ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ x ” was 0 . 92 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ x ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 295 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 2 . 54 g of the resin “ m ” was charged into the container . then , 10 . 3 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the resin “ m ” was fully dissolved therein . then , 0 . 22 g of pyromellitic dianhydride was added and then the mixture was stirred at 30 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ y ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ y ” was 0 . 87 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ y ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 297 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 1 . 91 g of the resin , “ p ” was charged into the container . then , 10 . 3 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the resin “ p ” was fully dissolved therein . then , 0 . 22 g of pyromellitic dianhydride was added and then the mixture was stirred at 30 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ z ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ z ” was 0 . 61 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ z ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 301 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 1 . 36 g of the resin “ s ” was charged into the container . then , 12 . 6 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the resin “ s ” was fully dissolved therein . then , 0 . 22 g of pyromellitic dianhydride was added and then the mixture was stirred at 30 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ aa ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ aa ” was 1 . 22 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ aa ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 303 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 0 . 66 g of the resin “ c ” and 0 . 12 g of 4 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylether ( ratio of formula ( 23 ): formula ( 24 ), 50 : 50 ) were charged into the container . then , 16 . 45 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the resin “ c ” and the 4 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylether were fully dissolved therein . then , 0 . 26 g of pyromellitic dianhydride was added and then the mixture was stirred at 25 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ ab ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ ab ” was 2 . 11 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ ab ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 300 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a nitrogen gas was introduced into a container equipped with a stirrer , a reflux condenser and a nitrogen - introducing tube . 1 . 00 g of 4 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylether was charged into the container . then , 18 . 8 g of n , n - dimethylacetamide was added and the 4 , 4 ′- diaminodiphenylether was fully dissolved therein . then , 1 . 09 g of pyromellitic dianhydride was added and then the mixture was stirred at 30 ° c . for 3 hours , to obtain an n , n - dimethylacetamide solution of a polyamic acid “ ac ”. the reduction viscosity ( n , n - dimethylacetamide solvent , 25 ° c ., 0 . 5 g / dl ) of the polyamic acid “ ac ” was 4 . 16 dl / g . an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyamic acid “ ac ” showed an absorption at a wavenumber of 3 , 300 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the n — h stretching vibration of an amide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ t ” was applied to a glass plate surface with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a film of a polyimide “ ad ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide “ ad ” showed an absorption at 1 , 740 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 375 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ u ” was applied to a glass plate surface with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a film of a polyimide “ ae ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide -“ ae ” showed an absorption at 1 , 741 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 373 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ v ” was applied to a glass plate surface with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 250 ° c . for 2 hours , to obtain a film of a polyimide “ af ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide “ af ” showed an absorption at 1 , 739 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 371 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ w ” was applied to a glass plate surface with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a film of a polyimide “ ag ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide “ ag ” showed an absorption at 1 , 738 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 373 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ x ” was applied to a glass plate surface with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a film of a polyimide “ ah ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide “ ah ” showed an absorption at 1 , 743 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 375 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ y ” was applied to a glass plate surface with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a film of a polyimide “ ai ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide “ ai ” showed an absorption at 1 , 741 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 376 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ z ” was applied to a glass plate surface with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a film of a polyimide “ aj ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide “ aj ” showed an absorption at 1 , 738 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 377 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ aa ” was applied to a glass plate surface with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a film of a polyimide “ ak ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide “ ak ” showed an absorption at 1 , 742 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 378 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ ab ” was applied to a shiny surface of an electrolytic copper foil ( supplied by mitsui mining & amp ; smelting co ., ltd ., 3ec - iii , 18 μmt ) with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a laminate having a metal layer on one surface thereof . the copper foil was removed by etching , to obtain a film of an polyimide “ al ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide “ al ” showed an absorption at 1 , 740 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 375 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . a solution of the polyamic acid “ ac ” was applied to a glass plate surface with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a film of a polyimide “ am ” ( thickness 15 μm ). an infrared absorption ( ir ) spectrum of the polyimide “ am ” showed an absorption at 1 , 735 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — o stretching vibration of an imide group , and an absorption at 1 , 374 cm − 1 , which corresponds to the c — n stretching vibration of an imide group . the polyimide films obtained in examples 10 to 18 and comparative example 2 were measured for dielectric characteristics at a dried time and at a moisture - absorbed time . table 1 shows the results thereof . from examples 10 - 18 and comparative example 2 , it is found that the polyimides of the present invention have remarkably low dielectric constants and can maintain low dielectric characteristics even at a moisture - absorbed time . a solution of the polyamic acid “ t ” was applied to a mat surface of an electrolytic copper foil ( supplied by mitsui mining & amp ; smelting co ., ltd ., 3ec - iii , 18 μmt ) with a doctor blade . the applied solution was dried in air at 80 ° c . for 1 hour , at 150 ° c . for 1 hour and at 200 ° c . for 1 hour . then , the dried solution was heat - treated under nitrogen at 300 ° c . for 1 hour , to obtain a laminate having a metal layer on one surface thereof . the thickness of a polyimide layer thereof was 15 μm . the laminate was measured for a copper - foil peel strength on the basis of jis c - 6481 . the copper - foil peel strength was 1 . 3 kn / m .

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

in fig1 a rolling shutter according to the subject invention is indicated generally at 20 and can be seen to comprise an array of parallel shutter slats 21 which are articulately interconnected by connecting links 22 . the rolling shutter 20 may be used in conventional manner , i . e ., the uppermost shutter slat may be connected , for example , to a storage roller that is rotated in opposite directions to roll and unroll the shutter between shutter open and shutter closed positions . as the shutter slats are fed from the storage roller , opposite ends thereof may be received and guided in respective guide rails 23 and 24 usually secured exteriorly to the side wall 25 of a building at respective sides of an opening 26 in the building side wall to be opened and closed by raising and lowering of the rolling shutter . the guide rails 23 and 24 usually are linear and serve to hold the shutter slats 21 in generally coplanar relation parallel to the plane of the building opening 26 . as shown , the side rails 23 and 24 extend vertically upwardly from a sill 27 against which the rolling shutter may be lowered . in the illustrated preferred embodiment and best mode , the shutter slats 21 and connecting links 22 are plastic extrusions cut or otherwise formed in substantially equal lengths corresponding to the width of the shutter 20 . also , the connecting links are identical in cross - section as are the shutter slats except for the bottommost shutter slat identified by reference letter b . accordingly , the description of any one slat 21 or connecting link 22 is equally applicable to each other slat or connecting link , respectively . for reasons discussed below , the shutter slats preferably are made of opaque plastic material whereas the connecting links are made of translucent and preferably clear transparent plastic material . as seen in fig2 each slat 21 is in the form of a hollow body having a generally rectangular , slightly bowed cross - sectional shape . the slat has a concave outer side wall 28 and a convex inner side wall 29 extending generally parallel to the outer side wall . the outer and inner side walls , which are approximately equal in thickness and vertical height , are joined together by integral , transversely extending upper and lower partition walls 30 and 31 . the partition walls 30 and 31 are parallel and vertically spaced apart to form therebetween , along with central portions of the outer and inner side walls , a central channel 32 which is closed except at the ends of the slat . in addition to being vertically spaced apart , the partition walls 30 and 31 are vertically inwardly spaced from the top and bottom edges of the slat to form , along with respective edge portions of the outer and inner side walls , upper and lower channels 33 and 34 . the upper channel 33 is open at a slot 38 to the top edge of the slat 21 , such slot 38 extending the length of the slat and having a transverse dimension less than that of the channel 33 . the slot 38 is formed between the upper horizontal edge of the inner side wall 29 and an upper locking member 39 . the upper locking member 39 is integral with and projects transversely inwardly from the upper horizontal edge of the outer side wall 28 . the upper locking member generally has an inverted v - shape with an included angle of about 90 °. in a similar but opposite manner , the lower channel 34 is open at a slot 43 to the bottom edge of the slat 21 . the slot 43 is formed between the lower horizontal edge of the inner side wall 29 and a lower locking member 44 . the lower locking member is generally v - shape in cross - section and projects inwardly from the outer side wall 28 near the lower horizontal edge of the outer side wall . the outer side wall preferably projects downwardly beyond the point of attachment of the lower locking member to form a lip 45 which defines with the relatively adjacent leg of the lower locking member a shallow inverted v - shape groove 46 . turning now to the connecting link 22 , such can be seen in fig2 to have a central narrow panel - like web portion 51 and upper and lower curved edge portions 52 and 53 . the curved edge portions 52 and 53 are reversely turned upon themselves and both outwardly from the web portion 51 to form respective j - shape hooks with the web portion serving as a common stem of the hooks . the web portion is generally planar and preferably slightly bowed with its concave surface facing outwardly . the link also preferably is of relatively uniform thickness throughout the integral , single - walled web and curved edge portions . the upper curved edge portion or hook 52 of the link 22 is received in the lower channel 34 of the upwardly adjacent slat , the lower curved edge portion or hook 53 of the link is received in the upper channel 33 of the downwardly adjacent slat , and the web portion 51 passes through the upper and lower edge slots 38 and 43 . the upper and lower hook - like edge portions 52 and 53 of the link vertically interfere respectively with the lower and upper locking members 44 and 39 of the adjacent slats to retain the hook - like edge portions of the link in the slat channels thereby to connect the link to and between the adjacent slats . the hook - like edge portions and channels also are relatively sized to permit turning movement of the hook - like edge portions of the link in the channels of the slats about horizontal axes thereby to permit relative pivotal or hinge - like movement between the link 22 and each adjacent slat 21 . in this manner , a double hinge - like connection or joint is effected between the relatively adjacent slats which facilitates compact roll - up of the shutter on a storage roller . as seen in fig4 the slats can be relatively pivoted to form therebetween an included angle of about 90 ° without inducing any stress in the link or slats . to effect assembly of the shutter , the hook - like edge portions of one connecting link may be end - wise inserted into the channels of the adjacent slats . the slat channels 33 and 34 and the hook - like edge portions 52 and 53 of the links 22 also are relatively sized to permit vertical edge - wise telescoping movement of the hook - like edge portions in the slat channels as can be seen by comparing fig2 and 3 . when the link is in a state of tension between two adjacent slats the upper hook - like edge portion 52 of the link 22 will be supported atop the lower locking member 44 of the upwardly adjacent slat and the upper locking member 39 of the downwardly adjacent slat will be supported atop the lower hook - like edge portion 53 of the link as seen in fig2 . as a result of this , the slats will be vertically spaced apart to form a narrow horizontally extending gap 58 therebetween through which the web portion 51 of the connecting link is open to view as seen in fig5 . as above indicated , the connecting link 22 preferably is translucent and most preferably is transparent for clear viewing through the web portion 51 of the link that is exposed at the gap 58 when the adjacent slats are relatively spaced apart as seen in fig2 and 5 . this permits a substantial amount of light to enter from outside to inside the room across the full width of the rolling shutter while still providing a strong full length hinge - like joint between adjacent slats . also , the widthwise continuous transparent or translucent areas between opaque slats is very aesthetically pleasing . if desired , a horizontal row of spaced apart slots 59 may be provided in the web portion 51 for ventilation purposes as seen in fig6 . at the opposite end of the range of movement between adjacent slats 21 , as occurs when the rolling shutter 20 is forced downwardly against the sill 25 ( fig1 ), the slats will be in edge - to - edge abutment as seen in fig3 . the connecting link 22 will be telescoped fully into the channels 33 and 34 of the adjacent links with approximately the lower half of the link received in the upper channel 33 of the downwardly adjacent slat and approximately the upper half of the link received in the lower channel 33 of the upwardly adjacent slat . as further seen in fig3 a small bead 60 projecting upwardly and outwardly from the vertex of the upper locking member 39 nests in the vertex of the mating v - shape groove 46 extending along the lower edge of the upwardly adjacent slat . the resultant closed mated seam between the adjacent slats serves as a weather barrier stop to prevent water and wind from passing between the slats . the connecting link also enhances the barrier to wind striking the outside of the rolling shutter since any wind passing through the closed mated seam would have to pass along a tortuous path to reach the inside of the rolling shutter . when the shutter slats 21 are fully closed together as seen in fig3 the hook - like edge portions 52 and 53 of the connecting link 22 will have been moved in the slat channels 33 and 34 vertically away from the locking members 39 and 44 . however , the edges of the inner side wall 29 will ensure that upon relative separating movement of the slats that the hook - like edge portions of the link will properly interlock with the locking members . that is , the upper and lower edges of the inner side wall bearing against the inside surface of the bowed web portion 51 of the link will cause the hook - like edge portions of the link to slide along the interior surface of the outwardly bowed edge portions of the outer side wall 28 and into locking engagement with the locking members as the shutters move relatively apart . as seen in fig3 the outer side wall 28 of each slat 21 has a full height , unbroken curved outer surface 63 which preferably is smooth and continuously concave over the full height of the slat . accordingly , the overall outer surface of the rolling shutter when fully closed consists of an array of horizontally extending slightly concave surfaces 63 and a small horizontally extending , thin line seam between relatively adjacent concave surfaces . it has been found that such overall outer surface is not subject to the drawbacks associated with prior art shutters wherein when sunlight strikes the shutter , the reflected light , particularly from flat surfaces relative to curved surfaces , gives rise to the appearance of horizontal bands or bars extending across the width of the shutter . this banding effect is not aesthetically pleasing . by providing the shutter slats with a continuously smooth and concave surface as herein shown and described , the undesirable banding effect is essentially eliminated . for those rolling shutter assemblies where the storage roller is housed in the building wall , the slats would be oppositely curved and the outside wall of each slat would be provided with a full height , unbroken curved convex surface . in fig2 and 3 , the bottom slat b of the rolling shutter 20 can be seen to have a main body portion 68 of generally rectangular cross - section . depending from the lower wall 69 of the body portion 68 are a pair of transversely spaced flanges 70 and 71 to which a gasket or sealing member ( not shown ) may be attached for effecting sealed engagement with the sill 27 ( fig1 ). at the upper end of the body portion there are provided a pair of transversely spaced , slightly outwardly angled flanges 72 and 73 configured to form a channel 74 substantially similar to the upper channel 33 in the slat 21 . at the upper edge of the outer flange 72 there is provided a locking member 75 and the bottom slat b is articulately connected to the upwardly adjacent slat 21 by a connecting link 22 in a manner similar to that above described in connection with the interconnection of two relatively adjacent slats 21 . referring now to fig7 and 8 , each slat 21 may be provided with a reinforcement for rigidifying a slat 21 . the reinforcement , indicated generally at 80 , comprises a pair of profiled , telescoping sections 81 and 82 which may be inserted end - wise into the closed central channel 32 of the slat preferably with a close friction fit . the telescoping sections 81 and 82 enable easy length adjustment of the reinforcement 80 . during installation of the rolling shutter , the slats may have to be cut to fit a particular size of window opening . with prior art single piece metal reinforcement members , such would have to be cut to the same shorter length of the slats as by sawing with a hacksaw . this of course was a relatively difficult and time consuming task and also required the installer to have available a hacksaw or other suitable cutting tool . considering that the rolling shutter may consist of forty or fifty slats , for example , the task of cutting the reinforcement for each slat to length could lengthen the installation process by several hours . on the other hand , with the herein disclosed reinforcement 80 , the adjustment to a window fitted slat length may be quickly and easily accomplished . as best seen in fig8 the telescoping sections 81 and 82 , while providing for length adjustment , are desirably substantially overlapped at 83 to provide for increased flexural rigidity at the middle region of the slat 21 . the overlapping portions of the telescoping sections provide a double thickness reinforcement against bending moments at the middle region of the slat where such bending moments are usually the greatest . on the other hand , the outer non - overlapped portions of the sections provide for single thickness reinforcement at the outer regions of the slats sufficient to resist the usually lesser bending moments occurring at such outer regions while minimizing the overall weight of the slat for a given strength requirement . preferably the telescoping sections overlap by an amount at least 1 / 2 and preferably at least 2 / 3 the length of the slat in which they are fitted . when used with a plastic shutter slat 21 , the telescoping sections 81 and 82 preferably are made of a material more rigid than the plastic material of the slats . preferably the telescoping sections are made of metal such as galvanized steel . the telescoping sections have essentially identical cross - sections but one is inverted relative to the other to permit telescoping interconnection of the two sections . although essentially identical , the sections 81 and 82 do differ slightly in cross - section in that such sections are slightly oppositely bowed to fit within the curved opening 32 of the slat 21 when relatively inverted and telescoped together , as seen in fig7 . however , sections of identical cross - section may be used to fit a rectangular opening such as that of the bottommost slat b . the telescoping sections may be roll formed from sheet metal and if of identical cross - section , only the set of rolling dies would be needed . as seen in fig7 each section 81 , 82 has opposite edge channel portions 85 and 86 generally in the shape of a c which are integrally joined by a vertical wall portion 87 bent intermediate its length to form a u - shape rib channel portion 88 . one c - shape edge channel 85 is sized to fit closely against the walls bounding the upper portion of the central slat channel 32 whereas the other channel portion 86 has a smaller size which fits closely within the larger channel portion 85 of the other reinforcing section . in this manner , the larger edge channel portions 85 are frictionally fitted in the upper and lower portions of the slat channel 32 and the smaller edge channel portions 86 are frictionally fitted in the larger channel portions at the overlapped region of the telescoping sections to strengthen and resist bending of the slats over the full length of the slats with greater reinforcement being provided at the overlapped region of the reinforcing sections . further rigidity of the slat 21 is obtained by the intermediate u - shape rib channel portions 88 . the rib channel portions 88 are vertically offset from one another and the base wall 90 of the rib channel portion of each section is frictionally fitted against the vertical wall portion 87 of the other telescoping section which frictionally fits against the inside wall 29 or outside wall 28 of the slat . of course , the section profile illustrated in fig7 permits telescoping joinder of the reinforcing sections 81 and 82 . neither section fits completely within the other section ; rather , each section has a part thereof fitted within a mating part of the other section . also , each section has five tranverse walls extending substantially between the outside and inside walls which contribute significantly to the overall bending strength of the sections . turning now to fig9 another form of connecting link is indicated generally at 94 . the connecting link 94 is formed from a continuous piece of stiff wire , such as coat hanger wire , which is bent as illustrated . more particularly , the connecting link 94 is formed with a plurality of horizontally spaced apart vertical linking portions 95 . when viewed endwise , the vertical linking portions 95 each has a profile identical to the cross - sectional shape of the connecting link 22 seen in fig2 . accordingly , each vertical linking portion has upper and lower hook portions 96 and 97 joined by a slightly bowed central portion 98 . adjacent linking portions 95 are integrally joined together by upper and lower connecting portions 99 and 100 which extend horizontally between the ends of the hook portions 96 and 97 of the linking portions , respectively . as shown , the connecting portions 99 alternate top and bottom from linking portion to linking portion . as should be apparent , the connecting link 94 may be simply substituted for the connecting link 22 . when in use , the connecting link 94 provides for substantial light and also substantial air passage through the gap between spaced apart adjacent slats . although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a preferred embodiment , it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to other skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification . the present invention includes all such equivalent alterations and modifications , and is limited only by the scope of the following claims .

4Fixed Constructions

the following description is of the best - contemplated mode of carrying out the invention . this description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense . note that the oma specifications described herein are used to teach the spirit of the invention , and the invention is not limited thereto . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating a supl communication environment according to an embodiment of the invention . in the supl communication environment 100 , the set 110 is wirelessly connected to the slp 120 , and the supl agent entity 130 is connected to the slp 120 wirelessly or through wire ( s ). the slp 120 may be a home - slp ( h - slp ) or visited - slp ( v - slp ) for the set 110 , which may be a function entity for location service management and position determination in a service network , such as a gprs / edge network , wcdma network , lte network , or others . the set 110 may be a mobile communication device which is capable of executing a supl agent for communicating with the slp 120 . the supl agent entity 130 may be any computing device which is capable of executing a supl agent for communicating with the slp 120 , wherein the supl agent executing by the supl agent entity 130 may be referred to as a network - side supl agent . the set 110 comprises a wireless module 111 for performing the functionality of wireless transmissions and receptions to and from the slp 120 , and a processing module 112 for controlling the operation of the wireless module 111 and other functional components , such as a display unit and / or keypad serving as the mmi ( man - machine interface ), a storage unit storing the program codes of supl - related applications or communication protocols , or others . to further clarify , the wireless module 111 may comprise a baseband unit and a radio frequency ( rf ) unit , and the processing module 112 may be a general - purpose processor or a micro - control unit ( mcu ). the baseband unit may contain multiple hardware devices to perform baseband signal processing , including analog to digital conversion ( adc )/ digital to analog conversion ( dac ), gain adjusting , modulation / demodulation , encoding / decoding , and so on . the rf unit may receive rf wireless signals , convert the received rf wireless signals to baseband signals , which are processed by the baseband unit , or receive baseband signals from the baseband unit and convert the received baseband signals to rf wireless signals , which are later transmitted . the rf unit may also contain multiple hardware devices to perform radio frequency conversion . for example , the rf unit may comprise a mixer to multiply the baseband signals with a carrier oscillated in the radio frequency of the mobile communication system , wherein the radio frequency may be 900 mhz , 1900 mhz , or 2100 mhz utilized in wcdma systems , or may be 900 mhz , 2100 mhz , or 2 . 6 ghz utilized in lte / lte - advanced systems , or others depending on the radio access technology ( rat ) in use . the supl agent entity 130 may comprise at least a processing module , such as a general - purpose processor or an mcu , which comprises a plurality of processor logic for performing the supl functions of communicating with the slp 120 . similarly , the slp 120 may comprise at least a processing module , such as a general - purpose processor or an mcu , which comprises a plurality of processor logic for performing the functions of location service management and position determination . fig2 is a message sequence chart illustrating a network - side supl agent requesting to pause and resume an ongoing network - initiated triggered session according to an embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig2 , the supl agent entity 130 first initiates a network - initiated triggered session with the set 110 via the slp 120 ( step s 210 ). next , the supl agent entity 130 is further required to pause the ongoing network - initiated triggered session . specifically , the supl agent entity 130 sends an mlp tlrpr ( mlp triggered location request pause request ) message to the slp 120 , which comprises a request identification ( denoted as “ req_id ” in fig2 ) ( step s 220 ). when receiving the mlp tlrpr message , the slp 120 sends a supl triggered stop message to the set 110 , which comprises a request type indicating the set 110 to pause the ongoing network - initiated triggered session ( step s 230 ). in one embodiment , the supl triggered stop message may further comprise the session identification of the network - initiated triggered session . later , when the supl agent entity 130 is required to resume the paused network - initiated triggered session , it sends an mlp tlrrr ( mlp triggered location request resume request ) message to the slp 120 , which comprises the request identification of the mlp tlrpr message ( step s 240 ). when receiving the mlp tlrpr message , the slp 120 sends a supl triggered stop message to the set 110 , which comprises a request type indicating the set 110 to resume the paused network - initiated triggered session ( step s 250 ). in one embodiment , the supl triggered stop message may further comprise the session identification of the network - initiated triggered session , i . e ., the same session identification carried in the supl triggered stop message as in step 230 . thus , the paused network - initiated triggered session is resumed by the set 110 in response to the supl triggered stop message ( step s 260 ). note that , unlike the conventional design of pause and resumption of an ongoing network - initiated triggered session , the network - side supl agent is allowed to initiate the pause and resumption of an ongoing network - initiated triggered session . particularly , the supl triggered stop messages in the steps s 230 and s 250 are sent from the slp 120 to the set 110 . fig3 is a message sequence chart illustrating a network - side supl agent requesting to pause and resume an ongoing network - initiated triggered session according to another embodiment of the invention . similar to fig2 , the supl agent entity 130 first initiates a network - initiated triggered session with the set 110 via the slp 120 ( step s 310 ). next , the supl agent entity 130 is further required to pause the ongoing network - initiated triggered session . specifically , the supl agent entity 130 sends an mlp tlrpr message to the slp 120 , which comprises a request identification ( denoted as “ req_id ” in fig3 ) ( step s 320 ). when receiving the mlp tlrpr message , the slp 120 sends a supl triggered stop message to the set 110 , which comprises a session identification ( denoted as “ session_id ” in fig3 ) of the ongoing network - initiated triggered session and a request type indicating the set 110 to pause the ongoing network - initiated triggered session ( step s 330 ). later , before the supl agent entity 130 is required to resume the paused network - initiated triggered session , the processing module 112 detects that the paused network - initiated triggered session has expired ( step s 340 ). in response to the paused network - initiated triggered session being expired , the processing module 112 sends a supl end message to the slp 120 via the wireless module 111 , which comprises the session identification of the expired network - initiated triggered session ( i . e ., the same session identification carried in the supl triggered stop message ) and a status code indicating that the expired network - initiated triggered session should be stopped ( step s 350 ). when receiving the supl end message , the slp 120 sends a mlp tlrpa ( mlp triggered location request pause answer ) message to the supl agent entity 130 , which comprises the request identification of the mlp tlrpr message ( step s 360 ). thus , the expired network - initiated triggered session is stopped . fig4 is a message sequence chart illustrating an slp requesting to pause and resume an ongoing set - initiated triggered session according to an embodiment of the invention . at first , an set - initiated triggered session between the slp 120 and the set 110 is performed ( step s 410 ). during the ongoing set - initiated triggered session , the slp 120 is required to request pause of the ongoing set - initiated triggered session . specifically , the slp 120 sends a supl triggered stop message to the set 110 , which comprises a request type indicating the set 110 to pause the ongoing set - initiated triggered session ( step s 420 ). later , when the slp 120 is required to request resumption of the paused set - initiated triggered session , it sends a supl triggered stop message to the set 110 , which comprises a request type indicating the set 110 to resume the paused set - initiated triggered session ( step s 430 ). in one embodiment , each of the supl triggered stop messages in the step s 420 and s 430 may further comprise the session identification of the ongoing set - initiated triggered session , i . e ., the session identifications carried in the supl triggered stop messages in the step s 420 and s 430 are the same . thus , the paused se - initiated triggered session is resumed by the set 110 in response to the supl triggered stop message ( step s 440 ). note that , unlike the conventional design of pause and resumption of an ongoing set - initiated triggered session , the slp is allowed to initiate the pause and resumption of an ongoing set - initiated triggered session . particularly , the supl triggered stop messages in the steps s 420 and s 430 are sent from the slp 120 to the set 110 . fig5 is a message sequence chart illustrating an slp requesting to pause and resume an ongoing set - initiated triggered session according to another embodiment of the invention . similar to fig4 , an set - initiated triggered session between the slp 120 and the set 110 is performed ( step s 510 ). during the ongoing set - initiated triggered session , the slp 120 is required to request pause of the ongoing set - initiated triggered session . specifically , the slp 120 sends a supl triggered stop message to the set 110 , which comprises a session identification ( denoted as “ session_id ” in fig5 ) of the ongoing set - initiated triggered session and a request type indicating the set 110 to pause the ongoing set - initiated triggered session ( step s 520 ). later , before the slp 120 is required to request resumption of the paused se - initiated triggered session , the processing module 112 detects that the paused set - initiated triggered session has expired ( step s 530 ). in response to the paused se - initiated triggered session being expired , the processing module 112 sends a supl end message to the slp 120 via the wireless module 111 , which comprises the session identification of the expired set - initiated triggered session ( i . e ., the same session identification carried in the supl triggered stop message ) and a status code indicating that the expired set - initiated triggered session should be stopped ( step s 540 ). thus , the expired set - initiated triggered session is cancelled . fig6 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling an ongoing network - initiated triggered session in compliance with the supl standard according to an embodiment of the invention . the method may be applied in a supl communication environment comprising a target set , an slp of the target set , and a network - side supl agent . to begin the method , the network - side supl agent first initiates a triggered session with the target set via the slp ( step s 610 ). the triggered session is generally referred to as a network - initiated triggered session . next , the slp receives a pause request for the triggered session from the network - side supl agent during the triggered session ( step s 620 ). specifically , the pause request may be an mlp tlrpr message which comprises a request identification . in response to the pause request , the slp sends a first supl triggered stop message to the target set , wherein the first supl triggered stop message indicates the target set to pause the triggered session ( step s 630 ). in another embodiment , the first supl triggered stop message may further comprise the session identification of the triggered session . thus , the triggered session may be paused properly by the network - side supl agent . after that , the slp determines whether a resumption request for the paused triggered session is received from the network - side supl agent , or a supl end message indicating that the paused triggered session has expired is received from the target set ( step s 640 ). if a resumption request for the paused triggered session is received from the network - side supl agent , the slp sends a second supl triggered stop message to the target set , wherein the second supl triggered stop message indicates the target set to resume the paused triggered session ( step s 650 ). specifically , the resumption request may be an mlp tlrrr message which comprises the request identification of the mlp tlrpr message . otherwise , if a supl end message indicating that the paused triggered session has expired is received from the target set , the slp sends a pause answer to the network - side supl agent , wherein the pause answer indicates the network - side supl agent to cancel the paused triggered session ( step s 660 ). in another embodiment , the supl end message may further comprise the session identification of the triggered session . specifically , the pause answer may be an mlp tlrpa message which comprises the request identification of the mlp tlrpr message . fig7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling an ongoing set - initiated triggered session in compliance with the supl standard according to an embodiment of the invention . the method may be applied in a supl communication environment comprising a target set and an slp of the target set . to begin the method , the target set first initiates a triggered session with the slp ( step s 710 ). the triggered session is generally referred to as an set - initiated triggered session . next , the slp sends a first supl triggered stop message to the target set during the triggered session , wherein the first supl triggered stop message indicates the target set to pause the triggered session ( step s 720 ). after that , the target set determines whether a second supl triggered stop message indicating to resume the paused triggered session is received before the paused triggered session expires ( step s 730 ). if so , the target set resumes the paused triggered session ( step s 740 ). otherwise , if the paused triggered session expires before receiving the second supl triggered stop message , the target set sends a supl end message to the slp to cancel the expired triggered session ( step s 750 ). while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . those who are skilled in this technology can still make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention . therefore , the scope of the present invention shall be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents .

7Electricity

referring to fig1 - 3 , there is shown one illustrative embodiment of a dowel for securing two pieces of material 4 and 8 ( fig2 ) together in an abutting relationship . the dowel is comprised of a tubular member 12 having sidewalls 16 and a central bore 20 ( fig1 ). the side , cross - section of the walls 16 is narrower at the middle 16a than at either end 16b and 16c ( fig2 ). in particular , the side , cross - section of the wall 16 is wedge shaped , tapering from enlarged ends 16b and 16c down to a narrower middle 16a . the inside and outside surfaces of the sidewall 16 of the tubular member 12 are formed with alternating grooves and ridges 24 formed to extend annularly about the cylindrical axis of the tubular member . the alternating grooves and ridges 24 could either extend in rings circumferentially on the sidewall surfaces or helically . these ridges and grooves 24 serve to increase the surface area of contact with adhesive to facilitate better adherance to the walls of the annular recesses 6 and 10 into which the dowel would be placed ( see fig2 ). also , the ridges and grooves 24 present a more resistant ( against sliding from adhesive ) surface area for the tubular member 12 to prevent the tubular member from being pulled out of the annular recesses . openings or apertures 28 are formed to extend through the sidewalls 16 of the tubular member 12 in circumferentially spaced apart positions near each end of the tubular member , as shown . such apertures or openings could also be provided at other locations in the sidewall 16 but the locations shown are preferred . the openings 28 are provided to serve as pathways through which liquid adhesive can flow to disperse more uniformly about the tubular member 12 . for example , the tubular member 12 could advantageously be installed in the annular recesses 6 and 10 of the pieces of material 4 and 8 by first placing it in the annular recess 10 as shown in fig1 . adhesive could then be applied into the bore 20 of the tubular member 12 in which case it would initially rest on a the central pillar 32 ( fig2 ) about which the annular recess 10 is formed , with some of the adhesive flowing into the annular recess . the piece of material 4 would then be positioned over the end 16b of the tubular dowel 12 to be received into the annular recess 6 , and then pushed toward the other piece of material 8 so that pillar 36 about which the annular recess 6 is formed pushes against the adhesive previously placed in the bore 20 to cause the adhesive to move into both recesses 6 and 10 , through openings 28 to the outside of the tubular member . in this manner , the adhesive flows more uniformly over the inside and outside surface areas of the tubular member to provide better gripping and holding of the tubular member to the pieces of material 4 and 8 and thus better holding of the two pieces of material in the abutting relationship shown in fig2 . creneles , such as creneles 86 of the tubular dowel shown in fig5 could be provided in place of or in addition to the openings 28 in the fig1 - 3 embodiment ( and other embodiments ) for distributing adhesive . the wedge shaped cross - sections of the sidewalls 16 allows for some lateral play in movement of the tubular member 12 in the annular recesses to thereby accommodate some misalignment between the two pieces of material 4 and 8 for joining the two together . also , the wedge shape leaves more free space in the annular recesses 6 and 8 for holding adhesive but yet not so much as to result in significant waste of adhesive . finally , the wedge shape serves to better secure the two pieces of material 4 and 8 together by functioning in the same manner a wedge would function to resist pulling the tubular member 12 from either of the annular recesses 6 and 10 . that is , the wedge shaped portions wedge themselves in place between the side wall of the recesses and the adhesive positioned between such side walls and the walls of the tubular member 12 . any failure of the tubular member 12 tends to be more gradual in slipping out of the annular recess and so safety considerations are enhanced . although both sides of the sidewall 16 of the tubular member 12 are shown sloping inwardly from each end toward the middle , other configurations could also be utilized . for example , the outside sidewall surface of the tubular member 12 could be substantially cylindrical ( with no inward sloping of the surface ), while the inside sidewall surface still sloped , or vice versa . both configurations serve to hold two pieces of material together in a secure fashion . advantageously , the tubular dowel 12 is made of a metal or metal alloy material , fiberglass , various hard plastics , etc . fig4 shows another embodiment of a dowel system made in accordance with the present invention . in this arrangement , one - half of the tubular member 12 of fig1 - 3 is used in conjunction with a threaded shank 40 formed in the shape of a tapered screw . the tubular portion 44 includes tapered sidewalls 48 , the inside and outside surfaces of which are formed with alternating ridges and grooves 52 , just as with the fig1 - 3 embodiment . a plate section 56 is disposed on the narrow end of the tubular member 44 to bridge over the bore 60 of the tubular member and to serve as a mounting plate for the threaded shank 40 . in the embodiment of fig4 the threaded shank 40 is generally aligned with the central bore 60 of the tubular member 44 . the threaded shank 40 is provided for fastening to one of the two pieces of material which are to be joined together but to be fastened in a conventional wood screw fashion by simply rotating and screwing the shank into a piece of material 64 . the tubular member portion 44 is simply inserted in an annular recess of the other piece of material to be joined to piece 64 , as described for the fig1 - 3 embodiment . the arrangement of fig4 is especially suitable for joining one piece of material whose long grains are to be perpendicular to the cross grain of another piece of material , such as material 64 . the threaded shank 40 would readily screw into the piece of material 64 in a direction at right angles to the grain 68 to thereby provide a secure attachment . the other piece of material ( not shown ) would then be drilled with an annular recess to receive the tubular member 44 , with the grains of the other piece of material running perpendicular to the grains 68 . the dowel system of fig4 could be made of a single piece of material preferably metal or metal alloy , or the tubular member 44 and mounting plate 56 could be made of a sturdy plastic , with a wood screw inserted into the bore 60 and through an opening in the plate 56 to secure the tubular member onto the surface of the piece of material 64 . this latter arrangement is shown in fig4 a where a plate 72 is disposed at the narrow end of a tubular dowel portion 74 and includes an opening 75 for receiving wood screws . fig4 b and 4c show respectively the use of a tubular dowel similar to tubular member 44 of fig4 in conjunction with a bolt 76 , and a nut 80 . the bolt 76 and nut 80 are simply alternative fastening elements for use with a tubular dowel and would require fastening these elements to an appropriately positioned threaded bore or nut for receiving bolt 76 , and a threaded shank for receiving nut 80 . fig5 shows still another embodiment dowel system made in accordance with the present invention . this system comprises a piece of tubing 84 , made preferably of a metal or metal alloy such as aluminum or steel , which has the capability of being preformed and shaped . the tubing 84 includes a central section 88 which has substantially the same diameter , two off center sections 92 and 96 whose diameters are pinched or less than that of section 88 , and two end sections 100 and 104 whose diameters are greater than the central section 88 . the sidewall of the tubing 84 has a generally uniform thickness as shown in fig5 but could have variable thickness if so desired by the user . also , although the &# 34 ; pinched &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; flared &# 34 ; sections 96 and 104 respectively are shown as being provided around the entire circumference of the tubing 84 , provision of these sections on only one side , for example , might be desired . an examination of the side , cross - section of the sidewalls of the tubing 84 reveal that if two straight lines 108 and 112 are drawn from a center line 116 of the tubing 84 towards one end of the tubing so that the lines just touch the outermost curve of the sidewall on the side occupied by the corresponding line , that the lines form a wedge shape similar to the side , cross - section of the tubular member 12 of fig1 - 3 . the effect of this shaping of the sidewall of the tubing 84 of fig5 is that even though the tubing sidewall does not have a wedge shape , the curvature provides the same function as though the wedge shape were present to achieve the advantages discussed earlier . fig6 shows an embodiment of the invention in which a tubular dowel 124 is formed integrally with a piece of material 128 which is to be joined to another piece of material 132 . the piece of material 132 is provided with an annular recess 136 ( shown in dotted line outline ) for receiving the tubular dowel 124 as discussed for the other embodiments . it is to be understood that the above - described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention . numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements .

5Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting

fig1 a - 1 i illustrate a subsurface region ( which may represent a region below a land surface or the sea floor ) in which hypothetical clathrate reservoirs might occur . fig1 a - 1 c illustrate a structure where no clathrates are present . fig1 d - 1 f illustrate a similar structure in which clathrates are also present . fig1 g - 1 i illustrate a similar structure as depicted in fig1 d - 1 f that at a point in time undergoes localized clathrate dissociation . as shown in fig1 a , near the surface lies a deposit 20 of unconsolidated sediment containing solid sediment particles 14 and liquid water 18 in the pore spaces between the solid sediment particles 14 . deposit 20 lies between overburden 2 and underlying strata 4 , as do all deposits in fig1 a - 1 i . as the solid sediment particles 14 and liquid water 18 in deposit 20 become buried over geologic time , deposit 20 moves deeper below the surface and the solid sediment particles 14 and liquid water 18 within deposit 20 become exposed to increasing pressure with depth of burial . under this increasing pressure the solid sediment particles 14 of deposit 20 remain relatively immobile while the liquid water 18 is able to flow out to lower pressure regions . this causes the solid sediment particles 14 to move closer together and at times come in contact with nearby solid sediment particles 14 ( i . e ., become more consolidated , or compacted ), leaving less pore space between solid sediment particles 14 and likewise , relatively less liquid water 18 in the deposit . eventually the burial process will convert the characteristics of deposit 20 into those of consolidated deposit 22 where most of the solid sediment particles 14 are in closer proximity or contact with each other , as illustrated in fig1 b . proceeding deeper , the sediments become fully compacted with all solid sediment particles 14 in very tight contact with each other to form a deposit 24 , as illustrated in fig1 c , still containing some water , but in very small pore spaces and comprising ( for example ) a rock - like sandstone deposit . throughout this process the contacts between the solid sediment particles 14 bear more and more of the weight of all the sediment and water above them . as a very broad generalization with many exceptions there is a linear relationship between the compaction of a deposit and the depth of burial , with shallow deposits being relatively unconsolidated and deeper deposits becoming increasingly more compacted . as shown in fig1 d , deposit 30 is nearly identical to deposit 20 in fig1 a with the exception that some of the liquid water 18 between the solid sediment particles 14 has come into contact with guest gas molecules at the appropriate temperature and pressure and together are converted into solid clathrate particles 16 . the solid clathrate particles 16 generally mimic the behavior of their neighboring solid sediment particles 14 . deposit 30 therefore has solid sediment particles 14 , solid clathrate particles 16 and liquid water 18 present in the space between particles . as the solid sediment particles 14 , solid clathrate particles 16 and liquid water 18 in deposit 30 become buried over geologic time , deposit 30 moves deeper below the surface and the solid sediment particles 14 , solid clathrate particles 16 and liquid water 18 within deposit 30 become exposed to increasing pressure with depth of burial . under this increasing pressure the solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 of deposit 30 remain relatively immobile while the liquid water 18 is able to flow out to lower pressure regions . some liquid water 18 may also be reduced by continued conversion into solid clathrate particles 16 . this causes the solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 to move closer together and at times come in contact with nearby solid sediment particles 14 and / or solid clathrate particles 16 ( i . e ., become more consolidated , or compacted ), leaving less pore space between solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 and likewise , relatively less liquid water 18 in the deposit . as shown in fig1 e , deposit 32 may lose less thickness relative to deposit 22 in fig1 b due to this conversion of liquid water 18 in pore spaces into more and / or larger solid clathrate particles 16 , preventing normal compaction . eventually the burial process will convert the characteristics of deposit 30 illustrated in fig1 d into those of consolidated deposit 32 illustrated in fig1 e where most of the solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 are in contact with each other . proceeding deeper , as illustrated in fig1 f , the sediment and clathrates become fully compacted with all solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 in very tight contact with each other to form a reservoir 34 , still containing some water , but in very small pore spaces and forming ( for example ) a rock - like clathrate and sandstone reservoir . throughout this process the contacts between the solid sediment particles 14 and solid clathrate particles 16 bear more and more of the weight of all the sediment and water above them . as a very broad generalization with many exceptions fig1 d - 1 f illustrate a case where the presence of clathrates causes a form of compaction of a deposit that is different from that of fig1 a - 1 c . fig1 g - 1 i contain cases illustrating two consequences to the reservoir 34 of fig1 f if the solid clathrate particles 16 undergo localized dissociation . upon dissociation , the solid clathrate particles 16 change from incompressible and relatively immobile solids into very mobile fluids ( generally , liquid water 18 and compressed free ( guest ) gasses 12 liberated from the clathrate lattice ). this dissociation causes an instantaneous increase in local pressure as the compressed free gasses 12 attempt to expand to various multiples of their pre - dissociative space as detailed in fig4 . what was once a reservoir consolidated and under an in situ pressure roughly in proportion with its neighboring non - clathrate deposits suddenly contains either : case a as shown in fig1 g - a localized high pressure pocket between the zones of dissociation 50 if there are no paths of relief ; or cases b ( i ) and ( ii ), shown in fig1 h and 1 i , respectively — where b ( i ) shows formation of a localized void 52 in the remaining undissociated reservoir 34 between the dissociation fronts 50 as dissociated liquid water 18 and compressed free gasses 12 move from the local high pressure area to lower pressure areas by whatever means that are available ( permeability , faulting , flowing along or inside drill pipes , etc .). this immediately causes case b ( ii ) where the surrounding overburden 2 and underlying strata 4 displace into and fill the localized void 52 due to the pressure differential and form a compacted zone 54 in order to support the weight of all the deposits above them . the localized results of dissociation may be expected to hold in fig1 g - 1 i or in any region in which clathrates form a part of the structural support of a formation . note in particular that this newly compacted region does not contain any clathrates . as will be appreciated , localized dissociation of a previously structurally stable sediment and clathrate subsurface reservoir will in many cases result in subsurface collapses . such collapses can have both local ( subsurface ) effects and distant ( surface ) effects . fig2 a - 2 d illustrate one potential subsurface result of dissociation - induced compaction during drilling and production operations . fig2 a illustrates the situation prior to dissociation . a drill string 40 with drill bit 42 has been introduced into the clathrate reservoir 34 that is intended to be produced . the clathrate reservoir 34 includes solid sediment particles 14 along with solid clathrate particles 16 and minor amounts of liquid water 18 . the clathrate reservoir 34 surrounding the drill string 40 and drill bit 42 is considered to be compacted equivalent to neighboring deposits at similar depths , and therefore relatively stable . fig2 b illustrates the situation after the drill string 40 and drill bit 42 are removed and production tubing and / or casing 44 is installed in one of the common manners . as will be appreciated , efforts to produce the gasses stored in the clathrate and sediment reservoir 34 will entail intentionally inducing dissociation to free the gas from the clathrate host matrix . such efforts may include , for example , decreasing pressure , adding heat , adding clathrate inhibiting materials and / or molecular substitution into the deposit 34 or any combination of these . see , for example , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 537 , 058 describing production from a hydrate reservoir . as production begins , a zone of dissociation 50 shown in fig2 c is formed immediately in a highly localized radial zone around the production tubing and / or casing 44 . this illustrates a key distinction between production of hydrocarbons from conventional hydrocarbon gas reservoirs and production of hydrocarbon gas clathrate reservoirs . conventional hydrocarbon gas reservoirs are essentially large pressure vessels and as they are produced the reservoir pressure relatively uniformly drops and there is a relatively uniform compaction throughout the reservoir . hydrocarbon gas clathrate reservoirs on the other hand produce hydrocarbon gas in essentially the opposite way : production commences by establishment of a dissociation front immediately at the wellbore and the dissociation front gradually moves out radially from the wellbore , as does compaction . as the clathrates 16 are dissociated into liquid water 18 and compressed free gas 12 , the remaining reservoir sediment becomes progressively less consolidated as illustrated by fig2 c . at some point , the structural support of the dissociated area is exceeded by the hydrostatic and lithostatic pressure and the overburden 2 and underlying strata 4 surrounding production tubing and / or casing 44 may displace into the resultant void and create a compacted zone 54 , crushing the production string as illustrated in fig2 d . generally , the production tubing and / or casing and surrounding sealing cement will collapse radially and / or axially . other failure modes may include flow of gas up the exterior of the collapsed drill string and cement , potentially blowing out to the surface or sea floor . in order to reduce or eliminate this effect , steps may be taken to pre - condition ( pre - compact ) the reservoir in way of the selected production well location after the initial drilling and prior to installation of the production string such that catastrophic collapse during initial production can be avoided as illustrated in fig3 a - 3 g . as illustrated in fig3 a , the reservoir is drilled . then the drill pipe 40 and drill bit 42 are repositioned somewhere between the total well depth and a point near or above the top of the clathrate reservoir ( fig3 b ) and one and / or more methods that promote dissociation are applied to the reservoir ( fig3 c ) to create a void 52 . in one example of promoting dissociation , hot water , hot drilling mud or other heated fluid may be injected or circulated , raising the temperature of the clathrates , causing dissociation . alternately , or in addition , clathrate inhibiting chemicals may be injected . such inhibiting chemicals include , for example , salts , methanol and glycols including but not limited to monoethylene glycol and diethylene glycol . in another approach , mobile fluids present in the reservoir , water for example , may be pumped out to reduce the reservoir &# 39 ; s pressure to a point below the pressure of clathrate stability , causing dissociation . one method of achieving this is to use underbalanced drilling techniques . another example could be deployment of a submersible pump located at the end of the drill string . in one embodiment , the dissociation process may be begun during the initial drilling operation by adding heat and / or inhibiting chemicals to the drilling fluid circulating through the zone of interest and / or utilizing underbalanced drilling techniques . as will be appreciated , dissociation induced by any of the foregoing methods will tend to proceed outwardly in a radial direction from the outer edges of the original borehole . by way of example , dissociation may be induced in a radius of a few meters around the borehole , for example , between about 1 m and about 10 m . in a particular embodiment , the treated region is lm surrounding the borehole . in an embodiment , dissociation is induced along a complete vertical extent of the reservoir . withdrawing the drill pipe to the top of the clathrate reservoir prior to inducing dissociation maintains the drill pipe in a state of tension during localized slumping downward of the overburden in the drilling pipe &# 39 ; s vicinity , a situation for which it is well - engineered . in application , it may be useful to limit the progress of the dissociation to control the volumes of gas and / or water generated with limitations of the drilling system in mind . embodiments of these methods may include reducing the applied heat and / or inhibiting chemicals and / or increasing the bottom whole pressure such that the rate of dissociation is reduced or stopped as appropriate . gas released in the dissociation process will generally escape through the borehole along with the circulating fluids . the gas may be collected , combined with other hydrocarbon production , or alternately it may be flared and / or otherwise vented . likewise , fluid ( e . g ., water ) released by dissociation may be collected . this collection serves both to remove water from the area to be compacted , preventing it from re - forming clathrates and to further decrease relative pressures in the zone , improving the dissociation rate and increasing compaction . the collected fluid may be treated and may then be disposed of or used for other purposes . for example , it may be re - injected into other subterranean formations , either for disposal or for use in flooding for sustained conventional oil production in a later stage recovery process . once the clathrate is dissociated in a region surrounding the borehole , the empty borehole will generally collapse . in one approach , prior to collapse or induction of dissociation , additional stabilizing material may be injected into the borehole . for example , gravel , sand or similar filler materials may be injected into the bottom of the borehole or into a region surrounding the borehole prior to dissociation and collapse , either to reduce the displacement of overlaying or underlying strata and / or to create and / or maintain a zone of high permeability in the wellbore area . in either case , the collapsed region has become consolidated to form the compacted region 54 ( fig3 d ), which region no longer contains hydrates . after the consolidation steps are completed , and the clathrate reservoir area below the drill string is appropriately consolidated , the well may be re - drilled through the now - consolidated area ( fig3 e ), completed ( fig3 f ) and produced ( fig3 g ). likewise , surface facilities , pipelines and other massive equipment may be safely sited directly above the compacted area . in the case of large reservoirs , it may be useful to make use of multiple boreholes for production , injection and / or monitoring . in these cases , it should be appreciated that pre - compaction methods in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may be applied to one or more of the boreholes , and that in a particular embodiment , each borehole . as will be appreciated , the method as described herein may be performed using a computing system having machine executable instructions stored on a tangible medium . the instructions are executable to perform each portion of the method , either autonomously , or with the assistance of input from an operator . in an embodiment , the system includes structures for allowing input and output of data , and a display that is configured and arranged to display the intermediate and / or final products of the process steps . a method in accordance with an embodiment may include an automated selection of a location for exploitation and / or exploratory drilling for hydrocarbon resources . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed embodiments described herein are by way of example only , and that numerous variations will exist . the invention is limited only by the claims , which encompass the embodiments described herein as well as variants apparent to those skilled in the art . in addition , it should be appreciated that structural features or method steps shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments as well .

4Fixed Constructions

referring to fig1 , an application of an embodiment is illustrated in which a sporting event is being recorded and transmitted to a central processing site ( not shown ) for subsequent broadcast to viewers . the sports arena is indicated by reference 100 , and the action is being recorded by a number of video cameras 110 . this may include footage of players engaged in a football match together with talking head footage of expert commentary for example . a mobile truck 120 includes a video service multiplexing system 150 according to an embodiment . a number of video services 130 are feed to the system 150 , which may encode or compress them . the video services are then multiplexed to generate a transport stream or channel 140 which is transmitted back to the central processing site . a block schematic of the video multiplexing system 150 is shown in fig2 . this system 150 comprises a number of encoders 210 corresponding to the received video services 130 , a multiplexer 220 , a user interface 230 , and an allocation function 240 . the encoders 210 may compress the video services 130 according to mpeg2 , mpeg4 or another video compression system . the compressed video services are then fed to the multiplexer 220 which multiplexes the video services according to respective bit - rate control settings provided by the allocation function 240 . thus for example a high definition video service may be set at a bit - rate of 20 mbs , whilst a standard definition video service may be set at a bit - rate of 10 mbs . the multiplexed video services are then output from the system as a transport channel 140 for example as a transport stream defined by mpeg2 part 1 . the allocation function 240 is typically implemented by a processor running an algorithm which interacts with the user interface 230 . the user interface 230 receives user defined weighting parameters for the video services . these weighting parameters for each channel ( 130 ) are passed to the allocation function 240 which also determines an available bit - rate for the transport channel 140 . the total bit - rate of the transport stream 140 is typically fixed by a user setting and the bandwidth of the transport system . some of this total bit - rate will be used for overhead and audio data , leaving an available bit - rate for video services . the overheads and audio bit - rate are removed from the total bit - rate to leave an available bit - rate . the removed bit - rate includes all audio , vertical blanking interval [ vbi ] data , programme specific information [ psi ] data and video service bmins [ a parameter set by the mpeg specifications ]. typically the bit - rate provided for audio data and other overhead is allocated by a user ; the remaining bit - rate being used by the system to allocate automatically to the video services . in an alternative arrangement , the audio and / or overhead bit - rate may be dynamically variable , in which case the system adapts the available bit - rate for video services accordingly . fig3 shows an input screen for the user interface 230 which may be implemented using a display device and appropriate software as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art . the screen shows the total bit - rate for the transport channel 310 , the available bit - rate for the video services 315 , and the various video services 320 . user entered weighting parameters for each video service are shown at 325 , and the proportion of the available bit - rate allocated to each video service is shown at 330 . an example allocation calculation for video service 1 follows : available bit - rate = 49 . 0 service 1 weighting parameter = 7 total weighting parameters = 19 service 1 bit - rate = 7 / 19 × 49 . 0 = 18 . 1 mbs similar calculations are performed for the other video services in order to allocate a proportion of the available bit - rate . the service rate of each video service is shown at 335 , and this includes video , audio and overhead bits for each video service 320 . actual weightings for each video service are also shown at 340 . in some situations these may not correspond exactly with the user entered weighting parameters at 325 due to system constraints . for example where the allocated bit - rate of a video service would be below the minimum defined by the mpeg2 standard , then the allocation function allocates at least this minimum bit - rate to the video service , and re - allocates the remaining available bit - rate to the other video services according to their respective weighting parameters . the packet nulls shown at 345 are also minimised by the system as can be seen ( service rate = 0 . 0 ). these null packets are transport stream packets with no video data and their presence effectively reduces the available bandwidth of the transport stream to carry the video services . if the bit - rates of the video services were incorrectly set manually , such that not all of the available bit - rate was utilized by the video services , then nulls would be used to fill the transport stream . once the bit - rates 330 are allocated to each video service , these are used to control the respective encoders 210 to fix the bit - rate of each video service received by the multiplexer 220 . the video services are then multiplexed into the transport stream 140 at their fixed bit - rate allocations , together with their audio and other overhead components , in order to generate the full transport stream bit - rate . the exact multiplexing architecture and operation would be understood by those skilled in the art , for example as described in mpeg part 1 . in practice , this embodiment can be used to allocate video bit rate on dsng and contribution encoders in a simple way that gives the user flexibility in how it is allocated but makes it difficult not to make efficient use of the available bandwidth . in the field the operators of equipment can be less skilled in their operation and so a relatively foolproof interface is provided . the bit rate allocation , once set , can remain at a static value . however it is also possible for the system to adapt to changing parameters such as a change in the total or available bit - rate , or a change in the number of video services . the system can also allow for the manual fixing of a bit - rate for one or more of the video services , then automatically allocating the remaining bit - rates for the other video services using the user defined weighting parameters . a method according to the embodiment is shown in fig4 . this method may be implemented for example by the system of fig2 and the user interface of fig3 . at step 410 , the method receives weighting parameters for each encoded video service . as discussed above , this may be achieved using a display screen based user interface in which the user directly enters weighting parameters for each video service . in alternative embodiments , the user may enter fixed bit - rates for one or some of the video services , and weighting parameters for others . in this case , the fixed bit - rates will be subtracted from the available bit - rate and the remaining video service bit - rates allocated from the remaining available bit - rate according to their respective weighting parameters . in a further embodiment , fixed bit - rates are entered by the user , and the method then calculates weighting parameters for each video service based on the entered bit - rates . the method then determines the available bit - rate for the video services at step 420 , and as already described above . once initially determined , the available bit - rate may be stored locally until it changes . then at step 430 , the method allocates a proportion of the available bit - rate to each video service according to their respective weighting parameters . these allocated bit - rates may also depend on other factors such as meeting a minimum or maximum bit - rate according to system limitations . therefore at step 460 the method checks whether an system parameters have been exceeded by any of the video services . in an mpeg based system , the proportion of available bit - rate allocated to each video service is checked to determine whether these fall within bmin and bmax . if there is no violation of system parameters , the method moves to the multiplexing step 440 . however if there are system parameters exceeded on any of the video services , then at step 470 the method corrects the bit - rate allocation of the affected video service by either increasing or decreasing its bit - rate allocation to meet the system parameters . the available bit - rate is then re - determined by subtracting the bit - rate allocated to the affected video service from the available bit - rate . the method then returns to step 430 where the re - determined available bit - rate is re - allocated to the remaining non - affected video services according to their respective weighting parameters . for example if the weighting parameter for video service x would result in a bit - rate below a minimum predetermined bit - rate bmin , then the method ensures that at least bmin is allocated to video service x , and the remaining available bit - rate is then allocated to the other video services according to their respective weighting parameters . similarly , if a maximum predetermined bit - rate bmax would be exceeded due to the weighting parameter allocated to video service x , then the method allocates bmax to video service x , subtracts this bmax from the available bit - rate and allocates this remaining bit - rate to the other video services according to their respective weighting parameters . where possible , all of the available bit - rate is allocated to the video services in order to reduce the number of null packets in the transport stream . the allocated bit - rates are then used to fix the bit - rates of the respective video services , which are then multiplexed together at step 440 as described previously . at step 450 , the method checks for the addition or deletion of video services . if there is no change in the number of video services , then the method may either terminate or re - run from step 420 as shown . if there is a deletion or addition of video services , the method returns to step 410 . when a video service is deleted , its weighting parameter can be set to zero so that no bit - rate is allocated to it at step 430 . the method then re - allocates the available bit - rate amongst the remaining channels according to their respective weighting parameters . the multiplexing process is then updated at step 440 . when a video service is added , the user is requested to enter a weighting parameter , and the proportion of the available bit - rate allocated to each video service is re - allocated according to the relative weighing parameters of all of the video services , including the new one . where there are more video services than can be handled by a single multiplex or transport stream , additional systems according to fig2 and / or methods according to fig4 can be implemented in parallel in order to generate additional transport streams where the video services are allocated bit - rates dependent on user defined weighting parameters . modifications and other embodiments of the disclosed invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings . therefore , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure . although specific terms may be employed herein , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation .

7Electricity

proposed herein are specific characteristics of the parallel human thinking in the left and right cortex , including a proposal for explaining the underlying neurotransmitter mechanism . positive and negative human emotions are defined and the bivalence of emotions under this definition proposed . the proposed mathematical independence of positive and negative emotions is supported with their largely independent physiological constitution . this forms the basis for the mathematical classification of emotions and moods in a two dimensional emotion space . separate forms of consciousness are defined and an explanation of how mood emerges from consciousness is provided . the moods are well described in a logarithmic complex emotion plane , formed by two perpendicular dimensions , expressing the natural fear and desire components . the mathematical transformation is derived from right cortex to left cortex representations and its inverse transformation as the complex 1 / z function . an intuitively and logically mathematical representation of emotions and moods on the disk and the square of fig1 a and fig1 b , respectively , results . finally , we mathematically model stable and transient emotional updates and associated mood changes by cortical transformation matrices acting on emotional fear - desire pairs . verbal tasks activate the left cortex , spatial tasks the right . in 1996 the pet studies of smith et al . showed that verbal tasks primarily activate left - hemisphere cortical regions whereas spatial tasks primarily activate right - hemisphere cortical regions . multiple other studies confirm this . for example , in 2003 cohen et al . showed that only the vwfa ( visual word form area , located in the left occipito - temporal sulcus ) shows a preference for alphabetic strings over simple chequerboards , whereas the r - vwfa ( the right - hemispheric symmetrical region ) does not . another 2003 paper , by jobard et al , states that the first steps of word access take place within a left occipitotemporal region . and back in 1987 , gutbrod et al . already showed that patients with right hemisphere damage are impaired in spatial tasks . also , it has been discovered as early as in the nineteenth century that the language disorder aphasia typically results from lesions in the language - relevant areas of the frontal , temporal and parietal lobes of the brain , such as broca &# 39 ; s area , wernicke &# 39 ; s area , and the neural pathways between them . these are all areas that are typically located in the left hemisphere with right - handed people . when we further refer to the left or right brain we implicitly refer to what is typical in right handed people , when referring to western language . the left cortex adopts an analytical approach to perception and cognition , while the right cortex grasps information holistically or synthetically . in 1962 hacaen et al . observed that patients with left brain damage may make errors of detail in copying and remembering complex figures , but the intact right hemisphere was adept at grasping the general configuration of the figure . in contrast , patients with right hemisphere damage would attempt a piecemeal strategy of copying and remembering , in which the left hemisphere was unable to integrate details within the meaningful whole . similarly , in 1969 bogen and bogen showed that the isolated left brain is impaired in perceiving whole configurations of geometric designs and attempts to analyze the patterns into discrete parts . over the next two decades a number of studies showed that these differential hemispheric skills in holistic and analytic perception extend to the normal population ( allen 1983 ; kinsbourne 1978 ). in 1996 deglin et al . showed that the right hemisphere has trouble solving syllogisms , since they require logical deductive reasoning . the processing of the right hemisphere is next to holistic also intuitive . as bowers et al . showed one automatically follows from the other , since intuition relies on a holistic mechanism of spreading activation ( 1990 ). the above is also reflected in the connectivity or architecture of the left and right brain : whereas the left brain shows a modular architecture , the right brain shows a distributed one . this was first suggested by semmens in 1968 , after he noticed a focal left brain lesion produces a specific deficit , but a focal right brain deficit does not . in 1987 tests by kosslyn suggested a discrete or categorical form of perception for the left brain versus a continuous or metric form of information representation for the right hemisphere . in 1991 robertson and lamb found that left temporoparietal lesions impair perception of local perceptual information , whereas right temporoparietal lesions impair perception of global perceptual information . the left cortex is specialized in convergent thinking , the right in divergent thinking . analytical thinking is convergent , whereas holistic or synthetic thinking is divergent . indeed , both language and logic result from convergent thinking : language converges a multitude of visual and / or auditive impressions to linguistic objects . logic converges phenomena and their interactions to deterministic relationships , leaving no place for contradictions or paradoxes . the difference between convergent and divergent thinking also relates to the difference between serial and parallel processing respectively . reading a text for example , requires the serial processing of words , one after the other . spatial awareness on the other hand , requires the parallel processing of visual stimuli , which are synthetically combined into one holistic whole image . thus , whereas the brain areas at the frontal left are specialized in directing and organizing the convergent thinking of logic , those at the right create divergent thinking . several studies support this . the lateralization of serial and parallel processing is for instance supported by the fact that the left cortex is specialized for unimodal sensory and motor areas , whereas the right brain is specialized for cross - modal association areas ( goldberg and costa 1981 ). in 2000 razoumnikova related divergent thinking to an increased functional connectivity of central - parietal areas of both hemispheres , as well as to a greater ipsilateral connectivity with the frontal cortex regions of the right hemisphere . in 2003 faust et al . stated that the left hemisphere benefits most from semantically convergent primes that converge onto the dominant meaning of an ambiguous target word , whereas the right hemisphere benefits most from semantically mixed or divergent primes , which diverge on alternate meanings of the ambiguous target word . the lateralized neurotransmitter pairs dopamine - acetylcholine and norepinephrine - serotonin explain lateralized thinking . whereas norepinephrine and serotonin are right lateralized in the brain , dopamine and acetylcholine are left lateralized ( tucker and williamson 1984 ; arato at al . 1991 ; wittling 1995 ). serotonin is thought generally to act as an inhibitory neurotransmitter reducing arousal and the activity of cerebral neurons , especially of the noradrenergic ( i . e . norepinephrine - containing ), right - hemisphere - dominant arousal system ( tucker and williamson 1984 ). a similar process takes place in the left hemisphere , where dopamine inhibits stimulus - evoked acetylcholine release from cholinergic interneurons ( stoof et al . 1992 ). in 1999 hoebel et al . suggested dopamine reinforces behavior , whereas acetylcholine stops it . the reinforcement by dopamine works through inhibition and therefore is negative feedforward . the feedback by acetylcholine is excitatory and is therefore positive feedback . this negative feedforward reinforcement by inhibition of less - essential neurons forms the proposed mechanism of convergence from noisy data to the essence , typical for left brain thinking . since inhibition of less - essential neurons is not absolute , as in an off - switch type of inhibition , but gradual , the positive feedback by acetylcholine is necessary to control the level of inhibition . indeed , in the convergent left hemisphere , the main feedforward messenger is dopamine , a neurotransmitter that is known to help us to control our movements and to focus . both control and focus require inhibition . in order to control one &# 39 ; s movements , other non - deliberate movements need to be suppressed . and in order to focus , the remainder should not get attention . the same feedforward inhibition of dopamine , combined with the excitatory feedback of acetylcholine is proposed as the underlying mechanism of convergent thinking . the left frontal cortex reduces overall attention to give attention to the analytically reduced essence of an experience instead of to the overview . an inverse mechanism is proposed for divergent , holistic , synthetic thinking based on the reciprocal working of norepinephrine and serotonin . norepinephrine works in this mechanism as a positive feedforward messenger that increases arousal , activating wider parts of the brain , thus allowing us to see the whole or the big picture . serotonin again reduces the arousal as negative feedback to control the level of arousal or frequency of neuronal activation . the left brain thinks in objects , the right in subjects . in 1997 neurologist gazzaniga described an experiment involving pictured paintings of faces made out of fruit . they were painted in such a way , that one could easily recognize a human face in the overall image . at the same time , the individual fruit items were easily recognizable as well . when the image was presented to the left visual field of a split brain patient , and thus was processed by his right brain hemisphere , the patient recognized the face of a person . when the image was presented to the right visual field connected with the left cortex , the patient recognized and named the individual fruit items . the results of gazzaniga &# 39 ; s experiment are in line with earlier research , revealing the importance of the right hemisphere in face recognition . in 1969 benton and van allen showed that patients with right hemisphere lesions perform significantly worse at recognizing unfamiliar faces . later , similar results were found in normal subjects : droste et al . observed greater changes in the right middle cerebral artery ( rmca ) than the left ( lmca ) during facial recognition tasks in normal subjects ( 1989 ). in 1993 gur et al . measured increased cerebral blood flow in the right midtemporal lobe under face recognition conditions . and in 1997 kanwisher et al . showed that the fusiform face area ( ffa ) is much more robust in the right hemisphere than in the left hemisphere . in 1992 kosslyn et al . proposed that the left hemisphere is more adept at processing categorical spatial relationships , whereas the right hemisphere is more efficient at processing coordinate spatial relationships . other researchers found that the left hemisphere is superior to the right in topological perception ( wang et al . 2007 ). the above supports our thesis that subject and object thinking are lateralized in our brain . objects are analytical logical language forms , while subjects are synthetic , holistic images of our own brain &# 39 ; s representations . people value emotions emotionally , necessitating a more objective definition of emotions and emotional valence . the word ‘ emotion ’ is derived from the latin words ‘ ex ’ and ‘ movere ’, literally meaning ‘ moving out ’. or , in other words , emotions are the forces that drive or move people . human emotions can have a positive and / or negative valence , depending on whether the emotions are valued positively or negatively . valuing is done by the brain itself and is therefore subjective . valuing is an at least partially emotional process . in order to clarify this mutual interdependency of emotion and valuing and to objectify subjective valuing we propose the following definition of positive and negative emotion . positive emotions are mental dispositions that attract or subject a person to another status . negative emotions are mental dispositions that reluct or object a change of personal status . emotions are bivalent rather than bipolar . several studies have shown emotions are bivalent rather than bipolar ( diener and emmons 1985 ; watson and tellegen 1988 ; cacioppo and berntson 1994 ; lewis et al . 2006 ). based on the above definition of positive and negative emotion and given their independence or mathematically perpendicularity , emotions can be modeled in two perpendicular dimensions , rather than in one dimension where positive and negative emotion would be correlated negatively . therefore positive and negative emotions can be represented as two independent or perpendicular basis vectors in mathematical emotion space , allowing for decomposition of any emotion in its positive and negative emotion components , represented in a 2 - dimensional domain , where emotions can be represented as vectors , coordinates or real and imaginary parts of complex numbers , such as represented in fig1 c . in the limbic system positive emotional valence is lateralized to the right , negative to the left . the subcortical substrate for emotion in the left hemisphere has negative bias , whereas that for the right hemisphere has a positive bias ( tucker 1981 ; tucker et al . 1995 ). a study by wager et al . ( 2003 ) also confirmed the left - lateralization of negative emotion - related activity in the limbic system . this physiological topology supports the concept of a largely independent physiological constitution of positively and negatively valenced basic emotions . fear is defined , with capital ‘ f ’, not merely as fear , but as the general negatively valenced basic emotion . analogous desire is a general positive valence basic emotion . although alternative naming is possible , this naming allows for an intuitive understanding of the more abstract mathematics . representing moods in this two - dimensional fear - desire domain allows for mathematically decomposing every specific emotion in its natural components of fear , intuitively understood as fear and desire , intuitively understood as desire . such decomposition into basic emotions by projection on the orthogonal vector basis ({ right arrow over ( e )} d1 ,{ right arrow over ( e )} fi ), where |{ right arrow over ( e )} d1 |= 1 and |{ right arrow over ( e )} fi |= 1 is mathematically expressed as : in this equation { right arrow over ( e )} is a vector with magnitude |{ right arrow over ( e )}|= e and direction φ ( see fig3 ). using complex number annotation , the desire part is the real part of the complex emotion z , fear is its imaginary part . d and f are the desire and fear coordinates represented as ( d , f ) of a specific emotion . they result from projecting the emotion { right arrow over ( e )} on the orthogonal basis of fear and desire and can be represented in the positive quadrant of the complex plane . emotional states are most naturally represented on a logarithmic scale . this is in line with how e . g . the human perception of auditive and visual stimuli is characterized , i . e . by a logarithmic transmission from physical phenomenon to brain representation , as expressed by the weber - fechner law . this law , which applies to both experience and cognition , states that the relationship between the physical magnitude of stimuli and their perceived intensity is logarithmic . applied to e . g . our auditive senses , this means equal ratios of frequencies are perceived as equal differences in pitch . for emotions it means e . g . that the difference between low fear and moderate fear seems bigger than between high fear and very high fear , even if the absolute difference in arousal is the same in both cases . moods emerge through iteratively updating emotions by reflecting them on the cortex . emotions emerge in the deeper levels of the brain : the limbic system and the brainstem . especially the amygdala , located in the limbic brain , plays a crucial role : it couples information of the senses on the cortex with emotions allowing the hippocampus to create our long term memory . emotions further instruct the frontal cortex to think or reflect upon the emotionally associated cortical representations . this emotional feedforward starts at the orbitofrontal cortex , which is therefore described as the neocortical representation of the limbic system ( nauta 1971 ). other parts of the prefrontal cortex then further direct the thinking about the emotionally associated representations ( tucker et al . 1995 ; davidson et al . 2000 ), creating attention . the cortex reflects upon the emotionally associated information and literally reflects it , i . e . sends processed information back to the limbic system , where emotional valence can subsequently be altered . this mechanism forms an emotional cortical limbic feedforward - feedback loop . accordingly emotions are iteratively reflected and updated . this iterative process may converge to a certain mood , where a mood is defined as a more consciously perceived and more stable emotion , spanning a certain period of time . moods are experienced as emotional consciousness , meaning an awareness of emotions . therefore we need to further investigate the mechanisms underlying consciousness . consciousness results from the recurrent activation of neural networks . there are multiple definitions of consciousness associated with different types of consciousness . here , we would like to distinguish between three of them . the first type of consciousness is physiologically linked with the activity of the brain stem . it refers to the bare fact of being awake ( moruzzi and magoun 1949 ). on a higher level , we make a distinction between a second type called phenomenal consciousness and a third type called cognitive consciousness . phenomenal consciousness is the experience of phenomena , as being aware of an emotion or a representation , without it being consciously accessed by cognitive attention ( block 1996 ). in phenomenal consciousness one can be conscious of subconscious representations and their associated emotions , as expressed in the statement “ a subconscious feeling withheld me ”. the third type of consciousness includes cognitive awareness . the statement “ sure i knew it , i just didn &# 39 ; t think of it ” expresses the existence of subconscious knowledge made conscious by thinking of it . thinking of it means paying cognitive attention to it . since cognition is a function of the frontal cortex ( bianchi 1922 ; kraeplin 1950 ; luria 1969 ), the involvement of the frontal cortex is a prerequisite for this type of consciousness . our consciousness of a phenomenon becomes cognitive when our prefrontal cortex pays attention to it by keeping it in its working memory . cognitive consciousness emerges from remembering the phenomenon experienced at the moments immediately preceding the current moment . this remembering is not part of the long term memory , but is a short term memory sometimes called working memory . working memory , or working attention , involves the recurrent activation of neural networks , which can be located in multiple cortical areas . depending whether the left or right frontal cortex is more predominantly involved , we conjecture that cognitive consciousness is either more language based or more intuitive . this is supported by baddeley &# 39 ; s model of working memory in which there are two short - term storage mechanisms : the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad ( 1974 ). similar as cognitive consciousness , also phenomenal consciousness is generated by the recurrent activation of neural networks . but contrary to cognitive consciousness , phenomenal consciousness is not directed by the frontal cortex , but by the temporal lobes ( milner and goodale 1995 , lamme 2006 ). the disclosed physiological mood model is best illustrated with the concrete example of visual perception . when a visual stimulus reaches the eyes , feedforward is launched to the primary visual cortex in the occipital lobes . abstraction from stimulus to neural patterns is done in the occipital , parietal and temporal cortex . in the left temporal lobe objective categories are recognized , while the right temporal lobe recognizes subjects . the experienced phenomenon emerges from the subcortical limbic association of emotional valence with the temporal cortical representations of the stimuli derived from the occipital cortex . in the subcortical limbic brain the emotion is associated with the cortical representation of the phenomenon by the amygdala and hippocampus , causing the association to remain , even after the stimulus has disappeared . the emotion associated with the phenomenon is feed forward through the orbitofrontal cortex of the limbic brain entering the pre - frontal cortex . the attention and working memory of the pre - frontal cortex direct the cognition process based on the emotional input received from the limbic brain . the left pre frontal cortex directs objective , converging , language based cognitive consciousness , while the right pre - frontal cortex brings the subjective , diverging , holistic imaginary consciousness . both the left and the right cognitive consciousness solicit the other areas of the brain through positive and negative feedforward and feedback as described earlier . the cortical representation and its associated emotions are updated , each time new stimuli are experienced . these new stimuli may result from a changed physical phenomenon caused by the actions taken . however , the changing physical phenomenon may also be independent of actions taken , because emotions are not only updated when new stimuli are presented , but also when simply thinking about emotional representations , as further discussed . emotional consciousness is part of cognitive consciousness when under attention of the pre - frontal cortex but emotional consciousness is also part of phenomenal consciousness , when sensory input associated with the phenomenon is active or when the phenomenon is remembered and attended . typically , the divergent subjective thinking attention of the right pre - frontal cortex leads to an increase in emotion intensity , the arousal associated with that emotion . similarly , the objective convergent thinking attention of the left pre - frontal cortex leads to decrease of emotion intensity . cognitive attention of the frontal cortex is focused . the amount of phenomena that get attention is limited . multiple emotions however can exist in parallel , explaining why we can have mixed feelings . although different emotions may be part of the emotional consciousness , i . e . different recurrently activated neuron networks may be active in the limbic system at the same time , one is always most predominantly present . it is therefore a fair conjecture that the feedforward mechanism of the orbitofrontal cortex will prompt the attention of the prefrontal cortex to the cortical representations associated with this dominant emotion . when this emotion - representation feedforward - feedback system converges to a rather stable emotion over time , a mood emerges . emotions and moods are well represented in the logarithmic complex emotion plane . the emotion and mood space can be represented as the positive quadrant of the complex plane where ( 1 , 1 ) represents the individuals &# 39 ; average level of fear and desire . using the logarithmic representation of mental states , this emotion space can be transformed to a mood space that covers the entire complex plane , where 0 is mapped to −∞, 1 to zero and +∞ to +∞, since exp (−∞)= 0 , exp ( 0 )= 1 and exp (+∞)=+∞. therefore moods can be represented in the complex logarithmic mood plane of fig1 d . the complex plane representing the emotion domain can be mapped onto a mood disk . in order to represent this logarithmic complex mood plane in a compacter way , without using the notion of infinity , we represent moods on a unity disk , called the mood disk , as shown in fig1 e . to arrive at this disk , the logarithmic complex mood plane is first mapped onto a riemann sphere using the inverse stereoscopic projection , indicated in fig1 f . the points a and b are projected through the stereoscopic projection onto the riemann sphere as s ( a ) and s ( b ). using the same holographic projection this complex plane is projected as well on a half riemann sphere with center s (∞), as shown in fig6 . a and s ( a ), as well as b and s ( b ) are projected onto hs ( a ) and hs ( b ) respectively . subsequently , this half riemann sphere is projected to the unit disk as the bottom of the half riemann sphere by projecting from 0 , projecting hs ( a ) onto a md and hs ( b ) onto b md . the resulting unit disk projection allows for the natural representation of moods on the mood disk , without representing the intuitively less accessible notion of infinity . the projections from the positive quadrant of the complex plane onto the complex plane and further onto the half riemann sphere and the mood disk are based on the projections our eyes and brain perform on physical visual stimuli . from these transformations the cortical right - left and left - right transformation is derived . therefore a closer look at the right cortical spatial projection of visual stimuli and the subsequent left cortical representation in mathematical language of these spatial representations is warranted . referring back to fig1 f , let 0 be the center of the eye , s (∞) be the eye &# 39 ; s pupil and the riemann sphere the retina of the eye . s (∞) on the surface of the retina is indeed the projection point of the physical points laying on ∞ when physical reality is seen in the eye &# 39 ; s focal plane translated parallel to itself as the complex plane of fig1 f . and s ( 0 ) is the projection point of the center of the focal plane represented as the complex plane with center 0 , which is as a static image of the focal plane of one eye represented as the half riemann sphere . this mapping of the mathematical points of 0 and to physiological points of the human eye is shown in fig1 g . the mapping of 0 on ∞ and of ∞ on 0 is done by the complex function 1 / z , projecting the complex plane on itself . the stereographic projection is the physical projection of light at certain angles of incidence alpha and beta on the retina . the overview image of spatial representation is created under the direction of the right frontal cortex . in order to imagine space outside the eye , the light projection through the pupil , is imaginarily reversed , i . e . the physical projection of the human eye is inverted , mathematically resulting in the half riemann sphere . this inverted right cortical whole static image of visual stimuli of one eye has therefore two dimensions , the two dimensions of the surface of the retina . three dimensional sight occurs when static images , seen from different angles are combined . its characteristic transformation is based on simple trigonometry but is not relevant here . logic causes the left cortex reasoning to be linear . looking at one aspect of a phenomenon , a language - like category is projected onto the whole image , resulting in a dimension . the entire space of the spatial right cortex representation is projected onto one dimension . only in this linear reduction of the whole image negation becomes possible by enforcing the law of non - contradiction . the left frontal cortex logically thinks in one dimension and by repeating its characteristic reducing language projection on the space that remained after projecting the first dimension , more linearly independent dimensions are projected , resulting in multidimensional left cortex thinking such as lines , planes and cubes . therefore the complex plane is a left brain projection and the half riemann sphere is a right brain projection . more specifically , the complex plane is the left pre - frontal brain representation of the spatial representation created under the direction of the right pre - frontal cortex . the stereoscopic projection is known as the complex transformation f ( z )= 1 / z and is the transformation between left and right cortex representation . the inverse of this function is the function itself , meaning that the transformation from left to right is the same as the one from right to left , both f ( z )= 1 / z , since f ( f ( z ))= 1 /( 1 / z )= z . thus , the 1 / z projection allows for the transformation of a left brain thinking analysis into an intuitively more accessible right brain image . therefore this 1 / z stereoscopic projection has been applied to represent the result of the mathematical decomposition of an emotion vector in the more intuitively accessible domain of the emotion disk . finally , emotions and moods can naturally , intuitively and mathematically easily be represented on an emotion or mood square . the linear left brain consciousness has difficulties interpreting the non - euclidian metric of the emotion disk . and confusion occurs easily when straight lines are represented non - linearly . in the mood disk straight lines are represented as circles , except for the radii of the emotion disk and through any given point an infinite amount of parallel lines , represented as circles , can be drawn in the mood disk , meaning the metric is non - euclidean . since the mood disk , is analytically difficult to read due to the distortion induced by the stereographic projection , we can represent it in a simpler or straighter way , more accessible to the left consciousness . we achieve this by representing the unity disk in the chebyshev metric as a unit square , represented in fig1 h . this emotion and mood unit square is both easily accessible for the right and the left brain consciousness and therefore the preferred domain to represent emotions and in fact any two dimensional phenomenon . the words low and high have been added to the axis , to make it more accessible to the right consciousness , since the left expression of − 1 and 0 may be confusing , since − 1 means the lowest intensity and not a negative emotion and 0 does not mean zero intensity , but average intensity . the actual coordinates in the square range between − 1 and 1 , when emotion intensity ranges from 0 to infinity . to derive these ( d , f ) emotion square coordinates from the ( d , f ) coordinates in de positive quadrant of the complex plane , the logarithmic , stereoscopic and chebyshev calculations have to be executed . as described earlier , our brain copes with emotions by iteratively updating them by reflection over cortical representations . this mechanism , when used successfully , allows us to reduce negative emotions or to increase positive emotions . the best way to cope with stress is by objecting fearful change that occurs in the objective reality . successful stress coping strategies typically reduce negative emotion by active objection to the reality change underlying the negative emotion , using logic and convergent left cortex thinking . e . g . the fear for a plane crash leads to objective formal procedures hedging that fear and preventing further accidents . successfully coping with stress is done through objective labor of the left brain , reducing fear to an acceptable or bearable level . research shows that the left hemisphere &# 39 ; s response is indeed specialized for stress reduction and promotion of regeneration ( wittling 2001 ). successful stress coping as fear hedging happens when objective , analytical , convergent thinking under the direction of the left pre - frontal cortex , pays attention to the phenomenal representation associated with the fear . the right hemisphere on the contrary is specialized for stress responsiveness and mastering acute demands of the external environment ( wittling 2001 ). as a result , the right hemisphere is e . g . typically active during stress anticipation ( davidson 2000 ). in such case , the right hemisphere , out of desire for a solution , searches a route to escape the negative emotion . the typical subsequent focusing happens under the direction of the left hemisphere . positive emotions are not coped with as stress , but positively nurtured until they reach a motivating level . the best way to nurture desire is by subjecting to a person . the right cortex subjects to emotions as well as projecting subjects , as persons , onto emotions . successful desire nurturing happens when subjective , holistic , divergent thinking under the direction of the right pre - frontal cortex , pays attention to the phenomenal representation associated with the desire . one may remark that desire may not necessarily only be felt for persons , but also for objects . however , one would probably also agree with us that desire for material objects is most often fear for loss of these objects or desire to be like another person . the cortex is unsuccessfully used and therefore misused when the right cortex is used to subjectively diverge negative emotion or when the left cortex is used to objectively converge positive emotion . unsuccessful stress coping strategies typically increase negative emotion by subjecting to the negative emotion , typically using subjective holistic right cortex thinking . anger is such an unsuccessful surrendering to negative emotions , which are projected onto a subject , the person who is characterized as being bad or evil . e . g . lynching a person after the occurrence of an accident does not hedge fear and does not prevent further accidents . outing of negative emotion in anger does not reduce the negative emotion and does not lead to objective measures to object the cause of the fear . moreover , it &# 39 ; s not healthy . it has been shown that people who lose their temper are 19 percent more likely to die of a heart attack than those who keep their emotions under control ( chida and steptoe 2009 ). unsuccessful desire nurturing happens when objective left cortex thinking is dominant . e . g . a positive evaluation of the desirability of a potential partner , based on a purely logical analysis , does not result in true love for that person . the cortical transformation of the dominant emotion pair can be modeled by a 2 × 2 matrix . changes in emotion and thus moods are either a result of new sensory input from the own body or environment or from interaction with other brain regions that change emotion . in the case where there is no new emotional input , the emotion is mainly changed by cortical reflection under direction of the pre - frontal cortices . in this simplified case , the cortical transformations can be modeled by a 2 × 2 matrix describing the transformation of the dominant positive and negative emotional components ( d , f ) through reflection on the left and right cortex , where ( d , f ) are the emotional coordinates in the positive quadrant of the complex emotion plane at the left side of fig4 , prior to the transformations to the emotion disk or square . in this formula , d t + 1 and f t + 1 are the dominant basic emotions at the time just after reflection , whereas d t and f t are the same dominant basic emotions at the time just before reflection . rc d and lc d are respectively the amplification factor ( greater than 1 ) of the right cortex and the reduction factor ( smaller than 1 ) of the left cortex on the desire component , during the time of reflection . analogously , rc f and lc f are respectively the amplification factor of the right cortex and the reduction factor of the left cortex on the fear component , during the time of reflection . the actual values of rc d , lc f , rc f and lc d depend on the starting conditions , as discussed further , and on how effective and efficient ( or quick ) one iteration is . subject representations are not effective in reducing fear , as object representations are not effective in increasing desire . and not all object and subject representations are equally efficient in increasing desire or in decreasing fear . in a successful dealing with emotions rc d will typically be large , lc f will be small , and rc f and lc d will be close to 0 . when this is the case , positive emotion will increase in intensity and negative emotions will decrease in intensity . the equation can then be simplified as : [ d t + 1 , f t + 1 ] = [ rc d 0 0 lc f ] ⁢ [ d t f t ] once a mood stabilizes , rc d and lc f will converge to 1 . the d and f values as used on the axes of the mood or emotion disk or square are both the unstable or stable ( d t + 1 , f t + 1 ) values , expressed on a logarithmic scale after transformation to the mood disk or square . a mood may never become fully stable and transient behavior may continue . an important transient case is the one where new dominant emotions in the limbic system emerge , due to new emotional input during the time of reflection . in the absence of unsuccessful transient behavior , negative emotions coincide with left frontal activity , positive emotions with right frontal activity . as discussed earlier , the human left hemisphere is typically specialized in stress reduction . therefore , high fear typically coincides with increased blood flow in the left cortex that tries to converge the fear . thus , referring to the emotion equations described earlier , if stress reduction is successful , lcf is small and ft + 1 is lower than ft . analogously , a relatively high d component typically coincides with a high rc d . to nurture the desire , the right cortex executes an effective and efficient rc d , causing the blood flow in the right cortex to increase . based on this typical coinciding of negative emotion and left cortical activity and positive emotion with right cortical activity , in the simplified case , the mood square x / y axis of fig1 h can also be related to or replaced by the level of lateralized cortical activity as shown in fig1 i . this does not however apply , in case the stable mood resulted from unsuccessful transient behavior , as will be discussed in next section . depending on the relative strength or intensity of the desire and fear component after reflection , people end up in a different mood , as shown in fig1 j . studies have shown that people who feel relaxed , show increased right frontal blood flow ( johansson at al . 1998 ). in 1999 mayberg et al . found that depressive people , typically in an apathic mood , have relatively higher blood flow in paralimbic regions , the deeper levels of the brain and relatively lower blood flow in cortical regions . patients for whom treatment was effective showed a reversal of this balance : blood flow decreased to paralimbic areas and increased to neocortical areas . unsuccessful transient behavior typically occurs when an active right hemisphere is confronted with fear , or an active left hemisphere with desire . at the moment a new important emotional input arrives , rc f or lc d can be different from zero and equal to the rc d or lc f of the previous dominant mood . when a new negative emotion enters the system , while the cortex was mainly occupied in subjectively diverging desire , then : the 2nd sleeve or was it but do it is . when a new positive emotion enters the system , while the cortex was mainly occupied in objectively converging fear , then : this mathematically models the process that initiates the failure by cortical misuse , as described earlier . the emotional axis cannot without precaution be exchanged for cortical activity . when emotions and moods are changing , the emotion axis cannot without precaution be exchanged for cortical activity . for example , anger usually leads transiently to increased left cortical activity that tries to calm down the negative emotion that characterizes anger . this only applies however if people believe something can objectively be done to alter the reality causing the fear inducing change . but when people , as harmon jones showed in 2003 , believe there is nothing they can do to rectify an angering situation they show no increase in left frontal activity , indicating they have already surrendered , while they still report being angry . this surrendering may even have caused the angry emotion . when a negative emotion is subjectively diverged and projected on an evil subject , often the left cortex does not recall the known solution to the objective problem . in such case the left cortex does not know or remember a pattern to decrease fear while the right cortex surrenders to and increases fear , ultimately causing panic as the highest level of fear and the lowest level of desire . in such case , the angry or panic emotion was caused by a transient behavior with a high level of right cortex activity and a low level of left cortex activity . emotional changes do not require sensory input . they can also occur when existing , but unattended cortical representations become attended . as discussed earlier , new emotionally associated sensory input can conquer dominance and ultimately change our mood . however , we do not necessarily need new input for our emotions and mood to change . the attention of our working memory can shift from a certain cortical representation to an associated , already existing but unattended other cortical representation . when the emotional coordinates ( d , f ) associated with the latter cortical representation gain dominance in our limbic system , they will change our emotions and ultimately our mood . the naming of the mood domains shown in fig1 are not exclusive neither exhaustive . more mood nuances or alternatives can be given . for example , the ( d , f ) coordinates corresponding to the mood anger can also result in feelings of guilt or self - hatred when the subject onto whom the negative emotion is projected is the self and not the other . the naming of fig1 j and 1k is proposed based on personal introspection , empathic understanding , symmetry considerations , etymology and semantics . e . g . passion and apathy should be symmetrical opposites since passion and apathy etymologically and therefore semantically are each other opposites . also relaxed and panic are symmetrical opposites . the pleasant feeling of being in control is a less intense form of the mood dominant , based on personal introspection and empathic understanding . any human mood , besides the eight basic mood names used in fig1 j and 1k , can be mapped on the mood disk . this is illustrated in fig1 m , which shows a non - exhaustive list of moods , with their corresponding position on the mood disk . for example , the pleasant feeling of being in control is a less intense form of the mood dominant . the position of the control mood , as well as the position of any of the other moods in the list , is based on personal introspection and empathic understanding . depending on the application for which the mood square or disk is used and depending on semantics , one or more of the eight basic moods may be refined in one of its variants . some indirect corroborative evidence for the correctness of the given naming is the empirical work of csikszentmihályi , briefly described in next paragraph . fig1 m illustrates a prior art mental state square published by csikszentmihályi in his theory of motivation at work . the two dimensions of csikszentmihályi &# 39 ; s model are challenge level and skill level . csikszentmihályi &# 39 ; s square is a special case for motivation at work where when challenge is high , uncertainty for social rejection as a form of fear is high and the left brain cortex needs to be active to hedge such fear . while when skill level is high , the desire for self - realization by socially contributing as a form of desire is high , resulting from a higher level of right brain cortical activity . referring to fig5 , business - to - consumer sales is best done in the − π / 8 to − 3π / 8 area , whereas business - to - business sales can be best positioned in the π / 8 to + 3π / 8 area . or , in words , sales and / or marketing will be most successful if they bring consumers in a relaxed mood and businesses in a passionate mood . indeed , fear is usually greater when purchasing on behalf of a business than when purchasing as a consumer . the reason is twofold : first , the purchasing sum in b2b sales is usually ( much ) higher , so the risk of loss is bigger . second , social pressure is usually higher in b2b purchase . if a consumer purchases a product , e . g . a closet , he can only make a mistake in his own eyes ( or in that of close family or friends ). if a buyer purchases a product on behalf of a business , he feels the social pressure of colleagues , bosses , etc . not only can he cause the business to lose money , he can also lose his reputation or even his job . within these respective areas , the areas of the relaxed and passionate mood , we want to find the area of maximal motivational strength . contradicting typical claims of behavioral psychology marketers , it &# 39 ; s difficult , if not impossible , to create desire . seeding is possible , but growing is a natural process . it can be fostered , but not easily stimulated . fear , however , can be actively hedged or treated trough left brain activity . therefore , given a certain level of desire which is represented by the desire coordinate d , fear , represented by the fear coordinate f , can be reduced to the level that the motivational strength m is maximal or close thereto , being at − π / 4 for consumer sales or − π / 4 for business - to - business sales . to make a consumer optimally sell instead of buy , a value should be located at the − 3π / 4 mood in the mood disk . meaning ; it &# 39 ; s usually in the advantage of a business / consumer to buy from an individual who feels apathy towards the product you want to buy from him . in all other cases , the selling price will usually end up higher . for example , when the consumer / seller is worried he may still need the product or regret the sale , or when he absolutely loves the product ( passionate mood ), he will probably be less willing to sell it . to make a business optimally sell instead of buy , a value should be located at the + 3π / 4 mood in the mood disk . for example , it &# 39 ; s usually in the advantage of a purchaser to buy from a b2b sales person who is anxious ( e . g . about not hitting his target ). similarly , it is usually in the advantage of a consumer to buy from a brand who lowered their prices because they are anxious about competition . applying the foregoing model specifically to interface design / development , without losing priority on other fields of application , enables accurate modeling of user psychology . television viewing is visual and therefore a specialization or virtuous habit of the right brain hemisphere . this has been confirmed by brain research : in 1979 herbert e . krugman showed tv is relatively a right - brain medium , with the right brain in general being about twice as active as the left brain during tv watching . thus tv viewing should be positioned in the bottom right quadrant of the mood disk . indeed , the main reason people watch tv is to relax ( barbara & amp ; robert lee , 1995 ). an important consequence of the above , is that tv user interfacing should be right brain interfacing , i . e . it should excite the right brain and not the left . fig6 a illustrates conceptually the effect of an undesirable tv user interface experience , represented as a path in the mood disk starting at relaxed mood and ending in an angry mood . if the viewer &# 39 ; s user interface contains too much textual content or requires the user to navigate sequentially through pull - down menus , wizards or other typical personal computer operating system based user interfaces , the left brain will have to be activated . therefore the position in the mood disk moves up from the right bottom to the right top quadrant . when the left brain has been used in work all day , this causes frustration which is a negative emotion categorized under fear . in 1980 herbert e . krugman showed that , indeed , interruption during tv watching causes frustration , which appears to be related to the left brain being ‘ turned on ’ again , thereby interrupting right brain relaxation . the viewer will stop being relaxed , reducing his or her motivational strength . the left brain typically controls and therefore suppresses the right brain . therefore the desire coordinate will be reduced . the viewer &# 39 ; s fear coordinate dramatically rises , bringing the viewer finally over the path indicated in fig6 a to a position in the angry area . the viewer will get angry at the provider of the tv services or content who is forcing him through a user interface that is perceived as hostile . successfully soliciting a purchase from an angry person is not entirely impossible , although very difficult . a left brain interface inhibits video on demand ( vod ) sales and other sales over tv from growing desire , actively frustrates existing desire and creates fear . knowing that both b2c sales and television watching is positioned in the − π / 4 area , we can optimize sales on television as following : first , content is aggregated across all channels , including the internet and other media sources , to screen the entire contents market . then , this content is ranked based on the viewer &# 39 ; s desire , that is the desire coordinate attached at the reference to the content . accordingly , it is desirable to select content that , given a certain level of fear hedging , represented by the fear coordinate f , is within the required desire component range , so that the mood ψ is in the − π / 8 to − 3π / 8 area , the ideal point at which sales on television should be proposed to yield maximally chance for success . the management of one &# 39 ; s television system , including such things as choosing the content of virtual channels , choosing which facebook users can post recommendations on one &# 39 ; s facebook channel , setting a channels &# 39 ; order number , managing one &# 39 ; s recommendation list , etc . is typically done in an excited mood . therefore , systems for television management are located in the top right quadrant . as a result , they should excite both the right and left brain , by balancing visual with textual or analytical data . reading and researching on an e - reader device is preferably done in a relaxed mood . e - reader user who want or need to buy material , don &# 39 ; t want to be interrupted by the typical operations required for online order placement and payment , such as selecting a supplier , entering credentials , etc . these latter kind of actions are typically done in another mood , which is characterized by a higher level of fear , and thus , is located in the dominant or passionate mood area of the mood disk . securities are best bought from traders who are in panic and sold to traders who are passionate about them . banking systems should not create value , but secure it . good banking is an objective left brain activity that does not subjectively speculate ( which is a right brain activity ) and therefor does not desire profit or value , it only hedges the fear of money not being trustworthy . good banking is not entrepreneurial , but is a collaborative effort of objectively securing value in money . therefore , banking is located in the top left quadrant of the mood disk . the mood paths , typically followed by a consumer or business when buying a product or service , are represented in fig1 . for business - to - business sales desire should be seeded and nurtured , and , when desire starts growing , fear should be actively hedged and sometimes created to close a business sale . in consumer sales of e . g . distributed non - proprietary products , desire needs to grow as fast as fear diminishes , and if the resulting intensity is strong enough , a relaxed purchase can take place . it is possible that the mood , optimal for the type of sale at hand , differs from the mood , typically related to the platform at the hand . as explained earlier , business - to - consumer sales is best done in the − π / 8 to − 3π / 8 area ( relaxed mood ), whereas business - to - business sales can be best positioned in the π / 8 to + 3π / 8 area ( passionate mood ). we also know that right brain platforms like e . g . television are typically located in the − π / 8 to − 3π / 8 area , whereas e . g . internet websites are typically located in the π / 8 to + 3π / 8 area . in general , the type of sale , has a stronger influence on the design of a purchasing platform / process , than the type of platform . this means that , for example , a business - to - consumer website for books , is optimally designed in such a way as to relax consumers . reading itself on the other hand , is something people typically do in a passionate mood . thus , when it comes to reading , the optimal purchasing experience ( relaxed mood ) differs from the optimal product experience ( passionate mood ). modeling a user &# 39 ; s fear and / or desire component towards a specific product or content , can be done through collecting conscious user feedback and / or through unconscious measuring of e . g . viewing and surfing behavior during tv watching or website browsing . reducing the fear component f is preferably done in a left brain activity environment , such as with a text based work environment , and not e . g . during tv viewing . accordingly , viewing and surfing behavior is well suited to model the d coordinate , while active text based input is suited to model the f coordinate . thus , for the example of television : watching a show entirely will increase the desire component associated with that show , whereas zapping away from the show decreases that same desire component . on the other hand , ordering one &# 39 ; s list of preferred tv programs on an internet site on a computer , allows modeling of the f coordinate : moving a program up in the list , decreases its fear coordinate , moving it down increases its fear coordinate . the right prefrontal cortex of the human brain has evolutionarily been developing to deal with visual data . not the actual reception and ordering of this data , which is done in the left and right basal cortex for the right and left eye , but in order to imagine a three - dimensional space outside the brain . the right brain prefrontal cortex imagines : projects an image outside us . the transformation of imagination projecting from basal to frontal cortex is a 1 / x transformation . light which is passing through the diaphragm formed by the pupil in the centre of the iris of the eye and projected on the retina follows exactly the same path as projecting the complex riemann sphere onto another riemann sphere , where zero is projected on infinite and vice versa . in order for the right brain to not feel the light in the same way a person feels the pain of a needle on the tip of their finger — humans don &# 39 ; t see the light at the inside of our eyes at the sensitive retina , but outside us in a sphere with a 1 / focal length diameter — the right brain hemisphere needed to specialize in this inverting transformation mapping a small internal sphere of the eye on a sphere outside the eyes or a plane , both representing the same image . since the 1 / x transformation is the only non - identical map that transforms the complex riemann sphere holomorphically on itself and the riemann sphere can holomorphically be mapped on the complex plane the right brain had no other option than to develop the 1 / x function physically in the projection the basal cortex onto the prefrontal cortex . this projection simulates the inverse projection of light through the pupil onto the retina , which is a 1 / x transformation by itself and the 1 / x transformation executed after another 1 / x gives the identity transformation , meaning humans imagine the world as it is . this 1 / x transformation is known to be divergent , creating the notion of infinity and zero in the brain . this links the visual character of the right brain with its divergent inverting character and explains why psychopathic behavior is a use of our right brain , uncontrolled by our left brain . desire is in its natural dynamic divergent ; it starts with a small seed of attraction towards an object and without any effort grows by itself to an obsession if not tamed by the left brain . the left brain pre frontal cortex has been developing to cope with sound ( not music , music is a combined effort of left and right brain , such as mathematics is ). instead of at each period of the brain wave inverting by projecting a two - dimensional map of the whole picture on the prefrontal cortex , the left brain has been specialized to find patterns in details when analyzing two - dimensional maps found by writing a column of fourier transformed ( by the cochlea ) amplitudes in function of frequency . therefore the left brain is specialized in detail and control . the best way to deal with fear is to control it by a detailed analysis and action . fear starts bigger and through hard labor of the left brain can be controlled or hedged . therefore the dynamic of fear is virtuously convergent and viciously divergent . fear and desire are independent and together constitute the entire human ( and probably also animal ) state space of emotions , called the psychology space , which can be mathematically translated as fear and desire are the eigenvectors of the psychology space . any psychological transformation , such transformation may occur for example as a result of one &# 39 ; s interaction with a potential customer when trying to sell something to him / her , can be decomposed in two components , one in the fear and one in the desire dimension , that are independent of each other and together constitute the entire psychological transformation or process . the psychology space therefore can be represented by a two dimensional surface , more specifically , a function range of the two dimensional surface of the brain cortex . therefore , the dimension of the psychology eigen space is two . the right brain hemisphere is specialized in dealing with desire and therefore is most virtuously used to deal with desire , but can also deal with fear , but then typically viciously . the left brain hemisphere is specialized in dealing with fear and therefore is most virtuously used to deal with fear , but can also deal with desire , but then typically viciously . every emotion can therefore be decomposed in its natural components of desire and fear , mathematically expressed as : every emotion e is a vector with a magnitude e and a direction φ which is graphically represented in fig1 c . fig1 c illustrates graphically the decomposition of an emotion into its independent and fully constituent components of fear and desire which may be mathematically expressed as follows : e =| e |=(| e d | 2 +| e f | 2 ) 1 / 2 where φ is the angle between the direction of the emotion e and the desire unit vector . the projection of e on this desire direction gives e d which is the product of e d and the desire unit vector . using complex number notation , where the desire part of a complex emotion z is the real part x and its fear part is the imaginary part y , and the magnitude of the emotion z is represented by r , the following complex notation applies : using complex riemann mathematics the single quadrant fear and desire map depicted in fig1 c can be conformally and holomorphically mapped to the unity circle in the complex plane as depicted in fig2 , making sure that all deductions derived from the psychology space of fig2 are actually applicable to the human emotions represented in fig1 c . fig2 is a conceptual illustration of the natural representation of the state space of human psychology . the starting space spanned by fear and desire is a single quadrant of the complex plane since no negative attraction or reluctance exists , since fear and desire are independent and not each other &# 39 ; s opposite or inverse . the human ear or eye , which , together with the internal states of the cortex , are the source of a certain phenomenon yielding a specific perception , are both characterized by a logarithmic transmission from senses to brain . therefore , internal emotion states can more naturally be represented on a logarithmic scale . representing the x an y axis of fig1 c logarithmically is a conformal , holomorphic transformation , subtracting ( 0 , ∞) mappings in both directions meaning this transformation can be executed without losing validity of the final psychological space in the real life emotional world . the representation of such transformation is given in fig3 . fig3 is a graph illustrating morphing of the single quadrant phenomenon to the entire complex plane of the perception . furthermore , the transformation of the entire complex plane of fig3 to the riemann complex half sphere of fig4 is known to be a meromorphic map , meaning , again , this transformation can be executed without losing validity . fig4 is a graph illustrating morphing of the entire complex plane of the perception to the cortical experience , represented by a riemann complex half sphere . finally , the half complex riemann sphere can be transformed holomorphically and conformally to the complex unit circle , being the equatorial circle of the riemann sphere , using a projective poincaré model , yielding the end result of fig2 . the mathematical characteristics of these transformation suffice to secure mathematical validity of this new representation of emotion and its eigenvector decomposition through the fear coordinate f , the desire coordinate d , the mood ψ and the motivational strength m , all being scalars . orthogonal projections through circles , rather than straight lines are necessary to correctly determine the d and f coordinates . psychology , emotions , subjective buying and selling behavior and also the viewer - consumer psychology can therefore validly be described in terms of mood ψ and motivational strength m . the extension of the left / right brain analysis enables the subdivision of the emotion disc , illustrated in fig2 , into left and right brain , active and passive areas , as shown in fig5 . fig5 illustrates conceptually the emotion disc with brain activity varying in function relative to the real and imaginary axis , therefore alternating per quadrant . applying the foregoing model specifically to buying psychology , without losing priority on other fields of application , enables accurate modeling of buyer / purchaser psychology . purchasing behavior can occur in different moods , represented by different angles ψ in the emotion disc . although a passionate buyer is different from a relaxed buyer , in every buying decision , or action in general , the motivational strength has to move over a particular threshold , which may differ from one person to another . television viewing is visual and therefore a specialization or virtuous habit of the right brain hemisphere . the right brain is specialized to deal virtuously with desire , and , when it deals with fear , it does it typically viciously , meaning tv viewing should be positioned in the bottom right quadrant of the emotion disc , where the right brain is active and the left brain is passive . an important consequence , therefore , is that tv user interfacing should be right brain interfacing . fig6 a illustrates conceptually the effect of an undesirable tv user interface experience , represented as a path in the emotion disc starting at relaxed mood and ending in an angry mood . if the viewer &# 39 ; s user interface contains too much textual content or requires the user to navigate sequentially through pull - down menus , wizards or other typical personal computer operating system based user interfaces , the left brain will have to be activated . therefore the position in the emotion disc moves up from the right bottom to the right top quadrant . when the left brain has been used in work all day , this causes frustration which is a negative emotion categorized under fear . the viewer will stop being relaxed , reducing his or her motivational strength . the left brain typically controls and therefore suppresses the right brain . therefore the desire coordinate will be reduced . the viewer &# 39 ; s fear coordinate dramatically rises , bringing the viewer finally over the path indicated in fig6 a to a position in the angry area . the viewer will get angry at the provider of the tv services or content who is forcing him through a user interface that is perceived as hostile . successfully soliciting a purchase from an angry person is not entirely impossible , although very difficult . a left brain interface inhibits video on demand ( vod ) sales and other sales over tv from growing desire , actively frustrates existing desire and creates fear . referring to fig6 b , soliciting buying behavior with television viewers is best done in the − π / 8 to − 3π / 8 area . the best business - to - business sales can be best positioned in the π / 8 to + 3π / 8 area . within this tv area , we want to find the area of maximal motivational strength . contradicting typical claims of behavioral psychology marketers , desire is a difficult , nearly impossible emotion to actively create . seeding is possible , but growing is a natural process that can be frustrated , but not easily stimulated . fear , however , can be actively hedged or treated trough left brain activity . therefore , given a certain level of desire which is represented by the desire coordinate d , fear , represented by the fear coordinate f , can be reduced to the level that the motivational strength m is maximal or close thereto , being at − π / 4 for consumer sales or + π / 4 for business - to - business sales . to make consumers or businesses optimally sell instead of buying , a value should be located at the +/− 3π / 4 mood in the emotion disc . for business - to - business sales desire should be seeded , and , when desire starts growing , fear should be actively hedged and sometimes created to close a business sale . in consumer sales of e . g . distributed non - proprietary products , desire can simply be harvested but fear should still be hedged . aggregating of content across all channels , including the internet and other media sources to screen the entire contents market is first performed followed by ranking based on the viewer &# 39 ; s desire , that is the desire coordinate attached at the reference to the content . accordingly , it is desirable to select content that , given a certain level of fear hedging , represented by the fear coordinate f , is within the required desire component range , so that the mood ψ is in the − π / 8 to − 3π / 8 area , the ideal point at which sales on television should be proposed to yield maximally chance for success . therefore it is necessary through unconscious measuring of viewing and surfing behavior and / or conscious user feedback to model the desire and / or fear vectors . reducing the fear component f is preferably done in a left brain activity environment , such as with a text based work environment , and not during viewing . accordingly , viewing and surfing behavior is well suited to model the d coordinate , while active text based input is suited to model the f coordinate . the foregoing concepts for modeling of desire and fear vectors relative to their mapping on the emotion disc can be performed with a unique neuropsychological modeling engine as described herein . such modeling engine serves as a mechanism by which content objects may be ranked given a subject &# 39 ; s ( viewer &# 39 ; s ) unconscious measuring of viewing and surfing behavior and / or conscious user feedback . once ranked , the specialized set of user interfaces described herein may be utilized to enable multidimensional surfing of the previously ranked content objects . unique to this disclosure is the concept of a truly subjective channel . unlike prior art content channels in which subject content has been objectively categorized by the content provider source and delineated according to available viewing times , a channel in accordance with the disclosure comprises one or more groups of content objects which have been specifically selected according to a viewer &# 39 ; s subjective preferences and mood and arranged in order from lowest to highest emotional motivation for the viewer to select and view such content . in an exemplary system , a viewer or group of viewers , such as a family , may have multiple personalized channels that comprise content programs which has been autonomously aggregated and screened according to their personal interests using the modeling system 35 disclosed herein and which are viewable using the user interfaces application controls associated with the viewer system 32 described herein or are created by using individual channels to mix . the foregoing concepts for modeling of desire and fear vectors relative to their mapping on the mood disk can be performed with a unique neuropsychological modeling engine as described herein . for reasons of clarity and understandability , we describe the working of such engine for the example of a television experience system . the principles are applicable to a wide range of applications however , namely all those who could benefit from recommender functionality . thus , the modeling engine described here serves as a mechanism by which content objects may be ranked given a subject &# 39 ; s ( viewer &# 39 ; s ) unconscious measuring of viewing and surfing behavior and / or conscious user feedback . once ranked , the specialized set of user interfaces described herein may be utilized to enable multidimensional surfing of the previously ranked content objects . unique to this disclosure is the concept of a truly subjective channel . unlike prior art content channels in which subject content has been objectively categorized by the content provider source and delineated according to available viewing times , a channel in accordance with the disclosure comprises one or more groups of content objects which have been specifically selected according to a viewer &# 39 ; s subjective preferences and mood and arranged in order from lowest to highest emotional motivation for the viewer to select and view such content . in an exemplary system , a viewer or group of viewers , such as a family , may have multiple personalized channels that comprise content programs which has been autonomously aggregated and screened according to their personal interests using the modeling system 35 disclosed herein and which are viewable using the user interfaces application controls associated with the viewer system 32 described herein or are created by using individual channels to mix . fig7 illustrates conceptually a network environment 38 in which the neuropsychological modeling engine disclosed herein may be implemented . network environment 38 comprises one or more private networks 31 and a public wide area network ( wan ) 30 , such as the internet . private networks 31 may be implemented with any known networking technology such as a cable packet network from a cable service provider or a packet - switched local area network ( lan ), or wireless network . public network 30 may comprise a married collection of other networks utilizing any currently known networking technology including both wireless , optical , etc . operably coupled to each of networks 31 and 30 is a content provider 34 , a viewer system 32 and a modeling system 35 which contains the neuropsychological modeling engine disclosed herein . also connected to network 30 are additional content providers 36 and 37 as well as an additional viewer system 33 . the viewer systems 32 and 33 may be implemented as described with reference to fig1 . fig8 illustrates conceptually a block diagram of modeling system 35 which contains neuropsychological modeling engine 41 . specifically , system 35 , outlined in phantom , comprises a pair of gateways 44 and 45 connecting system 35 to networks 30 and 31 , respectively . in an exemplary embodiment , system 35 further comprises a server platform 40 and one or more databases 46 - 48 . server 40 , which may be implemented with a single server or multiple servers , executes neuropsychological modeling engine 41 and ranking application 42 , behavior modeler 49 all of which communicate with each other as well as with databases 46 - 48 and other entities through network interface 43 which couples server 40 to databases 46 - 48 , as well as networks 30 and 31 . database 46 may be utilized to store records or other data structures representing the neuropsychological model of one or more viewers associated with the viewer system 32 , as well as other viewer systems . database 47 may be utilized to store the content objects , e . g . the files of various multimedia content , available for viewing by the viewer systems 32 . database 47 may also store metadata associated with the respective content files . fig1 c illustrates conceptually a exemplary content object metadata file 75 . database 48 may be utilized to store one or more channels 90 a - c which hold the rankings or orders of multiple content objects associated with channel model ( s ) 72 and viewer model 70 . note that although each of databases 46 - 48 are illustrated as a single database , it is contemplated here in that any of them may be implemented with a number of databases in different configurations , including distributed , redundant and peer - to - peer continuously migrating configurations . alternatively , the data from one or more of databases 46 - 48 may be combined into a single database . for example , the ranking of content associated with a specific viewer channel model may be stored along with the data defining the viewer model . in addition , each of databases 46 - 48 may include their own respective database server for interfacing with server 40 or may share a database server . fig9 d illustrates conceptually the elements of an embodiment of modeling system 35 necessary for the derivation of the relationship between metadata associated with a content object and an individual viewer model relative to the ranking of the content object associated with the particular channel model . specifically , each content object stored in database 47 has associated therewith a metadata file 75 which contains various data parameters describing the content of the file , such as the format , duration , title , genre , actor , producer , year of initial release , etc . any number of different data structure formats may be utilized for this particular structure . such content file metadata files may also be stored in database 47 . similarly , each individual viewer ( or group of viewers , e . g . a family ) associated with viewer system 32 has associated therewith a viewer model 70 which contains data describing the behavior model comprising viewer metadata such as gender , age , occupation , product / description service level , etc . and idealized preferences for the viewer ( or groups of viewers ) in terms of genre , actors , specific series , area of interest , past selection history , viewing duration or other parameters . fig1 a illustrates a sample data structure which may be used to implement the behavior model 70 for a specific viewer ( or groups of viewers ). as noted previously , such viewer metadata files may be stored in database 46 . to assist with the efficiency of their search engines services such as google , bing , yahoo , etc . create ontologies of reality . ontologies are used in artificial intelligence , the semantic web , systems engineering , software engineering , biomedical informatics , library science , enterprise bookmarking , and information architecture as a form of knowledge representation about the world or some part of it . essentially , such search engines create an objective index of content representing reality , such indexed content may be stored in one or more databases as represented in fig9 a by database 60 . in an exemplary body , database 60 and the indexed content may or may not be part of modeling system 35 but maybe accessible thereby through a public or private network . fig9 e - f illustrate the process flow between components of modeling system 35 to update a viewer &# 39 ; s model and channel model , retrieve new content and determine if such content is suitable for ranking according to the system model of the viewer &# 39 ; s emotional motivation . referring to fig9 a - f , viewer behavior , including events such as requesting a specific program , completion of the viewing of a content object , storing , or purchasing of content , management of a channel , causes viewer system 32 to send event data packet ( s ) to behavior modeler 49 of modeling system 35 as illustrated by arrow a of fig9 d and decisional blocks 61 of fig9 e . upon receipt of such event data , behavior modeler 49 modifies the viewer model 70 associated with the specific viewer , as illustrated by process blocks 62 a and , if necessary channel model ( s ) 72 , as illustrated by process blocks 62 b both of fig9 e . in one embodiment , the event data received by behavior modeler 49 may include an identifier of the content object which was the subject of the event , the elapsed viewing time of the content object , a descriptor of an action such as storing , purchasing , changing the order of , specifying a like / dislike of , or deleting such content object , and identifiers of the channel by which the content object was manipulated , and an identifier of the subject viewer or viewers . if the event is an implicit event the event data received by behavior modeler 49 may include the channel by which the content object was manipulated ( since a content object may belong to multiple channels ). also , if the event is implicit event the event data received by behavior modeler 49 may include the timestamp of the action ( elapsed time may be calculated at the source of the content object data stream since actions such as fast - forward and / or rewind are mapped to start / stop in order to calculate the cumulative viewing time ) and the position in the content object , e . g . after x seconds . if the event is an explicit event regarding channel management , the event data may contain an identifier of the channel that is being added or removed or changed and / or the search term / keyword associated with the change . if the event is an explicit event regarding one of the dedicated feedback ( colored button ) commands described herein the event data may contain identifiers of any of the command / button , content object and channel . fig1 b 1 illustrates conceptually a data structure defining an exemplary channel model 72 c . behavior modeler 49 then retrieves from database 46 the model associated with the specific viewer and the metadata file 72 c defining the channel . in addition , behavior modeler 49 also retrieves from database 47 , the metadata file describing the content object . next , behavior modeler 49 compares the received event data with metadata file 75 of the content object and the current viewer model 70 and modifies the channel model ( s ) 72 c appropriately , ( indicated by the circular arrow within behavior modeler 49 ), as illustrated by process block 62 a and 62 b of fig9 e . in each case the viewer model 70 is modified and optionally the channel model could also be modified , as would be in case of channel management and search term change . in embodiments , modifying the viewer model 70 may be performed with the following algorithm . each event is mapped onto the mood disc 20 according to a prescribed rule , e . g . purchase of a content object results in a predefined ψ and m value ( or equivalent fear coordinate f and desire coordinate d ). in a first step the location on the mood disc 20 of the content object is determined for a particular user . viewers mainly watch television for relaxation . however , a viewer may also watch a program because they are fascinated by it , or interested for professional reasons . thus , in the absence of any other implicit or explicit data , other than the fact that a viewer associated a positive event ( e . g . watch from start to end , purchased , use of a colored button to indicate explicit feedback , etc . . . . ) with the content object , an assumption is made that for the particular viewer the content object is probably located somewhere in the delineated area adjacent the right perimeter of the disc , as illustrated in fig6 d . the first time a viewer is using the system 35 , it is difficult to predict in which mood exactly the user currently exists : passionate , dominant or relaxed . hence programs may be pre - catalogued in either the passionate or relaxed area of the mood disk 20 . programs that will typically be pre - catalogued in the relaxed area are series , movies , reality shows , etc . programs that will typically be pre - catalogued in the passionate area are news programs , debates on financial , economic or political topics , scientific documentaries , etc . a script may be written that does this pre - ordering automatically , for example based on specific metadata like program type ( series , movie , documentary , . . . ) and genre , and / or based on the channel on which the program is broadcasted . this is depending on a viewers &# 39 ; implicit and explicit behavior , related to a content object , the position of that content object on the personal mood disk of that viewer , may differ from its default , general starting position . the default starting positions themselves may also shift , based on collaborative data as outlined in the following examples . in a first example , individual refinements are based on implicit and explicit data . imagine a viewer who mainly watches content objects , which are typically considered relaxing , and in between also regularly watches the daily news . if he / she displays similar viewing patterns for both the series and news , a presumption can be made that the daily news is also relaxing for him , and ( gradually ) move the daily news from the passionate area to the relaxed area of the mood disk of that particular viewer . now imagine a viewer who , from mondays to thursdays , mainly watches programs , which are typically pre - catalogued in the passionate area of the mood disk , e . g . the daily news , the financial news and interviews with business people . for this user a presumption can be made that , from mondays to thursdays , television is mainly a source of information and / or inspiration , rather than relaxation . thus , for this user , the daily news stays in the passionate area of the mood disk , and noted that for this user , the passionate mood is the preferred mood from mondays to thursdays . in a second example , general refinements can be based on collaborative data . if a program that is pre - catalogued in the passionate mood , moves to the relaxed area of the mood disk of a significant percentage of the viewers &# 39 ; of that particular program , then the default starting position may be updated from passionate to relaxed . further a predefined rule that defines in which location within the mood sector a certain event should be placed may be applied , for example , purchase of a content object in “ relaxed ” mood is mapped onto ψ =− pi / 4 and m value = 1 . analogous rules may apply for other relevant events . a linear combination of the metadata of the content object ( or a representation thereof in terms of the ontology in use ) results in the defined fear coordinate f and the desire coordinate d . e . g . suppose x f1 , x f2 , . . . x fn are the coefficients applied to , respectively , ontology component 1 . . . n whenever component j ( where j = 1 , . . . n ) is involved in a linear combination that results in fear coordinate f i ( for each event i , i = 1 . . . m ) yielding a system of equations that can be represented as : [ o ] ⁢ [ ⁢ x f ⁢ ⁢ 1 x f ⁢ ⁢ 2 ⋯ ⋯ x fn ⁢ ] = [ ⁢ f 1 f 2 ⋯ ⋯ f m ⁢ ] whereby o is an m × n matrix in which each element o ij indicates the involvement of component j in fear coordinate i . in one embodiment , matrix o may look like : to calculate the coefficients this system of equations must be solved . based on the sizes of m and n and / or the rank of matrix o an algorithmic routine is applied ( either a direct or iterative solver from numerical linear algebra , e . g . least squares solution ) to determine each coefficient x i . an analogous system of variables may be used to calculate the desire coefficients . due to the fact that the coefficients of the viewer model are updated based on new events , a change in the fear and / or desire of the viewer can be made by giving a lower weight to the oldest equations or discarding them from the system to be solved . in the illustrative embodiments , modifying the channel model 70 can be performed upon explicit events , such as a viewer &# 39 ; s initiated modification of the channel model with the left brain user interface , described herein . a viewer initiated event to create / update / delete a channel results in creating / updating or deleting the channel record . a viewer initiated event to modify the search terms / keywords associated with the channel results in updating the filter values associated with that channel . a viewer initiated event to explicitly modify the “ mood ” associated with the channel results in updating the fear and desire coordinate value associated with that channel ( a default value assumption is that the viewer watches the channel in “ relaxed ” mood ). modifying the channel model 70 can be performed upon implicit events as well . for example , if it is determined that the content objects that a user watches in a certain channel tend to be located in another region of the mood disk than the region associated with the channels &# 39 ; mood vector the mood vector may be changed , e . g . from the “ relaxed mood ” to the “ passionate ” area . if the modified viewer model has strong coefficient values for a number of ontology components that are not yet part of a channel &# 39 ; s filter criteria , a new channel is created ( for suggestion to the viewer ) that has these components as the filter values . upon certain events , e . g . periodically ( a timer event ), viewer event , content event ( e . g . new vod content available ) the modeling engine 41 is run . as first step , modeling engine 41 performs content based filtering based on the viewer and channel model . the modeling engine 41 requests from database 60 any indexed content material that may be relevant , as illustrated by arrow d of fig9 d and process blocks 63 of fig9 f . in an exemplary embodiment , modeling engine 41 formulates and formats the database queries provided to database 60 . referring to fig1 a 1 , queries can be based on any combination of ontology components ( having strong coefficient values in the viewer model ) and filter criteria from the channel model ( ranging from simple criteria like “ broadcasted by x ” to criteria linked to viewing context stored in the viewer model e . g . “ similar to items i like to watch on friday evening ”). in this matter , modeling engine 41 may be programmed to interact with the querying format of any number of different indexed content sources or content libraries , such as youtube and various popular web search engines , in addition to more traditional content providers such as cable service providers , vod providers , etc . . . . . database 60 or other content source returns the metafiles for one or more content object satisfying the query to modeling engine 41 , as illustrated by arrow e of fig9 d . neuropsychological modeling engine 41 examines the metadata file for each content object retrieved , and , in conjunction with the viewer &# 39 ; s metadata file and / or channel model , calculates where on the mathematical model of human emotion , i . e . the mood disc 20 , described previously with reference to fig1 a - 6d , the viewer &# 39 ; s mood and motivational strength are relative to that specific content object . specifically , modeling engine 41 examines the various values of the parameters within the metadata file for the content object , such as the genre of the program , actor , title , director , etc . and maps these onto the corresponding components of the ontology used . based on the coefficient corresponding to each selected component available in the viewer model ( as calculated by process block 62 a ), the mood disk fear coordinate f , and desire coordinate d for this content object are computed . for each channel model associated with the viewer model ranking application 42 assesses whether the content object satisfies the filter criteria for the channel . in a next step , the similarity of each selected content object &# 39 ; s mood vector to the mood vector associated with this channel is calculated using the “ cosine similarity measure ”. this measure allows the application 42 to rank the content objects selected for this channel relatively according to their similarity with the channel &# 39 ; s mood vector . in an optional second step , a “ collaborative filtering ” post - processing step to update the rank of content objects in the selection of engine 41 for this channel and viewer — similar to traditional hybrid recommendation algorithms ( collaborative and content based filtering ) algorithms . specifically , ranks of objects ( a certain selection of e . g . low rank objects ) based on the viewing behavior ( e . g . likes ) of viewers having a viewer model similar to this viewer &# 39 ; s model . however , contrary to traditional “ collaborative filtering ” implementations the “ similarity ” of the viewers is calculated not only based on preferred content objects and a correspondence in preferred content object metadata but also the correspondence in the mood disk stored in the viewer &# 39 ; s model . in one implementation viewer similarity is calculated using the “ cosine similarity ” applied to both a vector comprising the fear and desire coefficients of the respective viewers . note that in another implementation the “ content based ” and “ collaborative filtering ” mechanisms may be combined in different ways e . g . a different sequence of steps or parallel . optionally , as specified in the channel model , the next step is a cut - off of the lower ranked content objects according to certain cut - off criteria . in one embodiment this criteria can be “ after a certain similarity measure value all content is omitted ” or “ after a certain number of content objects ”; such value can also be dynamically calculated by the system . optionally , as specified in the channel model , in a final step a sorting operation can be done on the remaining content objects for this channel , given a certain sorting criteria ( e . g . time of broadcasting , oldest first or last ). note that the channel content may also be enriched with content added by the program director . channel 90 may be implemented using the data structure 95 illustrated in fig1 c in conjunction with any number of other data structures , including bidirectional stacks , doubly linked lists , relational database records , etc . and contains a plurality of entries for holding any of an address , identifier or link to the actual file containing the multimedia content in database 47 . note any number of different channels may be associated with the same viewer . in the disclosed embodiment , the process performed by modeling engine 41 is performed for each content object and for each channel associated with a specific subject viewer . in this manner , the rankings of content objects for a specific viewer can be updated periodically , for example , daily , every 8 hours , etc . note that neuropsychological modeling engine 41 rather than computing values for the fear coordinate f and desire coordinate d , for every content object may utilize a look - up table which , given the weighted input values of the dominant preferences from a channel model 72 and viewer model 70 generates appropriate values for fear coordinate f and desire coordinate d . fig1 a , 10 a 1 , 10 b , 10 b 1 , 10 c , and 10 c 1 illustrate conceptually the data structures utilized by neuropsychological modeling engine 41 , ranking application 42 and behavior modeler 49 to create ranking of content objects . fig1 a and 10 a 1 collectively illustrate a conceptual viewer metadata file 70 . in addition to viewer information such as gender , age , marital status , subscription type / level and a viewer identifier , the viewer metadata file 70 also contains information useful to behavior modeler 49 and neuropsychological modeling engine 41 , such data as a list of preferences to any of actors , genres , producers , specific topics of interest , specific topics of disinterest , any of which has associated therewith a type identifier and a weighted preference value , usually an integer value selected from a range of possible values , e . g . on a scale of 0 to 100 . such preference information may be derived from the viewing history which has occurred by behavior modeler 49 . in addition , viewer metadata file 70 may further comprise a list of specific system events , typically arranged in reverse chronological order , with each entry defining the nature of the event , the date the action taken and , optionally , an elapsed time value . fig9 b - c illustrate the process flow between components of modeling system 35 to update a viewer &# 39 ; s model and channel model , retrieve new content and determine if such content is suitable for ranking according to the system model of the viewer &# 39 ; s emotional motivation according to another embodiment of the disclosure . referring to fig9 a - c , viewer behavior , including events such as requesting a specific program , completion of the viewing of a content object , storing , or purchasing of content causes viewer system 32 to send event data packet ( s ) to behavior modeler 49 of modeling system 35 as illustrated by arrow a of fig9 a and decisional blocks 61 of fig9 b . upon receipt of such event data , behavior modeler 49 modifies the channel model ( s ) 72 , and , if necessary , viewer model 70 associated with the specific viewer , as illustrated by process blocks 62 . in one embodiment , the event data received by behavior modeler 49 may include an identifier of the content object which was the subject of the event , the elapsed viewing time of the content object , a descriptor of an action such as storing , purchasing , changing the order of , specifying a like / dislike of , or deleting such content object , and identifiers of the channel to which the content object belongs , along with its ranking , and an identifier of the subject viewer or viewers . behavior modeler 49 then retrieves from database 46 the model associated with the specific viewer and the metadata file 72 a defining the channel . in addition , behavior modeler 49 also retrieves from database 47 , the metadata file describing the content object . next , behavior modeler 49 compares the received event data with metadata file 75 of the content object and the current viewer model 70 and modifies the channel model ( s ) 72 appropriately , ( indicated by the circular arrow within behavior modeler 49 ), as illustrated by process block 62 of fig9 b . next , neuropsychological modeling engine 41 periodically requests the metadata file describing the current channel model associated with the viewer , as illustrated by arrows b and c of fig9 a . upon receipt thereof , neuropsychological modeling engine 41 uses the metadata file describing the current channel to request from database 60 any indexed content material that may be relevant , as illustrated by arrow d of fig9 a and process blocks 63 of fig9 b . in an exemplary embodiment , neuropsychological modeling engine 41 examines the metadata file describing the current channel model and formulates and formats the database queries provided to database 60 . in this matter , modeling engine 41 may be programmed to interact with the querying format of any number of different indexed content sources or content libraries , such as youtube and various popular web search engines , in addition to more traditional content providers such as cable service providers . database 60 or other content source returns the metafiles for one or more content object satisfying the query to modeling engine 41 , as illustrated by arrow e of fig9 a . neuropsychological modeling engine 41 examines the metadata file for the content object , and , in conjunction with the viewer &# 39 ; s metadata file and / or channel model , calculates where on the mathematical model of human emotion , i . e . the emotion disc , described previously with reference to fig1 - 6 , the viewers mood and motivational strength are relative to that specific content object . specifically , modeling engine 41 examines the various values of the parameters within the metadata file for the content object , such as the genre of the program , actor , title , serious etc . and , in light of the metadata file associated with the viewer , specifically any preferences , and the channel model , having been updated in light of any preceding behavioral events computes where on the emotion disc fear coordinate f , the desire coordinate d , reside . from the values of fear coordinate f and the desire coordinate d , the angular position representing the viewers mood ψ and the effect of the object on the viewer &# 39 ; s mood and the motivational strength m , are determined using the mathematical relationships disclosed herein , as illustrated by process block 64 of fig9 b . if the resulting mood value ψ is located in a desirable angular position on the emotion disc , based on the desired result , i . e . selection of the program or purchasing of the content , the content object qualifies for the channel in question and neuropsychological modeling engine 41 provides the motivational strength value m and the content object metafile to ranking application 42 , as illustrated by arrow f of fig9 a and process block 68 and the “ y ” branch of decisional block 65 of fig9 b . if the resulting mood value ψ is located in an undesirable angular position on the emotion disc , the content object does not qualify for the channel in question . in such instance , no data is provided to ranking application 42 . instead , modeling engine 41 recomputes the mood value ψ for any other channeling model associated with the same viewer model using the previously described process until there are no more channel models associated with the viewer , as illustrated by process block 67 and the “ y ” branch of decisional block 66 and the “ n ” branch of decisional block 65 of fig9 b . once a content object has been compared with all channel models , as indicated by “ n ” branch of decisional block 66 , neuropsychological modeling engine 41 then compares the next content object within the query results from database 60 to each of the channel models 72 , as indicated by “ y ” branch of decisional block 71 and process block 73 of fig9 c . once all content objects have been compared to all channel model 72 associated with a particular viewer , modeling engine 41 then utilizes the model of the next channel associated with the viewer model to generate another set of queries to database 60 , in the manner as previously described . thereafter , the process from process blocks 63 and thereafter repeats , as described previously relative to the next channel model associated with the same viewer model . once all channel models have been updated in relation to the same viewer model , other channel models associated with other viewer models within the system may be similarly updated at the occurrence of a viewing event , with a predetermined periodicity , or based on some other criteria . ranking application 42 examines the m value provided by neuropsychological modeling engine 41 and generates a value representing the relative ranking of the content object relative to other content objects in the data structure associated with the specific viewer channel 90 . channel 90 may be implemented using the data structure 95 illustrated in fig1 c in conjunction with any number of other data structures , including bidirectional stacks , doubly linked lists , etc . and contains a plurality of entries for holding any of an address , identifier or link to the actual file containing the multimedia content in database 47 . note any number of different channels may be associated with the same viewer . in the disclosed embodiment , the process performed by modeling engine 41 is performed for each content object and for each channel associated with a specific subject viewer . in this manner , the rankings of content objects for a specific viewer can be updated periodically , for example , daily , every 8 hours , etc . note that neuropsychological modeling engine 41 rather than computing values for the fear coordinate f and desire coordinate d , for every content object may utilize a look - up table which , given the weighted input values of the dominant preferences from a channel model 72 and viewer model 70 generates appropriate values for fear coordinate f and desire coordinate d . fig1 a - c illustrate conceptually the data structures utilized by neuropsychological modeling engine 41 , ranking application 42 and behavior modeler 49 to create ranking of content objects . fig1 a illustrates conceptually a viewer metadata file 70 . in addition to viewer information such as gender , age , marital status , subscription type / level and a viewer identifier , the viewer metadata file 70 also contains information useful to behavior modeler 49 and neuropsychological modeling engine 41 , such data as a list of preferences to any of actors , genres , producers , specific topics of interest , specific topics of disinterest , any of which has associated therewith a type identifier and a weighted preference value , usually an integer value selected from a range of possible values , e . g . on a scale of 0 to 100 . such preference information may be derived from the viewing history which has occurred by behavior modeler 49 . in addition , viewer metadata file 70 may further comprise a list of specific system events , typically arranged in reverse chronological order , with each entry defining the nature of the event , the date the action taken and , optionally , an elapsed time value . fig1 b illustrates conceptually an exemplary channel model 72 comprising metadata file portion 72 a and accompanying bucket buffer area 72 b for data relevant to a particular viewers viewing history , but delineated on a preference by preference basis . the metadata file portion 72 a of channel model 72 , in one embodiment , contains a list of dominant preferences and accompanying values , usually an integer value selected from a range of possible values , e . g . on a scale of 0 to 100 , as well as sub - dominant preferences and respective accompanying values . bucket portion 72 b of channel model 72 , in an exemplary embodiment , contains multiple sub - bucket areas each containing its own preference identifier and storage area for event data . such data may be contained within the bucket in an unsorted or chronological order , but in a format which is recognizable by behavior modeler 49 and neuropsychological modeling engine 41 . in this manner , specific parameters such as favorite actor , favorite genre , specifically requested topics , content most purchased or stored , etc ., may have historical data factored into a respective preference value , and a determination of which parameters will be weighted most heavily within a specific viewers channel identified by behavior modeler 49 accordingly . in an exemplary embodiment , in process block 62 of fig9 b , behavior modeler 49 will determine the nature of each event from viewer system 32 and consider the metadata associated with the content object , the viewer model , and the dominant preferences of channel model metadata file 72 a , the relationships between which may have been previously derived and embodied into predetermined formula to achieve the most accurate representation of a viewer &# 39 ; s emotional motivation for a particular content object . behavior modeler 49 then manipulates the respective weight of one or more dominant and subdominant preferences within channel model metadata file 72 a . for example , the repeated viewing of the movie with a particular actor will cause an increase in the weighted value of the dominant preference for that actor relative to other dominant and / or subdominant preferences , such as producer , specific genre , or category of interest within the channel model metadata . in this manner , the combined weight of dominant and subdominant preferences within channel model metafile 72 a remains substantially constant while the respective weights of the individual constituent preferences may vary dynamically per viewing events . as such , the metadata parameters of a channel model 72 are being continually updated and compared with each other to determine which preferences are currently more heavily weighted given the immediate past viewing history of the viewer . when a viewing event occurs , as described herein , behavior modeler 49 will update the appropriate preference bucket areas within section 72 b or instantiate a new bucket region within the model , the model being dynamically expandable . behavior modeler 49 then determines based on the event whether any of the preference values associated with either the dominant or sub dominant preferences need to be modified , and makes any changes to the preference values in section 72 a , if appropriate . when requested by neuropsychological modeling engine 41 , behavior modeler 49 transmits the metadata portion 72 a from which modeling engine 41 generates request queries using the dominant and sub - dominant preferences , after reviewing their respective accompanying values . the recommendation and modeling system 35 disclosed herein may utilize both content based filtering and collaborative filtering techniques for identifying potential content objects of interest . when used in conjunction with the neuropsychological modeling technique also disclosed herein along with one or more search algorithms , the synergistic combination of the respective functionalities forms as a discovery engine - like functionality capable of identifying content objects which have a higher probability of selection by a viewer utilizing the systems described herein . fig1 a illustrates conceptually a viewer interface system 32 relative to public network 30 , content provider sources 34 and 36 and modeling system 35 in accordance with the disclosure . also illustrated in fig1 a is the remote control 88 associated with display 80 . the viewer system 32 comprises a first or right brain user interface display 80 , used predominantly for viewing of video content which , in the illustrative embodiment , may be implemented with television display 80 and an accompanying remote control 88 . display 80 may be implemented with a “ connected tv ” or other devices that connect the tv to the networks 30 or 31 such as a connected blu - ray player or a connected game console , e . g . a device capable of connecting directly to the internet , e . g . network 30 , as well as a cable packet network or satellite network , e . g . network 31 . viewer system 32 further comprises a second or left brain user interface 84 which presents a content surfing interface and purchasing interface and may be implemented on a personal digital assistant ( pda ) or smart phone , tablet computer or even laptop computer . such second user interface predominantly uses and / or stimulates activity in the left hemisphere of the human brain , and also , to a limited extent , the right hemisphere of the human brain . a viewer will typically utilize the second user interface 84 to perform activities such as storing , purchasing , changing the order of , specifying a like / dislike for a particular content object within the rankings of a channel 90 . viewer system 32 further comprises optional , third and fourth user interface 86 and 87 , respectively , capable of presenting both the textual based interfaces for content surfing and purchasing , as well as visual content and may be implemented with a traditional personal computer , including a desktop or laptop system , as well as other systems . in an exemplary embodiment , display 80 presents visual , non - textual information while one , two or all three of phone / pda 84 , personal computer 86 , and / or tablet computer 87 display textual information , such as a representation of the content contained with channels 90 a - c of fig1 b , or other textual based data . note also that personal computer 86 and tablet 87 may also be used to display visual information . the predominance of brain activity for the various user interfaces in viewer system 32 is indicated in the table below : display 80 : full right , minimal left tablet 87 : mainly left , limited left , full right optionally smartphone / pda 84 : mainly left / limited left , limited right optionally personal computer 86 : full left , limited right optionally in the disclosed embodiments , the elements of viewer system 32 may be implemented with existing commercially available technology . for example , display 84 may be implemented with any number of smartphones or personal digital assistant devices including , but not limited to the apple iphone and android operating system based smartphones commercially available from any number of manufacturers including samsung , htc , alcatel , acer , sony ericsson , htc , lg , google nexus , zte , motorola , etc . this display 87 may be implemented with the tablet computer including , but not limited to the apple ipad and android operating system based tablets , commercially available from any number of manufacturers including acer , archos , dell , motorola , samsung , sony , toshiba , zte , etc . . . . . as described previously , display 80 may be implemented with a connected tv , as well as a traditional television display devices which rely on supplemental equipment , such as set top box 82 , for connection to a source of content , including , but not limited to those commercially available from any number of manufacturers including lg , jvc , panasonic , philips , samsung , sharp , sony , etc . display 86 may be implemented with any number of computer systems including , but not limited to the apple imac and ibm pc compatible personal computers , commercially available from any number of manufacturers including acer , hewlett - packard , asus , samsung , sony , dell , toshiba , etc . set top box 82 may be implemented with any number of commercially available set - top box devices or gaming platforms of either an open architecture or proprietary architecture , depending on the source of the content accessed thereby , including those commercially available from any number of manufacturers including sony playstation , apple mac mini , nintendo wii , microsoft xbox , etc . remote 88 may be implemented with any number of standard design remote controls from tv manufacturers , or , alternatively , may be implemented with an if market remote such as those manufactured by logitech , inc . according to the disclosure , the traditional cursor navigation controls of remote 88 are utilized as the primary mechanism for surfing the channel ( s ) of previously aggregated and ranked content associated with the viewer &# 39 ; s neuropsychological profile , as described previously . the traditional functions of the cursor navigation control commands generated by remote control 88 may be overridden and / or redirected utilizing a redirection application 85 selectable with the remote or directly from the front panel of display 80 . such programs may execute either directly on the processor and operating system of display 80 in case of a connected tv or other connected devices , or , alternatively , on the set top box 82 associated with display 80 , or remotely on server 40 of modeling system 35 remotely connected to viewing system 32 through public network 30 . in an exemplary embodiment , each of the cursor navigation controls are redirected to initiate retrieval and review of a content object which has been previously ranked within a channeling , as described herein . fig1 b illustrates the algorithmic processes performed by redirection application 85 . first , upon activation , application 85 waits for commands signals sent remotely from remote control 88 . as will be understood by those reasonably skilled in the arts , such signals may be transmitted through either tangible electrical conductors or wirelessly through any number of technologies , including optical , microwave , etc . application 85 examines the data of a received signal , typically the field within a header file or data stream which identifies a command , to determine if the received signal associated with a received command identifies one of the signals to be redirected , such as the up , down , left and right cursor navigation signals of remote 88 . if so , depending on which cursor navigation command is received , the redirection application 85 transmits to modeling system 35 the data necessary to identify the new content object to be viewed . such data may be implemented in any number of different techniques , such as with a memory off - set to a currently or recently viewed content object , with a sequence number identifying the next content object within the channel data structure 95 , or with a resolvable link retrieved from the metadata file contents associated with the currently displayed object , as stored locally within viewer system 32 or remotely within modeling system 35 . fig1 c illustrates the algorithmic processes performed by server application 51 of modeling system 35 upon receipt of handle or reference data from redirection application 85 identifying the next content object to be displayed . depending on the nature of the handle or reference data , server application 51 resolves any addresses , links or references to the next content object to be displayed and then retrieves the metadata file associated with such content object , typically from database 47 . thereafter , the actual data associated with content object is retrieved from database 47 and streamed to first user interface 80 of viewer system 35 via either public network 30 or private network 31 , depending on the exact implementation of the system . simultaneously with the initiation of content streamed to viewer system 32 , server application 49 may start a timer to determine the last time until streaming is terminated , typically when the next content object to be viewed is selected . upon receipt of a command to terminate streaming , server application 51 transmits a value representing the elapsed time of the previously reviewed content object along with the metadata of the content object to behavioral model module 49 for updating of the viewer &# 39 ; s behavioral model . other available commands may similarly cause content streaming to terminate and the viewer &# 39 ; s behavioral model to be updated with the elapsed time , including , but not limited to , channel up / down , back button ( results in starting another content object ), pause , fast - forward , rewind ( within the content object ), etc . alternatively , rather than maintaining an elapsed time value , server application 51 may examine the time code embedded within the header of the last streamed data packet to determine approximately how much of the content object was viewed by the viewer before streaming was terminated . data representing the elapsed time based on this value can then similarly be sent to behavioral model module 49 . thereafter , a similar process occurs for identifying , retrieving and streaming the next content object to be viewed . both implicit and explicit data / events can cause “ arrow a ” function . implicit data / events may include : basic viewing operation events ( either from right brain user interface on display 84 , 86 , 87 or using remote control 88 ): play ( request a specific program , continue viewing of content object ) pause fast forward / rewind stop ( completion of viewing ) surf to other content object within channel surfing to other channel purchasing of content sequence of events within a certain time frame ( e . g . surfing multiple times back and forth to a certain content object ) operation around a certain time frame “ within ” the content object e . g . surfing away when a commercial starts , a bloody scene , . . . . provide feedback using the colored buttons on the remote control 88 ( or equivalent right brain user interface element of display 84 , 86 , 87 ) manage channel using left brain user interface on display 84 , 86 , 87 enter search term using left brain user interface on display 84 , 86 , 87 additional commands that may result in transmission of a new content object include double arrow left , double arrow right , back button , and “ ok ” button ( if it is an item that should be purchased only a trailer is retrieved when accessing this item using the arrows ; ok triggers the transmission of paid content ). the process of utilizing the cursor navigation controls to perform multi - dimensional surfing of content objects within a particular viewer channel is illustrated with reference to fig1 a - b . referring to fig1 a , a multidimensional channel 90 is shown conceptually to illustrate the concept of multidimensional surfing of content along desire and time vectors 92 and 94 , respectively , using traditional cursor navigation controls 91 , 93 , 95 , and 97 . specifically , channel 90 associated with a specific subject / viewer includes a first plurality of content objects c 1 t , c 2 t , c 3 t , c 4 t , c 5 t , . . . cnt along a first dimension 92 which had been arranged in order decreasing desire , typically from highest to lowest . in an illustrative embodiment , activation by the viewer of the up cursor control 91 initiates viewing of the next content object in dimension 92 of channel 90 for which the subject / viewer will have an increased motivational desire to view or purchase the content thereof . similarly , activation by the viewer of the down cursor control 97 initiates viewing of the next content object in dimension 92 of channel 90 for which the subject / viewer will have an decreased motivational desire to view or purchase the content . one or more of the first plurality of content objects c 1 t - cnt have associated there with through links or references , a second plurality of content objects related chronologically along a second dimension 94 and which share one or more common metadata parameters . for example , as illustrated , content object c 4 t has associated therewith a plurality of content objects c 4 t − 1 , c 4 t − 2 , c 4 t − 3 , c 4 t − 4 , . . . c 4 t − n arranged chronologically in a first direction , for example , sequentially in order of increasing age in the leftward direction . content object c 4 t also has associated therewith a plurality of content objects c 4 t + 1 , c 4 t + 2 , c 4 t + 3 , c 4 t + 4 , . . . c 4 t + p arranged chronologically in a second direction , opposite the first direction , for example , in order of decreasing age in the rightward direction . in an illustrative embodiment , activation by the viewer of the left cursor control 93 initiates viewing of the next content object in the leftward direction of dimension 94 of channel 90 for which the subject / viewer will have at least the same motivational desire to view or purchase the content . similarly , activation by the viewer of the right cursor control 95 initiates viewing of the next content object in dimension 94 of channel 90 for which the subject / viewer may have also have at least the same or different motivational desire to view or purchase the content . accordingly , utilizing the disclosed multidimensional channel configuration , the up and down cursor navigation controls 91 and 97 , respectively , of remote 88 may be utilized to move through the content objects in the first dimension 92 that have been previously ranked by modeling system 35 associated with the currently viewed channel 90 while the left and right cursor navigation controls 93 and 95 , respectively , of remote 88 may be utilized to surf backward or forward in time , respectively for content , for example , for past or future episodes of the same program currently being viewed or just viewed . also illustrated in phantom in fig1 a are other possible selection options to illustrate that a content object may be accessed from multiple dimensions , at the discretion of the system designer . any of the second interface 84 , third user interface 86 , or fourth user interface 87 of viewer system 32 may also be utilized to access the content objects of either dimension 92 or 94 of a channel 90 . fig1 b illustrates conceptually the implementation of channel 90 associated with a specific subject / viewer within database 48 . channel 90 may comprise a plurality of channels 90 a - c , stored in database 48 of modeling system 35 . as illustrated , channel 90 a comprises a plurality of groups . in one implementation first dimension 92 of channel 90 in fig1 a is illustrated by group 1 in fig1 b while second dimension 94 is represented by group 2 of fig1 b . the content objects within groups 1 and 2 may be linked depending on the nature of the implementation of each slot or ranking location within the channel data structure . in another implementation , each of groups 1 - n may represent a single dimension . note that a group may have multiple or single items therein . channels 90 b and 90 c may be implemented similar to or different than channel 90 a . fig1 c illustrates conceptually a sample data structure 96 from which the groups within channels 90 a - c may be constructed . the structure 96 may be implemented as an object , record , file or other storage construct and may comprise a field or parameter identifying its associated content object , and an address or link resolvable to a storage location at which the actual content object may be retrieved . in addition , data structure 96 may further comprise , optionally , a position value , identifying its position within the group / channel , as well as one or more links references or pointers to adjacent data structures . such adjacent data structures represent those content objects accessible within channel 90 along the first dimension 92 or second dimension 94 utilizing the cursor navigation controls of remote control 88 in conjunction with redirection application 85 , as disclosed herein . data structure 96 may have none , one or multiple pointers or references associated therewith . data structure 95 may further comprise a field or parameter identifying the viewer and / or channeling with which the content object is associated . referring to fig1 d , c 1 t , . . . cnt : is further referred to as “ the horizontal dimension ”; this is the main dimension of a channel ; content in this channel is indeed selected according to the ranking of the content ; however , the ordering of the content could be motivational in which case then cnt is the content with the highest rank , or time - based : in which case cnt is the most recent item . c 4 t − 3 , . . . c 4 t − 1 : is the dimension that is entered when pressing the double left arrow once in the position of item c 4 t ; content is related according to a certain metadata item e . g . episodes of a series and ranked according to its age ( oldest episodes on the left ) once in this dimension again the left and right buttons are used to navigate this dimension ; to leave this dimension selection of “ back ” will return to c 4 t . c 4 tu 1 , . . . c 4 tu 3 : is the dimension that is navigated to when pressing the up button when based on item c 4 t ; note that in this “ upper ” dimension content with the highest motivation for viewing / buying is in the most accessible position i . e . c 4 tu 1 , with decreasing motivation when going up . c 4 td 1 , . . . , c 4 td 3 : is the dimension that is navigated to when pressing the down button when based on item c 4 t ; note that in this “ down ” dimension content with the highest motivation is in the most accessible position i . e . c 4 td 1 ; hence , motivation is decreased when going down . hence , it is not necessarily the case that going up or down always represents higher motivation ; it depends on the context i . e . relative location towards the c 4 t item . in one embodiment , content in the up dimension is from one source ( i . e . vod ), content in the down dimension from another ( i . e . youtube ). fig1 d illustrates conceptually the algorithmic processes performed viewer system 32 to perform the above - described navigation and display of content objects . the foregoing disclosed systems may be utilized in conjunction with the distributed upload system described hereafter . referring specifically to fig1 a - b , selected elements of the network environment 38 , as illustrated in fig7 , 8 and 11 a , are shown conceptually . specifically , fig1 a illustrates a plurality of viewer systems 32 a - n operably coupled to both a content source 36 and a modeling system 35 . viewer systems 32 a - n may be implemented as described previously herein with the additional modification as described below . similarly , modeling system 35 may be implemented as described previously herein . content source 36 may be implemented as previously described herein with reference to source 60 of fig9 a which contains indexed content material , or , any of content providers 34 or 37 of fig7 , or , may comprise any of cable tv service provider through cable packet network , satellite tv service provider through satellite network , or live broadcast over the internet ( internet tv ). fig1 b illustrates an alternative conceptual network configuration , similar to fig1 a , except that content file source 30 communicates with modeling system 35 , in addition to , or in place of viewer systems 32 a - n . fig1 illustrates conceptually selected elements of viewer interface system 32 relative to public network 30 , content provider source 36 and modeling system 35 in accordance with the disclosure . the viewer system 32 comprises a first or right brain user interface display 80 , used predominantly for viewing of video content which , in the illustrative embodiment , may be implemented with television display 80 and an accompanying remote control 88 . display 80 may be implemented with a “ connected tv ” or other devices that connect the tv to the networks 30 such as a connected blu - ray player or a connected game console , e . g . a device capable of connecting directly to the internet , e . g . network 30 , as well as a cable packet network or satellite network , e . g . network 31 . viewer system 32 further comprises a second or left brain user interface 84 which presents a content surfing interface and purchasing interface and may be implemented on a personal digital assistant ( pda ) or smart phone , tablet computer or even laptop computer . such second user interface predominantly uses and / or stimulates activity in the left hemisphere of the human brain , and also , to a limited extent , the right hemisphere of the human brain . in the illustrative embodiment , television display 80 further comprises an application process 100 for interfacing with content provider source 36 and modeling system 35 . specifically , application 100 comprises modeling system interface process 102 and crawler process 104 . modeling system interface process 102 enables viewer system 32 to interact with source 36 and modeling system 35 in a manner described hereafter with reference to fig1 a - b . crawler process 104 interacts with process 102 and content source 36 , and , where applicable , a scheduling application or electronic program guide function 106 associated with content source 36 in a manner described hereafter . crawler process 104 interacts with content source 36 and modeling system 35 , via process 102 , in the following manner . crawler process 104 continuously queries scheduling function 106 associated with content source 36 to determine which content programs are currently accessible for download streaming from the content source 36 to viewer system 32 . the determination of such accessibility will typically be defined by the viewer &# 39 ; s subscription agreement with the content source provider . each time process 104 identifies content to which the viewer has legally authorized access , crawler process 104 initiates download streaming of the content to display 80 and buffers a fractional percentage of the content in memory associated with display 80 , along with selected metadata associated with content , including data identifying the content , and one or more temporal or sequential identifiers or markers identifying the specific portion of the content contained within the buffer , as illustrated by arrow a of fig1 a . fig1 c illustrates conceptually an algorithmic processes to capture and upload of content object fractions y viewer system 32 . crawler process 104 then transmits to process 102 , one or more packets of data containing the buffer content along with the information identifying the content , or , alternatively , provides the addresses in memory where such information is stored and accessible by both processes . process 102 appends to this information , a data structure 120 , as illustrated in fig1 and transmits or streams such information to modeling system 35 , as illustrated by arrow b of fig1 a . in one embodiment , process 102 may query aggregation server 110 of modeling system 35 to determine if a complete copy of the content object already resides with the aggregation server database 112 or database 47 . if so , process 102 will send only the data structure 120 to the aggregation server 110 to eliminate unnecessary network bandwidth utilization . if aggregation server 110 requires a specific segment of the content object , it will specify to process 102 the specific segment ( s ), identifiable by temporal or sequential identifiers . process 102 will provide such information to crawler process 104 for forwarding and acquisition of the content to / from the source 36 . referring to fig1 , in one embodiment , data structure 120 a may comprise data identifying a the content object and / or a portion thereof 122 a , temporal or sequential identifiers associated with the content object 124 a , and authorization indicia 126 a identifying a viewer process . in addition , data structure 120 a may further optionally comprise data 128 a identifying a user defined channel associated with the viewer process 127 a and data identifying an encryption key 129 a for decrypting the content object . in the illustrative environment , the authorization indicia 126 a may take any number of different forms including one or more binary values arranged in a mask , special codes , keys , hash values , etc . in addition , such authorization indicia 126 a may be received from the content source 36 or may be derived therefrom by process 102 . in an embodiment in which the content object from content source 36 is provided in an encrypted form , decryption keys or codes may be similarly provided to modeling system 35 by process 102 as part of the authorization indicia 126 a . the functionality performed by crawler processes 104 is repeated , continuously while display device 80 is operably connected to content source 36 , for all content to which the viewer process has access . process 104 may utilize the channel selection drivers associated with display 80 or any associated cable box 82 , as applicable , to query source 36 . in addition , the functionality performed by crawler process 104 occurs typically without any video or audio content being read from the display buffer to the actual display itself . in this manner , such process may be conducted while the viewer is not utilizing the system , e . g . during system “ down time ” and transparently without the viewer being aware . in the illustrative embodiment , referring to fig8 , modeling system 35 , further comprises an aggregation server 110 and accompanying database 112 and network streaming interface 114 . the data contained within the structure 120 received from process 102 of the viewer system 32 is utilized by aggregation server 110 to assemble a complete copy of the content object for retention within database 112 or 47 , as applicable . specifically , an application process within aggregation server 110 utilizes the temporal or sequential identifiers or markers associated with the content and arranges the received portion of the content according to its relationship to other portions previously received . in this manner , a complete copy of the content object ( program ) is assembled from a plurality of viewer systems 32 a - n and retained by modeling system 35 for later viewing upon request of any of the viewer systems 32 a - n authorized to view such content . specifically , when a viewer requests a content object as part of a viewer channel 90 , or specifically through interface 84 , aggregation server 110 determines if the identified content object is stored in database 112 . if so , the streaming interface 114 will verify that the requesting viewer is authorized to view such content , and , upon confirmation thereof , begins streaming the content to the requesting system 32 , as illustrated by arrow c in fig1 a . fig1 d illustrates conceptually an algorithmic process of a request from viewing system to modeling system for viewing content object ( s ). aggregation server 110 maintains within database 112 records for each viewer system 32 indicating which content objects within database 112 the viewer is authorized to download , such records being continually updated via processes 102 and 104 for each of the viewer systems 32 a - n . in this manner , each of the viewer systems 32 a - n authorized to view a specific content may view the content at will , upon request , at a time which is not the same as the time frame in which the content provider , such as a cable service , make such content available . fig1 b illustrates a second embodiment of the disclosed technique in which the content source 36 is operably coupled over a network with modeling system 35 , and , specifically , aggregation server 110 . in this embodiment , content source 36 can upload to aggregation server 110 at least one copy of all or select content objects , thereby eliminating the need for each of viewer systems 32 a - n to upload fractional portions of content to viewing system 35 in the previously described manner . fig1 e illustrates conceptually an algorithmic process to upload of content object metadata and fraction to aggregation server . in this embodiment , crawler process 104 also continuously queries scheduling application 106 associated with content source 36 to determine which content programs are currently accessible for download streaming from content source 36 to viewer system 32 . again , the determination of such accessibility will typically be defined by the viewer &# 39 ; s subscription agreement with the content source provider . each time process 104 identifies content to which the viewer has legally authorized access , crawler process 104 initiates download of just the metadata associated with content , including data identifying the content , as illustrated by arrow a of fig1 b . crawler process 104 then transmits to process 102 , the information identifying the content . process 102 appends to this information , the data structure 120 , and transmits such information to modeling system 35 , as illustrated by arrow b of fig1 b . as before , data structure 120 may comprise authorization indicia 126 received from the content source 36 or generated by process 102 . in an embodiment in which the content from content source 36 is provided in an encrypted form , corresponding decryption keys or codes may be provided to modeling system 35 by process 102 as part of the authorization indicia 126 . in this embodiment , the content available from source 36 is also stored in database 112 associated with aggregation server 110 and streaming interface 114 . as before , aggregation server 110 maintains within database 112 records for each viewer system 32 indicating which content objects within database 112 the viewer is authorized to download , such records being continually updated via processes 104 and 102 of each of the viewer systems 32 a - n . when a viewer requests a content object as part of a viewer channel 90 , or specifically through interface 84 , streaming interface 114 will verify that the requesting viewer is authorized to view such content and , upon confirmation , begin streaming the content to the requesting viewer system 32 , as illustrated by arrow c in fig1 b . fig3 illustrates conceptually a collaborative cloud dvr system 1133 which may be implemented in a network environment . ccdvr system 1133 comprises at least one cloud storage system 1135 and a plurality of viewer interface systems 32 a - n . cloud storage system 1135 may be implemented with any number of network storage technologies including those described previously herein . in the illustrative embodiment , cloud storage system 1135 may comprise a plurality of mass storage devices 1112 a - c accessible by a server 1180 executing one or more control programs 1185 . one such cloud based computing and storage infrastructure service useful with the disclosed system is amazon s 3 , commercially available from amazon . com , seattle , wash . cloud storage system 135 may be implemented with mass storage devices such as the emc atmos , line of products commercially available from emc corporation , hopkinton , mass . fig3 a illustrates conceptually a viewer interface system 32 , similar to that described with reference to fig1 a , however viewer system 32 further comprises a digital video recorder ( dvr ) device 1182 which is operably connected , directly or via public network 30 , to content provider sources 34 and 36 , modeling system 35 , and as well a cloud storage system 1135 in accordance with the disclosure . fig3 b illustrates conceptually the internal architecture of dvr device 1182 which , in one embodiment , comprises a central processing unit 1502 ( cpu ), a system memory 1530 , including one or both of a random access memory 1532 ( ram ) and a read - only memory 1534 ( rom ), and a system bus 1510 that couples the system memory 1530 to the cpu 1502 . an input / output subsystem containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer architecture 500 , such as during startup , can be stored in the rom 1534 . dvr 1182 may further include a mass storage device 1520 for storing an operating system 1522 , software , data , and various program modules , as described herein . the mass storage device 1520 may be connected to the cpu 1502 through a mass storage controller ( not illustrated ) connected to the bus 1510 . the mass storage device 1520 and its associated computer - readable media can provide non - volatile storage for dvr 1182 . although the description of computer - readable media contained herein refers to a mass storage device , such as a hard disk or cd - rom drive , it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that computer - readable media can be any available computer storage media that can be accessed by dvr 1182 . by way of example , and not limitation , computer - readable media may include volatile and non - volatile , removable and non - removable media implemented in any method or technology for the non - transitory storage of information such as computer - readable instructions , data structures , program modules or other data . for example , computer - readable media includes , but is not limited to , ram , rom , eprom , eeprom , flash memory or other solid state memory technology , cd - rom , digital versatile disks ( dvd ), hd - dvd , blu - ray , or other optical storage , magnetic cassettes , magnetic tape , magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by dvr 1182 . according to various embodiments , dvr 1182 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to remote physical or virtual entities through a network such as the network 30 through a network interface unit 1504 connected to the bus 1510 . it will be appreciated that the network interface unit 1504 may also be utilized to connect to other types of networks and remote computer systems , such as a cloud storage system 1135 and modeling system 35 . network interface unit 1504 may comprise a number of input output ports including , but not limited to , both a co - axle high - frequency input as well as an ethernet or hdmi input and either an hdmi or scart or component vga output to a television / display device 80 , as illustrated in fig3 c . the co - axle high - frequency input may function as an input for sources of content in accordance with the packet protocol / standard , such as the data over cable service interface specification ( docsis ) cable modem standard , utilized by a cable television and / or a satellite television content provider . another standard by which content sources may provide streamed content objects to viewer systems 32 is the clearqam or qam ( quadrature amplitude modulation ), format by which digital cable channels are encoded and transmitted via cable television providers . in addition , the network interface of dvr 1182 may be provided with usb port for interfacing with other devices including modems , other computers , or other network interoperable components including ci card readers . in addition , dvr 1182 may be provided with wireless transceiver for interfacing with other wireless devices according to one of the plurality of standard wireless protocols , including wi - fi for either uploading or downloading of content over a network . in the contemplated embodiment , an internet upload connection ( may be the same or different from the download connection ), e . g . ethernet glass fiber based . in one embodiment , dvr 1182 is coupled to a media player 1506 , such as a dvd and blu - ray playback and recording apparatus . in another embodiment , dvr 122 may have built - in common interface ( ci ) functionality or connectable to network interface unit 1504 via a usb port or other peripheral interface such as a pcmcia interface . in another embodiment , the various interfaces of network interface unit 1504 may be designed for communicating with a remote docking station for any of an iphone , ipad , personal computer or android smartphone , or other similar devices , which enables streamed transmission of content and command instructions therefrom to dvr 1182 . dvr 1182 may also include an input / output controller for receiving and processing input from a number of other devices , including remote 1188 and , possibly , any of a keyboard , mouse , game controller or device . the network interface unit 1504 of dvr 1182 may further comprise a wireless remote 1188 and interface for communicating therewith , similar to the other remotes described herein which may be implemented with any type of technology , including , infrared , radiofrequency , or wired analog or digital signals , etc . in one embodiment , dedicated color - coded controls on dvr remote 1188 , which may be similar in construction and function to other remotes described herein , may enable the following dedicated functions : red button — deselect previous record command blue button — record command / undo prior deselection green button — register positive feedback / designate recording to viewer “ like ” channel yellow button — transmit comment / link / content object information to designated social media service ( s ). similarly , an input / output controller 1115 may provide output to a video display 80 through a standard display connection , such as any of a hdmi , vga , s - video , ypbpr , scart and component , euroscart , euroconnector , euroav , or eia multiport etc . further , input / output controller 1115 may be connected to a printer , or other type of peripheral device . dvr 1182 may further comprise an additional processor unit 1525 , such as a chip smarttv , connected to the bus 1510 which may be utilized for decoding encoded content objects received from a content source . a number of program modules and data files may be stored in the mass storage device 1520 and ram 1532 of dvr 1182 , including an operating system 1522 suitable for controlling the operation of dvr 1182 in a network computing environment . the mass storage device 1520 , rom 1534 , and ram 1532 may also store one or more program modules for execution by the cpu 1502 . the mass storage device 1520 , the rom 1534 , and the ram 1532 may store software instructions that , when loaded into the cpu 1502 and executed , transform a general - purpose computing system into a special - purpose computing system customized to facilitate all , or part of , the techniques disclosed herein . in the illustrative embodiment , dvr 1182 comprises a client application process 1186 for interfacing with content provider sources 36 or 34 and cloud storage system 1135 . specifically , application 1186 comprises an interface process 1102 and upload / download streaming process 1104 and optional electronic program guide process 1106 . interface process 1102 enables viewer system 32 to interact with sources 36 or 34 and cloud storage system 1135 in a manner similar to that described herein while process 1104 interacts with process 1102 and content sources 36 or 34 , and , where applicable , a scheduling application or electronic program guide function 1106 associated with content source 36 in a manner described herein . the cpu 1502 may be constructed from any number of transistors or other circuit elements , which may individually or collectively assume any number of states . more specifically , the cpu 1502 may operate as a state machine or finite - state machine . such a machine may be transformed to a second machine , or specific machine by loading executable instructions contained within the program modules . these computer - executable instructions may transform the cpu 1502 by specifying how the cpu 1502 transitions between states , thereby transforming the transistors or other circuit elements constituting the cpu 1502 from a first machine to a second machine , wherein the second machine may be specifically configured to manage the generation of indices . the states of either machine may also be transformed by receiving input from one or more user input devices associated with the input / output controller , the network interface unit 1504 , other peripherals , other interfaces , or one or more users or other actors . either machine may also transform states , or various physical characteristics of various output devices such as printers , speakers , video displays , or otherwise . encoding of executable computer program code modules may also transform the physical structure of the storage media . the specific transformation of physical structure may depend on various factors , in different implementations of this description . examples of such factors may include , but are not limited to , the technology used to implement the storage media , whether the storage media are characterized as primary or secondary storage , and the like . for example , if the storage media are implemented as semiconductor - based memory , the program modules may transform the physical state of the system memory 1530 when the software is encoded therein . for example , the software may transform the state of transistors , capacitors , or other discrete circuit elements constituting the system memory 1530 . as another example , the storage media may be implemented using magnetic or optical technology . in such implementations , the program modules may transform the physical state of magnetic or optical media , when the software is encoded therein . these transformations may include altering the magnetic characteristics of particular locations within given magnetic media . these transformations may also include altering the physical features or characteristics of particular locations within given optical media , to change the optical characteristics of those locations . it should be appreciated that various other transformations of physical media are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the present description . fig3 illustrates a plurality of viewer systems 32 a - n operably coupled to both a content source 36 and a cloud storage system 1135 . viewer systems 32 a - n may be implemented as described previously herein with reference to fig3 a - c , including the addition of dvr 1182 and remote 1188 . content source 36 may be implemented as previously described herein with reference to source 60 of fig9 a which contains indexed content material , or , any of content providers 34 or 37 of fig7 , or , may comprise any of cable tv service provider through cable packet network , satellite tv service provider through satellite network , or live broadcast over the internet ( internet tv ), internet protocol - based tv subscriptions , such as those available from verizon , and free to air tv . public network 30 may have a network topology as described elsewhere here in or any other configuration which interoperatively couples the disclosed network components . note that the content storage configuration for either of the original content source or cloud storage server may be centralized or distributed or continuously migrating in a peer - to - peer fashion to achieve content storage at any single instant . in one embodiment , the content is captured at a viewer system , either unencrypted or post decryption , and provided to the cloud storage device in an unencrypted format . in another embodiment , the content is provided to the cloud storage server in an encrypted format along with or without a decryption key data which may be stored separately from the encrypted content . the algorithm for uploading and downloading of content data packets at the cloud storage server may utilize temporal or sequential identifiers associated with the content . in the illustrative embodiment , to join the collaborative cloud community and initialize the components of the system , the end - user / viewer buys a dvr 1182 , which has preinstalled thereon client application 1186 . next , the end - user registers dvr 1182 with a server 1180 associated with the cloud storage system 1135 . such registration process may be performed online with a browser application executing in any of dvr 1182 or any of devices 84 , 86 , 87 or 80 , by accessing the server 1180 . such registration process may include uploading of any number of user identification indicia including , but not limited to , name , serial number of the dvr 1182 , billing address , payment information , identification of current content subscription sources , network access protocol identifiers and addresses , as applicable , initial recording settings and preferences for the dvr 1182 , identifiers of content to be recorded , acknowledgment of the license terms and conditions for the collaborative upload service and / or the client software on the dvr 1182 . upon completion of such registration process , server 1180 creates a record or profile associated with the subscriber / dvr 1182 . the user can also at any time change the current recording instructions through the website interface provided by server 1180 , as described in registration procedure . following registration , the client application 1186 on the dvr 1182 receives the recording settings from the server 1180 over a network connection , e . g . a wi - fi or ethernet internet connection . the user can at any time change the recording instructions using a remote control 1188 associated with the dvr 1182 by , for example , pushing the red button on the remote control , when viewing an episode of the series , to stop recording that series or by pushing the blue button on his remote control , while viewing an episode , to start recording that series . the client application 1186 receives the commands from the remote 1188 and transmits the new recording instruction to the server 1180 , where content is stored in association with cloud storage system 1135 . referring to fig3 , dvr 1182 interacts with content source 36 and cloud storage system 1135 , via process 1102 and 1104 , in the following manner . the viewer requests , through process 1104 , one or more content objects representing programs which are currently accessible for streaming from the content source 36 to viewer system 32 . the determination of such accessibility will typically be defined by the viewer &# 39 ; s subscription agreement with the content source provider and the availability of specific content as set forth by the content provider . optional electronic programming guide process 1106 may assist the viewer in selection of available content . each time process 1104 identifies content to which the viewer has legally authorized access and which he or she has requested recording thereof , process 1104 transmits the metadata identifying such content to cloud storage server 1180 which stores information with the profile of the registered dvr 1182 . at the time indicated by the metadata defining the content , server 1180 establishes a network connection with process 1102 and waits for process 1104 to initiate download streaming of the content from content source 36 to one or more buffer memories within dvr 1182 , along with selected metadata associated with content , including data identifying the content , and one or more temporal or sequential identifiers or markers identifying the specific portion of the content contained within the buffer , as illustrated by arrow a of fig3 . in one embodiment , content can be uploaded directly from a dvr device 1182 to cloud storage system 1135 without the need for a substantial buffering of the streamed data representing the content object . the algorithmic process to capture and upload a content object from a viewer system 32 to cloud storage system 1135 is substantially similar to that described with reference to fig1 c herein , except that the portions of the uploaded content object may be between 0 % and 100 % and such portions are uploaded to cloud storage system 1135 instead of modeling system 35 . process 1104 transmits to process 1102 , one or more packets of data along with the information identifying the content , or , alternatively , provides the addresses in memory where such information is stored locally within dvr 1182 and accessible by both processes . process 1102 appends to this information , a data structure 1120 and transmits or streams such information to cloud storage system 1135 , as illustrated by arrow b of fig3 . in one embodiment , the data structure 120 utilized by dvr 1182 may be similar to data structure 120 a described with reference to fig1 and may comprise data identifying the content object and / or a portion thereof , temporal or sequential identifiers associated with the content object , and authorization indicia identifying a viewer process and dvr 1182 . in addition , data structure may further optionally comprise data identifying a viewer process and data identifying an encryption key for decrypting the content object . in one embodiment , process 1102 may query server 1180 of cloud storage system 1135 to determine if a complete copy of the requested content was successfully received and stored therein . if server 1180 determines that a specific segment of the content object is missing , server 1180 will modify the metadata in the data structure associated with the content object , e . g . by setting a flag variable , as being incomplete . the functionality performed by processes 1104 and 1102 is repeated , as needed , and as authorized by server 1180 , while display device 80 is operably connected to content source 36 , for all content to which the viewer process has requested . in addition , the functionality performed by process 1104 occurs typically without any video or audio content being provided the actual display 80 . in this manner , such process may be conducted while the viewer is not utilizing the system , e . g . during system “ down time ” or watching other content and transparently without the viewer being aware . in the illustrative embodiment , referring to fig3 , cloud storage system 1135 , comprises a server 1180 and accompanying database ( s ) 1112 a - c and network streaming interface 1185 . the data contained within the data structure 120 received from process 1102 of the viewer system 32 is utilized by server 1180 to store a complete copy of the content object for retention within one of databases 1112 a - c . for example , process 1185 within server 1180 utilizes the temporal or sequential identifiers or markers associated with the content and arranges the received portion of the content according to its relationship to other portions previously received . in this manner , a complete copy of the content object ( program ) is assembled from any of viewer systems 32 a - n and retained by system 1135 for later viewing upon request by the viewer who is authorized to view such content . specifically , when a viewer requests a content object , server 1180 determines if the identified content object is stored in databases 1112 a - c . if so , the streaming interface 1185 will verify that the requesting viewer is authorized to view such content , and , upon confirmation thereof , begins streaming the content to the requesting system 32 , as illustrated by arrow c in fig3 . the algorithmic process of a request from a viewing system to cloud storage system 1135 for viewing content object ( s ) is similar to that illustrated in fig1 d . server 1180 maintains within databases 1112 a - c records for each viewer system 32 a - n indicating which content objects within databases 1112 a - c the viewer is authorized to download , such records being continually updated via processes 1102 and 1104 of each of the viewer systems 32 a - n . in this manner , each of the viewer systems 32 a - n is authorized to view specific content , which they have uploaded in accordance with their respective license , at will , upon request , and at a time which is not the same as the time frame in which the content provider , such as a cable service , make such content available . in the illustrative embodiment , once server 1180 determines that the requesting viewer system 32 a - n is authorized to download a copy of the requested content object , any of the copies uploaded by viewer systems 32 a - n and stored in databases 1112 a - c may be utilized , or , server 1180 may first check to see if the copy uploaded by the requesting viewer system is complete , such as by checking the value of a flag variable , parity value , hash value or other data integrity mechanism , and , if the content object copy is not complete , then utilizing any of the other copies uploaded by viewer systems 32 a - n stored in databases 1112 a - c for downloading to the requesting viewer system . according to the illustrative embodiment , the server 1180 periodically schedules collaborative recording , as necessary . depending on centrally needed data redundancy and downstream performance as well as the locally available upstream capacity , the periodic schedule is automatically calculated and the upstream effort is distributed collaboratively among the various dvr devices associated with viewer systems 32 a - n participating in the collaborative upstream effort . to effect such collaboration , each dvr 1182 receives its particular plan , according to which it will upload a part or the total content which the viewer / user / owner of that dvr has instructed to record . while uploading this content , the server 1180 will also check the validity of the registered subscriptions through the availability of particular content fragment , as the contribution in the collaborative upload effort . if , for technical reasons , such as limited upload capacity , one particular dvr 1182 is not capable of uploading the entire content the user requested to record , such dvr , upon issuing a viewing request , is allowed to subsequently download from cloud storage system 1135 , a collaborative copy , if the user has registered a valid subscription or the upload validity check has otherwise reasonably confirmed the validity of the subscription . when the client dvr is instructed by its user to downstream for time shifting purposes the recorded collaborative copy , the client dvr will downstream from the cloud storage system 1135 , once the server 1180 authenticates that the license to that particular content is valid . in the illustrative environment , the authorization indicia utilized by cloud storage system 1135 may be similar to authorization indicia 126 a , described herein , and may take any number of different forms including one or more binary values arranged in a mask , special codes , keys , hash values , etc . in addition , such authorization indicia may be generated by the content source 36 or may be derived from the streamed content by process 1102 . in an embodiment in which the content object from content source 36 is provided in an encrypted form , decryption keys or codes may be similarly provided to cloud storage system 1135 by process 1102 as part of the authorization indicia . dvr device software in conjunction with cloud storage system verifies that viewer has authority to upload / record content objects . in one embodiment , depending on the nature of the authorization protocol utilized with the ccdvr system and cloud storage system , the viewer / user may download and view a content object , e . g . a program series , in a time shifted manner , if licensed and actively uploaded from the viewer &# 39 ; s dvr device , or if licensable . in this matter , the user only views his own copies made by the ccdvr system under his personal instruction . in one embodiment , the viewer can only skip unwanted commercials if replacing them with other possibly , but not necessarily , personalized , commercials originating from the same broadcaster whose commercials were skipped . in other embodiments , the collaborative subscription service may also broker other services to the viewer , such as : internet subscriptions , tv broadcasting subscriptions , vod services , other over the top tv subscriptions , storage and streaming capacity in the cloud , physical goods such as books , wine , food , legal services , etc ., typically through third - party service providers . the reader will appreciate , as described herein , the ccdvr system comprises a plurality of cloud systems and dvr devices 1182 a - n , likely distributed in geographically disparate locations , but interconnected over a wide area network , such as the internet , and owned or leased by valid subscribers of content . in one embodiment , the ccdvr subscription user agreement authorizes the server 1180 and any dvr 1182 within the collaborative cloud system to record content from a content source on a subscriber &# 39 ; s behalf , as part of the collaborative upload effort . although the collaborative upload system has been described , in the illustrative embodiment , with content objects which may be in the nature of streamed video or other data , such example should not be limiting . the content objects uploaded or downloaded by the dvr or other devices disclosed herein may include textual , graphic , photographic , audio , haptic or other data type , in a streamed or a stream format , regardless of data format or protocol , content objects containing such data types being equally applicable to the system described herein . according to one aspect of the disclosure , a system and technique for presenting multiple , simultaneous content object data streams on a user interface is provided in a manner that facilitates surfing by the viewer in multiple dimensions . a primary content stream , representing the currently selected content object within a dimension of a viewer channel , is presented in a substantial portion of the right brain user interface display area while a plurality of secondary content object data streams , representing selectable content objects to which the viewer may navigate , are presented in smaller sized or thumbnail format in the balance of the display area of user interface . the multiple secondary content streams presented on the user interface each represent selectable content objects having a queued relationship to the currently selected primary content object data stream . such a queued relationship may exist between and among different content object streams in the same dimension of a viewer channel or between separately selectable portions of a single content object stream or program , or between different content objects in this dimensions of a viewer channel , e . g . chronologically arranged episodes of the same program . the process of utilizing the cursor navigation controls to perform multi - dimensional surfing of content objects within a particular viewer channel is described herein with reference to fig1 a - b . fig1 a illustrates conceptually a multidimensional channel 90 , which facilitates multidimensional surfing of content along desire and time vectors 92 and 94 , respectively , using traditional cursor navigation controls . fig1 b illustrates conceptually the implementation of channel 90 associated with a specific subject / viewer within database 48 . channel 90 may comprise a plurality of channels 90 a - c , stored in database 48 of modeling system 35 . the process by which navigation controls may be utilized to perform multi - dimensional surfing and viewing of content object streams displayed on viewer system 32 within a particular viewer channel 90 is described with reference to fig1 - 22 referring to fig1 , database 48 of modeling system 35 interacts with content database 47 or other content sources 34 , 36 to ensure that a data stream representing the content object ( s ) within viewer channel 90 are buffered in memory associated with viewer system 32 for rendering and display on display 80 . viewer interface system 32 comprises the right brain user interface display 80 , used predominantly for viewing of video content and an accompanying remote control 88 . as noted previously , display 80 may be implemented with a “ connected tv ” or other devices that connect the tv to the networks 30 or 31 such as a connected blu - ray player or a connected game console , e . g . a device capable of connecting directly to the internet , e . g . network 30 , as well as a cable packet network or satellite network , e . g . network 31 . fig1 illustrates conceptually the relationship between the components of display 80 ( in phantom ), including user interface ( ui ) display area 120 , graphics engine 115 , a primary stream buffer 116 and multiple secondary stream buffers 118 a - n associated with the content objects comprising a viewer channel . graphics engine 115 is typically part of display 80 and controls the streaming , decryption , windowing , and rendering of multiple data streams based on the content data and command / formatting data contained within the data packets associated with each stream . buffers 116 and 118 may be implemented as segmented sections of local memory associated with graphics engine 115 , or , alternatively , may be stored separately and remotely from display 80 . display 80 and viewer system 32 are connected through the network 30 , represented as a cloud in fig1 , to modeling system 35 and the source of the content object data streams , typically any of database 34 , 36 , 37 or 47 . a multitasking / multithreaded operating system may be used in viewer system 32 to control the streaming , buffering and rendering of the content object data stream . specifically each stream may have associated therewith multiple threads of execution , including a thread for buffering and one or more threads for formatting and rendering the content object data on display area of display 80 . as illustrated in fig1 , the primary content object stream has a buffer 116 associated therewith and one or more threads , labeled collectively as 117 . the plurality of secondary content object streams each have a perspective buffer 118 a - n associated therewith and respective sets of one or more threads , labeled collectively as 119 a - n , as illustrated . in the disclosed embodiment , primary content object data stream 128 is continuously streamed from its original source via its respective buffer while secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 may optionally loop through a portion of their respective content , typically the first several minutes or another amount stored in each of the respective buffers . in this manner , the presentation of visual information to the viewer on ui display area 120 is more informative , particularly regarding secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 , will efficiently using processor resources within graphic engine 115 and network bandwidth into and out of viewer system 32 . each content object having data streamed to display 80 has associated therewith a data structure 111 , as illustrated in fig1 , which comprises information relating to the viewable parameters of the content object , including , but not limited to formatting parameters , status , navigation options and proprietary rights data . in addition to metadata relating to the content object , such as the object identifier , format identifier , links to other content objects within the viewer channel , the memory address where the data comprising the object is stored , and the size of the content object , data structure 111 further comprises data fields indicating the license status of the object , whether free ( prepaid ), pay - per - view , or pay for limited use , elapsed viewing time , whether the content object was compiled by modeling system 35 , the name of someone recommending the content object , an image of the person recommending the content object , and other data necessary for representation of the various graphical elements and indicia surrounding the rendering of the content object , as explained in more detail with reference to fig1 - 22 . referring to fig1 and 21 , the ui display area 120 of display 80 is illustrated . multiple content object data streams are capable of being simultaneously presented in ui display area 120 . a primary content object data stream 128 , illustrated in phantom , representing the currently selected content object within a dimension of viewer channel 90 , is presented in the substantial majority portion of the ui display area , while a plurality of secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 , representing selectable content objects within the viewer channel to which the viewer may navigate , are presented in smaller - sized or thumbnail format at the bottom of the ui display area 120 . in this manner , the multiple secondary content object streams presented on the user interface each represent selectable content having a relationship to the currently selected primary content object stream . in fig1 , the plurality of secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 , and icon 127 representing the primary content object data stream , arranged along the bottom dimension of ui display area 120 , and may be associated , for illustrative purposes , with the time or second dimension is described elsewhere herein . similarly , in fig1 , icon 127 and the plurality of secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 , arranged along a side dimension of ui display area 120 , and may be associated , for illustrative purposes , with the association or first dimension , as described elsewhere herein . note that icon 127 and the secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 may be arranged vertically along either the left or the right side of ui display area 120 . the thumbnail frames representing the content object streams of a dimension may be arranged linearly along any portion of ui display area 120 including any of the left , right , top , and bottom sides of ui display area 120 . alternatively , other arrangements of the thumbnail frames may be utilized within ui display area 120 , for example circular or cluster arrangements of the thumbnail frames to provided the viewer with navigable options representative of the dimensions available for surfing relative to the currently displayed primary content object data stream 128 . referring to fig1 , and as described elsewhere herein , such a queued relationship may exist between and among different content object streams or between separately selectable portions of a single content object stream or program . for example , secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 may represent successively ordered content objects 131 - 136 , respectively , relative to the primary content object stream 128 , which represents the currently selected content object 138 in second dimension 94 in a viewer channel 90 . alternatively , secondary content object streams 121 - 126 may represent successively ordered content objects representing a viewer selectable segments of the currently viewed content object in display area 120 . for example , a primary content object stream representing a news program may have separately selectable secondary content object streams for program segments directed to weather , sports , business / finance , consumer reporting , etc . as another example , a primary content object stream representing the sports section of a news program may have multiple separately selectable secondary content object streams representing different video clips of sports highlights within the sports segment . in a similar manner , referring to fig1 , a queued relationship may exist between and among different content object streams or between separately selectable portions of a single content object stream or program . for example , secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 may represent successively ordered content objects 131 - 136 , respectively , relative to the primary content object stream 128 , which represents the currently selected content object 138 in first dimension 92 in a viewer channel 90 . alternatively , secondary content object streams 121 - 126 may represent successively ordered content objects representing a viewer selectable segments of the currently viewed content object in display area 120 . in one embodiment , secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 are displayed on ui display area 120 for a predetermined period of time , e . g . between 2 to 20 seconds after the last navigation command , or for some other predetermined period of time , so as not to distract the viewer from the primary content object data stream 128 . pressing of a navigation command button on the remote 88 will cause secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 to reappear , therefore providing the viewer with the necessary video cues to facilitate surfing among the various content objects within a dimension of a viewer channel . in another embodiment , as the viewer navigates or “ surfs ” among the various content objects , selection of a new primary content object data stream 128 will cause the repositioning of the remaining secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 so that , relative to the frames or thumbnail window of the screen 120 in which the secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 are currently displayed , each of the secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 either : a ) move gradually from its currently displayed window to an adjacent window ; b ) moves in substantially instantaneously from its currently displayed window to an adjacent window , or c ) the frames or thumbnail window in which the secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 are currently displayed actually move across the screen 120 , all under any of the foregoing techniques , either to the right or to the left depending on the nature of the navigation command selected by the viewer , as illustrated conceptually by the bidirectional phantom arrow in fig2 of secondary content object data streams 121 - 123 . in this manner , the relative order of the content object data streams in the viewer &# 39 ; s memory is maintained to facilitate more efficient and more relaxed selection of content on the right brain interface . similarly , any of the supplemental graphic indicia associated with the content objects , such as sidebars navigation indicators or icons will similarly scroll along with the content object with which they are associated . referring again to fig1 , information relevant to identification of the currently viewed primary content object stream may be displayed on - screen , either temporarily or persistently , within ui display area 120 , such information including , but not limited to , any of program name , type , date of original airing , current date and time , on - air status , current viewing start time , estimated viewing end time ( based on current time ), duration / elapsed viewing time , and recommendation posting time and name of third - party recommender or recommendation source if other than system 35 ( in the case of content recommended from a third party through a social media channel , such as facebook , etc .). in fig1 , such information is indicated by the box 113 within display area 120 . such information is typically stored within data structure 111 and may be displayed upon selection of the content object for viewing as the primary content object data stream 128 or upon selection of an appropriate command button on the remote control 88 of viewer system 32 . in addition , such information may be presented in various colors , fonts , formats and with a level of opacity as determined by the system designer so as not to interfere with the viewers enjoyment of the presented video data stream . alternatively , the information designated by box 113 may be presented not on display 80 , but on any of displays 84 , 86 , or 87 of viewer system 32 , so as to avoid textual data on the right brain interface . in a similar manner , a subset of the information typically stored within data structure 111 associated with each of secondary content object streams 121 - 126 may be displayed within their respective frame or thumbnail windows , such information comprising any of the information described above as displayable in box 113 and in a format similar to that described above . referring to fig2 , the lower half of ui display area 120 is illustrated , including the icon 127 representing primary content object stream 128 and the secondary content object streams 121 - 123 . in addition to providing an area on user interface display 120 where the primary and secondary content object streams may be displayed , viewer system 32 , in conjunction with the graphics engine 115 , utilizes various other graphic indicia associated with each content object data stream to provide further useful information to the viewer during his viewing / surfing experience in a manner that remains essentially true to the right brain experience , i . e . with a minimum of textual information . icon 127 represents the primary content object stream 128 and its conceptual position within the viewer channel relative to the secondary content object data streams . in an alternative embodiment , icon 127 may represent both the primary content object stream 128 and each of the secondary content object streams 121 - 126 displays on user interface 120 when the source of both the primary and secondary content objects is the same , for example , when all content objects are from the same broadcast or network source , icon 127 may represent the logo of such source , or , alternatively , when all content objects are from system 35 , icon 127 may comprise an icon or other graphic element associated with system 135 . the positions of secondary content object streams 121 - 123 within ui display area 120 relative to icon 127 conceptually indicate the position of secondary content objects along a dimension of the viewer channel relative to the currently selected primary content object stream 128 , and provides the viewer with a point of reference from which to navigate in the current dimension of the viewer channel or two different dimensions using the navigation controls of the remote 88 , as described previously . for example , pressing the left navigation button on remote 88 , e . g . “& lt ;”, will cause the primary content object stream 128 to change to the secondary content object data stream 123 to the left of icon 127 . the former primary content object stream will then assume the position of secondary content object stream 124 and the other secondary content object streams will be reorder accordingly within the appropriate dimension of the viewer channel . similarly , sequentially pressing the left navigation twice would have caused the primary content data stream 128 to change to secondary content object stream 122 , with the other content objects being repositioned in order along the appropriate dimension of the viewer channel . in this manner , the viewer , using the navigational commands of remote 88 , or other navigation control device as explained herein , may sequentially move through the displayed secondary content object data streams searching for a new primary content object data stream until the viewer finds content which is desirable to view . similarly , selection of the right , e . g . “& gt ;”, navigation button on remote 88 will cause similar navigation along the same dimension of the viewer channel with the same repositioning of content objects , but in the opposite direction . in another embodiment of the disclosed system , double - clicking of one of the navigation command buttons of remote 88 may be utilized to navigate either a chronological order of a content object from chronologically ordered content objects or a vertical fear / desire dimension . referring to fig2 , for example , if a viewer is currently watching primary content object stream 128 and single clicks the left navigation button on remote 88 , e . g . “& lt ;”, the primary content object stream 128 will change to secondary data content object data stream 123 . as described previously , thereafter , double - clicking the left navigation button on remote 88 , e . g . “& lt ;& lt ;”, rather than advancing to the newly repositioned secondary data content object data stream 122 will switch to a new nested dimension in viewer channel 90 , causing the primary content object stream 128 to remain the same , however , the secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 , previously represented by content objects 131 - 136 in the second dimension ( time ) will then be represented by content objects 141 - 144 , respectively , representing a new dimension nested relative to the second dimension ( time ) and the primary content object , such as previously aired episodes of the same program . for example , if the original set of primary and secondary content object data streams as presented on ui display area 120 represented , chronologically ordered content , such as sequentially arranged unrelated programs , after double - clicking the left navigation command of remote control 88 , the surfing paradigm or dimension will change so that the new set of primary and secondary content object data streams represent episodes of the same program , including previously aired episodes of the same program currently being viewed as the primary content object data stream 128 , as well as , if available , any as yet un - aired episodes , which may be available on pay per view basis , as represented by streams 124 - 126 . the use of the double - clicking of the directional navigation control is not limited to a particular dimension , e . g . either time or association , but may be utilized to access content objects within any nested dimension associated with a current primary content object stream . in another embodiment of the disclosed system that there is no limitation to the number or levels of nestings that may occur within a particular viewer channel . any dimension of a channel may have multiple dimensions which may be successively accessed in a recursive manner . in addition , the visual characteristics of icon 127 may be utilized to indicate to the viewer the status of the primary content object stream . for example , any of the color , shape , transparency , size , or other visual aspects of icon 127 may be associated with a specific parameter of the primary and secondary content object stream and may be manipulated by color , animation or in another manner , to indicate a change in the parameter value . for example , icon 127 may have a first shape or color for content objects recommended by system 35 and a second shape or color for content objects recommended by a third party or from a source other than system 35 . in another embodiment , the icon or other graphic element may be used to indicate that the use or license status of the primary content object is about to change , for example , viewing more than a threshold percentage of the primary content object may automatically cause status of a content object representing a recorded broadcast program to change from “ unviewed ” to “ viewed ” or may automatically cause the purchase of content objects offered on a single or limited view basis . in such instance , the icon or other graphic element may begin to blink , pulse , modulate between colors , or change in any of shape , size , color or opacity , or may be associated with a sound or audio wave file , or any combination thereof , to indicate that a threshold condition is about to be met . similar to icon 127 , the visual characteristics associated with secondary content object streams 121 - 126 may be utilized to indicate to the viewer various parameters of the secondary content object streams . for example , any of the color , shape , transparency , size , or other visual aspects of any frame or border surrounding the actual display area in which the secondary content object data stream is rendered may be associated with a specific parameter of the secondary content object stream and may be manipulated by color , shape , animation or in another manner , to indicate a change in the parameter value . specifically , as illustrated in fig2 , a colored sidebar 129 associated with each of the selectable secondary content object streams indicates the license status of the content , e . g . blue for free , red for pay per view , etc . in another embodiment , each of the thumbnail frames representing selectable secondary content contains graphic indicia 139 indicating the navigational options to other queued content within a viewer channel , e . g . “^”, “ v ”, “& lt ;”, “& gt ;” characters or symbols arranged around the thumbnail frame , as illustrated in fig2 . for example , the “^” symbol 139 a above stream 121 or 123 indicates that the viewer , once having navigated to streams 121 or 123 for viewing as the primary content stream 128 , may navigate since from the currently viewed primary content stream to another content object in the first dimension ( e . g . association ), while the “ v ” symbol 139 c below streams 121 or 123 indicates that the viewer may navigate to another content object in the first dimension but in an opposite direction . similarly , the “& lt ;” symbol 139 b to the left of stream 121 indicates that the viewer , once having navigated to streams 121 for viewing as the primary content stream 128 , may navigate to another content object in the second dimension ( e . g . time ), while a “& gt ;” symbol 139 d ( not shown in fig2 ) to the right of stream 126 indicates that the viewer may navigate from the currently viewed primary content stream to another content object in the second dimension , but in an opposite direction . in another embodiment , navigational directions and commands may be used to select free content versus paid content . for example , in a vertical navigation dimension , if the viewer pushes the down arrow navigation control on remote control 88 , the viewer will be presented with free content . conversely , if the viewer pushed the up arrow navigation control , the viewer will be presented with pay ( pay per view ) content . as another example , in a horizontal navigation dimension , if the viewer pushes the left arrow navigation control on remote control 88 , the viewer will be offered free content of a previously broadcasted program . conversely , if the viewer pushes the right arrow navigation control , the viewer will be presented with pay ( pay per view ) content , e . g . content that has not yet been broadcasted and which is viewable only for a fee . in another embodiment , navigation commands used to surf through time , desirability / fear and other dimensions may originate from display remotes having accelerometers for detecting horizontal , vertical and other gesture patterns for use as navigation and selection commands on the right brain interface and / or left brain inter face , as well as from traditional remote control 88 with a standard up , down , right , left , and enter button command set . in such embodiments , a translation program , similar to redirection application 85 is utilized to translate the outputs from a controller having either an accelerometer or gyroscope into commands which may be utilized by modeling system 35 and viewer system 32 . according to another aspect of the disclosure , a channel may be associated with system 35 for instructional materials which the viewer to access regarding various functions and procedures associated with the system . many broadcasters and content providers do not utilize channel “ 0 ”. in the disclosed embodiment , channel 0 is the instructional channel for system 35 . for example , at any time pressing the 0 button on remote 88 will cause the primary viewing stream to switch to one or more specific content objects associated with channel 0 and their instructional content for use of the system . alternatively , such instructional content objects may be associated with another specific channel designator or icon for display on screen 128 . as noted previously , both primary and secondary content objects may be recommended from third parties or sources other than modeling system 35 . the presentation format for such recommended content objects is illustrated in fig2 , where ui display area 120 presents a primary content object data stream 128 and multiple secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 of internet content from youtube or other internet sources , each having been recommended by a source other than modeling system 35 . the manner in which the viewer may navigate between and among the primary and secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 and 128 is similar as previously described herein , using navigation controls of remote 80 or other navigation input device . in the contemplated embodiment , in addition to navigating between and among the primary and secondary content object data streams , the viewer may navigate in a separate dimension among recommendation sources which may be either individuals , e . g ., friends , family , etc ., or specific sites on the internet , e . g ., youtube , facebook , etc . as illustrated in fig2 , a plurality of images 150 , 152 , and 154 , representing the recommendation sources , are arranged on one ui display area 120 in a manner which allows the viewer to navigate among the recommendation sources using navigation commands from remote control 88 . for example , the currently displayed set of primary and secondary content object data streams 121 - 126 and 128 may be associated with a recommender having an associated image 152 . use of the “ up ” and “ down ” navigation command buttons on remote 88 will allow the viewer to move from a dimension of content objects recommended by such source , to a dimension of content objects recommended by a recommender having an associated image 150 . images 150 , 152 and 154 may have frames or orders which provide additional information to the viewer , similar to that previously described with content object data streams 121 - 126 , for example , border around the image of the currently selected recommendation source may have a different shape , color and animation than that around the other images . similarly , the loop buffering of any secondary content object data streams may likewise be implemented with content from such recommendation sources , as described previously . although the system described herein is intended to be utilized to display content compiled by modeling system 35 , the reader can appreciate and understand that any content object may be utilized as the initial point of the viewing experience , including commercially broadcast channels from cable providers or other sources , including one or more virtual channels as described herein , and , thereafter , using the system described herein , the user may navigate to content objects which are either compiled by modeling system 35 or recommended from sources outside modeling system 35 . referring to fig2 , a plurality of virtual channels 160 - 230 are illustrated conceptually relative to viewer systems 32 a - b and a modeling system 35 , as described herein , and other sources of content . virtual channels 160 - 230 enable content objects from sources considered to have possible left brain content to be implemented in a right brain user interface in accordance with the objectives of the disclosure . virtual channels 160 - 230 may be logically arranged similar to channels 90 a - c of fig1 b and may contain content objects from a single source or multiple sources as described in greater detail with reference to fig2 - 31 . referring to fig2 , a first type of virtual channel , recommendation channel 160 , allows the posting of recommendations of friends and / or family or other individuals from other sources such as twitter , facebook , picasa , vimeo , groups within facebook , linkedin , or any other website or networking mechanisms 162 a - n to modeling system 35 for display via viewer system 32 . one or more recommendation channels may be associated with a particular viewer profile . for example , in various embodiments , a single recommendation channel 160 a may be defined by the user for posting all recommendations of friends / groups independent of the source , or , multiple recommendation channels may exist and may be defined per source , per group of sources , per friend , or per group of friends , illustrated in phantom as recommendation panels 160 b - n . such recommendation channel comprising content object recommendations from friends and / or family , colleagues , etc . may arranged in a queued manner and displayed with viewer system 32 as illustrated in and previously described with reference to fig2 and 23 . specifically , the viewer may navigate recommendation channel 160 in a separate dimension among recommendation sources which may be either individuals , e . g ., friends , family , etc ., or specific sites on the internet , e . g ., youtube , twitter , facebook , picasa , vimeo , groups within facebook , linkedin , etc . as illustrated in fig2 , a plurality of images 150 , 152 , and 154 , representing the recommendation sources , are arranged on one ui display area 120 in a manner which allows the viewer to navigate among the recommendation sources using navigation commands from remote control 88 , in a manner as described herein . in the contemplated embodiment , recommendations may be forwarded to a viewer &# 39 ; s recommendation channel 160 via a specific electronic mail address or other handle mechanism associated with the particular viewer system 32 . referring to fig2 , a second type of virtual channel , a program director channel 170 enables explicit ( left brain ) control over the experience of the viewing session and active control of the content of that channel . management and set up of the program director channel 170 may be performed on any of the left brain user interfaces 84 , 86 , or 87 of fig1 a to enable selection of content objects , posting of that content object in channel , ranking of the content object in the channel , and upfront payment of content , e . g . pay per view , if applicable , prior to display on the right brain display 80 , via modeling system 35 and viewer system 32 . control commands and data from the left brain interface are provided to modeling system 35 which in turn generates the arrangement of content objects within the program director channel 170 prior to its displayed on the right brain display 80 . note that sources of content objects for the program director channel 170 may be content sources within the system , such as database 47 of fig8 or from external sources 172 a - n which may be selected content providers 34 , 36 or 37 or sources 162 a - n . program director channel 170 when used in conjunction with a recommendation channel 160 of another viewer , or a social media facility such as youtube , twitter , facebook , groups within facebook , linkedin , etc ., enables the viewer / director to act as program director in a broadcast — like manner enabling recommendations of content from a viewer to groups viewer / recipient &# 39 ; s using a content object recommendation via others recommendation channels 160 or a social media facility such as twitter . such functionality may be useful to a viewer / director who is an expert in a certain subject matter , enabling the viewer to compose and maintain a complete expert channel via system 35 and / or subscriptions to social media facilities , as applicable . director channel 170 may be useful for viewers who love film , viewers who want to plan a specific viewing session , professionals who want to schedule a specific presentation sequence , such as a demo for a customer . viewers who also subscribe to third party content subscriptions such as netflix or lovefilm ( uk ) can have content from such sources integrated into the viewer &# 39 ; s regular channel through the recommendation system 35 described herein according to the calculation of the fear and desire component of the content object for that particular viewer &# 39 ; s profile , in a manner as previously described herein . using the left brain user interface 172 and display system described herein , viewers can actively schedule content objects coming from sources such as netflix or lovefilm into a dedicated program director channel 170 and determine the location in queue of each content object in that channel . in addition , using the foregoing , system 35 enables a viewer to take an “ option ” to view video on demand content objects by scheduling them to one of the virtual channels described herein , using either remote control 88 of the viewer system 32 or utilizing the program director channel 170 . for example , a content object recommended by system 35 or a content object actively retrieved from a remote source such as either netflix or lovefilm may be a movie which a viewer would like to see but for which he / she is either not in the current mood or does not have the time or money to commit to purchasing at that exact instance . instead , the viewer create an option , typically in the form of a link which includes access data and the metadata describing the content object , including its price and viewing availability , into one of the channels described herein or into a separate virtual option channel similar in logical structure and function to program director channel 170 . such option will then show up in queued format within the channel in the same manner as other content objects and may be purchased at the time of viewing , in a manner similar to that described elsewhere herein . referring to fig2 a , a third type of virtual channel , the third party channel 180 enables content that is sourced from the third party applications or data streams 182 a - n to be available for display , via modeling system 35 and viewer system 32 , in conjunction with the viewer &# 39 ; s current channel . for example , an application related to a sporting event may provide or stream additional background information for a specific game , for example all goals scored by the player who scored a goal during a match that is viewed live through the display 120 of viewer system 32 . such background information can be posted on a separate third party channel 180 or integrated with the on - screen viewing of the current content object in box 113 of screen 120 , as illustrated in any of fig1 , 21 and 22 . fig2 b illustrates conceptually an algorithmic process that enables content aggregation for the third party channel 180 . referring to fig2 , a fourth type of virtual channel , the library channel 190 enables access to content objects which are privately owned in the viewer &# 39 ; s library , such content objects being a collection of previously paid for materials which are therefore always permanently available for viewing . the library comprising the viewer &# 39 ; s privately owned content objects may be stored locally on the viewer system 32 , as indicated by storage mechanism 193 , which may be similar to database 47 , or stored remotely over a network on a dedicated storage mechanism 194 or retained on any of content sources 192 a - n . the content objects within the viewer &# 39 ; s private library may be recommended and arranged or queued within the library channel 190 by recommendation system 35 and distributed for viewing via viewer system 32 in a manner as previously described with regard to other content objects . however , content objects within the library channel 190 may be stored in modified formats , i . e . for privacy and security reasons as well as for network accessibility reasons . library channel 190 provides a “ view ” on all the content that is available in the viewer &# 39 ; s library arranged into one channel , such content could be arranged according to dominant preferences , metadata ( e . g . genre ) and ranked according to viewer &# 39 ; s mood or sorted according to a certain predefined or dynamically defined criteria . the library channel 190 may be implemented with three modes of the use : active , inactive and exclusive or library only . in active mode , the library is used by the recommendation system disclosed herein as one of the content sources for creating content recommendations in a manner as previously described . in inactive mode , the library is not used as one of the content sources for creating content recommendations . in exclusive or library only mode , only content from the viewer &# 39 ; s private library or a private library to which a viewer has access is used as one of the content sources for creating content recommendations in a manner as previously described . a fifth type of virtual channel , the off - line channel 200 , in one embodiment , may be implemented not as a channel having a specific content source ( s ), similar to the other of the virtual channels 160 - 190 and 210 - 230 described herein , but as a mechanism for viewing content objects associated with another channel when not actively or operatively coupled to either a network or to recommendation system 35 , such as when the viewer is on an extended plane flight , as is illustrated by the lack of connection between viewer system 32 and recommendation system 35 and content sources 202 a - n in fig2 a . in such instances , the content objects within a particular channel , which may be the viewer &# 39 ; s regular channel or a virtual channel as described herein , are stored locally on storage mechanism 203 of viewer system 32 all of which may be implemented within an apparatus such as a pda , tablet computer or laptop , and are available for viewing therefrom . note that with the off - line channel 200 mode of operation , the apparatus on which the viewer system 32 is implemented may serve as both the left brain interface and , typically sequentially , as the right brain interface for the viewer . fig2 b illustrates conceptually an algorithmic process that enables viewing of content off - line via off - line channel 200 . with the off - line channel 200 mode of operation , the particular viewing habits of the viewer may be stored locally and loaded to recommendation system 35 in an asynchronous manner for updating of the viewers profile and viewing history once the viewer is reconnected to the system . also , in the off - line channel 200 mode , the content objects within a particular viewer channel are limited to those items already queued within such particular channel or channels . the ability to have content objects reordered within a viewer channel in synchronization with immediately preceding viewing habit events is also limited . in embodiments , the format in which content objects are stored for off - line viewing may be modified for increased security to prevent unauthorized viewing , in comparison to other storage formats utilized for normal online viewing from a specific viewing device or platform . in one embodiment , so as to comply with copyright and licensing requirements of the content objects , browsing and rewinding / fast forwarding through the locally stored content objects while a viewer is off - line is allowed , but substantive viewing of a content object is allowed only once , unless such content object is part of the viewer &# 39 ; s private library or the viewer is authorized to view a content object multiple times . content selection for off - line mode can be done in a number of ways , for example : a ) viewer selects from each channel the content he would like to view off - line using the left brain user interface ; b ) content with highest recommendation according to the viewer &# 39 ; s preferences and mood is selected by the recommendation system 35 ; or c ) viewer manages his / her program director channel and content therein is selected for off - line mode . a sixth type of virtual channel , the picture / user generated content ( ugc ) channel 210 is used to post pictures and ugc , movies , audio , etc ., created by the viewer ( s ), from any of other internal or external sources and to view such pictures and ugc with the appropriate viewing player depending on the file type of the content object as posted to the channel . as such , picture / ugc channel 210 may be similar in construction and function to library channel 190 as described herein with reference to fig2 . as illustrated in fig2 a , the content objects representing ugc may be stored locally on the viewer system 32 , as indicated by storage mechanism 216 , which may be similar to or database 47 , or stored remotely over a network on a dedicated storage mechanism 213 or retained on any of content sources 212 a - n . the ugc content objects may be recommended and arranged or queued within the picture / ugc channel 210 by recommendation system 35 and distributed for viewing via viewer system 32 in a manner as previously described with regard to other content objects . however , content objects within the picture / ugc channel 210 may be stored in modified formats , i . e . for privacy and security reasons as well as for network accessibility reasons . a viewer is able to edit picture / ugc channel 210 channel using the left brain interface for changing order , deleting items , etc . . . . fig2 b illustrates conceptually an algorithmic process that enables content collection and creation of a picture / ugc channel 210 . a seventh type of virtual channel , the post channel 220 , enables friends , family , coworkers , etc . and other third parties to actively post their pictures or ugc to a channel associated with the viewer and allow viewing of such pictures and ugc with the appropriate viewing player depending on the file type of the content object as posted to the channel . as such , the post channel 220 may be similar in construction and function to picture / ugc channel 210 as described herein with reference to fig2 a . as illustrated in fig3 a , the content objects representing third - party or externally generated ugc may be stored locally on the viewer system 32 , as indicated by storage mechanism 226 , which may be similar to or database 47 , or stored remotely over a network on a dedicated storage mechanism 223 or retained on any of content sources 222 a - n . the ugc content objects may be recommended and arranged or queued within the post channel 220 by recommendation system 35 and distributed for viewing via viewer system 32 in a manner as previously described with regard to other content objects . the post channel 220 is useful for viewers who wish to enjoy viewing content objects from multiple sources without having an established relationship with such source . for example , grandparents may have a post channel 220 on reserved for the pictures and the ugc movies posted by their children , grandchildren and / or other family members to facebook , twitter , or other media sites . in this way , such viewers can enjoy content sourced from facebook and twitter without having to access the internet and establish facebook , twitter , or other accounts . as with recommendation channel 160 , recommendations may be forwarded to a viewer &# 39 ; s post channel 220 via a specific electronic mail address or other handle mechanism associated with the particular viewer system 32 . fig3 b illustrates conceptually an algorithmic process that enables a virtual post channel 220 . an eighth type of virtual channel , the mail channel 230 , which is operatively coupled with one or more of the viewer &# 39 ; s electronic mail service , enables right brain hemisphere type content objects , typically attachments associated with electronic messages , e . g . those that contain pictures , graphics , video material , etc . to be viewed on the right brain display 80 of the viewer system 32 , as illustrated in fig3 a . in one embodiment , the viewer may be given the option of entering a command with , for example , remote control 88 , which enables the complete text of the relevant email message to be viewed as well as email messages which have no attachments . fig3 b illustrates conceptually an algorithmic process that enables a mail channel 230 . virtual channels 160 - 230 described herein may be presented to the viewer via display 80 of viewer system 32 either as the primary content object data streams or secondary content object data stream , similar to other channels 90 a - c , stored in database 48 of modeling system 35 or locally within viewer system 32 and which facilitates multidimensional surfing of content , using traditional cursor navigation controls as described herein with reference to fig1 - 22 . in other embodiments , the viewer may navigate in a separate dimension any of the virtual channels 160 - 230 described herein in addition to the primary and secondary content object data streams on screen 120 of display 80 in a similar manner as described with reference to the recommended content illustrated in fig2 . in addition to the implicit feedback detectable from a viewer &# 39 ; s selections and viewing habits , the disclosed system also affords the opportunity to provide explicit feedback to the recommendation system in a manner which requires little left brain activity . specifically , traditional navigation controls originating from display remotes , e . g . specifically colored coded controls , may be utilized to provide explicit feedback to the recommendation system in a manner which requires little left brain activity . selection of different color coded buttons may be used to associate each of a negative or positive valence emotion with the instances of a certain recurrently broadcasted content ( e . g . a series ) and / or its metadata . in addition , selection of a different color coded control may be used to socially share the link to the currently viewed content with the applicable social networks or to provide a gratuity to the author ( s ) of the content currently viewed or to the recommender of that content . more specifically , as part of the disclosed system and technique for relaxed tv viewing , the command controls 240 - 246 of a typical tv remote 88 or other device are given new functions , as illustrated in fig3 . the existing typical remote control command controls are part of the available interface hardware and therefore pose a minimal set - up and learning curve effort to use . the new functions that are associated with the existing command control are chosen based on the disclosed neuropsychological modeling technique to support the natural relaxing tv experience . a description of command controls and their assigned operation , based on the neuropsychological modeling technique are given below . as illustrated in fig3 , selection of a first colored control 240 , e . g . a red button , may be used to associate negative valence emotion with the instances of a certain recurrently broadcasted content ( e . g . a series ) and / or its metadata . such negative valence emotion association may result in that particular recurrent content not be scheduled in a personalized channel and / or a time - shifted content list and therefore the content is not recorded for that user . this can be implemented as the red button meaning : “ do not record for time shifting purpose for my profile anymore ”. selection of a second colored control 242 , e . g . a blue button , may associate positive - valence emotion with the instances of a certain recurrently broadcasted content ( e . g . a series ) and / or its metadata . such positive valence emotion association results in that particular recurrent content being scheduled in a personalized channel and / or a time - shifted content list and therefore the content is recorded for that user . this can be implemented as the blue button meaning : “ do record for time shifting purpose for my profile ”. selection of a third colored control 244 , e . g . a yellow button , may socially share the link to the currently viewed content with the applicable social networks . the applicable social networks may be facebook , linkedin , twitter , blog , email or other . a practical implementation may be a preformatted email or other electronic message that is sent from a general or personalized account to a user predetermined account , which may be his own account , for manual processing and actual publishing or communication or an account which causes the publishing or communication to occur automatically . selection of a fourth colored control 246 , e . g . a green button , may associate gratitude with the author ( s ) of the content currently viewed or to the recommender of that content . such gratitude may have as a result the donation of gratuity or thank you fee . the distinguishment between author and recommender may be made based on the home content of a recommendation channel being viewed or the recommended content itself or may be based on a simple iconic viewable interface popping up after the button has been pushed . the amount of gratuity can be pre - set automatically and changed based on a left brain interface as part of the tv tandem interface . the backend payment and management system is created in order to manage correct and confidential management of author , recommender and service provider ( the license holder to this patent ) credentials . in case donations are not correctly attributable to authors or recommender , they can flow to a non - profit fund . explicit right brain feedback becomes even more powerful when the red and blue button are not just specified in association with a particular content object , but with one or more metadata values associated with the content object . for example , in embodiments , when the viewer presses the red button or specifies an equivalent command during viewing of a specific content object , then the metadata associated with that content object may be visually displayed at the bottom of the screen , e . g . a menu bar . such bar may show a picture of the leading actor , e . g . jack nicholson , next to a graphic representation characterizing a genre , e . g . horror movie , etc . the user can then select what in particular he likes or dislikes about the content object using the explicit feedback buttons or commands and thereafter , the fear and desire components related to the selected metadata are subsequently updated accordingly . it will be obvious to those reasonably skilled in the art that variations of the above described system and technique may be utilized . for example , there does not need to be a specific one to one correspondence between controls and the type of explicit feedback provided from the viewer to the recommendation system . for example , instead of one button for each of the described feedback types , a two - position rocker switch may be utilized in which one position is used to designate a negative valence emotion with content and / or its metadata while the other position is used to designate a positive negative valence emotion with content and / or its metadata . also , a control itself need not be colored but could have a color designation of any shape , color , graphic pattern or image affixed thereto . in addition , the choice of colors , patterns or images may be at designer &# 39 ; s discretion . further , any physical control on either the remote 88 or a virtual control on the user interface such as a pda or laptop through which the viewer communicates with the primary right brain display 80 , may be utilized , including the traditional navigation cursor controls in a configuration allowing for multi - mode functionality , as well as traditional keyboards , gesture recognition user interfaces or voice command user interfaces . from the neuropsychological model described herein follow important insights into best sales practices ; insights , which can be shared in sales trainings and sales consultancy , as well as in m & amp ; a consultancy . buyers &# 39 ; psychology is central in sales , hence why any sales cycle should be buyer - aligned . a buyer typically goes through a number of stages before buying a product . multiple sales models have already tried to identify and name these stages . typical stages are : identification of needs , evaluations of options , resolution of concerns . or : satisfaction stage , hedging / shopping stage , consensus stage . however , none of these theories have linked the different stages with the basic emotions and moods of buyers . an important distinction is made between two types of b2b sales : new and known application sales . in new application sales , the buyer sees the offering of the sales person as something that is new to him , either because the type of product / service or its application is new to him . in known application safes , the buyer sees the offering of the sales person as something he &# 39 ; s familiar with , either because he is familiar with the type of product / service or with the kind of application . thus , whether a particular sales project is considered a new or known application sales project , depends on the view of the buyer . it is up to the sales person to assess the buyers &# 39 ; view . according to the disclosed system and technique , new application b2b sales , the buying cycle starts with the seeding and nurturing of desire and that this is optimally done using mainly visual sales / marketing material and storytelling , which appeals to the right hemisphere and allows desire to grow . for this reason , new application b2b sales are referred to as desire - based b2b sales . this does not mean however , this type of sales does not involve any hedging of fears . once desire has grown up to a significant level , and the buyer buys into the vision and is willing to change , fear still need to be hedged . the buying cycle for desire - based b2b sales is represented in fig3 . for the case of known application b2b sales , some seeding and growing of desire may be required , but usually to a much lesser extent . known application b2b sales is mostly about hedging fears , hence it is referred to as “ fear - based ” selling . the buying cycle for fear - based b2b sales is represented in fig3 . fear consists of both private and social fears . these private fears are typically hedged during the second phase . in this phase the buyers typically wants to find out if a product or service will actually work for him and / or if the option , proposed to him by the sales person , is the overall best option , taking into account alternatives , competitive offerings , etc . it is our insight that in this phase , the buyer is best served with data and results that address his fears and that are mostly textual and / or analytic , like specification lists , demo reports and the like , since these will mostly appeal to his left hemisphere and allow him to converge his fears down to an acceptable level . thus , in this phase , it is the job of the sales person to assess the buyers &# 39 ; fears and then help him address them . while the focus in this phase lies on the reduction of fears , the sales person still needs to keep an eye on the desire level , making sure it stays high enough . during the third stage of the buying cycle of both fear - and desire - based b2b sales , social fears typically need to be hedged . in this stage it is important for the sales person to guide the buyer in taking the right actions with the other decision makers , so also their desire and fear components , like the ones of the buyer , are brought into or kept into the range − π / 8 to + 3π / 8 , corresponding to the dominant or passionate mood . the sales person can e . g . make sure the buyer has appropriate documentation , like a value - based proposal , which illustrates and supports the vision and which can be shared between the decision makers . such document will typically address its audience &# 39 ; s psychology in the same way the buying cycle does , i . e . it will start by seeding desire and subsequently address the typical fears . the seeding of desire can be e . g . done by using visual elements that illustrate the vision , by showing the most compelling and desired end results , etc . the hedging of fear can be e . g . be done by going through the concrete lists of needs and showing that each one of them is covered . it &# 39 ; s important to note that the sales person needs to keep monitoring the fear and desire levels throughout the complete buying cycle . e . g . in the third phase , the sales person may actually need to increase fear in order to be able to close the deal , since a b2b buyer , who feels too much in control or too relaxed , may unnecessarily delay a purchasing decision or put a too high pressure on the price . the buying cycle of b2c sales is represented in fig3 . in this case , desire needs to grow as fast as fear diminishes . social fear hedging is limited to non - existing . the different buying cycles with their respective , numbered stages , can also be mapped onto the mood disk , as shown in fig6 c . the purchase and sales of a company , as part of an m & amp ; a transaction , resembles a desire - based b2b sales process . the selling party may lead the purchasing party through the b2b sales process ; however it may also be the buying party who leads the selling stakeholders through the stages of the buying process , to sell an integrated vision for both companies and create buy - in for a common cause . such process is very similar to how a b2b sales person leads a buying organization through the buying cycle in a classic b2b sales process . the potential buyer of a company , after he / she has done the necessary networking , strategizing and scouting , needs to create a vision and nurture desire in e . g . the board and executive team of both companies . once he / she received buy - in for the acquisition or merger , personal and social fears still need to hedged . personal fear hedging , or subjective due diligence , in practice typically boils down to such things as creating a new organization chart , planning the business and the integration . social fear hedging , or objective due diligence , consists of such things as checking and securing all legal , financial and tax - related issues . fig3 illustrates conceptually the elements of an embodiment of a modeling system 35 a necessary for the derivation of the relationship between metadata associated with a sales object and an individual buyer model relative to the ranking of the sales object associated with the particular sales channel model . in fig3 , b2b buyer application 32 a , sales offerings 60 a , buyer models 46 a , rankings / sales channels 48 a , sale objects 47 a , behavior modeler 49 a , ranking application 42 a and neuropsychological modeling engine 41 a may be structurally and functionally similar to viewer application 32 , content material 60 , viewer models 46 , rankings / channels models 48 , content objects 47 , behavior modeler 49 , ranking application 42 and neuropsychological modeling engine 41 , respectively , described with reference to fig9 a and 9d disclosed herein , including the respective algorithmic processes and communication protocols with either similar or dissimilar data structures . specifically , each sales object stored in database 47 a has associated therewith a metadata file , which may be similar or dissimilar to file 75 , which contains various data parameters describing the content of the file , such as the format , product id , specifications , target customer description , price , special pricing / discounts , duration ( subscription services ), special terms and conditions , licenses / working information , etc . any number of different data structure formats may be utilized for this particular structure . such content file metadata files may also be stored in database 47 a . similarly , each individual buyer associated with a b2b buyer application 32 a has associated therewith a buyer model , which may be similar or dissimilar to model 70 which contains data describing the behavior model . the process flow between components of modeling system 35 a to update a buyer &# 39 ; s model and sales channel model , retrieve new sales objects and determine if such objects are suitable for ranking according to the system model of the buyer &# 39 ; s emotional motivation may be similar to those described previously with reference to fig9 b - c and 9 e - f . behavior modeler 49 a retrieves from database 46 a the model associated with a specific buyer and the metadata file defining the sales channel . in addition , behavior modeler 49 a also retrieves from database 47 a , the metadata file describing the sales object . next , behavior modeler 49 a compares the received event data with metadata file of the sales object and the current buyer model and modifies the sales channel model ( s ) appropriately , ( indicated by the circular arrow within behavior modeler 49 ) in each case the buyer model 70 is modified and optionally the sales channel model could also be modified , as would be in case of sales channel management . in various embodiments , modifying the buyer model may be performed by mapping each event onto the mood disc 20 according to a prescribed rule , e . g . purchase of sales object results in a predefined ψ and m value ( or equivalent fear coordinate f and desire coordinate d ), described previously . the other context to which the neuropsychological model derived herein and the modeling system 35 disclosed herein may be applied , including , but not limited to any of 1 ) an automatic internet bank or investment fund , 2 ) a tandem interface for reading and / or researching and / or writing , 3 ) a tandem user interface for an automatic internet enabled buying system for recurrent consumer purchases , or 4 ) an automatic trading system for securities , may utilize systems which are structurally and functionally similar to those described with reference to fig9 a , 9 d and 37 disclosed herein , including the respective algorithmic processes and communication protocols with either similar or dissimilar data structures . although the various embodiments of the system and techniques disclosed herein have been described with reference to content objects containing video data , the system described herein , particularly the tandem user interface and the neuropsychological modeling engine may be equally utilized with other types of content , including audio , art , advertisement , literature , physical objects , etc . with only minor modifications to the disclosed system and techniques as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the relevant arts , given the disclosures as set forth herein . it will be obvious to those reasonably skilled in the art that modifications to the systems and processes disclosed herein may occur , without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure . for example , any two elements which communicate over a network or directly , may utilize either a push or a pull technique in addition to any specific communication protocol or technique described herein . further , notwithstanding the network implementation described , any existing network or communications infrastructure technologies may be utilized , including any combination of public and private networks . in addition , although specific algorithmic flow diagrams or data structures may have been illustrated , these are for exemplary purposes only , other processes which achieve the same functions or utilized different data structures or formats are contemplated to be within the scope of the concepts described herein . as such , the exemplary embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes and are not meant to be limiting .

6Physics

referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views , and more particularly to fig1 thereof , one embodiment of present invention now will be described . fig1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an x - ray tube of the present invention adapted to a rotary anode type x - ray tube for use in mammography . in fig1 a metallic vacuum envelope 11 is provided with an x - ray radiation window 12 , which is primarily made of a beryllium thin plate and hermetically sealed to a portion of the metallic vacuum envelope 11 . a glass rotor envelope 13 extends in the direction of the tube axis . a cathode structure 14 is disposed on the end of the metallic vacuum envelope 11 opposing the glass rotor container 13 . a rotor 17 is rotatably supported by the glass rotor envelope 13 . a rotatable disc - shaped anode target 15 is supported by a supporting shaft 16 extended from the rotor 17 . a high voltage is applied between the cathode 14 and the anode target 15 to which a positive potential side of the high voltage is connected . when electrons are discharged from the cathode 14 , the electrons are accelerated and focused into on electron beam which is impinged on an electron focal area 18 of the rotatable anode target 15 . an x - ray beam is produced an radiated outside window 12 in the arrow - marked direction x . the rotatable anode target 15 comprises an electron focal area 18 and a supporting base 19 . both of area 18 and base 19 are made of a mo base alloy containing major amount of mo and a small amount of ti , and additionally a small amount of c ( carbon ) as a deoxidizer . preferably , the ti content is in a range of 0 . 3 to 4 wt % and the c content is in a range of 50 to 400 ppm ( as the aim composition of the target ). namely , fig3 shows the relationship between the ti content ( wt %) with respect to the mo of the electron focal area and the relative amount of x - ray with the number of times of electron bombardment as parameters , wherein the c content is determined to be approximately 200 ppm . here the electron bombardment was performed such that a voltage of 40 kv was applied across the target 15 and the cathode 14 , and 1 - second bombardments of electron current of 260 ma were made at 50 - second intervals . in fig3 the curve a represents the values obtained after 1000 - times of electron bombardments , and the curve b represents the values obtained after 5000 - times of electron bombardments . from these curves a and b , it can be understood that most preferable x - ray radiation amounts may be obtained when ti content is in the range of 0 . 6 to 2 . 0 wt %. however , it also can be seen that the ti contents between 0 . 3 to 4 . 0 wt % that can secure the x - ray radiation amounts of 60 % or more even after 5000 times of bombardments can be practically acceptable . moreover , c functions as a deoxidizer , and is not absolutely required . however , when present , c remains dispersed between the elements of mo and ti , and a portion of the c also remains as a form of tic after vacuum sintering , whereby the structure of metallic crystals of the electron focal area of the target can be restrained from growth . as a result the surface of focal area 18 remains substantially flat . when the ti content is excessively small , the mo - ti alloy is about the same as pure mo ,. but when it is too large , free ti that does not combine with mo may be present . the free ti evaporates when the electron focal area 18 reaches a temperature of 2600 ° c ., and this evaporation of the free ti can be considered to cause unevenness of the area 18 . a mixed powder was prepared such that tih 2 powder = 1 wt %, c powder = 100 ppm and remainder = mo powder . all the powder was uniformly mixed . next , the mixed powder was formed into pellets , and was heated within a vacuum furnace at a temperature of 2000 ° c . for 2 hours , whereby a sinter was obtained . thereafter , the thus obtained sintered body was formed so as to be densified , and further forged into a certain specified shape . next , the thus forged body was machined , and then put into the vacuum furnace with a pressure of 1 × 10 - 5 torr of less , wherein the machined body was heated at a temperature which was below its recrystallization temperature ( approximately 1400 ° c .) for 2 hours so that degas treatment was performed . as a result , an x - ray tube target was obtained , which was assembled into the x - ray tube envelope . the x - ray tube thus obtained was put , in the same manner as in the above - described prior art , through a forced operation test such that anode acceleration voltage = 40 kv , tube current = 150 ma , and 4 - second bombardments on the rotating anode were repeatedly performed 400 times at 75 - second intervals after this test , the electron focal area 18 was examined by the photomicrographs thereof such as fig6 of 5 × magnification and fig7 of 30 × magnification . from these observations , it was confirmed that although many cracks occurred on the electron focal area 18 , the crystals thereof were significantly restrained from becoming rough and large in comparison with those of pure mo . in addition , another forced operation test was carried out such that anode acceleration voltage = 40 kv , tube current = 260 ma , and 1 - second bombardments were repeatedly performed 5000 times at 50 - second intervals . the result is shown by the curve m in fig2 wherein the x - ray radiation amount after this test remained at a value of approximately 76 % of that in the initial period , and this fall became smaller as compared to the fall in the case of pure mo . moreover , the x - ray radiation quality was substantially the same as the x - ray radiation quality of mo and there was almost no change attributable to the test . as described above , the x - ray tube according to the present invention exhibits superior long - life properties as in x - ray generating source for use in mammography . moreover , the target may contain , besides ti and additional c , extremely small amounts of other metal elements as a trace . another embodiment will be described hereinafter . an electron focal area 18 of a rotatable anode target 15 is made of mo base alloy containing mo as a major component , and a combination of oxides , i . e ., k 2 o and sio 2 as an additive . a supporting base 19 is also made of the mo alloy , the same as the focal area . preferably , the k 2 o content is in a range of 0 . 02 to 0 . 3 wt %. more preferably , the k 2 o content is in a range of 0 . 02 to 0 . 06 wt %, and the sio 2 content is in a range of 0 . 06 to 0 . 1 wt %. when the contents of k 2 o and sio 2 are smaller than the above - described range , a sufficient restraint effect to restrain the electron focal area from becoming crystrallized cannot be obtained . to the contrary , when they are greater than the above - described values , these surplus metals evaporate during the operation of x - ray tube . the evaporation of these metals can readily cause an increase of gases within the tube and also cause deterioration of voltage characteristics . fig4 shows the relationship between the content of k 2 o -- sio 2 , i . e ., ( k 2 o + sio 2 ) and the relative amount of x - ray radiation after 5000 - times bombardment , where the initial x - ray radiation amount is defined as 100 %. as can be seen from fig4 when the ( k 2 o + sio 2 ) content is in the range of 0 . 03 to 0 . 4 wt %, the relative x - ray radiation amount is maintained at 60 % or more , which is a practically acceptable range . when ( k 2 o + sio 2 ) content is in the range of 0 . 07 to 0 . 2 wt %, the relative x - ray radiation amount is maintained at 80 % or more , which is a more preferable range . further , when the contents of k 2 o -- sio 2 are excessively greater , the anode current ip becomes unstable and fluctuates , as shown in fig5 . fig5 shows characteristics of the anode current when a voltage of 40 kv was applied between the cathode and target , and the electron focal area contained k 2 o of 0 . 2 wt % and sio 2 of 0 . 5 wt %. first , aqueous solutions of kcl and sio 2 were added to an mo intermediate oxide powder and mixed such that k 2 o = 0 . 07 wt % and sio 2 = 0 . 10 wt %. thereafter , the mixture was dried to be dehydrated , and then was heated within the hydrogen furnace at a temperature of approximately 750 ° c . for 1 hour so as to be deoxidized . consequently , a doped mo powder was obtained . next , the thus obtained powder was formed into pellets , and heated within the hydrogen furnace at a temperature of approximately 1800 ° c . for 7 hours . thus , the sinter was obtained . thereafter , the sintered body was forged to be densified , and was further forged into a certain specified shape . next , the thus forged body was machined and then put into the vacuum furnace with a pressure of 1 × 1o 31 5 torr or less to be degassed at a temperature which was below its recrystallization temperature ( approximately 1400 ° c .) for 2 hours , so an x - ray tube target obtained . the x - ray tube assembled with the target was put through a forced operation test in the same manner as in the above - described embodiment such that anode acceleration voltage = 40 kv , tube current = 150 ma , and 4 - second bombardments were repeatedly performed 400 times at 75 - second intervals . after this test , the electron focal area 18 was examined by the photomicrographs thereof such as fig8 of 5 × magnification and fig9 of 30 × magnification . from these observations , it was confirmed that , although many cracks occurred on the electron focal area 18 , the crystals thereof were significantly restrained from becoming rough and large in comparison with those of pure mo . in addition , another forced operation test was carried out such that the anode acceleration voltage = 40 kv , the tube current = 260 ma , and 1 - second bombardments were repeatedly performed 5000 times at 50 - second intervals . the result is shown by the curve n in fig2 wherein the amount of x - ray radiation at the end of the test remained at a value of approximately 83 % of that in the initial amount , and this fall became smaller as compared to the fall in the case of pure mo . moreover , the x - ray radiation quality was substantially the same as the x - ray radiation quality of pure mo , and there was almost no change attributable to the test . as described above , the x - ray tube according to the present invention exhibits superior long - life properties as an x - ray generating source for use in mammography . as still another embodiment , ti and k 2 o -- sio 2 of contents which are in the range of the abovementioned embodiments may be added to and mixed with the major constituent , i . e ., mo . thus , desired target can be obtained . furthermore , in the abovementioned embodiments , the target is an integrated electron focal area and supporting base . however , a complex target with the supporting base formed of different materials , such as pure mo and mo - w alloy , can also be utilized . this electron focal area should be formed with a thickness of 0 . 2 mm or more , because cracks of approximately 0 . 1 mm in depth caused by the influence of heat generated by the electron bombardment may develop . obviously , numerous additional modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein .

7Electricity

referring now to fig1 - 8 the device of the invention , generally indicated by the numeral 10 is shown . the device 10 generally includes as a unitary construction , a fire treating materials container or reservoir 18 , compressed air or secondary propellant container 26 , a valve arrangement 14 , 22 having various mechanisms to effect release and dispersion of the fire treating materials in response to a plurality of predetermined conditions as will be described in more detail below , and a solid fuel container 34 , all contained within a streamlined , aerodynamic , generally cylindrical housing 24 which includes a nose cone assembly 12 at its forward end , the assembly 12 surrounded by a nose cone cover 300 . it is to be understood that the device 10 suitably includes some of these components , all of these components , additional components , or a mixture thereof . additionally , the components need not be present as a unitary construction and alternatively are suitably provided as a number of separately manufactured components . in a preferred embodiment , most of the major components , including the housing 24 , reservoir 18 , container 26 , and valve arrangements 14 , 22 are to be fabricated from nonmetallic components to reduce weight and cost . various types of hardened plastic materials can be used as would be apparent to one of skill in the art . the nose cone cover 300 can be made of any high temperature nonmetallic material such as , polyethylene terephthalate , high density polyethylene , vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or pvc ), low density polyethylene , or any material which can be manufactured to reliably melt or decompose within a selected temperature range . thus , it is a key aspect of the invention to provide for the device 10 a nose cone cover 300 which melts at a predetermined temperature depending upon the intensity of the fire to which it is applied . in a first passive mode , the nose cone cover 300 melts allowing the heat sensing components of the valve mechanisms 14 , 22 to trigger the release of fire retardant materials 20 contained within container 18 , with valve mechanisms 22 also triggered as will be explained below . in a second passive mode , valve mechanism 14 includes an impact trigger . in an active mode , the device 10 may include a video camera or other electronic sensing devices which allow an operator to detonate the device 10 based upon visually obtained information as will be explained in more detail below . the melting point of the nose cone cover 300 would depend on the status of the fire . generally , a low level fire may require a melting point of just above 300 but less than 600 degrees fahrenheit . areas of low - level fires generally have a flame temperature of approximately 680 degrees fahrenheit . the cone cover 300 must melt or disintegrate with sufficient amount of time to allow activation of the heat sensitive valve mechanism 14 , 22 which releases the fire retardant material 20 contained within container 18 . a high level fire with intensely high temperature or hot spots may require a melting point of 1000 degrees fahrenheit as high - level fires generally have a flame temperature of approximately 1480 to 1680 degrees fahrenheit . an intermediate level of fire intensity would require a melting point of between 600 and 1000 degrees . preferably , it is a key aspect of the invention to have at least three temperature ranges for the nose cone cover 300 , which is attachable to the front end of the housing 24 via a locking mechanism which may be a bayonet type arrangement or any other type of arrangement as would be apparent to one of skill in the art . given the fire intensities as discussed above , three nose cones 12 units may be supplied with each missile 10 . the nose cone covers 300 of the three nose cones 12 may have melting points of 300 , 700 , and 1000 degrees f ., respectively , and be appropriately labeled , allowing the user to attach the appropriate nose cone cover 300 based upon the measured or estimated temperature of the fire to be treated . the fire retardant materials reservoir 18 is of a generally cylindrical shape and includes an opening 62 formed at the forward end which is sealed by valve mechanism 14 . additional valve mechanisms 22 are arranged in four regularly spaced rows on the reservoir 18 sidewalls , with each valve 22 having a corresponding opening 64 formed in the reservoir 18 sidewalls so that the valve 22 can allow the contents of the reservoir 18 to disperse therethrough . housing 24 has corresponding openings 66 formed therein , the outlet end of the valves 22 flush mounted therewith to maintain the aerodynamics of the device 10 . the arrangement of valves 14 , 22 allows the fire retardant material 20 to be dispersed in a radial or spherical pattern as would be apparent to one of skill in the art . the reservoir 18 contains the fire retardant material 20 which is preferably a halogen material . such fire retardant material 20 is also suitably one or more of the following nonexclusive list : dry chemical foam , dry chemical powder , sodium bicarbonate , potassium bicarbonate , purple - k , mono ammonium phosphate , halon 1211 , etc . it is to be appreciated that any suitable fire fighting material as known in the art is suitably used with the fire extinguishing device 10 . the reservoir 18 is pressurized with nitrogen to enable the material 20 to be expelled and dispersed in a large radius when the valve mechanism 14 , 22 is activated . the fire retardant release valves 14 , 22 , are molded into the fire retardant reservoir 18 in fluid tight relation with openings 64 and 62 so as to selectively allow the flow of fire retardant material therethrough . each of the valves comprises an electro solenoid 102 , solenoid plunger stop slot 104 , solenoid plunger 106 , solenoid plunger stop trigger 108 , solenoid plunger stop trigger spring 110 , fire retardant vent slots 112 , positive or hot wire 118 , thermostatic control switch 120 , and external positive contact 122 for positive power from battery 46 . the valve mechanisms 14 , 22 are heat sensing and are constructed in such a manner that when positive power is applied to the external positive contact point 122 and heat is sensed at the thermostatic control switch 120 , the thermostatic control switch 120 will close providing power to activate the electro solenoid 102 . the activation of solenoid 102 moves the solenoid plunger 104 axially to the open position ( fig5 ) whereupon it is locked in the open position by the solenoid plunger stop trigger 108 and held in place by the solenoid plunger stop trigger spring 110 . the retardant material 20 is then forced out of the vent slots 112 and out into the fire zone . the forward battery 44 provides power for the forward electronics to operating the forward heat detection array and through the thermo switch &# 39 ; s 46 providing voltage to the electro solenoids when the thermal switches are activated . a key aspect of the invention is a two - stage propulsion system which enhances reliability and increases the range of the device 10 . accordingly , a solid fuel container 34 is employed in combination with compressed air container 26 to provide for the alternate expulsion of hot gasses or compressed air through exhaust nozzle 42 via orifice 43 to provide motive force for the device 10 . the solid fuel container 34 has a compressed air conduit 32 positioned and directed axially therethrough to allow for fluid communication between the compressed air container 26 and the aft exhaust nozzle 42 as will be explained in more detail below . the compressed air container 26 has an open aft end 68 which is selectively sealed by a valve arrangement 30 . the compressed air or nonflammable gas contained within container 26 is released under predetermined conditions by valve 30 which is activated electronically , with power provided by the forward battery 44 , by an accelerometer and heat detection sensor trigger 38 positioned in the engine nozzle 42 area , the trigger configured in a known arrangement as would be familiar to one of skill in the art . specifically , when the solid fuel 36 stored within container 34 is depleted and heat is no longer sensed at the engine nozzle 42 , compressed air ( or other compressed gas ) is released from container 26 , into and through conduit 32 , and out through nozzle 42 , by valve 30 in response to control signals from trigger 38 . it should be noted that if the compressed gas is an inert gas like nitrogen , the gas in the container 26 would act as an additional fire suppressant as it would temporarily deprive the fire of oxygen . a combination of any suitable commercially available heat sensor and accelerometer units 38 may be employed , as would be apparent to one of skill in the art , propelling the device 10 . ignition of the solid fuel 36 is initiated by a solid rocket fuel igniter 48 , which supplies power via the circuit formed from the launch switch ( not shown but part of a standard re - usable launch platform ), battery 46 , and aft and mid launch rings 50 . the device 10 has spring - loaded fins 40 for guidance stability and containment in a launch tube . when the nose cone cover 300 melts , exposing the heat sensitive retardant release valve 14 and impact trigger 16 , and impact is imminent , and if the heat sensitive retardant release valve 14 fails to activate the fire retardant release valves 14 , 22 , the impact trigger 16 becomes the primary fire retardant release mechanism . thus , if the nose cone 12 does not melt , the impact trigger 16 functions as a backup retardant release mechanism . in an alternative embodiment , the device 10 includes a fore 302 and aft 303 section which are releasably attached at connection point 301 . the fore section 302 contains the nose cone 12 , sensors 16 , 18 , fire retardant material , and other control mechanisms as previously described , while the aft section 303 contains a pressurized canister 304 which may contain oxygen or an inert gas . the canister 304 , which replaces canister 26 in the previous embodiment , is of a standard size so as to be interchangeably used with a standard firefighter oxygen unit . the open end of aft section 303 ( when the sections 302 , 303 are disassembled ) allows access to canister 304 . thus , in the field , the canisters 304 may be used as an additional supply of oxygen by simply removing them from the device 10 . conversely , if a canister 304 is damaged or leaking it can be replaced by a viable canister removed from a standard oxygen unit thereby providing redundancy and enhancing reliability . fore section 302 electrical male plug 305 and aft section 303 electrical female plug 306 may be of a quick disconnect or twist lock type . fore 302 and aft 303 sections may be threaded so that the fore section 302 has female threads 307 capable of receiving the aft section 303 threads 308 . other methods of connecting fore and aft sections may be used as would be apparent to one of skill in the art . the electrical contacts 305 , 306 allow for the selective activation of the valve 309 which allows pressurized oxygen to exhaust from the canister 304 in the same manner as canister 26 described above . launch facilities may be one of several types such as air vehicle launch tubes or a hang and dropdown arrangement , handheld for smaller devices , ground stabilized mortar type launch tubes or other artillery , mobile vehicles , and water craft . in the event that the device 10 is launched from a launch tube ( not shown ) launch tube rings 50 are attached to the device 10 in a manner well known to those of skill in the art . the aft and mid launch tube ring 50 have circuit wire connected to the battery 46 such that the aft ring 20 is connected to the solid rocket fuel igniter 48 , and the mid launch tube ring is connected to the battery 46 . in operation , a suitable launch platform including a launch tube ( not shown ) is preferably used . an operator will select a nose cone cover 300 for the device 10 based upon the measured or estimated temperature of the fire to which it is directed as described above . the device 10 is held in place by the launch tube rings 50 , the mid launch tube ring 50 acting as the grounding ring that connects all the metallic equipment together , thereby reducing static voltage potential differences . closing a launch switch ( not shown ) closes the power circuit of the solid rocket fuel igniter 48 , thereby igniting the rocket fuel , and initiating flight of the device 10 . alternatively , when the launch platform is a drop type as it would be from some aircraft , the device 10 will be held in place by clamps on the aircraft clamping the launch tube rings 50 . the ignition closure switch will simultaneously release the device 10 . device 200 is launched as described below . when the device 10 is launched , at the end of the burn time of the solid fuel 36 , the accelerometer or heat detection sensor trigger 38 will sense reduction in speed and / or heat that will trigger the compressed air release valve 30 . the compressed air 28 will then propel the device 10 to its destination . since the compressed air canisters 26 , 304 may be interchangeably used with the device 10 or a standard fireman &# 39 ; s oxygen unit , an air canister may be taken from the oxygen unit to propel the device 10 if necessary . the compressed air reservoir 26 and fire retardant container 18 may be sensitive to extensive time in the heat zone . these containers , preferably being made of spun fiber and resin , disintegrate after the depletion of the retardant material 20 . in the event the reservoir 26 and container 18 disintegrate before full depletion through the designed means , the container 18 will expel the retardant material in an explosive manner due to the compressed gas contained therein . the compressed air container 26 disintegration will have little effect on the fire as it is also filled with nitrogen . guidance of the device may be further enabled by the addition of a video camera 52 in the nose cone 12 that will allow the air launch operator to identify the hot spot of the fire from the device 10 through a monitor receiver in e . g . an aircraft . the device 10 will transmit this data from its transmitter / receiver equipment 54 via antenna 60 . the launch operator will be able to provide guidance assistance to the device , using any suitable servo system 56 which is integrated into the housing 24 of the device 10 in the well known manner , and the stabilizer fins 40 . guidance of the device may be further aided by the addition of a heat seeking guidance system 58 , as is well known in the art , the specifics of which are not a part of this invention . the heat seeking guidance system 58 will identify the area of greatest heat and assist guidance of the device 10 , using servo system 56 and the stabilizer fins 40 . an artillery device 200 based arrangement is shown in fig6 . this configuration is similar to the embodiments shown in fig1 - 3 , except that in lieu of rocket fuel , compressed air , and the corresponding nozzle arrangement , the device 200 is designed to be launched from a recoilless rifle such as a 57 , 75 or 108 mm recoilless rifle . the device 200 includes a primer 208 positioned centrally of the rear end , the primer providing a spark for a quantity of gunpowder 206 which is positioned and contained within the device 200 . impact absorbing material 204 such as flame resistant foam is positioned between the gunpowder 206 and canister 202 of the device 200 . the device 200 is launched by aiming the rifle ( not shown ) and using primer 208 to ignite the gunpowder 206 . when the device 10 , 200 nears the destination point , heat from the fire melt the nose cone cover 300 , exposing the heat sensitive retardant release 14 and the impact trigger 16 causing the retardant material 20 to be released . in the event of the device 10 , 200 reaching its destination before the nose cone cover 300 has melted , the impact trigger 16 impacting a firm surface will cause the release of the retardant material 20 . from the foregoing description , one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and , without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions . it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above , but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims :

0Human Necessities

although the following detailed description contains many specific details for the purposes of illustration , anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the exemplary embodiments of the invention described below are set forth without any loss of generality to , and without imposing limitations upon , the claimed invention . throughout the present description , the terms “ upstream ” and “ downstream ” are used to refer to an orientation in respect to the direction of the gas stream flow from the inlet of the device to the outlet of the device on its long axis of flow . a nozzle or aerodynamic lens , for example , is typically placed upstream of a skimmer . an upstream wall of a lateral flow channel faces the outlet , and so forth . similarly , “ anterior ” refers to an aspect or member in proximity to or in the direction of the inlet and “ posterior ” to an aspect or member in proximity to or in the direction of the outlet . “ aerosol ”— refers to a body or bodies of solid , liquid or gel - like particulate matter suspended in a gas volume , and may connote a population of such particulate bodies . this can include dust motes , exfoliated skin , fibers , spores , vegetative cells , mists , condensates , mucous droplets , microdroplets of saliva and bronchial secretions , pollen grains , bacterial cells , viruses , aerosolized biowarfare dispersions , inorganic particles ( road dust or chemicals ) and the like . the particulate body may be a composite , containing both solid and liquid matter . such particulate bodies can remain suspended in a gas for long periods of time , can be carried on currents in the air , or can settle onto surfaces from which they may be resuspended by agitation . “ minor flow ” refers to a particle - rich stream formed by focusing an aerosol and splitting off a particle - depleted “ bulk flow ”. a virtual impactor provides the means for fractionating the minor flow and the bulk flow . the minor flow flows into a “ collector channel ”. the bulk flow flows into “ lateral flow channels ”, or “ passages ”, which are most commonly symmetrically disposed around the long axis of flow of the gas stream and which divert the bulk flow to exhaust . “ intake element , unit , or manifold ”, also termed an “ intake member ”, refers to any portal or portal - associated structure for admitting a gas stream ( and entrained aerosol particles ) into a device or apparatus , generally under the influence of a suction pressure attached to an “ outlet ” downstream from the inlet . intake members generally have at least two opposing walls . intake members include intake manifold , intake orifice , intake port , intake slit , aperture , tube , pipe , channel , tubularity , conduit , duct , passage , mouth , throat , raceway , and the like . a preferred intake member includes focusing elements for forming a particle beam within the gas stream . focusing elements include inlet raceway , convergent nozzle , acceleration nozzle , tapered nozzle , virtual cyclone , acceleration slit , aerodynamic lens , and the like , as are known in the art . “ concavoconvex ”: having one concave and one convex surface , as in a bending channel having two opposing walls , where one wall is bent concavedly and the other wall is bent convexedly . the two walls need not be equidistant at all points , and the channel may taper or broaden , for example a throat in the form of a bell , as in the bell of a musical instrument , but of rectangular cross - section . by way of example , fig2 illustrates a throat ( 260 ) having concavedly curving downstream wall ( 255 ) and convexedly curving upstream wall ( 256 ); the throat thus widens concavoconvexedly . however , subsumed within the scope of this definition are concavoconvexedly curving walls that are generally equidistant and concavoconvexedly curving walls that converge or diverge . turning now to the figures , fig1 - 7 are sectional views of prior art virtual impactors supplied here for comparison and discussed above in the introductory remarks . fig8 is a plan view of a device of the present invention , showing a skimmer ( 101 ) and tapered nozzle ( 102 ) combination in a collector body ( 100 ). not shown in this plan view are cover plates sealing the top and the bottom of the device . a gas stream entering the inlet ( 103 ) of the nozzle ( from the left ) is focused into a particle beam by the tapered surfaces of the nozzle and enters the skimmer body through an inlet raceway ( 104 ) as a gas jet . the intake member 105 is a combination of the acceleration nozzle and inlet raceway . the gas stream in the inlet raceway can be considered as a symmetric gas jet with a particle - rich core and a particle - depleted sheath . the particle - depleted sheath is diverted in lateral flow channels ( 107 ) to chimneys ( 108 ) disposed on either side of the long axis of flow and extending almost half the length of the collector body . the lateral flow channels bend the bulk flow back and away from the direction of flow established in the inlet in a sort of a “ u - turn ”. the chimneys are contoured to fill space in the collector body not occupied by the higher order stages of the nozzle and inlet raceway . the minor flow continues into the collector channel ( 109 ) and exits the device on the right . fig9 is a plan view of a similar device 110 , but the inlet ( 111 ) is a composite of multiple aerodynamic lens elements ( 112 ). the chimneys ( 113 ) are sized in proportion to the flow rate and the flow split , as is discussed further below . also shown is skimmer ( 114 ) with short inlet raceway ( 116 ). the intake member 115 is a combination of a nozzle , a series of aerodynamic lenses ( 112 ), and the inlet raceway ( 116 ). fig1 is a detail of a skimmer body ( 120 ). the skimmer body can be understood as having four members : two frontend body members ( 121 , 122 ) and two backend body members ( 123 , 124 ) forming the corners of a crossed - tee junction ( 125 ). not shown in this sectional view are cover plates or enclosing surfaces sealing the top and bottom of the skimmer body . between the frontend body members , the particle beam is conveyed through inlet ( 139 ), inlet aperture ( 128 ), and inlet raceway ( 126 ). between the backend body members , the minor flow stream is conveyed through collector channel ( 127 ). the concave anterior surfaces ( 130 , 131 ) of the backend body members ( 123 , 124 ) cooperatively present therebetween a virtual impact void ( 132 ) to the oncoming gas stream exiting the inlet raceway ( 126 ). the virtual impact void forms the mouth or inlet to the collector channel ( 127 ). the collector channel terminates in an outlet ( 133 ). contralateral lateral flow channels ( 134 , 135 ) divert bulk flow to the chimneys ( 136 , 137 ). in this example , the internal cross - sectional areas of the inlet raceway and the collector channels are equal . but in other embodiments , the collector channel may be fractionally larger or smaller than the inlet raceway channel outlet diameter or dimension . also , the flow split to the minor flow collector channel and lateral flow channels can be varied by adjusting the ratio of the parallel resistance to flow in the pathways , for example with valves , choked orifices or other flow restrictions , if this is desired . in a typical application , the ratio of minor flow to bulk flow is 1 : 10 to 1 : 400 , more preferably 1 : 20 to 1 : 200 . these resistances are controlled by adjusting cross - sectional areas in the throats of the channels or by adding resistances in series along one or the other of the pathways . the “ inlet aperture ” ( 128 ) forms the mouth of the inlet raceway ( 126 ) and may be a slit , a rectangle , an ellipse , or other geometric shape . in a preferred embodiment , the inlet aperture is a slit and the inlet raceway has a rectangular cross - section with a width of 20 - 1000 microns , more preferably 50 - 200 microns and a height scaled to the required flow throughput . because of the very small dimensions of the channels of the skimmer body , the flow in the channels will be generally laminar ( reynolds numbers & lt ; 2000 , more preferably & lt ; 1200 ) and the flow will attain steady state laminar flow , reducing and stabilizing or eliminating stagnation and recirculation zones in the collector channel and skimmer . the inlet raceway , in its broadest embodiment , is simply a narrowing of the inlet passageway , and the inlet aperture is simply the entrance of the inlet passageway into the skimmer body . the virtual impact void ( 132 ) is the inlet to the collector channel ( 127 ) and is located symmetrically at the center of flow of the generally concave surfaces formed by the upstream walls of the skimmer outlet body members . the virtual impact void can be a hole or a slit , for example . larger cross - sectional areas of the chimneys are enabled by placing the chimneys between adjacent nozzles without increasing the spacing of the nozzles . because the pressure drops across the mouth of the lateral flow channels and mouth of the collector channel affect performance , narrow or tortuous lateral flow channels , chimneys and exhaust ductwork could result in large and non - uniform pressure drops between skimmer bodies in the center of the array versus the edges of the array , degrading overall performance . a larger cross - sectional area of the chimneys ensures that performance parameters are constant for the entire collector array independent of depth of the array and height of the chimney stack . operationally , a gas stream entering the skimmer through inlet ( 139 ) is focused into a particle - rich core and a particle - depleted sheath . the gas stream linear velocity is accelerated in the nozzle and aerodynamic lenses , forming a planar jet with particle - rich core . at the “ crossed - tee ” junction ( 125 ) of the inlet raceway ( 126 ) and the lateral flow channels ( 134 , 135 ), the sheath of the gas stream is stripped away by negative pressure in the chimneys and only the core streamlines cross through the virtual impact void ( 132 ) at the mouth of the collector channel ( 127 ). particles , by virtue of their aerodynamic size and inertia , continue with the core flow , whereas the particle - depleted sheath streamlines bend and follow the lateral flow channels ( 134 , 135 ) into the chimneys ( 136 , 137 ). bulk flow diverted to the chimneys exits the device through holes cut in the outside of the device ( not shown ). fig1 is a rendering of an array ( 140 ) of five pairs of nozzle and skimmer elements ( 141 ) in a collector body ( 142 ). the inlets of the nozzles are visible on the top of the array . also shown is a funnel - like adaptor ( 143 ) used to pool the minor flows m exiting at the outlet ( 144 ) bottom of the array . the exhaust slots ( 145 ) on the front of the array are the orifices or “ chimney stacks ” through which the bulk flow is exhausted from the device . note that the slots 145 pierce the top cover plate 146 or surface closing the sheath body members . the workings of this device are shown in a sectional view in the following figure . also shown in fig1 is a cut - line for the sectional view of fig1 , where a “ y - axis ” is defined as perpendicular to the plane of the section as shown . fig1 shows a section through the array of fig1 . the five inlets visible in the uppermost surface of the preceding figure can be seen here to be formed by five nozzles ( 151 ) and aerodynamic lens elements ( 152 ) adjoining each other in a palisaded array . shared side walls 158 join adjacent intake members . chimneys ( 153 ) honeycomb the walls that form the nozzles and intake . five skimmer elements ( 155 ), operating in parallel , are observed at the base of the five inlets . the adaptor manifold ( 156 ) at the base of the device is tapered to direct the minor flow streams exiting the skimmers to a common port ( 157 ) for further processing or analysis . the minor flow streams which exit the aerodynamic lens array may be accelerated in the converging channels of the adaptor , and delivered to another , second - stage aerodynamic lens or nozzle and skimmer , which can provide an additional concentration step . in fig1 , shown is a rendering of an apparatus ( 160 ) for collecting an aerosol from inlet stream ( p ) using the collector array of the preceding figure . the collector array ( 161 ) with five inlets ( 162 ) is shown with exhaust manifold ( 163 ) covering the exhaust slots ( 145 ) visible on the front of the array in fig1 . an open common exhaust duct ( 164 ) is shown on the front of the exhaust manifold ( 163 ). in use , gas collected at the upper mouth of the array is accelerated in the upper part of the inlet nozzles and passes through skimmers hidden within the base of the array . arrows marked “ b ” show the direction of the bulk flow . a common adaptor ( 165 ) forms the base of the array . a single , concentrated minor flow ( m ) exits at an outlet port or aspect at the bottom of the apparatus . fig1 shows the underside of a collector - skimmer assembly ( 170 ) with six outlet slits ( 171 ) and six flow ribbons of particulate rich air ( 172 ). the mechanism is essentially as per the collector array of the preceding figure . gas collected at the mouth of the array is accelerated in the upper part of the array and passes through skimmers hidden within the base of the array . the arrow marked “ b ” shows the direction of the bulk flow out twelve chimney ports ( 173 ). the arrow marked m shows the direction of the minor flow . an adaptor ( not shown ) or housing covers the base of the array . the six flow ribbons of particles ( 172 ) exiting the skimmer are converged in the gradual taper of the adaptor funnel and exit the base of the collector ( 174 ) in an essentially focused single beam . unlike prior art assemblies which are micro - machined , a preferred embodiment of the present invention is made by molding and assembling plastic parts , which can be inexpensively mass - produced . fig1 is an exploded view showing a clamshell manufacturing technique for a collector array with three collectors . a single molded part ( 180 ) is used for the assembly . the upper surface of the plate ( 181 ), which serves as a side wall or separating plate , is molded with the top halves of the inlet and skimmer elements , including chimney space ( 186 ), and the lower surface of the plate ( 182 ) is molded with the bottom halves of the inlet and skimmer elements . the lateral flow channels ( 183 ) are pierced through the plates . by aligning two plates with opposing faces 181 , 182 as shown in fig1 , a complete structural unit is obtained . thin ridges 184 serve as spacers to separate the plates at the proper slit width . the end plates ( 193 ) have the dimensions of the ridge separators ( 184 ) but serve as sealing plates or members for closing the top and bottom of the skimmer bodies . these end plates have openings for the chimney exhaust flow . also note that the plates have a plane of symmetry and hence cannot be assembled incorrectly . a single mold may be used to inexpensively form both plates . fig1 is a cross - sectional view through a plate , the cut taken as shown in fig1 . shown in bas relief in the upper surface ( 181 ) of the plate ( 180 ) is the cutout for a partial chimney ( 186 ). the channel piercing the plate is a lateral flow channel ( 183 ). by stacking the plates so that lower surface 182 of one plate faces the lower surface 182 of a second contacting plate , a fully functional skimmer assembly may be formed ( as shown in fig1 ). by stacking an upper surface 181 of a plate against the upper surface of a second plate , a fully functional chimney is formed . if it is desired to isolate the chimneys of adjacent channels one from the other , an impermeable layer may be inserted between the stacked plates . also shown on the lower surface ( 182 ) are the walls of the inlet nozzle and aerodynamic lens elements ( steps 187 , 188 , and 189 on the lower surface ) leading to the aspect forming one inside wall of the raceway ( 190 ) and the collector channel ( 191 ). the outlet port of the collector channel is formed by the cutaway face at ( 192 ). ridgelike spacers ( 184 , dashed line in section ), protruding from the lower surface , separate the channel walls ( see fig1 ) at the proper distance . male and female registration pins may also be provided in the molded parts to aid in assembly . two clamshell configurations are readily conceived . as shown in fig1 , a “ z - axis ” section through the slit in the skimmer results in a clamshell where the two plates are molded to conform to the inside walls of the collector channels and chimneys and the lateral flow channels are pierced through the plates . the z - axis is defined as perpendicular to the plane of the contact interface between the two body members shown in fig1 . the opposing plates of the clamshell are separated by the proper distance and supported on spacer ridges ( 184 ). the spacer ridges can be glued or ultrasonically welded to seal the units . in an alternate embodiment , a y - axis section ( i . e . sectioned as in fig1 ), in which the clamshell is formed by uniting right and left halves of the skimmer and nozzle body , is also conceived . fig1 is a plan view of a linear array ( 200 ) of five nozzle and skimmer elements with merged chimneys ( 201 ). the elements of the intake member 209 include a palisading array of tapered nozzles and aerodynamic lens elements , herein forming an intake manifold . in the body of the intake member , the honeycomb of chimneys is extensive , further reducing flow resistance in the exhaust ductwork and lightening the mass of the overall device , which in some applications must be portable . also shown are fins ( 202 ) separating the collection channels ( 203 ), which are extended into the collection manifold ( 207 ) inside the adaptor ( 205 ) housing . these serve to maintain velocity in the collection channels so that the particle beams or particle ribbons ( 172 ) exiting the skimmer elements ( 204 ) can be angled to a common outlet ( 206 ) for further processing . computational fluid dynamics ( cfd ) may be used to predict pressure drops and cut size of the devices . large scale eddy simulation , k - epsilon turbulence calculations , or a full navier stokes model may be used . these methods have been used in the design of many of our prototypes over the past few years , many of which have been tested experimentally . certain hybrid cfd techniques yield relatively good agreement between predictions and actual results without the need to do a full navier stokes solution . in fig1 , a first cfd result is shown . the solid body represents an early design , designated adl2 , and a wedge - shaped nose ( 211 ) with internal collector channel ( 212 ) is shown . m and b represent minor flow and bulk flow respectively . dark lines ( 213 ) represent streamlines originating at the inlet . flow is from left to right . a significant result of this early simulation was the observation of wall separation in the streamlines ( 214 ) striking the nose . significant eddies ( 215 ) interacting with the inlet particle stream ( 213 ) were also noted . the “ wall separation ” phenomenon shown in fig2 is striking . where the particle beam 213 strikes the nose , a major streamline ( 214 ) is seen to break away from the outside nose wall ( 211 ) in fig2 almost at the tip of the nose . it should be understood that this wall separation conformation is unstable and is associated with traveling vortices or eddies , like the luffing of a sail . streamlines looping in and back out of the collector channel were also noted ( 216 ), as were interactions of the eddies with the particle beam ( see 215 above , fig1 ). as illustrated in fig2 , wall separation and chaotic eddies to result in particle loss due to diversion of particles into the bulk flow ( lateral particle tracks , 221 ) and due to wall impact , as can be seen from the particle tracks ( 222 ) impacting the walls in the collector channel ( at 223 ). in contrast , the contours of streamlines of adl408b , shown in fig2 , are clearly stabilized by the supporting symmetrical bilateral concave curvature ( 237 , double arrow ) of the contoured downstream wall of the lateral flow channels of this model . here we see the body plan of the skimmer body ( 230 ) having four body members in plan section , what can be termed frontend body members ( 231 , 232 ) and backend body members ( 233 , 234 ). the anterior walls of the backend body members are concavedly contoured to support the bulk flow streamlines and to bend them more than 90 ° away from the direction of the long axis of flow , in fact even bending them about 180 ° from inlet flow direction , a complete u - turn ! note also that in this embodiment , the throat of the lateral flow channels widens progressively from a constriction proximate to the lips of the virtual impact void and flares as it approaches the large chimney cross - sectional voids ( 245 , 246 ). an aerosol stream p ( 235 ) consisting a focused particle beam ( or ribbon ) and a particle - depleted sheat gas flow , entering the skimmer cross - tee junction ( 236 ) is smoothly divided ; the particle rich core ( 238 ) continuing down the collector channel with the minor flow ( m ) and the bulk flow ( b ) coherently turning into the lateral flow arms ( 239 ) of the skimmer , where a smaller coherent eddy at 239 is seen to be spatially isolated from the particle beam . surprisingly , large coherent eddies ( 240 , 241 ) in the chimneys and lateral flow channels are smooth and stable , and do not impinge on the center axial flow component of the particle beam along the long axis of the collector . there is stability of a major vortex ( 241 ) in the chimney . in this embodiment , the vortex propagates vertically up the chimney , which extends as a chimney shaft out of the page . the crossed - tee improvement in the skimmer design with contoured concavedly curving lateral flow arms came as the result of several years of modeling and experimentation . the beneficial impact of this design can be immediately seen in the following table , which was derived by building a physical prototype of the virtual collectors shown in fig1 ( adl2 ), 22 ( adl408b ) and one having some common features with fig6 ( adl37 , not shown ), and testing them with particles of known size . these experiments were conducted at a reynolds number of about 800 and at a flow split of 20 : 1 . particles tested included polystyrene spheres and bacillus subtilis spores . as can be seen for adl408b , the cut size is clearly less than 0 . 8 microns and collection efficiency of particles greater than 2 microns is 100 %. for comparison , recovery data for an earlier prototype of adl2 ( shown in fig1 ) is also shown . recoveries were significantly poorer , as was expected from the wall impact predictions of the cfd simulation ( fig2 ). a limited dataset for adl37 , an intermediate prototype with chimneys positioned posterior to the lateral flow channels and “ haystack ” convexedly contoured walls of a virtual impactor nose , was also not as good . thus there was a significant and positive benefit achieved by realigning the lateral flow channels to follow a reverse curvature supporting the wall - separating jet ( see fig2 , 214 ) noted in the earlier experiments and by positioning the chimney spaces anterior to the lateral flow channels , a benefit not intuitively predictable . this insight taught us that the streamlines ( 214 ) shown in fig2 could essentially be followed in order to configure the reverse contour of the downstream walls of the lateral flow channels . surprisingly , this path led us to a very counterintuitive design , a design in which the bulk flow is diverted away from the direction of the inlet flow and in fact can be redirected fully 180 degrees from its original direction without particle loss or loss of coherence of the particle beam and sheath flow streamlines . the resulting design discards the characteristic nose or “ haystack ” teachings of the prior art designs , which are associated with temporal instabilities in the streamlines and wall separation , a problem we found that became worse at higher flow rates and led to reduced particle capture . wall separation and instable eddies impinging on the particle beam were also seen in our models of skimmers with orthogonally straight - walled lateral flow channels , and these designs were also discarded . a skimmer design represented by adl408b , with concavedly curving downstream walls of the lateral flow channels , was found to result in superior performance improvements in particle capture and concentration ratio , even at higher flow rates and flow splits . fig2 is a closeup view of a cfd simulation of streamline patterns in the adl408b design . the particle stream ( shown as streamlines 251 ) entering the skimmer crossed - tee is neatly split into a minor flow and bulk flows moving into the reverse curvature of the lateral flow arms . no chaotic flow is observed near the particle beam . in fig2 , the fate of 0 . 8 micron particles is studied by virtual simulation . here a focused particle beam p ( shown as “ virtual ” particle tracks , 252 ) enters the collector channel with no losses to diversion into the lateral flow channels or wall collision losses at ( 253 ). when the corresponding experiment was done in the laboratory , particle capture in the minor flow was 67 % ( table 1 ), in reasonably good agreement with the simulation . note that in this design , the classical teachings of a “ tubular probe ”, a “ conical nose ”, or a “ haystack nose ”, have been discarded and the virtual impact void is a slit at the center of two cylindrically concave surfaces ( as in fig1 ). if viewed in a 3 - dimensional embodiment , this would be a bullseye hole in a dish - shaped target , the dish being essentially concavedly curving like the inside of a bowl instead of like the outside of a nose . also shown in fig2 is an illustration of a concavoconvexedly curved throat ( 260 ), where the downstream wall of the throat ( 255 ) is concavedly curved , and the upstream wall of the throat ( 256 ) is convexedly curved . in this particular embodiment , the throat has diverging walls , that is to say it flares , so that the throat is narrower at a point near the lips ( 254 ) of the center channel and wider at some point further along the length of the throat . in another aspect , the present invention is an article of manufacture . the product is made by a process in which a one - piece molded part is used to make linear arrays of inlet - skimmer assemblies , each assembly having two interchangeable parts . the piece functions as a right wall of a inlet - skimmer in one orientation and a left wall of the inlet - skimmer in the other orientation . the two halves are assembled with glue or by ultrasonic welding . the pieces can be molded so that the plane of symmetry cuts down the middle of the inlet and collector channel , and the skimmer y - gap dimension or “ slit width ” is established by spacer ribs on the tops and bottoms of the channels ( see fig1 - 17 ). typically these assemblies would be made in strips of multiple inlet - skimmer units . alternatively , the right and left inlet - skimmer walls can be interdigitated , where one wall projects orthogonally from a support plate , and typically a row of walls are made on a single plate , and then a second plate is flipped over so that the right - facing and left - facing projections interdigitate . by aligning the two plates with registration pins , control of the slit width is readily achieved . note that in this method , the height of the slit , the z - dimension , is limited by the achievable depth of the mold , whereas in the first example above , the sheets can be made in long strips , the width of the strip determined by the x - axis dimension of the inlet - skimmer design and the length of the strip by the number of units and the height of the slits , i . e . the z - dimension . the height of the slit advantageously can be increased to support an increase in the throughput of the device required for a particular application . serendipitously , the concave , generally obtuse geometry of the downstream body members of the skimmer of the present invention is more readily manufactured by injection molding than the acute - angled and convexedly angled nose geometries of the prior art — because the body masses are thick sectioned , unlike the delicate , easily deformed nose geometries of the prior art , which are difficult to manufacture to the required tolerances . elimination of acute angles in the design associated with prior art designs featuring a “ nose ” or “ tubulated probe ” forming the virtual impact void exterior surface and their replacement with the obtuse , radiused , arcuate block design of the adl408 design , and related designs , clearly relieves potential mass manufacturing problems associated with tight tolerances and thin walls or knife - like edges , another unexpected benefit . similarly , the devices are easier to manufacture by micromachining , because bends are radiused without the need to form delicate structural features . with this design , lateral flow channel throat constrictions on each side of the virtual impactor void ( the mouth of the collector channel , beginning at the lips of the virtual impact void ) can be maintained in high - throughput production runs at dimensions in the range of 10 - 5000 micrometers , depending on the application . for applications such as detection of biowarfare agents , a constriction of 50 - 255 micrometers can prove useful . for applications such as detection of mining dust , flue gas , or allergens , a constriction of 200 - 5000 micrometers can prove useful . for applications such as diesel particle exhaust , a constriction of 10 - 100 micrometers can prove useful . while the above is a complete description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention , it is possible to use various alternatives , modifications and equivalents . therefore , the scope of the present invention should be determined not with reference to the above description but should , instead , be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with their full scope of equivalents . the appended claims are not to be interpreted as including means - plus - function limitations , unless such a limitation is explicitly recited in a given claim using the phrase “ means for .” unless the context requires otherwise , throughout the specification and claims which follow , the word “ comprise ” and variations thereof , such as , “ comprises ” and “ comprising ” are to be construed in an open and inclusive sense , as in , “ including , but not limited to ”. reference throughout this specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention . thus , the appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ” or “ in an embodiment ” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . furthermore , the particular features , structures , or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments .

6Physics

number 1 in fig1 indicates a loading device for feeding cigarettes 2 in an orderly manner into a storage container 4 substantially in the form of a rectangular parallelepipedon . container 4 presents a top opening 5 through which to feed in cigarettes 2 , and comprises two vertical lateral walls 6 on either side of opening 5 , a rear wall 7 , and , for each wall 6 , a stop appendix 8 located at the bottom end of container 4 and extending transversely from respective wall 6 towards the other appendix 8 with which it defines the bottom opening 8a of container 4 , parallel to and facing top opening 5 . device 1 also comprises a feedbox 9a in turn comprising an outlet 9 with a bottom output window 10 ; and a lifting device 11 located beneath window 10 , and movable to and from window 10 in a substantially vertical direction and along a container 4 supported , by known supporting means ( not shown ), in a fixed position with opening 5 facing window 10 . as shown in fig1 and 2 , outlet 9 is defined by a number of side by side channels 12 of a width approximately equal to but no smaller than the diameter of cigarettes 2 , and which , at the bottom , present respective side by side openings 12a defining window 10 . channels 12 are separated by a number of partitions 13 located between the two outer lateral walls 14 of outlet 9 , all slope upwards from window 10 on the same side in relation to the vertical ( to the right in the drawings ), and at least the end portion of channels 12 close to window 10 forms an angle a of a given size as defined later on . device 11 comprises a horizontal supporting plate 15 beneath and facing window 10 ; and an actuating unit indicated as a whole by 16 and in turn comprising an actuating device 17 for moving plate 15 , parallel to itself and in a vertical direction 15a , between a raised position in which plate 15 is located directly beneath bottom window 10 , and a lowered position in which a clamping device 18 , fitted to walls 6 of container 4 , snaps plate 15 onto appendixes 8 so that it is integral with and defines the bottom wall 19 of container 4 . device 18 comprises a pair of flat springs 20 , each fitted to the outside of a respective wall 6 of container 4 , and each presenting an end tooth 21 projecting inside container 4 , and which is pushed back by plate 15 into a respective cavity 22 formed in respective wall 6 , and snaps back out over plate 15 to lock it releasably onto appendixes 8 . on the side facing window 10 , plate 15 presents a number of equally spaced transverse ribs 23 defining a number of substantially semicylindrical seats 24 for housing respective cigarettes 2 ; which seats 24 are equal to twice the number of channels 12 , present a curve radius approximately equal to but no smaller than that of cigarettes 2 , and a width substantially equal to that of channels 12 . more specifically , each channel 12 is associated with a pair of respective adjacent seats 24 , the dividing rib 23 of which is located substantially beneath the center line of opening 12a of channel 12 . at the lateral end opposite the side towards which channels 12 slope upwards ( the left lateral end in the drawings ), plate 15 presents a flat projection 25 of a width substantially equal to the curve radius of seats 24 . as shown in fig1 actuating device 17 comprises a linear actuator 26 , the vertical output rod 27 of which engages , in use , bottom opening 8a of container 4 , and is fitted on its free end with a suction cup 28 activated via a conduit 29 . suction cup 28 releasably engages the underside of plate 15 to support it and move it between said raised and lowered positions , and is detached from plate 15 in the lowered position in which , as stated , plate 15 is made integral with container 4 by clamping device 18 . as shown in fig8 device 1 also comprises a control valve device 30 upstream from window 10 of outlet 9 , and which provides for arresting the downward movement of cigarettes 2 inside respective channels 12 to enable the full container 4 to be replaced by an empty one . for each channel 12 , device 30 comprises a substantially wedge - shaped element 31 supported , by means of a respective pin 32 crosswise to respective channel 12 , inside a respective seat 33 formed in one of the two partitions 13 defining respective channel 12 . pins 32 are all connected , in known manner ( not shown ), to a motor ( not shown ) so as to swing respective elements 31 between an operating position ( fig8 ) in which they at least partly engage respective channels 12 to arrest cigarettes 2 , and an idle position ( not shown ) in which elements 31 are housed inside respective seats 33 . operation of loading device 1 will now be described with reference to fig2 a to 6 , and as of an initial condition ( fig2 a ) in which plate 15 is set to the raised position , i . e . separated from window 10 by a distance approximately equal to but no greater than the diameter of cigarette 2 . in the following description , the four layers of cigarettes 2 over plate 15 in the above initial condition are indicated s1 , s2 , s3 and s4 . the angle of inclination a of channels 12 is such that , when plate 15 is set to said raised position , the axis of each channel 12 intersects , of the two respective seats 24 , the one closest to projection 25 and which hereinafter will be referred to as the &# 34 ; odd seat 24 &# 34 ;. consequently , since the center line of each opening 12a is located directly over the rib 23 separating the respective two seats 24 ; since , in the raised position , plate 15 is separated from window 10 by a distance approximately equal to but no greater than the diameter of seat 24 , i . e . the diameter of cigarette 2 ; and since said axis of channel 12 intersects the respective odd seat 24 at a distance from respective rib 23 substantially equal to the curve radius of seat 24 , the angle a formed between each channel 12 and plate 15 is between 50 and 70 degrees , and is preferably very close to 60 degrees . consequently , when , in the initial condition , device 30 is opened to free channels 12 , the columns of cigarettes 2 inside channels 12 move down transversely to their axes so that cigarettes 2 in layer s1 are fed into odd seats 24 , and even seats 24 are left empty . at this point , actuating device 17 is operated to lower plate 15 , so that cigarettes 2 in layer s2 drop out through respective openings 12a ( fig3 ) and are directed rightwards into even seats 24 by the cigarettes 2 in layer s1 . the cigarettes 2 in layers s1 and s2 are thus arranged alternately in the same horizontal plane defined , in this case , by the upper surface of plate 15 , and themselves define seats 34 substantially similar to but offset in relation to seats 24 , and a first of which , in this case an odd seat 34 , is located directly over projection 25 . the slightly larger curve radius of seats 24 as compared with that of cigarettes 2 enables the cigarettes 2 inside odd seats 24 to shift slightly from the stable balanced position and so facilitate insertion of cigarettes 2 inside even seats 24 . at the same time cigarettes 2 in layer s2 drop down into even seats 24 , cigarettes 2 in layer s3 drop down into even seats 34 ( fig4 ). when plate 15 is lowered further , cigarettes 2 in layer s4 drop down between and are guided into odd seats 34 by cigarettes 2 in layer s3 ( fig5 ) which are momentarily unseated and then roll back into seats 34 so that layers s3 and s4 are also aligned in the same horizontal plane , and cigarettes 2 in layers s3 and s4 are offset in relation to those in layers s1 and s2 to form said quincuncial arrangement . repeated lowering of plate 15 provides for repeating the above cycle as many times as necessary to fill container 4 and secure plate 15 to walls 6 by means of clamping device 18 . at this point , valve device 30 arrests cigarettes 2 inside channels 12 , and suction cup 28 releases plate 15 to enable the full container 4 to be replaced by an empty one . the fig7 variation relates to a device 35 similar to device 1 , except that , as opposed to forming the bottom wall 19 of container 4 , plate 15 in the lowered position simply rests on a fixed bottom wall 36 of container 4 which , in this case , presents no opening 8a . moreover , in the lowered position contacting the upper surface of wall 36 , plate 15 is extracted from container 4 parallel to itself and in a horizontal direction 37 crosswise to direction 15a and parallel to seats 24 . more specifically , actuating unit 16 comprises an actuating device 38 in place of and performing the same functions as actuating device 17 ; and a further actuating device 39 supporting and for moving device 38 in direction 37 to extract and insert plate 15 from / into container 4 when plate 15 is respectively in the lowered and raised position . device 38 comprises a vertical tubular guide 40 extending upwards from a supporting frame 41 ; and a slide 42 fitted to run along guide 40 and in turn supporting a powered rack - and - pinion assembly 43 and a horizontal arm 44 . arm 44 replaces suction cup 28 , and is rigidly connected to a long side of plate 15 , which projects from arm 44 towards container 4 . device 39 comprises a horizontal tubular guide rod 45 fitted to slide , in direction 37 , through the base 46 supporting device 39 ; and a powered rack - and - pinion assembly 47 , the output rack of which is parallel to rod 45 , and , together with rod 45 , supports the supporting frame 41 of device 38 on its free end facing container 4 . device 35 also comprises a clamping device 48 in turn comprising a rectangular blade 49 perpendicular to seats 24 and substantially equal in length to the distance between lateral walls 6 ; and a linear actuator 50 for moving blade 49 to and from an engaged position ( fig7 ) directly over plate 15 in the lowered position , to prevent cigarettes 2 from being withdrawn from container 4 together with plate 15 . operation of device 35 is readily discernible from the above description and that of the operation of device 1 , and therefore requires no further explanation . by way of a variation of control valve device 30 , fig9 shows a valve device 51 featuring a rack - and - pinion assembly 52 for controlling each element 31 , and wherein the pinion is integral with pin 32 , and the rack is formed directly on element 31 which travels inside seat 33 to and from a position partly engaging respective channel 12 . by way of a further variation of device 30 , fig1 shows a device 53 performing the same functions as device 30 but which , as opposed to elements 31 , presents elastic blades 54 , each of which is housed , parallel to partition 13 , inside a seat 55 communicating with seat 33 , is secured at one end to partition 13 by a respective screw 56 , and the free end of which is oscillated to and from a position partly engaging channel 12 by a respective roller 57 fitted eccentrically to pin 32 inside seat 33 . by way of a further variation of device 30 , fig1 shows a pneumatic control valve device 58 which , as opposed to elements 31 , comprises nozzles 59 supplied by a known pneumatic device ( not shown ), and which provide for generating , across respective channels 12 , respective air barriers for arresting the downward movement of cigarettes 2 .

0Human Necessities

an embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings . fig1 shows a trigger switch 1 according to an embodiment of the invention , and fig2 and 3 are an exploded , perspective view and a cross sectional view showing the trigger switch 1 . the trigger switch 1 comprises a switch assembly 3 accommodated in an internal space of a body 2 composed of a right cover 2 a and a left cover 2 b . the switch assembly 3 comprises a contact drive member 4 , and the contact drive member 4 engages with an operating shaft 5 , which extends outside the body 2 . a trigger 6 is formed at an outer end of the operating shaft 5 to be made integral with the operating shaft 5 so that a user put a finger on the trigger to pull the operating shaft 5 into the body 2 . the contact drive member 4 and the operating shaft 5 are biased by a return spring 7 in a direction , in which the operating shaft 5 is pushed outside the body 2 . arranged on the trigger switch 1 is a dustproof ring 8 that seals a gap between the operating shaft 5 and an opening of the body 2 , through which the operating shaft 5 extends . the trigger 5 is moved along guides 9 a , 9 b provided on the body 2 in an axial direction of the operating shaft 5 . the contact drive member 4 is provided , as shown in fig5 , with two slide contacts 10 , and axially moved to slide the slide contacts 10 on a surface of a terminal plate 11 and to drive two moving contacts 12 a , 12 b to cause the same to cooperate with contact springs 13 to come into pressure contact with or away from two stationary contacts 14 a , 14 b ( in addition , the stationary contact 14 b is positioned interiorly of the stationary contact 14 a and so not shown ). the switch assembly 3 is positioned in an upper portion of the body 2 as shown in fig3 , and provided with motor terminals 15 , to which feeders to a motor are connected , and power source terminals 16 , which are protruded from the lower portion of the main body 2 and are connected to an electric power source . in the switch assembly 3 , the moving contacts 12 a , 12 b are connected to the motor terminals 15 and the stationary contacts 14 a , 14 b are connected to the power source terminals 16 , so that the moving contacts 12 a , 12 b abut against the stationary contacts 14 a , 14 b to enable supplying electricity to the motor . also , connection to the motor terminals 15 can be switched in phase by a rotary switch 18 , which is driven by a switchover lever 17 . the right cover 2 a and the left cover 2 b are fixed by means of screws 19 . fig4 show , in enlarged scale , the contact drive member 4 , the operating shaft 5 , and the trigger 6 , and the contact drive member 4 and the operating shaft 5 will be described in detail . the contact drive member 4 has a wall portion 4 a ( having a thickness of , for example , 1 . 0 mm ) perpendicular to the operating shaft 5 , the wall portion 4 a being provided with a u - shaped notch 4 b , which has a smaller width ( having a width of , for example , 2 . 9 mm ) than a diameter ( having a diameter of , for example , 5 . 5 mm ) of the operating shaft 5 . also , the contact drive member 4 is protrusively provided with a drive portion 4 c , against which the moving contacts 12 a , 12 b abut . on the other hand , the operating shaft 5 is provided at a barrel portion thereof near an axial end thereof with an engagement groove 5 a , which is perpendicular to an axial direction to engage with the notch 4 b , and provided at an end thereof with a seat portion 5 b , with which the return spring 7 engages . the engagement groove 5 a is formed to be considerably wider ( for example , 1 . 2 mm ) than a thickness of the wall portion 4 a and to make a thickness of the operating shaft 5 locally smaller ( for example , 2 . 8 mm ) than a width of the notch 4 b . the wall portion 4 a around the notch 4 b of the contact drive member 4 is fitted into the engagement groove 5 a of the operating shaft 5 whereby the operating shaft 5 and the contact drive member 4 are connected to each other with play therebetween to be made movable together in an axial direction . subsequently , an operation of the trigger switch 1 will be described . fig5 shows only those constituent elements , which are related to a main operation of the trigger switch , for the convenience of understanding . fig5 ( a ) shows a state , in which a user does not put a finger on the trigger 6 . the operating shaft 5 is caused by the return spring 7 to project to a maximum extent from the body 2 , and the drive portion 4 c of the contact drive member 4 pushes down the two moving contacts 12 a , 12 b against the bias of the contact springs 13 to separate the moving contacts 12 a , 12 b from the stationary contacts 14 a , 14 b . the drive portion 4 c has a short portion thereof abutting against the moving contact 12 a on this side in the figure and has a long portion thereof abutting against the moving contact 12 b on the back side in the figure . as shown in fig5 b , when a user pulls in the trigger 6 slightly , the contact drive member 4 moves , so that the moving contact 12 a on this side first disengages from the drive portion 4 c and is caused by the contact springs 13 to abut against the stationary contact 14 a . the stationary contact 14 a , against which the moving contact 12 a abuts , is connected to the motor terminal 15 through a control circuit , which restricts an electric current according to a position of the slide contact 10 , and output to the motor is controlled according to an amount , by which the trigger 6 is pulled in , in a state shown in fig5 b . further , when the trigger 6 is pulled and the operating shaft 5 is pushed into the interior of the body 2 , the drive portion 4 c of the contact drive member 4 also disengages from the moving contact 12 b on the back side in the figure and the moving contact 12 b on the back side abuts against the corresponding stationary contact 14 b as shown in fig5 c . the stationary contact 14 b on the back side ( behind 14 a ) is connected directly to the motor terminal 15 to apply a maximum electric current to the motor . when a user relaxes a pulling force for the trigger 6 , the contact drive member 4 and the operating shaft 5 are pushed back by the return spring 7 to go through a state of fig5 b to return to a state of fig5 c . thereby , the motor becomes slow in rotation and stops . subsequently , an explanation will be given to an effect produced by an engaging structure of the contact drive member 4 of the trigger switch 1 and the operating shaft 5 . fig6 shows a possible state , in which the contact drive member 4 and the operating shaft 5 engage with each other . since the operating shaft 5 has play relative to the contact drive member 4 , a maximum inclination of 5 ° relative to the contact drive member 4 is possible in an engaged state as shown in the figure . the play between the contact drive member 4 and the operating shaft 5 is one obtained by sizing the contact drive member 4 and the operating shaft 5 so that they can be formed by an ordinary injection molding and assembled easily . on the other hand , the trigger 6 is restricted in movement by the guides 9 a , 9 b with the result that inclination of the operating shaft 5 is limited . therefore , the guides 9 a , 9 b guide the trigger 6 to thereby enable maintaining an inclination of the operating shaft 5 at less than 5 °. the trigger switch 1 is designed such that the operating shaft 5 is thin and the dustproof ring 8 prevents dust and dirt from entering the body 2 . on the other hand , since the guides 9 a , 9 b do not affect the dustproof function , they are designed to be thick and strong so as to get a sufficient strength and have a sufficient strength to be free from rupture by a shock . therefore , in the case where an external force in a different direction from a direction , in which the operating shaft 5 is moved , is tentatively applied to the trigger 6 , the force applied to the trigger 6 is born by the guides 9 a , 9 b . on the other hand , the operating shaft 5 together with the trigger 6 is inclined relative to the contact drive member 4 to absorb and relax an external force , so that there is no fear of rupture . the tentative provision of play such that an inclination of the operating shaft 5 relative to the contact drive member 4 exceeds 5 ° is not preferable since a user gets a sense of incongruity or feels uneasy . also , while the trigger 6 is restricted in movement by the guides 9 a , 9 b , a processing accuracy obtained by ordinary resin molding cannot but help allowing an inclination of the operating shaft 5 in the order of 1 ° in order to enable the trigger 6 to move smoothly along the guides 9 a , 9 b . therefore , when an inclination allowed by play between the contact drive member 4 and the operating shaft 5 is less than 1 °, there is a fear that it is not possible to sufficiently absorb and relax an external force applied to the trigger 6 .

7Electricity

an embodiment of a firearm 10 including an upper receiver assembly 12 and having an ammunition belt 14 attached to the upper receiver assembly 12 is depicted in fig1 a . the firearm 10 is depicted in fig1 b having an ammunition magazine 16 attached to a lower receiver assembly 18 of the firearm 10 . as depicted in fig1 c , the lower receiver assembly 18 includes a lower receiver body 19 having a trigger group 20 mounted thereon . the trigger group 20 comprises a trigger 22 , a hammer 24 , a disconnect 26 , and an automatic sear 28 . a lower receiver assembly from an m - 16 type firearm illustrates an example of the lower receiver assembly 18 . m - 16 type firearms are manufacturer configured for receiving ammunition exclusively from an ammunition magazine attached to their lower receiver assembly . the upper and lower receiver assemblies of an unmodified m - 16 type firearm illustrate examples of as - manufactured original equipment manufacturer ( oem ) upper and lower receiver assemblies . it is advantageous to enable a firearm configured by its manufacturer for receiving ammunition exclusively from an ammunition magazine to also receive ammunition from an ammunition belt . for firearms having a registerable lower receiver assembly , it is particularly advantageous for the an upper receiver assembly capable of supplying ammunition from an ammunition belt to be mountable on an unmodified lower receiver assembly . in this manner , such an upper receiver assembly may be legally fitted to the registerable lower receiver assembly by parties other than the manufacturer . an embodiment of an operational cycle of the firearm 10 for ammunition supplied from the magazine 16 is depicted in fig2 a - 2 h . when the firearm 10 has a selector switch ( not depicted ) set for semi - automatic fire , the operational cycle begins with a chambered round 30 in a firing chamber 31 and the hammer 24 in a cocked position h 1 with a lower hammer notch 24 a engaged with a trigger sear 22 a , as depicted in fig2 a . each round of ammunition includes a cartridge and a bullet . the chambered round 30 includes a bullet 30 a that is projected down a barrel 33 when the chambered round 30 is fired . as the trigger 22 is pulled from a ready position r , fig2 a , to a firing position f , fig2 b , the hammer 24 is released and rotates forward , striking a firing pin 32 thereby causing the chambered round 30 to be fired and a bullet 30 a , fig2 a , to be projected down a barrel 33 . the firing pin 32 is mounted on a bolt 34 and the bolt 34 is mounted on a bolt carrier 36 . the bolt 34 and the bolt carrier comprise a bolt carrier group . as the bullet 30 a travels down the barrel 33 , combustion gas 38 creates pressure in the barrel 33 between the bullet 30 a and the chambered round 30 , fig2 b . the pressure associated with the combustion gas 38 facilitates ejection of the chambered round 30 and chambering of an unfired round 40 via a conventional gas - driven bolt actuating technique , such as that used in colt m - 16 type firearms , or an embodiment of a piston - driven bolt actuating technique as disclosed herein . regardless of the bolt actuating technique used , firing of the chambered round 30 results in the bolt 34 and the bolt carrier 36 being moved in a rearward direction away from the barrel 33 from a closed position c , fig2 c , toward an open position o , fig2 d . accordingly , the bolt carrier group and all of its components are moved from the closed position c toward the open position o . in response to the bolt carrier 36 being moved in the rearward direction , the bolt 34 is rotated such that lugs of the bolt 34 are unlocked from corresponding lugs of a barrel extension . in this manner , the bolt 34 is free to move , as a component of the bolt carrier group , from the closed position c toward the open position o . as the bolt 34 and bolt carrier 36 move in the rearward direction , the chambered round 30 is withdrawn from the firing chamber and is ejected from the firearm 10 through an ejection port . the movement of the bolt carrier 36 in the rearward direction also returns the hammer 24 from a firing h 2 , fig2 b , to the cocked position h 1 ′, fig2 d , with an upper hammer notch 24 b engaged with a disconnect hook 26 b . the rearward movement of the bolt carrier 36 , and consequently the bolt 34 , is arrested by a buffer assembly 41 , fig2 c . the buffer assembly 41 includes an action spring 41 a that is compressed by the bolt carrier 36 during its rearward movement . as depicted in fig2 d , the compressed action spring 41 a forces the bolt carrier group in a forward direction towards the closed position c , towards the barrel 33 . upon moving forward toward the closed position c , the bolt 34 engages the unfired round 40 in the magazine 16 and thrusts the unfired round 40 into the firing chamber 31 , fig2 e . as the bolt carrier 36 and the bolt 34 continue to move towards the closed position c , the lugs of the bolt 34 enter the bolt extension of the barrel 33 and the bolt 34 engages a face of the barrel extension . an ejector pin is depressed against the unfired round 40 and an extractor snaps into an extracting groove of the unfired round 40 , facilitating ejection after the unfired round 40 is fired . while the bolt 34 is engaged with the face of the barrel extension , the bolt carrier 36 continues to move towards the closed position c . as the bolt carrier 36 continues to move in the forward direction toward the closed position c , the bolt 36 is rotated such that the lugs of the bolt 34 are locked relative to the lugs of the barrel extension . the bolt carrier group is said to be in the closed position c when the lugs of the bolt 34 are locked relative to the lugs of the barrel extension . mechanisms and techniques for rotating the bolt 34 such the lugs can be locked and unlocked from the lugs of the barrel extension are disclosed below in greater detail . when the selector switch is set to the semi - automatic position , firing the unfired round 40 requires releasing and pulling the trigger 22 for each fired round . when the trigger is released , a trigger spring 22 c , fig2 e , causes the trigger 22 to move from the firing position f to the ready position r , fig2 f . releasing the trigger 22 also causes the upper hammer notch 24 b to disengage from the disconnect hook 26 b . in this manner , the hammer 24 is released , allowing it to move to the cocked position hi , fig2 f , with the lower hammer notch 24 a engaged with the trigger sear 22 a . the firearm is now ready to fire the unfired round 40 . moving the selector switch ( not depicted ) to the automatic position permits the firearm to operate in a fully automatic mode . with the selector switch set in the automatic position , fig2 g , a lower edge 28 a of the automatic sear 28 engages a top outside hammer notch 24 c during the rearward movement of the bolt carrier 36 . this action holds the hammer 24 in the automatic cocked position h 1 ″. during the forward movement of the bolt carrier 36 , fig2 h , the bolt carrier 36 strikes an upper edge 28 b of the automatic sear 28 , releasing the automatic sear 28 from the hammer 24 thereby permitting the hammer 24 to strike the firing pin 32 and fire the unfired round 40 . in this manner , rounds of ammunition will be automatically fired , ejected and chambered until the trigger 22 is released or all of the rounds are used . as depicted in fig3 a and 3b , the upper receiver assembly 12 includes an upper receiver body 42 . a piston tube assembly 44 is attached to the upper receiver body 42 . the piston tube assembly 44 includes a piston tube 46 having a tappet assembly 47 , fig3 b , movably mounted thereon . the piston tube 46 includes a first end 46 a that is mounted in a piston tube receptacle 48 of the upper receiver body 42 . a press pin 50 extends through the upper receiver body 42 and a corresponding hole in the piston tube 46 , securing the piston tube 46 in place relative to the upper receiver body 42 . the tappet assembly 47 , fig3 b , includes a yoke 47 a that rides on the piston tube 46 and a tappet rod 47 b attached to the yoke 47 a . the tappet rod 47 b extends from the yoke 47 a through the upper receiver body 42 into contact with a bolt carrier lug 36 a , fig7 that is movably mounted on the upper receiver body 42 . the tappet rod 47 b and the charging member 51 extend along substantially parallel longitudinal axes . a barrel assembly 52 , fig3 - 4 , is configured for being attached to the upper receiver assembly 12 . the barrel assembly 52 includes the 33 ( discussed above in reference to fig2 a - 2 h ) and a gas block 56 , fig3 a and 4 , attached to the barrel 33 . a pressure regulator 58 , fig3 a and 4 , is mounted in the gas block 56 . a first end 33 a of the barrel 33 is configured for being received in a barrel receptacle 60 , fig3 b , of the upper receiver body 42 . a nipple 58 a , fig4 of the pressure regulator 58 is configured for being received in a second end 46 b , fig3 a , of the piston tube 46 . as depicted in fig3 b , the upper receiver assembly 12 includes a barrel retention mechanism 62 pivotally mounted thereon for securing the barrel assembly 52 to the upper receiver body 42 . the barrel retention mechanism 62 is biased by a spring 62 a to a locked position l 1 . by depressing a release lever portion 62 b of the barrel retention mechanism 62 , a pin extending through the upper receiver body 42 is disengaged from the barrel 33 , permitting the barrel 33 to be withdrawn from the barrel receptacle 60 . referring to fig5 a and 5b , the piston tube assembly 44 includes an operating rod 64 movably mounted in a bore 46 a of the piston tube 46 . a piston 66 is attached at a first end 64 a of the operating rod 64 . the yoke 47 a is attached to the operating rod 64 by a pin 68 . the pin 68 extends through the yoke 47 a and the operating rod 64 . the piston tube 46 has opposing elongated slots 46 b through which the pin 68 extends , allowing the yoke 47 a and the operating rod 64 to move along the longitudinal axis of the piston tube 46 . a return spring 70 is captured in the bore 46 a of the piston tube 46 between a second end 64 b of the operating rod 64 and a closed end portion 46 c of the piston tube 46 . the return spring 70 biases the operating rod 64 to a static position s . a passage 72 extends through the barrel 33 to the pressure regulator receptacle 56 a of the gas block 56 . the pressure regulator 58 depicted in fig5 a and 5b is an adjustable pressure regulator including a plurality of orifices 58 b extending between an outer surface 58 c and a gas communication passage 58 d of the pressure regulator 58 . during operating of the firearm 10 , one of the orifices 58 b is aligned with the passage 72 . when a chambered round of ammunition in the firearm 10 is fired , fig5 b , a bullet 74 travels down the bore of the barrel 33 . firing of the chambered round of ammunition produces combustion gases creating pressure in the bore of the barrel 33 between the bullet 74 and the cartridge of the fired round of ammunition . when the bullet travels past the passage 72 , a portion of the combustion gas travels through the passage 72 and the pressure regulator 58 into the bore 46 a of the piston tube 46 . in doing so , a face of the piston 66 is exposed to pressure associated with the combustion gases . the pressure drives the piston 66 , and consequently the operating rod 64 from the static position s to a displaced position d , compressing the return spring 70 . one or more gas exhaust ports 76 are formed in the piston tube 46 adjacent to the displaced position d for venting the combustion gas to the ambient environment . upon venting the combustion gases , the return spring 70 biases the piston 66 and operating rod 64 towards the static position s . a vent hole 78 may be provided in the piston tube for relieving movement - induced pressure behind the piston 66 . the pressure regulator 58 may be rotated for individually aligning a particular one of the orifices 58 b with the passage 72 . by each of the orifices 58 b being a different size , the amount of pressure exerted on the piston 66 can be selectively varied . in many situations , it will be advantageous to adjust the pressure that is exerted on the piston . for example , to maintain a desired level of performance of the firearm 10 as components of the firearm 10 wear , as the components become fouled from the combustion gas or when the firearm is used in different ambient environments , it is advantageous to be able to compensate for such situations . however , in some applications , the pressure regulator 58 may have only one orifice 58 b , resulting in the pressure regulator being non - adjustable . in the case of a nonadjustable pressure regulator , the size of the orifice 58 b will be determined based on a compromise for intended and predicted conditions . as depicted in fig6 a and 6b , displacement of the operating rod 64 from the static position s to the displaced position d results in a corresponding displacement of the yoke 47 a . the tappet rod 47 b is engaged with a bolt carrier lug 36 a of the bolt carrier 36 . the bolt carrier lug 36 a is constrained to forward and rearward movement in a bolt carrier lug channel 42 b , fig7 of the upper receiver body 42 . accordingly , the displacement of the operating rod 64 also results in a corresponding displacement of the bolt carrier 36 . the displacement of the bolt carrier 36 that is associated with the displacement of the operating rod 64 is an initial displacement of the bolt carrier 36 . due to inertia associated with the speed at which the operating rod 64 is displaced , the bolt carrier 36 continues to travel after the operating rod 64 reached its maximum displacement . thus , the overall displacement of the bolt carrier 36 is greater than the displacement of the operating rod 64 . accordingly , the upper receiver assembly is said to be gas energized and piston driven . implementation of embodiments of the piston tube assembly 44 and tappet assembly 47 are advantageous . one advantage is that the piston tube assembly 44 and the tappet assembly 47 transfer the energy associated with the combustion gases more efficiently to the bolt carrier 36 . because the piston 66 is mechanically coupled through the operating rod 64 and the tappet assembly to the bolt carrier 36 , the length over which the combustion gases must travel to build sufficient pressure to energize the bolt carrier 36 is significantly reduced . accordingly , the length over which compression of the combustion gas occurs is significantly reduced . by reducing the length over which compression of the combustion gases occurs and by mechanically coupling the piston 66 to the bolt carrier 36 , the bolt 34 and the bolt carrier 36 are more efficiently moved from the closed position towards the open position . another advantage associated with the piston tube assembly 44 and the tappet assembly 47 relates to fouling of the firearm associated with the combustion gases . conventional gas driven bolt actuation mechanisms result in fouling of the upper and lower receiver assemblies of a firearm . fouling of the firearm can result in degraded performance of the firearm and , if not timely addressed , malfunction of the firearm . because embodiments of the piston tube assembly 44 and the tappet assembly 47 disclosed herein preclude the need to route combustion gases to the upper receiver assembly 12 , the potential for the combustion gases to foul of the upper receiver assembly 12 and the lower receiver assembly 18 is greatly reduced . the piston tube assembly 44 and the pressure regulator 58 are susceptible to being fouled by the combustion gases . however , when these components require cleaning , they may be quickly and easily detached from the upper receiver assembly 12 to facilitate cleaning . it is a significant advantage that when fouled , the piston tube assembly 44 and the pressure regulator 58 can be detached , cleaned and re - attached to the upper receiver assembly 18 in a timely manner . furthermore , because the piston tube assembly 44 is a unitary assembly , it can be quickly and easily replaced . in situations such as military combat , it may be desirable and advantageous to replace the piston - tube assembly rather than clean it . yet another advantage associated with embodiments of the piston tube assembly 44 disclosed herein is the location at which the combustion gases are vented . in some conventional firearms such as m - 16 type firearms , during firing of the firearm , the combustion gases are vented from the firearm very close to the firearm operator &# 39 ; s face . as a result , the vision and respiration of the operator may be impaired . implementation of an embodiment of the piston tube assembly 44 disclosed herein results in the combustion gases being vented at a location that significantly reduces the potential for the vision and respiration of the operator to be impaired . the design of this piston tube assembly allows the tappet to contact a portion of the bolt carrier that is not directly in line with the piston . in this manner , a bipod mounting bracket may be fitted to the piston tube in a manner in which the bipod attachment does not hinder removal of the barrel . in conventional configurations , the bipod mounting bracket is attached to the barrel , thus making the barrel difficult to remove with the weapon supported on the bipod . furthermore , this results in each barrel having the added weight of a bipod mounting bracket . referring to fig7 the tappet rod 47 b engages a first surface 36 a ′ of the bolt carrier lug 36 a . the charging member 51 includes a charging member lug 51 a that engages a second surface 36 a ″ of the bolt carrier lug 36 a . the charging member 51 includes flanges 51 b that are each received by a respective groove 42 a of the upper receiver body 42 , thus allowing the charging member 51 to be displaced relative to the upper receiver body 42 . the configuration and orientation of the bolt carrier lug 36 a , the tappet rod 47 b and the charging member lug 51 a permits the bolt carrier 36 to be manually displaced by pulling on a charging handle 51 c of the charging member 51 . referring to fig8 - 10 , a bolt catch 80 is pivotally attached to the lower receiver body 19 at a pivot pin 81 . the bolt catch 80 includes an upper leg 80 a and a lower leg 80 b . the pivot pin 81 is positioned between the upper leg 80 a and the lower leg 80 b . a contact pin 82 is mounted in a recess 84 of the upper leg 80 a and engages a contact surface 51 c , fig8 and 9 , of the charging member 51 . a first spring 86 is disposed in the recess 84 , biasing the contact pin 82 away from the upper leg 80 a . a second spring 88 is mounted between the lower leg 80 b and the lower receiver body 19 . the first and the second springs 86 , 88 have respective spring rates such that the bolt catch 80 is biased to an unlocked position u , fig9 . the bolt 34 and the bolt carrier 36 may be manually moved from the closed position c to the open position o , fig8 by moving the charging member 51 in a rearward direction . when the charging member 51 is moved in the rearward direction , the contact pin 82 encounters a contoured portion 51 d of the charging member 51 . the position of the contoured portion 51 d relative to the bolt 34 and the profile of the contoured portion 51 d result in the bolt catch 80 being moved by the charging member 51 to a locked position l , fig1 , when the bolt 34 is moved to the open position o . as mentioned above in reference to fig2 c , the bolt 34 and bolt carrier 36 are biased in a forward direction toward the closed position c by the action spring 41 a . accordingly , when the charging member 51 is moved in the forward direction , the bolt 34 is urged in the forward direction against a locking leg 80 c by the action spring 41 a . in this manner , the locking leg 80 c engages a face 34 a of the bolt 34 , thus holding the bolt 34 and the bolt carrier 36 in the open position o . by manually pressing the upper leg 80 a , bolt catch 80 is moved to the unlocked position u , disengaging the locking leg 80 c from the face 34 a of the bolt 34 thereby allowing the bolt 34 and bolt carrier 36 to return to the closed position c under the influence of the action spring 41 a . implementation of an embodiment of the bolt catch 80 disclosed herein simplifies the operation of locking the bolt of a firearm in the open position . many conventional bolt catches , such as that used on m - 16 type firearms , require manual manipulation of the bolt catch to lock the bolt in the open position . in situations such as military combat , it is advantageous and desirable to preclude the need to manually manipulate the bolt catch when locking the bolt in the open position . embodiments of the bolt catch 80 disclosed herein allow the bolt to be locked in the open position without requiring manual manipulation of the bolt catch 80 . the bolt catch 80 described herein , can also be moved automatically from an unlocked position u to a locked position l , by action of a magazine follower from an empty magazine upon a protruding tang ( not shown ) on the bolt catch 80 . this facilitates the rapid reloading of the weapon when used with ammunition magazines . as mentioned above in reference to fig2 e , moving the bolt 34 and the bolt carrier 36 between the open position o and the closed position c includes rotating the bolt 34 for unlocking and locking , respectively , the lugs of the bolt 34 from corresponding lugs of the barrel extension . fig1 - 13 show an embodiment of a mechanism for rotating lugs 34 b of the bolt 34 between the unlocked position u ′ and the locked position l ′. a cam pin 90 is attached to the bolt 34 . the cam pin 90 is positioned in a cam pin hole 34 c of the bolt 34 , fig1 . the firing pin 32 extends through a firing pin hole 34 d of the bolt 34 and a firing pin hole 90 a of the cam pin 90 . the cam pin 90 is captured in a cam slot 92 of the bolt carrier 36 , fig1 and 12 . when the bolt 34 is rotated such that the lugs 34 b , fig1 , of the bolt 34 are unlocked from the lugs of the barrel extension , the cam pin 90 is positioned in a first region 92 a of the cam slot 92 . when the lugs 34 b are unlocked from the lugs of the barrel extension , a retaining arm 94 is engaged with the cam pin 90 for retaining the cam pin 90 in the first region 92 a of the cam slot 92 . when the bolt 34 is moved toward the closed position and the bolt 34 engages the barrel extension , a ramp 94 a of the retaining member 94 , fig1 , engages a stationary ramp , thereby pivoting the retaining member 94 for allowing the cam pin 90 to move into a second region 92 b of the cam slot 92 . a feed tray 96 is a suitable stationary component to which the stationary ramp may be attached . when the cam pin 90 is in the second region 92 b of the cam slot 92 , the lugs 34 b of the bolt 34 are in the locked position relative to the lugs of the barrel extension . another embodiment of a mechanism for rotating the lugs 34 b of the bolt 34 between the unlocked position and the locked position is depicted in fig1 - 17 . in this embodiment , the cam pin 90 extends through the cam pin slot 92 and into the bolt carrier lug channel 42 b of the upper receiver body 42 . in this manner , the cam pin 90 is constrained to follow a path defined by the bolt carrier lug channel 42 b . when the bolt 34 is in the unlocked position u ′, fig1 and 15 , the cam pin 90 is positioned in the first region 92 a of the cam slot 92 and is free to travel in the forward and rearward directions along the length of the bolt carrier lug channel 42 b . when the face 34 a of the bolt 34 contacts the barrel extension , the bolt carrier 36 continues its forward movement . the continued forward movement of the bolt carrier 36 results in the cam pin 90 rotating in the cam slot 92 to the second region of the cam pin slot 92 b , locking the lugs 34 b of the bolt 34 relative to the lugs of the barrel extension . the bolt 34 is now in the locked position l ′. a relief 42 c is formed adjacent to the bolt carrier lug channel 42 b for receiving the cam pin 90 when the bolt 34 is in the locked position l ′. the bolt carrier lug 36 a has a sufficient length such that it cannot rotate into the relief 42 c . a bolt carrier assembly comprises the bolt 34 and the bolt carrier 36 . referring to fig1 - 25 , an ammunition belt feeding assembly 100 is mounted on the upper receiver body 42 of the upper receiver assembly 12 . the ammunition belt feeding assembly 100 and the upper receiver assembly 12 comprise a belt feed receiver system . the ammunition belt feeding assembly 100 includes a top cover 102 mounted adjacent to the feed tray 96 . the top cover 102 and the feed tray 96 are pivotally attached to the upper receiver body 42 through a plurality of bosses 104 . a latch mechanism releasably engages a mounting bracket 106 , fig2 , that is attached to the upper receiver body 42 . the feed tray 96 includes a belt channel 96 a and a link ejection channel 96 b . a feed pin 108 , fig2 , is attached to the bolt carrier 36 and extends through a feed pin channel 110 in the upper receiver body 42 . the feed pin 108 moves in unison with the bolt carrier 36 along the feed pin channel 110 . the ammunition belt feeding assembly 100 includes a two - stage cam - lever type ammunition belt feeding mechanism 112 , fig2 a - 21 b , attached to the top cover 102 . it is contemplated that other types of cam - lever type ammunition belt feeding mechanisms , such as a single - stage cam - lever type , may be implemented with the upper receiver assembly 12 disclosed herein . it is beneficial for a cam - lever type ammunition belt feeding mechanism to be configured to limit adverse affects associated with acceleration and deceleration of the ammunition belt 114 . referring to fig2 - 25 , a cam lever 113 is pivotally attached to the top cover 102 at a pivot pin 116 . the cam lever 113 includes a cam lever slot 118 having a dwell region 118 a and a feed region 118 b . the feed pin 108 is received in the cam lever slot 118 . the cam lever 118 is engaged with a feed link 120 for pivoting the feed link 120 about a pivot pin 122 . a first slide member 124 and a second slide member 126 are attached to the feed link 120 at respective feed link pins 124 a , 126 a . primary feed pawls 128 are pivotally attached to the first slide member 124 and a secondary feed pawl 130 is pivotally attached to the second slide member 126 . the first slide member 124 and the second slide member 126 include respective guide slots 124 b , 126 b . a guide pin 132 is attached to the top cover 102 and engages the first and the second slide members 124 , 126 at the respective guide slots 124 b , 126 b . still referring to fig2 - 25 , the ammunition belt feeding mechanism 112 operates in two distinct phases and feeds an ammunition belt 114 through the belt channel 96 a towards the link ejection channel 96 b . when the bolt and bolt carrier begins their forward travel toward the closed position , the feed pin 108 moves in a dwell region 118 a of the cam lever slot 118 from a first dwell position d 1 to a second dwell position d 2 , fig2 a . the operation and travel of the bolt and carrier are discussed above . the feed pin 108 is in the dwell region 118 a of the cam lever slot 118 during a first portion of the forward travel of the bolt and the bolt carrier . while the feed pin 108 is in the dwell region 118 a of the cam lever slot 118 , the first and the second slide members 125 , 126 are stationary , fig2 a and 25b . thus , the primary and the secondary feed pawls 128 , 130 remain stationary while the feed pin 108 is in the dwell region 118 a of the cam lever slot 118 . as depicted in fig2 a and 25b , a first round 114 a at a chambering position c 1 is chambered while the feed pin 108 is in the dwell region 118 a of the cam lever slot 118 . the first round 114 a is now in a chambered position c 2 , ready for being fired . during the second portion of the forward travel of the bolt and the bolt carrier , the feed pin 108 reaches the feed region 118 b of the cam lever slot 118 and travels from the second dwell position d 2 to a feed position f , fig2 b . as a result of the feed region 118 b being skewed with respect to the dwell region 118 a , the cam lever 113 pivots from a static position s ′, fig2 a , to a displaced position d ′, fig2 b , as the feed pin 108 travels from the second dwell position d 2 to the feed position f . the pivoting action of the cam lever 113 pivots the feed link 120 . accordingly , because the first and the second slide members 124 , 126 are pinned to the feed link 120 on opposing sides of the pivot pin 122 , the primary feed pawls 128 move towards the chambering position c 1 and the secondary feed pawl 130 moves away from the chambering position c 1 , fig2 c and 25d . during movement towards the chambering position c 1 , the primary feed pawls 128 advance the second round 114 b towards the chambering position c 1 and into engagement with a cartridge follower 134 . the cartridge follower 134 , fig2 d , exerts a downward force on the cartridge of the second round 114 b , biasing the second round 114 b towards the chambered position c 2 . during movement away from the chambering position c 1 , the secondary feed pawl 130 ratchets over the cartridge of the second round 114 b , fig2 c . in this manner , when the feed pin 108 reached the feed position f , the second round 114 b is advanced towards the chambering position c 1 and all of the feed pawls 128 , 130 are positioned between the second round 114 b and a third round 114 c , fig2 d . the primary and the secondary feed pawls 128 , 130 may be biased to an engagement position e , fig2 d , by respective springs , by gravity , or any other suitable means for being automatically returned to the engagement position e after being ratcheted over a cartridge . the travel of the feed pin 108 from the second dwell position d 2 to the feed position f results in the second round 114 b being advanced approximately a first half of a pitch p of the ammunition belt 114 . the bolt attains its closed position when the feed pin 108 reaches the feed position f . after the first round 114 a is fired , the bolt and the bolt carrier travel rearward towards the open position . the operation and travel of the bolt is discussed above . accordingly , the feed pin 108 travels from the feed position f towards the second dwell position d 2 . as the feed pin 108 travels from the feed position f toward the second dwell position d 2 , the feed cam - lever 113 pivots from the displaced position d ′ to the static position s ′. as the feed pin 108 travels from the displaced position d ′ to the static position s ′, the primary feed pawls 128 move away from the chambering position c 1 and the secondary feed pawl 130 moves towards the chambering position c 1 , fig2 d and 25e . during movement towards the chambering position c 1 , the secondary feed pawl 130 advance the second round 114 b to the chambering position c 1 . as the secondary feed pawl 130 advances the second round 114 b towards the chambering position c 1 , the cartridge follower 134 exerts additional force on the cartridge of the second round 114 b , further biasing the second round 114 b towards the chambered position c 2 . during movement away from the chambering position c 1 , the primary feed pawls 128 ratchet over the cartridge of the third round 114 c . the second round 114 b is now positioned at the chambering position c 1 , fig2 e . the secondary feed pawl 130 is now positioned between the second round 114 b and the third round 114 c . the primary feed pawls 128 are now positioned between the third round 114 c and a fourth round 114 d . the travel of the feed pin 108 from the feed position f to the second dwell position d 2 results in the second round 114 b being advanced a second half of the pitch p of the ammunition belt 114 . the feed pawls 128 , 130 do not move as the feed pin 108 travels from the second dwell position d 2 back to the first dwell position di . referring to fig2 - 28 , an embodiment of a sprocket type ammunition belt feeding mechanism 212 includes a feed sprocket 215 and a drive shaft assembly 216 coupled to the feed sprocket 215 . as depicted in fig2 , a mounting shaft 213 extends through the feed sprocket 215 and drive shaft assembly 216 , permitting the feed sprocket 215 and the drive shaft assembly 216 to rotate relative to a top cover 202 of an ammunition belt feeding assembly . the mounting shaft 213 is attached to the top cover 202 via a first and a second mounting bracket 217 a , 217 b . at least one of the mounting brackets 217 a , 217 b is removable from the top cover 202 for permitting the ammunition belt feeding mechanism 212 to be detached from the top cover 202 . in an alternated embodiment ( not shown ), the feed sprocket 215 and the drive shaft assembly 216 are mounted on a common axle shaft . the common axle shaft extends through the feed assembly and top cover ends . the axle shaft is secured by a cross - pin through the cover and radius of the axle shaft on one end of the cover . the drive shaft assembly 216 , fig2 and 27 , includes a drive shaft 218 and a drive sleeve 220 mounted in a counter - bored end 218 a of the drive shaft 218 . the feed sprocket 215 includes a drive hub 215 a that is fixedly attached to the feed sprocket 215 such that the feed sprocket 215 is precluded from rotating relative to the drive hub 215 a . the drive sleeve 220 includes a plurality of ribs 220 a thereon that mate with corresponding grooves 218 b of the drive shaft 218 such that the drive sleeve 220 is precluded from rotating relative to the drive shaft 218 . a spring 222 , fig2 , is mounted between the drive sleeve 220 and the drive shaft 218 for biasing the drive sleeve 220 into engagement with the drive hub 215 a of the feed sprocket 215 , fig2 . the drive sleeve 220 and the drive hub 215 a have mating tapered teeth . accordingly , the drive shaft 218 can rotate relative to the feed sprocket 215 in only one direction . an operational cycle of the ammunition belt feeding mechanism 212 begins with a first round 214 a being stripped from the ammunition belt 214 at the chambering position c 1 by the bolt and chambered into the firing chamber , fig2 a . the first round 214 a is now at the chambered position c 2 . after the first round 214 a is fired , the bolt and bolt carrier travel from the closed position toward the open position . the drive shaft 218 includes a spiral drive slot 218 c that receives the feed pin of the bolt - carrier ( discussed above ). the profile of the drive slot 218 c may be configured for minimize adverse affects associated with acceleration and deceleration of the ammunition belt 214 . as the bolt carrier travels towards the open position , the feed pin travels in the drive slot 218 c of the drive shaft 218 , rotating the drive shaft 218 and the feed sprocket 215 from the static position s ″, fig2 a , to the rotated position r ″, fig2 b . the profile of the drive slot 218 c is configured for rotating the drive shaft 218 through an angular displacement corresponding to the pitch p of the ammunition belt 214 . accordingly , a second round 214 b is advanced to the chambering position c 1 during rotation of the drive shaft from the static position s ″ to the rotated position r ″. the cartridge of the first round 214 a is withdrawn from the firing chamber and is ejected from the firearm as the bolt carrier travels from the closed position towards the open position . an action spring ( discussed above ) arrests the travel of the bolt carrier toward the open position and urges the bolt carrier towards the closed position . as the bolt carrier travels from the open position toward the closed position , the drive shaft 218 rotates from the rotated position r ″ back to the static position s ″, fig2 c . an anti - reverse member 224 is engaged with the feed sprocket 215 . the anti - reverse member 224 provides a retention force on the feed sprocket 215 , holding the feed sprocket 215 stationary while the drive shaft 218 rotates back to the static position s ″. in the preceding detailed description , reference has been made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which are depicted by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments , and certain variants thereof , have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention . it is to be understood that other suitable embodiments may be utilized and that logical , mechanical , chemical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . for example , functional blocks depicted in the figures could be further combined or divided in any manner without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid unnecessary detail , the description omits certain information known to those skilled in the art . the preceding detailed description is , therefore , not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein , but on the contrary , it is intended to cover such alternatives , modifications , and equivalents , as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .

5Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting

the present invention will be described hereinafter in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings . referring to fig1 to 5 , there are shown a feed conveyor 2 for conveying a veneer 1 along a veneer feed path in a predetermined direction , capable of being stopped , and an anvil roller 3 . a plurality of annular grooves 4 are formed in the outer circumference of the anvil roller 3 and spaced axially of the anvil roller 3 . a plurality of rollers 5 adapted to be lifted by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the veneer 1 are disposed above the anvil roller 3 on the side of the feed conveyor 2 along a direction perpendicular to the veneer feed direction . each roller 5 is provided with a microswitch m which is actuated when the corresponding roller 5 is lifted by a predetermined distance . the respective normally - closed contacts of the microswitches m having a suitable timer are connected in parallel as shown in fig6 . when all the rollers 5 are lifted by the predetermined distance and when any one of the rollers 5 is lowered from the lifted position , a leading end cutting signal and a trailing end cutting signal , respectively , are provided for cutting the leading or trailing ends thereof after a predtermined period of time . a pair fo intermittently rotatable rollers r capable of holding continuous adhesive yarns to feed the same , and guide tubes 7 to guide the adhesive yarns 6 to the veneer cutting position are interposed appropriately between the rollers 5 . the adhesive yarn 6 is prepared by impregnating a yarn with a melted hot - melting or thermoplastic adhesive or by applying the hot - melting adhesive to a yarn , and then by cooling the hot - melting adhesive . a nozzle 8 for blowing hot air toward the adhesive yarn 6 being delivered from the guide tube 7 is desposed somewhat above the corresponding guide tube 7 . a tool holder 9 capable of reciprocating , by suitable drive means in response to suitable time - logged signals from microswitch m , toward and away from the anvil roller 3 is provided after the guide tubes 7 . a replaceable cutting tool 11 is secured to the tool holder 9 with a tool clamp 10 such that said cutting tool generally extends laterally relative to the feed path . in the tool holder 9 , vertical guide grooves 12 having guide ways 13 are formed at positions corresponding to the guide tubes 7 by cutting the upstream side of the tool holder to a depth indicated by broken line ii -- ii in fig1 as illustrated in fig2 showing a front elevation of the tool holder 9 seen from the side of the guide tubes 7 . as illustrated in a side elevation in fig3 cooling and pressing members 16 each including a pressing element 16 &# 39 ; attached thereto are associated with the corresponding sliding guide ways 13 of the grooves 12 and are connected to the respective lower ends of thin steel strips 14 connected to a pressing member actuator not shown , mounted on the tool holder 9 . each pressing element has an underside surface extending substantially parallelly to the veneer sheets above a splicing line which will be explained later . the cooling and pressing member 16 is provided internally with a water passage 15 to circulate cooling water therethrough , and hoses 17 and 17 &# 39 ; for supplying cooling water to and for discharging the same from the water passage 15 . furthermore , the cooling and pressing element 16 &# 39 ; is provided on the upstream side of the bottom portion thereof with a cutting knife 24 projecting slightly from the underside surface of the cooling and pressing element 16 &# 39 ; to cut the adhesive yarn 6 . a groove 18 of a width slightly greater than the thickness of the cutting tool 11 and of a depth greater than the height of the cutting tool 11 is formed in the bottom portion of the cooling and pressing element 16 &# 39 ; in parallel to the cutting tool 11 over the entire length thereof to receive the upper portion of the cutting tool 11 so that the up - and - down movement of the cooling and pressing element 16 &# 39 ; is guided by the cutting tool 11 . a plurality of veneer supporting members 20 are disposed after the cutting tool 11 . each veneer supporting member 20 is supported pivotally at one end thereof on a rotary shaft provided at the front end of a delivery conveyor 19 for swing motion between a lower position where the leading end thereof is received in the annular groove 4 to guide the veneer to the delivery conveyor 19 , and an upper position where the leading end thereof is raised from the annular groove 4 to obstacle the advancement of the veneer onto the delivery conveyor 19 . a rubber roller 21 of an axial width greater than that of the annular groove 4 is disposed above each veneer supporting member 20 . the rubber roller 21 is continuously held in contact with the veneer supporting member 20 . a kicker 23 of the same width as that of the veneer supporting member 20 , having a hooked front end is connected to the bottom surface of the veneer supporting member 20 for swing motion together with the veneer supporting member 20 and for independent movement along the direction of the advancement of the veneer . a control circuit as shown in fig6 is provided to control the operation of the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller 3 , the supply of the adhesive yarns through the guide tubes 7 , the reciprocation of the tool holder 9 for cutting operation , the reciprocation of the cooling and pressing member 16 for pressing operation , the swing motion of the veneer supporting members 20 , and the advancement and the retraction of the kickers 23 , on the basis of the leading end cutting signal and the trailing end cutting signal provided by the microswitches m of the rollers 5 . the preferred embodiment of the present invention thus constituted operates in the following manner . referring to fig1 the veneer supporting members 20 , the kickers 23 and the rubber rollers 21 are raised to the respective upper positions , a fixed length of adhesive yarns 6 are drawn out through the guide tubes 7 , and then the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller 3 are actuated to feed a veneer 1 . then , the rollers 5 are lifted up by the leading end of the veneer 1 , so that the normally - closed contacts of all the microswitches m are opened to detect that the veneer 1 of a predetermined thickness is supplied . consequently , the leading end cutting signal is provided to stop the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller 3 and to actuate the tool holder 9 for reciprocating motion to cut the irregular leading end portion of the veneer 1 with the cutting tool 11 . then , the veneer supporting members 20 , the rollers 21 and the kickers 23 are moved to the respective lower positions , where the respective hooked ends of the kickers 23 enter the cut part of the veneer 1 and are retracted along the direction of delivery simultaneously to kick out the irregular portion 1a from the anvil roller 3 . after the irregular portion 1a has been removed and the extremities of the veneer supporting members 20 has been received in the annular grooves 4 , the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller 3 are started again to convey the veneer 1 onto the veneer supporting members 20 . when any one of the rollers 5 detects decrease in the thickness of the veneer below the set value , the trailing end cutting signal is provided to stop the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller 3 , and then the cutting tool 11 is actuated to cut off the irregular trailing end portion 1c of the veneer 1 as shown in fig8 . since the cooling and pressing member 16 is held during the veneer cutting operation at a position where the cooling and pressing member 16 will not obstacle the movement of the tool holder 9 and the cutting tool 11 , the cutting tool 11 is enabled to be waiting at a closest possible position relative to the anvil roller 3 . therefore , the cutting cycle time is reduced . referring to fig9 after the irregular trailing end portion 1c of the veneer 1 has been cut off , the veneer supporting members 20 are turned clockwise holding the effective portion 1b of the veneer 1 between the veneer supporting members 20 and the rollers 21 , while the kickers 23 are moved to the extremities of the veneer supporting members 20 , and then the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller 3 are actuated to remove the irregular trailing end portion 1c from the anvil roller 3 and to feed the next veneer 1 &# 39 ; onto the anvil roller 3 . the irregular leading and trailing end portions of the veneer 1 &# 39 ; are cut off with the cutting tool 11 and are removed with the kickers 23 in the same manner of operation . after the extremities of the veneer supporting members 20 have been received in the annular grooves 4 , the leading cut end of the veneer 1 &# 39 ; is brought into abutment with the trailing cut end of the effective portion 1b on the anvil roller 3 to define a splicing line . then , the rollers r are actuated to supply a predetermined length of the adhesive yarns 6 , which are heated in a melted state by hot air which is blown continuously from the nozzles 8 . after the adhesive yarns 6 have been placed over the surfaces of the veneers 1 and 1 &# 39 ; across the splicing line , the steel strips 14 are lowered , thus lowering the cooling and pressing members 16 to depress the adhesive yarns 6 onto the effective portion 1b and the veneer 1 &# 39 ; across the splicing line and to cool the adhesive yarns 6 so that the adhesive yarns 6 adhere to the veneers , thus splicing the veneers . at the same time , the excessive parts of the adhesive yarns 6 are cut off with the knives 24 to leave only the adhering portions of the adhesive yarns 6 on the veneers . the reverse rotation of the rollers r upon the application of the knives 24 to tighten the adhesive yarns 6 will result in satisfactory cutting of the adhesive yarns 6 . after the adhesive yarns 6 have been cut off , the steel strips 14 are raised to lift up the cooling and pressing members 16 , and then the feed conveyor 2 and the anvil roller 3 are actuated to carry out a series of the same operations , namely , provision of the trailing end cutting signal , irregular trailing end portion cutting - off operation , the provision of the leading end cutting signal , the irregular leading and portion cutting operation , and the splicing operation , thus continuously splicing the effective portions of veneers . part of each adhesive yarn 6 corresponding to the groove 18 of the cooling and pressing member 16 is not present with the cooling and pressing member , which will not affect the splicing strength . it is possible to shift the position of action of the groove 18 from the cutting line of the cutting tool 11 by adapting the tool holder 9 so as to perform a circular motion on a rotary shaft and by reciprocating the cooling and pressing member 16 along the tool holder 9 as described hereinbefore . as described hereinbefore , according to the present invention , the guide grooves are formed in the cutting tool or in the tool holder at an appropriate distance away from the cutting edge of the cutting tool and the cooling and pressing members are mounted on the tool holder on both sides , with respect to the direction of feeding a veneer , of the cutting tool by means of the guide grooves , therefore , the provision of the cooling and pressing members have nothing to do with the cutting operation of the cutting tool , and hence the cutting tool can be held waiting for cutting operation at a closest possible position to the cutting position . consequently , the cutting cycle time is reduced , thus improving the productivity of the veneer splicing apparatus in which the cutting operation is repeated frequently . furthermore , the present invention provides a sufficient space for changing the cutting tool and the pressing members , thus improving the accessibility of the apparatus . in the preferred embodiment as described hereinbefore , adhesive yarns are heated to melt the adhesive , and then cooled and pressed with cooling and pressing members , however , adhesive tapes of a preditermined length may be extended on the surfaces of veneers and pressed onto the surfaces of the veneers to splice the veneers with pressing members ( in this case , cooling is not necessary ) in the same manner as that described with regard to the preferred embodiment . furthermore , the pressing members may be guided by any means other than that employed in the preferred embodiment ; the tool holder may be provided with a special guide mechanism . the cutting and splicing apparatus may be of a form as disclosed in the japanese patent publication no . 45 - 38153 , in which the kickers employed in the present invention are not necessary . still further , the pressing members may be mounted on the tool holder without using the guide grooves formed in the cutting tool ; each pressing member may comprise two separate parts mounted separately on both sides of the cutting tool respectively and may be operated by means of the corresponding individual operating mechanisms for pressing operation .

8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology

the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . it should be understood that throughout the drawings , corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features . conventional usb connectors must be connected to usb ports in a particular orientation . in other words , the usb connectors cannot be rotated 180 degrees and connected in a second orientation . if a user attempts to connect the usb connector in the wrong orientation , the usb connector will not fit and the usb device will not work . if the user does not know that the usb connector needs to be connected in a particular orientation , the user may use increased insertion pressure , which may damage the usb port and / or the usb connector . alternately , the user may think that the usb connector is the wrong type of connector . a usb connector according to the present disclosure remedies the shortcomings of conventional usb connectors by allowing connection in both first and second orientations . the second orientation is rotated 180 degrees relative to the first orientation . as a result , users can connect the usb connector more quickly while avoiding damage to the usb port and / or usb connector . referring now to fig1 - 4 , an exemplary usb connector 10 according to the present disclosure is shown . a usb connector 10 includes a housing 12 having a device or cable - side 14 and a computer port side 16 . the usb connector 10 further includes an insulating substrate 24 . a plurality of conductors 28 - 1 a , 28 - 2 a , 28 - 3 a , and 28 - 4 a ( collectively conductors 28 a ) are arranged in a spaced relationship on a first side 25 of the insulating substrate 24 . the conductor 28 - 1 a is located adjacent to conductor 28 - 2 a . the conductor 28 - 2 a is located adjacent to conductor 28 - 3 a . the conductor 28 - 3 a is located adjacent to conductor 28 - 4 a . a plurality of conductors 28 - 1 b , 28 - 2 b , 28 - 3 b , and 28 - 4 b ( collectively conductors 28 b ) are located in a spaced relationship on a second side 26 of the insulating substrate 24 as best seen in fig4 . the conductor 28 - 1 b is located adjacent to conductor 28 - 2 b . the conductor 28 - 1 b is located adjacent to conductor 28 - 2 b . the conductor 28 - 2 b is located adjacent to conductor 28 - 3 b . the conductor 28 - 3 b is located adjacent to conductor 28 - 4 b . the conductor 28 - 1 a on the first side 25 is located adjacent to the conductor 28 - 4 b located on the opposite side 26 . the conductor 28 - 2 a on the first side 25 is located adjacent to the conductor 28 - 3 b located on the opposite side 26 . the conductor 28 - 3 a on the first side 25 is located adjacent to the conductor 28 - 2 b located on the opposite side 26 . the conductor 28 - 4 a on the first side 25 is located adjacent to the conductor 28 - 1 b located on the opposite side 26 . the conductor 28 - 1 a on the first side 25 is connected by conductor 28 - 1 c to the conductor 28 - 1 b located on the opposite side 26 . the conductor 28 - 2 a on the first side 25 is connected by conductor 28 - 2 c to the conductor 28 - 2 b located on the opposite side 26 . the conductor 28 - 3 a on the first side 25 is connected by conductor 28 - 3 c to the conductor 28 - 3 b located on the opposite side 26 . the conductor 28 - 4 a on the first side 25 is connected by conductor 28 - 4 c to the conductor 28 - 4 b located on the opposite side 26 . ends of the conductors 28 a and 28 b on the computer port - side 16 may include a tapered end 30 a to facilitate connection to the computer usb port . the conductors 28 - 1 c , 28 - 2 c , 28 - 3 c , and 28 - 4 c ( collectively conductors 28 c ) may pass through the insulating substrate 24 . ends of the conductors 28 a and 28 b are connected to wires in the usb cable ( not shown ) by conductors 34 - 1 , 34 - 2 , 34 - 3 and 34 - 4 ( collectively conductors 34 ). the conductors 34 may be “ l ”- shaped and extend upwardly and parallel to conductors 28 a and / or 28 b . one of the conductors 34 may be connected to supply voltage , another conductor 34 may be connected to ground or another reference potential , another conductor 34 may be connected to one wire of the twisted pair or wires and another conductor 34 may be connected to the other wire of the twisted pair of wires . referring now to fig3 - 6 , the conductor 28 - 4 c has a first “ l ”- shaped section 40 and a second “ l ”- shaped section 42 that are connected by a middle section 43 that passes through the insulating material 24 . the conductor 28 - 1 c has a first “ l ”- shaped section 44 and a second “ l ”- shaped section 46 that are connected by a middle section 45 that passes through the insulating material 24 . the conductor 28 - 2 c has a first “ l ”- shaped section 50 and a second “ l ”- shaped section 52 that are connected by a middle section 51 that passes through the insulating material 24 . the conductor 28 - 3 c has a first “ l ”- shaped section 60 and a second “ l ”- shaped section 62 that are connected by a middle section 61 that passes through the insulating material 24 . referring now to fig7 and 8 , the usb connector 10 is shown connected to a cable 100 and to a computer port 102 in a first orientation . a side 101 a of the housing 20 is labeled for reference purposes . the computer port 102 provides conductors 104 - 1 , 104 - 2 , 104 - 3 and 104 - 4 that mate with conductors 28 - 1 a , 28 - 2 a , 28 - 3 a and 28 - 4 a . conductors 28 - 1 b , 28 - 2 b , 28 - 3 b and 28 - 4 b are not in direct physical contact with the conductors 104 . in fig8 , the usb connector 10 is shown connected to the cable 100 and to the computer port 102 in a second orientation , which is rotated 180 degrees relative to the first orientation . a side 101 b of the housing 20 , which is opposite to the side 101 a , is labeled for reference purposes . the computer port 102 provides conductors 104 - 1 , 104 - 2 , 104 - 3 and 104 - 4 that mate with ( directly physically contact ) conductors 28 - 1 b , 28 - 2 b , 28 - 3 b and 28 - 4 b . conductors 28 - 1 a , 28 - 2 a , 28 - 3 a and 28 - 4 a are not in direct physical contact with the conductors 104 . in both cases , the conductor 34 is associated with the conductor 28 a or 28 b via the conductors 28 c . as a result , the wires in the cable 100 are always connected to the correct input of the computer port . referring now to fig9 - 13 , a pcb - based usb connector according to the present disclosure is shown . the usb connector 110 includes a housing 112 that defines a slot 114 for receiving a printed circuit board 120 . other mechanical attachment methods may be used to support the printed circuit board 120 within the housing 112 . a first surface 122 of the printed circuit board 120 includes traces 128 - 1 a , 128 - 2 a , 128 - 3 a , and 128 - 4 a . a second surface 132 of the printed circuit board 120 includes traces 128 - 1 b , 128 - 2 b , 128 - 3 b , and 128 - 4 b . in this exemplary implementation , a circuit 140 such as an integrated circuit including memory , a hard disk drive or any other circuit is connected to ends 142 of the conductors 128 . opposite ends 144 of the conductors 128 are connected to a computer port . however , a usb cable and / or any other type of device may be connected . referring now to fig1 - 15 , the usb connector 110 is shown connected to a computer port 150 in first and second orientations . referring now to fig1 , a standard usb connector 300 can be connected to a reversible usb port 308 of a device 304 . the usb port 308 can be constructed in a manner similar to the usb connectors described above . as can be appreciated from the foregoing , the usb connector according to the present disclosure simplifies the connection of a usb device or usb cable to a computer port . while a computer port is shown , the usb connector can be connected to any computing device with a usb port in either the first or second orientation while maintaining the proper orientation of the connections relative to the port of the computing device .

7Electricity

in accordance with the present invention , an aromatic amine is reacted with an organic disulfide in the presence of a catalyst resulting in the formation of hydrocarbylthio aromatic amines . aromatic amines utilizable in the practice of the above - mentioned hydrocarbylthiolation process include compounds having at least one amino group attached to a carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring of an aromatic compound containing one or more simple and / or fused rings , such as benzene , naphthalene , anthracene , pyrrole , pyridine , indole , etc . the process may also utilize reactive heterocyclic amines , such as pyrrole , indole , imidazole , etc . the compounds may bear no substituents other than the required amino group ( s ) or they may bear substituents which are inert to the reaction conditions , such as one or more additional amino groups or substituents such as chloro , fluoro , alkyl , aryl , alkaryl or aralkyl groups on any positions other than those substituted by hydrocarbylthio groups . examples of useful compounds include 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- methylenedianiline , 4 -( phenylthio ) aniline , 2 - aminobiphenyl , 4 - phenoxyaniline , aminobenzenes containing one or two amino groups , such as aniline , 4 - butylaniline , 4 - methylaniline , 4 - chloroaniline , 2 - ethylaniline , n - methylaniline , 2 , 4 - and 2 , 6 - diaminotoluenes , 2 , 6 - diamino - 1 - ethylbenzene , etc . organic disulfides which may be reacted with the aromatic amines include saturated and unsaturated aliphatic , cycloaliphatic and aromatic disulfides in which the hydrocarbyl groups optionally bear inert substituents , such as chloro substituents . examples of such substituents are methyl , ethyl , propyl , n - butyl , sec - butyl , tert - butyl , 2 - chlorophenyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , phenyl , benzyl , p - tolyl and p - chlorophenyl disulfides , etc . the hydrocarbyl disulfide component of the reaction mixture is generally included in at least the stoichiometric amount required to produce the desired hydrocarbylthio aromatic amine . for example , at least one equimolar amount is used when a mono ( hydrocarbylthio ) aromatic amine is desired and at least two equimolar amounts are used when a di ( hydrocarbylthio ) aromatic amine is desired . the reaction of the aromatic amine with the organic disulfide is generally conducted at a temperature in the range of about 20 ° c . to 300 ° c . and at a pressure of atmospheric up to about 1000 psi in the presence of a catalyst . suitable catalysts are lewis acid catalysts , such as metal halides . examples of such lewis acid catalysts are copper chloride , copper bromide , copper iodide , ammonium iodides , hydrogen iodide , zinc iodide , ferrous iodide , cobaltous iodide , aluminum chloride , boron trifluoride , ferric chloride , zinc chloride , zinc iodide , etc . organometallic compounds derived from the reaction of the aromatic amine with the metal alkyls and reactive metals , such as aluminum , may also be utilized . in conducting the ( hydrocarbylthio ) alkylation process , it is generally preferred to ( 1 ) heat a mixture of the catalyst and aromatic amine at a suitable temperature , e . g ., about 100 °- 200 ° c . ; and then ( 2 ) continue to heat the reaction mixture at reflux temperature after the disulfide has been added to effect a hydrocarbylthiation process while removing evolved hydrocarbyl thiol by - product from the reaction vessel . however , it is also satisfactory to conduct the process by simply mixing the catalyst and reactants together and heating them to reflux temperature . an inert solvent may be employed if desired , but is unnecessary . recovery of the desired product , di ( thioalkyl ) aromatic diamine ( s ), may be achieved by conventional heating methods . however , due to the reversibility of the above - mentioned thioalkylation process , recovery flashes in the presence of the lewis acid catalyst lead to decomposition of the desired product to the corresponding monothioalkylated aromatic diamine . to slow the reverse reaction during product recovery requires lowering the recovery temperature or lowering the catalyst concentration . physical catalyst separation methods , such as catalyst precipitation / centrifugation , are possible , but impractical . therefore , it is prudent to utilize a means of inhibiting the action of the catalyst without the necessity of removing the catalyst from the reaction mixture . furthermore , it is prudent to utilize a means of inhibiting the catalyst without requiring the desired product to be subjected to longer periods under the thermal conditions of the recovery process . in accordance with the present invention , a heavy , miscible base or a combination of both a heavy , miscible base and a poly ( oxyalkylene ) polymer is added to the reaction mixture to serve as an inhibitor to the lewis acid or organometallic catalyst . in such cases , the heavy , miscible base serves to inhibit the catalyst and the poly ( oxyalkylene ) polymer serves as a chaser to allow for easier handling of the materials involved . for the purposes of this application , a poly ( oxyalkylene ) polymer shall mean an oxygen - containing alkylene polymer . to be suitable for this method , bases and / or mixtures of bases and poly ( oxyalkylene ) polymers must be sufficient to inhibit the catalyst and must be soluble in organic solvents . in addition , any bases or poly ( oxyalkylene ) polymers involved should have a boiling point such that it may not be removed from the reaction mixture prior to the recovery of the desired product . various amines may be utilized as the base in this process . such amines may be chosen from primary , secondary or tertiary alkyl amines , alkyl diamines , aryl amines , polyalkylene amines and poly ( oxyalkylene ) amines . examples of useful alkyl amines include ethyl amine , 1 - methyl ethylamine , 1 - methyl propylamine , 1 - ethyl propylamine , 1 - ethyl butylamine , 1 - methyl butylamine , 1 - methyl pentylamine , 1 - ethyl pentylamine , 1 - propyl pentylamine , 1 - methyl heptylamine , 1 - ethyl heptylamine , n - propylamine , isopropylamine , n - butylamine , sec - butylamine , tert - butylamine , isobutylamine , n - pentylamine , isopentylamine , tert - pentylamine , n - hexylamine , n - heptylamine , etc . examples of useful alkyl diamines include 1 , 3 - propanediamine , 1 , 4 - butanediamine , 1 , 5 - pentanediamine , 1 , 6 - hexanediamine , etc . examples of polyoxyalkylene amines would include poly ( oxyalkylene ) amines containing repeating oxyalkylene components from c 2 - c 6 , such as poly ( oxypropylene ) amines of the formula nh 2 ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 --[ och 2 ch ( ch 3 )] n nh 2 and poly ( oxybutylene ) amines of the formula nh 2 ( ch 2 ) 4 --[ och 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ] n nh 2 . jeffamine ® d400 ( polyoxyalkyleneamine ), jeffamine ® d600 ( polyoxyalkyleneamine ), jeffamine ® d2000 ( polyoxyalkyleneamine ), jeffamine ® d3000 ( polyoxyalkyleneamine ), and jeffamine ® d4000 ( polyoxyalkyleneamine ) are examples of useful poly ( oxyalkylene ) diamines . jeffamine ® amines are products of texaco , inc . various amines , as described above , may be useful in the present invention . those of lower molecular weight ( i . e ., less than 200 ), such as diisopropylamine or ethylcyclohexylamine , however , may be lost during thermal product recovery methods due to their lower boiling temperatures . in addition , other bases , such as sodium hydroxide , tetraethylpentamine , 4 , 4 , 10 - trioxatridecane - 1 , 13 - diamine , isobutylpentamine and methylene dianiline , were found unacceptable as they led to formation of undesired solids in the reaction medium . in addition , various poly ( oxyalkylene ) polymers may be utilized in the present invention . as mentioned above , the poly ( oxyalkylene ) polymers must be soluble in the organic compound of the reaction and product mixtures and should have a boiling point such that it will not be removed from the reaction mixture prior to the recovery of the desired product . examples of useful oxygen - containing alkylene polymers include alkylene diols such as 1 , 2 - octanediol , 1 , 2 - decanediol , 1 , 3 - decanediol , etc ., and alkylene ether glycols such as polyethylene glycol h ( och 2 ch 2 ) n oh , polypropylene glycol , polybutylene glycol and poly ( 1 , 3 - butylene ) glycol . also useful are alkyl - or aryl - terminated alkylene ether polymers , wherein the aryl terminating group is substituted or unsubstituted , such as those seen in the brij ® polyoxyethylene series ( ici corp . ), the lipopeg ® series ( lipo chemicals ), the atlas ® g series ( ici corp .) and the igepal ® co series ( gaf corp .). the examples that follow exemplify the present invention , but are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . in the following product recovery tests ( comparative example and examples 1 - 7 ), a continuous flash unit was utilized . in these tests , decomposition of the desired product will be indicated by comparisons of the amounts of dmtda and mmtda going into and out of the product recovery phase . effective inhibition of the cui catalyst ( in the presence of a heavy , miscible organic base ) will be shown by a decreased loss of dmtda and a decrease in the amount of mmtda created . in each example , the continuous flash system was prepared by heating the flash pot to a temperature of about 185 ° c . and a cooling bath to 70 ° c . the system was purged with nitrogen and pot pressure was maintained below 1 mm hg . a known weight of reaction crude [ containing dimethyldisulfide ( dmds ), mmtda , dmtda and trimethylthiometaphenylenediamine ( tmmpda )] was fed continuously into the feed pot , resulting in a residence time of about 5 . 5 minutes . the percent composition of dmtda and mmtda in the distillate were determined to indicate percentage of product recovery . 485 . 10 g of reaction crude was placed in the product flash pot . the reaction crude consisted of 1 . 14 area % dmds , 1 . 97 area % mmtda , 96 . 23 area % dmtda and 0 . 66 area % tmtda . upon completion of the product flash , the 303 . 5 g of distillate recovered was determined to contain 4 . 40 area % dmds , 4 . 61 area % mmtda , 90 . 60 area % dmtda and 0 . 39 area % tmtda . in each of the following examples , known amounts of jeffamine ® d - 2000 ( polyoxyalkyleneamine ), a product of texaco , inc ., was introduced into the flash pot of the continuous flash unit prior to the introduction of the reaction crude ( feed ) to inhibit reversion of dmtda to mmtda during the product recovery steps . the table provided below indicates the amounts of mmtda and dmtda in the feed and the amounts of each in the recovered distillate ( out ). __________________________________________________________________________example no . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7__________________________________________________________________________ % jeffamine ® d - 2000 2 . 06 5 . 94 5 . 95 0 0 0 0amine in feeddmtda in ( g ) 441 . 1 447 . 5 445 . 2 443 . 7 444 . 3 443 . 0 435 . 5mmtda in ( g ) 9 . 0 9 . 2 9 . 1 9 . 1 9 . 1 9 . 1 8 . 9dmtda out ( g ) 438 . 9 437 . 5 434 . 8 425 . 1 428 . 9 423 . 9 429 . 1mmtda out ( g ) 10 . 6 10 . 7 10 . 3 15 . 3 16 . 5 16 . 0 15 . 2 % dmtda decomp . 0 . 5 2 . 2 2 . 3 4 . 2 3 . 5 4 . 3 1 . 5 % mmtda accum . 17 . 8 16 . 3 13 . 2 68 . 1 81 . 3 75 . 8 70 . 8__________________________________________________________________________ dmtda decomp . = ( inout )/ in mmtda accum . = ( outin )/ in

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting same , fig1 depicts a lens blank chuck assembly a operatively associated with the tailstock b of a conventional lens generating apparatus ( not shown ). both essential and non - essential subject matter are incorporated hereinto by reference from the commonly assigned u . s . pat . application ser . no . 44 , 991 , filed june 4 , 1979 and allowed oct . 3 , 1980 . more particularly , the lens surface generating apparatus for which the chuck assembly herein described has been assigned is marketed by coburn optical industries , inc . in such apparatus , and with particular reference to both of fig1 and 2 , tailstock b includes a hollow generally cylindrical collet 10 extending coaxially outward therefrom toward an outermost end area 12 . a cylindrical collet actuating sleeve 14 also extends coaxially of tailstock b toward collet outer end area 12 in an actuating relationship therewith . the longitudinal axis of the tailstock is designated by numeral 16 in the figures . collet 10 comprises an integral portion of the lens generating apparatus itself and is known in the art . while a sleeve similar to sleeve 14 normally also comprises a part of the generating apparatus , it is replaced by the specially designed sleeve 14 which includes circumferential shoulders at spaced intervals along the inside and outside diameters thereof for providing increased stability for chuck body 10 . the sleeve is selectively movable by hydraulic means ( not shown ) axially of the collect into and out of actuating engagement with outer end 12 for causing radial contraction and expansion thereof as is known . collet 10 and sleeve 14 remain with and as part of tailstock b when chuck assembly a is removed to accommodate changeover from a frame center lens grinding operation to an alloy blocked lens grinding operation . this particular capability was not present in the structure disclosed by that application which is incorporated hereinto by reference . with continued reference to both fig1 and 2 , chuck assembly a includes a hollow generally cylindrical chuck body housing 20 having a first or inner end 22 and a second or outer end 24 . mounted within and / or otherwise associated with body 20 and collet 10 is a bearing assembly generally designated 30 , a face plate 32 , a lens ring 34 , retaining members or wedge bars 36 , 38 and a retaining screw assembly 40 . more particularly , bearing assembly 30 includes a bearing seat ring 50 received in a circumferential groove in tailstock b . this bearing seat ring includes a bearing retaining flange 52 extending outwardly from one side edge thereof with a conventional roller bearing or the like , schematically shown in fig2 and designated by numeral 54 , being received between the outer bearing surface of seat ring 50 and the inner surface of housing 20 at first or inner end 22 . this first end is slightly enlarged in diameter and includes a stepped area for convenient retention at the bearing inner side edge . a retaining ring 56 such as a snap ring or the like maintains the bearing in position at the seat ring other side edge . similarly , a retaining ring 58 is secured as by conventional mechanical fasteners or the like to chuck body first end 22 so as to extend slightly radially inward thereof for retaining body 20 on the bearing . collet 10 and sleeve 14 are non - rotatable relative to tailstock b whereas bearing assembly 30 allows chuck body assembly a to be selectively rotated about tailstock axis 16 in a manner to be described . with particular reference to fig2 and 4 , face plate 32 is shown as including an inner or rear face having an outer circumferential groove 70 and an inner circumferential groove 72 which define a rearwardly extending rim - like area 74 therebetween . as seen in fig2 groove 70 is dimensioned in a manner such that a portion of face plate 32 is received within second or outer end 24 of chuck body housing 20 . the radial end wall of outer groove 70 engages the end face of the chuck body housing with rim 74 being closely spaced toward the housing inner peripheral surface . inner groove 72 has a depth sufficient to receive collet outer end area 12 and a width slightly greater than the thickness of outer end 12 to accommodate radial contraction and expansion thereof . as shown in fig2 collet 10 is in the open or expanded position . an arrangement for obtaining a positive located relationship between chuck body housing 20 and face plate 32 which allows relative axial movement and prevents relative rotational movement therebetween is shown in fig4 . for that purpose , rim 74 includes a plurality of radially disposed slots 76 extending thereinto from the rear face thereof . while a number of such slots could be advantageously employed , the preferred embodiment has four slots 76 equidistantly spaced from each other . a plurality of radially extending pins 78 extend through chuck body housing 20 adjacent second or outer end 24 into locating communication with slots 76 . the relationship between the slots and pins is such that a predetermined rotated relationship between face plate 32 and housing 20 is thus obtained . in addition to preventing relative rotation between the two components , the slot and pin arrangement allows face plate 32 to be selectively withdrawn axially outward from housing outer end 24 . this permissible axial movement is desirable to accommodate adjustment for prism in a manner which will be described in more detail hereinafter . as best shown in fig2 and 3 , lens ring 34 is received in a recessed area 80 in the outer or front face of face plate 32 and is fixedly secured to the face plate by pins 82 extending therebetween axially of the chuck assembly . while the connecting means may be varied as deemed necessary and / or appropriate , the preferred embodiment here under discussion contemplates use of conventional roll pins or the like . face plate 32 further includes a generally elongated slot area 84 extending therethrough having opposed side edges and opposed arcuate end edges for receiving a decentration bar as will be described . the effective side edges of slot 84 are defined by protruding areas 84a , 84b disposed at the rear face of the seat ring . lens ring 34 may include a somewhat irregular inner peripheral conformation to facilitate maximum decentration of a lens blank as may be required without encountering interference as between the lens block and lens ring . the irregular inner peripheral conformation is typically found in those lens rings employed for grinding plastic lenses . in the preferred arrangement , lens ring 34 is constructed from a fairly hard plastic or plastic - like material , although other materials could also be advantageously employed . the lens ring provides support for an associated lens blank outwardly of the lens block in a manner to be described . as will be seen from fig2 and 3 , seat ring 32 includes a decentration bar locating pin 86 . this pin is spring loaded and received in a mounting opening forwardly adjacent protruding area 84b centrally of opening 84 in radial alignment with the seat ring center . the pin is continuously urged to an extended position in the mounting opening by convenient spring biasing means in a manner and for purposes which will become more readily apparent hereinafter . retaining members or wedge bars 36 , 38 are best shown in fig2 and 5 . these members are oppositely disposed from each other diametrically of chuck assembly housing 20 with each member 36 , 38 including an arcuate outer peripheral surface 90 radiused compatible with the interior of collet outer end area 12 . each member also includes a planar retaining surface 92 disposed generally coextensive and parallel with protruding areas 84a , 84b of face plate slot 84 . a pair of mounting openings 94 , 96 extend through each of members 36 , 38 generally axially of the chuck assembly and are employed for mounting purposes in a manner to be described . as shown in fig2 the thickness of retaining members or wedge bars 36 , 38 is such that they are positioned in the chuck assembly between a radial shoulder or wall 98 defined by an internal circumferential groove at collet outer end area 12 and the inner or rear face of face plate 32 . generally l - shaped spring clips 100 , 102 are operatively associated with or mounted to face plae 32 and retaining members or wedge bars 36 , 38 , respectively , at the rear side of the retaining members . each of spring clips 100 , 102 is pinned at 104 , 106 to the associated retaining member or wedge bar and to an associated area of face plate 32 as best seen in fig2 and 5 . in the preferred arrangement , conventional roll pins or the like are employed , although other means could also be advantageously utilized . the diameters of mounting openings 94 , 96 in each of members 36 , 38 are greater than the roll pins so that some radial movement of the members relative to each other within the chuck assembly may be obtained . thus , members 36 , 38 are essentially captured between face plate 32 and spring clips 100 , 102 . the roll pins are closely or securely received in the face plate and spring clips for retaining them in a fixed spaced apart relationship which will accommodate selective radial movement of members 36 , 38 . spring or biasing arrangements 108 ( fig2 ) are cooperatively disposed between retaining member 36 and spring clip 100 and between retaining member 38 and spring clip 102 for continuously urging members 36 , 38 radially outward of each other to an open condition . spring arrangements 108 may take any convenient form , although they are fabricated from music wire in the preferred embodiment shown . in fig2 retaining screw assembly 40 is shown as having an elongated shaft portion 100 threadedly mounted at one end to the inner end wall of collet 10 so as to extend coaxially of tailstock b . the other end of the shaft is slotted as at 112 to provide convenient access for a screwdriver or like tool to accommodate installation and removal of assembly 40 from association with tailstock b when it is desired to convert the lens generating apparatus between a frame center grinding operation and an alloy block lens grinding operation . a slightly enlarged head 114 is provided adjacent slot 112 to define a spring plate stop . a spring plate 116 is , in turn , rotatably received on shaft 110 adjacent the head . a snap or retaining ring 118 is received by the shaft to prevent axial movement of the spring plate in a rearward direction . a pair of expansion springs 120 each have one end connected to spring clip 100 and the other end connected to spring clip 102 with the intermediate portions extending around spring plate 116 . the spring plate may include convenient grooves or the like ( not shown ) for retaining the springs in position thereon . in like fashion , a compression spring 122 extends axially outward from the forward end of shaft 110 a distance extending at least partially between retaining members or wedge bars 36 , 38 . the relationship of springs 120 , as between retaining screw assembly 40 on the one hand and face plate 32 , retaining members 36 , 38 and spring clips 100 , 102 on the other , is such to cause the face plate to be continuously biased axially of housing 20 into a first normal position in positive located engagement with housing second end 24 in the manner shown in fig2 . compression spring 122 acts as an ejector for a decentration bar as will be described . fig6 and 7 show the construction for a decentration bar used with chuck assembly a wherein the bar is generally designated by numeral 130 . the block has opposed planar sides 132 , 134 and opposed arcuate ends 136 , 138 . a lens block receiving opening 140 has a generally or cross - shaped configuration for receiving a lens block of the type fully described in that subject matter incorporated hereinto by reference . one leg of opening 140 extends along the horizontal axis 142 of the bar while the other leg extends at least parallel to the vertical axis 144 . in practice , the horizontal leg of receiving opening 140 is defined by a through slot 146 which effectively divides the bar in half . the halves are , in turn , retained in the spaced relationship shown in fig6 by means of a rear retainer plate 148 ( fig7 ). the retainer plate and decentration bar halves are interconnected as at areas 150 by convenient means such as roll pins , threaded fasteners or combinations thereof . the thickness of retainer plate 148 is such that the bar halves may be pivoted slightly thereat so as to effect selective movement of the sides of slot 146 toward each other for clamping a lens block therebetween as will be described . also , axial guide slots 152 , 154 are included in opposed sides 132 , 134 , respectively , of the decentration bar . these slots are substantially coplanar with a vertical plane which includes axis 144 and are used for precisely locating the decentration bar in chuck assembly a as will become apparent . in practice , a plurality of decentration bars 130 are provided which are identical to each other except for the location of lens block receiving opening 140 relative to axis 144 . as shown in fig6 the vertical leg of this opening is laterally spaced some predetermined distance x from axis 144 . distance x is calculated so as to automatically obtain a desired amount of lens blank decentration along horizontal axis 142 when the decentration bar is mounted in chuck assembly a . thus , decentration is obtained simply by selecting a particular one of the decentration bars in accordance with the lens prescription and no lateral adjustment of any clamp means is necessitated as in the case of those teachings incorporated hereinto by reference . in the preferred arrangement , twenty - one ( 21 ) different decentration bars 130 are provided with the dimension x varying from each other by a distance of 0 . 5 mm . so that the decentration range is from 0 mm . to 10 . 0 mm . other combinations may also be employed commensurate with accepted lens grinding practice . referring again to fig2 a pulley 160 extends circumferentially of housing 20 axially adjacent first end 22 and is secured thereto by convenient means such as mechanical fasteners or the like . a drive belt 162 is entrained about pulley 160 and extends to a drive arrangement or means ( not shown ) for purposes of allowing incremental rotational adjustment of chuck assembly a relative to tailstock b . a scale ring 164 extends circumferentially of housing 20 axially adjacent pulley 160 and is affixed to the housing by convenient means such as mechanical fasteners or the like . an angular scale 166 , in turn , is fixedly secured to one face of scale ring 164 for purposes of determining the rotated position of the chuck assembly between a first home position and a second rotated position arcuately spaced from the home position . a pointer ( not shown ) associated with the lens generator cooperates with scale 166 for convenient reading of the chuck assembly rotated position . rotation of the chuck assembly relative to the tailstock allows a lens blank base line to be oriented relative to the generating apparatus in accordance with a lens prescription . a drum dial 168 extends circumferentially of the chuck body housing adjacent second end 24 for use in adjusting the face plate relative to the chuck housing to impart any prescribed prism to a lens blank in a manner to be described . both scale 166 and drum dial 168 are readable from 0 ° to 360 ° in 1 ° increments . fig8 shows installation of a lens block with lens blank into chuck assembly a for a lens grinding operation . the lens blank , lens block and the mounting of one to the other are substantially the same as described in those teachings which are incorporated hereinto by reference . the chuck assembly is normally rotated to the first home position as indicated between the pointer ( not shown ) and scale 166 . the appropriate decentration bar 130 ( fig6 ) is selected in accordance with the particular lens prescription involved and the lens block 180 with lens blank then inserted into the decentration bar so that lens block mounting tab 182 is received in that portion of lens block receiving opening 140 which extends along horizontal axis 142 ( fig6 ). lens block locating tab 184 is , in turn , received in a portion of the other leg of the mounting opening . depending upon the particular prescription and whether a left or right eye lens is involved , it may be necessary to rotate the lens blank and lens block 180 ° from the position shown in fig8 . once the lens block has been appropriately positioned in decentration bar 130 , the components are moved axially into the chuck assembly with one of decentration bar guide slots 152 , 154 receiving locating pin 86 . the axial insertion continues until the convex lens blank surface engages lens ring 34 in the manner shown in fig8 . as also shown in fig8 sides 132 , 134 of the decentration bar are interposed between seat ring projecting areas 84a , 84b and between the opposed retaining surfaces 92 of retaining members or wedge bars 36 , 38 . at the same time , compression spring 122 is slightly compressed due to engagement thereof by the rear end area of the decentration bar . the lens blank is held in the position shown in fig8 and the collet actuating sleeve energized so that collet outer end 12 is radially contracted . such contraction causes retaining surfaces 92 of the retaining members to be driven radially in directions a - b into retaining engagement with decentration bar sides 132 , 134 . this radial movement is made possible by the particular mounted relationship as between face plate 32 , members 36 , 38 and spring clips 100 , 102 as described above . the retaining force imparted to decentration bar sides 132 , 134 , in turn , causes the opposite sides of slot 146 ( fig6 ) to be forced toward each other about retainer plate 150 . thus , that portion of lens block receiving opening 140 which is defined by slot 146 is moved into clamping engagement with lens block mounting tab 180 . once clamped as described above , and because of the various coaxial relationships of the chuck assembly components relative to the tailstock , decentration bar 130 acts to automatically adjust the lens blank for decentration . that is , the decentration bar which is selected as a function of the lens prescription adjusts a desired optical center axis in the lens blank to a position coaxial with both the generator tailstock b and chuck assembly a . in the event axis is required to be imparted to the lens blank in accordance with the prescription , such axis is obtained by rotating the chuck assembly a ( fig1 ) relative to the tailstock b by means of appropriate rotate means ( not shown ) interconnected with pulley 160 via drive belt 162 . scale 166 provides convenient readout for such adjustment . grinding of the lens blank may thereafter be effected . following grinding , collet 10 is opened by shifting sleeve 14 to thereby release the retaining pressure exerted by retaining members 36 , 38 against the decentration bar . spring arrangements 108 ( fig2 ) act to separate members 36 , 38 radially outward of each other . at the same time , compression spring 122 ( fig8 ) urges or kicks out decentration bar 130 with the lens blank and lens block from association with the chuck assembly in order that the next lens blank may be processed . in the event it is necessary to add prism to the lens blank in accordance with the lens prescription , a further adjustment is necessary to the chuck assembly prior to grinding as is shown in fig9 and 11 . in particular , the prism adjustment is obtained by utilizing a prism shim having predetermined shim characteristics interposed between face plate 32 and housing second end 24 . fig9 and 10 show one such shim 190 , it being appreciated that the other shims are identical thereto except for the specific shim characteristics thereof . in particular , the shim 190 has opposed planar faces 192 , 194 extending between spaced apart ends 196 , 198 . a pointer 200 extends through the shim adjacent the outer edge area thereof and is normal to the plane of face 192 . pointer 200 is adapted to cooperate with drum dial 168 ( fig1 ) to secure proper shim placement circumferentially of the chuck assembly in accordance with the lens prescription . face 194 is angularly disposed relative to face 192 so that an angle y is defined therebetween . the amount or degree of angle y determines the canted relationship between the lens block optical center axis and longitudinal axis 16 ( fig2 ) of tailstock b . the thickness of shim 190 increases from end 196 toward a maximum thickness at the central area and then decreases in thickness from the central area toward end 198 . arcuate inner edge 202 of the shim has a radius which allows it to be closely received against a portion of face plate 32 . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , a total of sixteen ( 16 ) different shims are provided and comprise a shim set . each shim has a different shim angle y to permit a range of different prism characteristics to be obtained in accordance with conventional prescription requirements . the number of shims may , however , be varied as deemed necessary or appropriate . fig1 is a view similar to fig8 but for the inclusion of a shim 190 for obtaining prism in the lens blank . as hereinabove described , face plate 32 is axially movable outwardly of the chuck body housing from second end 24 against the opposite biasing force of expansion springs 120 ( fig2 ). likewise , the relationship between slots 76 and pins 78 ( fig4 ) in the face plate and housing accommodates such movement . thus , to install shim 190 , it is merely necessary to pull the face plate outwardly a short distance from housing second end 24 , insert the shim at the appropriate location circumferentially of the housing and then move the face plate back toward its normal psition . shim inner edge 202 engages face plate rim 74 and pointer 200 is aligned with the appropriate angular reading on drum dial 168 . because of the physical interconnection between the face plate 32 and retaining members 36 , 38 , both the face plate and retaining members will be canted by the predetermined angle y so that the desired prism characteristics will be incorporated into the lens blank at grinding . following lens blank processing in chuck assembly a , the lens blank may be further processed and completed in the same manner set forth in detail by those teachings which are incorporated hereinto by reference . in addition , and except for the manner in which lens blank decentration is obtained in the chuck assembly described herein , the overall method of lens blank processing is substantially the same as that described in the subject matter which is incorporated hereinto by reference . accordingly , further detailed elaboration on these features is deemed unnecessary . a particular advantage to the subject new chuck assembly a resides in the fact that it utilizes the collet portion of existing lens and known generating apparatus to achieve clamping for the lens blocks . thus , the generator tailstock remains substantially intact so that the associated lens generating apparatus may be readily converted between use in frame center grinding operations employing chuck assembly a and alloy block lens grinding operations . removal of the chuck assembly from association with tailstock b is accomplished by removing retaining ring 58 ( fig2 ) from housing first end 22 , unthreading retaining screw assembly 40 from association with collet 10 and then axially moving the entire chuck assembly away from the tailstock . reinstallation of the chuck is performed merely by reversing the foregoing steps . this conversion feature has not been available in chuck assemblies heretofore available and represents a substantial improvement thereover . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment . obviously , modifications and alterations will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of this specification . it is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

some embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which some , but not all embodiments of the disclosure are shown . indeed , various embodiments of the disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , these example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art . like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout . fig1 illustrates an airplane emergency supplemental braking system , or “ system ,” generally 100 , installed on an aerospace vehicle , such as an airplane , generally a . each of the main landing gear configurations , generally mlg 1 and mlg 2 , of airplane a are illustrated as having an application of a system 100 , and both depicted as being in a deployed , or engaged , configuration , as also shown in fig3 . airplane a has a fuselage , generally f , airfoils , such as wings , generally w , connected to fuselage f , and at least one power source , such as engines , generally e , connected fuselage f and / or wings w or tail section , generally t . in fig2 , system 100 is shown in a disengaged configuration and is connected to a landing gear configuration , such as mlg 1 and / or mlg 2 , which includes a shock / strut assembly , generally 102 , to which tires 104 , 106 are each carried for rotation on a respective axle 108 , 109 . tires 104 , 106 are carried on wheels 110 , 112 , respectively , and wheels 110 , 112 are supported on a wheel truck beam , generally 116 . airplane landing gear mlg 1 and / or mlg 2 could also include force bearing portions other than wheels and tires , and could include skis , tracks , rollers , etc . ( none shown ). wheel truck beam 116 is connected to shock / strut assembly 102 via a pivot 118 which passes through a structural member , generally 120 . a torque link arrangement , generally 122 , is provided having a lower torque link 124 and an upper torque link 126 . torque links 124 , 126 are interconnected by a pivot 128 and are connected via a pivot 130 to a mounting bracket , generally 132 , which may be integral to the shock / strut assembly 102 . a lower pivot 134 connects lower link 124 to shock / strut assembly 102 . an arm , or yoke , generally y , is pivotally attached to shock / strut assembly 102 via pivot 118 for movement between a disengaged position , as shown in fig2 , to a deployed , or engaged , position as shown in fig3 . actuators , generally 140 , such as a hydraulic cylinder 140 a ( which could be double or single action and which is supplied with pressurized hydraulic fluid through line 142 ) may be used move arm or yoke y between the disengaged and engaged positions . as seen fig4 and 5 , system 100 includes two actuators 140 a , each connected to yoke y . actuators 140 a are connected at one end thereof to yoke y and at the other end thereof to shock / strut assembly 102 . an engagement portion , generally 145 , which may include a rotatable braking device , or unit , generally 146 , is connected to a distal end of an arm 144 of yoke y and , upon system 100 being deployed , is constructed to engage a runway or landing surface upon yoke y being in the engaged position and to also generally rotate into alignment with the direction of travel of the airplane a on such runway or landing surface . unit 146 is pivotally attached to the distal end of yoke arm 144 via a pivot 148 and includes a pivotal and / or rotary portion , which may take the form of a skid plate , generally 146 a , which includes one or more downwardly extending engagement members , which may include a finger , tooth , barb or spike , generally 150 , the tip , generally 152 , of which includes a hardened point or tip of material , such as carbide or some other hard , durable material . actuators 140 a are each connected to yoke y via a pivot 154 , which are each engaged in an upstanding tab 156 in yoke y arm 144 . this pivot arrangement allows actuators 140 a to pivot thereabout during movement of yoke y from a disengaged position , shown in fig2 , and the engaged position as shown in fig3 . the upper end of each actuator 140 a , which includes a piston rod extending therefrom , is connected to shock / strut assembly 102 via a pivot 158 . a larger fender - shaped debris deflector 160 , which could be connected to yoke arm 144 or , alternately , to another portion of the landing gear , protects and deflects debris from tire 104 when system 100 is deployed . debris shields 162 may also be provided on yoke arm 144 to deflect debris which may be kicked up and propelled from system 100 when deployed . as shown in fig4 , the primary braking system of airplane includes a brake assembly 166 at each wheel , which under normal conditions provides the braking action for airplane a . brake assembly 166 is connected to a beam portion 168 of wheel truck beam 116 . at the other end of wheel truck beam 116 is a beam portion 170 to which one or more wheels are connected , as shown in fig1 . it should be noted here that yoke y includes a first yoke arm portion 144 a and second yoke arm portion 144 b , and yoke y is centered about shock / strut assembly 102 , with the upper portion of each actuator 140 a being connected to an actuator assembly 172 fixedly connected to shock / strut assembly 102 . turning now to fig6 , braking unit 146 , is shown in detail and includes a stationary , or static , component , or plate 176 a , which is pivotally connected via pivot 148 to yoke arm portion 144 . beneath plate 176 a is a rotatable component , or plate , 176 c which rotates with respect to plate 176 a during actual use of system 100 . as noted above , unit 146 , when deployed , rotates to be oriented generally in the direction of travel of airplane a , such as in the direction of the arrow a 1 shown in fig7 , which is angularly displaced from the centerline cl of yoke arm 144 . disposed between static plate 176 a and rotatable plate 176 c is a ball bearing arrangement , wherein ball bearings 176 b are carried between bearing races 176 d and 176 e . this ball bearing arrangement allows for rotatable plate 176 c to readily rotate as needed in emergency braking situations to optimize braking performance of engagement members 150 and hardened tips 152 in the direction of travel of airplane a , and thereby maximize the deceleration effectiveness of the drag induced against forward movement of airplane a by unit 146 a . it should be noted that although a ball bearing arrangement has been shown to facilitate the relative rotation of rotatable plate 176 c with respect to stationary , or static plate 176 a , it is to be understood that other bearing arrangements ( not shown ) could be used if desired . a member , generally 180 , which may take the form of a sled - shaped plate having an upturned leading edge 182 , facilitates the travel of member 180 , and accordingly unit 146 a to which it is attached , across the surface of the runway ( or other landing surface ) when system 100 is deployed . additionally , member 180 provides an elongated longitudinal dimension to the combination of rotatable plate 176 c and plate 180 to facilitate the alignment thereof with the general direction of travel of the airplane a during braking . a control circuit , generally 190 , ( fig2 ) is provided in system 100 and includes a sensor , generally 192 , and a computer system , or processor , generally 194 , such as a central processing unit ( cpu ), processor , axis - position modular ( apm ), etc ., which is in turn connected to the hydraulic system ( not shown ), which provides hydraulic pressure to actuators 140 . sensor 192 , which could be a strain gauge , proximity sensor , pressure transducer , or the like , has the capability of monitoring the downward force applied by yoke arm 144 when system 100 is deployed , and through connection with processor 194 , can output such force in a manner ( visually and / or audibly , etc .) in a manner that allows the pilot and / or air crew to monitor such force during emergency procedures . such monitoring could be done via a display in the cockpit and / or through audible annunciators . such downward force can be modulated manually via processor 194 , i . e ., selectively and / or automatically , if desired , with a predetermined downward force being selected for yoke arm 144 , with such force being automatically maintained through feedback from sensor 192 and through interaction with sensor 192 , processor 194 , and actuators 140 . referring specifically to controller 194 mentioned herein , other embodiments may provide a non - transitory computer readable medium and / or storage medium , and / or a non - transitory machine readable medium and / or storage medium , having stored thereon a machine code and / or a computer program having at least one code section executable by a machine and / or a computer , thereby causing the machine and / or computer to perform the steps as described herein with respect to dual function movement of yoke y and / or braking unit 146 . accordingly , aspects of the presently disclosed embodiments may be realized in hardware , software , or a combination of hardware and software . the present embodiments may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least one computer system or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems . any kind of computer system 194 or other system adapted for carrying out the methods described herein may be suitable . for example , a typical combination of hardware and software may be a general - purpose computer system with a computer program that , when being loaded and executed , controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein . aspects of the presently disclosed embodiments may also be embedded in a computer program product , which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein , and which when loaded in a computer system 194 is able to carry out these methods . “ computer program ” in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; b ) reproduction in a different material form . turning now to fig8 and 9 , another example embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . as shown in fig8 , such alternate example system , generally 200 , includes an arm 206 having one or more downwardly extending claws , generally 208 . in the embodiment shown in fig9 , three downwardly extending claws 208 a , 208 b , and 208 c are provided . preferably , each such claw includes a hardened tip 210 thereon for engaging the runway and / or landing surface . arm 206 , and accordingly , claw members 208 a , 208 b , and 208 c are moved between a disengaged , and engaged , or deployed , position via hydraulic actuators 140 , such as discussed above in regard to system 100 . while hydraulic actuators have been discussed herein , it is to be understood that other devices could be used , such as pneumatic cylinders , motorized screw mechanisms , magnetic systems , dead - weight systems , and / or electromagnetic systems , etc ., instead of or in combination with the hydraulic actuators discussed herein . in operation , an airplane emergency supplemental braking system 100 as disclosed herein may be activated in a landing scenario by the pilot flying or the first officer . upon a sufficient portion of the airplane &# 39 ; s weight being placed on the landing gear wheels 110 , 112 and low friction surface conditions being detected ( and a determination made that the loss of , or significant damage to , the airplane is probable due to over - running the end of the runway ), it may become advisable to deploy system 100 . the activation controls ( not shown ) for system 100 could , for example , be placed on the airplane &# 39 ; s flight deck , such as on the center aisle stand near the thrust levers , since they could be used in conjunction with thrust reversers , if the airplane is so - equipped . the controls could also be duplicated on the outboard console in situations when the pilot flying directs the first officer to manage the deployment of the system . as system 100 is activated , a portion of the airplane &# 39 ; s weight is transferred from the tires 104 , 106 of the main landing gear to the hardened tips or teeth 152 of the engagement members 150 of system 100 , thereby causing a relatively large concentrated friction against the landing surface , or runway substrate , and in some cases , physically damaging and sacrificing the substrate if maximum force is applied against yoke arm 144 by the pilot . during this process , runway portions and debris may be lifted and propelled in a number of directions . when system 100 has been deployed , engagement members 150 , start to penetrate into the runway or other landing surface and could potentially fracture such surface . by virtue of the drag created by activation of the system 100 , the required runway length should therefore be reduced , and in some cases a dramatic reduction may be possible . it is also possible that system 100 could prevent loss of the aircraft in cases of severe cross - wind conditions combined with low friction runway surface conditions . under this potentially “ side skid ” condition , the system 100 could potentially prevent the airplane from unintentionally leaving the side of the runway . system 100 facilitates rapid airplane deceleration as braking unit 146 a is forced itself into a slippery runway surface after landing , and its activation is particularly suited when the airplane &# 39 ; s primary or conventional brake system cannot provide enough traction to stop the airplane from running off the runway or from crashing against other objects . the present invention thus finds application in those cases when it is better to damage a fraction of the runway pavement rather than lose or significantly damage the entire airplane and risk injury to those onboard the airplane and / or bystanders . it is conceivable that the present invention or a modified embodiment of it could be used in situations other than emergencies . in primitive runway situations , or limited risk operations , it may be possible to use the system 100 without damage to the airplane , main landing gear , tires , etc . such flights may be encountered in icy landing situations , for example , in scientific field operations in which civilians are supported by the military flying c - 130 airplanes into mcmurdo station in antarctica . many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these disclosure pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings . therefore , it is to be understood that the disclosure are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims . moreover , although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and / or functions , it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and / or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims . in this regard , for example , different combinations of elements and / or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims . although specific terms are employed herein , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

the following is a detailed description of the invention provided to aid those skilled in the art in practicing the present invention . those of ordinary skill in the art may make modifications and variations in the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . the terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . all publications , patent applications , patents , figures and other references mentioned herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety . where a range of values is provided , it is understood that each intervening value , to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise , between the upper and lower limit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range , is encompassed within the invention . ranges from any lower limit to any upper limit are contemplated . the upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges which may independently be included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention , subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range . where the stated range includes one or both of the limits , ranges excluding either both of those included limits are also included in the invention . the articles “ a ” and an as used herein and in the appended claims are used herein to refer to one or to more than one ( i . e ., to at least one ) of the grammatical object of the article unless the context dearly indicates otherwise . by way of example , “ an element ” means one element or more than one element . all numerical values within the detailed description and the claims herein are modified by “ about ” or “ approximately ” the indicated value , and take into account experimental error and variations that would be expected by a person having ordinary skill in the art . the phrase “ and / or ,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims , should be understood to mean “ either or both ” of the elements so conjoined , i . e ., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases . multiple elements listed with “ and / or ” should be construed in the same fashion , i . e ., one or more of the elements so conjoined . other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “ and / or ” clause , whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified . thus , as a non - limiting example , a reference to “ a and / or b ”, when used in conjunction with open - ended language such as “ comprising ” can refer , in one embodiment , to a only ( optionally including elements other than b ); in another embodiment , to b only ( optionally including elements other than a ); in yet another embodiment , to both a and b ( optionally including other elements ); etc . as used herein in the specification and in the claims , “ or ” should be understood to have the same meaning as “ and / or ” as defined above . for example , when separating items in a list , “ or ” or “ and / or ” shall be interpreted as being inclusive , i . e ., the inclusion of at least one , but also including more than one , of a number or list of elements , and , optionally , additional unlisted items . only terms clearly indicated to the contrary , such as only one of or “ exactly one of ,” or , when used in the claims , “ consisting of ,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements . in general , the term “ or ” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives ( i . e ., “ one or the other but not both ”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity , such as “ either ,” “ one of ,” “ only one of ,” or “ exactly one of .” as used herein in the specification and in the claims , the phrase “ at least one ,” in reference to a list of one or more elements , should be understood to mean at least one element selected from anyone or more of the elements in the list of elements , but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements . this definition also allows that elements may optionally he present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “ at least one ” refers , whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified . thus , as a nonlimiting example , “ at least one of a and b ” ( or , equivalently , “ at least one of a or b ,” or , equivalently “ at least one of a and / or b ”) can refer , in one embodiment , to at least one , optionally including more than one , a , with no b present ( and optionally including elements other than b ); in another embodiment , to at least one , optionally including more than one , b , with no a present ( and optionally including elements other than a ); in yet another embodiment , to at least one , optionally including more than one , a , and at least one , optionally including more than one , b ( and optionally including other elements ); etc . it should also be understood that , unless clearly indicated to the contrary , in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act , the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited . in the claims , as well as in the specification above , all transitional phrases such as “ comprising ,” “ including ,” “ carrying ,” “ having ,” “ containing ,” “ involving ,” “ holding ,” “ composed of ,” and the like are to be understood to be open - ended , i . e ., to mean including but not limited to . only the transitional phrases “ consisting of ” and “ consisting essentially of ” shall be closed or semi - closed transitional phrases , respectively , as set forth in the 10 united states patent office manual of patent examining procedures , section 2111 . 03 . with reference to fig1 and 2 , side , partial and detailed cross - sectional views of an exemplary collapsible drill 100 ( hereinafter “ drill 100 ”) are provided . in particular , drill 100 is schematically illustrated in an extended and engaged position prior to complete penetration of a drilled material 102 , e . g ., a wall , bone , cartilage , and the like . the drilled material 102 can define an outer surface 104 , e . g ., the surface through which the drill 100 begins to drill , and an inner surface 106 , e . g ., the surface at which , after penetration , it is desired to stop the drill 100 to prevent to prevent entrance of the drill 100 into an inner cavity 108 . the inner cavity 108 can include one or more structures ( not shown ) therein , e . g ., blood vessels , nerves , electrical wires , and the like , and prevention of plunging into the inner cavity 108 with the drill 100 is desired to prevent damage to the one or more structures . the exemplary drill 100 includes a chuck 110 configured and dimensioned to receive and / or retain a drill bit 112 therein . it should be understood that the chuck 110 can receive a variety of drill bit 112 sizes as needed by a user . in some embodiments , the chuck 110 can be a standard chuck utilized in the industry . in some embodiments , the drill bit 112 can be a standard drill bit utilized in the industry . the drill 100 further includes a piston 114 and a motor section 116 . the piston 114 includes a piston rod 118 and a cylinder 120 aligned along a central axis a . the piston rod 118 can define a distal end 122 and a proximal end 124 . in some embodiments , the piston rod 118 can define a solid structure , e . g ., a non - hollow structure . the cylinder 120 can define a distal end 126 and a proximal end 128 . the piston 114 can include a first pair of interlocking splines 130 and a second pair of interlocking splines 132 . the first pair of interlocking splines 130 can be located at the proximal end 128 of the cylinder 120 and can provide an interlocking or engagement interface between the motor section 116 and the cylinder 120 of the piston 114 . in some embodiments , the motor section 116 can include a plurality of grooves 134 radially spaced about the central axis a configured and dimensioned to interlock with a plurality of complementary teeth 136 , e . g ., ridges , radially spaced about the central axis a of the outer surface of the proximal end 128 of the cylinder 120 . in some embodiments , the motor section 116 can include radially spaced teeth 136 and the proximal end 128 of the cylinder 120 can include radially spaced complementary grooves 134 . the first pair of interlocking splines 130 allows torque to be transferred from the motor section 116 to the piston 114 to regulate rotation of the piston 114 . for example , the motor section 116 can actuate or engage the grooves 134 to rotate about the central axis a which , in turn , actuate or engage the interlocked teeth 136 to rotate about the central axis a . although not illustrated , those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the motor section 116 includes a motor for creating the torque for rotating the grooves 134 of the first pair of interlocking splines 130 . the second pair of interlocking splines 132 can be located at the distal end 126 of the cylinder 120 and a midpoint between the distal end 122 and the proximal end 124 of the piston rod 118 . the second pair of interlocking splines 132 can provide an interlocking or engagement interface between the piston rod 118 and the cylinder 118 of the piston 114 . in some embodiments , an inner surface of the distal end 126 of the cylinder 120 can include a plurality of grooves 138 radially spaced about the central axis a configured and dimensioned to interlock with a plurality of complementary teeth 140 , e . g ., ridges , radially spaced about the central axis a of the outer surface of the piston rod 118 . in some embodiments , the cylinder 120 can include radially spaced teeth 140 and the piston rod 118 can include radially spaced complementary grooves 138 . the second pair of interlocking splines 132 allows torque coupling between the cylinder 118 , the piston rod 118 and the chuck 110 by engaging the teeth 140 with the grooves 138 . the torque from the motor section 116 can thereby be transferred to the chuck 110 to regulate rotation of the drill bit 112 . in some embodiments , the distal end 122 of the piston rod 118 can be secured to the chuck 110 and the proximal end 124 can be movably engaged with the cylinder 120 of the piston 114 . in particular , the proximal end 124 of the piston rod 118 can he linearly translatable within the cylinder 120 along the central axis a . the cylinder 120 can include an inner radial ledge 142 located along the inner surface of the cylinder 120 at a midpoint between the distal end 126 and the proximal end 128 of the cylinder 120 . the ledge 142 , can extend from the inner surface of the cylinder 120 in the direction of the central axis a and can be configured to form a central aperture dimensioned to receive the piston rod 118 therethrough . the ledge 142 can act as a stop to limit translation of the piston rod 118 within the cylinder 120 . for example , the piston rod 118 can translate within the cylinder 120 along the central axis a until the teeth 140 of the second pair of interlocking splines 132 engage the ledge 142 . the proximal end 124 of the piston rod 118 can include a radial protrusion 144 extended from the piston rod 118 and away from the central axis a . in particular , the proximal end 124 of the piston rod 118 can define a substantially flat surface extending across the entire diameter of the piston rod 118 and the radial protrusion 144 can further extend from the proximal end 124 surface away from the central axis a . the radial protrusion 144 can be configured and dimensioned to fit within the inner walls of the cylinder 120 . in some embodiments , the radial protrusion 144 can include an o - ring 146 secured thereon . the piston rod 118 can be assembled with the cylinder 120 such that the radial protrusion 144 is positioned between the ledge 142 and the proximal end 128 of the cylinder 120 . the piston rod 118 can thereby translate along the central axis a in the direction of the proximal end 128 of the cylinder 120 until the teeth 140 engage the ledge 142 and translate along the central axis a in the direction of the distal end 126 of the cylinder 120 until the radial protrusion 144 engages the ledge 142 . engagement of the radial protrusion 144 with the ledge 142 can form a seal between a first chamber 148 and the second chamber 150 of the cylinder 120 . the first chamber 148 can therefore be defined as the inner cavity of the cylinder 120 located between the proximal end 128 of the cylinder 120 and the radial protrusion 144 of the piston rod 118 . the second chamber 150 can be defined as the inner cavity of the cylinder 120 located between the ledge 142 and the distal end 126 of the cylinder 120 . in some embodiments , the drill 100 includes a sensor 152 , e . g ., a force transducer , positioned between the motor section 116 and the proximal end 128 of the cylinder 120 . the sensor 152 can measure a reaction force from the drill bit 112 back to the motor section 116 . for example , the sensor 152 can measure the pressure imparted by the drill bit 112 against the drilled material 102 such that a change in the reaction force can be detected by the sensor 152 when the drill bit 112 has passed through the inner surface 106 of the drilled material 102 . in some embodiments , the motor section 116 of the drill 100 can include a compressed air mechanism 154 therein . the compressed air mechanism 154 can include a compressor 156 with an inlet 158 and an outlet 160 . the compressed air mechanism 154 can further include a hose 162 , e . g ., a flexible air hose , connecting the compressor 156 to the proximal end 128 of the cylinder 120 . the compressor 156 can intake compressed air through the inlet 158 and pass the compressed air through the hose 162 into the first chamber 148 of the cylinder 120 . the seal between the radial protrusion 144 and the ledge 142 can seal the first chamber 148 such that the compressed air can be maintained within the first chamber 148 . the compressor 156 can further release the compressed air from the first chamber 148 through the hose 162 and out of the outlet 160 . still with reference to fig1 and 2 , when the drill 100 is positioned in an extended position for drilling , the piston rod 118 can be extended from the cylinder 120 such that the first and second pairs of interlocking splines 130 , 132 are interlocked or engaged . in some embodiments , the piston rod 118 can be actuated into the extended position by filling or preloading the first chamber 148 with compressed air with the compressed air mechanism 154 . for example , the compressed air can impart a force on the proximal end 124 surface and the radial protrusion 144 surface of the piston rod 118 to linearly translate the piston rod 118 in the direction of the ledge 142 and seal the radial protrusion 144 against the ledge 142 . the compressed air area within the first chamber 148 can therefore impart and maintain a pressure against the radial protrusion 144 in the direction of the distal end 122 of the piston rod 118 to maintain the radial protrusion 144 and / or the o - ring 146 against the ledge 142 , thereby maintaining the compressed air pressure within the first chamber 148 . translation of the piston rod 118 into the extended position can interlock the grooves 138 and the teeth 140 of the second pair of interlocking splines 132 . the first pair of interlocking splines 130 can therefore provide torque transfer from the motor section 116 to the cylinder 120 and the second pair of interlocking splines 132 can provide torque transfer from the cylinder 120 to the piston rod 118 . the piston rod 118 can , in turn , provide torque to the chuck 110 and the drill bit 112 . in some embodiments , the first and / or second pair of interlocking splines 130 , 132 can allow a small movement between the piston 114 and the motor section 116 of the drill 100 . based on the movement between the piston 114 and the motor section 116 , the sensor 152 positioned between the piston 114 and the motor section 116 can measure the reaction force from the drill bit 112 back to the motor section 116 . for example , when pressure is applied by the user performing the drilling in a linear and / or non - linear direction along the central axis a by pressing the tip 164 of the drill bit 112 and / or an area of the drill bit 112 adjacent to the tip 164 against the drilled material 102 , the pressure can be measured by the sensor 152 . as discussed above , the compressed air preloaded into the first chamber 148 with the compressed air mechanism 154 can maintain the piston 114 in the extended position . during drilling , the pressure applied by the user against the drill bit 112 can vary . the compressed air mechanism 154 can therefore intake additional compressed air through the inlet 158 and into the first chamber 148 as needed to maintain or increase the compressed air pressure within the first chamber 148 of the piston 114 to resist the application of linear pressure and to maintain the piston 114 in the extended position . in some embodiments , the compressed air mechanism 154 can include a sensor ( not shown ) to detect the pressure within the first chamber 148 . maintaining or increasing the pressure within the first chamber 148 of the piston 114 can maintain the interlock or engagement between the grooves 138 and the teeth 140 of the second pair of interlocking splines 132 . torque can therefore be transferred from the motor section 116 to the piston 114 , the chuck 110 and the drill bit 112 . the drill bit 112 can thereby be rotated at the desired speed and can be advanced through the drilled material 102 . turning now to fig3 and 4 , side , partial and detailed cross - sectional views of an exemplary drill 100 are provided . in particular , the drill 100 is schematically illustrated in a collapsed and disengaged position after complete penetration of the drilled material 102 , e . g ., a wall , bone , cartilage , and the like . as can be seen from fig3 and 4 , the tip 164 of the drill bit 112 has fully passed through the drilled material 102 , including the inner surface 106 of the drilled material 102 . during drilling , when the drill bit 112 penetrates the hard substance of the drilled material 102 , a sudden change in force or pressure occurs as imparted against the drill bit 112 . the change in force can be detected by the sensor 152 positioned between the piston 114 and the motor section 116 . upon detection of the change in force imparted on the drill bit 112 , a solenoid valve ( not shown ) located in the compressor 156 can open to vent the compressed air in the first chamber 148 to atmosphere through the outlet 160 . the compressed air can thereby quickly exit from the piston 114 . the decrease in pressure within the first chamber 148 simultaneously decreases the force imparted on the radial protrusion 144 of the piston rod 118 against the ledge 142 of the cylinder 120 , allowing translation of the piston rod 118 within the cylinder 120 along the central axis a . thus , upon detection of the change in force imparted on the drill bit 112 and upon venting of the compressed air from the first chamber 148 , the chuck 110 , the drill bit 112 and the piston rod 118 can collapse or depress into the cylinder 120 of the piston 114 by translating along the central axis a until the teeth 140 of the piston rod 118 abut the ledge 142 . in some embodiments , the distance the piston rod 118 can collapse or depress into the cylinder 120 can be variable based on , e . g ., the area desired by the user , the force applied by the user , the potential “ plunge ” distance expected , and the like . in some embodiments , the distance the piston rod 118 can collapse or depress into the cylinder 120 can be adjusted by the user and / or the manufacturer to range from a distance in millimeters to a distance in centimeters . continued pressure or force imparted by a user against a handle ( not shown ) of the drill 100 can cause the drill 100 to move forward without a force being imparted by the drill bit 112 . in particular , as the user continues to provide a force against the handle of the drill 100 to continue drilling , the chuck 110 , the drill bit 112 and the piston rod 118 can be forced to collapse or translate into the cylinder 120 of the piston 114 due to the vented first chamber 148 . translation of the piston rod 118 along the central axis a in the direction of the ledge 142 due to the drop in pressure within the first chamber 148 forces the second pair of interlocking splines 132 between the piston rod 118 and the cylinder 120 to disengage . disengagement of the second pair of interlocking splines 132 further releases the torque transfer from the cylinder 120 to the piston rod 118 and , in turn , the chuck 110 and the drill bit 112 . rotation of the drill bit 112 can therefore be prevented . in some embodiments , stopping rotation of the drill bit 112 can also stop further advancement of the drill bit 112 into the inner cavity 108 of the drilled material 102 by preventing the drill hit 112 from cutting away at the structure within the inner cavity 108 . in some embodiments , further advancement of the drill bit 112 into the inner cavity 108 of the drilled material 102 can be prevented by automatically and at least partially retracting the drill bit 112 out of the hole formed in the drilled material 102 when the piston rod 118 translates into the cylinder 120 . the user can release or reduce the force applied to the handle of the drill 100 before the piston 114 completely collapses or depresses , e . g ., before the teeth 140 of the piston rod 118 abut the ledge 142 , to prevent the stopped drill bit 112 from penetrating the soft matter , e . g ., the nerves , blood vessels , and the like , within the inner cavity 108 beyond the hard substance of the drilled material 102 once the desired aperture has been formed . in terms of industrial uses , the user can release or reduce the force applied to the handle of the drill 100 before the piston 114 completely collapses to prevent the stopped drill bit 112 from penetrating the structures , e . g ., the electrical wires , and the like , within the inner cavity 108 beyond the hard substance of the drilled material 102 once the desired aperture has been formed . in some embodiments , the solenoid valve of the motor section 116 can open to a negative pressure reservoir ( not shown ). in some embodiments , the negative pressure reservoir can be generated electromechanically . thus , when a drop in pressure is detected by the sensor 152 , the compressed air within the first chamber 148 can be actively decompressed , the first chamber 148 can be actively collapsed , and the piston rod 118 can be sucked into the cylinder 120 of the piston 114 until the teeth 140 of the piston rod 118 abut the ledge 142 . the chuck 110 and the drill bit 112 can thereby also be sucked in the direction of the cylinder 120 along the central axis a . translation of the piston rod 118 , the chuck 110 and the drill bit 112 can prevent further advancement of the drill bit 112 into the inner cavity 108 of the drilled material 102 . in some embodiments , translation of the piston rod 118 , the chuck 110 and the drill bit 112 can actively and / or automatically retract the drill bit 112 away from the drilled material 102 and / or any structures within the inner cavity 108 . the force applied to the handle of the drill 100 can thereby be uncoupled from the force applied to the drill bit 112 to prevent damage to structures within the inner cavity 108 of the drilled material 112 . if a user wishes to drill further through the same or another drilled material 102 , the first chamber 148 of the piston 114 can be refilled with compressed air through , e . g ., actuation of a reset button , sensor detection , and the like . although discussed herein as utilizing compressed air to fill the first chamber 148 , those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that any similar mechanism using a piston - like design with , e . g ., one or more fluids , one or more springs , and the like , can be utilized for extending and / or collapsing the drill 100 . while exemplary embodiments have been described herein , it is expressly noted that these embodiments should not be construed as limiting , but rather that additions and modifications to what is expressly described herein also are included within the scope of the invention . moreover , it is to be understood that the features of the various embodiments described herein are not mutually exclusive and can exist in various combinations and permutations , even if such combinations or permutations are not made express herein , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

0Human Necessities

referring to fig1 and 2 , two identical spinal fixation devices of the present invention , each being generally referred to by the numerals 10 and 11 , respectively , are shown inserted into two vertebrae v adjacent to a disc d of a segment of the human spine . each spinal fixation device 10 and 11 is shown coupled to identical spinal fusion implants 40 and 41 that have been surgically implanted in the disc space between adjacent vertebrae v . in this manner , the spinal fixation devices 10 and 11 stabilize a segment of the spine , prevent the dislodgement of the spinal fusion implant 40 , and remain permanently fixated to the spine once applied . the spinal fixation devices 10 and 11 are identical such that the description of one is equally applicable to the other . thus , the description that follows will be directed to spinal fixation device 10 . referring to fig3 - 4 , the spinal fusion implant 40 such as , but not limited to , the spinal fusion implant described by michelson , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 015 , 247 issued on may 14 , 1991 , is shown . the spinal fusion implant 40 is cylindrical in shape and has external threads 42 at its outer perimeter for engaging the bone of the vertebrae v adjacent to the disc d . the spinal fusion implant 40 has a trailing end 43 having a depression 44 and a threaded aperture 45 for engaging a portion of the spinal fixation device 10 and also for engaging a portion of an instrument used to insert the spinal fixation device 10 into the vertebrae v . referring to fig5 - 7 , it is appreciated that the spinal fixation devices 10 and 11 of the present invention are not limited in use with a threaded spinal fusion implant 40 and 41 , but may be used with different types of spinal fusion implants . for example , the spinal fixation devices 10 and 11 may be coupled to spinal fusion implants 40 a and 41 a , respectively , each having external ratchetings 42 a instead of external threads 42 as shown in fig5 . alternatively , the spinal fixation devices 10 and 11 may be coupled to spinal fusion implants 40 b and 41 b , respectively , each having a partially cylindrical shape with at least one truncated side 47 as shown in fig6 . as a further alternative , the spinal fixation devices 10 and 11 may be coupled to spinal fusion implants 40 c and 41 c , respectively , each having a knurled external surface 48 as shown in fig7 . it is also appreciated that the spinal fixation devices may be used with a variety of other bone fusion implants without departing from the scope of the present invention . referring to fig8 - 9 , in the preferred embodiment , the spinal fixation device 10 of the present invention comprises a staple member 12 having a substantially planar top member 14 which is of sufficient length to span one intervertebral disc d and to engage , via a plurality of essentially perpendicular extending projections 16 and 17 , the vertebrae v adjacent to that disc d . the top member 14 has a central opening 18 within a concentric , countersunk recess 19 for receiving therethrough a screw or similar coupling means for coupling the spinal fixation device 10 to the spinal fusion implant 40 . the top member 14 has an upper surface 20 having a pair of openings 22 a and 22 b for receiving the posts 88 a and 88 b of a driving instrument 80 which is described in greater detail below in reference to fig1 a and 16b . referring to fig1 , a cross sectional view of the top member 14 is shown . in the preferred embodiment , the top member 14 is generally triangularly shaped and is radiused along curved side 24 and straight side 26 . the curved side 24 of the top member 14 is radiused at its upper edge 25 and at the upper edge 27 of straight side 26 to conform to the external curvature of the vertebrae v . in this manner , smooth surfaces are created at the upper edges 25 and 27 of the top member 14 that are contoured to the shape of the external curvature of the vertebrae v when the staple member 12 is in place . the smooth contoured surface of the upper edges 25 and 27 of the top member 14 prevent aortic erosions and perforations of the vessels proximate the vertebral column such as the vena cava and the iliac vessels which might otherwise result from friction . in the preferred embodiment of the spinal fixation device 10 , the top member 14 has a width ranging from 6 . 0 mm to 28 . 0 mm , with 10 . 0 mm being the preferred width , and having a thickness in the range of 2 . 0 mm to 4 . 0 mm , with 3 . 0 mm being the preferred thickness . the staple member 12 is made of material appropriate for human surgical implantation including all surgically appropriate metals such as but not limited to , titanium , titanium alloy , chrome molybidium alloys , stainless steel ; or non - metallic materials including permanent or resorbable substances or composites , carbon fiber materials , resins , plastics , ceramics or others . further , the staple member 12 of the present invention may be treated with , or even composed of , materials known to participate in or promote in the fusion process or bone growth . the spinal fixation device 10 may be coated with materials to promote bone fusion and thus promote the incorporation and ultimate entombment of the spinal fixation device 10 into the bone fusion mass . the use of a bone fusion promoting material such as , but not limited to hydroxyapatite , hydroxyapatite tricalcium phosphate or bone morphogenic protein , results in a speedier vertebra v to vertebra v fusion as bone may grow along the coated spinal fixation device 10 bridging the two vertebrae v so that the spinal fixation device 10 acts as a trellis and supplies essential chemical elements to facilitate the bone fusion process . referring again to fig9 , the projections 16 and 17 are positioned at opposite ends of the top member 14 and depend downwardly and extend perpendicularly from the bottom surface 30 of the top member 14 . the projections 16 and 17 each terminate in a distal end 32 that is pointed and sharpened to facilitate the insertion of the projections 16 and 17 into the vertebrae v . the staple member 12 is most effective when the interprojection distance i between projections 16 and 17 is at least 4 . 0 mm and preferably 6 . 0 mm greater than the diameter of the particular spinal fusion implant 40 for which the spinal fixation device 10 is being used so that at least 2 . 0 mm and preferably 3 . 0 mm of bone from the vertebrae v will be present between the spinal fusion implant 40 and each of the projections 16 and 17 . typically , intervertebral spinal fusion implants have a diameter that ranges from 12 . 0 mm to 28 . 0 mm , therefore , the interprojection distance i typically will range from 18 . 0 mm to 34 . 0 mm for most applications . in the preferred embodiment , the projections 16 and 17 comprise a series of segmented and ratcheted portions 34 . the segmented and ratcheted portions 34 provide for a “ one way ” insertion of the staple member 12 to prevent the backing - out of the projections 16 and 17 once they are inserted into the bone of the vertebrae v . in the preferred embodiment , each segmented and ratcheted portion 34 of the projections 16 and 17 is conical in shape and the diameter of each segmented and ratcheted portion 34 increases in the direction from the distal end 32 toward the top member 14 so that the projections 16 and 17 resemble a stack of cones . the segmented and ratcheted portions 34 are spaced approximately 2 . 0 mm to 4 . 0 mm apart , with 3 . 0 mm being the preferred distance between each segmented and ratcheted portion 34 . referring to fig1 - 12 , in the preferred embodiment of the spinal fixation device 10 , in order to further facilitate the insertion of the projections 16 and 17 into the vertebrae v , the distal end 32 of each projection 16 has an eccentric , incline - planed inner surface 36 as shown in fig1 . the eccentric , incline - planed inner surface 36 of each of the projections 16 and 17 create a force f which pushes the bone of the vertebrae v toward the spinal fusion implant 40 as the staple member 12 is inserted into each of the vertebrae v as shown in fig1 . referring to fig1 a - 13f , in the preferred embodiment of the spinal fixation device 10 , the projections 16 and 17 are cylindrical in shape having a circular cross section as shown for projection 16 in fig1 a . alternatively , the projection 16 a may have a triangular cross section as shown in fig1 b ; the projection 16 b may have a square cross section as shown in fig1 c ; the projection 16 c may have a rectangular cross section as shown in fig1 d ; the projection 16 d may have a trapezoidal cross section as shown in fig1 e ; or the projection 16 e may have a cross section with a configuration as shown in fig1 f . in the preferred embodiment , the projections 16 and 17 each have a diameter of approximately 2 . 0 mm to 4 . 0 mm , with 3 . 0 mm being the preferred diameter at the widest point . the projection 16 and 17 each have a length ranging from 16 . 0 mm to 28 . 0 mm , with 22 . 0 mm being the preferred length when the spinal fixation device 10 is implanted in the direction of the anterior aspect of the vertebra v to the posterior aspect of the vertebrae v . alternatively , it is appreciated that the projections 16 and 17 each could have a longer length depending on the diameter of the vertebrae v in which the projections 16 and 17 are implanted . referring again to fig9 , the top member 14 of the staple member 12 has a central bar 35 extending from the center of its bottom surface 30 , for interdigitating and mating to an already implanted intervertebral spinal fusion implant 40 . in the preferred embodiment , the central bar 35 has a thickness in the range of 0 . 5 mm to 1 . 5 mm , with 0 . 5 mm being the preferred thickness . referring to fig1 , the central bar 35 is configured so that it complements and engages the depression 44 at the insertion end 43 of the spinal fusion implant 40 . once engaged to the depression 44 , the bar 35 interdigitates with the depression 44 of the spinal fusion implant 40 to lock and prevent the rotation of the spinal fusion implant 40 . referring to fig1 , in the preferred embodiment , the staple member 12 is secured to the spinal fusion implant 40 by a screw 60 having threaded end 61 with a locking thread pattern 62 and screw head 64 . the locking thread pattern 62 has a reduced pitch at the bottom of the threaded end 61 such that the screw 60 is self - locking . however , it is appreciated that the threaded pattern 62 may be any of the means for locking a screw well known by those skilled in the art . referring to fig2 and 8 , the threaded end 61 of the screw 60 passes through the central opening 18 of the top member 14 and the threaded pattern 62 threads into the threaded aperture 45 of the spinal fusion implant 40 . the screw head 64 fits within the countersunk recess 19 of the top member 14 such that the screw head 64 is at or below the plane of the upper surface 20 of the top member 14 . in the preferred embodiment , the central opening 18 has a diameter ranging from 4 . 5 mm to 5 . 5 mm , with 5 . 0 mm being the preferred diameter . the countersunk recess 19 has a diameter in the range of 6 . 0 mm to 8 . 0 mm with 7 . 0 mm being the preferred diameter . referring to fig1 a , 15 b , and 15 c , an enlarged cross sectional view of three different embodiments of a securing means 65 for locking the screw 60 once it is threaded to the spinal fusion implant 40 are shown . in fig1 a , the securing means 65 comprises a notch 66 in the surface 20 of the top member 14 which is preferably made of metal . once the screw 60 is threaded and securely tightened to the spinal fusion implant 40 , a chisel c is used to bend a portion 67 of the top member 14 into the central opening 18 and against the screw head 64 so as to prevent the outward excursion and any unwanted loosening of the screw 60 . in fig1 b , a second embodiment of the securing means 65 a is shown comprising a central score 66 a concentric with the central opening 18 . a screw 60 a having a slot 61 a in the screw head 64 a is threaded and securely tightened to the spinal fusion implant 40 . an instrument t is partially inserted into slot 61 a after which an impaction force f . sub . 1 is applied to the instrument t to spread apart the screw head 64 a in the direction of the arrows a so that the screw head 64 a becomes deformed from the impaction force f . sub . 1 and fits within the central score 66 a . once the screw head 64 a is in the central score 66 a , the outward excursion of the screw 60 a is prevented by the top lip 68 of the central score 66 a . in fig1 c , a third embodiment of the securing means 65 b is shown comprising a screw 60 b having a screw head 64 b with a slightly flanged portion 69 b near the top and a slot 61 b . the central opening 18 has along its circumference a recess 66 b for receiving the flanged portion 69 b of the screw head 64 b . the securing means 65 b relies on the natural resiliency of the metal screw head 64 b such that when the screw 60 b is being driven by a screw driver , the screw head 64 b flexes in the direction of the arrows b . in this manner , the flanged portion 69 b of the screw head 64 b slides along the interior of the central opening 18 so that the screw head 64 b is below the top lip 68 b of the recess 66 b . once the screw driver is removed from the screw 60 b , the screw head 64 b returns to its natural state in the direction opposite to the arrows b so that the flanged portion 69 b is within the recess 66 b . the outward excursion of the screw 60 is thus prevented by the top lip 68 b which blocks the screw head 64 b by catching the flanged portion 69 b . fig1 a - 18 show the instrumentation used for installing the spinal fixation device 10 . referring to fig1 a , a driving instrument 80 used for inserting the spinal fixation device 10 into the vertebrae v is shown having a hollow tubular shaft 82 which terminates at one end to a bottom flat member 84 and terminates to a top flat member 86 at the other end . the bottom flat member 84 is preferably configured so that it conforms to the shape of the top member 14 of the staple member 12 . the driving instrument 80 has a pair of short posts 88 a and 88 b extending from the bottom flat member 84 . the posts 88 a and 88 b are oriented on the bottom flat member 84 so as to correspond to the position of the openings 22 a and 22 b in the upper surface 20 of the top member 14 of the staple member 12 . each of the posts 88 a and 88 b fit into each of the openings 22 a and 22 b and keep the staple member 12 aligned on the bottom flat member 84 of the driving instrument 80 . it is appreciated that the openings 22 a and 22 b in the top member 14 may be depressions within the surface 20 of the top member 14 or may be holes that pass through the top member 14 . in the preferred embodiment , the openings 22 a and 22 b gave a diameter ranging from 1 . 5 mm to 3 . 5 mm , with 2 . 5 mm being the preferred diameter . referring to fig1 b , an alternative embodiment of the driving instrument 80 ′ which is used for inserting into the vertebrae v the spinal fixation device 210 , described in detail below in reference to fig2 , is shown having a hollow tubular shaft 82 ′ which terminates at one end to a bottom flat member 84 ′ and terminates to a top flat member 86 ′ at the other end . the bottom flat member 84 ′ is rectangular in shape so that it conforms to the shape of the top member 214 of the spinal fixation device 210 . the driving instrument 80 ′ has a pair of short posts 88 ′ a , 88 ′ b , 88 ′ c and 88 ′ d extending from the bottom flat member 84 ′. the posts 88 ′ a - 88 ′ d are oriented on the bottom flat member 84 ′ so as to correspond to the position of the openings 222 a - 222 d of the spinal fixation device 210 . each of the and keep the spinal fixation device 210 aligned on the bottom flat member 84 ′ of the driving instrument 80 ′. referring to fig1 a , an alignment rod 70 comprising a cylindrical shaft 72 having a smooth exterior surface 73 and a threaded end 74 may be threadably attached to the threaded aperture 45 of the spinal fusion implant 40 is shown . the alignment rod 70 fits through the central opening 18 of the spinal fixation device 10 and is used to properly align the projections 16 and 17 on each side of the spinal fusion implant 40 prior to engaging the vertebrae v . further , the alignment rod 70 also serves as a guide post for the drilling template instrument 50 described in greater detail below . referring to fig1 b , as an alternative embodiment of the alignment rod 70 , a splined alignment rod 70 ′ that has a finely splined surface 72 ′ along its longitudinal axis and a threaded end 74 ′ that may be attached to the threaded aperture 45 of the spinal fusion implant is shown . referring to fig1 , a drilling template instrument 50 for creating a pair of insertion holes 53 a and 53 b in each of the vertebrae v for receiving each of the projection 16 and 17 respectively is shown . the drilling template instrument 50 has a template 52 with a central aperture 54 therethrough and guide passages 55 and 56 for guiding a drill bit 51 of a drilling tool . attached to the template 52 is a handle 58 which angles away from the template 52 so as not to obstruct the line of sight of the surgeon and to allow easy access to the template 52 and easy access to the guide holes 55 and 56 for the drill bit 51 . extending from the center of the bottom surface of the template 52 is a central member 59 ( similar in structure and function to the central bar 35 ) for mating to an already implanted intervertebral spinal fusion implant 40 . the central member 59 interdigitates with the depression 42 of the spinal fusion implant 40 so that the template 52 is properly oriented about the spinal fusion implant 409 and the guide holes 55 and 56 are properly oriented with respect to the vertebrae v adjacent to the spinal fusion implant 40 . the alignment rod 70 serves as a guide post for the drill template instrument 50 as it fits through the central aperture 54 of the template 52 and aligns the template 52 with respect to the spinal ; fusion implant 40 and insures that it is coaxial . the central aperture 54 of the drilling template instrument 50 is smooth so that if it is placed over a splined alignment rod 70 ′ the drilling template instrument 50 may be easily rotated about the splined alignment rod 70 ′ into position such that the central member 59 is able to mate and interdigitate with the depression 44 of the spinal fusion implant 40 . referring to fig1 - 24 , the spinal fixation device 10 of the present invention is inserted in the following manner : at least one spinal fusion implant 40 is surgically implanted so that it is substantially within the disc space between two adjacent vertebrae v and engages at least a portion of each of the two adjacent vertebrae v . once the spinal fusion implant 40 is in place , the alignment rod 70 is attached to the threaded aperture 45 of the spinal fusion implant 40 . the alignment rod 70 serves as a guide post for the drilling template instrument 50 as it fits through the central aperture 54 of the template 52 and aligns the template 52 coaxially with respect to the spinal fusion implant 40 . referring to fig2 , once the template 52 is properly aligned and the drilling template instrument 50 is seated so that the central member 59 interdigitates with the spinal fusion implant 40 , the insertion holes 53 a and 53 b are drilled in each of the adjacent vertebrae v with a drilling instrument having a drill bit 51 with a diameter that is substantially smaller than the diameter of each the projections 16 and 17 of the staple member 12 . once the drilling of the insertion holes 53 a and 53 b is completed , the drill template instrument 50 is removed from the spinal fusion implant 40 and from the alignment rod 70 . the alignment rod 70 is left in place attached to the threaded aperture 45 of the spinal fusion implant 40 . referring to fig2 , the staple member 12 is placed onto the driving instrument 80 used for driving and fixing the staple member 12 into the vertebrae v so that the bottom flat member 84 and the posts 88 a and 88 b are aligned with the top member 14 and the depressions 22 a and 22 b of the top member 14 . the alignment rod 70 serves as a guide post for the staple member 12 as it fits through the central opening 18 of the staple member 12 and aligns the staple member 12 coaxially with respect to the spinal fusion implant 40 . referring to fig2 , once the staple member 12 is properly placed onto the bottom flat member 84 of the driving instrument 80 , the staple member 12 and the driving instrument 80 are aligned with respect to the alignment rod 70 so that the alignment rod 70 passes through the central opening 18 of the staple member 12 and is inserted into the central hollow portion 89 of the driving instrument 80 . the staple member 12 and the driving instrument 80 are then lowered along the alignment rod 70 so that the sharp distal end 32 of each of the projections 16 and 17 comes into contact with the external surface of the vertebrae v and is aligned with the previously drilled insertion holes 53 a and 53 b . as shown in fig2 a , it is preferred that the insertion holes 53 a and 53 b be drilled so that when the projections 16 and 17 are inserted into the holes 53 a and 53 b , the incline planed inner surface 36 of each of the projections 16 and 17 contacts the inner wall w of the insertion holes 53 a and 53 b that is closest to the spinal fusion implant 40 . in this manner a compression force f is created as each of the projections 16 and 17 of the staple member 12 is inserted into insertion holes 53 a and 53 b , respectively , compressing the bone of the vertebrae v toward the spinal fusion implant 40 . referring to fig2 , the staple member 12 is then driven into the vertebrae v by applying a high impaction force to the driving instrument 80 with a hammer h or other impacting means against the top flat member 86 of the driving instrument 80 . the staple member 12 is driven into the vertebrae v such that the projections 16 and 17 are moved forward into the insertion holes 53 a and 53 b , respectively , until the bottom surface 30 of the top member 14 of the staple member 12 comes to rest against the surface of the vertebrae v . referring to fig2 - 24 , the driving instrument 80 is lifted away from the alignment rod 70 so that the alignment rod 70 is no longer within the central hollow portion 89 of the driving instrument 80 . the alignment rod 70 is unthreaded from the threaded aperture 45 and is removed from the spinal fusion implant 40 . the staple member 12 is secured to the spinal fusion implant 40 with the locking screw 60 which has a threaded pattern 62 with a reduced pitch . the reduced pitch of the locking screw 60 locks the locking screw 60 to the spinal fusion implant 40 with minimal turning of the locking screw 60 and prevents any unwanted loosening . further , any of the three embodiments of the securing means 65 , 65 a or 65 b described above in reference to fig1 a - 15c may be used to further prevent any unwanted loosening and outward excursion of the screw 60 . referring back to fig1 , once the staple member 12 is driven into the vertebrae v and is secured to the spinal fusion implant 40 , the spinal fusion implant 40 is prevented from rotating along its rotational axis r by its connection to the staple member 12 which is fixated across the disc space between the vertebrae v . the staple member 12 is prevented from backing out from the vertebrae v along the longitudinal axis l by its connection to the spinal fusion implant 40 and by the segmented and ratcheted portions 34 of the projections 16 and 17 . in this manner , the staple member 12 and the spinal fusion implant 40 interact to prevent the dislodgement of each other from the vertebrae v in which they are implanted . thus , the staple member 12 is made safe against dislodgement by attachment to the spinal fusion implant 40 and the stability of the spinal fusion implant 40 is assured as it is also stabilized by the staple member 12 and each works in connection with the other to remove the only remaining degree of freedom that would allow for the disengagement of either . in addition , the incline planed inner surface 36 at the distal end 32 of the projections 16 and 17 forces bone toward the spinal fusion implant 40 along force lines f to further secure the spinal fusion implant 40 and further prevent the dislodgement of the spinal fusion implant 40 . it is appreciated by those skilled in the art that when the bone of the vertebrae v is sufficiently soft , a shorter method ( hereinafter referred to as the “ short method ”) of inserting the spinal fixation device 10 is possible by omitting the steps of drilling the insertion holes 53 a and 53 b prior to inserting the staple member 12 into the vertebrae v . referring to fig2 , in the short method , the splined alignment rod 70 ′ that is finely splined along its longitudinal axis is used instead of the alignment rod 70 . once the splined alignment rod 70 ′ has been attached to the spinal fusion implant 40 , the staple member 12 may be placed over the splined alignment rod 70 ′ so that the splined alignment rod 70 ′ passes through the aperture 18 and into the central aperture 89 of the driving instrument 80 . the central aperture 89 of the driving instrument 80 is correspondingly splined to the splines of the splined alignment rod 70 ′ so that the staple member 12 can be aligned with respect to the spinal implant 40 . the alignment of the staple member 12 and the driving instrument 80 is maintained as the corresponding splines of the central aperture 89 interdigitate with the splines of the splined alignment rod 70 ′ and prevent the rotation of the staple member 12 about the splined alignment rod 70 ′. the prevention of rotation about the splined alignment rod 70 ′ is especially important when the short method is used to insert the spinal fixation device 10 , as no insertion holes 53 a and 53 b have been drilled in the vertebrae v . the staple 12 can be driven directly into the vertebrae v by the application of a high impaction force to the driving instrument 80 as described above and shown in fig2 . once the staple member 12 is driven into the vertebrae v , the steps of the longer method described above are used to secure the spinal fixation device to the spinal fusion implant 40 are the same . the short method of inserting the staple member 12 reduces the amount of time required to insert and secure the spinal fixation device 10 of the present invention and thus reduces the overall duration of the spinal fixation surgical procedure . while the present invention has been described with respect to its preferred embodiment , it is recognized that alternative embodiments of the present invention may be devised without departing from the inventive concept . for example , referring to fig2 , a first alternative embodiment of a spinal fixation device 110 having a staple member 112 with a top member 114 generally in the shape of an elongated oval having two curved sides 124 a and 124 b is shown . in this alternative embodiment , the curved sides 124 a and 124 b have upper edges 125 a and 125 b , respectively , that are radiused to conform to the external curvature of the vertebrae v thereby creating smooth contoured surfaces as described above for the spinal fixation device 10 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the top member 114 has openings 122 a and 122 b in the upper surface 120 of the top member 114 and has two projections 116 and 117 depending downwardly from the bottom surface 130 of the top member 114 at opposite ends of the staple member 112 . the projections 116 and 117 are the same as the projections 16 described above for the preferred embodiment . referring to fig2 , a second alternative embodiment of the spinal fixation device 210 having a staple member 212 is shown with a top member 214 that is generally rectangular 5 in shape and has an upper surface 220 with openings 222 a , 222 b , 222 c , and 222 d . the top member 214 has four projections 216 , 217 , 218 , and 219 depending from its bottom surface at each of its corners . the projections 216 - 217 are the same as the projections 16 and 17 described above in the preferred embodiment . the stop member 2145 has four straight sides 228 a , 228 b , 228 c , and 228 d having upper edges 225 a , 225 b , 225 c , and 225 d , respectively , that are radiused to conform to the external curvature of the vertebrae v create a smooth surface as described above for the preferred embodiment . the driving instrument 80 ′ shown in fig1 b is used to insert the spinal fixation device 210 . referring to fig2 , a third alternative embodiment of the spinal fixation device 310 having a staple 312 with a top member 314 that is generally triangular is shown . the top member 314 has two projections 316 and 317 depending from the bottom surface of the top member 314 that engage the vertebrae v . extending from the center of the bottom surface of the top member 314 is a central member 390 which is similar to the central bar 35 of the preferred embodiment of the spinal fixation device 10 in that the central member 390 interdigitates with the depression 44 of the spinal fusion implant 40 . however , the central bar 390 also has an extension arm 392 that extends laterally from the top member 314 to span the diameter of an adjacent spinal fusion implant 41 . the extension arm 392 interdigitates with the depression 44 of the spinal implant 41 . the extension arm 392 has a central aperture 394 for receiving a screw 60 b used to couple the extension arm 392 to the spinal fusion implant 41 . in this manner , a single spinal fixation device 310 is capable of interdigitating with two adjacent spinal fusion implants 40 and 41 to clock and prevent the rotation and any excursion of the spinal fusion implants 40 and 41 . the fixation of two spinal fusion implants 40 and 41 is possible while leaving no protruding metal , such as the top member 314 , on the side of the spine where the vessels are located in close approximation to the vertebrae as is the case with the l 4 and l 5 vertebrae where the vessels are located over the left side of those vertebrae . it is appreciated that any of the securing means 65 - 65 b , described above may be used to lock the screw 60 b to the extension arm 392 . referring to fig2 , a fourth alternative embodiment of the spinal fixation device 410 having a staple member 412 with a top member 414 that is generally triangular in shape is shown in the installed position . the top member 414 is wider and larger than top member 14 as it is used with an implant 440 having a large diameter in the range of 22 . 0 mm to 28 . 0 mm . the top member 414 needs to be wider when used with implant 440 in order to provide a central bar 435 of sufficient length to interdigitate and mate with the depression 444 of the implant 440 in order to prevent its rotation . further , the top member 414 is tapered at portion 416 so as not to cause erosion or pressure against the vessels that may be present in the area of the spine adjacent to the portion 416 of the top member 414 . referring to fig2 - 32 , a fifth alternative embodiment of the spinal fixation device 510 with a staple member 512 having a generally rectangular top member 514 is shown . the staple member 512 is similar in structure to the staple 212 described above except that the top member 514 has multipronged projection blades 516 and 517 depending from its lower surface 530 as shown in fig3 . the multipronged projection blades 516 and 517 have the same function and similar structure as the projections 16 and 17 described above and include segmented and ratcheted portions 534 which are similar in design are function to segmented and ratcheted portions 34 . the multipronged blade projections 516 and 517 offer the added advantage of increasing the strength and stability of the staple member 514 once it is inserted into the bone of the vertebrae v providing a greater area of engagement of the staple member 512 to the vertebrae v . the lower surface 530 has knobs 532 and 534 extending therefrom for engaging and interdigitating with a spinal implant 540 having an insertion end 541 with openings 542 and 544 for receiving knobs 532 and 534 respectively . referring to fig3 and 32 , the spinal fusion implant 540 is shown inserted within the disc space between two adjacent vertebrae v . the spinal implant 540 is generally rectangular in shape . the multiprong blade projections 516 and 517 have a width that is approximately equal or slightly less than the width of the spinal fusion implant 540 . once inserted , the spinal fixation device 510 compresses the bone of the vertebrae v towards the spinal fusion implant 540 as discussed above in reference to fig1 . the spinal fixation device 510 may be secured to the spinal fusion implant 540 with a screw 60 as discussed above . the spinal fixation device 510 having a staple member 512 is the preferred embodiment of the present invention for use with a multi - segmental spinal alignment means 600 described in greater detail below in that the staple 512 provides a more solid anchoring means that can resist greater torsion forces resulting from the application of the multi - segmental spinal alignment means 600 to align the spine . alternatively , for all of the embodiments described above , the spinal fixation device 10 of the present invention could be made of resorbable materials , such as bio - compatible resorbable plastics , that resorb at an appropriate rate such that once the spinal fixation device 10 is no longer needed ( i . e . when spinal fusion is complete ) the body would resorb the spinal fixation device 10 . one such resorbable material is polygalactone , however any other resorbable plastic or other material safely usable within the human body are also within the scope of the present invention . further , the spinal fixation device could be only in part resorbable such that the projections 16 and 17 of the staple member 12 would be non - resorbable and would remain incarcerated in the vertebrae v and sealed off once the resorbable portion of the staple is resorbed by the body . referring to fig3 and 34 , as a further application , the spinal fixation device 510 of the present invention may be used as an anchor for a multi - segmental spinal alignment means 600 , such that a multiplicity of spinal fixation devices may then be interconnected via a cable , rod , bar , or plate , so as to achieve or maintain any desired multi - segment spinal alignment . in the preferred embodiment , the multi - segmental spinal alignment means 600 comprises more than one spinal fixation device 510 of the present invention placed in series along the spine such that each spinal fixation device 510 spans one disc d and engages two adjacent vertebrae v . the spinal fixation device 510 is preferred over the other embodiments of the present invention in that it has a greater area of engagement with the vertebrae v so as to provide a solid anchoring means for the multi - segmental spinal alignment means 600 . however , it is appreciated that other embodiments including but not limited to those described herein may be utilized as anchoring means for the multi - segmental spinal alignment means 600 . when used as an anchor , each spinal fixation device 510 interdigitates with and is connected to a spinal fusion implant 610 having an insertion end 612 , an interior chamber 614 and is inserted in the disc space between the two adjacent vertebrae . the spinal fusion implant 610 has a threaded blind hole 620 for receiving a threaded post 622 therein . the blind hole 620 has a casing that is made of strong surgically , implantable material such as , but not limited to titanium . the casing 624 extends from the insertion end 612 of the spinal fusion implant 610 into the interior central chamber 614 . the insertion end 612 has a rigid construction that is capable of withstanding high torsion forces resulting from the tensioning of the multi - segmental spinal alignment means to align segments of the spine . in the preferred embodiment , the insertion end 612 of the spinal fusion implant has an end portion 626 that closes the insertion end 612 . the end portion is substantially thicker than the rest of the spinal fusion implant 610 and in the preferred embodiment , the end portion 626 has thickness ranging from 1 . 5 mm to 4 . 0 mm , with 2 . 5 mm being the preferred thickness . referring to fig3 , the threaded post 622 has a threaded end 628 with a locking thread pattern that is substantially longer than the locking thread pattern 62 of the screw 60 described above and a head portion 630 having a hole 632 for receiving a rod 634 or a cable therethrough . the head portion 630 has a rounded exterior surface to prevent any damage such as aortic erosion to the vessels in the area adjacent to the spine . in the preferred embodiment the threaded post has a diameter ranging from 3 . 0 mm to 6 . 0 mm , with 4 . 5 mm being the preferred diameter and has a length ranging from 15 . 0 mm to 25 . 0 mm , with 20 . 0 mm being the preferred length . the head portion 630 extends at a height above the top member 514 of the spinal fixation device 510 of approximately 8 . 0 mm to 16 . 0 mm , with 12 . 0 being the height preferred once it is threadably attached to the spinal fusion implant 610 such that it does not significantly protrude from the spinal column into the tissue and vessels adjacent thereto . once the threaded post 622 is attached to the spinal fusion implant 610 , the head portion 630 of each threaded post 622 are connected to one another by the rod 634 having a sufficient diameter to fit through the hole 632 of each head portion 630 . the rod 634 has at least a portion thereof that is threaded so that a plurality of lock nuts 638 may be used to secure the rod 634 to the head portions 630 . the lock nuts 638 may also be used as length adjusting means to adjust the length of the rod 634 between head portions 630 so that segmental portions of the spine may be held closer together or held further aport for the purposes of aligning the spine . it is appreciated that a plurality of multi - segmental spinal alignment means 600 may be placed in series either on one side or on opposite sides of the spine , such that one side of the spine may be extended while the other side may be held stationary or may be compressed in order to achieve proper spinal alignment . the multi - segment spinal alignment may be maintained by keeping the rod tensioned with the lock nuts 638 or by any other means well known by those skilled in the art . it is also appreciated that in place of a rod 634 a cable , a plate or any other means well known by those skilled in the art may be used to interconnect the multi - segmental spinal alignment means . referring to fig3 , a sixth alternative embodiment of the spinal fixation device of the present invention is shown and generally referred to by the numeral 710 . the spinal fixation device 710 comprises a top member 714 that is similar to the top member 14 described above , except that it does not have projections 16 and 17 extending from the bottom surface . like numbers are being used to designate identical features of the top members 14 and 714 . in the top member 714 , instead of having projections 16 and 17 , independent projection members 716 and 717 in the form of screws are used to secure the top member 714 of the spinal fixation device 710 to the vertebrae v of the spine . the projection screw members 716 and 717 each terminate in a sharp distal end 720 and 722 respectively , have a threaded portion 723 , and have screw heads 724 and 726 for engaging a screw driver or similar driving instrument . the top member 714 has a hole 728 on one end and a hole 730 at its other end through which each of the projection screw members 716 and 717 respectively , may pass . the projection screw members 716 and 717 pass through the holes 728 and 730 to engage the vertebrae v . each of the holes 728 and 730 has a concentric counter sunk recess 732 for receiving and seating the screw heads 724 and 726 of the projection screw members 716 and 717 so that the screw heads 724 and 726 are flush or below the top surface 20 of the stop member 714 once inserted into the vertebrae v . as the projection screw members 716 and 717 are threaded , they can be rotationally advanced into the vertebrae instead of by way of an impaction force such that the potential for damage to the vertebrae v is reduced . the threads of the threaded portion 723 follow one another as the projection screw members 716 and 717 are being screwed into the bone such that the integrity of the vertebrae v is preserved . also , as the projection screw members 716 and 717 are independent from the top member 714 , the penetration depth of the spinal fixation device 710 into the bone of the vertebrae v may be easily altered by selecting different sized projection screw members 716 and 717 appropriate for the particular vertebrae being fused . further , it is possible to configure the holes 728 and 730 in the top member 714 such that the projection screw members 716 and 717 may be inserted into the vertebrae v from a number of different angles relative to the top member 714 . adjacent and proximate to each of the holes 728 and 730 are threaded openings 740 and 742 , respectively , for receiving locking screws 744 and 746 respectively . each of the locking screws 744 and 746 have a head portion 750 and a locking thread portion 754 for threadably and lockably engaging the threaded openings 740 and 742 . the locking screws 744 and 746 are attached to the top member 714 after the projection screw members 716 and 717 have been inserted into the vertebrae v . at least a part of the head portion 750 and 752 blocks and preferably makes contact with the screw projections 716 and 717 to prevent any unwanted loosening and outward excursion of the screw projections 716 and 717 . it is appreciated that the projection members 716 and 717 , instead of being threaded screws , may have a number of other configurations such as , but not limited to , the configurations of the projections described above for the various embodiments of the present invention . if the projections members 716 and 717 are ratcheted instead of being threaded , they can be driven into the vertebrae v with a driving instrument and impaction force as described above for the method of the present invention . while the present invention has been described with respect to its preferred embodiment and a number of alternative embodiments , it is recognized that additional variations of the present invention may be devised without departing from the inventive concept and scope of the present invention .

0Human Necessities

turning to fig1 , subscriber station 100 is a rotatable integrated rf / electronics unit and multi - beam antenna array , shown suspended from a preferred overhead mounting bracket 101 . separate transformer / lan block 102 may provide ethernet connection 103 to subscriber equipment and a combined power / lan signal connection to subscriber station 100 via line or cable 104 . subscriber station 100 has mechanical functions and is weatherized , facilitating its use indoors or out . turning to fig2 and 3 , the exterior of subscriber station 100 preferably comprises die cast rear housing 105 and resilient injection molded radome 106 . preferably , housing 105 is cast from aluminum or magnesium and also provides heavily finned heat sink 301 for heat dissipation via fins 302 . preferred embodiments of housing 105 and radome 106 have a robust closure detail preferably including weather - proof carbon impregnated gasket 201 captured between rear housing 105 and radome 106 at the interface sealing surfaces . a spindle 202 extends upward from rf / electronics subscriber station 100 . the unit preferably rotates on spindle 202 using low torque stepper motor 203 and gear reduction 208 . onboard software logic preferably drives subscriber station 100 axially . as shown in fig2 and 4 , subscriber station 100 preferably houses a plurality of printed circuit assemblies ( pcas ), such as antenna board 204 , receiver board 205 , transmitter board 206 and digital signal board 207 . antenna array 204 , may use a butler matrix feed network or other similar multibeam forming apparatus . receiver board 205 and transmitter board 206 preferably make up a transceiver which allows simultaneous and / or duplexed transmission and reception . the transceiver preferably employs low noise amplifiers , to make the unit as sensitive as possible for reception of low power data signals . the transceiver also preferably employs voltage control oscillators for multiple frequency tuning . a substantial amount of filtering both in digital chips , known as finite impulse response ( fir ) filtering , and also discrete filtering such as surface acoustical wave ( saw ) filtering is preferably carried out by rf filters 216 . preferably , extensive use is made of analog to digital ( a / d ) converters and digital to analog ( d / a ) converters by digital signal board 207 . preferably , incoming signals are converted from an analog rf signal to a digital signal for use by the subscriber . for transmitting , signals originate from subscriber equipment as a digital ethernet signal or the like and are converted to an rf signal for transmission . the signal is imposed on a carrier signal , preferably produced by a voltage controlled oscillator . preferably , both digital fir filtering and mechanical saw filtering are carried out on the signal . then the signal is passed through a power amplifier set , which directly drives antenna output . the pcas 204 , 205 and 207 each preferably have their own shielding and heat management mechanisms carried out in conjunction with the internal configuration of housing 105 . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art functionality of various components of the preset system may be integrated into fewer , or even a single , board or the like . for example , transmitter board 206 and receiver board 207 could be combined into a transceiver board , which might also include all or part of the functionality of digital board 207 . preferably , antenna array 204 is protected by radome 106 , which is preferably uv resistant for outdoor installation . subscriber station 100 eliminates the need for a larger radome by having preferred local modular radome 106 disposed only on the front of subscriber station 100 . the back of antenna array 204 is preferably shielded to prevent extraneous signals from entering transceiver circuitry 205 and 206 and to keep out - of - band signals , interfering signals or other noise from being received by array 204 from the rear . this shielding is provided by shielding enclosures 209 and 210 encapsulating receiver board 205 and transmitter board 206 , respectively . these enclosures or cans 209 and 210 , being disposed between digital board 207 and antenna array 204 , also act as shielding between digital board 207 and antenna array 204 . furthermore , these shielding enclosures 209 and 210 aid in keeping electronic noise from escaping subscriber station 100 ensuring compliance with spectrum regulations . carbon impregnated gasket 201 also aids in blocking introduction of external rf interference and emi from entering subscriber station 100 and in encapsulating emissions of subscriber station 100 via the interface of radome 106 and housing 105 . the front most element within subscriber station 100 is antenna array board 204 . it has active elements 211 disposed on its face to communicate with a base station . array 204 is preferably mounted to an exterior surface lid 212 of receiver shielding enclosure 209 using standoffs 213 , or the like . lid 212 fits to enclosure 209 sealing enclosure 209 with receiver board 205 within . receiver enclosure 209 in turn seals transmitter board 206 within transmitter shielding enclosure 210 . back wall 214 of receiver enclosure 209 preferably acts as a front wall for transmitter enclosure 210 . preferably , digital board 207 may be mounted to rear wall 215 of transmitter board enclosure 210 . preferably , the shielding provided by enclosures 209 and 210 prevents spurious radiation originating from behind subscriber station 100 from distorting the antenna &# 39 ; s performance . shielding enclosures 209 and 210 encapsulate internal emissions from transmitter and receiver boards 206 and 205 while shielding emissions from digital signal board 207 to prevent leakage around antenna 204 and degrading of the signals received or transmitted by elements 211 on the front of antenna board 204 . subscriber station 100 is adapted to allow the subscriber , the end user of a wireless rf data service , to readily install subscriber station 100 without the aid of a technician . the use of special tools and equipment is eliminated . mounting bracket 101 is secured in place and spindle 202 is mated with bracket 101 and secured , preferably using a threaded fastener such as an allen bolt or the like . preferably , ethernet lan connector cable 103 is the only connection required to customer equipment . lan cable 103 is connected to a lan port associated with a customer &# 39 ; s computer , network hub or the like . power cord 107 preferably provides ac power from an electrical outlet to transformer / lan block 102 , which in turn provides dc power to subscriber station 100 via power / signal cord 104 . subscriber station 100 does not require an installer to peak , align or adjust the antenna because the unit does so automatically on startup , following installation . upon installation , embedded logic in the subscriber station preferably starts motor 203 , rotates subscriber station 100 to perform an rf environmental survey in 360 degrees with antenna array 204 to locate an optimal base station , and initializes service . subscriber station 100 preferably locates and tabulates base station signals available . information about the direction of available base stations is stored in internal or subscriber equipment memory . if the subscriber station loses the signal from its primary base station , this stored information makes reregistration of a different base station more efficient , because the subscriber station has a listing of directional locations of other base stations . logic control for subscriber station 100 aims antenna array 204 for the best bit error rate , or digital eye pattern rather than for the strongest signal . aiming for the least amount of errors initially mitigates possible interference present in the operational environment . if there is interference present , it is preferable that multibeam antenna array 204 place the interference in a null pattern , or between side lobes of the generated antenna beams at the expense of using a somewhat weaker signal . therefore , a main antenna beam lobe may not be aimed at a base station , but rather elsewhere so as to place an interferer in a null pattern and thereby decrease the bit error rate . use of a multibeam antenna array facilitates such use of non - line - of - sight reception and rapid azimuth changes for reception and transmission beams . subscriber station 100 can withstand both hot temperatures , including the effects of the sun or solar heat rise , and cold conditions . while subscriber station 100 is weatherized to protect the components from the effects of precipitation , the unit is allowed to breathe . as best seen in fig4 , breathing hole 401 in the bottom of subscriber station 100 is preferably internally covered with waterproof , breathable membrane 402 made from a material such as gortex ®. gortex ® patch 402 allows pressure to equalize by allowing air to pass out of subscriber station 100 while stopping moisture infiltration . preferably , this also allows any inadvertently captured moisture to escape subscriber station 100 . the interior of rf / electronics subscriber station 100 provides an avenue to dissipate heat produced by the components within to the outside . hot components 403 , such as employed in the aforementioned digital signal electronics , are preferably maintained in contact with rear heat sink 301 defined by housing 105 , so that there is direct metal contact between hot components , such as a power supply , power amplifiers or ic chips , and the heat sink . preferably , enclosures 209 and 210 may provide a path for heat dissipation from transmitter board 206 and receiver board 207 into housing 105 , where it may be dissipated to the outside . preferably , black or dark paint on the interior of housing 105 absorbs heat out of the air within the unit facilitating heat dissipation via heat dissipation fins 302 of heat sink 301 . antenna array 204 is housed in close proximity to rotation spindle 202 . by also packaging the hot electronics as close to spindle 202 as possible and in contact with heat sink 301 on the back of subscriber station 100 , the overall unit is significantly reduced in size and can fit much closer than prior art units to a mounting surface such as a wall . by placing the heat producing circuitry in housing 105 out from under radome 106 , the heat is not trapped by radome 106 and thereby more easily dissipated . radome 106 is localized around antenna array 204 , so it does not trap heat from heat sink 301 . additionally , by mounting rf / electronics subscriber station 100 from overhead bracket 101 , heat is more easily radiated , as a space can be maintained between a mounting wall and heat sink 301 , allowing convection cooling . heat rising from subscriber station 100 preferably warms bracket 101 preventing ice build up at the bracket and subscriber station interface . preferably overhead bracket 101 has a slightly larger diameter than the subscriber station disposed beneath , allowing bracket 101 to act as a weatherhead , protecting the subscriber stations from precipitation . preferably , an embodiment of subscriber station 100 is approximately 5 . 2 inches wide and deep , with a height of approximately 12 . 375 inches , separate of the rotating spindle extending out the top of the unit into mounting bracket 101 . preferably , bracket 101 for this embodiment is approximately 5 . 3 inches wide . to provide mounting surface clearance , and convention air flow behind subscriber station 100 , mounting bracket 101 is preferably about 5 . 4 inches deep . the bracket is preferably approximately 2 . 5 inches in height . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . moreover , the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process , machine , manufacture , composition of matter , means , methods and steps described in the specification . as one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention , processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps , presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps .

7Electricity

in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will become obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . the descriptions and representations herein are the common means used by those experienced or skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components , and circuitry have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present invention . reference herein to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention . the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment , nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments . used herein , the terms “ upper ”, “ lower ”, “ top ”, “ bottom ”, “ middle ”, “ upwards ”, and “ downwards ” are intended to provide relative positions for the purposes of description , and are not intended to designate an absolute frame of reference . further , the order of blocks in process flowcharts or diagrams representing one or more embodiments of the invention do not inherently indicate any particular order nor imply any limitations in the invention . embodiments of the present invention are discussed herein with reference to fig2 - 9g . however , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments . referring now to the drawings , in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout several views . fig2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary portable electronic storage device ( pesd ) 200 with an advanced encryption standard ( aes ) based hardware security engine 208 integrated therein , according to an embodiment of the present invention . the pesd 200 ( e . g ., a flash memory storage card ) comprises one or more flash memory devices 202 , a controller or micro - controller 204 , an input / output ( i / o ) interface 206 ( e . g ., a usb interface ), and an aes security engine 208 . the controller 204 is configured to control the one or more flash memory devices 202 and the aes engine 208 . the one or more flash memory devices 202 comprise either single - level - cell ( slc ) or multi - level - cell ( mlc ) flash memory . detailed descriptions of various configurations of flash memory device are shown in fig9 a - 9g below . the aes engine 208 is configured to perform data encryption and data decryption . the controller 204 is configured to transmit data , signals and power via the i / o interface 206 to a host 220 . the i / o interface 206 is configured to adapt data , signals and power in accordance with a standard , for example , usb , sata , ssd , mmc / sd , micro - sd , ms , cf , etc . the host 220 comprises a computing device ( e . g ., a personal computer , a consumer electronic device , etc .) capable of transmitting data , signals and power to and from the pesd 200 via an interface bus 210 ( e . g ., usb , sata , etc .). fig3 a , 3 b and 3 c show three exemplary environments , an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented in each of which . a first exemplary environment , shown in fig3 a , includes a device 320 coupling to a host 310 via an interface bus 315 . the device 320 comprises a pesd without any security measure . an aes security engine 312 is adapted to the host 310 as software , hardware or a combination of both . in the first environment , the security of the data stored on the device 320 is protected using aes data encryption performed on the aes security engine 312 installed or integrated on the host 310 ( e . g ., a computing device ). in other words , the data stored on the device 320 are encrypted with a key , which can only be accessed by an owner of the device 312 , because the key is protected by a security password only known to the owner . thus , the data would render useless when compromised , for example , even data is illegitimately accessed , but the encrypted data are not readable without the key . in general , encrypted data stored on the device 320 can only be accessed by the host 310 , because the aes security engine 312 can decrypt the encrypted data using a same algorithm and key . however , in certain situations , other hosts may be able to access the encrypted data . for example , the secret algorithm and key are given and installed on other hosts . a second environment shown in fig3 b comprises a device 340 coupling to a host 330 via an interface bus 335 . in contrast to the first environment , an aes based hardware security engine 342 is adapted or installed to the device 340 instead of the host 330 . data security is achieved by data encryption performed by the aes security engine 342 . the aes based hardware security engine 342 may be implemented using integrated circuits ( e . g ., application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), field programmable gate array ( fpga ), etc .). similar to the first environment , data stored on the device 340 are encrypted with a key only known to the owner of the device 312 . the device 340 may be accessed by other hosts equipped with the same interface bus 335 . fig3 c shows a third environment , which is a variation of the second environment . the third environment comprises an aes based hardware security engine 362 adapted to a device 360 , and a host 350 coupling to the device 360 via an interface bus 355 . the difference between the third and the second environment is that the host 350 is configured to perform data compression and decompression in accordance with certain access control standards ( e . g ., digital rights management or digital restrictions management ( drm )). the compressed data is then encrypted and stored on the device 360 . the encryption and decryption of the compressed data are performed by the aes based hardware security engine 362 with a key known to the owner of the device 360 . fig4 a is a block diagram showing data flow and control signal path of a device 400 with an aes security engine 410 ( e . g ., aes security engine 342 of fig3 b or aes security engine 362 fig3 c ), according to an embodiment of the present invention . the device 400 comprises an i / o interface 402 , a controller or micro - controller 404 , a static random access memory ( sram ) buffer or page register 408 , an aes security engine 410 , other functional logic blocks 412 ( e . g ., a data error corrector using error correction code ( ecc ) technique ), a flash memory interface 414 and at least one flash memory device 418 . an internal data bus 420 is configured to provide data transmission within the device 400 . the internal data bus 420 is depicted as solid lines with arrow , which indicate direction of data flows . for example , data are directed to the aes security engine 410 and other functional logic blocks 412 for processing , then the processed data are sent out . unencrypted data are sent to the aes security engine 410 for encryption , while encrypted data are for decryption . the control signal path ( e . g ., aes security engine control signal path 422 and control signal path 424 ) are indicated as dotted lines . the i / o interface 402 is configured to provide data , signals and power transmission to and from the host ( not shown ) in accordance with one of the standards ( e . g ., usb , sata , etc .). the controller 404 is configured to provide controls to retrieve and store data to the at least flash memory device 418 via the flash memory interface 414 . the controller 404 is further configured to provide controls to the aes security engine 410 such that data are encrypted and decrypted accordingly . controls to other functional logic blocks 412 ( e . g ., data error corrector ) are also provided by the controller 404 . the sram buffer 408 is configured to provide directed memory access ( dma ) so that the aes security engine 410 can perform data encryption / decryption without delay due to slower flash memory access . the data error corrector may be configured to create ecc parity or other overhead information to ensure data can be stored and retrieved with high reliability , for example , a 4 - bit ecc represents an ecc code may correct up to four ( 4 ) individual error bits . in one embodiment , reed - solomon technique is used in the ecc data error corrector so that data error within the threshold of the reed - solomon technique can be recovered . in another embodiment , a bch ( bose , ray - chaudhuri , hocquenghem ) code is used for data error correction . fig4 b is a block diagram illustrating further details of the aes security engine 410 of fig4 a . the aes engine 410 comprises an in - buffer 430 , an out - buffer 450 , an aes data encryption logic block 442 , an aes data decryption logic block 444 and a key generator 434 . data flow paths are shown using solid lines with arrow . control signal paths ( e . g ., enable signal for data encryption and / or decryption ) are shown with dotted lines . the in - buffer 430 is configured to receive data as indicated by data - in . the key generator 434 is configured to generate and / or hold a key used in data encryption and data decryption . the aes encryption logic block 442 is configured to encrypt the received data from the in - buffer 430 using the key from the key generator 434 . the aes decryption logic block 444 is configured to decrypt the received data from the in - buffer 430 using the key from the key generator 434 . in one embodiment , the encryption key and decryption key are the same as symmetry keys . the out - buffer 450 is configured to hold processed data from either the aes encryption logic block 442 or the aes decryption logic block 444 . fig5 a is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process 500 of providing data security for the device 320 ( e . g ., pesd ) with the aes security engine 312 on the host 310 in the first exemplary environment ( fig3 a ). the process 500 starts with the device 320 electrically connected to the host 310 , for example , a pesd plugged into a computing device . at this point , the device 320 receives power from the host 310 . the device 320 is then initialized at 501 . the host 320 initializes with a control program in the aes security engine 312 at 502 . in one embodiment , the initial operation mode is set to an “ aes security off ” or “ encryption / decryption off ” state at 504 . data transmission between the host 310 and the device 320 is conducted without any aes security in the “ encryption / decryption off ” state at 506 . next , when aes security is desired , an aes security password for turning on aes security is checked at decision 508 . if aes security password is not correct at decision 508 , then the aes security will not be enabled ( i . e ., “ encryption / decryption off ”). the process 500 follows the “ no ” branch back to 504 . if the aes security password is correct at decision 508 , the process 500 changes the state to “ aes security on ” or “ encryption / decryption on ” at 510 . as a result , unencrypted data are encrypted before sending to the device and encrypted data are decrypted after receiving from the device 320 as indicated in data path 512 . data encryption and data decryption are performed in the aes security engine 312 using a key . the same key may be used for encrypting all of the data to be stored on the device . alternatively , a different key may be used for each individual data file , when data file is optionally protected by a data file password . the key would be generated using the data file password , which is then associated with the data file as an overhead or metadata . for example , the overhead may be appended to the corresponding data file , or the overhead may be stored in a designated storage area at 514 . optional data file password is either created or retrieved for writing or reading a data file . data encryption and decryption becomes a data file dependent in this situation hence higher security achieved . according to another embodiment , aes encryption and decryption is performed with one master encryption / decryption key ( i . e ., the key associated with the decision 508 ), even if each data file is protected by a specific data file password . next at decision 516 , a command ( e . g ., a signal , an interrupt , etc .) for exiting aes security is checked . if “ no ”, the process 500 remains at “ encryption / decryption on ” state at 510 . otherwise , the process 500 follows the “ yes ” branch to 504 back to “ encryption / decryption off ” state . because data encryption and decryption and key generation are performed in the aes engine 312 located on the host 310 , the device 320 operates in a normal operation 518 . referring now to fig5 b , which is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 540 of providing data security for the device 340 ( e . g ., pesd ) with the aes security engine 342 on the device 340 in the second exemplary environment ( fig3 b ). the process 540 applies to the third exemplary environment ( fig3 c ) due to a same data transmission procedure . the following descriptions are for the second environment . the process 540 starts when the device 340 is electrically and physically connected to the host 330 via the interface bus 315 . for example , a usb flash memory device is plugged into a usb receptacle of a computer . the device 340 receives power and signals from the host 330 through the interface bus 315 and is initialized at 542 . the host 330 loads a device control program from the device 340 at 543 and establishes a data transfer session . with the device control program running on the host 330 at 545 , data transmission is conducted between the host 330 and the device 340 in “ no aes security ” mode . the device 340 is set to an “ aes security off ” or “ encryption / decryption off ” state at 544 . this state will be reset when a request to turn on aes security from the host 330 at 547 is received . included in the request is an aes security password , which is then sent to the device 340 for verification at decision 546 . the aes security password may be retrieved from a special location on the host 330 or created by a user ( i . e ., enter a password ). if the aes security password is incorrect at decision 546 , the aes security request is denied and device remains in the “ aes security off ” state . if the aes security password is correct , the process 540 sets the device 340 to an “ aes security on ” or “ encryption / decryption on ” state at 548 . in the “ aes security on ” state , an encryption / decryption key is activated . the key may be created in a number of ways , for example , provided by manufacturer of the device ; inputted by a user ; generated by using the aes password , etc . when the device 340 is in the “ aes security on ” state , the device 340 continuously checks each data access command ( read or write request from the host 330 at 549 ) at decision 550 . once a read / write command is received , the device 340 performs an optional data file password request to the host 330 at 552 . the host 330 , upon receiving the data file password request , prompts the user to enter a data file password at 551 . the data file password may comprise a simple password , a security phrase , reminder hints for password , and the likes . the user entered data file password is then transmitted to the device 340 . the aes security engine 342 may use the data file password to generate a data file dependent key to encrypt the associated data file in a data write operation at 554 . the data file password is appended to the associated data file as an overhead or metadata . in a data read operation , the aes engine 342 extracts the overhead or metadata to obtain the stored password . if user entered data file password matches the extracted password , the data file is decrypted at 554 . since the data encryption and data decryption are performed by the aes security engine 342 on the device 340 , the data sent and received at the host are conducted normally at 555 . the “ aes security on ” state is terminated when an exit command is detected by the device 340 at decision 556 . the command is sent from the host 330 at 557 . once the security termination command is confirmed , the device 340 is set to “ aes security off ” state at 544 . otherwise , the device 340 stays in the “ aes security on ” state at 548 . fig6 shows a flowchart for a password creation process 600 . the second environment ( fig3 b ) is used for describing the password creation process 600 below . the process 600 starts when the device 340 is electrically connected to the host 330 . signals and power are drawn from the host 330 to the device 340 as the device is initialized at 602 . a device control program is loaded and initialized on the host 330 at 603 . the default state for the device 340 is set to “ encryption / decryption off ” at 604 . next , at 606 , the device sends password status of the device to the host . for example , the password status may comprises one bit of data with zero ( 0 ) indicates no password and one ( 1 ) represents password exists on the device . the host reads the password status at 608 and checks the status at decision 610 . if there is no password on the device , then the decision 610 becomes no . the host prompts user to enter a password and / or password hints at 612 . the password hints may comprise a special name , a special event or a phrase for reminding user in case of forgotten password . at 614 , the new user entered password is sent to the device . upon receiving the newly entered password , the device writes or stores the password and / or hints to a secured system area of the flash memory at 616 . the stored password on the device may be hashed or scrambled in a particular manner that can only be understood by the device . if the decision 610 is true , that means there is a password existed on the device . the host prompts user to enter a password at 618 and transmits the user entered password to the device at 620 . the device checks the received user entered password at decision 630 . if it is determined that the user entered password is not correct , the device stays in the “ encryption / decryption off ” state at 632 . otherwise , the device turns on data security by setting the state to “ encryption / decryption on ” at 634 and 636 . in order to handle user error in the process of entering the password , the result of the decision 630 is sent back to the host in a password verification status . the password status may comprise a single bit data indicator ; for example , one ( 1 ) for the correct password and zero ( 0 ) for the incorrect password , or vice versa . the password verification status is then checked at decision 622 in the host . if the password verification status indicates a correct password , the host will start data transmission . otherwise , data is not transmitted by the host 330 , the process 600 moves back to 612 prompting user for another password entry . when the number of repeated password entries is larger a predefined maximum ( e . g ., three ( 3 )), the decision 624 becomes true . and the host 330 will not allow any additional password entry attempt . in certain more strict implementation , the files may be erased for security purpose if the number of password entry attempts is higher than the pre - defined threshold . fig7 a is a flowchart showing an exemplary process 700 of performing data file reading and writing using data encryption and decryption in an aes engine using one key created by manufacturer of a pesd , according to an embodiment of the present invention . the process 700 is preferably understood in conjunction with previous figures especially fig4 a and fig4 b . process 700 starts with the aes security engine 410 writes the encryption / decryption key to the key generator 434 at 702 . the key is created by the manufacturer of the device 400 ( pesd ) and stored in the system area of the flash memory . when a new data access command arrives , the aes security engine 410 determines whether it is a data “ read ” or “ write ” command at decision 704 . if the command is a data write command , the aes security engine 410 accesses the data from the i / o interface 402 to the sram buffer 408 with direction memory access ( dma ) scheme at 705 . next at 706 , the data in the sram buffer 408 is encrypted in the aes encryption block 442 through the in - buffer 430 in conjunction using the key from the key generator 434 . the encrypted data is then written back to the sram buffer 408 via the out - buffer 450 . then the encrypted data in the sram 408 is accessed by the data error corrector ( i . e ., other function logic 412 ) to include ecc overhead information ( i . e ., parity or error code ) to enhance data reliability at 707 . finally at 708 , the ecc processed data in the sram buffer 408 is written to the flash memory 418 through the flash memory interface 414 . logical block address ( lba ) of the “ write ” data is converted into physical block address ( pba ) of the flash memory 418 . the data “ write ” command ends after step 418 . a variety of flash memory devices will be described below in fig9 a - 9g . referring back to decision 704 , when the data access command is a data “ read ” command , the aes security engine 410 retrieves the data ( e . g ., dma ) from the flash memory device 418 to the sram buffer 408 at 711 . pba of the flash memory is converted to lba in the sram buffer . next at 712 , the retrieved data in the sram buffer 408 is checked for error by the data error corrector . at decision 713 , it is determined whether there are excessive amount of errors in the retrieved data in the sram buffer 408 . if there are excessive errors , the excessive error condition is reported to the local controller 404 that the data cannot be read and recover at 714 before process 700 ends . if there are errors that can be corrected or recovered , the retrieved data is corrected by the data error corrector and stored back to the sram buffer 408 at 715 . if there is no error , the process 700 moves directly to 716 . at 716 , the encrypted data in the sram buffer 408 is accessed by the aes decryption block 444 through the in - buffer 430 . the decryption is performed using the key from the key generator 434 ( written from the system area at step 702 ). the decrypted data is then written back to the sram buffer 408 through the out - buffer 450 . finally , at 718 , the unencrypted data is send to the host via the i / o interface 402 to complete the data “ read ” operation . fig7 b is a flowchart showing an exemplary process 720 of performing data file reading and writing using data encryption and decryption in an aes engine using one encryption / decryption key created by manufacturer of a device 400 ( pesd ) with additional security provided by a data file password for each data file , according to another embodiment of the present invention . similar to fig7 a , the process 720 is preferably understood in conjunction with previous figures especially fig4 a and fig4 b . the process 720 starts with the aes security engine 410 writes the encryption / decryption key to the key generator 434 at 721 . next , at 722 , a data file password associated with a data file access command is received at the device 400 ( i . e ., sent from the host ). the device determines the data access command is a data “ read ” or “ write ” at decision 724 . if a data “ write ” command is determined , received data are copied from the i / o interface 402 to the sram buffer 408 using dma scheme at 725 . then the unencrypted data in the sram buffer 408 is encrypted by the aes encryption block 442 through the in - buffer 430 using the key from the key generator 434 . the encrypted data is then written back to the sram buffer 408 through the out - buffer 450 at 726 . the additional security is created by generating overhead information for each data file based on the data file password at 727 . the overhead is then appended or associated with the data file at 728 . next the encrypted data along with the overhead information is processed by the data error corrector at 729 . finally the ecc processed data from the sram buffer 408 is written to the flash memory 418 through the flash memory interface 414 . if the data access command is determined as a data “ read ” command at decision 724 . data stored in the flash memory device 418 for the requested data file are retrieved to the sram buffer 408 at 731 . next , the retrieved data is checked for error at 732 . at decision 733 , if it is determined that there are excessive errors , the data error condition is reported to the local controller 404 at 734 and process 720 ends . if the error is correctable by the data error corrector . the ecc data correction is performed at 735 . if there is no error , the process 720 moves directly to 736 . at 736 , the overhead information for the retrieved data file is read as reference password for authenticating the data “ read ” request . then at decision 737 , the data file password received from the host is compared with the reference password obtained from the overhead information . if the received data file password matches the reference , the encrypted data in the sram buffer 408 is decrypted in the aes decryption block 444 of the aes security engine 410 at 738 before sending the unencrypted data to the host 739 . if the decision 737 determines the data file password is incorrect comparing to the reference password , the process 720 allows the user to re - enter the data file password from the host in predefined number ( e . g ., three times ) of password entry attempts . if user has not exceeded the maximum allowed number of password entry attempts , the result of decision 740 is “ no ”. the user operates the host is given another opportunity to enter the data file password or password hints at 741 . the password is then received by the device at 742 for checking at decision 737 . if the number of password entry attempts exceeds the allowable , decision 740 becomes “ yes ”, data file “ read ” access is denied . fig7 c is a flowchart showing an exemplary process 750 of performing data file reading and writing using data encryption and decryption in an aes engine using encryption / decryption key created for each data file using the data file password , according to yet another embodiment of the present invention . again , the process 750 is preferably understood in conjunction with previous figures especially fig4 a and fig4 b . the process 750 starts by receiving a data file password associated with a data file access command at the device 400 ( e . g ., a pesd ) at 752 . the data file access command is then determined at decision 754 . if the data file access command is a data “ write ” command , the data file password is sent to the key generator 434 to generate an encryption key at 755 . this means that the key becomes data file dependent instead of one key for the entire device used in the processes 700 and 720 . steps 756 to 761 of the process 750 are the same as steps 725 to 730 of the process 720 . the data file “ write ” command ends after step 761 . similarly if the data file access command is a data “ read ” command , steps 764 to 770 of the process 750 are the same as the steps 731 to 736 of the process 720 . if it is determined that the received data file password at 752 matches the password extracted from the overhead information of the request data file , the result of the decision 770 is “ yes ”, and the matched data file password is sent to the key generator 434 to generate a decryption key at 771 . then the encryption data in the requested data file are decrypted in the aes decryption block 444 of the aes security engine 410 at 772 . the decrypted data is written to the sram buffer 408 before sending to the host through the i / o interface 402 at 703 . if the received password is determined to be incorrect at the decision 770 , the following steps 774 to 776 of the process 750 are the same as the steps 740 to 742 . referring now to fig7 d , which is a flowchart showing an exemplary process 780 of performing data file reading and writing without aes security or in the state of “ encryption / decryption off ” in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the process 780 starts by receiving a data file access command from the host at 781 . next , at decision 782 , the data file access command is determined whether it is a data “ read ” or “ write ” command . if the command is data “ write ”, data of the data file is written to the sram buffer 408 through the i / o interface 402 using dma scheme at 783 . then the data in the sram buffer 408 is processed by the data error corrector at 784 , in which ecc overhead information is created for data reliability . finally , the ecc processed data in the sram buffer 408 is written to the flash memory 418 through the flash memory controller 414 at 785 . if the data file access command is a data “ read ” command , the device retrieves data of the requested data file from the flash memory 418 to the sram buffer 408 at 786 . next , at 787 , the retrieved data in the sram buffer 408 is checked for error in the data error corrector . at decision 788 , if it is determined that there are excessive ecc errors , the data error condition is reported to the local controller 404 at 789 and the process 780 ends . if the data error can be corrected , the ecc data correction procedure is performed at 790 to correct the error . if there is no data error determined at decision 788 , the process 780 goes directly to 791 , in which the data in the sram buffer 408 is sent to the host through the i / o interface 402 . it is noted that the aes security engine 410 is not used in any step of the process 780 . to support various aes security measures described above , flash memory devices of greater capacity are used in some embodiments . advances in flash technology have created many types of flash memory device . for example , multi - bit cell ( mbc ) or multi - level cell ( mlc ) flash memory devices have a higher capacity than single bit cell ( sbc ) or single - level cell ( slc ) flash memory devices for the same form factor . in general , slc type of flash memory cells is more reliable with higher data transmission rate , while mlc type flash memory cells is more economical . slc type flash memory cells may include small block slc ( sslc ) and large block slc ( lslc ). likewise , mlc type of flash memory cells may include small block mlc ( smlc ) and large block mlc ( lmlc ). flash memory with smlc is typically arranged into 512 + 16 bytes per page , while flash memory with lmlc is 2048 + 64 bytes per page . the “+ 16 ” bytes and “+ 64 ” bytes are spare area for each page . a page is the unit used for data access ( read or write ). therefore , the data access speed depends upon the size of the page . a larger page size ( e . g ., 2048 bytes ) flash memory has a better data write performance against a smaller page size flash memory ( e . g ., 512 bytes ). to support larger page size , the flash memory controller ( e . g ., controller 404 of fig4 a ) needs to control ( e . g ., detect and access ) the page size accordingly . a typical flash memory device contains an identification ( id ) code that shows the flash memory type , the manufacturer and characteristics of the flash memory such as page size , block size , capacity , etc . read id code information is performed when the device ( e . g ., pesd ) is electrically and physically connected to a host during the initialization . in one embodiment , the flash memory controller is configured with a 512 - byte page register ( e . g ., sram buffer 408 of fig4 a ). data to be read from and written to the flash memory need to be copied to the register first for various processing ( e . g ., encryption / decryption , ecc data error recovery , etc .). the data access is performed in a sequential block by block order . each data access is limited to a 512 - byte page . in another embodiment , the flash memory controller is configured with a larger register ( e . g ., 2048 - byte , 4096 - byte , etc .). the larger register allows multiple of 512 - byte data transfer performed in parallel , therefore improving the data transfer performance . one example of the larger register pesd is based on mlc flash memory , which may comprise 2048 - byte per page . however , there is a limitation as to writing data into each block . a block becomes restricted when the block is partially written . this problem is referred to as “ partial write prohibited ” or “ nop = 1 ( number of program equal to 1 )”. the term “ program ” means writing data to the flash memory . with many of the convention flash memory controller configured to perform a 512 - byte data transfer , the larger block sized flash memory encountered the “ partial write prohibited ” problems . since the present invention may be implemented on a pesd using mlc based flash memory , the “ partial write prohibited ” problem needs to be avoided to ensure higher data transfer speed . the solution to this problem is described below using a 2048 - byte block sized flash memory ( e . g ., mlc flash memory ) as an example . the solution uses a page mapping scheme in a flash memory controller to avoid multi - time programming to one physical block of the flash memory . fig8 a - 8c and table 1a - 1c collectively show how the flash memory controller solves this problem in mlc based pesd . fig8 a shows eight physical blocks with 2048 - byte per block . there are valid data stored in physical blocks 0 and 1 and the rest are empty . table 1a is a correlation table between physical block number of the flash memory and logical block number of the data to be written . the first row of table 1 lists physical blocks from block zero ( block 0 ) to block seven ( block 7 ). the second row lists the corresponding logical block number to the physical block numbers . for example , physical block 0 corresponds to logical block 1 and physical block 2 corresponds to logical block 5 . the rest of the logical block numbers is shown as sixty - three ( 63 ), which is a 6 - digit binary number of one &# 39 ; s ( i . e ., b ‘ 111111 ’). that is an indicator for empty flash memory as shown in fig8 a . after a first 1024 - byte data write command from the host is received and executed on the pesd , updated status of the flash memory is shown in fig8 b and table 1b . fig8 b shows the 1024 - byte data is written in two pages of 512 - byte in physical block 2 of the flash memory . table 1b shows that the logical block 8 corresponding to physical block 2 . as a result , the physical block 2 has been partially written . then a second 1024 - byte data write command has arrived from the host . although there is enough space to hold newly arrived second 1024 - byte data , the limitation of “ partial write prohibited ” prevents the device to store or write into physical block 2 . it would need to find the next available space which is physical block 3 . however , that would cause physical block 3 becoming partially written . as a result , the large page flash memory such as mlc based flash may be wasted due to this problem . one solution to this problem is to have the controller to do page mapping before writing to the flash memory . for example , the first 1024 - byte data in the partially written physical block 2 and the newly arrived second 1024 - byte data are mapped in the register ( i . e ., a 2048 - byte register or sram buffer ) before writing to the next available physical block 3 as shown in fig8 c . table 1c reflects the new data in the physical block 3 , which corresponds to logical block 8 . this scheme ensures partially used spaces are optimized to reduce waste . to access data , the controller searches the logical block number in table 1c backwards starting from physical block 7 to physical block 0 . the first matched logical block is the newest updated data . for example , physical block 3 corresponds to logical block 8 in table 1c . when the controller searches for the logical block 8 , the first encountered location is physical block 3 . although the logical block 8 also corresponds to physical block 2 , the controller would not select this because physical block 3 is always searched first . in other words , only the last of repeated logical block numbers is the newest data . all of the earlier ones can be regarded as “ out - of - date ” data block . according to one embodiment of the present invention , the encrypted data created by the aes security engine 410 of fig4 a needs to be written or stored in the manner described herein for mlc based flash memory . the flash memory device shown and described above in fig4 a may comprise many different types . fig9 a - 9g are block diagrams illustrating various data access schemes between a flash memory controller and flash memory including single - level - cell and multi - level - cell . due to data reading and writing in a flash memory device requiring access and verification . the data access speed is a major concern to ensure a good device performance . in one embodiment , a pesd comprises a flash memory controller 902 and an 8 - bit based flash memory integrated circuit ( ic ) chip 904 shown in fig9 a . the controller 902 controls the flash memory ic chip 904 via an 8 - bit data bus , which is referred to as single - channel data bus . in another embodiment shown in fig9 b , a pesd comprises a flash memory controller 912 and a 16 - bit data bus based flash memory ic chip 914 . the 16 - bit data bus is referred to as dual - channel data bus . the dual - channel data bus in general provides two times of speedup in comparing with the single - channel data bus does . in yet another embodiment shown in fig9 c , a pesd comprises a flash memory controller 922 and two 8 - bit based flash memory ic chip 924 a and 924 b . each of the two chips 924 a and 924 b is controlled by the controller 922 via an 8 - bit data base . fig9 d shows yet another alternative embodiment of a pesd comprising a flash memory controller 932 and an 8 - bit based dual - die flash memory ic chip 934 . the single channel interleave operation is achieved with two flash memory dies . in yet anther embodiment shown in fig9 e , a pesd includes a flash memory controller 942 and an 8 - bit based flash memory chip 944 with four dies mounted therein . alternatively , according to yet anther embodiment , fig9 f shows another pesd , which comprises a flash memory controller 952 and four 8 - bit based flash memory chip 954 a - 954 d . fig9 g shows a much more complex pesd , which comprises a flash memory controller 962 and a plurality of flash memory chips 964 a - 964 p as a flash memory module . the controller 962 includes sixteen ( 16 ) chip - enablers ( cs #), four ( 4 ) ready / busy ( rb #) signals and four ( 4 ) channels to control data and signals . the flash memory module may include sixty - four ( 64 ) single - channel flash memory dies or chips , thirty - two ( 32 ) dual - channel flash memory dies or sixteen ( 16 ) quad - channel flash memory dies . although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof , these embodiments are merely illustrative , and not restrictive of , the present invention . various modifications or changes to the specifically disclosed exemplary embodiments will be suggested to persons skilled in the art . for example , whereas the exemplary security measure is shown and described using aes security , other types of equivalent security measures may be used . additionally , whereas the interface bus is described and shown as usb , other data buses may be used such as peripheral component interconnect express ( pci express or pci - e ), serial ata , firewire ( i . e ., ieee 1394 ), small computer system interface ( scsi ), etc . in summary , the scope of the invention should not be restricted to the specific exemplary embodiments disclosed herein , and all modifications that are readily suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art should be included within the spirit and purview of this application and scope of the appended claims .

6Physics

exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings in detail . the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . detailed description of weft - known functions and structures incorporated herein may be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention . in addition , the terms and words used in this description and the appended claims are not to be interpreted in common or lexical meaning but , based on the principle that an inventor can adequately define the meanings of terms to best describe the invention , to be interpreted in the meaning and concept conforming to the technical concept of the present invention . although the description is directed to the lte and lte - a systems , the present invention can be applied to other types of wireless communication systems in which a base station performs scheduling . the lte system is a communication system which uses ofdm in downlink and single carrier - frequency division multiple access ( sc - fdma ) in uplink . the lte - a system is an advanced lte system supporting wider bandwidth by aggregating two or more lte component carriers , and relay is applied in the lte - a system . fig1 is a diagram illustrating a format of a subframe for use in the lte system to which the present invention is applied . the subframe can be supported in the lte - a system with compatibility . referring to fig1 , a given lte transmission bandwidth 107 is segmented into a plurality of resource blocks ( rbs ), and each of rbs 109 and 113 is generated from 12 subcarriers in frequency domain and 14 ofdm symbols 113 or 12 ofdm symbols 121 in time domain and is a basic unit of resource allocation . a subframe 105 has duration of 1 ms and consists of two slots 103 . the rb consisted of 14 ofdm symbols is transmitted in a normal cyclic prefix ( cp ) subframe structure 113 while the rb consisted of 12 ofdm symbols is transmitted in an extended cp subframe structure 121 . the reference signals ( rs ) 119 , 123 , 125 , 127 , and 129 are the signals agreed for use in channel estimation between a user equipment ( ue ) and an evolved node b ( enb ) that are transmitted through corresponding antenna ports , e . g . rs 123 for antenna port 0 , rs 125 for antenna port 1 , rs 127 for antenna port 2 , and rs 129 for antenna port 3 . although the absolute position of an re designated for rs in the frequency domain varies depending on the cell , the interval between the rss is maintained . that is , the rss for the same antenna port are transmitted while maintaining the interval as many as 6 res , and the reason why the absolute position of the rs varies is to avoid collision between rss of different cells . the number of rss can be set differently per antenna port . in more detail , the antenna ports 0 and 1 transmit 8 rss in one rb or subframe , while the antenna ports 2 and 3 transmit 4 rss in one rb or subframe . accordingly , when four antennas are used , the channel estimation using the antenna ports 2 and 3 is inferior to the channel estimation using the antenna ports 0 and 1 . meanwhile , the control channel region is placed at the beginning of a subframe on the time axis . the control channel region is used to transmit control channel signal . in fig1 , reference number 117 denotes the control channel signal region . the control channel signal can be transmitted in up to l ofdm symbols at the beginning of the subframe . l can be 1 , 2 , or 3 . reference number 117 shows the case where l is 3 . in case that one ofdm symbol is enough for transmitting the control channel , the first ofdm symbol of the subframe is assigned for the control channel ( l = 1 ), and the rest 13 ofdm symbols are used for data channel signal transmission . the value l is used as the basic information for demapping at the receiver such that , if l not received , the ue cannot recover the control channel . in multimedia broadcast over a single frequency network ( mbsfn ), the value of l is fixed to 2 to be used as the channel configured for transmitting broadcast information or can be used for various purposes such as relay backhaul transmission in lte - a system . if the corresponding subframe is indicated as a broadcast subframe , the lte ue recognizes the broadcast subframe by referencing the control channel region and stops receiving the data region of the subframe . however , the lte - a ue can receive the data region for other purpose . the reason why the control channel signal is arranged at the beginning of the subframe is to allow a ue to check the control channel signal first to determine whether the data channel signal following the control channel signal is destined itself . accordingly , if it is determined that there is no data channel signal destined to the ue , there is no need for the ue to receive the data channel signal and thus the ue can save the unnecessary power consumption for receiving the data channel signal . also , since the control channel is received quickly as compared to the data channel , it is possible to reduce scheduling delay . the lte standard specifies three downlink control channels : physical control format indicator channel ( pcfich ), physical hybrid arq indicator channel ( phich ), and packet data control channel ( pdcch ), and these control channels are transmitted in unit of resource element group ( reg ) 111 in the region denoted by reference number 117 in fig1 . pcfich is the physical channel for transmitting the control channel format indicator ( ccfi ) to ue . ccfi is 2 - bit information for indicating the number of symbols occupying the control region in a subframe “ l ”. since a terminal can recognize the number of symbols of the control region based on the ccfi , the pcfich must be the first channel to be received in a subframe except when the downlink resource is allocated persistently . since ue does not know the value of l before receiving the pcfich , the pcfich is always mapped to the first ofdm symbol of each subframe . the pcfich is transmitted in 4 resource groups formed by equally separating 16 subcarriers in frequency . the phich is the physical channel for transmitting downlink ack / nacks . phich is received by the ue which is performing uplink data transmission . accordingly , the number of phichs is in proportion to the number of ues performing uplink transmissions . phich is transmitted in the first ofdm symbol ( l phich = 1 ) or across three ofdm symbols ( l phich = 3 ) of the control region . the phich configuration information ( number of channel , l phich ) is broadcast through the primary broadcast channel ( pbch ) such that all of the ues acquire the information at their initial connection to the cell . also , phich is transmitted at predetermined position per cell like the pcfich such that the ues can acquire the phich configuration information by receiving the pbch when the ue connects to the cell regardless of other control channel information . pdcch 117 is a physical channel for transmitting data channel allocation information or power control information . the pdcch can be transmitted at different channel coding rates according to the channel condition of the target ue . since quadrature phase shift keying ( qpsk ) is fixedly used for pdcch transmission , it is required to change the resource mount for transmitting pdcch 117 in order to change channel coding rate . when the channel condition of the terminal is good , a high channel coding rate is used to save the resource . in contrast , when the channel condition of the terminal is bad , a low channel coding rate is used to increase reception probability at the ue even with the cost of large amount of resource . the resource amount consumed by each pdcch is determined in unit of control channel element ( cce ). each cce is composed of 5 resource element groups ( reg ) 111 . in order to secure diversity , the regs of the pdcch are arranged in the control region after interleaving has been performed . in order to multiplex several ack / nack signals , code domain multiplexing ( cdm ) technique is applied for phich . in a single reg , 8 phich signals are multiplexed into 4 real number parts and 4 imaginary number parts by means of the cdm technique and repeated as many as n phich so as to be distributed in frequency domain to obtain frequency diversity gain . by using n phich reg , it is possible to form the 8 or less phich signals . in order to form the phich signals more than 8 , it is necessary to use other n phich reg . after assigning resources for pcfich and phich , the enb determines the value of l , maps the physical channels to the reg of the assigned control region 117 based on the value of l . next , the enb performs interleaving to obtain frequency diversity gain . the interleaving is performed on the total regs of the subframe determined by the value of l in unit of reg in the control region . the output of the interleaver in the control region is capable of preventing the inter - cell interference ( ici ) caused by using the same interleaver for the cells and obtaining the diversity gain by distributing the regs of the control region across one or more symbols . also , it is guaranteed that the regs forming the same control channel are distributed uniformly across the symbols per control channel . recently , research and development is focused on the lte - a system evolved from the lte system . in lte - a , it is taken into consideration to deploy the relays to eliminate shadow areas and to apply wireless backhaul for establishing radio link between the relay and enb , the relay operating in the same manner as enb . fig2 is a diagram illustrating relationship between transmission and reception frames of a relay in the ofdm system . referring to fig2 , the enb 201 transmits data to a ue 207 directly and to another ue 205 via a relay 203 . the cell having the relay 203 is provided with various links according to the channel properties as shown in fig2 . in fig2 , reference number 209 denotes link a between the enb 201 and the ue 207 , and reference number 213 denotes link c through which the ue 205 receives signals from the relay 203 . in view of the ue 205 , however , the relay 203 is recognized as the enb 201 such that link a 209 and link c 213 can be considered as the same transmission region as denoted by reference number 219 . reference number 211 denotes link b between the enb 201 and the relay 203 for use in data transmission to the ue 205 via the relay 203 and higher layer signal exchange between the relay 203 and the enb 201 . reference numbers 215 and 217 shows the relationship between the subframe from the enb 201 to the relay 203 and the subframe from the relay 203 to the ue 205 . reference number 215 denotes the structure of the subframe from the enb 201 to the ue 207 and the relay 203 , and reference number 217 denotes the region for the transmission from the relay 203 to the ue 205 and reception from the enb 201 . reference number 219 denotes the region in which the ue 207 connected to the enb 201 and the ue 205 connected to the relay 203 receives signals from the enb 201 and , the relay 203 . reference number 221 denotes the subframe carrying the data for downlink backhaul transmission . the backhaul subframe can be multiplexed with the transmission to the ue 207 connected to the enb 201 or transmitted as dedicated backhaul data transmission according to the scheduling . reference number 235 denotes the resource region used for backhaul transmission . the enb 201 transmits the control channel 225 in every subframe , and the relay 203 also transmits control channel . since the relay 203 cannot receive and transmit signal simultaneously , when it is transmitting control channel , the relay 203 cannot receive control channel information transmitted by the enb 201 . the enb 201 transmits the data to the relay 203 in the region denoted by reference number 235 after control channel transmission such that the relay should receive the data in the corresponding region . since the relay has transmitted signal in the control channel transmission region , it is necessary to perform transmission / reception switching to receive data in the corresponding region and thus the corresponding region is blank as denoted by reference number 226 . fig3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a backhaul subframe of the relay in the lte - a system . referring to fig3 , reference number 301 denotes the control channel region carrying the control channel for scheduling ue in the cell of the enb . in this region , the relay has to transmit scheduling information for the ue within its own cell so as not to receive signals . reference number 303 denotes the control channel region transmitted to the relay . this region is notified to the relay in advance through higher layer signaling . although the enb notifies the rely of the resource amount for the control channel , the resource carrying the control channel information is a part but not the entire region 303 . the region denoted by reference number 303 is entirely for control channel in the drawing . reference number 323 denotes the data channel region carrying data channel signal transmitted to the relay . the data channel region carrying the data channel signal to the relay can follow the symbols allocated for the control channel region for the relay . reference number 305 denotes the data channel region for transmission to the ue within the cell . the enb scheduler can allocate the data channel region for ue in the middle or edge of the control channel region for the relay according to the control channel region allocated for ue &# 39 ; s scheduling information and the relay , and it can be considered to be multiplexed with the relay control channel on frequency resource . reference number 307 denotes additional data channel region for transmitting data channel signal to the relay . in case that large amount of data is transmitted to the relay and the necessary resource is greater than the frequency resource of the relay control channel region , the enb can transmit the data channel signal for the relay on the resource other than the previously allocated control channel region . the structure of the control channel region for the relay is depicted in detail as denoted by reference number 313 , and the structures of the normal cp subframe and the extended cp subframe are depicted as denoted by reference numbers 323 and 325 respectively . the control channel region for the relay in the subframe that is represented by reference number 323 and 325 is arranges across three symbols starting from the fourth ofdm symbol and followed by the data channel region starting from seventh symbol . the control channel region for the relay is denoted by reference number 319 and carries the reference signals of ports 0 and 1 while the reference signals of ports 2 and 3 are transmitted in the previous symbol and the next slot &# 39 ; s symbols . as described above , since the relay cannot receive signal in the first three ofdm symbols , when four antennas are used for transmitting the control channel signal for the relay , the relay must use the reference signals of the antenna ports 2 and 3 that are transmitted in the second slot of the subframe for channel estimation of the control channel signal . as described above , the control channel signal is transmitted prior to the data channel signal to reduce the reception delay , however , if the antenna port of the second slot is used , this advantage disappears and only two reference signals exist in the entire subframe and only one rb , resulting in degradation of channel estimation performance . fig4 is a diagram illustrating a structure of the relay control channel according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig4 , the control channel region 401 for the relay is mapped to the control channel region allocated one rb as a basic unit for configuring one control channel . reference number 403 denotes basic unit of resource mapping for one control channel . in case of being configured as denoted by reference number 401 , the control channels transmitted to different relays cannot be multiplexed in an rb resource such that the control channel signal for one relay is transmitted on one rb resource . reference number 405 denotes a case where the control channels for two relays are mapped to one rb . the two resources occupy 6 res on the frequency axis , and one rb can be used for transmitting the control channels transmitted to up to 2 relays as multiplexed . reference number 425 denotes the case where four res is used as the basic unit for one relay control channel configuration . in case that there are control channels transmitted to three relays as denoted by reference number 425 , the regions denoted by reference numbers 415 , 417 , and 421 are partially used for transmitting control channel to the relay 1 , the regions denoted by reference numbers 413 and 423 are partially used for transmitting control channel to the relay 2 , and the regions denoted by reference number 411 , 419 , and 427 are partially used for transmitting control channel to the relay 3 . the above described control channel configuration method can be applied to all of the embodiments to be described hereinafter . the embodiments of the present invention proposes configuration for allocating additional reference signals adjacent to the common reference signals along with the common reference signals in the backhaul subframe . here , the additional reference signal can be generated in the same manner as the common reference signal or in a different manner from the common reference signal . for example , the additional reference signal can be generated according to the correlation among the relays or properties of individual relays . that is , the additional reference signal can be common reference signal , or relay group - specific dedicated reference signal according to the correlations of the relays , or relay - specific dedicated reference signal according to the properties of the relays . in the following description , the conventional reference signal can have the same meaning as common reference signal and indicates the reference signal predetermined in separation with the additional reference signals . fig5 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a relay backhaul reference signal according to the first embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig5 , the first embodiment of the present invention proposes a method for grouping the relays having high correlation geographically and spatially in the cell , selecting a precoding to be applied to the group , multiplexing the relay control channels in the group , and transmitting group - specific dedicated reference signal . meanwhile , since the data channels transmitted to the relays are not multiplexed , relay - specific dedicated reference signals are transmitted . this method is characterized in that the precoding for the control channel and the precoding for the data channel differ from each other . referring to fig5 , the relays a - 1 and a - 2 are highly correlated geographically or spatially , and the relays b - 1 and b 2 are highly correlated geographically or spatially . accordingly , the enb categories the relays a - 1 and a - 2 into a group a and the relays b - 1 and b 2 into a group b . since the relay groups have different correlation degrees , the enb has to form antenna beams with different precodings for the respective groups and thus allocates different resources . reference number 559 denotes a region available for transmitting entire control channel , reference number 507 denotes the region for transmitting control channel of the relays belonged to group a , and reference number 509 denotes the region for transmitting the control channels of the relays belonged to group b . for example , the control channels of the relays belonged to the group a are transmitted as multiplexed with the regions 401 , 405 , and 425 of fig4 in the region 507 . the data channels 519 , 521 , 523 , and 525 of the resource regions 507 and 509 , with the exception of the control channel region , carriers the data channels of the relays . accordingly , the data channels of groups a - 1 and a - 2 are transmitted on the resource used by the relays belonged to the group a as denoted by reference number 507 , and since the data channels of the relays are not multiplexed , the regions form the antenna beams with different precodings . likewise , the data channel regions 521 and 525 corresponding to group b are used for transmitting data channels of the relays b - 1 and b 02 . in case that the data channel to be transmitted to the relays is not enough , additional resource can be used such that , when the rb resource allocated as control channel resource is allocated , the data channel can be transmitted as mapped after the control channel symbol ( 517 ) even though no control channel exist in the corresponding resource ( 559 ), and the other region ( 511 ) is used for transmitting data channel on the entire region ( 529 ). the relay control and data channel structure 505 is described with reference to the normal cp subframe 545 and extended cp subframe 533 . in case of the normal cp subframe , the control channels corresponding group a are transmitted in the relay control channel region 539 as multiplexed , and the relay group - specific signals to be transmitted in the control channel 535 are precoded per group so as to be transmitted in the fourth symbol or sixth symbol . in case of the extended cp subframe , the relay control channels of the relays belonged to group a are transmitted as multiplexed in the control channel region 547 , and the relay group - specific signals are precoded per relay and transmitted in the third or fourth or sixth symbol of the second slot . in the extended cp frame structure , the data channel of the relay a - 1 belonged to group a is transmitted , the relay - specific dedicated reference signals as denoted by reference number 557 are precoded per relay and transmitted in the third or fifth symbol of the second slot . fig6 is a flowchart illustrating the transmission procedure of the enb according to the first embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig6 , if the current subframe is the subframe for relay back transmission , the enb prepares downlink backhaul transmission at step 603 . next , the enb categories the relays that can use the same antenna beam pattern into groups in consideration of the channels and the geographical and spatial correlation in the cell at step 605 . the enb allocates relay control channel resources to multiplex the control channels to be transmitted to the relays belonged to the group into a certain rb resource as predetermined at step 607 . next , the enb selects an optimal beam pattern per relay group and performs precoding on the reference signals and control channel in the part where the control channel is transmitted at step 609 . at this time , the reference signals include the common reference signals and group - specific dedicated reference signals . next , the enb performs scheduling to allocate the data channels destined to the relays in unit of rb at step 611 . the enb selects relay - specific optimal beam pattern for the data channels to the relays to perform precoding on the data channels and reference signals at step 613 . at this time , the reference signals include common reference signals and relay - specific dedicated reference signals . afterward , the enb transmits the control channel and the relay group - specific dedicated reference signal in the control channel at step 615 . next , the enb transmits the relay - specific data channels and relay - specific dedicated reference signal at step 617 . fig7 is a flowchart illustrating a reception procedure of the relay according to the first embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig7 , if the current subframe is of the relay backhaul , the relay prepares downlink reception at step 703 . next , the relay separates the control and data channel on the allocated resource for backhaul reception at step 705 . in case of control channel , the relay receives the relay control channel using the channel estimation value of the reference signal at step 707 . at this time , the reference signal includes the common reference signal and relay - specific dedicated reference signal . next , the relay demodulates the relay control signal to receive the scheduling information of the current subframe at step 709 . then relay receives the data channel using the channel estimation information of the reference signal in the data channel region of the resource allocated based on the scheduling information at step 711 . at this time , the reference signal includes the common reference signal and relay - specific dedicated reference signal . the relay demodulates the data channel to receive the backhaul data at step 713 and ends the procedure . fig8 is a flowchart illustrating a relay control channel multiplexing method proposed in the second embodiment of the present invention . the control channel resource allocation according to the second embodiment is identical with that of the first embodiment . referring to fig8 , the method proposed in the second embodiment of the present invention is to transmit the common reference signal ( crs ) in the relay control channel region through additional antenna ports . this method is of operating differently according to the number of transmit antennas in such a manner that the legacy subframe and common reference signal are used for the case where the number of antennas is equal to or less than 2 and additional common reference signals for the antenna ports 2 and 3 are transmitted in the relay control channel region for the case where the number of antennas is greater than 2 . since the common reference signal is not transmitted in the entire band in case of the subframe dedicated to lte - a or mbsfn although it is in the resource region allocated for the relay control channel , all of the common reference signals should be transmitted in the allocated relay control region . reference number 823 denotes the region carrying the relay control channel . although it is possible to multiplex the controls channels destined to multiple relays into one rb or not in the region 823 , the non - multiplex structure is more efficient . this is because , when the control and data channels are mapped to different rb resources , it is difficult to perform complementary channel estimation between the reference signals in the first and second slots . in case that the control and data channels are mapped in the same rb , it is possible to perform complementary channel estimation with the reference signals transmitted in all of the slots . reference number 809 and 813 denote the regions in which the relay data channel destined to the relay 1 is transmitted , and reference number 811 and 813 are the regions in which the relay data channel destined to the relay 2 is transmitted . referring to the enlarged drawings 835 and 843 illustrating details of the region 825 , reference number 829 denotes the region for transmitting relay control channel , reference numbers 845 and 849 denote the regions for transmitting additional relay common reference signal corresponding to the antenna port 2 , and reference numbers 847 and 851 denote the regions for transmitting the additional common reference signal corresponding to the antenna port 3 . reference number 831 denotes the subframe having the same structure as the legacy subframe . reference number 843 denotes the extended cp subframe structure in which reference number 837 denotes the region carrying the relay control channel , reference number 853 and 857 denote the region carrying the common reference signal corresponding to the antenna port 2 , and reference number 855 and 859 denote the region carrying the common reference signal corresponding to the antenna port 3 . in case that the enb operating in this method forms antenna beam to the relay for transmission , the reference signal is not precoded such that the relay cannot perform demodulation on the data channel region without precoding information . accordingly , when the data transmitted to the relay are precoded , it is necessary to send the information on the current precoding through higher layer signaling . since the precoding information of the relay fixed at a position is not changed , it is possible to send the information through higher layer signaling . fig9 is a flowchart illustrating the transmission procedure of the enb according to the second embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig9 , if the current subframe is the subframe is of relay backhaul transmission , the enb prepares the downlink backhaul transmission at step 903 . if the number of transmit antennas of the system is equal to or greater than 4 the enb prepares additional crs transmission at step 905 . the enb configures a relay control channel and multiplexes the relay control channel with other control channels at step 907 . next , the enb multiplexes the relay control channel with added crs at step 909 . if the current subframe is an lte - a subframe or mbsfn subframe , the enb multiplexes the added crs and the legacy crs into the relay resource region of the subframe at step 911 . the enb multiplexes the multiplexed control channels and data channels in tdm manner at step 913 . the enb transmits the current subframe at step 915 . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating the reception procedure of the relay according to the second embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , if the current subframe is the subframe for relay backhaul , the relay prepares downlink reception at step 1003 . the relay separates the control and data channels on the resource allocated for backhaul reception at step 1005 . in case that the system supports 4 or more antennas , the relay extracts the channel estimation information at the location for the added crs to receive the relay control channel at step 1007 . next , the relay demodulates the relay control channel to receive the scheduling information of the current subframe at step 1009 . the relay receives the data channel using the drs channel estimation information of the resource allocated based on the scheduling information and the added crs channel estimation information at step 1011 . the relay demodulates the data channel to receive the backhaul data at step 1103 and terminates the reception procedure . fig1 is a diagram illustrating a relay reference signal configuration method proposed in the third embodiment of the present invention . the method proposed in the third embodiment is of using the relay - specific dedicated reference signal that can be applied to both the control and data channels . this method takes the influence of the multiplexed resource locations arranged randomly when a plurality of relay control channels are multiplexed in the same rb as denoted by reference number 425 of fig4 . although possible to transmit signals in a dedicated pattern when the locations of the resource are fixed , it is difficult to guarantee the channel estimation performance with one pattern when the resource location varies . this embodiment proposes a method for configuring dedicated reference signal that is capable of performing channel estimation even when the resource allocation region varies . in order to accomplish the purpose , it is necessary to reserve a part of the allocated resource for dedicated reference signal so as to spread the dedicated reference signals are dispersed randomly according to the resource arranged randomly . referring to fig1 , the reference number 1127 denotes the region carrying the control channel of the relay . in case that two relays exist , the control channels transmitted to the two relays are transmitted in the region 1127 as divided in resource allocation unit , and the data destined to the relay 1 are transmitted in the regions 1109 and 1113 of the data channel region and the data destined to the relay 2 in the regions 1111 and 1115 . referring to parts 1137 and 1149 illustrating the region 1125 in detail , reference number 1137 denotes two rb regions for transmission to the relays 1 and 2 . reference number 1131 denotes the control channel transmission region in which the basic allocation resource of the control channel consists of total 4 res , three for control channel transmission and 1 for relay - specific dedicated reference signal . accordingly , reference number 1129 denotes the dedicated reference signal for use in channel estimation of the control channel transmitted to the relay 1 , and reference number 113 denotes the dedicated reference signal for data channel transmitted to the relay 1 . according to the third embodiment , the precodings used for the control and data channels are of both the relay - specific dedicated control channels and thus identical with each other . reference number 1139 denotes the dedicated reference signal of the control channel transmitted to the relay 2 . referring to the extended op structure 1149 , reference number 1141 denotes the region for relay control channel transmission , reference number 1151 denotes the dedicated reference signal of the control channel transmitted to the relay 1 , and reference number 1145 denotes the dedicated reference signal of the data channel transmitted to the relay 2 . fig1 is a diagram illustrating the transmission procedure of the enb according to the third embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , if the current subframe is of relay backhaul transmission , the enb prepares downlink backhaul transmission at step 1203 . the enb selects an optimal antenna beam pattern for the channels transmitted to the relays at step 1205 . the enb configures relay control channels and designates some res in the basic allocation unit of the relay control channel for relay - specific dedicated reference signal at step 1207 . next , the enb multiplexes the control channels destined to the relays and maps the multiplexed channel to the control channel region at step 1209 . next , the enb allocates data channels to the relays and maps the data channels in rb at step 1211 . afterward , the enb multiplexes the control channels and data channels in tdm manner at step 1213 . the enb applies the precodings selected for the respective relays to the dedicated reference signal used in the relay control channel , the relay control channel , the dedicated reference signal used in the relay data channel , and the relay data channel . the reference signals include the common reference signals and relay - specific dedicated reference signals . the enb transmits the current backhaul subframe at step 1217 and terminates the procedure . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating the reception procedure of the relay according to the third embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , if the current subframe is the subframe for relay backhaul , the relay prepares downlink reception at step 1303 . next , the relay separates the control and data channels on the resource allocated for backhaul reception at step 1305 . the relay receives the relay control channel using the channel estimation information of the relay - specific dedicated reference signal of the control and data channels at step 1307 . next , the relay demodulates the relay control channel to receive the scheduling information of the current subframe at step 1309 . next , the relay receives the data channel using the channel estimation information of the relay - specific dedicated reference signal of the control channel region and data channel region of the resource allocated based on the scheduling information at step 1311 . the relay demodulates the data channel to receive the backhaul data at step 1313 and terminates the procedure . a description is made of the internal configurations of the enb and relay for above - described operations hereinafter . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the enb according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , the enb includes a relay precoding selector 1401 , a controller 1403 , a relay control channel reference signal generator 1405 , an r - pdcch generator 1413 , a relay control channel multiplexer 1407 , a relay data channel reference signal generator 1415 , a relay data channel generator 1417 , a relay data channel multiplexer 1425 , a precoder 1407 , a enb control channel generator 1423 , a data channel configurator 1419 , a reference signal generator 1421 , an fdm 1431 , and a transmission processor 1433 . the relay precoding selector 1401 provides the information on the precoding used for the control and data channels of the individual relays . the controller 1403 controls scheduling in the current subframe . the controller 1403 also provides a precoding index using the information output by the relay precoding selector 1401 . the relay control channel reference signal generator 1405 generates reference signals of the relay control channel according to the precoding index . the r - pdcch generator 1413 generates relay control channels . the relay control channel multiplexer 1407 multiplexes the reference signals and control channel . the relay data channel reference signal generator 1415 generates reference signals for the relay data channels . the relay data channel generator 1417 generates relay data channels . the relay data channel multiplexer 1425 multiplexes the reference signals and data channels . the precoder 1407 performs precoding with the selected precoding scheme under the control of the controller 1403 . the fdm 1431 multiplexes the signals generated by the control channel configurator 1423 , data channel configurator 1419 , and reference signal generator 1421 , relay control channels , and relay data channels , and then the transmission processor 1433 transmits the subframe . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the relay according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , the relay includes a demultiplexer 1503 , a controller 1505 , reference signal receivers 1507 and 1509 , a channel estimator 1515 , a relay control channel receiver 1511 , and a relay data channel receiver 1513 . the demultiplexer 1503 demultiplexes the signal received by the reception processor 1501 into relay control channel and data channel reference signals . the reference signal receivers 1507 and 1509 receive the reference signals under the control of the controller 1505 . the channel estimator 1515 notifies of the channel information of the reference signal . at this time , the channel estimator 1515 collects the channel estimation information necessary for the control channel and data channel . the relay control channel receiver 1511 receives the relay control channel using the channel estimation information . the relay data channel receiver 1513 receives the data of the relay data channel using the information demodulated from the control channel . the reception apparatus of the radio communication system according to the present invention is capable of improving channel estimation performance of subframe . as a consequence , it is possible to reduce scheduling delay in the transmission apparatus of the radio communication system . also , it is possible to improve the communication efficiency in the radio communication system . the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense in order to help understand the present invention . it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention .

7Electricity

as required , detailed embodiments and / or aspects of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments / aspects 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 to the drawings in more detail , the reference numeral 2 generally designates a system for managing e - commerce transactions utilizing a distributed network 4 with a central exchange computer system 6 and multiple remote computer systems 8 ( fig1 ). without limitation on the generality of useful applications of the system 2 , an exemplary aspect or application thereof is described in connection with transactions involving tickets to events , such as sporting events , entertainment and theater . the distribution system for such merchandise includes a central administrator 10 associated with the central exchange computer 6 and a network of point - of - sale ( pos ) ticket brokers , affiliates or dealers 12 associated with respective remote computers 8 . the ticket brokers 12 typically buy from and sell to their respective customers , who can comprise individual end users 14 . the customers can also comprise other brokers 12 in connection with broker - to - broker ( b2b ) transactions . fig2 shows the central exchange system 6 with a message server 16 connected to an sql server 18 , which accesses an exchange database 20 . an exchange web service 22 connects the message server 16 to a web server 24 . the components of the system 2 can be programmed with a number of different programming languages using various suitable programming techniques including , but not limited to , variations of c ( e . g ., c ++, c #, etc .). a web side 26 includes a web page 28 for direct interaction with other brokers 12 and with end users 14 . a broker side 30 includes point - of - sale ( pos ) software 32 adapted for managing broker operations . the brokers 12 can interface with the central exchange system 6 through broker client applications 34 , which can also be programmed with a number of different programming languages using various suitable programming techniques including , but not limited to , visual basic ( vb ). the brokers &# 39 ; pos software can comprise different levels of features and functionalities , such as the sql server 36 with a full range of features and functionalities , and a mysql server 38 for a reduced - feature application . the broker - controlled servers 36 , 38 can access data in respective local databases 40 whereby the broker subscribers control their perspective data in their own databases 39 , which are connected to respective remote computers 8 and can be physically located at the brokers &# 39 ; respective places of business . the brokers &# 39 ; computers 8 are adapted for downloading ticket information from and uploading or “ pushing up ” ticket information to the central exchange system 6 according to predetermined rules , at least some of which are controlled by the brokers 12 , as described in more detail below . without limitation on the generality of useful applications of the invention , an exemplary set of transactions , which can be managed by the system 2 , is described as follows : a ) buying and selling tickets directly to the central exchange system 6 . b ) posting tickets to the exchange 6 in either real - time ( rt ) corresponding to the tickets actually possessed ( i . e ., in inventory ) by the broker 12 , or in non real - time ( nrt ) representing orders for tickets to be fulfilled using the system &# 39 ; s resources . c ) adding customers , which can comprise either end - user customers 14 or other brokers 12 , to the exchange database 20 . o ) generic exchange , i . e . getting invoice data , purchase order data and / or billing data including markups , without building a customer record . p ) getting global updates and of events including downloading latest event lists from the central exchange server 6 and pushing up event lists from brokers 12 for comparison with current lists and updating same , if necessary . the ticket grouping function forms groups of tickets by internally matching certain criteria , such as event , date , time , section , row , face value and price . for example , when the queue record indicates that tickets are to be added to the exchange , the broker &# 39 ; s local database 20 is searched for internal matches whereby groups are created . customers requesting certain blocks of adjacent or contiguous seats at specific events can thus be accommodated . moreover , the system forms such groups based on price whereby all of the tickets within particular groups have common pricing . pricing can be considered in connection with face value , customer list price ( corresponding to broker selling price ) and broker wholesale price . moreover , certain entities , such as the city of chicago , impose sales tax on ticket sales , which is calculated by the system 2 and added to the ticket selling price . moreover , certain states restrict prices for reselling tickets , which restrictions can be accommodated by the system 2 in connection with ticket pricing . the ticket grouping function can increase system efficiency and transaction speed in connection with posting tickets . in particular , groups of tickets comprise less data than the same tickets handled individually , whereby less data is pushed back and forth and greater speed is realized when the grouping function is utilized for posting tickets . priced event transactions involve non real time ( nrt ) ticket inventory whereby brokers 12 can offer for sale tickets that they don &# 39 ; t actually possess . priced event tickets can be ordered by customers 14 in real - time ( rt ) transactions . the brokers 12 then procure the necessary presold , priced event tickets by using the resources of the system 2 , or by procuring them from their own sources . real - time ( rt ) inventories , by contrast , comprise tickets actually possessed by the brokers 12 . priced event sales occur in real - time when customers place orders for specific numbers of tickets to specific events . the system generally accommodates selecting seating areas in priced events . for example , seats are commonly located by section , row and seat number in many venues , with ticket pricing corresponding to seat locations . thus , priced event customers can order tickets online with a particular broker 12 or with the central exchange 6 . the orders can specify the seating areas . the central database 20 is then searched by the system and the orders are filled as tickets become available . the central exchange 6 provides seating section information for venues . for example , broker affiliates 12 can access graphical displays of seating in particular venues , with seating sections designated alphanumerically or in colors to assist in ticket selection for priced events and real - time purchases . for example , the information in a priced event order can comprise an identification of the event , the desired seating sections ( e . g ., by letter or color designation ), ticket quantity and ticket price . the priced event function of the present invention facilitates sharing inventory by the broker affiliates 12 to the exchange 6 , thus broadening the potential customer base system - wide . however , the broker affiliate 12 relinquishes tickets from its own inventory , thus possibly losing the opportunity for direct sales . the system accommodates the broker affiliates by enabling them to set certain rules for offering and selling their tickets on the exchange . these rules are listed in fig3 , and generally provide control over such variables as the web sites on which particular ticket groups are shown , showing ticket groups on the exchange , which brokers &# 39 ; tickets are shown on other brokers &# 39 ; web sites , pricing markups and quantity , event and other variable restrictions . fig4 shows the central exchange 6 in relation to other components of the system 2 . the pos 32 is described in more detail below and generally manages transactions for the brokers 12 , who interface with customers 14 . an exchange application 52 connects to a database server 54 , which in turn connects to a bookkeeping importer 56 . the system can be adapted to interface with bookkeeping systems , including but not limited to quickbooks software available from intuit , inc . of mountain view , calif . 94039 . the bookkeeping importer 56 provides for automated record insertion for financial accounting software . other suitable bookkeeping software can be used with the system 2 . an event processor or special order system ( sos ) 58 consists of a web - based bulletin board through which ticket inventories can be uploaded and is described in more detail below . the system further provides general exchange management , web site content management and shipping management . for example , a shipping manager system 60 can interface with various third party shipping service providers , such as overnight mail and courier services . the shipping manager system can ship , track and delete packages ; print labels ; provide customer information ; generate various logs and reports ; and print airbills . the central exchange system 6 provides rt and office - to - office order processing services . a ticket uploader 50 is provided for uploading ticket inventories from other point - of - sale ( pos ) systems . therefore , a broker utilizing another pos system can participate in the distributed network 4 of the present invention . the participating broker installs a ticket uploader ( tu ) program and sets certain variables , such as the timing of automatic uploading at predetermined intervals . alternatively , ticket inventories can be uploaded manually . the tickets uploaded from these other sources are automatically placed on the network . therefore , an extensive inventory of tickets placed on the web can be placed on the central exchange 6 for distribution by the brokers 12 . software in the central exchange 6 is adapted for interfacing with other vending and distribution systems , such as online auctions . thus , brokers can push up their inventories for sale through online , live auctions . the broker can control various aspects of auction participation , such as providing templates and managing content . moreover , the central exchange 6 takes tickets off the exchange while they are involved in online auctions and returns them to the central exchange inventory after the auctions close , all under the direction of the participating broker 12 , which can set rules for such transactions . a website plug - in component 62 is available for the use of web customers 64 in creating their own websites for e - commerce utilizing the exchange network and the distributed network . a web page template 40 is shown in fig5 and includes a body 42 , which can display a default body provided by the system 2 , or can be customized by the broker 12 . a header 44 and a footer 46 are also provided and are adapted for customizing by a particular broker 12 or web customers 64 . as shown in fig5 , the header 44 and the footer 46 wrap the body 42 and show on all pages of the web site . examples of features available for customization by the brokers include plug - in fonts , sizes , colors , etc . brokers 12 are thus able to graphically individualize their web sites for promoting their respective businesses and for distinguishing them from other web sites . the body 42 typically includes a search page , search results , asp events page and category lists . the html information is stored in the system database . fig6 - 9 show special order system ( sos ) components and functionalities . fig6 shows the screen displays for searching sos events and providing ticket information , including “ fake ” tickets as described above . fig7 is an sos screen display showing possible ticket splits based on rules governing sales from packages of tickets . fig8 shows broker settings , including markups . fig9 shows web settings . fig1 is a flowchart showing a typical transaction handled by the pos system associated with a broker 12 . the following description of the point - of - sale ( pos ) system and methodology applies to the management of transactions by a broker affiliate 12 . fig1 is a screen display of settings for a full - featured version of the software , including transactional defaults . fig1 shows the settings screen for a reduced - feature version of the software , which implements the system and methodology of the present invention . fig1 shows the screens for entering a new purchase order ( po ). fig1 shows the screen for searching pos . fig1 shows the screen for creating mass po tickets . fig1 shows the screen for searching for mass pos , advanced quotes or cancelled pos . fig1 shows the screen for advanced quotes . fig1 shows the screen for the po queue . fig1 shows the sales screen for pending preorders , utilizing the value event pricing function described above . fig2 shows the screen for order completion . fig2 shows the inventory screen . the screen that is presented by selecting the “ set / reserve ” option is shown in fig2 . within the inventory / exchange grid different colors and icons can be used to provide certain information about the applicable tickets . for example , italics can indicate consignment inventory . pink can identify reserved inventory . green designates a block or group of tickets with section , row and seat information . cost highlighted with yellow indicates that the po has not yet been completed . nrt brokers are highlighted in yellow , and rt brokers are highlighted in green . the broker &# 39 ; s name in pink indicates the broker &# 39 ; s own tickets . “ in ” with a checkmark indicates that the tickets were added as “ in hand ”. “ w ” with a mouse icon indicates that the tickets are shared to the web . “ x ” with a red ticket icon indicates that the tickets are shared to the exchange . “ loc ” indicates the office locations from which the tickets were added . fig2 shows a pre orders screen , and fig2 shows the comparable screen from the reduced - feature software version . fig2 shows the screens that are applicable to types of deposit payments . fig2 shows the screen for adding new customers , searching for customer information , modifying an existing sale or po or creating a new sale . fig2 shows the screen for retrieving exchange broker information . fig2 and 29 are inventory management screens . the system accommodates sharing tickets with other exchange systems through the screen shown in fig3 . pre order pricing with price and quantity settings is shown in fig3 . fig3 shows the screen for categorizing ticket inventory . fig3 shows the screen for adding headliners for events to the brokers &# 39 ; databases . fig3 shows the screen for adding , deleting and modifying options for customer types , office locations , shipping types and the discounts to the database . fig3 is a referral list screen for adding and deleting customer referrals . fig3 is a shopping cart screen . the broker - to - broker ( b2b ) screen fig3 permits regulating payment types and reserved times individually for all of the brokers 12 who use the exchange . fig3 is a report mailing list screen . fig3 is a screen for event reporting and fig4 shows current events . fig4 is a sold tickets search utility and fig4 shows a sold tickets report . fig4 shows a reserve ticket list . fig4 shows an expired inventory report , which is automatically generated . fig4 shows an automatically generated report of tickets with no purchase orders . fig4 shows an automatically generated sold tickets report . fig4 shows a fax list search report . fig4 shows a sample fax form . fig4 shows a fax list for a number of days and fig5 shows the automatically generated report . fig5 - 54 show shipping , invoice , po and web sales register screens respectively . fig5 shows exchange transactions . fig5 shows sales by event and fig5 shows sales by payment type . fig5 shows daily payments and deposits . fig5 shows daily purchases by payment type . fig6 shows canceled orders . fig6 and 62 show tax information pertinent to the city of chicago . fig6 shows purchases for an event . fig6 is an event picker . fig6 shows purchase orders by event . fig6 shows an example of a screen displaying event sales . fig6 shows an event sales report . fig6 - 71 show weekly sales report information . fig7 shows an event profit / situation screen . fig7 shows selected events . fig7 shows a daily total report . fig7 shows a custom web sales representatives and dates report . fig7 shows a sales report , including a breakdown by representative . it is to be understood that while certain embodiments and / or aspects of the invention have been shown and described , the invention is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodiments and aspects .

6Physics

one preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a gel casting technique for resorbable synthetic alpha - polyesters , which may be used for producing novel bone repair materials or bone substitutes , resorbable medical implants and timed release carriers for medication . formation of a distinct gel phase in the techniques of this invention enables production of relatively thick - section , solid moldings . the gel may be used as a medium to incorporate non - gelling or weakly gelling polymers ( such as low molecular weight species , non - lactide polymers , or lactide copolymers ), in the material composition for control of properties such as resorption rate and density , mechanical properties , shrinkage , and thermal characteristics . gel casting can be used to vary morphology ( e . g . solid versus microporous materials ) and to produce blends of homopolymers , copolymers and particulate fillers , such as tricalcium phosphate . control of material biodegradation rate by variation of polymer type , molecular weight range , crystallinity and morphology may therefore be facilitated . other embodiments of the invention include processes for preparing gels from the gelling polymer and from blends of such polymer with resorbable and nonresorbable homopolymers , copolymers , and filler materials ; processes for obtaining thick - section solid and microporous materials / foams from the gels , methods for controlling the shrinkage of microporous materials containing a substantial amorphous component by controlled drying and extraction of plasticizing molecules ; and resorbable implants in the form of honeycomb structures for repair of long bones , being manufactured from microporous gel cast materials . in a preferred embodiment , the gelling medium is a pla - pga copolymer having an average molecular weight of around 45 , 000 daltons which is sold commercially by medisorb , inc . of cincinnati , ohio . the solvent may be acetone or ethyl acetate . acetone is preferred since polymer dissolution is generally easier in this solvent . dissolution of a potential gel - forming polylactide polymer in acetone appears to be highly dependent on the physical form of the starting material . a decrease in crystallinity of the starting polylactide will also facilitate its dissolution in acetone and increase its potential for use as a gel - forming medium . useful polymers and copolymers for blending with the gelling medium include lactide homopolymers , non - lactide polymers such as poly epsilon carpolactone , lactide copolymers , copolymers produced from mixtures of lactide and non - lactide comonomers such as lactones ( e . g . epsilon caprolactone ) or other hydroxy acids ( e . g . glycolic acid ), lactides , non - lactide polymers ( e . g . polyethylene oxide ), or copolymers containing &# 34 ; soft blocks &# 34 ; of polyether , polyester or other similar polymers . such blending may enable variation of molecular weight distribution , density , shrinkage , and mechanical and thermal characteristics . useful fillers include particulates of bioceramics such as tricalcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite ; non - resorbable discontinuous fibers of alumina , carbon or polyethylene terephthalate ; or resorbable discontinuous fibers such as polyglycolic acid or calcium metaphosphate . in a preferred embodiment of this invention , a method is provided for preparing solid resorbable materials , comprising the steps of : solid materials may alternatively be produced by extracting the solvent with a nonsolvent ( e . g . methanol ) over around 24 hours before drying , then drying the material . shrinkage may result in material consolidation to form a solid core encased in a layer of microporous material . this latter material may be removed by machining if desired . for highly crystalline polymers , e . g . polylactide , the gel casting method described above may be altered to produce microporous materials ( or foams ) of good structural integrity and foam consistency by following the steps ( 1 )-( 4 ) above , then converting the gel to a microporous material by precipitation in a nonsolvent such as methanol , followed by drying . the density of microporous blends containing certain amorphous polymers can be controlled by predrying and water immersion subsequent to gel production . extraction of solvent may remove the plasticizing effect of organic molecules , thereby restricting chain recoiling of the amorphous phase , which may result in material shrinkage on drying . if substantially amorphous polymers or semi - crystalline polymers are included with the basic gelling polymer , the product gel may be converted to a microporous material by precipitation in an organic nonsolvent , and / or immersion in water to remove the plasticizing effect of organic molecules , followed by drying . also , the extent of shrinkage and , therefore , density of microporous materials containing a substantial proportion ( e . g . about 25 %) of amorphous polymer can be controlled by partially drying the gel ( or the methanol - treated gel ) to a desired level and extracting / replacing the solvent or nonsolvent with water prior to drying . this may remove the plasticizing effect of the organic solvent or nonsolvent molecules , which may facilitate chain recoiling in the amorphous phase , resulting in excessive shrinkage of the material on drying . the resorption rate of biodegradable polymers may be influenced by the material form . porosity generally facilitates fluid ingress throughout the material , exposing a large surface area of the material to chain scission by hydrolysis . increased degradation rates can be expected . porous implant surfaces present a favorable surface for cell attachment and growth , enhancing the implant &# 39 ; s function as a biodegradable scaffold for tissue repair or implant fixation . the release rate of medication from resorbable , polymeric delivery systems may also be influenced by the porous character and density of the delivery vehicle . the control of density and , therefore , pore size and structure in resorbable polymers may be achieved by the above - described drying / water treatment stage in the process of manufacture of microporous materials from blends containing an amorphous polymeric component . the resulting solid or microporous materials can be used to form implantable devices of various shapes , preferably discs for nonunion fractures . advantages of a microporous material include the increase in surface area for hydrolysis or breakdown of the implant and the presence of a potentially better surface for attachment of osteoprogenitor cells . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the material can be machined to produce a bone graft substitute 20 of macroporous character , for example by drilling 100 - 500 μm bores 22 running the length of the implant and intersecting with the implant end surfaces 24 . in one embodiment , the macropores are about 500 μm in diameter . the center hole is about 2 mm in diameter , and the macropores are spaced about 1 mm from each other , center to center . in repair of long bones , the macropores allow migration throughout the implant to establish a supply of osteoprogenitor cells and growth factor and allow primary bone growth and vascularization along the pore channels . gradual resorption of the implant bridge allows secondary bone formations to be established and bone remodeling to take place by load transfer to the ingrown tissue . a polymer blend of slow - resorbing polymer ( l - pla ) and fast - resorbing polymer [ e . g . poly ( dl - lactide co - glycolide )] can be used to produce an &# 34 ; enduring scaffold &# 34 ; system which provides a support element for immature bone formations during and after resorption of the fast - degrading phase to promote and encourage satisfactory tissue repair , stability and remodeling . in another embodiment of this invention the material used is a 50 : 50 copolymer ( plg50 ) of pla and pga having an intrinsic viscosity of 0 . 65 dl / g and a molecular weight of 45 , 000 daltons , of medisorb inc ., cincinnati , ohio . a circular implant having a thickness of about 2 . 5 mm and a diameter of about 13 . 5 mm is formed , as shown in fig1 and 2 , is formed by gel casting . the polymer is solubilized in acetone , placed in a mold and allowed to stand until a gel is formed . the acetone is extracted by immersing in mixtures of methanol and acetone having successively higher concentrations of methanol . the implant precipitates as a microporous solid with pores approximately 5 to 20 μm in size . in another embodiment , a therapeutically active additive is added to the acetone / polymer solution prior to gel formation . the additive is released in an initial burst which augments initial wound healing , followed by a second , essentially continuous and steady release which fosters differentiation and maturation of the cells to form bone tissue bridging the nonunion . when such an additive is used , the mold is preferably rotated at a rate of about one - fourth to one - half revolution per minute to keep the additive evenly distributed throughout the material and prevent settling while the gel is forming . the following examples are designed to illustrate certain aspects of the present invention . the examples are not intended to be comprehensive of all features and all embodiments of the present invention , and should not be construed as limiting the claims presented herein . material shrinkage was measured with respect to the diameter of the gel on demold . material density was estimated from measurements of the dimensions of a disc of material and its corresponding weight in air . drying of materials was carried out in air under ambient conditions unless otherwise specified . polymer dissolution was aided by stirring with a magnetic stirrer bar and , unless otherwise specified , the mold was a 10 cc plastic syringe body . a single component gel was produced by heating finely divided l - pla ( polysciences , inc ., mw 100 , 000 , batch no . 61490 ) in acetone at a concentration of 7 - 9 % ( w / v ), with agitation at a temperature of 46 °- 52 ° c ., until dissolved ( approximately 15 minutes ). 7 % ( w / v ) gave the best results . the clear solution was poured into a mold and allowed to cool to room temperature under quiescent conditions . the cloud point , or the point at which opacity developed in solution due to crystal formation , was accompanied by a marked increase in solution viscosity , and occurred at approximately 28 °- 32 ° c . for a 10 % ( w / v ) solution . a weak gel was formed at 25 ° c ., which was easily disrupted by stirring . the product gel which formed in situ in the mold had a distinct white color and hardened over time . it was firm enough to withstand demold after 30 minutes at room temperature ( 22 °- 24 ° c .). at that point , the demolded gel was allowed to dry to remove the solvent and produce solid material . a shrinkage in diameter of approximately 50 % relative to the demolded gel occurred after 24 hours air drying . a demolded gel prepared as in example 1 was immersed in methanol to extract solvent and produce a microporous material on subsequent drying . an acetone - based gel produced from a 7 % ( w / v ) solution was immersed in methanol for three days ( 50 cc methanol in 100 cc beaker with a change of immersion medium at 24 hours ). the methanol was allowed to evaporate and the material allowed to dry in the beaker over four days at room temperature . a shrinkage of approximately 40 % occurred relative to the gel on demold and a density of 0 . 35 gm / cm 3 was obtained for the product foam / microporous material . treatment of the demolded gel in methanol for three days , followed by water immersion for three days , with a change in immersion medium after 24 hours , slightly reduced the shrinkage to 37 % and yielded a microporous material density of 0 . 33 gm / cm 3 after drying for four days at room temperature . an acetone - based gel of the preferred l - pla polymer produced from a 7 % ( w / v ) solution was redissolved by heating in an excess of solvent ( e . g . 1 . 1 gm gel in 10 cc acetone ) at 50 ° c . in less than ten minutes . a 2 . 5 % ( w / v ) solution of l - pla ( mw 100 , 000 ) in acetone was produced by dissolving 0 . 5 gm of the polymer in 20 cc of solvent at 50 ° c . the solution was poured into molds . on standing at room temperature , opacity developed in solution after 45 minutes , denoting crystal formation . on demold after 19 hours , a strong , white gel was evident , which exhibited a 65 % shrinkage in diameter after five hours air drying at room temperature . l - pla of molecular weight 200 , 000 ( polysciences , inc . ), when heated in acetone at 50 ° c . at a concentration of 2 gm polymer to 20 cc of solvent , did not dissolve completely . instead , a milky suspension of powder in solvent was obtained . a weak gel was , however , formed from this suspension after one hour at room temperature , presumably due to dissolution of a certain fraction of the starting polymer . this same polymer dissolved readily in p - dioxane to give a 10 % ( w / v ) solution , but did not gel under quiescent conditions at room temperature . l - pla , with a weight average molecular weight of 50 , 000 ( polysciences , inc .) when heated in acetone at a 9 % ( w / v ) concentration also resulted in incomplete dissolution ( milkiness persisted ). after standing at room temperature for 17 hours , a very weak , easily damaged gel was evident on demold which collapsed under its own weight . doubling the concentration of 50 , 000 l - pla in acetone also produced a weak gel on standing which cracked or crumbled on drying . l - pla , mw 100 , 000 , exhibited a crystalline melting point at approximately 160 ° c . rapid cooling in the molten state from 230 ° c . resulted in increasing amorphous content , evidenced by the absence of a recrystallizing transition on cooling . on reheating , no recrystallization of the amorphous component occurred . in contrast , a weakly gelling lactide polymer ( mw 50 , 000 ), which was substantially unsuitable for use , exhibited a recrystallizing transition at around 125 ° c ., followed by a crystalline melting transition at 170 ° c . on reheating the amorphous form produced by rapid cooling . this reflected a greater chain mobility for this polymer . these tests suggest that operable semi - crystalline polymers suitable for producing the gelling medium in the disclosed gel casting technique may be characterized by a limited chain mobility due to molecular weight distribution , which impedes recrystallization of the amorphous form of the polymer on heating . formation of a distinct gel phase immediately following polymer dissolution tends to enable production of thick solid moldings . an 11 mm diameter cylinder of the 100 , 000 mw l - pla was produced by air drying for 17 hours a gel produced from a 9 % ( w / v ) solution in acetone , followed by annealing for 56 hours at 72 ° c . final shrinkage ( based on diameter ) was 62 %. in contrast , the absence of gelation in a 7 % ( w / v ) solution of the preferred l - pla polymer in chloroform at room temperature resulted in the formation of a film or coating on the mold walls on solvent evaporation over four days . shrinkage forces developed during drying of the gel at room temperature , yielding a homogenous , thick - section solid product with a state of consolidation visually similar to that of a thermoplastic processed in the melt at high temperatures and pressures by injection molding or extrusion . material consolidation in gel casting was achieved in a &# 34 ; cold &# 34 ; system through a combination of factors . the gel &# 39 ; s liquid medium provided crystal mobility and chain flexibility in the amorphous phase by a plasticizing effect . this , coupled with the forces generated by the tendency of macromolecules in the solvent - swollen , amorphous phase to recoil on evaporation of the swelling medium , resulted in the observed good material consistency . an 11 % ( w / v ) solution of low molecular weight l - pla ( mw 2000 , polysciences , inc .) was produced by dissolving 2 . 2 gm polymer in 20 cc acetone at 52 ° c . and allowed to stand at room temperature for 21 hours . an extremely weak gel was evident on demold , which did not retain the molded form but collapsed under its own weight , eventually drying to a weak , brittle solid . 12 % ( w / v ) solutions in acetone of poly ( dl - lactic acid ) ( mw 20 , 000 , polysciences , inc .) or 70 : 30 poly ( dl - lactide co - glycolide ) copolymer ( mw 30 , 000 - 60 , 000 , polysciences , inc .) or 90 : 10 poly ( dl - lactide co - glycolide ) copolymer ( mw 30 , 000 - 60 , 000 , polysciences , inc .) or 85 : 15 poly ( dl - lactide co - glycolide ) copolymer ( mw 40 , 000 - 100 , 000 , dupont ) did not gel on standing at room temperature . gradual evaporation of solvent occurred from the bulk solution resulting in formation of a viscous fluid . these polymers were combined with the preferred gelling l - pla polymer , for example , in the ratio 25 ( l - pla ): 75 ( other ), by simultaneous dissolution in acetone to produce a blended polymer gel . the gel was subsequently converted to a solid material by drying / solvent extraction . for predominantly crystalline polymer additions , e . g . lower molecular weight l - pla , the gel was converted to a microporous material by precipitation in a nonsolvent , followed by drying . for substantially amorphous polymer additions to the basic gelling polymer , the gel was converted to a microporous material by precipitation in a nonsolvent and / or immersion in water ( to remove the plasticizing effect of organic molecules ), followed by drying . non - gelling or weakly gelling polymers were incorporated into a particular material composition by using l - pla as the gelling medium . a 30 % solid , particulate - filled , resorbable material consisting of tricalcium phosphate in l - pla was produced by dissolving 1 . 4 gm l - pla ( mw 100 , 000 ) in 20 cc acetone at 52 ° c . on dissolution of the polymer ( in approximately 15 minutes ), 0 . 6 gm of tricalcium phosphate ( tcp ) ( j . t . baker ) was added , with stirring until a uniform dispersion was obtained . the suspension was poured into a mold and allowed to stand at room temperature . a strong , firm gel was obtained on demold after 11 / 2 hours , which exhibited a shrinkage value of 55 % over 29 hours air drying to yield a solid , particulate - filled material having a density of 1 . 02 gm / cm 3 . an acetone - based gel of tcp - filled l - pla , produced as described above , was immersed in methanol on demold for five days , then air dried for four days . the microporous material obtained exhibited a shrinkage of 26 % and a density of 0 . 27 gm / cm 3 . a 29 % tcp particulate - filled microporous blend of l - pla with 70 : 30 poly ( dl - lactide co - glycolide ) copolymer ( mw 30 , 000 - 60 , 000 , polysciences , inc .) was produced by dissolving 0 . 8 gm and 2 . 4 gm of each polymer , respectively , in 20 cc acetone at 52 ° c . particulate filler ( 1 . 28 gm ) was dispersed in the solution by stirring . the suspension was transferred to molds and allowed to stand at room temperature for 22 hours before demold , whereupon a weak , sticky gel was obtained . ( sedimentation of tcp filler was limited prior to gel formation by the viscosity of the blended polymer solution .) the gel was subsequently immersed in 50 cc methanol in a 100 cc beaker for two days with a solvent change at 24 hours . the nonsolvent was then allowed to evaporate and the material allowed to dry in the beaker over three days . the tcp particulate - filled l - pla : plg microporous blend obtained exhibited a shrinkage of 28 % and a density of 0 . 6 gm / cm 3 . solid l - pla material ( mw 100 , 000 , polysciences , inc .) was produced by dissolving 1 . 8 gm of this gelling polymer in 20 cc acetone at 52 ° c . the solution was transferred to cylindrical molds and allowed to stand at room temperature . the gel obtained on demold after 39 minutes was air dried under ambient conditions to consolidate the polymer as a solid rod . thermal transitions were determined by differential scanning calorimetry ( dsc ). on heating at 20 ° c ./ min ., from 10 ° c . to 230 ° c . a single melting peak was observed at 159 ° c . no recrystallization peak was evident on immediate cooling of the sample at 50 ° c ./ min . to 10 ° c . reheating the sample at 50 ° c ./ min to 230 ° c . revealed only a glass transition ( tg ) at 70 ° c ., indicating that the polymer exists mainly in the amorphous phase after rapid cooling from the melt . a 50 : 50 blend of l - pla ( mw 100 , 000 ) and poly ( dl - lactide ) ( mw 20 , 000 , polysciences , inc .) was produced by codissolving 1 gm of each polymer in 20 cc acetone at 52 ° c . the solution was poured into cylindrical plastic molds and allowed to stand at room temperature . the product blended gel was demolded after 55 minutes and air dried to consolidate the material as a solid rod . thermal transitions were revealed by dsc , using the test procedure described in example 10 . a broad , spiky melting peak was observed on heating , extending from 120 °- 160 ° c . and centered around 140 ° c . no recrystallization peak was evident on cooling the sample . a glass transition was observed on remelting at 53 ° c . the ( dl - lactide ) polymer showed a glass transition at 35 ° c . on heating , which shifted to 45 ° c . after cooling from 230 ° c . and reheating . a 25 : 75 blended solution of high molecular weight l - pla ( mw 100 , 000 ) and low molecular weight l - pla ( mw 2 , 000 , polysciences , inc .) was produced by dissolving 0 . 6 gm and 1 . 8 gm of each polymer , respectively , in 20 cc acetone at 50 ° c . the solution was transferred to molds and allowed to stand at room temperature . the resultant firm gel was demolded in 30 minutes , following a rapid cloud point of five minutes . air drying the gel over five days resulted in a shrinkage of 44 % and production of a hard , waxy solid . a 25 : 75 blended gel of high and low molecular weight l - pla , demolded after 19 hours , was immersed in 50 cc methanol in a 100 cc beaker for two days with a change of medium after 24 hours . the methanol was allowed to evaporate and the material allowed to dry in the beaker over four days at room temperature . the blended , microporous material obtained exhibited a shrinkage of 19 % and a density of 0 . 29 to 0 . 43 gm / cm 3 . the thermal testing procedure described in example 10 revealed melting peaks at 136 ° c . and 155 ° c . for 25 : 75 microporous material , roughly corresponding to the individual homopolymer components , and no recrystallizing transition on cooling . on reheating , a glass transition was observed at 63 ° c ., a broad recrystallizing transition at 130 ° c . and a melting peak at 155 ° c . solid , low molecular weight l - pla obtained by air drying the weak gel produced from an 11 % ( w / v ) solution in acetone revealed low broad melting peaks centered around 104 ° c . and 118 ° c . and the main melting peak at 140 ° c . no recrystallization transition was observed on cooling . on reheating , a glass transition was evident at 50 ° c . and a small melting peak at 143 ° c . the lower molecular weight polymer species introduced into the blend allowed sufficient chain mobility for recrystallization to occur from the amorphous form on heating . recrystallization did not occur for the amorphous form of the single higher molecular weight polymer . it may be possible to vary the crystallinity of a blend by isothermal conditioning . a 25 : 75 blended solution of l - pla and a 70 : 30 poly ( dl - lactide co - glycolide ) copolymer ( mw 30 , 000 - 60 , 000 , polysciences , inc .) was produced by co - dissolution of 0 . 6 and 1 . 8 gm of each polymer , respectively , in 20 cc of acetone at 52 ° c . the solution was transferred to molds and allowed to stand at room temperature . an acetone seal was applied to the gel after one hour to prevent surface drying at long demold times . the blended gel produced on demold after 21 hours was subsequently immersed in methanol for four days , 18 hours before drying at room temperature for one week . shrinkage of the methanol - based material occurred on drying to the extent of 48 %, to yield a practically solid polymer core . an acetone - based gel was immersed in methanol for five days , 18 hours , then immersed in water for 21 hours prior to drying . in this case , the microporous blend obtained exhibited a shrinkage of only 13 % and a density of 0 . 25 gm / cm 3 . the density of microporous materials could be varied by water treatment subsequent to acetone extraction in methanol . extraction of organic liquid from the material and its substitution by water removed the plasticizing effect of the organic molecules , raised the tg and thereby restricted chain recoiling of the amorphous phase , which resulted in material shrinkage on drying . 25 : 75 acetone - based gels of l - pla and 70 : 30 poly ( dl - lactide co - glycolide ) were demolded after 24 hours and immersed in methanol ( 50 cc methanol in 100 cc beaker ) for three days , with a change of immersion medium at 24 hours . samples were then air dried for time periods of 0 , 60 and 80 minutes before immersion in water for three days , with a change in immersion medium at 24 hours . samples were finally air dried under ambient conditions for three days to give uniformly microporous materials with the final shrinkage and density values shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________air drying time ( minutes ) 0 60 80prior to water immersionfinal foam shrinkage (%) 5 15 19foam density ( gm / cm . sup . 3 ) 0 . 19 0 . 22 0 . 29______________________________________ a 25 : 75 blended solution of l - pla and 85 : 15 poly ( dl - lactic co - glycolide ) ( mw 40 , 000 - 100 , 000 , dupont ) was produced by dissolution of 0 . 8 gm and 2 . 4 gm of each polymer , respectively , in 20 cc acetone at 52 ° c . the solution was transferred to molds and allowed to stand at room temperature . a cloud point was observed after approximately 15 minutes . on demold after 24 hours , gel samples were air dried for time periods of 0 , 15 , 45 , and 75 minutes before immersion in water for three days , with a change of immersion medium after 48 hours . drying of the microporous materials resulted in the final shrinkage and density values shown in table 2 , with foam properties ranging from tough and pliable to hard - yet - tough as density increased with predry time . table 2______________________________________air drying time ( minutes ) 0 15 45 75prior to water immersionfinal foam shrinkage (%) 8 10 17 20foam density ( gm / cm . sup . 3 ) 0 . 22 0 . 25 0 . 32 0 . 38______________________________________ poly ( dl - lactide ) ( mw 40 , 000 - 100 , 000 , dupont ) was dissolved in acetone to produce a 12 % ( w / v ) solution , transferred to a 10 cc syringe body and allowed to stand at room temperature . gelation did not result and solvent evaporation occurred over seven days , to leave a coating on the mold walls . a 25 : 75 blended solution of l - pla and poly ( dl - lactide ) was produced by co - dissolution of 0 . 8 gm and 2 . 4 gm of each polymer , respectively , in 20 cc acetone at 52 ° c . the solution was transferred to molds and allowed to stand at room temperature . a cloud point was observed after approximately 10 minutes . an acetone seal was applied to the gel after 30 minutes to prevent surface drying at long demold times . on demold after 21 hours , a soft gel was obtained , which was immersed in methanol for three days with a change of immersion medium after 22 hours . immersion of the methanol - based material for three days in water , with a change in medium after 24 hours , prior to air drying resulted in a white , microporous material which exhibited a shrinkage of 1 % and a density of 0 . 18 gm / cm 3 . on demold after 21 hours , an acetone - based gel sample was air dried for 65 minutes before immersion in water for three days , with a change of immersion medium after 24 hours . drying of the microporous material so obtained resulted in a final shrinkage of 26 % and a density of 0 . 40 gm / cm 3 . l - pla can be used as a gelling medium to incorporate non - gelling polymers in a particular material composition for adjustment of resorption rates , for example . a 50 : 50 blended solution of l - pla and low molecular weight polycaprolactone ( mw 15 , 000 , polysciences , inc .) was prepared by co - dissolution of 0 . 7 gm of each polymer in 10 cc acetone at 52 ° c . the solution was transferred to a mold and allowed to stand at room temperature . a cloud point was observed after 30 minutes . a firm , white damage - tolerant gel was obtained on demold after 25 hours , which was immersed in methanol for two days , 21 hours . drying of this methanol - based material at room temperature for two days , 19 hours resulted in a shrinkage of 30 % and a density of 0 . 45 gm / cm 3 for the resulting firm , white , microporous material . treatment of the methanol - based material in a 50 % methanol / water mixture for two days , 19 hours , then water for six days prior to air drying for four days resulted in a microporous material which exhibited a shrinkage of 15 % relative to the demolded gel and a density of 0 . 25 - 0 . 29 l gm / cm 3 . dsc revealed melting transitions at 64 ° c . and 160 ° c ., corresponding to the individual blend components . a 50 : 50 blended solution of l - pla ( mw 100 , 000 polysciences , inc .) and dl - lactide ( mw 144 . 12 , polysciences , inc .) was prepared by co - dissolution of 0 . 7 gm of each material in acetone at 52 ° c . the solution was transferred to a cylindrical mold and allowed to stand at room temperature . an acetone seal was applied after 30 minutes . a firm , white , damage - tolerant gel was obtained on demold after 24 hours , which was immersed in methanol for two days , 21 hours . drying of this methanol - based material for two days , 19 hours resulted in a hard , white microporous material exhibiting a shrinkage of 37 % relative to the demolded gel and a density of 0 . 38 gm / cm 3 . treatment of the methanol - based material for two days , 19 hours in a 50 % methanol / water mixture , followed by immersion in water for six days , prior to air drying ( four days ), resulted in a firm , white microporous material which exhibited a shrinkage of 19 % and a density of 0 . 6 gm / cm 3 . dsc revealed a small melting peak at 60 ° c . and the main melting transition at 160 ° c . a bone repair device potentially suitable for general bone augmentation and reconstruction or for repairing large segmental defects and nonunion fractures was fabricated from a microporous 25 : 75 blend of l - pla and 85 : 15 poly ( dl - lactide co - glycolide ) produced by the disclosed gel casting technique . 0 . 6 gm of l - pla ( mw 100 , 000 ) and 1 . 8 gm of 85 : 15 poly ( dl - lactide co - glycolide ) copolymer ( medisorb , mw 40 , 000 - 100 , 000 , dupont ) were dissolved with stirring in 20 cc acetone at 52 ° c . in approximately 15 minutes . the solution was transferred to molds and allowed to stand at room temperature for 24 hours before demold . the gel obtained was dried in air for 45 minutes to give a shrinkage of 19 % then immersed in water for three days , with a change in immersion medium after 24 hours . air drying of the microporous material obtained over four days resulted in a final shrinkage of 17 % and a density of 0 . 32 gm / cm 3 . this stock material was machined further to produce a particular honeycomb design for repair of long bones . fabrication of implants : a 50 %- 50 % copolymer ( plg50 ) of pla and pga ( intrinsic viscosity 0 . 65 dl / g , mw 45 , 000 daltons , medisorb inc ., cincinnati , ohio ) was used to fabricate the specimens . a 15 % ( w / v ) solution of plg50 was prepared in hplc grade acetone under continuous stirring and low heat ( 40 ° c ). this solution was poured into a specially designed teflon ® mold having piano wires spaced corresponding to the holes shown in fig2 and a central channel corresponding to the central hole shown in fig2 . the mold was then capped and allowed to stand at room temperature until the solution formed a gel . a small amount of acetone was added to the top of the gel to prevent it from drying . after 24 hours the gel was extracted from the mold and processed through several stages of solvent exchange as follows : immersion for 24 hours in methanol : acetone 1 : 2 ( v / v ), followed by soaking in 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 ( v / v ) methanol : acetone mixtures for 24 hours each . during this process the implant precipitated as a microporous solid with pores approximately 5 to 20 μm in size . the resulting disc - shaped implant as shown in fig1 and 2 was 13 . 5 mm in diameter , 2 . 5 mm in thickness and weighed approximately 150 mg . protein ( 15 mg / implant ) was incorporated into the implant prior to gel formation . bmp was purified from canine bone using a modification of the method of urist et al . (&# 34 ; purification of bovine bone morphogenetic protein by hydroxyapatite chromatography &# 34 ;, natl . acad . sci . ( 1984 ) 81 : 371 - 375 ) as described previously ( heckman , j . d . et al ., &# 34 ; the use of bone morphogenetic protein in the treatment of non - union in a canine model ,&# 34 ; j . bone and joint surg . ( 1991 ) 73 - a : 750 - 764 ). when bmp is isolated in this manner it is hydrophobic and dissolves in organic solvents like acetone or chloroform . due to the low availability of recombinant bmp and the high cost of purified growth factors , we also examined release kinetics of a model protein , soybean trypsin inhibitor ( ti ). ti was selected because of its hydrophobic character , the fact that it has a molecular weight comparable to that of bmp , and its availability ( sigma chemical company , st . louis , mo .). ti was used for the studies described below ; a small number of implants were also fabricated with purified canine bmp . the amount of protein actually retained in the implant following the fabrication process was determined . the utensils , glassware and mold used for fabrication were washed with ultrapure distilled water . the washes were retained for measurement of protein content using the micro bca method . the results indicated that approximately 80 percent of the protein added to the implant was lost during fabrication . activity of bmp in the implant was verified as the ability of the implant to induce bone formation when placed in the thigh muscle of nude mice . representative implants made with each batch of bmp were implanted as described by heckman et al . (&# 34 ; the use of bone morphogenetic protein in the treatment of non - union in a canine model ,&# 34 ; j . bone and joint surg . ( 1991 ) 73 - a : 750 - 764 ). after 28 days , the tissue was excised and examined by routine histology . all implants containing bmp supported bone formation , whereas those without bmp did not . ti implants were not tested in this manner . protein release kinetics : a total of 48 test specimens were fabricated with ti , weighed and then randomly divided into eight groups of six specimens each . these groups were subjected to hydrolytic degradation in phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ), ph 7 . 4 , at 37 ° c . for test periods of 0 , 2 , 22 , 32 , 42 , 52 , 62 , and 72 days respectively . another 12 implants were fabricated without any ti . these were divided into two control groups of six specimens each and subjected to hydrolytic degradation in pbs for 0 and 72 days respectively . a separate group of six implants was fabricated with 15 mg of bmp each and was analyzed for a total of 20 days . each specimen was immersed in 15 ml of pbs . for the first 48 hours 1 . 5 ml of pbs were removed several times a day and stored at - 20 ° c . for later analysis . after this initial period , 1 . 5 ml of pbs were sampled every 48 hours after vortexing . after sampling the pbs in the tubes was replaced with fresh pbs in order to prevent a decrease in ph and thus simulate physiologic buffering . a large fraction ( 66 %) of ti in the specimens was eluted in the first 48 hours ( fig5 ). the elution rate was the lowest between 12 and 24 days , and then increased marginally . the bmp release in the first 48 hours followed a pattern similar to that of ti although the amount released was less ( fig6 ). bmp specimens released an average of 322 μg protein in the initial two days . significant portions of this amount were released in the first 24 hours ( fig6 ). a comparison of bmp and ti elution over a period of 20 days again exhibited similar release patterns ( fig7 ), even though the amount of ti released in the first four days was higher than bmp . the cumulative protein loss from the ti specimens during the test period is shown in fig8 . these specimens released approximately 680 μg of ti over a test period of 72 days post - immersion . the elution of bmp and ti from the biodegradable implants exhibited similar trends even though the amounts released in the first four days were significantly different in magnitude . after day 6 the differences in elution rate of the two proteins were only marginal . thus , ti appears to be a reasonable model to predict the elution characteristics of bmp from the present biodegradable implant . ti and bmp release from the implants included an initial burst during the first 48 hours . since the specimens did not experience any significant loss in mass or molecular weight during this time period , it can be deduced that the protein release during this period is primarily diffusion controlled and not due to degradation of the implant . it is possible that the majority of the protein in this initial &# 34 ; burst release &# 34 ; comes from the surface of the specimen which subsequently becomes depleted of protein . the later phase of increased protein release beginning at approximately 24 days was accompanied by significant decreases in both the molecular weight and mass of the specimens indicating rapid breakdown of the polymer due to hydrolysis . the release of ti from the test specimens in the present study appears to be two phased in nature : the first phase is diffusion controlled and is dominant at the beginning of the degradation process . the second phase is more dependent on degradation of the polymer and the protein release occurs in concert with polymer breakdown . the present implant provides an initial burst of protein which serves to augment the in vivo wound healing response . as mesenchymal cells migrate to the wound site and undergo differentiation , the second stage release provides continued exposure to differentiation factors . many growth factors act on cells at different points in their differentiation and maturation with varying effects . for example , a factor may be mitogenic for undifferentiated mesenchymal cells , promoting their proliferation at the wound site . following the proliferative phase , the growth factor may promote differentiation of a chondrogenic or osteogenic phenotype . this is particularly important in prevention and treatment of nonunions , where it is often necessary for undifferentiated cells to migrate long distances and to proliferate and differentiate in hypovascularized regions . studies examining healing of critical size craniotomy defects , suggest that lack of an adequate supply of needed factors may contribute to fibrocartilage development typical of nonunions ( schmitz , j . d . et al . ( 1990 ) &# 34 ; characterization of rat calvarial nonunion defects ,&# 34 ; acta anatomica , pp 185 - 192 ). in the reported model , this occurred approximately 17 - 20 days after creation of the critical size defect , about the same time that the second phase of protein release was seen in the in vitro assays reported here . polymer degradation : at the end of each test period described above the specimens were removed from pbs , vacuum dried for 72 hours and massed on an electronic balance . the polymer was analyzed for molecular weight using gel permeation chromatography with chloroform as the mobile phase and polystyrene standards ( aldrich , milwaukee , wis .). the amount of ti or bmp released was measured as a function of protein content using a micro bca assay ( pierce , rockford , ill . ; lot no . 931112150 ). a student &# 39 ; s t - test was performed to detect significant differences . all the specimens subjected to hydrolytic degradation in pbs exhibited a decrease in mass and molecular weight as a function of time . the test specimens with ti lost approximately 33 % of their mass in the first 32 days ( fig3 ). mass loss increased in a steady fashion thereafter and reached 74 % in 72 days . however , the control group with no protein content lost approximately 90 % of its mass during the same period . compared to the mass , the molecular weight ( weight average ) of the protein specimens decreased 65 % in the first 32 days and 94 % in 72 days ( fig4 ). at the end of 72 days the control specimens had suffered a 97 % loss in their molecular weight . the implants underwent degradation under the experimental conditions used , whether or not protein was incorporated into the polymer . the starting weight average molecular weight of the polymer was approximately 45 , 000 daltons . in 72 days it decreased to approximately 2 , 700 daltons for the test implants with ti and to 910 daltons in the absence of ti . at this time only small portions of these implants remained , which were gel - like and sticky in nature , indicative of low molecular weight . the loss in the molecular weight of the implants exhibited a more rapid decrease than the corresponding mass loss . this behavior is typical of the degradation characteristics of pla - pga polymers . hydrolytic scission of the molecular chains of these polymers starts upon contact with water . however , the initial degradation products are too large to freely diffuse from the bulk implant and as a result the mass loss is minimal . after a period of time , as degradation continues , the molecular chains are sufficiently reduced in size to exit the bulk and cause a significant decrease in mass . for example schankenraad et al . (&# 34 ; enzymatic activity toward poly ( l - lactic acid ) implants ,&# 34 ; j . biomed . mat . res . ( 1990 ) 24 : 529 - 545 ) have reported that for l - pla there is an exponential decrease in mass once the molecular weight decreases below 5 , 000 daltons . the presence of protein affected both loss of molecular weight and loss of mass . after a degradation period of 72 days the specimens with the protein lost approximately 95 percent of their molecular weight compared to a 98 percent loss for the control specimens with no protein . this statistically significant difference ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) was even more pronounced for the case of mass loss ( fig5 ). these results suggest that the presence of ti in the specimen decreases the degradation rate of the polymer . the degree and nature of micropores may have contributed to this effect of protein on polymer degradation . implants with proteins exhibited a more evenly distributed porosity with small pores with an approximate size of 20 μm . on the other hand , the control specimens exhibited larger ( 60 μm ) but fewer number of pores . it is possible that the pores in the protein specimens were caused by dissolution of protein aggregates during the fabrication process . a greater number of pores would usually imply a larger surface area exposed to water and hence a faster rate of degradation . however , the results of this study indicate a higher rate of degradation for implants with the lower porosity implying that factors other than porosity may be dominant . the crystallinity of the implant polymer can play a significant role in determining its rate of degradation . according to gilding and reed , copolymers of dl - pla and pga are predominantly amorphous when the pga content is more than 30 percent . however , as reported in coombes , a . g . a . and heckman , j . d . ( 1992 ) &# 34 ; gel casting of resorbable polymers 1 . processing and applications .&# 34 ; biomaterials 13 : 217 - 224 ; and coombes , a . g . a and heckman , j . d . ( 1992 ) &# 34 ; gel casting of resorbable polymers 2 . in vitro degradation of bone graft substitutes ,&# 34 ; biomaterials 13 : 297 - 307 , both gel cast and as - received plg50 exhibit several small melting peaks on a thermogram . such melting points are indicative of some degree of crystallization and are signs of crystallization of chain segments of the copolymer ( murdoch , j . r . and loomis , g . l ., &# 34 ; polylactide compositions ,&# 34 ; u . s . pat . no . 4 , 719 , 246 1988 ). coombes , a . g . a . and heckman , j . d . ( 1992 ) &# 34 ; gel casting of resorbable polymers 1 . processing and applications .,&# 34 ; biomaterials 13 : 217 - 224 suggest that acetone based gels of plg 50 similar to those used in the present study are formed due to &# 34 ; effective entanglements &# 34 ; and small quantities of lamellar crystals which serve as anchor points for the 3 - dimensional network of polymeric chains . in the present study it was observed that specimens containing a protein gelled in approximately 3 to 4 hours , while the control specimens ( without any proteins ) took approximately 5 to 6 hours to form a stable gel . it is possible that the protein molecules aid in the formation of the 3 - dimensional network that is necessary for gel formation . the proteins may either act as tie molecules and provide &# 34 ; effective entanglements &# 34 ; between anchor points of the gel , or they may serve as &# 34 ; seeds &# 34 ; for polymer crystallization and possibly increase the number of crystalline sites . such an increase would then be reflected in a slower rate of degradation . alternatively it is possible that ti binds to the polymer by some complex mechanism and hinders its hydrolysis . implant morphology : representative control specimens as well as specimens with ti and bmp were subjected to cryogenic fracture at liquid nitrogen temperatures to obtain surfaces free of deformation for microstructural studies . these specimens had not been subjected to degradation in pbs . the exposed cross - sectional fracture surfaces were sputter coated with gold - palladium and examined in a scanning electron microscope . the scanning electron microscopy showed that the specimens with bmp and ti were microporous in nature with an even distribution of similar sized pores . no differences as a function of protein used were observed . the control specimens on the other hand did not reveal the same degree of even porosity . a 100 , 000 molecular weight poly ( l - lactide ) obtained from polysciences , inc . ( batch no . 61490 ) was supplied in a fine , string or fibrous precipitate form and dissolved readily in acetone at 52 ° c . poly ( l - lactide ) polymer obtained from dupont [ batch no . 59010 l051 , weight average molecular weight ( mw )- 100 , 000 ] was supplied in the form of solid platelets or pellets ( approximately 4 × 15 × 1 mm ), which were presumably produced by melt extrusion . dissolution of the pellets was not achieved in acetone ( 0 . 4 gm in 10 cc solvent ) at 52 ° c . in one hour and they retained their starting form without coalescing . in contrast , the dupont material in precipitate form dissolved readily in acetone at 52 ° c . to produce a 4 % ( w / v ) solution . gelation occurred on standing at room temperature in less than 15 minutes . the poly ( l - lactide ) precipitate can be prepared , for example , by dissolution of 2 gm of polymer in 20 cc methylene chloride at room temperature , followed by precipitation in 40 cc methanol which is agitated by a stirrer bar . the precipitate is dried at room temperature before use . dissolution of the above - mentioned dupont poly ( l - lactide ) in acetone was also facilitated by using the film form of the polymer . as - received pellets were converted to a film by casting a 10 % ( w / v ) solution of the polymer in methylene chloride on a glass surface , followed by drying . the instant invention has been disclosed in connection with specific embodiments . however , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations from the illustrated embodiments may be undertaken without departing the spirit and scope of the invention .

0Human Necessities

fig2 is a schematic block diagram of a decimator 20 with a memory as a basic circuit according to a first embodiment of the present invention . as to input signals of the decimator 20 , in addition to a single - track signal 201 originally being the base band signal , a stereo difference signal 203 , a second audio program in - phase ( sap_i ) signal 204 a and a second audio program quadrature phase ( sap_q ) signal 204 b are signals with the base band signals as the main part in the spectrum after being mixed and decimated by a frequency mixer . however , there is still some portion of the high - frequency signals derived from the mixing and decimating process . unlike the conventional art , the four input signals in the present invention are digital signals processed for decimation by a single decimator 20 , instead of being processed by four decimators , as shown in fig1 ( b ). the decimator 20 comprises a ram 210 , a ram controller 220 , a processing unit 230 , a multiplex 240 and a demultiplex 250 . the ram 210 is a single port memory having an input port 210 d and an output port 210 q , and is used to store two kinds of data from different inputting paths . one of the inputting data types is the input data of the decimator 20 such as a single - track signal 201 , a stereo difference signal 203 , a second audio program quadrature phase ( sap_i ) signal 204 a or a second audio program quadrature phase ( sap_q ) signal 204 b , and the other is processed data retrieved from the processing unit 230 . the ram controller 220 is used to control the writing and reading of the data into or from the ram 210 such that the ram 210 finishes the digital signal processing for decimation together with the processing unit 230 . the ram controller 220 utilizes a read / write control signal 221 and an address bus signal 223 to determine into which a certain address of the ram 210 the data entering the input port 210 d is written , or to read the data from a certain address of the ram 210 and then output the data via the output port 210 q . in this embodiment , the ram controller 220 regulates the control timing and repeatedly performs the time division on audios from four different paths , i . e ., the single - track signal 201 , the stereo difference signal 203 , the second audio program in - phase ( sap_i ) signal 204 a and the second audio program quadrature phase ( sap_q ) signal 204 b , inputted from the previous stage circuit according to the following steps of ( a )-( c ). then , the audio after being decimated is outputted to the next stage circuit through time division , until all the input audios have been processed . ( a ) first , the ram controller 220 outputs a multiplex control signal 224 to control the multiplex 240 , and outputs the read / write control signal 221 and the address bus signal 223 to the ram 210 , such that the audio input by the previous stage circuit may be written into the ram 210 . ( b ) next , the ram controller 220 outputs the read / write control signal 221 and the address bus signal 223 to the ram 210 , and reads the individual audio stored in the ram 210 for the processing unit 230 to perform the low pass filtering on the frequency domain and to perform the digital signal process for decimation on the time domain , thereby generating corresponding operational data , i . e ., the audio signal data after being decimated , as mentioned above . the operational data are then written into the ram 210 again . ( c ) the ram controller 220 reads the audio stored in the ram 210 after being decimated , and outputs a demultiplex control signal 225 to control the demultiplex 250 , such that the demultiplex 250 outputs the operational data such as the single - track signal 201 b , the stereo difference signal 203 b , the second audio program in - phase ( sap_i ) signal 204 c and the second audio program quadrature phase ( sap_q ) signal 204 d to the next stage circuit through time division . in view of the above , supposing the original sampling frequency of the four audios is 384 khz , if the decimator 20 with 8 multiples is employed to reduce the sampling frequency , the sampling frequency of the four audios may be reduced to 48 khz . the digital signal process for the low - pass filtering performed by the processing unit 230 may be achieved by an fir filter , and meanwhile the high - frequency signals derived from the decimating process may be filtered by the low - pass filtering process of the fir filter . the time delayer of the fir filter can be implemented as a memory cell of the ram 210 . as for the decimator of the present invention with a memory as the basic structure , a single decimator may be used to replace the conventional four decimators . upon being verified by the tsmc process of 0 . 18 μm , when the decimator circuit of the present invention is compared with the conventional decimator circuit , the decimator circuit of the present invention may reduce the areas by about 35 %. in addition , the time delayer of the decimator in the present invention may be implemented as a memory cell of the memory , and thus the problem of high - frequency transition of the logic level of the register does not occur when the fir filter is operated , thereby effectively reducing power consumption . fig3 is a schematic block diagram of a decimating system according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the decimator 20 outputs the second audio program in - phase ( sap_i ) signal 204 c and the second audio program quadrature phase ( sap_q ) signal 204 d to a frequency discriminator 350 . the frequency discriminator 350 includes an fir filter 351 and an fm demodulator 352 , and the second audio program in - phase ( sap_i ) signal 204 c and the second audio program quadrature phase ( sap_q ) signal 204 d are first low - pass filtered by the fir filter 351 and sequentially fm demodulated by the fm demodulator 352 . the time delayer of the fir filter 351 in this embodiment may also be implemented as a memory cell of the ram 210 , thereby reducing the hardware space requirement . fig4 is a schematic block diagram of a decimating system according to a third embodiment of the present invention , which is different from the second embodiment in that there are only three input and output channels of the decimator 20 in this embodiment . as for the input signals of the decimator 20 in this embodiment , in addition to a single - track signal 401 , a stereo difference in - phase ( l − r_i ) signal 403 a and a second audio program in - phase ( sap_i ) signal 404 a share one input channel , a stereo difference quadrature phase ( l − r_q ) signal 403 b and a second audio program quadrature phase ( sap_q ) signal 404 b share one input channel , and the stereo difference in - phase ( l − r_i ) signal 403 a and the stereo difference quadrature phase ( l − r_q ) signal 403 b are separated and obtained by mixing and decimating the same stereo difference ( l − r ) signal . as for the output signals of the decimator 20 in this embodiment , in addition to a single - track signal 401 b , a stereo difference in - phase ( l − r_i ) signal 403 c and a second audio program in - phase ( sap_i ) signal 404 c share one output channel , while a stereo difference quadrature phase ( l − r_q ) signal 403 d and a second audio program quadrature phase ( sap_q ) signal 404 d share one output channel . compared with the single - track ( l + r ) signal 401 b , the stereo difference in - phase ( l − r_i ) signal 403 c and the stereo difference quadrature phase ( l − r_q ) signal 403 d need to be further demodulated by the frequency discriminator 350 , and thus there is one more period of latency . supposing the time required for demodulating the stereo difference in - phase ( l − r_i ) signal 403 c and the stereo difference quadrature phase ( l − r_q ) signal 403 d in this embodiment by the frequency discriminator 350 is 38 . 2 microseconds , the single - track monophonic ( l + r ) signal at the transmitting end should be transmitted later than the stereo difference ( l − r ) signal for about 20 microseconds according to the eia - j regulation as mentioned above , and there is a time difference with a predetermined value of 20 microseconds between the single - track signal ( l + r ) and the stereo difference ( l − r ) signal when they are received at the receiving end . therefore , an additional latency of 18 . 2 microseconds must be added between the input single - track signal 401 and the output single - track signal 401 b of the decimator 20 , so as to accurately separate a left single - track signal from a right single - track signal . supposing the sampling frequency of the single - track signal 401 is 384 khz , the single - track signal 401 may be delayed for 7 sampling units during the decimating process , and thus the resulting latency is 7 / 384000 seconds , i . e ., 18 . 2 microseconds . the above - described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative only . numerous alternative embodiments may be devised by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the following claims .

7Electricity

except in the operating and comparative examples , or where otherwise explicitly indicated , all numbers in this description indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction , physical properties of materials and / or use are to be understood as modified by the word “ about .” all amounts are by weight of the oil - in - water emulsion , unless otherwise specified . cosmetic compositions within the scope of the invention are generally personal care compositions including but not limited to skin care compositions ( leave - on or rinse - off ), hair care compositions ( shampoos and conditioners and hair tonics ), dentifrices ( toothpastes and mouthwashes ), and lipsticks and color cosmetics . inventive compositions may be in the form of lotions , creams , gels , soap bars , shower gels , toners , and face masks . the preferred compositions are skin care compositions , in order to deliver anti - sebum benefit to the skin . the term “ skin ” as used herein includes the skin on the face , neck , chest , back , arms , hands , legs and scalp . selected from the group consisting of compounds a through h as follows : the substituted iminodibenzyl or fluorine compounds are employed in the present invention in an amount of from 0 . 0001 % to 50 %, preferably from 0 . 0001 % to 10 %, most preferably from 0 . 0001 % to 5 %. the substituted iminodibenzyl or fluorine compounds can be obtained from new chemical entities , inc . ( bothell , wash .). the compositions according to the invention comprise a cosmetically acceptable vehicle to act as a diluant , dispersant or carrier for the substituted iminodibenzyl or fluorine compounds in the composition , so as to facilitate its distribution when the composition is applied to the substrate . the vehicle may be aqueous , anhydrous or an emulsion . preferably , the compositions are aqueous or an emulsion , especially water - in - oil or oil - in - water emulsion . water when present will be in amounts which may range from 5 to 99 %, preferably from 40 to 90 %, optimally between 60 and 90 % by weight . besides water , relatively volatile solvents may also serve as carriers within compositions of the present invention . most preferred are monohydric c 1 - c 3 alkanols . these include ethyl alcohol , methyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol . the amount of monohydric alkanol may range from 1 to 70 %, preferably from 10 to 50 %, optimally between 15 and 40 % by weight . emollient materials may also serve as cosmetically acceptable carriers . these may be in the form of silicone oils and synthetic esters . amounts of the emollients may range anywhere from 0 . 1 to 50 %, preferably between 1 and 20 % by weight . silicone oils may be divided into the volatile and non - volatile variety . the term “ volatile ” as used herein refers to those materials which have a measurable vapor pressure at ambient temperature . volatile silicone oils are preferably chosen from cyclic or linear polydimethylsiloxanes containing from 3 to 9 , preferably from 4 to 5 , silicon atoms . linear volatile silicone materials generally have viscosities less than about 5 centistokes at 25 ° c . while cyclic materials typically have viscosities of less than about 10 centistokes . nonvolatile silicone oils useful as an emollient material include polyalkyl siloxanes , polyalkylaryl siloxanes and polyether siloxane copolymers . the essentially non - volatile polyalkyl siloxanes useful herein include , for example , polydimethyl siloxanes with viscosities of from about 5 to about 25 million centistokes at 25 ° c . among the preferred non - volatile emollients useful in the present compositions are the polydimethyl siloxanes having viscosities from about 10 to about 400 centistokes at 25 ° c . ( 1 ) alkenyl or alkyl esters of fatty acids having 10 to 20 carbon atoms . examples thereof include isoarachidyl neopentanoate , isononyl isonanonoate , oleyl myristate , oleyl stearate , and oleyl oleate . ( 3 ) polyhydric alcohol esters . ethylene glycol mono and di - fatty acid esters , diethylene glycol mono - and di - fatty acid esters , polyethylene glycol ( 200 - 6000 ) mono - and di - fatty acid esters , propylene glycol mono - and di - fatty acid esters , polypropylene glycol 2000 monooleate , polypropylene glycol 2000 monostearate , ethoxylated propylene glycol monostearate , glyceryl mono - and di - fatty acid esters , polyglycerol poly - fatty esters , ethoxylated glyceryl monostearate , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol monostearate , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol distearate , polyoxyethylene polyol fatty acid ester , sorbitan fatty acid esters , and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters are satisfactory polyhydric alcohol esters . ( 4 ) wax esters such as beeswax , spermaceti , myristyl myristate , stearyl stearate and arachidyl behenate . ( 5 ) sterols esters , of which cholesterol fatty acid esters are examples thereof . fatty acids having from 10 to 30 carbon atoms may also be included as cosmetically acceptable carriers for compositions of this invention . illustrative of this category are pelargonic , lauric , myristic , palmitic , stearic , isostearic , hydroxystearic , oleic , linoleic , ricinoleic , arachidic , behenic and erucic acids . humectants of the polyhydric alcohol type may also be employed as cosmetically acceptable carriers in compositions of this invention . the humectant aids in increasing the effectiveness of the emollient , reduces scaling , stimulates removal of built - up scale and improves skin feel . typical polyhydric alcohols include glycerol , polyalkylene glycols and more preferably alkylene polyols and their derivatives , including propylene glycol , dipropylene glycol , polypropylene glycol , polyethylene glycol and derivatives thereof , sorbitol , hydroxypropyl sorbitol , hexylene glycol , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol , 1 , 2 , 6 - hexanetriol , ethoxylated glycerol , propoxylated glycerol and mixtures thereof . for best results the humectant is preferably propylene glycol or sodium hyaluronate . the amount of humectant may range anywhere from 0 . 5 to 30 %, preferably between 1 and 15 % by weight of the composition . thickeners may also be utilized as part of the cosmetically acceptable carrier of compositions according to the present invention . typical thickeners include crosslinked acrylates ( e . g . carbopol 982 ), hydrophobically - modified acrylates ( e . g . carbopol 1382 ), cellulosic derivatives and natural gums . among useful cellulosic derivatives are sodium carboxymethylcellulose , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose , hydroxyethyl cellulose , ethyl cellulose and hydroxymethyl cellulose . natural gums suitable for the present invention include guar , xanthan , sclerotium , carrageenan , pectin and combinations of these gums . amounts of the thickener may range from 0 . 0001 to 5 %, usually from 0 . 001 to 1 %, optimally from 0 . 01 to 0 . 5 % by weight . collectively , the water , solvents , silicones , esters , fatty acids , humectants and / or thickeners will constitute the cosmetically acceptable carrier in amounts from 1 to 99 . 9 %, preferably from 80 to 99 % by weight . an oil or oily material may be present , together with an emulsifier to provide either a water - in - oil emulsion or an oil - in - water emulsion , depending largely on the average hydrophilic - lipophilic balance ( hlb ) of the emulsifier employed . surfactants may also be present in cosmetic compositions of the present invention . total concentration of the surfactant will range from 0 . 1 to 40 %, preferably from 1 to 20 %, optimally from 1 to 5 % by weight of the composition . the surfactant may be selected from the group consisting of anionic , nonionic , cationic and amphoteric actives . particularly preferred nonionic surfactants are those with a c 10 - c 20 fatty alcohol or acid hydrophobe condensed with from 2 to 100 moles of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide per mole of hydrophobe ; c 2 - c 10 alkyl phenols condensed with from 2 to 20 moles of alkylene oxide ; mono - and di - fatty acid esters of ethylene glycol ; fatty acid monoglyceride ; sorbitan , mono - and di - c 8 - c 20 fatty acids ; block copolymers ( ethylene oxide / propylene oxide ); and polyoxyethylene sorbitan as well as combinations thereof . alkyl polyglycosides and saccharide fatty amides ( e . g . methyl gluconamides ) are also suitable nonionic surfactants . preferred anionic surfactants include soap , alkyl ether sulfate and sulfonates , alkyl sulfates and sulfonates , alkylbenzene sulfonates , alkyl and dialkyl sulfosuccinates , c 8 - c 20 acyl isethionates , acyl glutamates , c 8 - c 20 alkyl ether phosphates and combinations thereof . various types of additional active ingredients may be present in cosmetic compositions of the present invention . actives are defined as skin benefit agents other than emollients and other than ingredients that merely improve the physical characteristics of the composition . although not limited to this category , general examples include additional anti - sebum ingredients and sunscreens . sunscreens include those materials commonly employed to block ultraviolet light . illustrative compounds are the derivatives of paba , cinnamate and salicylate . for example , avobenzophenone ( parsol 1789 ®) octyl methoxycinnamate and 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxy benzophenone ( also known as oxybenzone ) can be used . octyl methoxycinnamate and 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxy benzophenone are commercially available under the trademarks , parsol mcx and benzophenone - 3 , respectively . the exact amount of sunscreen employed in the compositions can vary depending upon the degree of protection desired from the sun &# 39 ; s uv radiation . a preferred additional anti - sebum agent is a retinoid . it has been found that compounds e through h had improved sebum suppressive activity in the presence of a retinoid . retinoids ( e . g . retinol / retinyl ester / retinal / retinoic acid ) are present in the epidermis , so compounds e through h will have the improved sebum suppressive activity when applied to the skin . the preferred compositions , however , include a retinoid as an additional ingredient . the term “ retinol ” includes the following isomers of retinol : all - trans - retinol , 13 - cis - retinol , 11 - cis - retinol , 9 - cis - retinol , 3 , 4 - didehydro - retinol . preferred isomers are all - trans - retinol , 13 - cis - retinol , 3 , 4 - didehydro - retinol , 9 - cis - retinol . most preferred is all - trans - retinol , due to its wide commercial availability . retinyl ester is an ester of retinol . the term “ retinol ” has been defined above . retinyl esters suitable for use in the present invention are c1 - c30 esters of retinol , preferably c2 - c20 esters , and most preferably c2 , c3 , and c16 esters because they are more commonly available . examples of retinyl esters include but are not limited to : retinyl palmitate , retinyl formate , retinyl acetate , retinyl propionate , retinyl butyrate , retinyl valerate , retinyl isovalerate , retinyl hexanoate , retinyl heptanoate , retinyl octanoate , retinyl nonanoate , retinyl decanoate , retinyl undecandate , retinyl laurate , retinyl tridecanoate , retinyl myristate , retinyl pentadecanoate , retinyl heptadeconoate , retinyl stearate , retinyl isostearate , retinyl nonadecanoate , retinyl arachidonate , retinyl behenate , retinyl linoleate , retinyl oleate , retinyl lactate , retinyl glycolate , retinyl hydroxy caprylate , retinyl hydroxy laurate , retinyl tartarate . the preferred ester for use in the present invention is selected from retinyl palmitate , retinyl acetate and retinyl propionate , because these are the most commercially available and therefore the cheapest . retinyl ester is also preferred due to its efficacy . the retinoid is employed in the inventive composition in an amount of from about 0 . 001 % to about 10 %, preferably in an amount of from about 0 . 01 % to about 1 %, most preferably in an amount of from about 0 . 01 % to about 0 . 5 %. many cosmetic compositions , especially those containing water , must be protected against the growth of potentially harmful microorganisms . preservatives are , therefore , necessary . suitable preservatives include alkyl esters of p - hydroxybenzoic acid , hydantoin derivatives , propionate salts , and a variety of quaternary ammonium compounds . particularly preferred preservatives of this invention are methyl paraben , propyl paraben , phenoxyethanol and benzyl alcohol . preservatives will usually be employed in amounts ranging from about 0 . 1 % to 2 % by weight of the composition . the composition according to the invention is intended primarily as a product for topical application to human skin , especially as an agent for controlling or preventing excessive sebum secretion . in use , a quantity of the composition , for example from 1 to 100 ml , is applied to exposed areas of the skin , from a suitable container or applicator and , if necessary , it is then spread over and / or rubbed into the skin using the hand or fingers or a suitable device . the cosmetic composition of the invention can be in any form , e . g . formulated as a toner , gel , lotion , a fluid cream , a soap bar or a cream . the composition can be packaged in a suitable container to suit its viscosity and intended use by the consumer . for example , a lotion or fluid cream can be packaged in a bottle or a roll - ball applicator or a propellant - driven aerosol device or a container fitted with a pump suitable for finger operation . when the composition is a cream , it can simply be stored in a non - deformable bottle or squeeze container , such as a tube or a lidded jar . the invention accordingly also provides a closed container containing a cosmetically acceptable composition as herein defined . the composition may also be included in capsules such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 063 , 057 , incorporated by reference herein . the following specific examples further illustrate the invention , but the invention is not limited thereto . compounds a through h were tested for their potential to suppress sebum expression , alone or in the presence of a retinoid . secondary cultures of human sebocytes obtained from an adult male were grown in 48 - well tissue culture plates ( costar corp . ; cambridge , mass .) or 96 - well tissue culture plates ( packard co . ; meriden , conn .) until confluent . sebocyte growth medium consisted of clonetics keratinocyte basal medium ( kbm ) supplemented with 14 μg / ml bovine pituitary extract , 0 . 4 μg / ml hydrocortisone , 5 μg / ml insulin , 10 ng / ml epidermal growth factor , 1 . 2 × 10 − 10 m cholera toxin , 100 units / ml penicillin , and 100 μg / ml streptomycin . all cultures were incubated at 37 ° c . in the presence of 7 . 5 % co2 . medium was changed three times per week . on the day of experimentation , the growth medium was removed and the sebocytes washed three times with sterile dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle medium ( dmem ; phenol red free ). fresh dmem was added to each sample ( duplicates , triplicates , or quadruplicates depending on the experiment ) with 5 microliter of test agent solubilized in ethanol either alone or in the presence of one or 10 micromolar of retinol . controls consisted of addition of ethanol alone , retinol alone , or phenol red , which has estrogen - like activity and is included as a positive control . each plate was returned to the incubator for 20 hours followed by the addition of 14c - acetate buffer ( 5 mm final concentration , 56 mci / mmol specific activity ). sebocytes were returned to the incubator for four hours after which each culture was rinsed three times with phosphate buffered saline to remove unbound label . radioactive label remaining in the sebocytes was harvested and counted using a beckman scintillation counter . it can be seen from the results in tables 1 - 17 , that compounds a through h had sebum suppressive activity . retinol alone was inactive , but compounds c , and e through h had improved activity when combined with retinol . it should be understood that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only . changes , including but not limited to those suggested in this specification , may be made in the illustrated embodiments without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure . accordingly , reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention .

0Human Necessities

this invention is directed to an improved invasion assay that provides several advantages when compared to prior assays . these advantages include , but are not limited to , less probe necessary to provide a reliable result , less time required to provide a reliable result , the ability to determine or estimate assay results in real time ( i . e ., while data is being collected ), and the ability to obtain reliable results without running control assays . the invention further encompasses a novel method of analyzing data provided by prior invasion assays . in each of the methods of the invention , data collection and / or analysis is preferably done by computer . this invention is based on the discovery of time - dependent behavior of certain invasion assays , which are referred to herein as “ cascade assays ” or “ cascade invasion assays .” in cascade assays of this invention , such as those represented in fig2 , an invader oligonucleotide can hybridize to the target , or template , polynucleotide of interest ( e . g ., dna or rna ). invader oligonucleotides can be any oligonucleotide at least a portion of which can hybridize to the portion of the template that is of interest . probes of the invention can hybridize with a region of the template that is contiguous and overlapping with the region to which the invader oligonucleotide can hybridize or otherwise associate . invader oligonucleotides can contain regions that do not hybridize with the template , yet affect the cleavage of probe oligonucleotides . see , e . g ., fig5 of harrington , j . j ., and lieber , m . r ., j . biol . chem . 270 ( 9 ): 4503 - 4508 , 4506 ( 1995 ), and the accompanying text . examples of invader oligonucleotides suitable for use in this invention include , but are not limited to , those identified as the “ second oligonucleotide ,” “ second oligo ,” or “ invader ” in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 994 , 069 which is incorporated herein by reference . see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 994 , 069 at col . 37 , lines 41 - 48 . see also u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 843 , 669 , 5 , 846 , 717 , 5 , 874 , 283 , 5 , 888 , 780 , 5 , 985 , 557 , and 6 , 001 , 567 , each of which is incorporated herein by reference ; and international patent application nos . wo 97 / 27214 , wo 98 / 23774 , and wo 98 / 42873 , each of which is incorporated herein by reference . examples of probes include , but are not limited to , those identified as the “ first oligonucleotide ,” “ first oligo ,” or “ probe ” in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 994 , 069 . see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 994 , 069 at col . 37 , lines 37 - 41 . see also u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 843 , 669 , 5 , 846 , 717 , 5 , 874 , 283 , 5 , 888 , 780 , 5 , 985 , 557 , and 6 , 001 , 567 ; and international patent application nos . wo 97 / 27214 , wo 98 / 23774 , and wo 98 / 42873 . the interaction between the invader oligonucleotide , probe oligonucleotide , and template , or target , polynucleotide in the assays of this invention is described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 994 , 069 , international patent application no . wo 98 / 42873 , and harrington , j . j ., and lieber , m . r ., j . biol . chem . 270 ( 9 ): 4503 - 4508 ( 1995 ), each of which is incorporated herein by reference . see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 994 , 069 at col . 37 , line 30 - col . 41 , line 41 ; and fig5 of harrington , j . j ., and lieber , m . r ., j . biol . chem . 270 ( 9 ): 4503 - 4508 , 4506 ( 1995 ), and the accompanying text . in a typical assay of the invention , if the invader oligonucleotide and probe oligonucleotide both anneal to the target substrate and overlap by at least one nucleotide , a cleavage structure is formed which comprises a flap of the probe . this flap can be cleaved by , for example , an endonuclease . examples of endonucleases include , but are not limited to , those disclosed by u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 843 , 669 , 5 , 846 , 717 , 5 , 874 , 283 , 5 , 888 , 780 , 5 , 985 , 557 , 5 , 994 , 069 , and 6 , 001 , 567 . particularly preferred endonucleases are described , for example , by international patent application no . wo 98 / 23774 . when cleaved , the flap can then anneal to another structure , forcing its cleavage and the production of yet another molecule . if desired , this process can continue a chain of reactions that will eventually provide a signal detected by the observer . typically , however , the cleaved probe flap formed in the primary reaction induces the cleavage of what is referred to herein as a reporter precursor . typically , the reporter precursor comprises reporter and quencher moieties , such as are shown in fig2 . examples of reporter precursors are the hairpin structures disclosed , for example , by u . s . pat . no . 5 , 994 , 069 . see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 994 , 069 at col . 72 , lines 11 - 67 . see also u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 843 , 669 , 5 , 846 , 717 , 5 , 874 , 283 , 5 , 888 , 780 , 5 , 985 , 557 , and 6 , 001 , 567 ; and international patent application nos . wo 97 / 27214 , wo 98 / 23774 , and wo 98 / 42873 . cleavage of the reporter precursor provides a reporter that can be detected by conventional means such as , but not limited to , fluorescence . it has now been discovered that the signal generated by a cascade ( i . e ., at least two ) of cleavage reactions typically exhibits different behavior over time than a signal generated by different reactions or series of reactions . reactions that provide a signal , but are not indicative of the cleavage process of interest ( e . g ., the primary reaction shown in fig2 ), are referred to herein as background reactions . in typical cascade invasion assays of the invention , the background signal is linear in nature and can be fit to an equation of the formula : wherein t is time , p 1 is the signal at t = 0 , and p 2 is the rate of the signal increase . by contrast , the signal produced as a result of the primary reaction exhibits quadratic behavior , and is best fit to an equation of the formula : s ( t ) = p 1 + p 2 t + p 3 t 2 ( 2 ) wherein p 3 is greater than zero . this difference in behavior is shown , for example , in fig3 . without being limited by theory , it is believed that the different time - dependent behavior of the background and target signals is due to the cleavage of multiple probes that can associate near or at their melting point with a single target or template to which a single primary invader oligonucleotide is also associated . the cleavage of each of these probes induces the cleavage of a reporter - quencher complex . thus , over time , the overlap of a single primary invader oligonucleotide with multiple probes on a template can yield a large number of reporter fragments . by contrast , it is believed that the association of a single primary invader oligonucleotide with a reporter - quencher complex only produces one reporter fragment . whatever the actual cause of the difference in their time - dependent signals , it is now possible to differentiate between positive assay signals and background noise by simply observing the signal provided by an invasion assay as a function of time . for many cascade assays , this can be accomplished by simply fitting the data to equation 2 and determining whether p 3 is greater than zero . as a practical matter , however , this approach has some limitations . theoretically , a linear growth curve is expected to produce a value of zero for the t 2 coefficient ( p 3 ) when modeled using equation 2 . in practice , however , experimental noise makes it likely to have a non - zero value . it is therefore preferred that the assay conditions ( e . g ., the reagents used , the concentrations of the reactants , the specific invader oligonucleotides and probe oligonucleotides used , and the temperature ) be adjusted to minimize background noise . however , another problem in assessing the significance of the t 2 coefficient is that the value of p 3 is highly influenced by factors such as , but are not limited to , reaction kinetics , acquisition time , and the concentrations of reactants . consequently , the coefficient p 3 can assume any value in a large range of values . a preferred embodiment of the invention therefore limits the range of values that can be assumed by p 3 . by doing so , the significance of p 3 can be assessed both empirically and theoretically in a realistic and predictable manner . although various ways in which this can be done will be apparent to those skilled in the art , one particular way in which this can be accomplished is by transformation . in this particular method , the independent variable , t , and the dependent variable , s ( t ), of equation 2 are transformed to t * and s *( t *), respectively , such that their minima are each equal to zero and their maxima are each equal to unity . this transformation accomplishes two important goals . first , the transformation space ( t *, s *( t *)) consists of three different regions : the linear growth functions fall within the first region , the quadratic growth functions in which p 3 is positive fall within the second region , and the quadratic growth functions in which p 3 is negative fall within the third region . second , the value for p 3 associated with growth curves resulting from invasive cleavage is bounded . under optimal conditions , the value of p 3 is less than or equal to unity ( i . e ., p 3 ≦ 1 ). a threshold value for p 3 can thus be set independent of the conditions under which the invasive assay is run . fig4 shows an idealized linear growth in signal due to background ( negative ) and an idealized quadratic growth in signal due to primary invasive cleavage ( positive ). fig5 shows the effect of domain transformation on a family of response functions simulated with added random noise . to be specific , the top panel of fig5 shows three different response functions ( red ), three different quadratic responses with positive curvature ( green ), and three different quadratic responses with negative curvature ( yellow ). as shown in the top panel , the response function can be in any region of the response space depending on factors such as , but not limited to , the concentration of the target , or template , molecule , and the nature of the background signal ( s ). by contrast , the transformation domain maps the three families of curves to distinct regions in the new domain . this is shown in the bottom panel of fig5 , wherein the three linear response functions are mapped to the same region and appear as one line , and the quadratic response functions appear on either side of that line depending on whether their curvature is positive or negative . the domain transformation of this invention thus achieves natural clustering of the response curves , which allows easy classification of the data obtained from the invasion assay . see example 2 , below . specific embodiments of the invention take into consideration the effects background ( e . g ., experimental ) noise can have on the certainty of an analysis of assay data . for example , the negative region denoted by the red line in fig5 is expected to have a finite width . the size of the permissible negative region is consequently determined in view of experimental and instrumental conditions , as well as the desired rate of false positive . for example , after the response function is transformed , the analytical signal can be modeled using linear and quadratic models and utilizing the least squares criteria , or any other criteria known to those skilled in the art . referring to equation 2 , the t 2 term is then examined in view of the width of the negative region . the significance of the quadratic growth can then be estimated using the growth model attributed to background noise kinetics ( e . g ., linear growth ), as a benchmark or absolute standard . in preferred embodiments of this invention , deviation from linearity is a measure of significance . this can be determined by , for example , the residuals of an assumed linear model . a specific method of the invention can thus be described in terms of the following steps : ( i ) transformation of the growth curve data to new domain ; ( ii ) the fitting of linear and quadratic models to the transformed growth curve data set ; ( iii ) comparison of the t 2 term ( p 3 in equation 2 ) to the threshold values set to define the negative region ; and ( iv ) if the growth curve is found to be in the positive region , the evaluation of the residuals obtained from the linear model fit for their significance . this specific embodiment of the invention is described in more detail in example 2 , below . the improvements provided by this invention can be used with any variant of the invasion assay wherein the cleavage of one structure induces the cleavage of at least one additional structure . examples of such assays include , but are not limited to , those disclosed by u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 843 , 669 , 5 , 874 , 283 , 5 , 888 , 780 , 5 , 985 , 557 , 5 , 994 , 069 , and 6 , 001 , 567 , each of which is incorporated herein by reference . in general , however , this invention can be applied to any assay wherein the desired signal exhibits different behavior as a function of time than that of the background signal ( s ). instead of exhibiting quadratic behavior , for example , such a signal may exhibit behavior best represented by a higher order polynomial , such as is represented by formula 3 : s ( t )= σ p j t k ( j = 1 , 2 , . . . ; k = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . ) ( 3 ) other mathematical relationships ( e . g ., exponential ) may also best represent the signal of interest produced by a cascade assay . at the same time , the time - dependent background signal of an assay need not be linear : all that is necessary is a time - based behavior that can be determined and differentiated from that of the signal of interest . in view of the breadth of the invention , and the fact that it can be applied to wide array of assays in addition to those currently known in the art , the following examples are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention . advantages provided by this invention are apparent from the following experiment , which was performed using materials available from applied biosystems ( foster city , calif .) and third wave technologies ( madison , wis .). an abi prism 7700 , available from applied biosystems , was used for data collection . using 100 ng human genomic dna per test , the following reagents were used in the assay of this invention for detecting a c / t polymorphism in the human mfthr gene : a “ c ” probe mix containing a flap - plus - probe oligonucleotide specific for the mthfr c allele and the mthfr - specific invader oligonucleotide ; a “ t ” probe mix containing flap - plus - probe oligonucleotide specific for the mthfr t allele and the mthfr - specific invader oligonucleotide ; a signal probe comprising fluorogenic oligonucleotide labeled with fam reporter and cy3 quencher that is substrate for the secondary invasion reaction ; a signal buffer which includes mg 2 + ; and cleavase - viii ™, which is a structure - dependent endonuclease that performs the cleavage reaction . human genomic dna from 90 different individuals was analyzed in the experiment . the dna from these individuals had previously been dried down in 7700 reaction plates , each well containing approximately 100 ng dna . each plate has 6 wells with no template . in one plate , 10 μl diluted “ c ” probe mix was added to each well . in a separate plate , 10 μl diluted “ t ” probe mix was added to each well . these plates were incubated at 95 ° c . for 5 minutes to denature the dna , then placed on ice . the use of the ice incubation , which was not used in prior invasion assays , is designed to better preserve the single - stranded nature of the denatured dna . a reaction cocktail was made by mixing signal probe , signal buffer , cleavase - viii ®, and rox passive reference . five microliters of this reaction cocktail was added to each well . after capping the wells , each plate was incubated at 65 ° c . for 90 minutes in the abi prism 7700 with fluorescence data collected throughout . the fluorescence data were analyzed by using multicomponenting to determine the contributions of fam , cy3 , and rox . for each well , the fam signal was divided by the rox signal and plotted versus incubation time . fig3 shows the results for five wells from the “ t ” reaction plate . this plot shows the results from four negative samples and one positive sample ( the curved trace ). the negative samples show a linear increase in normalized fam signal . this indicates there is background cleavage of the signal probe in the absence of the appropriate template . the same linear increase is signal is observed in no template control reactions . for the positive sample , the rate of fam signal increase is accelerated relative to the linear increase seen in the negative samples . in fact , the increase in fam signal observed in positive reactions is fit very well by a quadratic equation . thus , positive and negative reactions can be distinguished by the second order term in the quadratic fit . a significant second order term indicates a positive reaction , whereas a second order term close to zero indicates a negative reaction . this is made clear by fig6 , which shows the second order coefficients from all the reactions , ranked from lowest to highest . in each plot , the vertical line running from the bottom to the top of the chart shows the separation of positive and negative samples . the student t - test indicates a 99 . 5 % confidence for the separation in each case . based on these separation lines , the genotype of each individual can thus be determined from the second order coefficients , as shown in table 1 . in table 1 , the column marked “ taqman calls ” reports the genotypes previously determined for these individuals using a taqman ™ assay . as used in the table , “ 1 ” means c homozygote ; “ 2 ” means t homozygote ; and “ 1 and 2 ” means c / t heterozygote . the red circle shows the only discrepancy between the invader ™ and taqman ™ data . comparison of the coefficients determined from a fit of the data obtained in example 1 can be used to evaluate the results of assay . this simple method can provide erroneous results , however , since even small quadratic coefficients can indicate a positive signal , while relatively large ones may simply be artifacts of the fitting process . therefore , it is preferred that analysis of the data , whether performed at the conclusion of the experiment or in real time , focus instead on the shape of the function to which the data is fit , rather than the coefficients calculated by simply fitting the data to a quadratic equation . using the transformation method described herein , transformed response functions were generated from the data obtained in example 1 . fig7 shows these transformed response functions . the statistical significance of these results were then determined . using transformed signals from wells 5 and 19 of the data described in example 1 , residuals from fitting a linear growth model to the negative ( well 5 ) and positive ( well 19 ) profiles were obtained . in the case of well 5 , where the signal growth is linear , the residuals exhibit the expected behavior ; they are distributed about zero and cross the “ zero line ” very frequently . by contrast , the residuals from well 19 , where the signal growth is quadratic , cluster on the positive side of zero and the negative side of zero , and do not cross the zero line as frequently . the larger the deviation from linearity , the fewer the number of crossing . thus , the number of zero crossings in a population of residuals obtained after fitting a linear model to a time - varying profile , in this case the transformed signal vs . the transformed time , is an indicator of how significantly the profile deviates from a straight line . see , e . g ., s . siegel , “ nonparametric statistics ,” mcgraw - hill , new york , 1956 , p52 ; and n . draper and h . smith , “ applied regression analysis ,” third edition , john wiley & amp ; sons , inc ., new york , 1998 , p1 92 . the number of crossings was examined in terms of the number of runs in the residuals . a run may be defined as a succession of residuals with the same sign which are preceded and followed by residuals of a different sign or by no residuals . see s . siegel , “ nonparametric statistics ,” mcgraw - hill , new york , 1956 , p52 . for example the following set of 10 residuals consisting of {+ 0 . 5 , + 0 . 1 , − 0 . 2 , − 0 . 4 , − 0 . 5 , − 0 . 6 , − 0 . 3 , − 0 . 2 , − 0 . 1 , and + 0 . 2 } said to contain 3 runs . the number of runs in any given population of residuals is an indication of whether or not the residuals are randomly distributed . for a large ( e . g ., greater than about 20 ) sample of residuals where there are n positive residuals , m negative residuals , and r runs , the significance is estimated from the expected distribution of r whose mean , μ r and standard deviation , σ r , are given as : where a = 2 nm ( 2 nm − n − m ) and b =( n + m ) 2 ( n + m − 1 ). a normalized r value , r *, is calculated according to : equation ( 6 ) expresses the number of runs , r , in terms of its deviation from expected value , given the sample size , n and m , in units of standard deviations . the significance of such deviation is consequently assessed under the null hypothesis that n and m occur in random order . the null hypothesis is rejected when r * cannot be accounted for by random arrangement at a given level of significance . in such cases the residuals are deemed systematic and the linear model invalid , i . e ., the growth curve is non - linear at the desired level of significance . the r * values estimated by equation ( 6 ) for wells 5 and 19 were obtained . in the case of well 5 , the normalized number of runs is within half a standard deviation unit from the expected mean ; the linear model is , therefore , accepted . in the case of well 19 , the normalized number of runs is more than 23 standard deviation units from the expected mean and the linear model is rejected . while many statistical models may be used , tchebycheff &# 39 ; s model provides a robust , and conservative , approach . see , e . g ., r . kirk , “ introductory statistics ,” wadsworth publishing company , inc ., belmont , calif , 1978 , p83 . tchebycheffs theorem can be summarized as shown in equation ( 7 ): according to equation ( 7 ), the probability that a random variable is greater than k units of standard deviation away from its mean is less than 1 / k 2 . consequently , the larger the absolute value of r * in equation ( 6 ), the higher the probability that the residuals are not randomly distributed about zero and the linear model is rejected at the ( 1 −( 1 / k 2 )) significance level ( also referred to as “ confidence level ”). the statistical significance test summarized above provides important feedback to the users vis - à - vis the selected threshold for p 3 and the width of the ‘ negative region .” as mentioned above , growth curves with p 3 values that exceed a threshold value are tested for significance . when the threshold is set too low , the results classified as positives , because the t 2 terms exceeds the threshold value , are expected to have a high number of runs , and , thus , low significance level ( k in equation ( 7 )). users can therefore use the significance level as a guide in setting the limits of the “ negative region .” the distribution of runs in the residuals enables users to obtain robust and sensitive statistical confidence estimates . because the linear model provides an “ absolute ” standard , unbiased estimation of detection and classification confidence / significance can be derived from a single sample . the embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be merely exemplary , and those skilled in the art will recognize , or will be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation , numerous equivalents of the specific materials , procedures , and devices described herein . all such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of the invention and are encompassed by the appended claims .

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

turning to fig1 , a work box is illustrated and designated with the reference numeral 10 . the work box has an overall rectangular configuration and includes a top 12 , walls 14 - 20 , and base 22 . the top 12 is usually made from cloth material and may include a foam inner layer . the top cover 12 is attached at the back wall 18 . a zipper 24 is positioned on walls 14 , 16 and 20 to secure the top cover 12 to the walls 14 , 16 and 20 . the top cover 12 has a first rectangular portion 26 continuous with a diverging portion having curved sides 28 which is continuous with a second rectangular portion 30 . the top cover follows the contour periphery of the walls 14 , 16 and 20 . the sidewalls 16 and 20 are substantially identical to one another . the sidewalls 16 and 20 include a first 32 and second 34 rectangular portion separated by a gap 36 . a connecting portion 40 connects the first 32 and second 34 wall portions with one another . the front wall 14 is substantially rectangular and is continuous with the first portions 32 of the sidewalls 16 and 20 . the front wall 14 includes an electrical plug - in strip 50 . the plug - in strip 50 enables power tools to be plugged directly into the strip and to be utilized at the work site . a cord ( not shown ) is connected with the power strip to enable electricity to be brought to the work box . the base 22 includes two rectangular portions 52 and 54 divided by an interruption portion 56 . the two rectangular portions 52 and 54 include feet 58 and 60 which enable the work box to be positioned onto the ground or the like . the interruption portion 56 includes two angled walls 62 and 64 which converge at their apex 66 . thus , the interrupt portion 56 defines the gap 36 which , when viewed from side plan , has an overall inverted u shape . the apex 66 has a desired width as seen in fig2 to enable the work box to rest on a support as defined herein . a strap 70 having two ends 72 and 74 extends from the angled wall 62 . the straps 72 and 74 include a buckle 76 which enable the strap portions 72 and 74 to be positioned around a support to secure the work box onto a work support as shown and described herein . turning to fig3 - 7 , a better understanding of the work box with a work table will be described . the work table 100 includes a table portion 102 and a support 104 . the work table 100 is generally like those sold under the workmate ® trademark by black & amp ; decker inc . the table 102 is generally positioned at a desired distance along a horizontal plane above the ground by the support 104 . the table 102 may include two pieces which may be connected by a vise - like device . the support 104 includes legs 106 and 108 as well as a u - shaped base 110 . the u - shaped base 110 includes wheels 112 , as well as feet 114 . the wheels 112 enable transport of the table as illustrated in fig7 when the table is collapsed . the feet 114 steady the work table when it is in a use position . the table includes a horizontal support 120 which is connected to the legs 106 , 108 by vertical supports 122 and 124 . the vertical supports are secured to the legs 106 and 108 , respectively . the work box 10 is positioned onto the work table 100 so that the u - shaped gap 36 passes over the horizontal support 120 . the apex 66 of the angled walls 62 and 64 rest on the horizontal support 120 , as seen in fig4 and 5 . the strap portions 72 and 74 are wrapped around the vertical supports 122 and 124 to further secure the work box 10 onto the work table 100 ( fig5 ). the buckle mechanism 76 is secured together and , the straps 72 and 74 may be tightened to remove the slack . once the work box 10 is secured onto the work table 100 , the work box 10 is maintained on the horizontal support 120 in an extended or use position as illustrated in fig3 and 6 . also , the work box 10 remains on the work table 100 when the work table 100 is in a collapsed position as illustrated in fig7 . thus , the work box 10 is maintained on the work table 100 while it is moved from work area to work area , via the wheels 112 . while the above detailed descriptions provides a discussion of the preferred embodiment of the present invention , it can be understood that the present invention is susceptible to modification , variation and alteration without deviating from the scope of the attached claims .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

fig1 shows a schematic block circuit diagram of a circuit arrangement for electronic retouching of color images . an image store 1 contains the original , digital color values f or for the four color separations &# 34 ; yellow &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; magenta &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; cyan &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; black &# 34 ; of a color image to be retouched . the digital color values f or having a word length of , for example , 8 bits can be the digitized , primary color signals r or , g or , b or acquired in a color scanner , the color - corrected , digitized color separation signals y or , m or , c or , k or or other color - transformed , digitized color values . the original color values f or were written into the image store 1 pixel - by - pixel via a databus 2 with the assistance of an address generator 3 . before the recording of the color separations of the color image in a color separation recorder , individual color separations for the color image , i . e . all four color separations , are to be partially retouched under visual control in order to optimize the color correction or to undertake editorial color changes . a color monitor 4 on whose picture screen an image composed of , for example , 1024 × 1024 pixels can be recorded is present for the visual control . the original color value f or required for the presentation of the color image of an image excerpt of a color separation are called in with the assistance of the address generator 3 and is applied pixel - by - pixel via a databus 5 to , first , an operation unit 6 wherein the original color values f or are operated to a selectable degree with the correction intensity values i k generated in a retouch unit 7 in order to form retouched color values f ret . the retouched color values f ret are transferred via a further databus 8 into a video drive circuit 9 where they are converted into three analog drive signals r , g , b for the color monitor 4 . the video drive circuit 9 contains a digital - to - analog converter ( not shown ), an image repetition store for generating a still picture on the color monitor 4 and a print simulation computer . the print simulation computer converts the supplied color values ( taking the priorities of the multi - color printing into consideration ) into the three drive signals r , g , b such that the color image presentation on the color monitor 4 conveys nearly the same chromatic impression as the multi - color print itself . for example , a video drive circuit is described in greater detail in de - c - 29 20 058 , and a print simulation computer is described in greater detail in de - a - 26 07 623 . the retouch unit 7 for producing the correction intensity values i k comprises a coordinate acquisition unit 10 , a correction field memory 11 , a retouching mask memory 12 , address generators 13 , 14 and a comparison unit 15 . the address generators 13 , 14 are connected via address buses 16 , 17 to address inputs of the memories 11 , 12 . the comparison inputs of the comparison unit 15 are in communication via data buses 18 , 19 with the data outputs of the memories 11 , 12 , and the resultant output of the comparison unit 15 is connected via a databus 20 to the operation unit 6 and is simultaneously fed back via a further databus 21 onto the data input of the retouch mask memory 12 . the comparison unit 15 can be switched to a maximum or a minimum selection in accordance with the desired retouch effect . in the exemplary embodiment , a maximum selection is to be carried out for the supplied values in the comparison unit 15 . the coordinate acquisition unit 10 is composed of a digitizing tablet 10a to which an x ret y ret of the pixels to be retouched in the color image are marked with the coordinate acquisition unit 10 in the x ret y ret coordinate system . for monitoring the retouch , a light mark generated in the video drive circuit 9 can be mixed into the picture screen of the color monitor 4 , the motion thereof being synchronized with the motion of the coordinate pen 10b . such a means is disclosed , for example , in de - ce - 29 20 058 . while the coordinate pen 10b respectively marks only one pixel and the locus coordinates x oret , y oret thereof , the locus coordinates x ret y ret of pixels that surround the marked pixel are also simultaneously calculated in the coordinate control unit 10c . the calculation of the locus coordinates x ret , y ret of these pixels occurs from the locus coordinates x oret , y oret of the respective , marked , central pixel , and the pixel spacing from the central pixel . this measure corresponds to an increased range of effect of the coordinate pen 10b or , respectively , to an enlarged correction field ( brush area ) of the retouch brush . size and shape of the correction field can be defined by the retoucher . before the retouch , a correction intensity distribution that defined the retouch effect is defined for the correction field of the coordinate pen 10b . for this purpose , the correction field is subdivided into dot elements ( pixels ), and a digital correction intensity value i k is allocated to every dot element within the correction field or to its locus coordinates x k , y k in an x k y k coordinate system allocated to the correction field ( fig2 and 3 ). the digital correction intensity values i k , for example , have a word length of 8 bits , so that 254 values can be assigned . the defined , digital correction intensity values i k of the correction field are written pixel - by - pixel into the correction field memory 11 via a data input 22 , this memory being oriented according to the x k y k coordinate system and are stored therein in addressable fashion by the locus coordinates x k , y k of the allocated dot elements of the correction field . the addresses corresponding to the locus coordinates x k , y k are generated by the address generator 13 and are supplied to the correction field memory 11 via the address bus 16 . the memory capacity of the correction field memory 11 is designed such that the digital correction intensity values i k of the largest possible correction field of the coordinate pen 10b can be stored . the retouch mask memory 12 is oriented according to the x ret , y ret coordinate system . the addresses corresponding to the locus coordinates x ret , y ret are generated by the address generator 14 and are conducted to the retouch mask memory 12 via an address bus 17 . the memory locations are first occupied with &# 34 ; zeroes .&# 34 ; in the retouch process , the retoucher guides the coordinate pen 10b like a retouch brush across that region of the digitization tablet 10a that corresponds to the image region to be retouched in the color image . during the motion of the coordinate pen 10b , the locus coordinates x ret y ret of the pixels within the correction field in the current positions of the coordinate pen 10b are continuously identified by the coordinate control unit 10c of the coordinate acquisition unit 10 , are communicated via an address bus 23 to the address generator 14 and are converted in the latter into the corresponding address of the retouch mask memory 12 . the correction intensity values i k deposited under the addresses that are called in are read out via the data output of the retouch mask memory 12 and are supplied via the databus 19 to the one comparison input of the comparison unit 15 . at every position the coordinate pen 10b assumes on the digitization table 10a , the correction intensity values i k of the individual dot elements of the correction field that are deposited in the correction field memory 11 are also simultaneously called in pixel - by - pixel by the address generator 13 . the correction intensity values i k that are called in are read out via the data output of the correction value memory 11 and are supplied via the databus 18 to the other comparison input of the comparison unit 15 . the correction intensity values i k read out from the two memories 11 , 12 in every current position of the correction field are compared to one another in view of the maximum value in the comparison unit 15 . the maximum correction intensity values i k are then returned via the databus 21 to the data input of the retouch mask memory 12 and are stored therein , instead of the correction intensity values i k previously deposited therein . the corresponding correction intensity value i k of the correction field memory 12 is thereby respectively stored at all called - in memory locations of the retouch mask memory 12 that are occupied with a &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ;, since the corresponding correction intensity value i k of the correction field memory 12 is always the maximum correction intensity value i k when compared to &# 34 ; zero .&# 34 ; a distribution of accumulated correction intensity values i k corresponding to the individual positions of the correction field along the retouching paths is stored in the described way in the retouch mask memory 12 , these accumulated correction intensity values i k being inventively employed for controlling the desired modifications in the color image . for visual control of the retouch result , the correction intensity percentage values i k found to be maximum in the comparison unit 15 are directly forwarded via the databus 20 to the operation unit 6 and are operated therein ( to a selectable degree between i k = 0 and i k = 100 %) with the original color values f org read out from the image store 1 , but without the original color values f org in the image store 1 being initially substituted by the retouched color values f ret . the operation of the original color values f org with the correction intensity percentage values i k to form the retouched color values f ret occurs in the operation unit 6 according to a prescribed mixing function f mixing such that either the uncorrected , original color values f org , given i k = 0 , the fully corrected color values f ret , given i k = 100 %, or color values f ret having an arbitrary correction ratio between the fully corrected and the uncorrected color values are output from the operation unit 6 i . e . f ret = f mixing ( i k , f ord ). only after the complete termination of the retouch are the correction intensity values i k again directly read out by a databus 24 , bypassing the comparison unit 15 , and supplied to the operation unit 6 via the databus 20 . the retouched color values f ret are then fed back from the output of the operation unit 6 via a databus 25 to the data input of the image store 1 and are written into the image store 1 with the assistance of the address generator 3 , the original color values f org stored in said image store 1 being potentially replaced . the read - out of the correction intensity values i k from the correction field memory 11 and from the retouch mask memory 12 and the re - storing of the maximum correction intensity values i k into the retouch mask memory 12 are synchronized in that the address generators 13 , 14 are supplied with corresponding control signals by the coordinate control unit 10c via control lines 26 , 27 . for a pixel - precise operation of the correction intensity values i k with the original color values f org of the image store 1 in the operation unit 6 , the address generator 3 is additionally synchronized via a further control line 28 . the behavior of a real retouch brush with respect to the application of the retouch color , which only outputs retouch color at the locations at which the background does not yet have adequate color saturation , is advantageously simulated by the described retouch method having a maximum selection of the correction intensity values . in this way , an adequately close sequence of retouching steps can be realized without having to fear a disturbing formation of clouds in the retouched color image due to intensity superimpositions . a dry , real retouch brush picking up fresh retouch ink can be preferably simulated by a corresponding minimum selection of the correction intensity values i k in the comparison unit 15 . the resulting correction intensity value i k for a pixel is thereby respectively equal to the correction intensity value i k deposited in the retouch mask memory 12 when the correction intensity value stored therein is lower than the corresponding correction intensity value i k of the correction field deposited in the correction field memory 11 ; otherwise , it is equal to the correction intensity value i k deposited in the correction field memory 11 . a drawing of the retouch color can be simulated by calculating the correction intensity values i k into the original color values f org and by subsequent erasure of the retouch mask memory 12 , whereby the application of new retouch color can be simulated with the next retouch step , so that the effects of the individual retouch steps accumulate . fig2 shows a correction field 30 of the coordinate pen 10b that is assumed to be circular . the x k y k coordinate system 31 allocated to the correction field 30 runs through the center of the circle . the x k y k coordinate system 31 shifts with the motion of the coordinate pen 10b within the x ret y ret coordinate system 32 allocated to the digitization tablet 10a . a digital correction intensity value i k is allocated to every pixel 33 within the correction field 30 having the locus coordinates x k , y k . in the exemplary embodiment , the correction field 30 is subdivided into a central circle and into two circular rings lying around the circle . the respectively same , digital correction intensity value i k is allocated to the pixels lying within the central circle and to the pixels lying within the circular rings , so that level areas 34 , 35 , 36 having the respectively same intensity result . for example , a high correction intensity value i k3 is allocated to the circular level area 34 , a medium correction intensity value i k2 is allocated to the middle , annular level are 35 , and a low correction intensity value i k1 is allocated to the outer , annular level area 36 . a stepped intensity profile , which is shown in fig3 then results over the diameter of the circular correction field 30 . the intensity profile can be selected according to an arbitrary function , for example according to a gauss function . the correction field 30 is shown in fig4 in three different positions p 1 , p 2 , p 3 of the coordinate pen 10b along a retouch path 37 . fig5 shows the curve of the resulting correction intensity values i k along the retouch path 37 given operation of the correction intensity values i k via a maximum function . the result is a uniform retouch effect along the retouch path 37 . fig6 shows the corresponding curve of the resulting correction intensity values i k given additive operation of the correction intensity values i k according to the prior art . fig7 is intended to explain the course of the retouch method in the individual phases i - iv again with reference to a graphic illustration . the digitization tablet 10a of the coordinate acquisition unit 10 , the correction field memory 11 and the retouch mask memory 12 are symbolically respectively shown in the individual phases i - iv . before the retouch ( phase i ), the correction intensity values i k that were prescribed for the presumably circular correction field 38 are loaded into the correction field memory 11 . the memory locations that are thereby occupied are indicated by a circle 38 corresponding to the correction field 30 ; the memory locations that are not occupied are occupied with &# 34 ; zeroes .&# 34 ; all memory locations of the retouch mask memory 12 are likewise still occupied with &# 34 ; zeroes &# 34 ; at this time . the retouch effect along the retouch path 37 from point a to point c begins in phase ii , in that the retoucher first places the coordinate pen 10b onto the point a of the digitization 10a . the correction intensity values i k of the correction field 30 are now overwritten from the correction field memory 11 directly into the memory area of the retouch mask memory 12 indicated by the circle 39 , this corresponding to the position of the correction field 30 on the digitization tablet 10a in the position a of the coordinate pen 10b . an overwriting occurs because all memory locations of the retouch mask memory 12 are still occupied with &# 34 ; zeroes &# 34 ; at this time and the correction intensity values i k stored in the correction field memory 11 are thus always the maximum values . in phase iii , the coordinate pen 10b moves from the position a into the position b . the correction intensity values i k of the correction field 30 are respectively read out from the correction field memory 11 in the individual intermediate positions . likewise , the corresponding correction intensity values i k of those memory areas of the retouch mask memory 12 that correspond to the intermediate positions of the correction field 30 along the retouch path 37 between the positions a and b are read out . the correction intensity values i k read out from the two memories 11 , 12 are checked in view of the maximum values and the maximum correction intensity values i k are written back onto the positionally allocated memory locations of the retouch mask memory 12 , whereby the entries present at the memory locations are erased . the memory areas thereby affected are indicated by the overlapping circles 39 . in phase iv , the retoucher has guided the coordinate pen 10b on the digitization tablet 10a up to the position c of the retouching path 37 and the retouch mask memory 12 has been correspondingly written . after this , the retouch event can be continued along any desired retouch path . although various minor changes and modifications might be proposed by those skilled in the art , it will be understood that i wish to include within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such changes and modifications as reasonably come within my contribution to the art .

7Electricity

virtual ballot box : figurative element representing a container with the votes of several legitimate voters in 115 a given election . the cryptographic processes and protocols included in the present invention require the performance of complex mathematical calculation by the voters . the complexity of such calculations require that , on the voter &# 39 ; s behalf , they are performed by a voting agent created by a set of programs or software . each voter does with a unique identifier for the election in which he / she wants to participate and with the data for connection to a listing of servers provided by one of several trusted authorities . each voter does with a pair of asymmetric keys granted , or not , by a trusted authority ( generally a governmental agency ). for example , in spain , it could be a ceres certificate [ spanish certification issued by the national mint and stamp factory ] or his / her electronic identification card . a census was established including the persons or entities legally entitled to participate in the election . such census can be carried out by a trusted authority or by any other means agreed by the parties involved in the election . optionally , each voter can do with a private identifier , provided by a trusted authority , that identifies the voter univocally but that does only allow such trusted authority to know the actual 135 identity of the voter . step 1 ( fig1 a y 1 b ). the voter communicates his vote for a given open election to the voting agent . this step does not have to be the first one necessarily ; it can be performed anytime before the voting agent picks up any virtual voting slip . it could even be implemented in such a way that the vote is selected later 140 on and this would not modify the basic operation of the process . step 2 ( fig1 a y 1 b ). the voting agent contacts a cluster control server or a p2p network and requests an application for participation in the election . step 3 ( fig1 a y 1 b ). the voting agent receives the data for connection to a cluster . if none is available , he is told to create one and wait for connections . step 4 ( fig1 a y 1 b ). the voting agent creates the cluster or connects the indicated cluster . the communication among the cluster nodes will take place in a safe manner through any protocol available in the state - of - the - art or any other designed specifically for such communication . the safe protocol for communication among nodes is not part of this invention . step 5 ( fig1 a y 1 b ). the connection agent verifies that the members of the cluster are legally entitled to 150 participation in the election . this verification can be performed against the voters legitimacy verification server of a verification authority or by any other means . the protocol for verification of the legitimacy to participate in the election is not part of this invention . in turn , the rest of the members of the cluster verify the legitimacy of the new agent for participating in the election . in case a p2p network is being used to store the voting results in a distributed way , it will also be possible to check if the user has already voted , whether to rely on a verifier authority , or to rely on the nodes actually connected to the p2p network , or to avoid this verification . if the cluster reaches the agreed number of connected agents ( n ) and all the agents agree on the legitimacy of the cluster , the process can proceed to the voting phase . step 1 . the cluster creates a minimum of n * ( k + 1 ) virtual slips for each voting option . each one of the virtual slips has a unique identifier associated to the voting option that it represents . all the voting agents in the cluster have the initial listing of virtual slips and know the vote represented by each one of them . the protocol for performing this step is not part of this invention . any protocol available in the state - of - the - art shall be used or anyone specifically designed for this purpose . step 2 . an order is established among the voting agents ( optionally , the order can be established after each run of loop 1 ). the protocol for establishing the order among the voting agents is not part of this invention . following the established order and until a complete run of the listing of agents , each one of the agents ( loop 2 ): step 3 . receives , from the agent preceding him / her in the listing , a listing of virtual slips available for a choice . step 4 . picks up a virtual slip from the listing and transfers the listing of remaining slips to the agent following him in the listing ( only to him / her ). the last one in the listing transfers the listing of remaining virtual slips to the first one in the listing . when the o * k + 1 runs of the listing are completed , each one of the agents must have , at least , k slips corresponding to each one of the voting options available , plus an additional slip that influences his / her vote towards the option to which it is associated . if any inconsistency is detected ( e . g ., that no slips for a given option are available ), the virtual ballot box will be labeled as invalid . if an agent declares that the virtual ballot box is invalid , the cluster is dissolved and each one of the agents must look for a virtual ballot box in which he / she can be included . the vote by a single agent can dissolve the cluster because the certificate is not valid if it is not signed by the n voters . step 5 . the last agent to opt informs the rest of the listing of remaining slips . step 6 . each agent performs the pertinent checking , such as verifying that none of the remaining slips correspond to any of the ones selected ( this would mean that an agent has altered the data ). step 1 . each agent asks a series of agents for one ( or more ) vote identifier ( s ) associated to a given voting option . the latter responds privately to the querying agent ( no other node in the cluster gets to know the answer ). the querying agent verifies that there are no incoherent data . any algorithm can be chosen for selecting which agents pose a question , whom do they ask , how many voting options are asked to each queried agent , how to select the voting option ( s ) for which a virtual slip must be introduced for each queried agent , and how to determine if the data are incoherent . a possible serious performance would be having 20 agents selected at random ask the rest of the nodes , randomly , about an option , and an incoherence is detected if someone repeats an option identifier or the option identifier is in the listing of remaining identifiers after the voting . if any incoherence is detected , the voting is labeled as invalid . the objective is that the probability of someone cheating and not being detected be very small and that , at the same time , the probability of a voting agent finding out which was the vote of another agent be nil or very small . no concrete protocol for performing this step is part of this invention , but only the general features mentioned in this paragraph that need to be contained by such protocol . step 2 . if all the agents agree that no error has been made , a digital certificate is issued and signed with the private key of each one of the voters . the certificate shall include , at least , the result of the votes , which is deducted from the number of remaining slips , plus an identifier for each voter . the identifier associated to each voter can be public ( anyone can get to know the identity of the voter ) or only shared with a trusted authority coordinated with the trusted authority in charge of re - counting the votes ( both can be the same ). a certificate is sent to one or more certification servers , who sign the certificate using their private key and return it to each one of the voting agents so that they can replace the original certificate by the one signed by the authority . optionally , such a certification server can verify that different parameters are accomplished for the election , such as not surpassing the enabled number of votes per user . the certificate is delivered to a trusted authority in charge of re - counting or to the p2p network . if it is delivered to a trusted authority ( count server ), this authority stores it until the election ends . optionally , this count server can verify that different parameters are accomplished for the election , such as not surpassing the enabled number of votes per user . optionally , each agent can send the result to additional trusted authorities or any other independent entity supervising the election . if it is delivered to a p2p network , the nodes on this network will send the certificate to all the nodes in the network according to the collaborative algorithm that they employ . once the certificate is stored in the p2p network , anyone can get this information to verify the election process . if a trusted authority has been established for re - counting , such authority will add the results of all the virtual boxes . the addition corresponds with the general result of the election . next , the authority shall issue a listing with the identifiers of each one of the virtual boxes and the results in each one of them , so that all users can verify that their votes were registered . optionally , the authority can also publish the ( public or private ) identifiers of each one of the voters . if a p2p network was used , the network contains the list of results for each one of the virtual boxes . any user can insert his / her results and verify the overall result of the election , as well as verify that his / her vote is included . optionally , there may be publication servers dedicated to perform the vote count , and voters can consult the results from these servers . in one of the variables for implementation , the p2p network stores the results of the voting codified by means of a key generated by a central authority and , upon completion of the electoral process , such authority publicizes the key , allowing deciphering the data in the p2p network . thus , the partial results of the election are not known until the latter is completed and , therefore , this prevents the partial results of the election from influencing some voters . the protocol for encrypting the votes of the p2p network is not a part of this invention . a possible implementation of such a protocol would imply the use of a pair of asymmetric keys . the public key would serve to codify the results in the virtual ballot boxes , and the private key would be publicized at the end of the election .

7Electricity

the following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example , not by way of limitation of the principles of the invention . this description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention , and describes several embodiments , adaptations , variations , alternatives and uses of the invention , including what i presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the invention . a rehabilitation patient positioning device constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 and 2 and generally designated by reference numeral 1 . the rehabilitation patient positioning device 1 generally comprises a multi - positional chair assembly 10 and an arm assembly 30 associated with the center post 11 of the chair assembly 10 . a commercially available cpm machine 50 is positioned relative to and spaced from the chair assembly 10 by the arm assembly 30 . the description of the above 3 major assemblies will first be discussed individually . the chair assembly 10 , being substantially similar to a conventional secretarial - type chair , further comprises a seat 12 , a back rest 14 , the aforementioned center post 11 and a five - legged , star - pattern base support 16 . each leg 16a - 16e of the base support 16 has provided thereon a caster member 17a - 17e to permit easy transferability and of the rehab patient positioning device 1 to any desired situs . the chair assembly 10 is permitted to swivel 360 ° about the axis of center post 11 as indicated by arrow a . height adjustment of the chair assembly is accomplished by operator actuation of gas lift lever 13 which raises or lowers the seat 12 which extends or shortens an adjustable portion 11a of center post 11 . this height adjust movement is indicated by arrow b . the swivel movement of the center post 11 may be locked in any selected position by actuation of a swivel lock knob 26 . the chair assembly also includes a multi - adjustable tilt knob 18 which upon actuation will tilt the chair assembly 10 back to a desired tilt position in the direction as shown by reference to arrow c . a support assembly 19 , including horizontal member 23 and vertical upright 20 , connects the backrest 14 to the seat 12 . the back rest 14 is contoured to provide lumbar support for a user &# 39 ; s back and may be angularly positioned with respect to the seat 12 over an angular range of about 85 ° to about 120 ° by actuation of an adjusting lever 22 provided on the support assembly 19 . this range of angular adjustment is best seen by reference to angle α in fig1 . the height of back rest 14 with respect to seat 12 is also vertically adjustable by user actuation of knob 21 on vertical upright 20 . this vertical adjustment is shown by reference to arrow d . as is best seen in fig2 the arm assembly 30 comprises a box - channel sleeve member 32 having a hollow rod or tube 34 adapted to be in telescoping engagement with a first end 31a and a control unit supporting platform 36 associated with a second end 31b of the sleeve 32 . the sleeve member 32 includes a bracket assembly 38 disposed medial of the telescoping end of sleeve 32 and integrally attached thereto and which is adapted to clamp onto a lower portion of the center post 11 so that the bracket assembly 38 is bottom supported by the five - legged base support 16 . the platform 36 is dimensioned to provide a base support for a control unit 60 associated with a commercially available cpm machine 50 and includes four corner disposed bore holes 37 that are adapted to receivingly engage and snugly retain four rubber feet supports 61 associated with the underside of control unit 60 . it is understood that the arm assembly 30 may be attached to the chair assembly 10 in various other ways including but not limited to forming the arm assembly 30 integrally with the base support 16 . it is important to note that the platform 36 when supporting control unit 60 has a combined weight which serves to counter balance the cpm machine 50 when supported on the outboard end of rod 34 and thus stabilizes the overall assembly . as is best seen in fig1 the arm assembly 30 is laterally adjustable in the direction as shown by the arrow e by actuation of knob 33 . in the alternate embodiment of fig1 and 2 as well as the preferred embodiment of fig5 the range of the telescoping extension of rod 34 with respect to sleeve 32 is provided by slot 35 in a forward vertical side wall of sleeve 32 . in the fig1 and 2 embodiment , rod 34 is provided with a threaded hole 28a on a first forward facing vertical surface 34a and an axially aligned and slightly larger diameter unthreaded hole 28b on its other vertical surface . both holes of rod 34 are adapted to receive a threaded screw portion of knob 33 . in the preferred embodiment of fig5 a lock nut 29 ( see fig2 ) is spot welded to the inside surface of vertical wall 34a in alignment with threaded hole 28a . knob 33 is provided with a shorter threaded shaft to permit a sufficiently rigid engagement between sleeve 32 and rod 34 when knob 33 is inserted within threaded hole 28a and tightened down by a clockwise rotation . in use , rod 34 is inserted , within sleeve 32 so that a portion of slot 35 is aligned with threaded hole 28a . then the threaded portion of knob 33 is directed through both slot 35 and threaded hole 28a until the threaded end of knob 33 passes through hole 28b and abuts the inner surface of vertical side wall 39 of sleeve 32 . a lateral adjustment of the arm assembly 30 is made by loosening knob 33 and extending or retracting rod 34 with respect to sleeve 32 until a desired lateral extension of the arm assembly 30 is achieved after which knob 33 is then retightened to make rigid the arm assembly 30 . a tongue 142 is attached to the outboard or free end of rod or tube 34 and has a bore hole 143 adapted to receive a threaded end 51 associated with the lower shaft 70 of a cpm machine 50 . a washer and nut assembly 52 secures the threaded end 51 to the tongue 142 . the sleeve 32 is also provided with a hole 40 along its rearward vertical face 39 to permit internal routing of certain electrical cords which are connected to the back of control unit 60 . for example , the patch cord 62 , which connects the control unit 60 to the electrical motor 68 of the cpm machine , is internally routed through the arm assembly 30 by first entering the sleeve assembly at hole 40 and then exiting the rod assembly at the outboard or free end of rod 34 where it is then vertically routed along the side wall of shaft 70 and secured thereto by one or more clamps 71 before it is terminally connected to the electric motor 68 . similarly , the electrical outlet cord / plug 64 may be internally routed through the arm assembly 30 so that it exits the free end of the hollow rod assembly where it then can be plugged into any convenient located electrical outlet ( see fig1 ). a hand control unit 65 for the cpm machine 50 is connected to the control unit 60 by an umbilical 63 and is permitted to dangle freely so that it may be used in a number of positions by the user &# 39 ; s free hand . it should be noted , however , that the umbilical 63 may also be internally routed through the arm assembly 30 in a manner similar to patch cord 62 ( and optionally outlet cord 64 ) and secured to shaft 70 by one or more clamps 71 so that a sufficient length of the umbilical 63 remains for the convenient use of the user &# 39 ; s free hand . internal routing through the arm assembly 30 of all cables in this manner provides a clean look to the rehab patient positioning device 1 of the present invention as well as eliminating any trip hazard that may result from loose or tangled electrical cords . it should also be noted that a sufficient amount of cord slack should be maintained within the hollow interior of the arm assembly to permit the rod 34 to be telescopingly extended without binding or stretching of the internally routed cords . as shown in fig3 in an alternate embodiment of the telescoping arm assembly , the tube 34 is horizontally adjustable by a rack and pinion assembly . the locking knob 33 is journaled in a hole rather than a slot 35 and shaft 33a is shortened and carries a pinion gear 37a which engages a toothed rack 37b in the bottom of the tube 34 . optionally , as shown in fig4 a motorized worm gear 41 can be used to engage the rack 37b . the motor 42 is disposed via bracket 43 in the hollow tube 32 approximately under the plate 36 . power transfer gears 44 , 45 may be employed . regular 110 volt power via cord 46 may be provided by the power cord 64 , or 24 volt via the transformer / control unit 60 . as is shown in fig5 the preferred best mode of the invention is constructed of mild steel . the arm assembly includes many of the same features as described above in the embodiments of fig1 - 4 . for example , the arm assembly is secured as before to the center post of a swivel chair by means of bracket assembly 38 , while the control unit 60 is supported by platform 36 and is positioned so that it is tucked under the chair and out of the way . similarly , lateral adjustment of the arm assembly is accomplished by the telescoping feature of tube 34 within sleeve 32 . one improvement of the preferred best mode of fig5 over the embodiment of fig1 and 2 is the spot welding of platform 36 onto sleeve 32 rather that attachment by threaded screws or nut and bolt fastening means . spot welding adds strength to the bond between these two components and overcomes the problem of separation by shear forces and twisting forces that may arise when the heavy control unit 60 is installed on or removed from support platform 36 . the preferred best mode also overcomes the limitation of the height adjustment of the cpm machine . since the height adjustment of commercially available cpm machines is limited in part by the length dimension of shaft 70 ( see fig2 ), a vertical step ( extension ) member 53 is provided to lower the position of the cpm machine relative to the swivel chair so that a greater range of rehabilative positions by proper vertical alignment is available to the user . extension member 53 , having a drop in the range of 3 - 4 inches ( sufficient to still clear the floor while permitting the unobstructed use of castors 17a - e for rolling movement ), is spot welded to the outboard end of tube 34 at one end and to tongue 142 at its other end . as before , tongue 142 is positioned to receive the threaded end 51 of lower shaft 70 of cpm machine 50 ( see fig2 ). the downward vertical displacement provided by vertical step member ( extension ) 53 permits proper vertical alignment of the cpm machine to permit shorter users ( i . e ., patients having a short torso ) to exercise their upper extremity with conventionally available cpm machines in the proper position ( i . e ., with the upper arm substantially perpendicular to the body ). this feature is also particularly useful for older users who , due to aging conditions ( e . g ., osteoporosis or scoliosis ), may not be able to sit perfectly straight upright in the chair , thus decreasing their effective torso height and requiring the cpm machine to be lowered so that they may still benefit from a proper exercise position . another feature that is shown in fig5 is the use of a pair of opposed hook and loop straps 66 ( e . g ., velcro ™ brand ) that are affixed to an upstanding plate 65 associated with the bracket assembly 38 . the power cords running from the back of the control unit 60 to the cpm machine 50 may be conveniently secured by tightening the straps 66 so that the cords are out of the way , yet are still capable of being quickly removed from the arm assembly for transport or control box diagnostic purposes . a user positions him or herself on the seat 22 with his / her back supported by back rest 14 . the seat height is then adjusted via gas lift lever 13 such that the user &# 39 ; s feet firmly contact the ground . other adjustments including seat tilt ( motion of adjustment indicated by arrow c ), backrest angle ( angle α ), and backrest height ( motion of adjustment indicated by arrow d ) can be made at this time . the user then positions his or her arm within the cpm machine 50 such that the upper arm is supported by the brachial cradle 54 and the forearm is supported by the antebrachial splint 56 . the telescoping arm assembly 30 is then adjusted via knob 33 in the direction shown by arrow e such that the torso cradle 58 comes to rest against the side of the user &# 39 ; s torso . as is seen in fig1 the cpm machine 50 , through the vertical movement of drive member 59 ( see arrow f &# 39 ;) caused by activation of electric motor 68 , provides passive abduction / adduction of the shoulder by a rotation about a pivot point of the cpm machine in the direction shown by arrow f and may optionally provide external / internal rotation about a separate axis of the cpm machine in the direction as shown by arrow g . by itself , the cpm machines pivotally adjustable about two axes in order to assist in the proper positioning for use . for example , actuation of knob 66 permits the torso cradle 58 ( including the entire brachial 54 and antebrachial 56 supports ) to rotated about a pivot point away from or closer to the user &# 39 ; s side torso area as indicated by arrow h . in addition , actuation of knob 67 permits the axial rotation about the vertical axis of shaft 70 of the entire cpm machine 50 as shown by arrow i . the positioning device 1 of the present invention also permits three more areas of adjustment for precise positioning capability , namely the lateral adjustment of the positioning arm 32 associated with knob 33 in the direction of arrow e , the axial and rotational adjustment associated with the swivel chair in the direction of arrow a , and the height adjustment of the seat 12 in the direction of arrow b . these three additional adjustment features enable a user to specifically pinpoint and / or isolate a range of motion of abduction / adduction to be performed . for example , a user who is exercising his or her right arm and shoulder may swivel the chair 12 to the left ( in a counter clockwise rotation when viewed from above looking down ) a desired angular amount after which the swivel chair is locked upon actuation of lock knob 26 so that an abduction / adduction of the shoulder with the shoulder effectively angled backward , respective to the user &# 39 ; s chest , can be performed . conversely , the user may swivel the chair inward to the right ( in a clockwise direction ) or toward the cpm machine 50 a desired amount after which the swivel chair is locked so that an abduction / adduction motion of the shoulder , with the arm and shoulder disposed essentially forward of the user &# 39 ; s chest can be performed . the positioning device of the present invention may be used in either the right or left shoulder orientation . that is , to switch from the right shoulder use position ( as shown in fig3 ) to a left shoulder use position , the arm assembly 30 is telescoped outwardly a sufficient distance for clearance to permit the chair to rotate 180 °. then , all preliminary setup adjustments for the chair and arm are performed as before . the cpm machine is then switched over to a left hand setup whereby the antebrachial splint 56 is repositioned at the opposite end of bar 57 and cable 59 is redirected from pulley 57a to pulley 57b after which it is cinched off at jam cleat 65b . while the above description for the rehab patient positioning device of the present invention is directed towards positioning a shoulder cpm machine , it is understood that elbow and wrist cpm machines may be similarly combined with the arm assembly 30 and chair assembly 10 of the present invention . it should be understood that various modifications within the scope of this invention can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit thereof . i therefore wish my invention to be defined by the scope of the appended claims as broadly as the prior art will permit , and in view of the specification if need be .

0Human Necessities

a source of oxygen 2 ( constituting the primary gas ) can be identified in fig1 shown diagrammatically in the case of the embodiment illustrated in the form of a bottle ( compressed gas storage ), for example of air , oxygen or of a nitrogen / oxygen mixture , feeding , via a main line 19 and via an appropriate expansion system , valve system and other flow control ( in this case expansion valve 3 , valve 4 and mass flow regulator 5 controlled by its control cabinet 6 ), an ozonizer 1 , of the type making use of a corona discharge . the ozone concentration of the secondary gas obtained at the outlet of ozonizer 1 is , if appropriate , measured on the analyzer 13 by virtue of a branch connection 14 situated on the main line at the ozonizer outlet . the gas output from the analyzer is discharged toward the exterior , preferably via a detoxification system 11 ( for example a system based on alumina promoting the decomposition of the ozone ). the secondary gas then reaches , via a system of valves and of flow control ( 21 , 12 ), a means 15 for cooling ( for example an exchanger with cryogenic liquid ), where its temperature is lowered , preferably in the range of - 80 ° c . to 10 ° c . and more preferably in the range of - 80 ° to 0 ° c . the presence of a desorbing gas line 17 will be noted , which is connected in its upstream part to a source 18 of gas including co 2 , which , as shown here , may be connected to the main line upstream of the cooling system or else downstream of this system via the bypass 16 . as will be clearly apparent to a person skilled in the art , this diagrammatic representation of lines 17 and 16 , which are connected to a source including co 2 , may also be employed for supplying an adjacent gas comprising co 2 . for the sake of simplification and legibility of the figure , only one part of the plant ( source 18 comprising co 2 , lines 16 / 17 ) has therefore been employed for the delivery of adjacent gas and of desorbing gas , the connection of these supplies being therefore made upstream or downstream of the cooling means 15 . the source 18 of desorbing gas and / or of adjacent gas will be advantageously a storage of liquid co 2 from which the cold gas emitted will be advantageously capable of donating its negative calories . the cold secondary gas ( or secondary gas / adjacent gas mixture ) obtained at the outlet of the cooling means 15 is then led , still along the main line 19 , toward an adsorption bottle 7 containing a silica gel , where all or part of the ozone of which it is composed is adsorbed and the residue of unadsorbed gas is , in the example shown , discharged toward the exterior , after having been subjected to passing through the detoxification system 11 , if need be passing through an analysis stage 10 . during the following stage of desorption , with the aid of the desorbing gas 18 , the output gas resulting therefrom at the bottle outlet 7 is sent via the downstream part of the line 19 toward the point 8 , which , according to the cases , may represent a user station , a gas storage for use in the hours that follow ( the significant effect of stabilization of ozone in the gaseous state in mixtures comprising co 2 was referred to above ) or else toward a receiver where the co 2 / o 3 mixture produced is cryotrapped . fig2 illustrates the particular case where the cooling means 15 employed is a gas / gas exchanger in which one of the paths is employed to carry through , via the line 19 , the secondary gas originating from the ozonizer 1 , before this mixture reaches the adsorption bottle 7 , another path being employed to carry through the desorption ( and / or adjacent gas ) line 17 which , in the case shown , is connected to a liquid co 2 storage 18 ( in which the typical storage conditions are - 20 ° c ., 20 bar ), it being possible for the cold gas resulting therefrom to then release its negative calories in the exchanger , for the benefit of the secondary gas . the dotted line 20 shows the desorbing gas which is sent toward the top of the column 7 . the solid line 23 shows the delivery of adjacent gas into the secondary gas , downstream of the exchanger , for the adsorption stage . no triple - path exchanger has been shown in the case of this example , but it will be understood , as already mentioned above , that such a triple - path exchanger may be employed in some cases in order , additionally , to carry through the residue of unadsorbed gas recovered at the outlet of the adsorption bottle . fig3 illustrates diagrammatically the change in the ozone concentration ( as ordinate ) at the adsorption bottle outlet as a function of time as abscissa ( and therefore during the adsorption and desorption stages ), the desorption stage being carried out conventionally with nitrogen ( or else air ). the figure can also be read in terms of &# 34 ; quantity of ozone obtained &# 34 ; ( product of the concentration and of the flow rate at any instant ). these tests ( reported in fig3 ), like those reported below in the context of fig4 and 5 , were carried out with the aid of a plant such as that described in the context of fig1 in the following conditions ( the gaseous mixture to be adsorbed not being subjected to cooling in this case ): an adsorption column made of 304l stainless steel , containing a charge of approximately 1 kg of silica gel ( of grace trademark , reference grace 125 ) with a particle size varying from 1 to 3 mm ; adsorption stage : an o 2 / o 3 secondary mixture containing 1 % by volume of ozone ( in the case of fig4 and 5 with the addition of a co 2 adjacent component ) with an overall flow rate of the order of 40 sl / h , at a temperature close to ambient temperature and at a pressure close to 1 . 1 10 5 pa absolute ; duration of this stage : from 35 to 40 min ; desorption stage : whether involving nitrogen ( fig3 ) or mixtures including co 2 , or even with the aid of pure co 2 ( following figures ), this stage used a flow rate of the order of 40 sl / h , at a pressure varying slightly during this stage between atmospheric pressure and approximately 1 . 1 10 5 pa absolute ; duration of this stage : 25 to 30 min ; in the case of the tests reported in fig4 and 5 , a stage of conditioning of the adsorbent was carried out during the start - up , before the adsorption stage b ), with the aid of a mixture containing , according to the cases , up to 75 % of co 2 in oxygen , at ambient temperature , at a pressure close to 1 . 1 10 5 pa absolute , at a flow rate in the region of 40 sl / h . the temperature of the adsorbent rises slightly during this stage ( which lasts a few tens of minutes ), in order to drop back slightly above the ambient temperature . in fig3 the arrowed point a places diagrammatically in the cycle the beginning of the adsorption , the arrowed point b the end of the adsorption and the beginning of the desorption with nitrogen , and the point c the end of the desorption stage . the absence of a concentration phenomenon is therefore clearly ascertained in this figure , since during the desorption an ozone concentration is obtained which does not exceed the nominal concentration ( in this case 21 g / m 3 ) initially present in the secondary gas originating from the ozonizer . the rapid drop after the point a in the ozone concentration detected at the outlet ( since the ozone is adsorbed ), until it reaches a zero , or at the very least a hardly detectable , concentration , will also be noted . in the case of fig4 where , with the same nominal value , a stage of desorption with pure co 2 is used this time ( the temperature increasing slightly as the front passes ), an ozone concentration peak is clearly seen during the desorption stage , extending well above the nominal value . as already mentioned , the value of this concentration peak ( from a few % to several tens of %), as well as its shape , can be controlled ( according to the intended applications ), especially by modifying the parameters already listed . here again , to make the diagram easier to read , the arrowed point a places in the cycle the beginning of the adsorption , the arrowed point b the end of the adsorption and the beginning of the desorption with pure co 2 , and the point c the end of the desorption stage . similarly , here too , as discussed in greater detail below , this schematic diagram may , according to the curve sections , be read in terms of &# 34 ; ozone concentration &# 34 ; or in terms of &# 34 ; quantity of ozone &# 34 ;. the existence of a kind of short transient period can be seen in fig4 starting at point b , where the absence of detection of ozone can be noted ( this period lasting of the order of 7 to 8 min here ), following the start of the desorption stage and before rising toward the peak . during this transient period an extremely low quantity of ozone , due to a very low flow rate , is recovered at the bottle outlet . this phenomenon confirms the &# 34 ; piston &# 34 ; effect referred to above , the co 2 , while being adsorbed itself , desorbs , in step therewith , the ozone previously adsorbed , thus pushing a kind of ozone front which moves forward inside the stock of adsorbent . it can be seen , therefore , that , while the remainder of fig4 can be read without difficulty both in terms of &# 34 ; concentration &# 34 ; and in terms of &# 34 ; quantity &# 34 ;, the change in the curve at the transient period must , in order to be understood , be read rather in terms of a quantity of ozone which is produced . the characteristics of this transient effect noted here between the beginning of the desorption stage and the concentration peak will be especially a function of the ratio of the co 2 concentration in the desorbing gas to the co 2 concentration in the secondary gas / adjacent gas mixture . fig5 therefore illustrates the change in the ozone concentration peak at the outlet of the adsorption bottle as a function ( as abscissa ) of the co 2 concentration in the adsorption gas mixture ( via the contribution of adjacent gas ), the desorption stage being carried out at different concentrations of co 2 in oxygen ( 25 %, 50 %, 100 %). these changes illustrate the influence of a large presence of co 2 in the desorbing gas . bearing in mind these results , which are , of course , representative of the adsorption and desorption pressure conditions employed , emphasis will be placed , when co 2 is also employed in an adsorption stage , on preferentially ensuring a ratio of co 2 concentration in desorption gas / co 2 concentration in the mixture of secondary gas and of adjacent gas which is higher than 1 . as will be clearly apparent to a person skilled in the art on seeing all the alternative forms of the invention which have just been described , the output gas obtained may be of very varied composition , for example according to the adjacent gas and desorbing gas compositions employed . it may thus be binary ( o 3 / co 2 ) or ternary ( for example o 3 / co 2 / o 2 or else o 3 / co 2 / n 2 etc .) or even more complex . although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments , it is , however , not limited thereby but is , on the contrary , capable of modifications and alternative forms which will become apparent to a person skilled in the art .

8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology

for a better understanding of the present invention , together with other and further objects , advantages , and capabilities thereof , reference is made to the following disclosure and appended claims in connection with the above description of some of the aspects of the invention . the glasses used in the practice of this invention can be essentially any non - metallic glasses which form an amorphous phase on rapid cooling . the especially preferred glasses of this invention are pyrex , quartz , soda lime , lead silicate , borosilicates , and borates . in preparing the spherical glass particles of this invention , a high velocity stream of molten droplets of the glass is formed . such a stream can be formed by any thermal spraying technique such as combustion spraying , and plasma spraying . typically the velocity of the molten droplets is greater than about 200 meters per second , and more preferably greater than about 250 meters per second . velocities on the order of about 900 meters per second or greater can be achieved under certain conditions which favor these speeds which may include spraying in a vacuum . in a preferred process of this invention , a glass powder is fed through a thermal spray apparatus . feed powder is entrained in a carrier gas which is a non - reducing gas with argon being the preferred gas . other non - reducing gases which can be used are helium and nitrogen , oxygen , and air . the entrained particles are then fed into a high temperature zone having a temperature sufficiently above the softening point of the glass to allow surface tension to subsequently spheriodize the particles and having a temperature below the vaporization temperature of the glass . details of the principles and operation of plasma reactors are well known . the plasma has a high temperature zone , but in cross section , the temperature can vary from about 5500 ° c . to about 17 , 000 ° c . the outer edges are at low temperatures and the inner part is at a higher temperature . the residence time depends upon where the particles entrained in the carrier gas are injected into the nozzle of the plasma gun . thus , if the particles are injected into the the outer edge , the residence time must be longer and if they are injected into the inner portion , the residence time is shorter . thus residence time in the plasma flame can be controlled by choosing the point at which the particles are injected into the plasma . residence time in the plasma is a function of the thermophysical properties of the plasma gas and the powder material itself for a given set of plasma operating conditions and powder particles . residence times are generally from about 50 milliseconds to about 100 milliseconds depending on the particle size . the plasma gas is a non - reducing gas with argon being the preferred gas . other suitable non - reducing gases are helium and nitrogen . preferably the powders utilized for the plasma torch should be uniform in size and composition and relatively free flowing . flowability is desirable to aid in the transportation and injection of the powder into the plasma flame . in general , fine powders , ( less than about 20 to about 30 micrometers ) do not exhibit good flow characteristics . a narrow size distribution is desirable because , if the distribution is not sufficiently narrow , under set flame conditions , the largest particles may not melt completely , and the smallest particles may be heated to the vaporization point . incomplete melting is a detriment to the product uniformity , whereas vaporization and decomposition decreases process efficiency . typically the size ranges for plasma feed powders are no greater than about 200 micrometers , and preferably from about 30 to about 70 micrometers . the stream of entrained molten glass droplets which issues from the nozzle tends to expand outwardly so that the density of the droplets in the stream decreases as the distance from the nozzle increases . prior to impacting the repellent surface , the stream typically passes through a gaseous atmosphere which tends to cool and decrease the velocity of the droplets . as the atmopshere approaches a vacuum , the cooling and velocity loss is diminished . it is desirable that the nozzle be positioned sufficiently close to the repellent surface so that the droplets are in a molten condition during impact . if the nozzle is too far away , the droplets may solidify prior to impact . if the nozzle is too close the droplets may impinge on previously sprayed molten droplets so as to form a pool of molten material or increase the droplet size . it is generally desirable that the stream flow in a radial direction toward the repellent surface if the surface is curved , and in a nozzle direction , if the surface is flat . the repellent surface is preferably a surface that is not wetted by the molten glass so as to increase the propensity of the material to form droplets on the surface . the wettability and relative surface energy of the molten glass and a surface can be determined by measuring the contact angle between the liquid phase of the molten glass and the surface through the liquid phase . to favor droplet formation it is favorable to have contact angles greater than about 90 degrees . the surfaces are preferably smooth . the molten droplets are impacted against the surface to form fragmented portions . after impact , the molten fragmented portions solidify to form the powder particles of this invention which have substantially smooth curvilinear surfaces . the major portion of the particles are spherical in shape . the molten fragmented portions can be cooled by contact with the repellent surface or by an atmosphere near the repellent surface . the cooling medium , either repellent surface or atmosphere is preferably below the solidification temperature of the molten glass . when a cooling atmosphere is utilized , the fragmented portion of particles may solidify after bouncing or rebounding off the surface . when the repellent surface is the primary cooling medium , the major quenching may occur on or closely adjacent to the surface . it is theorized that the particles tend toward sphericity due to the fact that molten fragments on the surface tend to contract to the smallest surface area consistent with volume . it is believed that the high velocity tends to promote fragmentation of the particles . as droplets impact the surface , the component of velocity in the direction of flight is immediately changed to a velocity component in a direction which is parallel to or at a slight angle to the surface . this force tends to promote fragmentation of the droplets . it is preferable that the rebounding fragmented molten portions and solidified particles have a component of velocity in a given direction normal to the stream direction so as to remove fragmented portions from the path of oncoming droplets . if the nozzle is stationary with respect to the repellent surface , this may be accomplished further by passing an inert gas over the surface at a velocity sufficient to remove fragmented portions . the nozzle or the surface may also be moved relative to each other so as to remove fragmented particles portions from the oncoming stream of entrained particles . to prevent impingement of droplets on fragmented portions , it is desirable that the previously fragmented droplets be passed out of the range of the oncoming droplets . it is contemplated that a turbulent gaseous medium adjacent to the repellent surface may aid the solidification of rebounding particles . the resulting spherical particles have a particle size of typically less than about 25 micrometers in diameter , more typically less than about 10 micrometers in diameter , and most typically less than about 1 micrometer in diameter . 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 may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

the present invention describes the use of olive leaf extracts for being used alone , in combination with other compounds or with stem cells for the treatment of pathologies in which the induction of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis is necessary . an object of the present invention is a pharmaceutical composition containing olive leaf extracts which comply with the definition of olive leaf extract published in pharmeuropa olive [( 2007 ) leaf dry extract pharmeuropa 19 ( 3 ): 510 - 511 ] for use in the induction of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis . in a first aspect , the present invention relates to the use of olive leaf extracts for preparing a pharmaceutical composition . in another aspect , the present invention relates to the use of olive leaf extracts for preparing a pharmaceutical composition for inducing angiogenesis and vasculogenesis and related biological processes such as healing , endothelial repair , ischemic processes , etc . in a preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition used is presented in the form of a cream , ointment , balsam , solution , emulsion or salve for topical administration . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition comprises a concentration of less than 30 % of olive leaf extract . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition comprises between 10 − 1 and 10 − 10 m of oleuropein contained in the olive leaf extract . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition is applied between 1 and 8 times a day . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition is applied together with another product . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition is applied for the first time up to 14 days after the onset of the damage . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition is applied by means of a transdermal patch . in another aspect , the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising polyphenol and / or angiogenesis - and vasculogenesis - stimulating factor enriched olive leaf extracts . in a preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition further comprises mesenchymal stem cells . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition is presented in the form of a cream , ointment , balsam , solution , emulsion or salve for topical administration . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition comprises a concentration of less than 30 % of olive leaf extract . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition is applied between 1 and 8 times a day . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition is applied together with another product . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition is applied by means of a transdermal patch . in another preferred embodiment , the pharmaceutical composition is applied for the first time up to 14 days after the onset of the damage . in a final aspect , the present invention relates to a method for the treatment and / or prevention of wounds or ulcers comprising the application of a pharmaceutical composition as described above . specifically , the composition containing olive leaf extracts can be used , alone or associated with other substances , in the formation of mesenchymal stem cell - derived endothelial cells and also in vessel formation from endothelial cells . another object of the present invention is the use of olive leaf extracts in the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for inducing angiogenesis and vasculogenesis . vascular endothelial growth factor ( vegf ) is a signaling protein involved in vasculogenesis ( de novo formation of the circulatory system ) and in angiogenesis ( growth of blood vessels from preexisting vessels ). actions of vegf have been studied in vascular endothelial cells , although it also has effects on other cell types ( for example , it stimulates the monocyte / macrophage , neuron , renal epithelial cell and tumor cell migration ). it has been demonstrated in vitro that vegf stimulates endothelial cell division and migration . vegf is also a vasodilator and increases vascular permeability ; it was originally called vascular permeability factor . the olive leaf extract used in the present invention is capable of stimulating vegf synthesis and therefore vasculogenesis and angiogenesis . these processes are the first step for tissue recovery , so olive leaf extract is capable of promoting healing in wounds and ulcers , particularly those occurring in diabetic and / or elderly patients . the composition is prepared for oral , rectal , parenteral , intraperitoneal , interdermal , transdermal , topical , intratracheal , intramuscular , intravenous administration or for inhalation . as usually occurs in the preparation of pharmaceutical formulations , in the formulation of the present invention , in addition to the active ingredient oleuropein and / or olive leaf extract , all those ingredients which are conventional for a person skilled in galenic practice which allow the best dosage , storage , penetration and bioavailability properties of said active ingredients , so that they can act with the highest possible efficacy will be incorporated at different concentrations . by way of example , stabilizers , preservatives and antioxidants are usually incorporated . for example , for use on the skin commercially prepared bases such as oil - in - water and water - in - oil emulsions having excellent skin tolerance can be used as a support of the formulations , different types of gels can also be used due to the product characteristics . to evaluate the effect of the olive leaf extract on skin wounds in humans , the invention uses a water - in - oil cream and gelled water at the concentrations used in the animals with extraordinarily favorable results in all the treated cases as can be seen in the following photographs . fig1 a and b compare two optical microscopy images of mesenchymal stem cells . the cells treated with olive leaf extract , image b , form tubular structures typical of the angiogenic process . those same cells without treatment with olive leaf extract are unable to form said structures , image a . fig2 shows images obtained with an optical microscope , comparing the formation of tubular structures in huvecs cells in endothelial medium without treatment ( fig2 a ), treated with vegf ( fig2 b ) and treated with olive leaf extract ( fig2 c ) on matrigel . fig3 a shows the results of the treatments with the leaf extract and 3 b shows the results of the treatments with pure oleuropein . the progress of the wounds that have directly received treatment is shown in the graphs on the right , while the progress of those which have not received treatment is shown in the graphs on the left . fig4 shows the response in the wounds of an animal to which 10 − 7 m oleuropein was administered . fig5 shows the response in the wounds of an animal to which the olive leaf extract containing 10 oleuropein was administered . fig6 shows the progress of the ulcer of a patient to whom the composition of the invention was applied from day 0 ( 6 a ) to day 11 ( 6 b ). the angiogenic activity of olive leaf extracts which at least comply with the olive leaf extract requirements published in pharmeuropa olive [( 2007 ) leaf dry extract pharmeuropa 19 ( 3 ): 510 - 511 ] is demonstrated by : 1 ) phenotypic evidence : after 15 - 28 days of culture of mesenchymal stem cells with olive leaf extracts typical endothelial cell structures such as microvessels are formed . 2 ) evidence of expression of membrane markers : treatment with olive leaf extracts increases cells with surface markers cd144 and vegfr2 3 ) evidence of expression of genes involved in endothelial differentiation : vegf , pcam , pdgfr and vegfr1 mesenchymal stem cells obtained from human bone marrow were expanded and grown in alpha - modified minimum essential medium ( α - mem ) supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine serum , 2 mm ultraglutamine and with antibiotics . when the cells were near confluence they were treated with olive leaf extracts . as controls , part of the cultures were not treated . the cells were incubated at 37 ° c . with 5 % co 2 and the media were changed every 3 days throughout the experiment . the established line of human umbilical vein endothelial cells ( huve ) was supplied by lonza group , ltd . switzerland . these cells were expanded in a flask with endothelial basal medium ( ebm , lonza ) supplemented with antibiotics and fetal bovine serum . the cells were subcultured when they reached confluence . the medium was changed every 3 days . second and third pass cells were used to carry out these experiments . the treatments these cells received were : flow cytometry assays were conducted for the study and analysis of membrane cell markers . the cells were washed with pbs + 3 % fetal bovine serum , conjugated anti - human monoclonal antibodies cd144 - fitc and vegfr2 - pe were incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature . the labeled cells were washed three times , resuspended in 0 . 5 ml of pbs and the labeling analyzed with a facscan caliber flow cytometer ( benton - dickinson ). real - time pcr was used to analyze the expression of angiogenic gene markers . the total rna of the cells was obtained using the reagent tri reagent ( sigma aldrich ) and following the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . the cdna was synthesized from a microgram of total rna which had previously been treated with dnasal ( sigma aldrich ) using the iscript tmcdna biorad synthesis kit . the real - time pcr used for quantifying the analyzed mrna was carried out in a light - cycler system ( roche ) using sybr ® green . these reactions were performed in a final volume of 10 μl with 1 μl of cdna , 10 μmol of each primer and quantitec ® sybr ® green master mix ( qiagen ). the conditions for the light - cycler were 95 ° c . for 15 minutes , 40 cycles of 95 ° c . for 30 seconds , 60 ° c . for 15 seconds and 72 ° c . for 30 seconds . the threshold cycle ( ct ) of the target gene was standardized with the corresponding threshold cycle of the constitutive gene pgapdh . the endothelial tube formation assay kit , cell biolab inc ., was used to carry out the in vitro angiogenesis assays . the assay conditions are those which were indicated in the supplier &# 39 ; s instructions . the media used were supplemented endothelial basal medium untreated ( negative control ) and treated with vegf ( positive control ) or with olive leaf extract . the structures formed were labeled by means of an antibody conjugated with calcein am supplied in the kit specific for tubules . results obtained in the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into endothelial cells the capacity of olive leaf extracts to promote angiogenesis in stem cells is shown in fig1 , where the tubular structures characteristic of endothelial cells obtained by differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells treated with the olive leaf extracts can be observed . cytometric analysis of the surface markers typical of endothelial cells , such as cd144 and vegfr2 , shows that they are found in mscs treated with olive leaf extract and in all the analyzed cases the percentage of these endothelial markers in cells treated with the extracts show significant differences with respect to the control culture . the gene expression of different genes involved in endothelial differentiation such as vegf , pcam , pdgfr and vegfr1 , shows an increase with treatment with olive leaf extract . the capacity of olive leaf extracts to promote angiogenesis in endothelial cells was tested and evaluated by means of cell experiments in a matrigel substrate . the endothelial cells treated with olive leaf extract had a capacity comparable to vegf in promoting the formation of tubular structures typical of blood vessel formation ( fig2 ). as previously stated in preceding sections herein , angiogenesis begins with tissue damage , which activates endothelial cell proliferation and the assembly thereof into tubular structures around which the new vessel walls are formed [ karamysheva a f . mechanisms of angiogenesis 2008 biochemistry ]. the results herein presented with olive leaf extracts allow proposing the application of such extracts as an angiogenic factor due to their capacity of differentiating stem cells into endothelial cells capable of forming tubular structures . the results obtained with olive leaf extracts as an angiogenesis promoter are comparable to or better than those of vegf . this factor is one of the most important angiogenic agents and is involved in current studies having the objective of finding therapies for pathologies relating to angiogenesis , such as ischemias or wound healing , inter alia . in the presented results the effects shown by olive leaf extracts are similar to or better than those shown by vegf , which supports the use of these extracts as angiogenic inducers [ jabbarzadeh , e . induction of angiogenesis in tissue - engineered scaffolds designed for bone repair : a combined gene therapy - cell transplantation approach . pnas 2008 ]; [ guerrero , m ., k . athota , et al . ( 2008 ). “ vascular endothelial growth factor - 165 gene therapy promotes cardiomyogenesis in reperfused myocardial infarction .” j intery cardiol 21 ( 3 ): 242 - 51 ]; [ michaels , j . t ., m . dobryansky , et al . ( 2005 ). “ topical vascular endothelial growth factor reverses delayed wound healing secondary to angiogenesis inhibitor administration .” wound repair regen 13 ( 5 ): 506 - 12 ]; [ galiano , r . d ., o . m . tepper , et al . ( 2004 ). “ topical vascular endothelial growth factor accelerates diabetic wound healing through increased angiogenesis and by mobilizing and recruiting bone marrow - derived cells .” am j pathol 164 ( 6 ): 1935 - 47 ]. the treatment of human mesenchymal stem cells with olive leaf extracts has favored differentiation of these cells into endothelial cells , and more over into cells that have been capable of forming the tubular structures required in any angiogenic and vasculogenic process . this is consistent with that described by alviano et al ., inter alia , who have shown the differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells into endothelial cells under the influence of angiogenic factors such as vegf [ alviano , f ., v . fossati , et al . ( 2007 ). “ term amniotic membrane is a high throughput source for multipotent mesenchymal stem cells with the ability to differentiate into endothelial cells in vitro .” bmc dev biol 7 : 11 ]. the results obtained both in the gene expression of endothelial markers and in the analysis of surface markers of mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into endothelial cells with leaf extracts and vegf shows that the inductive effect of these extracts thereon is comparable to that of vegf , a recognized inducer for differentiating these cells into endothelial cells . female db / db mice ( bks . cg - m +/+ lepr db ) aged 10 to 12 weeks were used . they were obtained through charles river laboratories ( spain ), the average weight of the animals upon reception was 35 . 64 g . throughout the entire study , the animals were kept in animal houses particularly designed for allowing control of the animals &# 39 ; environment , such as relative humidity ( 30 - 70 %), temperature ( 22 ± 2 ° c . ), air pressure , number of renewals and light period ( 12 / 12 hours of light / darkness ). access to water was “ ad libitum ” and the diet was a standard dry pellet diet for rats supplied by panlab ( barcelona , spain ). after the acclimatization period , the mice were randomly distributed into the different study groups . in this study three different doses of an olive leaf extract were used , the oleuropein content of which was 41 . 5 %; furthermore , pure oleuropein was used in other animal groups in the three concentrations used in the extract . rhvegf ( sigma aldrich ) was used as the reference substance and a placebo group was used as control of the experiment ; all the compounds used in this study were dissolved in pbs . the concentrations used in this assay are detailed in table 1 . on day 0 of the experiment , two 6 mm excisional wounds were made on the back of every mouse under aseptic conditions and using surgical instruments . every mouse received in one of the wounds ( right side ) the treatment corresponding to its group and received no treatment in the other ( left side ). the treatments were administered topically on the wounds on days 0 , 2 , 4 , 6 and 8 of the experiment . the wound healing process was tracked and evaluated throughout the experiment ( see fig3 ). on the treatment administration days photographs were taken of both wounds in every mouse for subsequent evaluation ( see fig4 and 5 ). in order to track the wound healing , a digital planimetry method was used whereby the area of every wound was quantified . the inter - group differences have been determined by means of a two - way anova statistical analysis followed by a bonferroni post - hoc analysis . differences have been considered when p & lt ; 0 . 05 the results of these experiments show a very positive effect of olive leaf extracts in wound healing , similar to those observed when oleuropein is used . both the wound that received treatment ( right side ) and the wound that did not ( left side ) show increased healing ( fig3 ) which is statistically significant with respect to the control ( group a — treatment with pbs in both wounds ). in all the evaluated times and with the three doses of leaf extracts analyzed a healing effect comparable to that produced by vegf is observed in both wounds . even in the case of directly treated wounds , it is observed that the difference with the control group starts sooner in time , after two days , with the three doses of leaf extracts used than with the vegf . the formulation of the invention for applying to humans can be prepared in its simplest or most elementary form by dissolving the corresponding olive leaf extract containing a known concentration of oleuropein , in concentrations ranging from 10 − 2 m to 10 − 7 m , in a mixture with water gel or common commercial moisturizing creams , to give them consistency and facilitate the local application on the affected area of the skin . the mentioned formulations were evaluated with elderly patients and / or diabetic patients with ulcers of different etiological types . no patient showed hypersensitivity to the extracts and they showed a positive response that started to be seen on the first days of treatment , results being optimal before the month of treatment was reached in all cases . concerning adverse effects , reddening was observed in only one case but the administration of the product did not have to be stopped in any case . fig6 shows the results obtained in one patient .

0Human Necessities

looking more particularly at fig1 through 8 it can be seen wherein a track ball housing 10 has been shown in fig1 . the track ball housing 10 has a cover 12 thereover and is secured by screws 14 . the screws 14 screw the cover 12 down onto a plurality of posts comprising a rectangular post 16 and two round posts 18 and 20 . the round posts 18 and 20 are oriented with a second rectangular post 22 which serves to square up the cover 12 in its overlying relationship to the entire housing . each of the rectangular posts 16 and 22 incorporate a second upright portion 24 and 26 which are provided with slots 28 and 30 . these slots 28 and 30 are within the minor upright portion and are opposite slots 32 and 34 . the slots 32 and 34 and slots 28 and 30 terminate in a curved base which can be seen in fig3 namely base portion 36 which is an arcuate semi - circularly round portion that receives a bearing 38 . a second bearing 40 distal to the first bearing 38 is supported in a curved portion of a bearing post 42 . a second bearing post 44 is seen having its curved portion 46 or curved seat into which a shaft or bearings for a second shaft , namely bearing 48 is seated in the base thereof . bearing 48 is distal from another bearing 50 seated within the bearing post slots 30 and 34 . the foregoing bearings , slots and posts serve to support a pair of shafts 52 and 54 . the shafts 52 and 54 are for purposes of providing x and y outputs with regard to the movement of a ball 56 . the ball 56 rests against the respective shafts 52 and 54 , which provide a direct drive from the ball 56 in order to move the shafts 52 and 54 . any drive from the ball 56 to the respective shafts 52 and 54 can be utilized in order to turn the shafts in the desired manner to effectuate the optical encoding called for . the ball is further supported by means of an idler roller 62 . the idler roller 62 is supported by means of a post 64 on the uprights 66 and 68 that provide for support of an axle 70 on which the idler 62 can rotate . the idler 62 can be in the form of any roller or other rotational device supported on the axle 70 or it can be in the form of any other bearing means for supporting the ball 56 in a manner so that it can rotate . in effect , the idler 62 can be substituted by means of a roller of any configuration to receive the ball 56 or it can be in the form of a bearing surface or rotational ball against which the ball 56 can rest . one way or the other , the ball 56 must have free movement so as to allow for x and y movement and components thereof in order to drive the shafts 52 and 54 . the shafts 52 and 54 in their supported relationship in their bearings , such as bearings 48 and 40 for shaft 52 , allow for the shafts to turn a pair of discs 72 and 74 . discs 72 and 74 are the optical encoding discs that provide the pulsing of the light . in particular , light is pulsed through the optical encoding discs through a plurality of openings or apertures 76 and 78 . the spacers or webs between the openings of apertures 76 and 78 allow for an interruption of light from a beam , such as the beams 80 and 82 being emitted from a light source 84 and 86 . the light sources 84 and 86 can be light emitting diodes or other types of lights , including incandescent lights . however it has been found that a light emitting diode ( led ) is the most beneficial for providing the output of light necessary to allow this invention to function . the led providing the beam 80 shines through to a pair of light sensors 88 and a second one that is not shown in direct juxtaposition to it . led 86 shines through to light sensors 90 and 92 shown in fig7 and 8 . these light sensors 90 and 92 respectively receive a beam of light that shines thereon to not only indicate the number of pulses equivalent to the number of openings or apertures 78 , but also encode the direction of the shaft , in this instance shaft 60 . the light sensors 90 and 92 are duplicated with respect to the optical encoder 72 as seen with respect to light sensor 88 and a second light sensor that is hidden behind it in the view of fig3 . the light sensors 90 and 92 are connected by terminals 94 to a circuitboard 96 . the circuitboard 96 is such that it provides the various functioning electronic components for the device that will be set forth hereinafter . looking more particularly at the details of fig4 in order to understand the mechanical components , it can be seen that the bearing 38 is shown in the form of a ball bearing having balls 39 . in addition thereto , a clamp ring 41 is shown holding the ballbearing 38 in place . the clamp ring 41 can be substituted by heat setting or holding the bearing 38 in any manner on the shaft 52 . in other words , it is not necessary to hold the shaft 52 in the bearing 38 by any specific means , so long as the inner race 43 of the bearing engages the shaft 52 . the disc 72 rotates on the shaft on a fixed basis and is engaged by means of a hub 98 of the disc 72 being attached to the shaft 52 . a cross sectionally l - shaped shutter 100 is shown in part overlying in juxtaposition the disc 72 . a second l - shaped shutter is shown overlying the disc 74 , namely l - shaped shutter 102 . the two respective l - shaped shutters 100 and 102 provide for the operational features of determining the backward and forward movement of the discs 72 and 74 . in particular , the two respective shutters 100 and 102 are pivotally attached to the shaft 52 through an opening 104 passing through the upright 106 of the shutter . the opening 104 allows for pivotal orientation of the shutter around the axis of the shafts 52 and 54 so that they can pivotally swing backwardly and forwardly on the shaft . a spring 108 in the form of a coil spring is shown pressing against the upright 106 of the shutters 100 and 102 . the spring 108 acts as a clutching spring to engage the upright 106 of shutters 100 and 102 against the hubs 98 of the discs 72 and 74 . the hubs 98 of the discs provide for the bearing surface of the spring pushing the shutter 100 thereagainst on one side , while the washer 58 on the other side provides for holding the spring . as will be recalled , the washer 58 is the same as washer 60 and secures the spring 108 in place . however , any means to hold the spring 108 such as an expanded shaft , crimp , or lateral opening in the shaft can be utilized . looking in more detail at fig5 and 6 , it can be seen that when the ball 56 of fig5 is rotating in a clockwise direction , the shaft 54 rotates in a counter - clockwise direction . when the ball 56 is rotating in the opposite direction as in fig6 it can been seen that the shaft is rotating in a clockwise direction based upon the counter - clockwise rotation of the ball 56 . fig6 shows the shaft 54 moving in a clockwise direction due to the fact that the ball 56 is rotating in the opposite direction , namely in a counter - clockwise direction . the showing of fig5 and 6 is such that the shutter is respectively biased and moves in the opposite direction from which it was previously oriented when the shaft is moved oppositely from the direction it initially moved in . looking more particularly at the shutter 102 it can be seen wherein the upright 106 of the shutter terminates in a belled - out bottom 110 . the belled - out bottom has two legs which form the cross portion of the extension of the l - shape of the shutter . in particular , extensions 112 and 114 which form the cross members of the bottom of the l of the cross section or shape of the shutter terminate in respective stops 116 and 118 . the stops 116 and 118 are such that they are cushioned or damped from movement by the upright portion of the terminals 94 which support the light sensors 90 and 92 . in order to provide cushioning , an elastomeric elongated doughnut 120 forms a bumper and surrounds the light sensors 90 and 92 . the doughnut or bumper 120 is such that it provides for a cushioning as the arms or stops 116 and 118 move backwardly and forwardly . the end result is such that the shutters 100 and 102 do not spin in frictional engagement by the spring clutching them to the shafts 52 and 54 in coordination with the movement of the shaft . to the contrary , the shutters stop at a pre - established point . the theory of operation for the directional electrical output movement shaft is the shaft movement shutters one of two of the light sensors 90 and 92 . thus , the light 86 which casts its beam 82 through the openings 78 or apertures , casts a beam either on light sensor 90 or 92 depending upon rotation of the shaft 54 . this can be more readily seen in the various showings of fig5 through 8 . in particular , it can be seen in fig5 that the shutter 102 has moved in a direction whereby the clutch or frictional engagement has caused the shutter to swing the shutter 102 to the right . when the shaft is reversed in the clockwise direction in fig6 the shutter 102 has moved to the left in the drawing . in this manner , a major aperture of the shutters 100 and 102 , namely aperture 122 , allows light to pass from the light source 86 to a respective light sensor 90 or 92 which determines the direction of movement of the shaft . this can be seen in some measure in fig7 which shows the disc 74 and shaft 54 moving in a clockwise direction . as can be seen , the major aperture 122 is directing the source of light 86 against the light sensor 90 . thus , the light sensor 90 with its respective terminals of the terminals 94 puts out a signal of pulses from the light sensor on those terminals which correspond with the direction of movement . as previously stated , this can be either a minus or plus x or y direction , or for that matter , any particular movement that is associated with the relative placement of the movement of the disc 74 in its backward or forward rotational movement . looking more at fig8 it can be seen wherein the shaft 54 and disc 74 are moving in the counter - clockwise direction . this causes the shutter to move to the right , thereby causing the light beam 82 to be transmitted through the major aperture 122 of the disc 74 and impinge against light sensor 92 . this movement is opposite from the movement of fig7 . looking more particularly at fig9 it can be seen wherein a frame 124 is shown having a pair of uprights 126 and 128 . the uprights 126 and 128 support a bearing 130 with a disc 132 and a hub 134 upon which it is mounted . a shutter , like shutters 72 and 74 is shown , namely shutter 136 . the disc 132 has the analogous apertures 78 of the prior discs and interrupts a light source from a light 87 . the light 87 casts a beam through the main aperture 122 of shutter 136 analogous to the prior main aperture . the shutter 136 incorporates analogous appendages or stops 116 and 118 which is shown as stop 118 in the direction of fig9 . the light sensor 92 is also shown with the light sensor 90 opposite therefrom and is hidden from view . a shaft 54 is utilized as in the prior embodiments in order to support the disc 74 . also , the spring as previously mentioned , namely spring 108 is utilized . this particular embodiment differs from the prior embodiment by virtue of the fact that it provides for a dial that can be turned by means of a knob 138 for purposes of turning the disc 132 to the left or to the right , or counter - clockwise , or clockwise which corresponds to a particular direction of plus or minus movement . the dial 140 turns the disc 132 , thereby providing the positive or negative output from light sensor 90 and 92 depending upon the direction of movement as indicated in the prior embodiment . in other words , the showing of fig9 shows an optical encoder that utilizes a disc having the shutter 136 analogous the shutter 102 and provides for the left or right or positive and negative movement being indicated for an output through the terminals to indicate the number of pulses in either a positive or negative direction . in summation , the invention incorporates a shutter to provide for a light output to be pulsed in either a positive or negative direction by means of positive or negative light sensors . the positive or negative direction is only to be considered relative with respect to opposite directions so that positive or negative direction is a convention that can be up , down , forwardly , backwardly or any opposite directions that correspond to the movement of a knob 138 or the track ball 56 . thus , the optical output of the pulses by the discs 72 , 74 or 132 in their turning relationship create a situation wherein the pulses are read by one of two sensors in one direction or the other and the output at the terminals 94 corresponds to those particular directions . this eliminates the requirement of having a screen placed between the disc and the optical sensor and conditioning circuitry and decoding circuitry to decode which direction the discs 72 , 132 or 74 are moving , which corresponds to shaft movement . as a consequence of the foregoing , this invention is a substantial step over the prior art and should be read broadly in light of the prior art pertaining to optical encoding disc movement and distinguishing the direction thereof .

7Electricity

fig5 is an illustrative block diagram of an embodiment of this invention . this embodiment illustrates the principles of this invention which provides means to substantially equalize the differential specific fuel consumption ( dsfc ) of each of the engines of an airplane at any given airspeed in order to maximize fuel efficiency . such substantial equalization can be performed automatically or by direct actuation upon noting the dsfc of each of the engines . further , if there is a material difference or change in the dsfc of any engine , it is an indication of potential maintenance or other problems with the engine which should be readily investigated to prevent possibly otherwise undetected engine problems . fig5 shows the system diagram . al and a2 illustrate two engines . b1 - b4 are four pressure probes attached to the engines . b1 and b3 can be existing epr ( engine pressure ratio ) probes . b2 and b4 are added &# 34 ; wall static &# 34 ; probes . c1 - c5 are pressure transducers . the c5 pressure is tapped from the existing airframe pitot static probe . d is a multiplexing analog to digital ( a / d ) converter . e is a microprocessor shown as parts e1 and e2 operated by software . f is a dsfc indicator . g1 and g2 are present throttle control systems which typically regulate on turbine spool speed n1 or n2 . h1 and h2 are fuel flow modulators . i1 and i2 are present fuel flow indicators . if the engines a1 and a2 are turbo - fan , more probes ( b ) may be needed . if the transducers c are pressure to digital , then a / d converter d will not be needed . microprocessor el computes the gross thrust from the measured three pressures in accordance with : h1 and h2 modulate the fuel flow via the throttle control system in any convenient way depending on the throttle system being used . microprocessor e2 senses the variation in fuel flow i and thrust ( output of e1 ) to compute dsfc . the indicator f shows the dsfc error and optionally can show the total gross thrust . probes b1 and b2 are connected to airplane engine a1 while probes b3 and b4 are connected to airplane engine a2 . pressure transducer cl is connected to the output of pressure probe b1 while pressure transducer c2 is connected to the output of probe b2 . the outputs of pressure transducers cl and c2 are connected as inputs to a / d converter d . pressure transducer c5 is connected to the existing airframe pitot static probe , and its output connected as another input to a / d converter d . similarly , probes b3 and b4 are connected to airplane engine a2 , and their outputs are connected through pressure transducers c3 and c4 as inputs to a / d converter d . the output of a / d converter d is connected to the microprocessor and is used to determine data relating to the thrust of the engines al and a2 . the output of microprocessor e1 is connected as an input to microprocessor e2 , with the other inputs of microprocessor e2 being provided with information concerning present fuel flow characteristics regarding the jet engines al and a2 respectively . microprocessor e2 determines the differential specific fuel consumption in accordance with the teachings of this invention . i1 controls fuel flow to engine al , while i2 controls fuel flow to engine a2 . i1 and i2 are , in turn , controlled by throttle control systems g1 and g2 , respectively , which are themselves controlled , in part , by fuel modulators h1 and h2 , respectively . as stated above , an object of this invention is to provide a system in which the differential specific fuel consumption of each engine of a multiengine jet plane is maintained substantially equal . this is expressed by the general formula : ## equ4 ## where w denotes the fuel consumption input and subscript 1 , 2 . . . m , denotes engine &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, engine &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ;, . . . and engine &# 34 ; m &# 34 ;, respectively . the following illustrates one method of determining the differential specific fuel consumption characteristics controlled by the microprocessors . a basic determination are the values of sfc and dsfc of the of jet engines for purposes of effecting conservation of energy to promote economies in the maintenance and operation of jet engines . further , when sfc characteristics are known as functions of either fuel flow or net thrust , dsfc characteristics may also be determined via such sfc characteristics pursuant to the following relations : ## equ5 ## by taking differentials . dividing equation ( 3 ) into equation ( 4 ) yields also the symmetric relationship ## equ6 ## using equation ( 3 ) and rearranging equation ( 4 ) ( or ( 5 )) in terms of sfc characteristics with respect to fuel and net thrust , respectively to solve for dsfc yields the relations ## equ7 ## when sfc characteristics are well - defined relations of either fuel flow or net thrust , equations ( 6 ) and ( 7 ) offer other means of computing dsfc using the derivatives d ( sfc ) / dw or d ( sfc ) / df alternatively . for any given engine , these latter derivatives may remain more constant than the direct derivative dsfc , although subject to sfc changes with engine use , some advantages in computing dsfc by equations ( 6 ) and ( 7 ) may exist . a system , such as depicted schematically in fig5 whose function it is to measure , relate , and use energy input ( fuel flow ) and output ( net thrust ) variables for purposes of effecting performance maintenance and operational economies in the case of jet engines may be applicable to groups of energy transformation equipment and machines other than jet engines ; to such extent , the techniques of this invention are not to be limited to jet engines . furthermore , it will be evident to those familiar with electronic , pneumatic , and mechanical analog that , although the discussion herein is limited to electronic technology and this technology is preeminent for computer purposes , that the invention is not necessarily limited to such techniques , particularly where the use of other techniques may be necessary as in pressure and temperature transducer inputs , for example . the state - of - the - art in thrust measurement has been such that many other variables are regarded as output variables of jet engines . such variables , particularly engine pressure ratio and / or tail pipe total pressure , for thrust may be used dependent on the operating conditions or nature of the engines involved . the system of fig5 can be operational at any time or all the time since it does not affect flight characteristics . the equalization of the dsfc may be automatic or may be controlled by the pilot . the pilot can use the system during climb , cruise or descent since attitude changes do not affect the accuracy of the system . if the pilot chooses to enhance fuel efficiency , he may observe an imbalance in the dsfc as provided by dsfc indicators illustratively shown in fig8 and , the pilot may gently rock the throttles one up and one down to eliminate the unbalance . if more than two engines are used , more throttles would be utilized to substantial equalize the dsfc between each of the engines . if the jet engines are widely spaced , and if their efficiencies differ considerably , considerable thrust imbalance may be required which would cause yaw . a rudder trim can be utilized to maximize airspeed and deal with such yaw . the multiengine display of fig6 illustrates four dsfc indicators with a total gross thrust reading . the pilot can automatically or manually align the four indicators while maintaining the desired total gross thrust . if the system determines that an unusual amount of thrust imbalance is needed to achieve the dsfc equalization , it would indicate that one of the engines is in need of maintenance attention . while the above invention has been described with one illustrative embodiment , there are other optional variations which could be included as follows : 5 ) two engine automatically optimizing system using gross thrust . this system would automatically disengage during takeoff and landing ( where balanced thrust is more important than balanced dsfc ). it could be turned off at any time if desired . a light would display when in automatic mode . 7 ) three or four engine automatically optimizing system using gross thrust . 8 ) three or four engine automatically optimizing system using net thrust . of these options , the net thrust systems are the most accurate . &# 34 ; net thrust &# 34 ; in this context simply means gross thrust minus ram drag . nacelle drag is the same for all engines and cancels out of the thrust difference . however , since ram drag is mostly airspeed dependent and does not vary with throttle to the extent gross thrust does , and since unsick engines themselves do not vary vastly from one another , a gross thrust system will be just as good for fuel economy . as a general rule , a direct measure of net thrust ( as would be provided in a system described in a patent by one of the co - inventors herein , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 233 , 451 , for example ) is preferable , since such a system measures net thrust independent of the engine &# 39 ; s performance otherwise and also is impervious to geometric and installation characteristics as well as of logged time , use , and even abuse , of the engine . in other words , such a system measures net thrust in an &# 34 ; instrument &# 34 ; sense in that net thrust intelligence is based on actual , rather than presumed and synthesized output . this invention has been described with a preferred embodiment , but other applications of the principles of this invention and utilizations thereof will be made by those of ordinary skill in the art . the scope of protection for this invention and the invention is identified in the attached claims .

5Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting

referring to fig1 , a customer side 10 communicates over a network such as the internet with a seller side 12 . customer side 10 can include any hardware and software suitable for such communications , such as a personal computer , an internet appliance or some other communication device , for example an internet - enabled wireless device , and typically includes a screen display 102 such as a computer screen , and devices 104 and 106 allowing the customer to enter an initial order such as a keyboard , a pointing device , etc . devices 104 and 106 can comprise the same device used for different purposes at different steps in the process . customer side 10 further includes conventional means , not expressly shown , for sending and receiving information via the internet in carrying out an internet sales transaction . seller side 12 typically comprises one or more servers operated by or for a seller of products , and can be implemented in many different ways . the main portions thereof relevant here are means , not expressly shown , for receiving and sending information via the internet , a computer facility 122 that can compare characteristics of an initial order from customer side 10 , such as number or quantity of products included in the initial order , with predetermined characteristics from storage 124 , and a facility for processing a customer &# 39 ; s order for execution . while functional blocks are shown in fig1 and other figures as separate entities , they may be combined so the same hardware / software performs different functions at different times . in a non - limiting example of an internet sales transaction , a customer views at screen display 102 a screen display such as a web page or an order form provided by or for seller side 12 and enters an initial order at 104 , for example for a specified quantity of a specified product or a specified number of units of the product . the initial order is transmitted via the internet to seller side 12 , where it is compared at 122 with a predetermined quantity or number of units from 124 . if the quantity the initial order specifies is in a first range relative to the predetermined number from 124 , seller side 12 may simply process the initial order at 126 . in the quantity is in a second range , typically higher than the first , seller side 12 may cause customer side display 102 to show information describing a promotion functionally related to the initial order and designed to induce a revised order in exchange for benefits that promotion offers . if the customer enters a revised order at 106 that conforms to the promotion , for example by meeting terms specified in the promotion , and this is verified at seller side 12 , the revised order is processed at 126 and executed . preferably , seller side further determines if the initial order should be treated as a business - to - business ( b2b ) transaction , in which case it may supply customer side with information describing a different promotion and / or different terms , so the customer may enter at 106 a revised order that conforms to the different promotion and seller side 12 can process that order at 126 . fig2 a and 2 b illustrate an internet transaction that does not make use of the interactive promotion this patent specification teaches . the transaction involves an offer for and an order for a cd - rw ( compact disc re - writable ) drive . in fig2 a a customer side pc is transacting with a seller side ( a web site of a manufacturer ricoh ). when the customer has navigated to a product information screen ( shown at the right in fig2 a ) and clicks order now , a store site screen appears such as the one shown at the left in fig2 a . when the customer clicks specs at the store site screen , as illustrated in fig2 b at the left , a product information screen appears as illustrated at the right in fig2 b . the customer may be unaware of special promotions that may be available depending on factors such as time of an order , quantity ordered , products to which a promotion applies , etc . preferred embodiments that seek to enhance internet sales transactions through a particularly effective use of promotions are illustrated in fig2 - 1 through 2 - 4 . in fig2 - 1 , a first screen containing information provided from the seller side and displayed at the customer side allows the customer to place an initial order that identifies the product and the quantity thereof included in the initial order . the screen further includes an explanation of a promotion that is available if the order includes a first predetermined quantity of the product . this promotion information may be presented to the customer as a part of the order form screen , or may be presented only after the customer enters the initial order . in the latter case , the promotion information that the seller side provides for display at this time may be selected from among different promotions so that it is particularly functionally related to the initial order . as one example , the screen can explain that if the customer orders two cd - rw drives , they will be delivered with 25 free cd - rw discs . as another example , if the customer is shopping for cd - rw discs rather than drives , the promotion information may explain that if the customer orders 40 discs , they will be delivered together with 10 free discs . if the promotion information is delivered after the customer has entered the initial order , it may be tailored even more specifically to the initial order . for example , if an additional promotion of 25 free discs is available for a customer who orders 100 discs , a customer who places an initial order for 35 discs may be advised only about the promotion involving 10 free discs while a customer who places an initial order for 80 discs may be advised only about the promotion involving 25 free discs . in the simplified example that only one promotion is available for disc orders , 10 free discs for an order of 40 . in this case , the fist predetermined number is 40 . assume that the customer places an order for 40 discs . the seller side determines that the initial order meets the first predetermined number , automatically applies the promotion and processes the order so the customer would - receive a package of 50 discs for the price of 40 . assume as a variation that the customer &# 39 ; s initial order is for 35 discs . in this case , the initial order has not met the first predetermined number and the seller side causes the customer side equipment to display a second screen , notifying the customer that by ordering 5 more discs , for a total of 40 , ten free discs will be shipped . the notification can highlight the difference between the quantity in the initial order and that needed to qualify for the promotion . a screen of this type is the second screen illustrated in fig2 - 2 . if the customer in response enters a revised order for 40 discs in this example , the revised order will be processed and executed . if the customer confirms the initial order for 35 , then this order will be processed and executed . assume as yet another variation that the customer &# 39 ; s initial order is for only 2 discs , and that a second predetermined number of 5 has been set at the seller side , reflecting a belief that a customer who orders no more that 5 discs is unlikely to respond to a promotion that would deliver 50 discs , ten or more times what the customer believed his or her needs were . in this case , the seller side might not offer the second screen of fig2 - 2 , and may simply and promptly process and execute the order for 2 discs . the seller side facility can identify transactions that should be treated as b2b transactions by tests such as comparing the quantity included in the initial order with a third predetermined number that is higher than the first . for example , if the initial order is for 800 cd - rw discs , a different type or promotion or different terms may be more appropriate . for example , the promotion may involve a free cd - rw drive for orders of 1000 or more discs , or it may involve a price reduction for such orders , or benefits to the customer related to payment terms or delivery methods . for b2b transactions identified by quantity information in the initial order or in some other way ( such as the identity of the customer ), the seller side can cause the customer side to display a screen containing information such as in the third screen illustrated in fig2 - 3 . the screen of fig2 - 3 includes an explanation of a b2b transaction and promotion , such as information about the third predetermined number that can be provided before or after the customer places the initial order . if the customer enters an initial order for a quantity less than the third predetermined number , the seller side can cause the display at the customer side of a screen containing information such as in the fourth screen illustrated in fig2 - 4 , e . g ., a notification of the difference between the quantity ordered and that needed to qualify for the b2b promotion . fig3 - 1 illustrates steps in an example of the processes referred to above . as in fig1 the activities taking place at the customer side are at the left and those taking place at the seller side are at the right . at s 1 , the customer side displays an online store screen that typically identifies one or more products and provides for the entry of an initial order . at s 2 the customer selects a product and a quantity thereof and places an initial order transmitted via the internet to the seller side . at s 3 the seller side checks if the quantity specified in the initial order equals or exceeds a first predetermine number . if the answer is yes , the appropriate special promotion is applied at s 4 , the customer is notified of this at s 5 and the order as modified by the special promotion is treated as the inputting of a modified order . the seller side processes and executes the so - modified or revised order at s 6 , taking account of the fact that the promotion has been applied . if the test at s 3 result in a “ no ” answer , another test at s 7 check if the initial order reached or exceeded a second predetermined quantity . if the answer is “ no ,” the seller side at s 8 processes and executes the initial order , without applying the special promotion thereto . if the answer at s 7 is “ yes ,” the seller side notifies the customer side at s 9 with a display showing the quantity difference needed to qualify for the promotion , and causes the customer side to display a screen allowing the customer to enter a modifies or revised quantity at s 5 . if at this time the customer confirms the initial order , that order is processed at s 8 without accounting for the promotion . if the customer revises the order at s 5 to make it conform to the promotion , e . g ., to meet or exceed the first predetermined number , the revised order is transmitted to the seller side and processed at s 6 . in fig3 - 2 , steps s 1 and s 2 are the same as in fig3 - 1 . however , in fig3 - 2 the initial order is first tested at s 10 to see if the quantity ordered is greater than the first predetermined number . if the answer is “ no ,” the process enters s 3 in fig3 - 1 and proceeds as earlier described . if the answer at s 10 is “ yes ,” this is considered in this example as an indication that the transaction should be treated as a b2b transaction . accordingly , at s 11 the process tests whether the quantity in the initial order has reached a third predetermined number considered indicative of a b2b transaction . if the answer at s 11 is “ yes ,” and assuming that a special discount promotion is available for such transactions , that rate is applied at s 12 , the so - modified initial order is entered ( or considered entered ) at s 13 and sent to the seller side where it is processed at s 14 as an appropriate b2b transaction . if the answer at s 11 is “ no ,” the seller side causes at s 15 the display at the customer side of a notification of the quantity difference needed to qualify for the special discount rate . if in response the customer confirms the initial order at s 13 , that order is processed at s 16 without the benefit of the promotion , but if the customer at s 13 modifies the order to make it qualify for the promotion , the so - modified or revised order is processed as b2b transaction at s 14 . fig3 - 3 is similar to fig3 - 2 . however , in fig3 - 3 , s 10 is removed and , if the answer at s 11 is “ no ”, then the flow proceeds to step s 11 a . in step s 11 a , it is determined whether the transaction is eligible to be treated as a b2b transaction based on information other than the quantity information of the initial order , as described elsewhere in this disclosure . for example , it may be determined that the transaction is eligible to be treated as a b2b transaction based on the identity of the customer , a time of the initial order , the mix of products order , requested time and mode of delivery , etc ., as described elsewhere in this disclosure . if the answer at s 11 a is “ yes ”, then the flow proceeds to s 15 . if the answer at s 11 a is “ no ” then the flow proceeds to s 16 . examples of preferred embodiments have been disclosed herein by reference to the sale of items such as disc drives and discs , but it should be clear that the disclosure is applicable to the sale of other products as well such as , without limitation , any hardware items , tickets or other benefits or privileges for which a customer may be willing to pay . further , while the examples of promotions explained above have related to free products or discounts and the examples of order characteristics needed to qualify for a promotion have involved quantities ordered , it should be clear that other promotions , involving other benefits or privileges are also contemplated and encompassed by this disclosure , and that characteristics other than quantities ordered also are contemplated such as , without limitation , time or the initial order , the mix of product ordered , requested time and mode of delivery , etc . the scope of patent protection , therefore , is to be measured by the appended claims , as they may be modified in the course of seeking a patent .

6Physics

referring to fig1 wellhead housing 11 will be of a type that is supported on a sea floor . wellhead housing 11 has a bore 12 which contains at least one casing hanger 13 . the casing hanger 13 is a conventional member that is located at the upper end of a string of casing ( not shown ). a packoff 15 seals between the exterior of the casing hanger 13 and the wellhead housing 11 . the casing hanger 13 has a cylindrical bore 17 . a set of exterior grooves 19 are located on the wellhead housing 11 . a wellhead connector 21 lands on top of the wellhead housing 11 . the wellhead connector 21 will be connected to the lower end of a string of riser ( not shown ) which extends to a drilling or production vessel at the surface . a seal 23 seals between the wellhead connector 21 and the wellhead housing 11 . a plurality of dogs 25 carried in the wellhead connector 21 engage the grooves 19 . a cam 27 moves from an upper position to a lower position , pushing the dogs 25 inward into the engaged position . a hydraulic cylinder 29 serves to move the cam 27 between the upper and lower positions . the wellhead connector 21 has a bore 31 which is coaxial with the bore 17 of the casing hanger 13 . a tube 33 extends between the bore 31 and the bore 17 to seal the interior of these bores from the bore 12 of the wellhead housing 11 . tube 33 has an upper or first end which rigidly attaches the tube 33 to the wellhead connector 21 . the means for attachment includes an integral flange 35 located on the upper end of the tube 33 . flange 35 fits within a counterbore 37 located in the wellhead connector 21 . a metal seal 39 seals the upper end of the tube 33 . the lower termination of a riser ( not shown ) will be connected to the upper end of the tube 33 and to the wellhead connector 21 . tube 33 has a second end that extends into the casing hanger bore 17 . tube 33 has an integrally formed deflection section 40 which allows slight axial and bending deflection . bending deflection in section 40 allows radial deflection of the lower end of tube 33 . the deflection section 40 is located entirely within the bore 31 of the wellhead connector 21 . the axial length of the deflection section 40 may be as much as one - half the total length of the tube 33 from the flange 35 to the lower or second end . deflection section 40 includes a plurality of inner grooves 41 and outer grooves 43 . all of the grooves 41 , 43 are cut into an enlarged section of the solid wall of the tube 33 . all of the grooves 41 , 43 are located in planes perpendicular to the axis of the tube 33 . the inner grooves 41 extend outward from the inner wall 42 of the tube 33 . the outer grooves 43 extend inward from the outer wall 44 of the tube 33 . the grooves 41 , 43 are staggered , with an inner groove 41 located between each outer groove 43 . the radial extent or dimension of each groove 41 , 43 is greater than one - half the radial distance from the inner wall 42 to the outer wall 44 . the deflecting area is sized so that it is substantially rigid both in radial and axial directions , capable of only slight deflection of about 2 to 5 percent . this is accommodated by making the grooves 41 , 43 rather thin compared to the metal cross - section in the deflecting section 40 . each groove 41 , 43 preferably has the same axial dimension or thickness 45 , as shown in fig2 . each groove , 41 , 43 preferably is positioned the same axial distance 47 from one of the grooves 41 to the next groove 43 . the axial thickness 45 is much less than the axial distance 47 , preferably about one - half . also , to assure proper strength of the deflecting section 40 , there is a fairly large outer radial distance 49 between the bottom or base 41a of each inner groove 41 and the outer wall 44 . there is also a fairly large inner radial distance 51 between the inner wall 42 and the base 43a of each outer groove 43 . the inner radial distance 51 and the outer radial distance 49 are not necessarily equal . however , each is substantially larger than the axial thickness 45 of each groove 41 , 43 . preferably , the inner radial distance 51 and the outer radial distance 49 are each about twice the magnitude of the axial thickness 45 of each groove 41 , 43 . the lower or second end of the tube 33 has a plurality of elastomeric seals 53 that sealingly engage the bore 17 of the casing hanger 13 . a metal seal 55 provides metal - to - metal sealing between the tube 33 and the bore 17 . a retainer 57 holds the metal seal 55 in place . the radial lengths of the inner grooves 41 and the outer grooves 43 can be varied to provide minimum axial loading due to pressure . axial force or loading can result from pressure being applied to the interior or exterior of the tube 33 . for example , if the only pressure expected is to be internal , the pressure in the tube 33 will tend to force the axial thickness of the inner grooves 41 to increase . the tube 33 will tend to elongate . this internal pressure also acts on the metal seal 55 , tending to compress the tube 33 . if the base 41a of each inner groove 41 has the same diameter as the bore 17 at seal 55 , as shown in fig2 then the compression and tension forces will offset each other . there will be no axial stress in the tube 33 in that case as a result of internal pressure . similarly , if only external pressure is expected , the base 43a of each outer grooves 43 can be selected to equal the diameter of bore 17 to balance axial forces on the tube 33 due to external pressure . if both internal and external forces are expected , the radial depths of the grooves 41 , 43 can be selected to reduce the axial forces on the tube 33 to a minimum . in operation , casing hanger 13 will be landed in the wellhead housing 11 . packoff 15 is set between the casing hanger 13 and the wellhead housing 11 . the tube 33 will be fastened to the wellhead connector 21 . the wellhead connector 21 is lowered over the wellhead housing 11 . the tube 33 will insert into the bore 17 of the casing hanger 13 . slight radial deflection in the deflecting section 40 allows the tube 33 to move laterally slightly to align with the bore 17 even though the bore 17 may be slightly out of alignment with the axis of the bore 31 . this assures that the metal seal 55 ( fig2 ) seals properly . in the alternate embodiment of fig3 the bore 17 &# 39 ; of casing hanger 13 &# 39 ; has a frusto - conical shoulder 59 directly below a cylindrical portion of the bore 17 &# 39 ;. elastomeric seals 53 &# 39 ; on the lower end of the tube 33 &# 39 ; seal against the cylindrical portion of the bore 17 &# 39 ;. shoulder 59 tapers relative to vertical at about 10 degrees . the tube 33 &# 39 ; has a shoulder 61 below the seals 53 &# 39 ; which tapers relative to vertical at about 8 degrees . the tube 33 &# 39 ; is sized so that it will compress slightly in the deflection section 40 &# 39 ; when the shoulder 61 contacts the shoulder 59 . this preloads the shoulder 61 against the shoulder 59 , providing a metal - to - metal seal . the difference in the angles of 10 degrees and 8 degrees between the shoulders 59 and 61 assures a metal - to - metal contact . preferably , the diameter of the base of each outer groove 43 &# 39 ; has a diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the bore 17 &# 39 ; immediately above shoulder 59 . the embodiment of fig3 preferably has inner grooves 41 &# 39 ; sized to provide a positive axial compressive force on tube 33 &# 39 ; when under internal pressure . the base of each inner groove 41 &# 39 ; is greater in diameter than the inner diameter of bore 17 &# 39 ; immediately above shoulder 59 by a difference 63 . internal pressure will tend to elongate the tube 33 &# 39 ;, increasing the compressive force between the shoulder 61 and shoulder 59 . this tends to increase the ability of the metal seal formed by the shoulders 59 , 61 to withstand internal pressure . the invention has significant advantages . the deflecting member in the tube allows slight radial deflection to accommodate for slightly misaligned bores . this deflecting section is sufficiently strong due to the thin size of the groove to withstand great pressures . the deflecting section will also transmit axial load in the event that the tube is preloaded axially against the shoulder in the casing hanger . the grooves may be dimensioned in radial directions to balance axial forces due to pressure , or to provide a compressive axial force . while the invention has been shown in only two of its forms , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited , but is susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of the invention .

4Fixed Constructions

the arrangement of the present invention is characterized in that a porous undercoat layer composed of water soluble high polymer or latex resin is formed between a support and a thermosensitive layer as an undercoat layer . the provision of this porous undercoat layer is considered to exhibit the effect of more effectively applying thermal energy from a thermal head to the thermosensitive recording layer due to the thermal insulation effect or pressure deforming property provided by the undercoat layer as well as the effect of forming a smoother surface by smoothing the irregularities of the support . further , when a thermosensitive layer is directly formed on a porous undercoat layer , a component melted by thermal energy from a thermosensitive head adheres thereto ( tailings adhered to the thermal head ) and may interrupt printing . to cope with this problem , a second undercoat layer mainly composed of a pigment may be formed between the thermosensitive recording layer and the porous undercoat layer to reduce an amount of tailings adhered to the thermal head . in particular , the employment of a pigment to the second undercoat layer which is able to absorb oil of at least 70 ml / 100 g can effectively reduce the amount of the tailings adhered to the thermal head . the porous undercoat layer according to the present invention is formed in such a manner that powder soluble to an organic solvent is suspended in an aqueous polymer solution or an aqueous polymer emulsion , coated to a support and rinsed by an organic solvent after it has been dried to remove the powder . the powder may be melted by heat in stead of being rinsed by the organic solvent to form the porous coated layer . in addition , this layer arrangement may be formed by a so - called bubble coating wherein a coating liquid containing gas is coated . the porous undercoat layer obtained as described above preferably has a mean pore diameter of about 0 . 1 - 5 . 0 μm . examples of the water soluble polymer and latex resin used here include starches , hydroxyethyl cellulose , methyl cellulose , carboxymethyl cellulose , gelatin , casein , polyvinyl alcohol , modified polyvinyl alcohol , sodium polyacrylate , acrylic amide / acrylate copolymer , acrylamide / acrylate / methacrylate ternary copolymer , alkali salts of styrene / maleic anhydride copolymer , alkali salts of ethylene / maleic anhydride copolymer , etc . ; latexes such as polyvinyl acetate , polyurethane , polyacrylates , styrene / butadiene copolymer , acrylonitrile / butadiene copolymer , methyl acrylate / butadiene copolymer , ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer , etc . after the coated layer is formed , it may be cross - linked using a cross - linking agent . powder soluble to an organic solvent is a material in a powder state which is less hydrophilic , less absorbed to water soluble polymer or latex resin and soluble to a suitable organic solvent . such material , which is solid at a room temperature , for example , as 2 - benzyloxynaphthalene or the like is included in this powder . powder capable of being melted and eluted by heat is an organic material of which melting point is 30 °- 80 ° and wax or the like substantially insoluble to water is included in the powder . a solvent for eluting powder soluble to an organic solvent must solve only the above power and must not solve water soluble polymer and latex resin and includes ordinarily used organic solvents such as , for example , benzene , toluene , ethyl acetate , alcohols , acetone , ethers , hexanes and the like . they may be suitably selected for use in consideration of the kind of water soluble high polymer and latex resin . further , when a thermosensitive layer is directly coated on a porous undercoat layer , a color developing component melted by energy from a thermal head is absorbed into a hollow particle layer and a developed image is concealed with the reduction of an image concentration , and thus the adherence of tailings to the thermal head or sticking in printing may be caused . this drawback can be prevented by further forming an oil absorbing inorganic pigment layer on the porous undercoat layer as a second undercoat layer . the pigment used in the second undercoat layer according to the present invention may be made of a pigment ordinarily used for coated paper such as , for example , calcium carbonate , kaolin , calcined kaolin , zinc oxide , titanium oxide , aluminum hydroxide , zinc hydroxide , barium sulfate , silicon oxide or the like . the pigments of them which have an oil absorbing amount of at least 70 ml / 100 g such as the calcined kaolin and silicon oxide are particularly preferable . desired characteristics can be provided by forming a thermosensitive layer on the undercoat layer formed as described above . dye precursors used in the present invention are not particularly limited so long as they are generally used for pressure - sensitive recording paper or thermosensitive recording paper . specific examples include the following dye precursors . 3 , 3 - bis ( p - dimethylaminophenyl )- 6 - dimethyl aminophthalide ( crystal violet lactone ), 3 , 3 - bis ( p - dimethylaminophenyl ) phthalide , 3 -( p - dimethylaminophenyl )- 3 -( 1 , 2 - dimethylindol - 3 - yl ) phthalide , 3 -( p - dimethylaminophenyl )- 3 -( 2 - methylindol - 3 - yl ) phthalide , 3 -( p - dimethylaminophenyl )- 3 -( 2 - phenylindol - 3 - yl ) phthalide , 3 , 3 - bis ( 1 , 2 - dimethyl - indol - 3 - yl )- 5 - dimethylaminophthalide , 3 , 3 - bis ( 1 , 2 - dimethylindol - 3 - yl )- 6 - dimethylaminophthalaide , 3 , 3 - bis ( 9 - ethylcarbazol - 3 - yl )- 5 - dimethylaminophthalaide , 3 , 3 - bis ( 2 - phenylindol - 3 - yl )- 5 - dimethylaminophthalide , 3 - p - dimethylaminophenyl - 3 -( 1 - methylpyrrol - 2 - yl )- 6 - dimethylaminophthalide , etc . rhodamine b anilinolactam , rhodamine b p - chloroanilinolactam , 3 - diethylamino - 7 - dibenzylaminofluorane , 3 - diethylamino - 7 - octylaminofluorane , 3 - diethylamino - 7 - phenylfluorane , 3 - diethylamino - 7 - chlorofluorane , 3 - diethylamino - 6 - chloro - 7 - methylfluorane , 3 - diethylamino - 7 -( 3 , 4 - dichloroanilino ) fluorane , 3 - diethylamino - 7 ( 2 - chloroanilino ) fluorane , 3 - diethylamino - 6 - methyl - 7 - anilinofluorane , 3 -( n - ethyl - n - tolyl ) amino - 6 - methyl - 7phenethylfluorane , 3 - diethylamino - 7 -( 4 - nitroanilino ) fluorane , 3 - dibutylamino - 6 - methyl - 7 - anilinofluorane , 3 -( n - methyl - n - propyl ) amino - 6 - methyl - 7 - anilinofluorane , 3 -( n - ethyl - n - isoamyl ) amino - 6 - methyl - 7 - anilinofluorane , 3 -( n - methyl - n - cyclohexyl ) amino - 6 - methyl - 7 - anilinofluorane , 3 -( n - ethyl - n - tetrahydrofuryl ) amino - 6 - methyl - 7 - anilinofluorane , etc . 3 - methyl - spiro - dinaphthopyran , 3 - ethyl - spirodinaphthaopyran , 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dichloro - spiro - dinaphthopyran , 3 - benzylspiro - dinaphthaopyran , 3 - methylnaphtho -( 3 - methoxybenzo ) spiropyran , 3 - propyl - spiro - benzopyran , etc . these dye precursors can be used singly or as admixtures of two or more . as dye developers used in the present invention , electron accepting compounds generally employed for thermosensitive paper are used ; in particular , phenol derivatives , aromatic carboxylic acid derivatives or metal compounds thereof , n , n &# 39 ;- diarylthiourea derivatives , etc . are used . among them , particularly preferred ones are phenol derivatives specific examples are p - phenylphenol , p - hydroxyacetophenone , 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;- methyldiphenylsulfone , 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;- isopropoxydiphenylsulfone , 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;- benzenesulfonyloxydiphenylsulfone , 1 , 1 - bis ( p - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 1 , 1 - bis ( p - hydroxyphenyl ) pentane , 1 , 1 - bis ( p - hydroxyphenyl ) hexane , 1 , 1 - bis ( p - hydroxyphenyl ) cyclohexane , 2 , 2 - bis ( p - hydroxyphenyl )- propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( p - hydroxyphenyl ) butane , 2 , 2 - bis ( p - hydroxyphenyl ) hexane , 1 , 1 - bis ( p - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - ethylhexane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - chloro - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 1 , 1 - bis ( p - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 - phenylethane , 1 , 3 - di [ 2 -( p - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ] benzene , 1 , 3 - di [ 2 -( 3 , 4 - dihydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ] benzene , 1 , 4 - di [ 2 -( p - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - propyl ] benzene , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxydiphenyl ether , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxydiphenylsulfone , 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dichloro - 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxydiphenylsulfone , 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- diallyl - 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxydiphenylsulfone , 3 , 3 &# 39 ;- dichloro - 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dihydroxydiphenylsulfide , methyl 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) acetate , butyl 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) acetate , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- thiobis ( 2 - t - butyl - 5 - methylphenol ), bis ( 3 - allyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- sulfone , 4 - hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;- isopropyloxydiphenylsulfone , 3 , 4 - dihydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;- methyldiphenylsulfone , benzyl p - hydroxybenzoate , chlorobenzyl p - hydroxybenzoate , propyl p - hydroxybenzoate , butyl p - hydroxybenzoate , dimethyl 4 - hydroxyphthalate , benzyl gallate , stearyl gallate , salicylanilide , 5 - chlorosalicylanilide , etc . in addition , the thermosensitive layer may also contain as pigments diatomaceous earth , talc , kaolin , calcined kaolin , calcium carbonate , magnesium carbonate , titanium oxide , zinc oxide , silicon oxide , aluminum hydroxide , urea - formalin resin , etc ., may further contain waxes such as n - hydroxymethylstearic amide , stearic amide , palmitic amide , etc . ; naphthol derivatives such as 2 - benzyloxynaphthalene , etc . ; biphenyl derivatives such as p - benzylbiphenyl , 4 - allyloxybiphenyl , etc . ; polyether compounds such as 1 , 2 - bis ( 3 - methylphenoxy ) ethane , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- bis ( 4 - methoxyphenoxy ) diethyl ether , bis ( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) ether , etc . ; carbonate or oxalate diester derivatives such as diphenyl carbonate , dibenzyl oxalate , di ( p - fluorobenzyl ) oxalate , etc . for purposes of further improving the sensitivity . in addition , there may be incorporated , for purposes of preventing head abrasion , prevention of sticking , etc ., higher fatty acid metal salts such as zinc stearate , calcium stearate , etc . ; waxes such as paraffin , oxidized paraffin , polyethylene , oxidized polyethylene , stearic amide , castor wax , etc . ; dispersing agents such as sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate , etc . ; uv absorbing agents of benzophenone type , benzotriazole type , etc . and further surface active agents , fluorescent dyes , etc ., if necessary and desired . in the present invention , as adhesives used for the thermosensitive recording layer and second undercoat layer used in the present invention , various adhesives generally used are usable . examples of the adhesives include water soluble adhesives such as starches , hydroxyethyl cellulose , methyl cellulose , carboxymethyl cellulose , gelatin , casein , polyvinyl alcohol , modified polyvinyl alcohol , sodium polyacrylate , acrylic amide / acrylate copolymer , acrylamide / acrylate / methacryalte ternary copolymer , alkali salts of styrene / maleic anhydride copolymer , alkali salts of ethylene / maleic anhydride copolymer , etc . ; latexes such as polyvinyl acetate , polyurethane , polyacrylates , styrene / butadiene copolymer , acrylonitrile / butadiene copolymer , methyl acrylate / butadiene copolymer , ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer , etc . as the support used in the present invention , paper is mainly used . non - woven cloth , a plastic film , synthetic paper , metal foil and the like or a composite sheet obtained by combining them may optionally be employed . next , the present invention will be described in more detail by referring to the examples . parts and % shown below are all based on weight . numeral values representing coated amounts or coverages are dry weights , unless otherwise indicated . ( 1 ) preparation of suspension a ( coating liquid for the first undercoat layer ) a mixture having the following composition was stirred to prepare a coating liquid for the first undercoat layer . ______________________________________aqueous solution containing 10 % 30 partspolyvinyl alcohol ( as a watersoluble polymer material ) 2 - benzyloxynaphthalene ( as powder 23 partssoluble to organic solvent ) dispersion ( 10 % of polyvinylalcohol was added to the solid , which was ground into a mean graindiameter of 1 μm with a sand grinderat the concentration of 30 %. ) ______________________________________ a mixture having the following composition was ground into a mean grain diameter of about 1 μm with a sand grinder to prepare and [ suspension b ] and [ suspension c ], respectively . ______________________________________ [ suspension b ] 3 , 3 - diethylamino - 6 - methyl 40 parts7 - anilino fluoraneaqueous solution containing 10 % 20 partspolyvinyl alcoholwater 40 parts [ suspension c ] bisphenol a 50 parts2 - benzyloxynaphthalene 50 partsaqueous solution containing 50 parts10 % polyvinyl alcoholwater 100 parts______________________________________ then , a thermosensitive suspension was prepared in the following formulation , using the thus prepared [ suspension b ] and [ suspension c ]. ______________________________________ [ suspension b ] 50 parts [ suspension c ] 250 partszinc stearate ( 40 % dispersion ) 25 partsaqueous solution containing 216 parts10 % polyvinyl alcoholcalcium carbonate 50 partswater 417 parts______________________________________ the suspension was prepared as above . suspension a was coated to a base paper of 40 g / m 2 in such a manner that the weight thereof was made to 15 g / m 2 after it had been dried . thereafter , a coated layer was rinsed by benzene as a solvent to elute 2 - benzyloxynaphthalene and then dried . when this coated layer was observed by a scanning type electron microscope , it was confirmed that a porous layer was formed . next , a thermosensitive layer was coated thereon in such a manner that the weight thereof was made to 5 . 5 g / m 2 after it had been dried to prepare a thermosensitive recording material . a thermosensitive layer was prepared in a manner similar to example 1 except that the following suspension d was coated before the formation of the thermosensitive layer in example 1 in such a manner that the weight thereof was made to 5 g / m 2 after it had been dried . a mixture having the following composition was stirred to prepare a coating liquid for the second undercoat layer . ______________________________________ultra white - 90 ( kaolin made by 100 partsengelhardt co ., ltd .) styrene - butadiene copolymer 24 partslatex ( 50 % concentration ) aqueous solution containing 60 parts10 % ms4600 ( starch made by nihonshokuhin k . k .) water 52 parts______________________________________ a thermosensitive layer was prepared in a manner similar to example 1 except that the following suspension e was coated before the formation of the thermosensitive layer in example 1 in such a manner that the weight thereof was made to 5 g / m 2 after it had been dried . a mixture having the following composition was stirred to prepare a coating liquid for the second undercoat layer . ______________________________________ansilex ( calcined kaolin made 100 partsby engelhardt co ., ltd . styrene - butadiene copolymer latex 24 parts ( 50 % aqueous dispersion ) ms4600 ( phosphoric acid ester 60 partsstarch made by nihon shokuhink . k ., 10 % aqueous solution ) water 52 parts______________________________________ a thermosensitive recording material was prepared in a manner similar to example 3 except that an aqueous solution containing 10 % styrene - maleic anhydride copolymer was used in place of the aqueous solution containing 10 % polyvinyl alcohl used for the coating liquid for the first layer in example 3 . a thermosensitive recording material was prepared in a manner similar to example 3 except that 7 . 5 parts of ethylene - vinyl acetate latex ( 40 % concentration ) was used in place of the aqueous solution containing 10 % polyvinyl alcohol used for the coating liquid for the first layer in example 3 . a thermosensitive recording material was prepared in a manner similar to example 1 except that the first undercoat layer of example 1 was not provided . a thermosensitive recording material was prepared in a manner similar to example 3 except that the first undercoat layer of example 3 was not provided . a thermosensitive recording material was prepared in a manner similar to example 3 except that the first undercoat layer in example 3 was not rinsed by benzene after it had been coated . a thermosensitive recording material was prepared by in a manner similar to example 4 except that the first undercoat layer in example 4 was not rinsed by benzene after it had been coated . a thermosensitive recording material was prepared in a manner similar to example 5 except that the first undercoat layer in example 5 was not rinsed by benzene after it had been coated . the thermosensitive recording materials prepared as described above were treated by a super - calendering so as to have compiled with a bekk &# 39 ; s degree of smoothness varied between 400 and 500 seconds . and these materials were compared with respect to recording density , printability and degree of adhering tailings or foreign matters using a giii facsimile test machine . the test machine was ( th - pmd ) manufactured by okura denki co ., ltd . printing was performed using with a thermal head showing its dot density of 8 dots / mm and its head resistance of 185 ohm at a head voltage of 11 v , for its load time of 0 . 6 ms . the recording density was measured with macbeth rd - 918 reflection desnsitometer . these results are shown in table 1 . as apparent from table 1 , the thermosensitive recording material according to the present invention improves a thermal response by the provision of the porous undercoat layer with the first layer and reduces foreign matters adhered to the thermal head by the provision of the pigment layer as the second undercoat layer . in particular , an amount of the foreign matters is greatly reduced by using a pigment capable of absorbing oil of at least 70 ml / 100 g . table 1______________________________________ development concentration printability tailings______________________________________example1 1 . 01 o δ2 1 . 03 o o ˜ δ3 1 . 05 o o4 1 . 02 o o5 1 . 02 o ocomparativeexample1 0 . 53 x x2 0 . 88 δ o3 0 . 90 δ o4 0 . 89 δ o5 0 . 84 δ o______________________________________ o : good o ˜ δ : relatively good δ : lower limit for use x : bad

1Performing Operations; Transporting

prior to describing the composition of the marking liquid of the present invention , it should be noted that research and development work has included the use of crystal violet lactone ( cvl ) blue dye and indolyl red ( ir ) dye to provide a color former solution or oily dye formulation for obtaining blue print . representative samples of such blue printing included the use of 15 pound cb paper on both 15 pound and 33 pound cf paper , both samples providing a certain print intensity of acceptable quality . the ingredients of the capsular internal phase liquid being used in such samples are disclosed in above - mentioned foris et al . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 001 , 140 . in the case of black print , a representative sample included the use of 15 pound cb paper on 15 pound cf paper and mixing the ingredients of the foris et al . disclosure in relative percentages to yield the black print . the coating of an exemplary cf sheet generally includes a phenolic resin or like color developing material which is reactive with the dyes or like color forming materials , kaolin clays or other ingredients in the binder material . when a cb sheet and a cf sheet are placed in coated face - to - coated - face relation and pressure is applied , the capsules of the cb sheet are ruptured and the encapsulated material or internal phase liquid is transferred to and reacts with the acid component of the cf sheet to yield a color . one of the tests associated with such rupture of the cb capsules and color formation is the dropping weight , reflectance density , test which is a measure of the response of carbonless paper to a deliberate marking pressure and therefore the intensity of the resulting print . in this test , a standard one - half inch diameter circular pattern is formed on a cf - cb ( coated front and coated back ) pair of sheets by means of a weight - dropping instrument . after a color development time period of about twenty minutes , the reflectance density of the circular area is measured by means of a macbeth rd - 400 reflectance densitometer . the reflectance density of the color developed circular area is a measure of the color development on the cf sheet . a high reflectance reading on the densitometer indicates a preferred , more intense image or one of good color development , whereas a low densitometer reading indicates a light or less intense image and poor color development . example 1 is a marking liquid formulation or composition which is encapsulated and applied to a substrate for forming a cb sheet , and yielding a blue - appearing mark of improved intensity upon rupture of the capsules . ______________________________________material percent dry weight______________________________________sur - sol 290 33alkylate 215 64cvl dye 3______________________________________ example 2 is another marking liquid formulation or composition which is encapsulated and applied to a substrate for forming a cb sheet , and upon rupture of the capsules yielding a blue - appearing mark of improved intensity . ______________________________________material percent dry weight______________________________________sur - sol 290 33alkylate 215 64cvl dye 2 . 5olive green dye 0 . 5______________________________________ sur - sol 290 is a trademark of koch chemical company , corpus christi , tex ., for alkylated biphenyl solvent material . alkylate 215 is a trademark of monsanto company , st . louis , mo ., for petroleum alkylate dodecyl benzene or detergent intermediate material . the cvl dye is crystal violet lactone dye sold under the trademark copikem 1 by hilton - davis company , cincinnati , ohio . the olive green dye is sold under the trademark pergascript olive i - g by ciba - geigy corporation , greensboro , n . c . example 3 is a marking liquid formulation or composition which is encapsulated and applied to a substrate for forming a cb sheet and yielding a black - appearing mark of improved intensity upon rupture of the capsules . ______________________________________material percent dry weight______________________________________sur - sol 290 76alkylate 215 19n - 102 black dye 4 . 25cvl dye 0 . 25indolyl red dye 0 . 25pergascript olive dye 0 . 25______________________________________ example 4 is a marking liquid formulation or composition which is encapsulated and applied to a substrate for forming a cb sheet and yielding a black - appearing mark of improved intensity upon rupture of the capsules . ______________________________________material percent dry weight______________________________________sur - sol 290 95 . 4n - 102 black dye 4 . 14indolyl red dye 0 . 23olive green dye 0 . 23______________________________________ example 5 is a marking liquid formulation or composition using certain of the ingredients of example 3 for yielding a black - appearing mark . ______________________________________material percent dry weight______________________________________sur - sol 290 76alkylate 215 19n - 102 black dye 4 . 5cvl dye 0 . 5______________________________________ the n - 102 black dye is sold under the trademark copikem 4 and indolyl red dye is sold under the trademark copikem 3 by hilton - davis company . while the olive dye is not an essential ingredient for accomplishing the improved print intensity , such dye accentuates the gloss of the types or printed characters . the preferred composition for a blue - appearing mark is made in accordance with example 1 formulation of one part of crystal violet lactone , about twenty parts of petroleum alkylate material and about ten parts of solvent material . the preferred composition for a black - appearing mark is made in accordance with either example 3 or 5 formulation of one part of chromogenic material , about four parts of petroleum alkylate , and about fifteen parts of solvent . table 1 presents reflectance density data using the dropping weight instrument and the macbeth rd - 400 reflectance densitometer . in all test cases presented , the coating substrate was white paper and the cf paper was a standard 15 pound cf paper , as manufactured by appleton papers inc . the rd - 400 readings were taken at twenty minutes after the dropping weight application to the cb - cf paper pair being tested . generally , an average reflectance density value was taken from eight applications of the dropping weight instrument . the higher values indicate high print intensity . table 1______________________________________ reflectancecb - cf pair color density______________________________________api 15 # cb / api 15 # cf blue 54 . 5 ( control ) example 1 15 # cb / api 15 # cf blue 65example 2 15 # cb / api 15 # cf blue 67api 15 # cb / api 15 # cf black 48 ( control ) example 3 15 # cb / api 15 # cf black 55example 4 15 # cb / api 15 # cf black 48example 5 15 # cb / api 15 # cf black 55______________________________________ it is thus seen that herein described are formulations for a marking liquid for use as the internal phase of microcapsules in carbonless paper that provide a high intensity blue or black print . the present invention enables the accomplishment of the objects and advantages mentioned above , and while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein , variations thereof may occur to those skilled in the art . it is contemplated that all such variations and modifications not departing from the spirit and scope of the invention hereof are to be construed in accordance with the following claims .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

for a general understanding of the features of the present invention , reference is made to the drawings . in the drawings , like reference numerals have been used throughout to identify identical elements . it should be noted that although a specific machine embodiment is disclosed , the invention is applicable to a wide variety of machines such as copiers and printers including black and white , high light color , and full color machines . fig1 shows one example of the overall construction of a copying machine to which this invention is applied . a typical copying machine to which this invention is applied is formed with the base machine 30 , composed of a platen glass plate 31 , which carries the original sheet thereon , an image input terminal ( iit ) 32 , an electrical control system container 33 , the image output terminal ( iot ) 34 , and a paper tray 35 , and a user interface ( u / i ) 36 and also , as optional items , of an editing pad 61 , an automatic document feeder ( adf ) 62 , a sorter 63 , and a film projector ( f / p ) 64 . electrical hardware is necessary for performing the control of the iit , iot , u / i , etc . mentioned above , and a plural number of boards for control of each of the processing units , such as the iit , ips , u / i , f / p , and so forth , which perform the image - forming process for the output signals from the iit , and these are accommodated further in the electrical control system container 33 . the iit 32 is composed of an imaging unit 37 , the wire 38 for driving the said unit , the driving pulley 39 , and so forth , and iit 32 reads a color original sheet for each of the primary colors b ( blue ), g ( green ), and r ( red ) by means of a ccd line sensor and a color filter provided inside the imaging unit 37 , converts the data so obtained into digital image signals and then outputs the signals to the ips . in the ips , the b , g , and r signals mentioned above are transformed into the primary colors of the toner , i . e . y ( yellow ), c ( cyan ), m ( magenta ), and k ( black ), and then , with various data processing being applied to the data so obtained for the purpose of enhancing the reproduction fidelity and fineness , and so forth , the ips converts the toner signals of the process color in harmonious gradation into binary toner signals and outputs them to the iot 34 . the iot 34 , which is provided with a scanner 40 and a photosensitive material belt 41 , converts the image signals from the above - mentioned ips into optical signals in the laster output part 40a and forms a latent image corresponding to the image on the original sheet on the photosensitive material belt 41 by way of the polygon mirror 40b , the lens 40c , and the reflexive mirror 40d . the photosensitive material belt 41 , which is driven by the driving pulley 41a , has a cleaner 41b , a charging unit 41c , the individual developing devices for y , m , c , and k , and a transfer device 41e arranged around it . and , opposite to this transfer device 41e is provided a transfer unit 42 , which takes into it the sheet that comes transported to it from the paper tray 35 via the paper transport channel 35a and transfers the colors in the order of y , m , c , and k , the transfer unit 42 being rotated four turns , for example , for full - color copying in four full colors . the sheet of paper on which the image is so transferred is then transported from the transfer unit 42 via the vacuum transport device 43 to the fixing device 45 , where it is fixed , and is thereafter discharged from it . moreover , the paper transport channel 35a is so designed as to accept the paper fed alternatively from the ssi ( single sheet inserter ) 35b . the u , i 36 is designed for use by the user for making the selections of the desired functions and for giving instructions regarding the conditions for the execution of the selected functions , and this system is provided with a color display unit 51 and a hardware control panel 52 with control and machine feature buttons installed by the side of the said display unit , and it is further combined with touch board 53 with other feature and control switches , so that instructions can be given directly with the &# 34 ; soft buttons &# 34 ; on the screen . for further details reference is made to u . s . pat . no . 5 , 032 , 903 incorporated herein . with reference to fig2 there is illustrated in general block form , the control of the base machine 30 shown in fig1 . the base machine is controlled by a plurality of printed wiring boards interconnected to a common channel or bus 98 . for purposes of explanation , four printed wiring boards , boards 102 with memory 112 , 104 with memory 114 , 106 with memory 116 , and 108 with memory 116 are illustrated , with printed wiring board 108 being the control for the user interface 36 and the remaining printed wiring boards providing control for predetermined systems and components of the base machine 30 . printed wiring board , 108 is also provided with modem 120 for communication with a remote location . it should be noted that one of the printed wiring boards , for example , board 102 could be the master control for the other printed wiring boards or that there could be any number of master slave relationships of the control boards or distributed control of the various functions of the base machine . it should also be understood that the number of printed wiring boards and the manner of interconnection is merely a design choice and any other suitable control scheme for controlling the base machine is contemplated within the scope of this invention . for example , fig3 illustrates in block form control elements of a typical controller such as shown in fig2 . referring to fig3 certain key machine operating events ( such as current event data ) which define the proper execution of the control system such as user interface buttons being set , changes in application software operating states , interlock switches opening and closing , notification of control or system faults , execution of key routines , etc ., are input as they occur by the applications system software 150 under control of processor 196 to dynamic memory ( ram ) 155 . memory 155 , which may be random access memory or ram type memory , preferably provides a ( not shown ) circular buffer of predetermined size for storing event data . a data transfer means in the form of an event spooling routine in software , which is periodically called , writes the event data accumulated in the buffer of memory 155 into an event or occurrence logger file 158 for transmission to the physical data and threshold file 185 . typically , the event spooling routine is repeated on a given cycle , i . e ., after a present number of machine pitches . when called , the event spooling routine overwrites a portion of the previous event data stored in the event logger file 158 with the current event data , effectively erasing the previously oldest portion of the event data and replacing it with the newer current event data . as will be understood , software crashes may occur from time to time during the life of the machine . in the case of most crashes , recovery is made either automatically or through the intervention of the operator , and machine 30 continues to operate normally . however , it is desirable to provide a record of the machine state at the time of the crash for use in diagnosing or servicing the machine . this is done by data logs recorded either at the machine or transmitted remotely to a host machine . on each software crash , a snapshot is in effect taken of certain predetermined events ( termed crash data ) in the machine at the time the crash occurs . these events may , for example , consist of an image of each of the operating software ( os ) memory maps illustrated as os memory 173 and boot roms 179 and an image of nvm 167 . preferably , a snapshot of the current event data in the buffer of ram 155 is included . the block of crash data obtained is fitted into one of a number of memory areas reserved for crash files in a crash logger file 171 . crash logger file 171 is a circular queue of crash files with the crash data from each succeeding crash written to the crash files in sequence . certain machine operating parameters such as photoreceptor belt charge levels , fuser temperatures , etc . are permanently stored in nvm 167 . these parameters represent the optimum or ideal operational settings for the machine which will result in the best possible machine performance . typically , these operating parameters provide an operating range or window . suitable sensors ( not shown ) such as an electrostatic voltmeter ( esv ) for sensing photoreceptor charge levels , temperature sensors for sensing the operating temperatures of fuser 45 , and sheet jam detectors for detecting sheet jams and determining sheet timing , etc . monitor actual machine operating conditions . the physical data and threshold file 185 stores critical machine operating threshold levels for the machine operating components such as the photoreceptor belt charge levels , fuser temperatures , and bias control levels . as discussed above various sensors and detectors monitor machine operating conditions and at discrete time during the operating cycle of the machine , these conditions are read and the data stored in the event logger file 158 and / or the crash logger file 171 to be stored in the physical data file 185 for evaluation . thus , during the operating cycles of machine 30 , the sensors such as the esv , temperature sensors , and jam detectors , etc . are read and the data obtained input via line 177 to the machine physical data file 185 . also , any other suitable data for diagnostics , machine monitoring , or machine usage are suitably stored in the machine physical data file 185 or any other suitable memory for access at the machine by a service representative or stored for transmission to a remote location . for more detail of a typical control as described above , reference is made to u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 032 , 903 ; 5 , 138 , 377 ; and 5 , 218 , 406 assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and incorporated herein . in accordance with the present invention , with reference to fig4 there is shown a remote communication system including remote host 157 connected to machine 30 through a suitable channel such as telephone line 175 and modems 120 , 121 or any other suitable medium such as local and wide area networks , cellular phone channels , infrared links , and serial channels such as well known rs232 and scsi serial ports . selected machine data is downloaded to remote host 157 by communicating between the host 157 and memory in machine 30 such as data and threshold file 185 . communication can be initiated by either remote host 157 or machine 30 . it should be noted that machine 30 and remote host 157 can be interconnected to other suitable stations or devices on a network or by any dedicated communication channel . a computer such as pc 159 with keyboard 180 , printer 162 and user interface with screen 163 is provided at the remote host 157 for use in establishing communication with modems 121 , 120 for transmission of data from machine 30 via line 175 to host 157 and from host 157 to machine 30 . a suitable data bandwidth converter 184 at machine 30 converts data to the clock rate required for transmission over line 175 , it being understood that the rate at which data is handled by machine 30 is ordinarily different and typically substantially greater than the data transmission rate of telephone line 175 . in this regard , a clock 195 is connected to converter 184 . the clock 195 is used to determine frequency of testing the state of the machine for possible transfer of an alert . similar , not shown converter and clock are provided with remote host 157 . in accordance with the present invention , fig5 illustrates a typical system network of a plurality of interconnected or intercommunicating devices for automatic notification . such devices can be remote locations to receive notification data , remote locations with user interfaces to pre - set or program specific devices with notification conditions and status , or simply devices that are configured to automatically transmit data upon detection of given conditions or events . an exemplary multimedia device information system or network 2 includes any number of work stations 4 with or without sophisticated diagnostic and control elements such as an expert system and includes devices such as digital copier or scanner 5 , keyboard 6 , pointing device or mouse 7 , microphone 8 , and video camera 9 . the system further has devices for output including display terminal 10 , printer 11 , and speakers 12 . input / output ( i / o ) devices include facsimile 13 , file server 14 , and telephone 15 . server 14 is configured central to or remote from work station 4 with public , shared and / or private data storage that is differentiated by user access rights . the server 14 includes database system 17 , network administration system 18 , mail system 29 ( e . g . email , voice mail ) and data storage and retrieval system 20 , and can be physically configured using optical drives , hard drives , floppy drives and / or tape drives . work station 4 typically is connected to other systems and devices through local area networks , typically , ( lan ) 24 , gateways 25 , and / or modems 26 . work station 4 includes a user interface ( ui ) 27 that uses icons and windows to represent various data objects and user applications such as display illustrating an office desktop metaphor employing various abstractions of a typical office and work station environment . fig6 is merely a simplified version of the display unit 51 , and hardware control panel 52 of the user interface 36 of machine 30 illustrating various soft control buttons such as full color 124 , black 126 , single color 128 , tray 1 ( 130 ), tray 2 ( 132 ), and auto reduction / enlargement including 100 % ( 134 ) and variable 136 . the printed wiring board 108 controlling the user interface 36 is able to monitor communications on the network 98 ( fig2 ) and display the communications on the screen 51 . each of the memories 112 , 114 , 116 , and 118 suitably store key status , event , and fault data related to the machine for access by a service representative , and display on screen 51 , or for remote transmission via modem 120 for display on screen 163 at remote side or host machine 57 . in the event of a machine malfunction , a service representative enters a hard key sequence that is recognized by the printed circuit board 108 . this can be entered at machine 30 or remotely from host machine 157 . the recognition of the key sequence by the printed circuit board 108 enables the control 108 to monitor the communications network 98 and display communications either on screen 51 of machine 30 or on screen 163 at host machine 157 . the machine operator , as is well known , is able to set up or program the next job or a future machine job as illustrated by the touch screen 51 in fig7 . that is , by suitable selection of displayed features , a job can be programmed such as full color , black , or single color , or a particular size paper such as tray 1 containing 8 . 5 × 11 &# 34 ; copy sheets or tray 2 containing 11 &# 34 ;× 17 &# 34 ; copy sheets , or select a particular reduction / enlargement mode for example , 1009 or variable . it should be understood that the screen 51 of fig6 is exemplary of typical display screens at user interfaces and that additional soft buttons can be displayed in the same frame or subsequent frames and can be selectively engaged by the operator or service representative . also there can be a selection of suitable hard buttons shown on the panel 52 , also available at keyboard 180 of host machine 157 for various operations and functions . for example , either hard or soft buttons can be used to select full size copies , 94 % size copies , 77 % size copies or any variable size copy as well as buttons to engage a recirculating document feeder to operate in a collate mode or non - collate mode . in addition , suitable buttons can enable the user or service representative to select , in a given machine environment , finisher operations such as stapled , non - stapled , non - collated , and such features as duplex copying and offset stacking and to perform various recording and diagnostic operations . the remote notification preset mode for presetting conditions requiring automatic notification to selected remote stations is entered into by any suitable switch such as preset button 220 shown in fig6 . also , illustrated in fig7 is a pop up notice rn in any suitable location on the screen display 51 to alert the operator or user at screen 51 that a notice has been transmitted to the location of the device incorporating screen 51 . such a notice can be any suitable eye catching notice such as a highlighted message or flashing signal prominently displayed to attract the attention of an operator or user at the receiving station . upon the receipt of the notice , a suitable switch such as the remote display button 221 is activated to display in more detail the content of the received message or messages . upon engagement of the preset mode button 220 , a preset reporting condition mode screen will appear to the operator such as the screen illustrated in fig7 . in accordance with the present invention , various reporting and operating features are available to the operator for setting a machine to automatically report predetermined conditions to another machine , to a host machine , to a portable receiving device or pager or to any other remote location requiring notification . it should be noted that , although the following description pertains to the setting of reporting conditions in the control of the machine 30 by the user of the interface of machine 30 , it is well within the scope of the present invention to be able to set predetermined reporting conditions for any number of systems or devices within a network or orbit of devices from a given system or device and to set the conditions for any of these systems or devices to automatically report to any other system or device . the selection of conditions for automatic reporting can be any suitable arbitrary selection of key reporting indicators appropriate to any given user interface . in a preferred embodiment , as illustrated in fig7 the selection process is achieved through a hierarchy of selection categories leading to selection of more detailed events or conditions . the first general category is whether or not the conditions are machine related ( accessed by button 222 ) or are job related ( accessed by button 224 ). typical of job related events for automatic notification are a notification that the job has been completed ( set by switch 234 ), notification after the completion of x number of copies ( enabled by switch 236 ), or notification after a given job interrupt ( programmed by switch 238 ). switches 234 , 236 and 238 could be hard button switches on a keyboard or soft button display switches as illustrated in fig8 . switches 234 , 236 , and 238 are merely illustrative and it is within the scope of the present invention to include any other suitable notification , event or condition . switch 232 , enable always , allows the user to select all of the conditions that are available for automatic reporting . engaging button 232 would automatically set up for notification a preset default condition of a number of copies completed requiring notification . to change the preset number of copies requiring automatic notification , the user would engage switch 236 and then key into the control the required or desired number of copies for automatic notification using the user interface keyboard or any other suitable keyboard such as a soft display keyboard that could be provided on the interface display . in accordance with the present invention , once the job related automatic reporting conditions are selected , the appropriate remote station for receiving the automatic report is selected using scroll switch 250 and select switch 252 in cooperation with display window 240 titled &# 34 ; select call address &# 34 ;. using the scroll button 250 , the user scrolls or displays remote stations within the communications orbit or large area network accessible by machine 30 . for example , window 240 illustrates host machine no xyz at window slot 242 , workstation ab at window slot 244 , workstation ac at slot 246 and a pager or any other portable unit in slot 248 . within the window 240 , one of the slots will be highlighted or bracketed as shown at slot 242 to be the one that will be selected to receive the automatic reporting upon the activation of select switch 252 . it should be noted that any number of appropriate remote stations could be included for display in window 240 and that more than one remote station can be selected by select button 252 to receive notification of job related conditions . in accordance with the present invention , by engaging the switch or button 222 , the operator or user sets up the machine related mode for identifying machine related conditions to be automatically reported to a given remote station . the machine related conditions , generally relate to machine diagnostics , machine components , and in general to the events and conditions related to the operation and status of the machine rather than to the initiation and completion of a given jog requirement . switches or buttons 226 &# 34 ; enable always &# 34 ;, 228 &# 34 ; enable after fault &# 34 ;, and 230 &# 34 ; enable at threshold &# 34 ; are further classifications of machine related events and conditions . switches 228 and 230 , upon engagement , will provide the operator with a more detailed breakdown of conditions and events to be automatically transmitted to a remote station as illustrated by the options shown in fig8 . the enable always button 226 merely gives the user the option to require notification whether or not the event or condition is after a fault or at a threshold level . with reference to fig8 if enable at threshold button 230 is engaged shown in fig7 window 254 will display various options requiring automatic response . as an illustration , window 254 shows three conditions of toner supply ; medium , in slot 262 , low in slot 264 and empty in slot 266 . other threshold levels to be reported are shown in slots 268 , 270 , and 272 , in particular , a cumulative count &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; number of images processed , &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; number of images processed , and &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; number of cumulative photoreceptor revolutions . such information , in particular , as sent to a host station or a service representative location can alert a service representative of cumulative machine wear and such things as component depletion in order to schedule or be prepared for a service call at a particular machine . as in the case of job related conditions , the user can scroll and select various thresholds to be reported using scroll button 256 and select button 260 . as an option , a change number button 258 is available to change the threshold numbers x , y and a as shown in slots 268 , 270 , and 272 . once a given slot is suitably highlighted for example , slot 268 , by activating the change number button 258 , the operator or user can change the threshold level of the number of images for notification to any suitable number . these numbers can be keyed in at any suitable keyboard at the user interface . in a similar manner , upon activation of the enable after fault button 228 , window 274 appears with various fault conditions to be scrolled using scroll button 282 and selected by select button 286 . for example , window 274 illustrates in slot 276 &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; number of software crashes , slot 278 &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; number of paper jams of a category number 1 , and slot 280 for &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; number of paper jams of a number 2 category . it should be understood that various jam and malfunction conditions or recorded cumulative numbers of such conditions can be set for automatic recording to a remote station . change button number 284 allows the user to change the threshold numbers of various set jam counts or malfunction counts . as discussed with fig7 for any selected threshold or after fault condition to be recorded , the operator selects the receiving station using scroll 250 and select button 252 . window 240 can be the same window 240 as shown in fig6 to scroll the various remote stations to be selected for receiving the particular selected machine related faults . in accordance with the present invention , fig9 illustrates a typical display screen at a remote station receiving the automatic call or reported information . once the remote receiving station has received reported information or notification , any suitable visual or audio indicator can be activated to alert the operator at the remote receiving station . for example , as shown in fig5 on screen 51 , a remote notice rn window is shown in phantom . this could be a blinking light , a steady back lit message with audio alarm , or any other suitable alerting mechanism . upon being alerted , the operator engages remote display 221 which would display on screen 51 a frame such as illustrated in fig9 giving the status of various remote stations . the remote status window 296 discloses various reporting devices and current conditions such as the device xyz with a jam # 1 condition ( in slot 298 ), device xfn with a job complete condition ( in slot 302 ) and device zko with a toner low condition ( in slot 304 ). the currently reporting device could be indicated by highlighting , for example , by highlighting device xyz in slot 298 . this general procedure is illustrated in the flow chart shown in fig1 and 11 . in particular , block 303 illustrates entering the automatic notification preset mode and block 305 illustrates selecting either the machine related mode or the job related mode as illustrated by buttons 222 and 224 in fig7 . decision block 306 determines whether the mode is a job related mode and if yes , there is a selection of the enable options as illustrated at block 308 , in particular the options shown by buttons 232 , 234 , 236 , and 238 in fig7 . once an enable option has been selected , the next step is to select the destination for receiving the notification as shown at block 310 . after each selection of a destination , illustrated at fig7 and 8 at window 240 , there is a determination as to whether or not it is the last selected destination for the particular enable option selected as illustrated at decision block 112 . if not , another destination is selected until there are no more selected destinations . after the last selected destination for a particular selected job related event or condition , there is a determination whether or not the selected enable option is the last selected option as shown at decision block 314 . it should be understood that the selected options are suitably recorded in appropriate memory in the machine 30 control as well as a record of the destination or remote station to receive the automatic notification . during the operation of the machine , the control will continually scan and monitor appropriate memory locations for the selected conditions such as illustrated by the data and threshold file 185 in fig3 . when a particular condition or threshold is reached as a result of machine control monitoring the machine sensors and switches , a coincidence of comparing of present machine conditions with the stored reference or reporting conditions , the machine will trigger an automatic transmission or notification to the selected remote stations . returning to fig1 , block 314 , upon completion of the designation of the last enable option for the job related mode , in accordance with the procedure for setting notification conditions , the operator will then set the machine related options as illustrated at block 316 . if an enable at threshold option is selected as shown at 318 , the thresholds will be selected at block 320 , and for each threshold selected a particular destination for notification as illustrated at block 322 . block 324 illustrates the selection of appropriate destinations for each threshold , and once all the destinations are selected , as shown at block 324 for a given threshold , there is the opportunity to select and designate any given number of thresholds as shown at block 326 . in a similar manner , there is the opportunity for the user to set conditions for reporting of fault conditions as illustrated at block 328 . block 332 in fig1 shows selecting of default options and as discussed above , blocks 334 and 336 illustrate a selection of a given destinations for each selected fault option , and block 338 illustrates the option to select the various fault options before the sequence exits as shown at either blocks 340 or 330 . in accordance with the present invention , with reference to fig1 , there is shown a typical screen display for programming or presetting a machine for communication or notification to a portable remote device . for setting up communications to a simple portable device such as a digital pager , a more simplified procedure would be preferable . this procedure is primarily to alert and notify a machine monitor responsible for a cluster of machines at a single location or a set of machines at divergent locations . notification of events stopping a job run such as out of paper , machine jam or shutdown , and status such as job completion and time to completion become significant to maintain an efficient reproduction operation . for a typical notification set - up screen display soft button 140 on screen 51 illustrates &# 34 ; enable always &# 34 ; that is , remote communication or notification will be generated at anytime upon the occurrence of preselected events . on the other hand , button 142 enables the system to initiate remote communication only after a given fault , and button 144 enables the system to initiate a remote call only if a particular job is programmed for &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; or greater number of copies . window 145 illustrates a button to enable the operator to preset &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; for a given number . other buttons for presetting features are contemplated such as specifically identifying only certain faults that would trigger the remote call . these faults could be an out of copysheet condition in general , an out of copysheet condition at a specific copysheet tray , or a low toner condition . other conditions could be preset such as making the remote call after a given job has been completed or after a predetermined period of time after a job has been completed . the disable button 146 provides the option to deactivate or disengage the remote call system at the preference of the machine monitor or key operator as conditions might dictate . button 148 provides the means to identify the particular remote station . the number could be the number of a machine at a remote location interconnected over telephone lines or preferably the number of a portable pager in the possession of a key operator or machine monitor . button 152 provides the means to code various messages as illustrated in window 154 . these coded messages can be displayed on any suitable pager such as the mobile comm r digital pager . button 150 on screen 51 merely enables the machine operator to exit the pager programming frame to other frames for display at the user interface . with reference to fig1 , there is illustrated machine to pager communication . the machine 30 with user interface 36 has a machine identification number 01379 illustrated at 158 . in accordance with the present invention , pager 160 is illustrated at a location remote from machine 30 . upon detection of any given condition such as an out of paper condition , a predetermined fault condition , or an end of job , machine 30 automatically initiates a call to pager 160 via modem 120 shown in fig2 . it should be understood that any of the various conditions to initiate the automatic call have been suitably sensed within machine 30 and an indication or data pertaining thereto has been suitably stored in memory 112 , 114 , 116 , or 118 or any other suitable temporary or random access memory . upon sensing the condition , the control initiates the external call via modem 120 by any suitable means such as well know in the art . the pager 160 receives the call and provides an audio or other signal to manifest that a call is also being received as is also well known in the art . at a suitable window 162 of pager 160 , the transmitted message or code from machine 30 is displayed , for example , the identification number 013790 for the machine 30 to identify the calling source . in addition to the identification 013790 , other suitable coded messages can be transmitted and displayed in window 160 . for example , the displayed codes would represent the predetermined conditions set into the machine 30 by the operator with the pager programming frame as illustrated in fig4 . these coded message would then be observed by an operator or machine monitor in possession of the pager 160 to identify a particular machine having a particular condition . fig1 , illustrates a typical remote notification procedure for notification to a portable device such as a pager . a job is set up and initiated at blocks 160 and 162 . at block 164 there is a decision as to whether or not the job has been completed . job completion could have been one of the conditions preset into the control . if the job has been successfully completed , there is a decision as to whether or not the remote pager has been enabled and programmed for this particular condition as illustrated at block 166 . if the pager has not been enabled and programmed for remote call initiation , as illustrated at block 168 , there will be no notification to the remote pager . the machine monitor or key operator will therefore have no knowledge of the particular condition and the machine will remain idle unless pre - programmed for multiple jobs . if in fact the machine has been pre - programmed to initiate a remote call after the successful completion of a job , then the key operator will be paged upon completion of the job illustrated at block 170 . block 172 merely illustrates the key operator responding in some manner to the remote communication , presumably to return to the machine to initiate another job or perform any other maintenance routines . if the job has not been successfully completed then at block 174 a determination is made as to whether or not the remote call has been programmed and enabled . if not , no message will be communicated remotely as illustrated at block 168 and the machine will presumably remain idle . on the other hand , if the machine has been preset for a remote communication upon the particular event preventing completion of the job then , at block 170 a remote communication will be made to the pager with a code identifying the machine and the specific condition condition generating the call . with reference to fig1 , there is illustrated an automatic call procedure to a remote portable device in response to sensed conditions . it should be noted that similar procedures would apply for automatic call or notification to any designated remote station in response to sensed conditions . at block 180 there is a display of machine condition options to be preset for automatic call , at block 182 the key operator selects &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; conditions for automatic call . it should be understood that the necessary codes to identify the conditions for call are already assumed to predetermined . at block 184 , the machine operation has been initiated and the machine is in a monitoring operation . at block 186 there is a detection of a machine status or condition . this could be any fault , condition , or event of the machine . most of these detected events or conditions , however , will not initiate an automatic call to the pager . at block 188 , the decision is made as to whether or not a detected machine status is status condition # 1 of the stored &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; conditions for automatic call . if yes , the machine status is converted into a code at block 190 for remote communications , and at block 192 , a call is initiated to the remote station or pager with the appropriate machine identification . if the detected machine status on the other hand , is not condition 1 of the stored &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; conditions a decision is made as to whether or not the detected machine status is condition # 2 of the stored &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; condition . if yes , a remote communication call is initiated identifying condition # 2 . if not , the detected machine status is compared to stored condition 3 . this sequence continues until , if the detected machine status is not any of the 1 through &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; minus one of the stored &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; conditions for automatic call , the decision is made as to whether the detected machine status is condition &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; for automatic call as illustrated at decision block 194 . if yes , the machine status is coded at 190 and the call is initiated to the remote station with the machine identification as illustrated at block 192 . if the detected machine status is not conditioned &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; of the stored &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; conditions for automatic call , then no automatic call is required and the machine continues operation and monitoring as illustrated by the loop 196 to block 184 . while the invention has been described with reference to the structure disclosed , it is not confined to the details set forth , but it is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the scope of the following claims .

6Physics

as illustrated in fig1 a continuous traveling paper web w is supplied from a source either from an unwind roll as in a converting machine , or from the dryer section of a continuous operation paper making machine , and the web passes over a guide roll 10 into a breaker press nip n - 1 . the breaker press nip is formed between a chilled iron roll 11 and a stainless steel variable crown roll 12 . as illustrated in the fragmentary sectional view of fig3 the variable crown roll , while it may take various constructions , may be of the type shown in the justus u . s . pat . no . 3 , 276 , 102 . the stainless steel roll 12 has a roll shell 12a with a nip controlling pressure shoe 12b within the roll shell 12a opposite the nip . radial pressure shown schematically in the form of the arrows 12c applied to the shoe controls the pressure in the nip . as illustrated in fig1 the web after passing through the nip n - 1 and receiving the breaker stack pressing operation immediately passes into a second coating nip n - 2 , traveling along the surface of the second roll 12 between the two nips . in being so controlled the web does not have to pass through a complete open draw following the separate breaker stack as is normal in operation with devices heretofore available which devices had the hazards of threading a separate breaker stack and a separate coater and with this combined operation , the sheet can be threaded by using carrier ropes in the conventional manner . it is also believed that an improved result occurs in reducing the amount of time between the breaker stack operation and coating or sizing operation with the effect of the breaker operation on the web being better retained if the coating can be applied as soon thereafter as possible . for controlling the breaker operation in the nip n - 1 , the pressure in the nip is regulated by the chilled iron breaker roll 11 being mounted on a pivotal arm 13 pivoted at 14 with a force being applied to the arm by an air bellows 15 . the pivot point 14 is so arranged that it is at one side of the bearings for the chilled iron roll so that the weight of the breaker stack will cause the nip to fall open when air is released from the bellows 15 . on the offrunning side following the nip of the breaker roll 11 is located a doctor 16 which keeps the chilled iron breaker roll clean and prevents sheet wrapups in the event of paper web break following the breaker nip . the size press coating nip n - 2 is formed between the coating roll 12 and a third roll 20 . for regulating the pressure in the nip n - 2 , the second roll 12 is mounted on bearings on an arm 17 pivoted at 18 and an air bellows 19 operates the arm to control the pressure in the nip n - 2 , in the range of 50 to 350 pli . following the nip , the web passes upwardly over guide rolls 21a and 22 . in the operation as shown in fig1 the lower side or wire side of the web is coated first . the wire side has a higher absorptive rate and results in less picking on the supercalender rolls in a subsequent finishing operation . if the top side is coated first , the fibers are believed to pick up an excess of coating which tends to flake off in later operations . the difference in absorptive rates of the two sides of the paper web is due to it being formed on an open fourdrinier wire with a greater amount of fines being collected on the upper surface of the wire due to the one direction drainage . with webs that are formed on twin wire forming machines such as are known in the art where the stock is directed between two traveling wires and drainage is provided in both directions , the resultant paper web will not be two sided , and the difference in absorption of the two sides of the web will be essentially eliminated so that either side could be coated first . for the applying the coating or sizing to the underside of the web , it is transferred to the surface of the third roll 20 by size press rolls 21 , 23 and 24 . these rolls are arranged in horizontal nipped arrangement so that the first size press nip n - 3 is formed between the coating roll 20 and the size press roll 21 , another transfer nip n - 4 is provided between the rolls 21 and 23 , and a nip n - 5 is formed between the rolls 23 and 24 . in the nip n - 5 a coating supply is provided by conduits 25 in a measured amount . control of the quantity of transfer of coating to the roll 20 and hence to the web passing through the nip n - 2 is regulated by pressure in the size roll nips n - 3 , n - 4 and n - 5 . for this purpose , the size press roll 23 is mounted on an arm 28 pivoted at 29 and a controllable air bellows 30 applies a force to the arm 28 to control the pressure in the nip n - 4 . the size press roll 24 is mounted on a swing arm 31 pivoted at 32 and an air bellows 33 applies a force to arm to control the pressure in the nip n - 5 . in the arrangement shown in fig2 the structure is arranged in accordance with the principles of the invention , but the apparatus permits coating both sides of the web following the size press . the web w &# 39 ; is supplied continuously over a guide roll 40 into a first nip n - 1 &# 39 ; where the breaker press operation occurs . the nip n - 1 &# 39 ; is formed between a chilled iron breaker roll 41 and a stainless steel roll 45 . following the size press , a doctor 41a is applied to the chilled iron roll . to control the pressure in the first press nip n - 1 &# 39 ;, the chilled iron roll is mounted on a swing arm 42 pivoted at 43 with a force applied to the arm by an air bellows 44 . the bellows is constructed so as to obtain a pressure in the nip n - 1 &# 39 ;, in the range of 0 to 400 pounds per lineal inch . this capacity is similar to the capacity of the structure of fig1 where the bellows 15 is arranged to obtain a pressure in the nip n - 1 in the same range . as shown in fig2 immediately following the nip n - 1 &# 39 ; the web is passed upwardly over a guide roll 41b and passed into the second nip or coating nip n - 2 &# 39 ;. a coating nip n - 2 &# 39 ; is formed between the roll 45 and a third roll or coating roll 49 . the web passes downwardly into the second nip n - 2 &# 39 ;, and the nip acts as a puddle coater with coating being applied to both sides of the web simultaneously through puddle coating supply tubes 50 and 51 . following the coating nip n - 2 &# 39 ;, the web is led out of the second nip over a guide roll 61 . the structure of fig2 can also readily be employed as a measured or controlled size press coater for applying sizing to the upper side of the web by the size press . this arrangenent may be used to apply sizing to the upper side of the web alone in the nip n - 2 &# 39 ; or sizing can be applied to the upper side of the web while simultaneously supplying coating to the underside of the web by the puddle coating supply 50 . for applying a layer of size to the upper side of the web , the coating is transferred to the roll 49 through metering size press rolls 52 and 53 . the supply of sizing is supplied through a tube 54 into the fourth nip n - 4 &# 39 ;. the metered coating is carried on the surface of the roll 52 and transferred to the roll 49 at the nip n - 3 &# 39 ;. for controlling pressures in the size roll nips , the size roll 52 is supported on a swing arm 55 mounted at pivot points 56 and loading force is applied to the aarm 55 by an air bellows 57 . the size roll 53 is supported on a swing arm 58 pivoted at 59 , and a nip loading force is applied to the arm by an air bellows 60 . in operation of the structure of fig2 the web w &# 39 ; is continuously fed into a first nip n - 1 between the chilled iron roll 41 and the stainless steel roll 45 , and the web then is immediately threaded down into the coating nip n - 2 between rolls 45 and 49 where it is coated by a puddle coating operation on both sides , or by size press metering operation to the upper side which may , if desired , be accompanied by the puddle coating application through the line 50 to the lower side . the breaker press operation is immediately followed by a coating operation and the units effect a more rapid handling of the paper and avoids the necessity of open draws utilizing a fewer number of rolls and equipment requiring less size and space . in fig2 if only a gate roll coating application were to be used , the web run would more than likely follow the roll surface into the nip like fig1 and bypass the guide roll 41b . the principles of the invention are also applicable to paper machines running both ground wood sheets such as telephone directory and catalog as well as wood - free sheets such as bond and offset . in this case , the ground wood grades would require the use of the breaker stack , but not the size press . the wood - free grades would require the use of the size press but not the breaker .

3Textiles; Paper

the present disclosure may be more fully understood by reference to fig1 which is a flow diagram of a process of treating waste from an animal growing barn 10 . as used herein , a facility for feeding and / or rearing animals may be referred to as a barn , a nursery barn , an animal housing unit , or even a flush barn to indicate a facility that is substantially enclosed and in which animals are fed and housed for an entire growing cycle or a portion thereof . for the systems and methods of the present disclosure , a growing barn will have openings or grates in at least a portion of the floor and a reservoir or tank under the floor so that animal wastes and spillage from feeding will fall into or can be washed into a reservoir under the floor . in certain embodiments the system will include a sump or wet well to collect the waste from the barn , typically by gravity flow . in the practice of a preferred embodiment , a high volume of water is used to flush ( arrow 40 ) the barn into a reservoir or wet well , and the flushed waste is pumped into an enclosed primary anaerobic digester 12 , preferably a complete mix digester . the outflow ( arrow 42 ) from the anaerobic digesters 12 , 14 flows into an anaerobic digester solids concentrator 16 . a portion of the sludge from the solids concentrator 16 may also be pumped ( arrow 44 ) to the digesters 12 , 14 . in barns designed to house around 3000 hogs , the volume of flush water may be about 13 , 000 gallons per day and will typically contain about 1 % solids or less . as described in example 1 , below , a preferred anaerobic digester may have a capacity of about 40 , 000 gallons . this volume is sufficient for a 3 , 000 hog nursery during the early stages of the growing cycle , but may not be sufficient to handle the larger volume of waste produced in the second half of the growing cycle . therefore , a secondary anaerobic digester 14 may be added to the system to provide surge capacity for the last half of the growing cycle . for example , during the startup cycle , the total flushed volume is routed to the primary digester 12 and a portion of the sludge from the solids concentrator 16 is routed to primary digester 12 until the primary digester 12 contains 10 % solids . this occurs approximately 35 - 40 days into the growing cycle ( see fig2 ). when the primary digester 12 reaches 10 % solids , the sludge return from the anaerobic concentrator is routed to the secondary digester 14 until the end of a growing cycle , at which time the secondary digester 14 should contain about 10 % solids . as a new growing cycle begins , the total flushed solids are routed to the secondary digester 14 , which overflows into the primary digester 12 , and the sludge from the solids concentrator 16 are routed to the primary digester 12 . when the solids concentration in the secondary digester 14 reaches about 1 %, the flush volume is routed to the primary digester 12 . when the solids in primary digester 12 reach about 10 % the sludge from the concentrator is routed to the secondary digester 14 and the cycle is repeated throughout subsequent growing cycles . excess sludge , which primarily results from a buildup of inorganic solids may also be removed ( arrow 62 ) dried and / or applied to land as a fertilizer . the clarified liquid from the anaerobic digester solids concentrator 16 flows ( arrow 46 ) to an activated sludge reactor 18 , where the liquid may be mixed with an oxygen source or air if necessary ( arrow 48 ) for aerobic digestion . the effluent from the activated sludge reactor 18 is routed ( arrow 50 ) to an activated sludge clarifier 20 , for separation of solids from the liquid . sludge from the activated sludge clarifier 20 may be pumped ( arrow 52 ) to the activated sludge reactor 18 or excess solids may be routed ( arrow 54 ) to an anaerobic digester 12 or 14 . clarified effluent from the activated sludge clarifier may be routed ( arrow 56 ) to a water storage tank 22 , and used for high volume flushing ( arrow 58 ) of the barn 10 or excess water may be applied to land for irrigation ( arrow 60 ). alternatively the clarified liquid may be applied directly without use of a water storage tank . in certain preferred embodiments , the present invention addresses several problems that plague the hog industry , in particular the odor and potential pollution created by intensive hog farming . the standard ways of handling hog waste has been to minimize the amount of water in order to create less waste volume . the waste is flushed to open lagoons for a combination of aerobic and anaerobic digestion and then spread on the land . enclosed anaerobic digestion would eliminate much of the odor release , but most anaerobic digesters such as those used in municipal sewage treatment systems are too expensive and thus impractical for small farm operations . the present system , however , can be constructed using plywood tanks that are reinforced with wire cable and lined with a plastic or polymer material such as polyethylene , for example . tanks can also be constructed of other materials such as fiberglass , concrete , or composite materials , but the plywood or oriented strand board ( osb ) tanks are typically the least expensive and can be built on site , so no transportation of large tanks is necessary . the anaerobic digesters may be of any type known in the art , with complete mix digesters being the most preferred . one of the primary advantages provided by the present invention is that the waste is totally enclosed and controlled once it leaves the barn . no open air lagoons are used that create odors and that are affected by weather conditions . in addition , rather than minimizing water as in prior art systems , the present invention uses large volumes of water and frequent flushing of the barn . in this way , the fresh manure is removed from the barn before it can create an intense odor problem . flushing may be daily , or even every 6 or 12 hours in certain systems . the following examples are included to demonstrate preferred embodiments of the invention . it should be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the techniques disclosed in the examples which follow represent techniques discovered by the inventor to function well in the practice of the invention , and thus can be considered to constitute preferred modes for its practice . however , those of skill in the art should , in light of the present disclosure , appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the terms and abbreviations used herein are intended to retain their ordinary meaning as known and used in the art . the following definitions are provided : bod : biochemical oxygen demand is defined as the quantity of oxygen used by bacteria in the breakdown of organic matter in a specified time , at a specified temperature , under specified aerobic conditions . normally measured at 68 ° f . over a 5 - day period to produce a value referred to as bod 5 . the following example describes a system and method for liquid flushing of a barn designed for raising hogs . the sizes of the equipment and calculations of treated waste in this example are based on the growing cycle of a nursery containing about 3000 hogs . mass balance for system treating residuals from a 3000 hog nursery all of the compositions and methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure . while the apparatus and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments , it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the apparatus and / or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departing from the concept , spirit and scope of the invention . all such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit , scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims .

0Human Necessities

fig1 shows a mock - up of a sample web page 100 . the web page 100 can include various content pieces , including main body text 105 , comments 110 , 115 , image 120 , and advertising 125 . each of these content pieces can be created by a different agent . for example , in one implementation , the main body text 105 is created by the owner of the web page 100 , the comment 110 is authored by a first agent of the web page 100 , and comment 115 is authored by a second agent of the web page 100 . an agent is any individual or entity that either provides content pieces , edits existing content pieces , or reviews existing content pieces on a web page . an owner of a web page is the agent that has ultimate control over the web page , including control over all of the content pieces of the web page , including content pieces provided by other agents . agents that are not owners generally have limited control over content pieces on the web page . for example , in one implementation , a non - owner agent can place a comment on the web page , but not edit or delete the comments of other agents that are included within the web page . in an alternative implementation , the comment 110 is authored by the first agent of the web page 100 , and the comment 115 is authored by the owner of the web page 100 . the advertising 125 can be provided by a third - party advertising service , and the contents of the advertising may or may not be under the control of the owner of the web page 100 . in other words , even though the web page 100 may be owned by a single agent , it is possible for content pieces within the web page 100 to have been created or supplied by agents other than the owner of the web page 100 . each content piece can be signed with a digital signature , either directly by the agent or indirectly on behalf of the agent . the digital signature identifies the agent that actually created each content piece on the web page 100 . in one implementation , each individual content piece on a web page is signed separately . in an alternative implementation , one or more content pieces on a web page is signed while other content pieces on the same web page remain unsigned . in another implementation , a digest or hash of the content piece or content pieces can be generated , and the digest or hash of the content piece is signed . any suitable protocol for creating and validating digital signatures can be used , e . g ., xml digital signatures . additional information about xml digital signatures may be found in the xml - signature syntax and processing recommendation of feb . 12 , 2002 , available from the world wide web consortium ( w3c ) at http :// www . w3 . org / tr / xmldsig - core / and incorporated here by reference . the agent signing each content piece can claim various roles relative to the content , e . g ., author , publisher , editor , or reviewer . the signature provides evidence that a particular agent has asserted its role with respect to the signed content piece , as the agent has exclusive access to the private key used to sign the content piece . in one implementation , the digital signature can include within the scope of the content signed other metadata such as creation date , review score , or recommended keywords for search . in one implementation , agents have the ability to sign a subset of a web page , and exclude content for which the agent does not claim any responsibility . for example , an agent can sign a document while excluding any ads which are being served alongside the document . signatures can be applied to anything from an individual hyperlink to an entire document . signatures can also be applied to text , images , audio , video , or any other digital content . the signature allows anyone to verify that the content that is signed has not been materially altered since the signature was generated . signatures can be portable or fixed to a particular web page or uniform resource locator ( url ). for example , a syndicated columnist may wish to sign a column once upon creation , and have the signature follow the document wherever it is published . in other cases , the agent signing the content may wish to prevent their reputation from being used to draw traffic to sites they do not control . in either instance , the metadata associated with the digital signature can indicate whether or not the reputation associated with the signing agent is portable or not . for example , in one implementation , the signature is linked to the url of the site where the content is located by including the url as metadata within the signed content . in one implementation , multiple agents can sign content on a single web page . for example , a message board or web log can allow each post to be signed by its respective author . in an alternative implementation , unsigned content pieces can be attributed to a synthetic agency identified by the host , site , or url on which the content piece appears . in another implementation , a single agent that controls multiple websites can sign the content on each of the multiple website , indicating that the single agent is responsible for the content on all of the multiple websites . each digital signature is tied to the content piece that is signed . in one implementation , the digital signature can be appended to the content piece , or otherwise located in immediate proximity to the content piece . in another implementation , the content piece can contain a link to the digital signature , e . g ., a uniform resource identifier ( uri ) identifying the digital signature . in yet another implementation , the digital signature is located in a central file or directory separate from the content piece , and some portion or all of the content piece covered by the digital signature is the target of a link from the central file or directory . in any of these implementations , the digital signature can be used to verify that the content piece has not been modified since the content piece was signed by the agent . the digital signatures can be used to influence the ranking of web search results by indicating the agent responsible for a particular content piece . in one implementation , the reputation for an agent is expressed as a numerical score . a high reputational score indicates that the agent has an established positive reputation . the reputational scores of two or more agents can be compared , and the agent having the higher reputational score can be considered to be more authoritative . in an alternative implementation , multiple scores can be computed for different contexts . for example , an agent might have a first score for content that the agent has written , and a second score for content that the agent has reviewed . in another example , an agent that is responsible for an entertainment magazine could have a high reputation score for content related to celebrity news , but a low reputation score for content related to professional medical advice . assuming that a given agent has a high reputational score , representing an established reputation for authoring valuable content , then additional content authored and signed by that agent will be promoted relative to unsigned content or content from less reputable agents in search results . similarly , if the signer has a large reputational score due to the agent having an established reputation for providing accurate reviews , the rank of the referenced content can be raised accordingly . a high reputational score need not give an agent the ability to manipulate web search rankings in one implementation , reputational scores are relatively difficult to increase and relatively easy to decrease , creating a disincentive for an agent to place its reputation at risk by endorsing content inappropriately . since the signatures of reputable agents can be used to promote the ranking of signed content in web search results , agents have a powerful incentive to establish and maintain a good reputational score . in one implementation , an agent &# 39 ; s reputation can be derived using a relative ranking algorithm , e . g ., google &# 39 ; s pagerank as set forth in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 285 , 999 , based on the content bearing the agent &# 39 ; s signature . using such an algorithm , an agent &# 39 ; s reputation can be determined from the extrinsic relationships between agents as well as content . intuitively , an agent should have a higher reputational score , regardless of the content signed by the agent , if the content signed by the agent is frequently referenced by other agents or content . not all references , however , are necessarily of equal significance . for example , a reference by another agent with a high reputational score is of greater significance than a reference by another agent with a low reputational score . thus , the reputation of a particular agent , and therefore the reputational score assigned to the particular agent , should depend not just on the number of references to the content signed by the particular agent , but on the importance of the referring documents and other agents . this implies a recursive definition : the reputation of a particular agent is a function of the reputation of the content and agents which refer to it . in this manner , the reputation of a particular agent can be calculated by an iterative procedure on a linked database . a linked database ( i . e . any database of documents containing mutual citations , such as the world wide web or other hypermedia archive , a dictionary or thesaurus , and a database of academic articles , patents , or court cases ) can be represented as a directed graph of n nodes , where each node corresponds to an agent along with all of the content pieces associated with that agent , and where the directed connections between nodes correspond to links from a content piece of one agent to a content piece of another agent . a given node has a set of forward links that connect it to children nodes , and a set of backward links that connect it to parent nodes . fig3 illustrates a linked database 300 . a first agent 310 is associated with content pieces 312 , 314 , a second agent 320 is associated with content pieces 322 , 324 , and a third agent is associated with content piece 332 . content piece 312 associated with the first agent 310 is linked ( 350 ) to content piece 322 associated with the second agent 320 , and content piece 324 associated with the second agent 320 is linked ( 352 ) to content piece 332 associated with the third agent 330 . content piece 314 associated with the first agent 310 is linked ( 354 ) to content piece 332 associated with the third agent 330 , in addition to content piece 332 being linked ( 356 ) back to content piece 314 . in this implementation , the rank of a particular agent a , r ( a ), is calculated as follows : where b 1 , . . . , b n are the agents that link to a , r ( b 1 ), . . . , r ( b n ) are their ranks , | b 1 |, . . . , | b n | are the number of forward links in content signed by the agent , α is a constant in the interval [ 0 , 1 ], and n is the total number of agents in the database . the constant α is interpreted as the probability that a user will jump randomly to any content piece instead of following a forward link . in an alternative implementation , a seed group of trusted agents can be pre - selected , and the agents within this seed group can endorse other content . agents whose content receives consistently strong endorsements can gain reputation . in either implementation , the agent &# 39 ; s reputation ultimately depends on the quality of the content which they sign . in another implementation , a set of trusted signing authorities can make additional assertions such as establishing the time when content was signed . this would allow priority to be determined if two agents attempted to sign similar content . the use of digital signatures permits the reputation system to link reputations with individual agents , and adjust the relative rankings based on all of the content each agent chooses to associate itself with , no matter the location of the content . for example , the content can be located across multiple websites , or mixed with the content of other agents on a single website . in another implementation , the content can include any sort of digital content , e . g ., e - mail , cd - roms , or dvds , and the content need not be located on the internet . in addition , although the use of digital signatures permits signed content to be associated with a specific agent , it is not necessary to know the actual identity of the agent . although each agent uses a private key unique to the agent to create each signature , no personal information about the agent is necessary for the signature to be created or for the signature to be used by others . in one implementation , the agent can revoke or otherwise invalidate the private key if the private key is compromised . once the private key is revoked , the signatures created using the revoked private key will not be accepted as valid , and will not be used to link the agent with the content signed with the revoked private key . fig2 shows the use of a content authoring tool to generate and manage the public and private keys necessary to generate signatures . the content authoring tool receives one or more content pieces from an agent ( step 210 ). the content pieces can include text , images , audio , video , or any other static digital content . the content pieces can represent an entire web site , an individual web page , or individual components of a web page . the content authoring tool then receives login credentials or other identifying information from the agent ( step 220 ). the login credentials or other identifying information uniquely identify the agent . in one implementation , personal information can be associated with the login credentials or other identifying information , e . g ., billing information . in an alternative implementation , no personal information is associated with the login credentials or other identifying information . next , the content authoring tool determines if the agent already has a public / private key pair for generating digital signatures ( step 230 ). if the agent does not have a public / private key pair , a key pair is generated for use by the agent ( step 240 ). in one implementation , the key pair is generated by an authentication service upon the request of the content authoring tool . in either case , the private key associated with the agent is used to create a digital signature for each of the content pieces ( step 250 ). in one implementation , various metadata can be associated with the digital signature , such as a timestamp indicating the time and date that the digital signature was created , keywords relating to the content piece , or the url of the website where the content piece is located . in one implementation , the metadata is appended to the content piece , and the content piece containing the metadata is digitally signed . in one implementation , the content authoring tool can also be used to determine if the signature associated with a content piece is valid , and identify the agent that signed the content piece in question . alternatively , any interested entity can use the public key portion of the public / private key pair to determine if the signature associated with a content piece is valid , and identify the agent that signed the content piece in question . in another implementation , the content authoring tool can be used by an agent acting in an editorial or reviewing role to digitally sign a content piece as having been edited or reviewed . the process is similar to that shown in fig2 and described above , with the addition that the digital signature created for each content piece includes metadata indicating that the agent edited or reviewed the digitally signed content piece . in one implementation , the metadata can also include a listing of edits performed or review score . embodiments of the invention and all of the functional operations described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer software , firmware , or hardware , including the structural means disclosed in this specification and structural equivalents thereof , or in combinations of them . embodiments of the invention can be implemented as one or more computer program products , i . e ., one or more computer programs tangibly embodied in an information carrier , e . g ., in a machine - readable storage device or in a machine - readable propagated electromagnetic signal , for execution by , or to control the operation of , data processing apparatus , e . g ., a programmable processor , a computer , or multiple processors or computers . a computer program ( also known as a program , software , software application , or code ) can be written in any form of programming language , including compiled or interpreted languages , and it can be deployed in any form , including as a stand alone program or as a module , component , subroutine , or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment . a computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file . a program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data , in a single file dedicated to the program in question , or in multiple coordinated files ( e . g ., files that store one or more modules , sub programs , or portions of code ). a computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network . the processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output . the processes and logic flows can also be performed by , and apparatus can also be implemented as , special purpose logic circuitry , e . g ., an fpga ( field programmable gate array ) or an asic ( application specific integrated circuit ). processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include , by way of example , both general and special purpose microprocessors , and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both . the essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data . generally , a computer will also include , or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to , or both , one or more mass storage devices for storing data , e . g ., magnetic , magneto optical disks , or optical disks . however , a computer need not have such devices . moreover , a computer can be embedded in another device , e . g ., a mobile telephone , a personal digital assistant ( pda ), a mobile audio player , a global positioning system ( gps ) receiver , to name just a few . information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non volatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , e . g ., eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks , e . g ., internal hard disks or removable disks ; magneto optical disks ; and cd rom and dvd - rom disks . the processor and the memory can be supplemented by , or incorporated in , special purpose logic circuitry . to provide for interaction with a user , embodiments of the invention can be implemented on a computer having a display device , e . g ., a crt ( cathode ray tube ) or lcd ( liquid crystal display ) monitor , for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device , e . g ., a mouse or a trackball , by which the user can provide input to the computer . other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well ; for example , feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback , e . g ., visual feedback , auditory feedback , or tactile feedback ; and input from the user can be received in any form , including acoustic , speech , or tactile input . embodiments of the invention can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component , e . g ., as a data server , or that includes a middleware component , e . g ., an application server , or that includes a front end component , e . g ., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the invention , or any combination of such back end , middleware , or front end components . the components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication , e . g ., a communication network . examples of communication networks include a local area network (“ lan ”) and a wide area network (“ wan ”), e . g ., the internet . the computing system can include clients and servers . a client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network . the relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client - server relationship to each other . particular embodiments of the invention have been described . other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . for example , actions recited in the method claims can be performed in different orders and still achieve desirable results .

6Physics

referring to fig1 , the inflatable vehicle cover ( 10 ) in its preferred embodiment is installed to a motor vehicle . cover ( 10 ) is constructed as an inflatable bladder , which when inflated , substantially conforms to the outer shape of all but the underside of a vehicle . cover ( 10 ) is constructed in a one - piece bladder fashion , heat welded at the edges for an airtight seal . cover ( 10 ) is also heat welded at particular points throughout the body to form a plurality of individual air pockets ( 12 ), all in fluid communication with one another . in its preferred embodiment , cover ( 10 ) is constructed of a thin , nylon - based material . the innermost surface of cover ( 10 ) is to be configured in a knitted fashion so as to provide a soft surface in contact with the outer surface of a vehicle , such as knitted nylon . alternatively , outer cover ( 10 ) may be fashioned of other materials as well including , but not limited to , polyester , polypropylene , acrylic , or such other light weight material as will render the cover an easily manageable size and weight . still referring to fig1 , cover ( 10 ) incorporates integrated compartment ( 14 ) to house removable inflation device ( 16 ), which snaps into compartment ( 14 ) allowing fluid communication of device ( 16 ) with the interior of cover ( 10 ). in its most preferable form , device ( 16 ) is a battery powered air pump ; however , it is also contemplated that device ( 16 ) may be powered via the vehicle &# 39 ; s power unit as well . device ( 16 ) may be manually controlled or controlled remotely via control unit ( 18 ). control unit ( 18 ) may be one of any of the known varieties of remote control technology , such as wired , infrared , or others as known in the art . in addition to the foregoing , still referring to fig1 , cover ( 10 ) incorporates entry port ( 20 ) to allow entrance and exit of the vehicle during or after full deployment of cover ( 10 ). entry port ( 20 ) is preferably a slit in the general area of the driver &# 39 ; s side door of a motor vehicle . entry port ( 20 ) is resealable via fastening mechanism ( 22 ). fastening mechanism ( 22 ) is preferably an industrial hook and loop fastening strip ; however , other fastening means such as a zipper or snaps are contemplated as well . cover ( 10 ) is also supplied with transparent regions ( 24 ) to allow visual inspection of the environment by an operator that has reentered the motor vehicle . finally , cover ( 10 ) incorporates band member ( 26 ) and attachment mechanisms ( 28 ) for quickly and efficiently securing cover ( 10 ) to a motor vehicle in an emergency situation . band member ( 26 ) is preferably comprised of an elasticized band or the like , and attachment mechanisms ( 28 ) are preferably magnetic members . optionally , band member ( 26 ) may be comprised of a cable member and locking mechanism for securing cover ( 10 ) onto a vehicle for longer periods of time , such as overnight when severe weather is eminent . in operation , cover ( 10 ) will be lightweight and small enough to stow in the trunk , tool box , or behind the seat of a vehicle . as the operator becomes aware of an impending hail storm or other hazardous weather situation , the operator removes cover ( 10 ) from its stowed position and rolls it onto the vehicle in the appropriate configuration . after ensuring that the cover is securely installed onto the vehicle via band member ( 26 ) and attachment members ( 28 ), the operator may then re - enter the vehicle via entry port ( 20 ) and reseal the opening in cover ( 10 ) using fastening mechanism ( 22 ) ( or take nearby cover if available ) and activate the inflation device ( 16 ) via a remote control ( 18 ). an internal sensor in inflation device ( 16 ) detects when the volume of air in cover ( 10 ) is at its optimum level and automatically shuts off device ( 16 ). the inflation process takes less than a minute . the operator may then monitor his or her surroundings from inside the vehicle through the transparent regions ( 24 ) in cover ( 10 ), generally in the location of the existing windows of the vehicle . finally , once the storm has subsided , the operator may then emerge from the vehicle through the resealable entry port ( 20 ) and reverse the process . although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense . various modifications of the disclosed embodiments , as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention . it is , therefore , contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention .

4Fixed Constructions

referring now to fig1 there is illustrated therein a heater assembly designated generally by reference numeral 10 and including a storage container or tank 11 and a heating apparatus 12 . in the illustrated embodiment the heater assembly 10 is shown as an electric hot water heater , but it will be understood that other heater assemblies , such as in a hemodialysis device , may use the teachings of the present invention . the heating apparatus 12 is constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and includes a heat transfer member 13 having one end thereof positioned within the interior of the hot water tank 11 and in direct contact with the water or other medium to be heated . most advantageously , an electric heating unit 14 is secured to the other end of the heat transfer member 13 exterior of the hot water tank 11 . the heating unit 14 is electrically operated via a pair of electrical leads 16 and 17 adapted to be connected to a suitable source of operating voltage . in the illustrative embodiment the heater 14 is operated from a conventional line source such as a 60 cycle 120 volt alternating current source . the hot water tank 11 includes an inlet 20 to receive cold water and an outlet 21 through which hot water is delivered through suitable pipes connected thereto . the details of construction of the heating apparatus 12 of the invention are illustrated in fig2 . as shown therein the heating apparatus 12 includes the heat transfer member 13 which has a heat absorbing end 26 and a heat transmitting or radiating end 27 and the electric heating unit 14 . the heat transfer member 13 is of conventional design and is commonly referred to as a heat pipe . the heat pipe 13 may include a wick or other medium 28 typically along its interior walls , which has a quantity of working fluid saturated therein . the working fluid may be any suitable liquid , such as water , freon , methyl alcohol , acetone , etc . briefly , a heat pipe functions as a very efficient device for transferring heat from a first location , i . e . from a heat source , to a second location at a slightly lower temperature with a very small temperature difference between the ends of the pipe . a heat pipe is generally considered a closed - loop two cycle system . the phase of operation includes a rapid heat transfer into the pipe resulting in evaporation of a working fluid therein . the evaporated working fluid is then transmitted along the pipe and condensed at the other end thereof . the cycle is completed by the returning of the condensate to the evaporating end by means of capillary or other action through a wick or other suitable means within the pipe . the heating apparatus 12 also includes a mounting flange 28 having a plurality of apertures 29 formed therein . the apertures 29 are adapted to receive fasteners 30 . the fasteners 30 are herein illustrated as bolts , but it will be understood that other fasteners , such as rivets or sheet metal screws , may be utilized . to provide a fluid - tight seal about an opening formed in the hot water tank 11 , a resilient pad or gasket 31 is positioned over the flange 28 . an insulator pad 33 is positioned on the other side of the flange 28 and provides thermal insulation between the heating unit 14 and the flange 28 . the heating unit 14 includes terminal bars 36 and 37 which are electrically connected to opposite ends of a heating wire 38 . preferably , the major portion of the heating wire is embedded within a high thermal conductivity , electrically insulative , filler material 39 which , in the illustrated embodiment , is located about a threaded central metal core member 40 . outwardly of the high - conductivity filler material 39 is a low thermal and electrical conductivity filler material 41 through which the terminating ends of the heating wire 38 pass . one end of the heating wire 38 is connected to the terminal 36 through a terminal post 43 while the other end of the heating wire 38 is connected to terminal 37 through a terminal post 44 . electrical connection to the heating wire 38 is made by a pair of screw contacts 46 and 47 . the entire heating unit 14 is encased in a housing 49 , preferably of very effective electrical insulating material . most advantageously , the core member 40 is provided with threads 50 and the heat - receiving end 26 of the heat transfer member ( heat pipe ) 13 is provided with corresponding threads 51 . the heating unit 14 , therefore , can be readily fastened to and removed from the heat absorbing end of the heat pipe 13 without requiring that the heat pipe 13 be removed from the hot water heater 10 , or other heating vessel . from the foregoing description of one embodiment of the heating apparatus 12 of the present invention , it will be apparent that it is of modular design with the heat transfer member 13 comprising one module and the heating element 14 comprising another module . with this construction , either module can be easily removed and replaced without replacement of the other module . also , the module , i . e . the heating unit 14 , having critical , high failure components , is positioned exteriorly of the water tank 11 , thereby permitting replacement of same without draining the water tank . referring now to fig4 there is illustrated therein an alternate embodiment of the heating apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and generally identified by the reference numeral 52 . the heating apparatus 52 includes a heat transfer member 53 and a heating unit 54 . as shown , the heat transfer member 53 has a plurality of longitudinal and / or radially outwardly directed radiating fins 60 secured to the heat radiating end 61 thereof . a heat absorbing end 62 is positioned with the heating unit 54 substantially in the same manner as unit 14 is positioned in fig1 and 3 . a fragmentary wall portion 71 of a water tank is illustrated and includes an opening 72 through which the heat transfer member 53 is inserted . the opening includes slots 73 plurally located to conform substantially to the position of the radiating fins 60 . therefore , the heat transfer member 53 can be inserted through the wall 71 and secured in place by a flange 78 with fasteners 80 . a resilient pad 84 is positioned between the flange 78 and the wall 71 and is sufficiently resilient to conform as necessary to the contour of the wall , as best seen in fig4 . referring now to fig5 and 6 , there is illustrated therein another alternate embodiment of a heating apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and designated generally by the reference numeral 90 . the heating apparatus 90 includes a curved plate - like heat transfer member 93 and a c - shaped heating unit 94 . as shown in fig6 the heat transfer member 93 has an l - shaped cross section and has a plurality of l - shaped heat pipes 95 therein . with this construction the heat transfer member 93 has an upper section 96 with a heat transferring or radiating end 97 and a lower section 98 having a heat absorbing end 99 . the upper section 96 forms the upper leg of the &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; and the lower section 98 forms the short leg of the &# 34 ; l &# 34 ;, as shown in fig6 . the c - shaped heating unit 94 has a u - shaped cross section as shown in fig6 the bight of the &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; fitting about the lower section 98 of the heat transfer member 93 . the heating unit 94 is similar in construction to the heating unit 14 in that it includes a heating wire 100 embedded within a high thermal conductivity sleeve 101 situated about a central metal core member 102 positioned about the heat absorbing end 99 of the transfer member 93 . a low thermal conductivity jacket 103 surrounds the sleeve 101 . additionally , the heating apparatus 90 includes an insulating gasket 104 positioned between the heating unit 94 and a wall 106 of a container or vessel . the heating unit 94 , of course , is secured to the wall 106 by suitable fasteners not shown . with the above - described construction the heating apparatus 90 is readily adaptable for mounting to the curved outer or inner wall surface of the heating vessel , such as a hot water tank or a hemodialysis device , with the lower section 98 extending through a slot in the wall of the vessel . referring now to fig7 there is illustrated therein still another alternate embodiment of a heating apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . in this embodiment , the heating apparatus is generally designated by the reference numeral 180 and includes a cylindrical heating unit 181 preferably of the type which is electrically energized . a plurality of apertures 182 , 183 and 184 extend into the heating unit from one end thereof , all the apertures being located equidistantly from each other about a common center point . fitted into each of the apertures 182 , 183 and 184 and extending outwardly from the heating unit 181 are a multiplicity of , e . g ., three heat pipes 187 , 188 and 189 . preferably , and as shown in fig7 the three heat pipes 187 , 188 and 189 are interconnected by an elongate web 190 having an appropriate , e . g ., a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ;, cross section . the web 190 may be perforated to improve fluid flow and provides a heat radiating surface to enhance transfer of heat from the heat pipes 187 - 189 to the liquid medium in which they are submersed . with the construction described above the heat transfer member of the heating apparatus 180 consists of the three heat pipes 187 - 189 and the interconnecting web 190 . as with the other embodiments , the heat transfer member is easily separable from the heating unit 181 and is preferably mounted within a vessel or container by means of a suitable flange and sealing gasket , not shown , to permit easy removal and replacement of the heating unit 181 . from the foregoing description of several embodiments of the heating apparatus of the present invention , it will be apparent that the disclosed heating apparatus has a number of advantages , some of which have been described above and others of which are inherent in the invention . in this respect an important advantage of the invention is the provision of a modular , readily removable heating unit which can be easily replaced when defective or when a larger heat capacity heating unit is desired . also from the foregoing description it will be understood that obvious modifications and variations can be made to the apparatus of the invention without departing from the teachings of the invention . for example , the heat transfer member can take various configurations as is apparent from the various embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings . also , for example , the heat transfer member can be press - fitted , welded , brazed , soldered , or otherwise secured into an opening in the wall of a container instead of being secured therein by means of a flange and fasteners and the heating unit can be press - fitted about the heat absorbing end of the heat transfer member positioned exteriorly of the container . accordingly , the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims .

5Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting

in the figures , an actuator / coupler device 10 is shown . in particular reference to fig1 - 15 the device includes a generally hollow 3 - sided housing 12 that telescopically houses a coupler 14 . forward and rear coupler shafts 16 , 20 secure the coupler 14 and housing 12 . as shown in fig1 , the forward and rear coupler shafts 16 , 20 secure through forward and rear housing holes 25 , 27 in the housing 12 . the holes 25 , 27 fix the movement of the shafts 16 , 20 relative to the housing 12 . as shown in fig1 , the shafts 16 , 20 pass through forward and rear coupler slots 24 , 26 in the coupler 14 . in this manner , the elongated forward and rear coupler slots 24 , 26 allow for limited lateral movement of the coupler 14 relative to the housing 12 . [ 0035 ] fig1 shows the internal components of the device 10 located within the coupler 14 . these components include a pair of opposing forward rollers 18 , and a pair of opposing rear rollers 22 . the respective roller shafts 16 , 20 , along with forward and rear bushings 28 , 30 hold and align the forward and rear rollers 18 within the coupler 14 and housing 12 . a dampener / shock absorber 32 is affixed between the opposing pair of forward rollers 18 and through the forward roller shaft 16 . the opposite end of the dampener 32 is secured to the coupler 14 through a dampener shaft 34 that secures to a central portion of the coupler 14 . an inner l - shaped plate 46 rigidly secures inside the coupler 14 . a brake piston rod assembly 36 secures on one end to the inner plate 46 , while the other end of the brake piston assembly 36 operationally integrates into a master cylinder assembly 40 and is secured to the rear roller shaft 20 between the rear rollers 22 . the master cylinder assembly 40 includes a throughboar 120 ( see fig1 ) for receipt of the rear roller shaft 20 , and also is retained on either side with grooved slots 60 in the outer side walls of the master cylinder assembly 40 that align with a protruding ribs 61 on either side of the inner side walls of the coupler 14 ( see fig1 ). this arrangement allows for lateral movement of the master cylinder assembly 40 relative to the coupler 14 , but prevents any substantial vertical movement thereof . the device 10 attaches at its forward end to a towing vehicle ( not shown ) with trailer hitch 42 incorporated into the forward end of the coupler 14 . the trailer hitch 42 is operationally secured in place to a coupler ball 63 ( see fig2 ) attached to the towing vehicle with a double pivot spring loaded wedge or slide lock 44 . the rearward end of the housing 10 secures to a towed vehicle ( not shown ). in operation , the device 10 operates the brakes ( not shown ) of the towed vehicle in response to decelerations of the towing vehicle . such decelerations of the towing vehicle cause the towed vehicle to compress housing 12 relative to the coupler 14 of the device 10 . because the rear roller shaft 20 is fixed to the housing 12 with regard to lateral movement , this compression forces the rear roller shaft 20 and rear pair of rollers 30 forward in the rear slot 26 of the coupler 14 . the rear rollers 30 ride on an upper inside surface of the coupler 14 . the forward movement of the rear roller 30 moves the master cylinder assembly 40 forward by virtue of the fact that the rear roller shaft 20 is affixed through throughbore 120 in the rearward end of the master cylinder assembly 40 , this movement results in the compression of a brake piston 124 ( see fig1 ) contained within the master cylinder assembly 40 thereby actuating , via a hydraulic connection 110 to the master cylinder assembly 40 , the brakes of the towed vehicle . an actuator spring 48 of the brake piston rod assembly 36 that surrounds a piston rod 52 provides sufficient biasing force to counteract emergency actuation of the brake piston 124 , which is described in detail hereinbelow . the actuator spring 48 is held in place on one end by a washer 62 and by a safety clip 50 on the other end that rigidly attaches to the piston rod 52 . the device 10 also includes a dampener 32 that operates in a manner similar to that described with regard to the brake system . in particular , movement of the towing vehicle relative to the towed vehicle in either direction will result in corresponding movement of the housing 12 relative to the coupler 14 . because the front roller shaft 16 is fixed relative to lateral movement to the housing 12 , movement of the housing 12 relative to the coupler 14 will also result in movement of the front pair of rollers 18 . the front rollers 18 move on the upper surface of the inner plate 46 , which is rigidly affixed to the coupler 14 . this movement of the front rollers 18 will translate to the dampener 32 , which on its other end is rigidly fixed by the dampener shaft 34 to the coupler 14 . the dampener 32 thereby acts in response to movement of the coupler in both directions to return the front pair of rollers 18 , as well as the housing 12 and coupler 14 , to a neutral position . as mentioned briefly hereinabove , the device 10 also includes a safety mechanism that will allow the brakes of the towed vehicle to apply in the event that the towed vehicle breaks away from the towing vehicle . in particular , a safety cable ( not shown ) attaches on one end to the towing vehicle . the other end attaches through an eyelet 58 of the spring clip 50 . the safety cable wraps around a safety cable ring 54 and returns for connection to the towing vehicle . the safety cable ring 54 captures the safety cable between the ring 54 and the inside of the coupler 14 . the safety cable wraps around the rounded center portion of the ring 54 , which avoids sharp bends in the safety cable that might tend to weaken or damage the safety cable . in the event of a breakaway , the safety cable is pulled tight around the safety cable ring 54 thereby removing the slack and compressing the spring 48 by pulling the spring clip 50 rearward and away from the inner plate 46 . this moves the piston rod 52 rearward toward the master cylinder assembly 40 thereby compressing the brake piston 124 and applying the towed vehicle brakes . a safety catch 38 captures the piston rod 52 to retain it in position to maintain brake pressure until the safety catch 38 is manually released . the spring 48 biases the piston rod 52 back to its neutral position upon release of the safety catch 38 . the forward end of the piston rod 52 contains friction grooves to facilitate capture by the safety catch 38 . in other words , the piston 52 passes through holes in the safety catch 38 , inner plate 46 , and spring clip 50 which is rigidly attached to the piston rod 52 . this allows the piston rod 52 to compress under the influence of the safety cable to actuator the brake piston 124 . also , a spring 56 surrounding the piston rod 52 and located between the inner plate 46 and safety catch 38 biases the safety catch 38 after release of the safety catch 38 . the remaining figures show detailed views of the device including cross sectional views designed to better show the orientation of the various components of the device 10 , including those components discussed hereinabove . one of the components of the device 10 shown in the remaining figures but not already discussed in detail comprises the trailer hitch 42 and safety latch 44 ( shown best in fig2 ). in particular , the forward portion of the coupler 14 includes a curved underside portion 64 designed to receive the coupler ball 63 located on the back of the towing vehicle ( see fig2 , 12 ). insertion of the coupler ball 63 into the socket formed by the curved underside portion 64 initially moves a latch 66 into a substantially vertical position . a lower portion 68 of the latch 66 is curved in the shape of the coupler ball 63 and is designed to fit around the under side of the coupler ball 63 upon complete insertion of the coupler ball 63 and securement of the safety latch 44 . the latch 66 pivots about a shaft 70 between a position that allows for insertion and a position that allows for removal of the coupler ball 63 . an upper portion of the safety latch 44 includes a double pivoting latch cap 72 that consist of a latch top 74 and an extendable wedge plate 76 . the latch top 74 pivots about a top shaft 78 , and the extendable wedge plate 76 pivots about a wedge shaft 80 located toward the center of the latch top 74 . moving the latch cap 72 downward into the locking position moves the extendable wedge plate 76 into contact with an upper edge 82 of the latch 66 and rotates the latch 66 in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in fig2 . the extendable wedge plate 76 includes a wedge end 80 designed to move over the upper edge 82 of the latch 66 . this , in turn , rotates the curved lower portion 68 of the latch 66 into contact with the lower portion of coupler ball 63 to prevent removal of the coupler ball 63 from the trailer hitch 42 of the coupler 14 . furthermore , with the wedge end 80 in place next to the upper edge 88 of the latch 66 , the latch 66 is prevented from moving in a clockwise manner that would release the coupler ball 63 . continued downward movement of the latch cap 72 places the latch top 74 flush with the upper surface of the coupler 14 . the center portion of the latch top 74 includes a lock plate 83 that is biased by a spring 104 to extend the leading edge of the lock plate 83 into a position to allow it to secure under a lip 90 in the coupler , when the latch cap 72 is in the locked position . with the edge of the lock plate 83 secured under the lop 90 of the housing 14 , the latch cap 72 is in the locked position . to further secure the latch top 74 , the underside of the forward edge of the lock plate 83 includes a centrally located wedged shape portion 94 that fits between the lip 90 and a hook 92 located in the top center of the extendable wedge plate 76 . this helps prevent the leading edge of the lock plate 83 from slipping out from under the lip 90 in the top of the coupler 14 when the latch plate 72 is in the locked position . the lock plate 83 is secured to the latch top 74 by two opposing channels 84 ( see fig1 ), and by a rivet 96 in the latch top 74 . in addition , a safety pin 100 is inserted through hole 102 in the coupler 14 to further secure the latch 66 from movement when the latch 66 is in the locked position . to facilitate insertion and removal of the lock plate 83 from under the lip 90 in the coupler 14 , the latch plate 83 includes a rib 104 that extends upward from the lock plate 83 and includes an open area 106 between the two opposing channels 84 . pressure applied to the rib 104 will allow for compressing the lock plate 83 against a spring 104 located around the rivet 96 . the spring 104 biases the lock plate 83 so that the leading edge protrudes . compressing the spring 104 will allow for inserting and removing the lock plate 83 . also , if necessary a tool like a screw driver can be inserted in the open area 106 to move the lock plate 83 . the latch cap 72 is gently biased by a spring 98 to raise the latch cap 72 into the position shown in the figures upon release of the lock plate 83 from under the lip 90 in the coupler 14 . fig1 - 20 show in detail the master cylinder assembly 40 , which is generally of a conventional design . in particular , fig1 shows a rear view of the master cylinder assembly 40 that includes a hydraulic line port 110 for connecting a hydraulic line between the brakes of the towed vehicle and the master cylinder assembly 40 . the rear of the master cylinder assembly 40 also includes a valve cavity 112 for attachment of a solenoid ( not shown ) the purpose of which is described in detail hereinbelow . the master cylinder assembly 40 includes a fill cap 114 and a diaphragm 116 to allow for operational sealing and filling of a brake fluid reservoir 118 . alternatively , a standard fill cap with a relief valve can be used . hydraulic fluid is transmitted to a hydraulic cylinder 122 through a plurality of ports ( not shown ). the hydraulic cylinder 122 also includes a hydraulic piston 124 ( see fig1 ) that is an extension of piston rod 52 . the master cylinder assembly 40 includes the throughbore 120 for mounting to the rear roller shaft 20 . in operation , the hydraulic cylinder 122 also includes a spring ( not shown ) at an end opposite to the hydraulic piston 124 that acts to return the hydraulic piston 124 to a neutral position after actuating the brakes . a circular cup ( not shown ) surrounds the outside of the hydraulic piston 124 to help create pressure during actuation . the master cylinder assembly 40 includes a centrally located port ( not shown ) to allow for fluid communication between the reservoir 118 and the hydraulic cylinder 122 . with the hydraulic piston 124 in a neutral position the central port is uncovered to allow the hydraulic cylinder 122 to fill with fluid . upon forward movement of the master cylinder assembly 40 the hydraulic piston 124 is captured between the circular cup and moves forward until it covers the central port and cuts off the flow of fluid between the reservoir 118 and the hydraulic cylinder 122 . this allows for compression of the hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic cylinder 122 thereby creating pressure to actuator the brakes of the towed vehicle . after braking , the spring provides a biasing force to return the hydraulic piston 122 to its neutral position , and ports ( not shown ) at the piston end of the hydraulic cylinder 122 allow for fluid to backfill into the hydraulic cylinder 122 to further assist in retraction of the hydraulic piston 120 . the master cylinder assembly 40 includes a solenoid ( not shown ) that attaches to the valve cavity 112 . the solenoid provides control over fluid communication through a backup port 126 between the reservoir 118 and the hydraulic cylinder 122 . the need for fluid communication through the backup part 126 arises when the towing vehicle backs up with the towed vehicle attached . movement of the coupler 14 relative to the housing 12 , created by slowing of the towing vehicle , results in application of the towed vehicle brakes , however , the same relative movement results if the towing vehicle backs up . in this situation the towed vehicle brakes would be undesirably actuated . to avoid this situation a solenoid is attached to the master cylinder assembly 40 at the valve cavity 112 . the solenoid is normally in the closed position , which will prevent fluid communication between the reservoir 118 and the hydraulic cylinder 122 via the back up port 126 . the solenoid is electrically connected to the towing vehicle to open and allow fluid communication via the back up port 126 when the towing vehicle is placed in a reverse gear . this avoids application of the towed vehicle brakes by allowing the hydraulic fluid to flow unrestricted between the reservoir 118 and the hydraulic cylinder 124 , thereby preventing any pressure build up in the hydraulic cylinder 122 . the foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present inventions . the foregoing embodiments and the methods described herein may vary based on the ability , experience , and preference of those skilled in the art . merely listing the steps of the method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of the method . the foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention , and the invention is not limited thereto , except insofar as the claims are so limited . those skilled in the art that have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will be shown and described in detail , it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims . the scope of the present invention will in no way be limited to the number of constituting components , the materials thereof , the shapes thereof , the relative arrangement thereof , etc ., and are disclosed simply as an example of an embodiment . the features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings . as a preface to the detailed description , it should be noted that , as used in this specification and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” include plural referents , unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . the present invention is a system for athletic courses , denoted by a 10 . the system 10 , herein also termed an athletic course covering system 10 includes several sub - systems or elements . although in the following disclosure , including the figures , the system 10 is discussed in its use as a system 10 for cross - country type running , it should be apparent to one in the art that the system 10 could also serve a useful purpose for other athletic endeavors . these include in - line skating courses , cycling , and horse - back riding . turning to fig1 , which is a perspective view of a section of the system 10 with a portion of the system 10 removed for illustrative purposes , the system 10 may include a framing system 20 which spans , in whole or in part , a portion of a ground surface 5 . an athletic course surface 6 may be the portion of the ground surface 5 that the framing system 20 spans . on the framing system 20 may be a cover 11 . the framing system 20 and cover 11 , thus , span over the athletic course surface 6 . the athletic course surface 6 may be an improved surface such as asphalt , concrete , synthetic track surface , wood chips , wood , or gravel . likewise , the athletic course surface 6 can be an unimproved course of any type . the course surface 6 can be a circuitous path that may form a closed loop course . the course surface 6 can also be an open - looped course , or just a section of a running course . thus , the system 10 has an advantage of providing cover , total or partial , to the athletes while they are performing . the system 10 provides this cover whether the course changes elevation and / or direction . the framing system 20 may be attached to the ground surface 5 at various locations . the framing system 20 may be made of metal , composite , wood , plastic , or other suitable materials . the framing system 20 may be a series of frames 21 that are attached to the ground surface 5 at a plurality of foundation attachment points 25 via snaps , clips , or screws . the frames 21 may be hoop - type , polygonal , or any combination thereof . the foundation attachment points 25 may be attached to the ground surface 5 by anchoring which may include “ manta ray ” plate anchors , “ rock anchors ” for rock embedment , single and double helix anchors augered into place , and rods or chains anchored into a poured structural fill . the plurality of frames 21 may be attached to each other in order to increase the structural integrity of the system 10 . furthermore , frames 21 may be movable to various foundation attachment points 25 on the ground surface 5 . this may provide variation in the course . attached to the framing system 20 may be a cover 11 . the cover 11 may be made of suitable weather - resistant material . for example , the cover 11 may be made of canvas , cloth , glass , plastic , gore - tex ®, or other suitable material that can prevent , or minimize , inclement weather from affecting the athletes 100 . the cover 1 1 may be of a single material , or a combination of materials . for example , portions of the cover 11 could be made out of canvas , while other portions of the cover 11 could be made into windows 12 , or openings , thereby allowing sunlight to reach the athletic surface 6 and athletes 100 , as well as , affording spectators , coaches , and the like to view the athletes 100 from outside the system 10 . similarly , portions of the cover 11 may have a feature which allows for convertibility of the cover 11 . thus , for example , a portion of the cover 11 may be a rolled - up cover 15 . this feature can be used when , for example , the weather may be temperate and the athletes 100 wish to allow the outside weather to touch the athletes 100 . the rolled - up cover 15 can be held out of the way via a series of latching devices 16 which connect the rolled - up cover 15 to be held to a series of horizontal elements 22 in the framing system 20 . optionally , rather than a rolled - up cover 15 , rigid panels may be used . the panels may be removably attached ( i . e . clip - on ), or movable while remaining attached ( i . e . folding , sliding , etc .) or a combination thereof . fig2 depicts a sectional elevation view of a portion of the covering system 10 . a system of cabling 23 may be attached to the horizontal elements 22 of the framing system 20 . the cabling 23 , or cables , may be made of stainless steel cable , or other suitable weather - resistant material . each frame 21 may have a cabling 23 element attached to it . from the cabling element 23 may be attached a plurality of electro - mechanical systems . a first electro - mechanical system that may be attached to the cabling 23 is a heating and / or cooling system . for example , as depicted in the embodiment in fig2 , a flexible hvac duct 30 may be suspended via the cabling 23 over the center portion of the athletic surface 6 . the hvac duct 30 may be made of a suitable material such as flexible plastic ductwork . the hvac duct 30 may have a plurality of openings 32 from which heating or cooling may be provided , depending on the desired temperature sought by the athletes 100 . the hvac duct 30 communicates with an appropriate thermostat ( not shown ) and a heating and / or cooling source ( s ) ( not shown ). an athlete 100 may then set the desired temperature for the athletic course 6 . for example , suppose the athlete 100 is using the athletic course 6 and system 100 in january in upstate new york , the athlete 100 may set the thermostat so that heat is provided in the system 10 so that the athletic course 6 is at a temperature of approximately 60 ° f . this provides the athlete 100 with greater comfort while running on the athletic course 6 . just as the athlete 100 may adjust the hvac system to provide greater comfort , likewise the athlete 100 may artificially adjust the hvac system so that a greater impediment is created than the local weather is provided . so too for example , if the athlete 100 ( again in new york ) is training in preparation for a road race in arizona , the athlete 100 may adjust the hvac system so that the hvac duct 30 is making the athletic course 6 much hotter than the ambient conditions . heating may be provided by means not integral to an hvac system such as electrical resistance , hot water radiator , steam , solar , etc . likewise , cooling may be provided by means not integral to an hvac system such as local air conditioning units , evaporative coolers , fans , etc . a second electro - mechanical system that may be attached to the cabling 23 is a misting system . the misting system uses at least one misting pipe , or line , 50 in which a plurality of nozzles / openings 52 extend therefrom . the plurality of nozzles / openings 52 sends water mist on the athletes 100 . this helps the athletes 100 stay comfortable while training on the athletic surface 6 by keeping them cooler than were there no misting system . the misting system , depending on its design , could be adjustable so that , instead of emitting a water mist , the droplet size from the nozzles / openings 52 could be enlarged so that , in essence , rain is emitted from the nozzles / openings 52 . thus , a simulated rain , or rain storm , could be created on the athlete 100 . a third electro - mechanical system that may be attached to the cabling 23 is a lighting system . the lighting system includes a plurality of lights 40 . the lights 40 may be attached to various portions of the system 10 , such as the frames 21 , cabling 23 , or horizontal elements 22 . the lights 40 may be suitable weather - resistant lights such as fluorescent , mercury vapor , metal halide , and the like . the lighting system provides additional lighting beyond the ambient background light so that the athlete 100 has improved vision while using the athletic surface 6 . environmental conditions in a given section of an athletic course 6 may differ from those in another section . section by section control of environmental conditions may be used to provide athletes on the course with different environmental conditions . one , several , or all of the electro - mechanical systems may be operatively attached to a series of motion sensors 35 . the motion sensors 35 , when activated by the exercising athlete 100 , can activate one , or more , of the electro - mechanical systems . in this manner , the lights 40 , for example , can be switched on only while an athlete 100 is at , or near , that portion of the system 100 . thus , the lights 40 can be turned off in the portion ( s ) of the athletic surface 6 on which there are no athletes 100 . similarly , the misting system can be coupled to the motion detectors 35 . the misting , rain , heating , or cooling effect can then be turned on and off via the motion detectors 35 as the athletes 100 near the requisite portion of the athletic surface 6 . for example , one athlete may be running in a mist in low light while another athlete may be running in hot , brightly - lit conditions . sensors 35 may be used to track an athlete &# 39 ; s position along the course . ahead of the athlete 100 , environmental conditions of the athlete &# 39 ; s choosing may be prepared for the approaching athlete .

4Fixed Constructions

the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . referring now to fig1 , a fuel cell system 10 is shown . the fuel cell system 10 includes a fuel cell stack 12 , a coolant system 14 , a charge - air heat exchanger 16 and a compressor 18 . the coolant system 14 maintains the operating temperature of the fuel cell stack 12 at an appropriate level . additionally , the coolant system 14 adjusts the temperature of fluids at various points in the fuel cell system 10 as explained in further detail below . the compressor 18 compresses oxidant that is supplied to the fuel cell stack 12 . more specifically , the oxidant is supplied as a cathode feed gas or charge air to a cathode side ( not shown ) of the fuel cell stack 12 . the cathode feed gas catalytically reacts with a hydrogen - rich reformate supplied to an anode side ( not shown ) of the fuel cell stack 12 . the oxidant is oxygen - rich air supplied by the compressor 18 and charge - air heat exchanger 16 at an appropriate operating state ( i . e ., temperature and pressure ). the oxidant reacts with the hydrogen - rich reformate to produce electrical power and an exhaust stream . the exhaust stream is made up of reaction products including water ( h 2 o ) vapor and a small amount of liquid h 2 o depending on the operating strategy of the fuel cell stack 12 . the h 2 o vapor condenses as it travels through an exhaust conduit 20 to provide an h 2 o condensate . the exhaust conduit 20 can be configured to maximize the surface area over which the exhaust stream passes to enable condensation of the h 2 o vapor . alternatively , a condenser 22 can be included to condense the h 2 o vapor to provide the h 2 o condensate . it is also anticipated that the source of h 2 o can be provided from a means other than the exhaust stream . for example , a separate water storage tank ( not shown ) can be used to supply liquid h 20 . the coolant system 14 controls coolant flow through the fuel cell system 10 and includes a pump ( not shown ) and a radiator ( not shown ) that enables heat transfer to atmosphere . as used herein , the term coolant refers to a heat transfer fluid that is able to cool and heat as needed . for example , in a situation where the coolant is warmer than an adjacent fluid or structure , the coolant serves to heat that adjacent fluid or structure . similarly , in a situation where the coolant is cooler than an adjacent fluid or structure , the coolant serves to cool that adjacent fluid or structure . coolant is pumped through the fuel cell stack 12 to cool the fuel cell stack 12 and maintain an operating temperature of the fuel cell stack 12 . the coolant flows from the fuel cell stack 12 , through the charge - air heat exchanger 16 and back to the coolant system 14 . a regulator valve 23 is optionally provided to control the flow rate of coolant to the charge - air heat exchanger 16 . as described in further detail below , the heat of compression and heat transfer from the coolant enables vaporization of the h 2 o condensate . the heat exchanger adjusts the cathode feed gas to an appropriate temperature for reaction in the fuel cell stack 12 . the h 2 o condensate and coolant are directed to the charge - air heat exchanger 16 and cooperate to humidify the cathode feed gas . more particularly , an injector or multiple injectors 24 are provided to inject the h 2 o condensate into the cathode feed gas as it flows through the charge - air heat exchanger 16 . the coolant is in heat exchange relationship with the cathode feed gas and injected h 2 o condensate . preferably , the adiabatic cooling effect occurs whereby the charge air temperature drops and the h 2 o condensate is vaporized to form h 2 o vapor . additionally , heat transfer occurs from the coolant to the h 2 o condensate , vaporizing the h 2 o condensate . concurrently , heat transfer occurs from the coolant to the cathode feed gas , reheating the cathode feed gas . as a result , the process in one embodiment is operable essentially at constant temperature and pressure ( i . e ., state ) maintained by the coolant ( i . e ., working fluid ). depending upon the amount of the h 2 o condensate that must be injected to humidify the cathode feed gas to an appropriate level , a multi - stage humidification process is provided in one embodiment . the multi - stage humidification process includes a first stage with an injector 24 for injecting a first volume of the h 2 o condensate into the cathode feed gas . the first volume is vaporized within the cathode feed gas stream in the heat transfer process as described above . a second stage includes a second injector 24 for injecting a second volume of the h 2 o condensate into the partially humidified cathode feed gas . the second volume is vaporized within the cathode feed gas stream in the adiabatic heat transfer process as described above . two or more stages ( e . g ., third and fourth stages ) can be implemented to achieve the desired humidity level of the cathode feed gas . referring now to fig2 , a fuel cell system 10 ′ is shown and includes humidification of the cathode feed gas within the compressor 18 . more specifically , a portion of the h 2 o condensate is fed to an inlet of the compressor 18 . the compressor includes an injector 26 that injects the h 2 o condensate into the cathode feed gas at the compressor suction side . the compression process generates sufficient heat to vaporize a part of the h 2 o condensate , humidifying the cathode feed gas . thus , the fuel cell system 10 ′ of fig2 provides for humidification of the cathode feed gas at both the compressor 18 and the charge - air heat exchanger 16 , as described in detail above . the proportion of cathode feed gas humidification that occurs within the compressor 18 to that which occurs within the charge - air heat exchanger 16 can be controlled . due to the limited available heat of compression and dwell time , a smaller portion of humidification can occur within the compressor 18 . as a result , the larger portion of humidification occurs within the charge - air heat exchanger 16 as detailed above . alternatively , a larger portion of humidification can occur within the compressor 18 . as a result , the smaller portion of humidification occurs within the charge - air heat exchanger 16 . in such a case , the multi - stage humidification process may not be required depending on how much h 2 o condensate must be injected to sufficiently humidify the cathode feed gas . referring now to fig3 , a fuel cell system 10 ″ is shown and includes humidification of the cathode feed gas within the compressor 18 , the cooler 16 and the fuel cell stack 12 . more specifically , a portion of the h 2 o condensate is fed to the compressor 18 for humidifying the cathode feed gas as described above with respect to fig2 . additionally , a portion of the h 2 o condensate is fed to the fuel cell stack 12 . an injector 28 is provided to inject the h 2 o condensate into the cathode feed gas within the fuel cell stack 12 . heat transfer occurs to vaporize the h 2 o condensate , humidifying the cathode feed gas within the fuel cell stack 12 . thus , the fuel cell system 10 ″ of fig3 provides for humidification of the cathode feed gas at the compressor 18 and at the charge - air heat exchanger 16 as described in detail above , as well as within the fuel cell stack 12 itself . as described above with reference to fig2 , the proportion of humidification that occurs within the compressor 18 , the charge - air heat exchanger 16 and the fuel cell stack 12 can vary as design requirements dictate . the fuel cell systems of the present invention include several distinct advantages over conventional humidification strategies . one advantage is that overall system durability and efficiency is improved . this is a result of a higher achievable humidification level over conventional systems and a reduced heat load on the cooling system . the reduced heat load is a result of the heat that would otherwise be discharged through the coolant system being used to vaporize the h 2 o condensate within the cooler . as a result , lower system temperatures and a more stream - lined coolant system including a smaller radiator are achieved . additionally , less liquid h 2 o exits the exhaust of the vehicle . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .

7Electricity

the present invention relates to x - ray tubes which are required to be turned on and off at a rapid rate . such x - ray tubes typically employ an anode assembly ; a cathode assembly , including a cathode cup ; a filament ; and supporting structure , all housed within a vacuum enclosure . the cathode cup supports the filament and also helps with electron field shaping activity . the purpose of this invention is to improve use of the cathode power supply and the normal distributed capacity , to provide a more reliable form of switching . referring now to the drawings , fig1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of the electronic function of an x - ray tube , on which the present invention is based . the x - ray tube 10 is supplied with a large negative voltage , typically up to - 150 , 000 volts with respect to the anode , for medical diagnostic purposes , on a filament 12 . a conventional filament drive supply 14 is isolated from ground by a filament isolation transformer 16 . cathode supply 18 comprises a very large measuring resistance 20 which tends to discharge capacitor 22 towards ground . continuing with fig1 the x - ray tube 10 also has a connection from anode 24 to an external sink of electrons , or anode supply 26 . the anode supply 26 may produce from zero to 75 , 000 volts as a bias potential for the anode . the anode 24 is more positive than the cathode and attracts free electrons from the space charge which surrounds the filament 12 or other thermionic emitter in the cathode structure . the resulting anode current may be in the range of 10 ma to 500 ma . the present invention comprises a &# 34 ; floating &# 34 ; cathode cup structure 28 . the cathode cup is normally insulated from the filament 12 by the physical structure . historically , the cathode cup has either been connected to the filament circuit using an additional connecting path , shown as dotted line 30 in fig1 or connected to a grid supply tank . this connection has been eliminated by the present invention . the cathode cup is allowed to float on insulator leakage resistance from resistor 32 and distributed capacitance from capacitor 34 . furthermore , the x - ray tube according to the present invention is self - gridding , in that the grid power supply , or grid tank , is completely eliminated . referring now to fig2 there is illustrated a graphical representation of the voltage and current relationships which occur in fig1 . at time t 0 , all voltages and currents are at zero . no x - ray is produced and the system is ready to start its time sequence . filament supply 14 is enabled at time t 1 and emission of filament 12 increases to its nominal level . since no anode current ( i a ) flows at time t 1 , no x - rays are produced . at time t 2 , cathode supply 18 ( s 1 ) is enabled and current i k begins to flow . also at time t 2 , the anode goes to its operational level , which may be anywhere between zero in a grounded anode application to a high voltage such as 75 kv . since all voltages are present at time t 2 and current i k is available , the cloud of electrons around filament 12 at point f in fig1 will be attracted to points c and a . the flow of electrons into the distributed capacity of capacitors 22 and 34 quickly builds a negative voltage on point c which matches point f , and charge current flow into capacitor 34 ends . the electrons attracted from point f to anode point a are accelerated by the anode to cathode potential and strike the anode 24 at high velocity , which generates x - rays and produces current i a . at time t 3 , control s 1 disables current i k . current i a continues to flow , discharging capacitor 22 and causing point f to become substantially less negative than it had been . the voltage which remains on point c with respect to point f is now quite negative . this relationship places a negative field around the cloud of electrons at f , stops the flow of electrons from cathode to anode , and causes the current i a to drop to zero . since there are no electrons impacting anode 24 at point a , x - rays are no longer produced . the voltage difference on points f and c remains greater than the cathode - to - anode cut - off potential for an extended period , since capacitor 34 and insulation leakage resistor 32 have a discharge time constant which is very long and which always exceeds the time constant of capacitor 22 and resistor 20 . continuing with fig2 at time t 4 , control s 1 enables current i k . capacitor 22 quickly charges to a voltage value approaching that on capacitor 34 , and current i a again flows . x - rays are produced until control s 1 disables current i k . this cycle can be repeated indefinitely . as can be seen in fig2 the activity at time t 5 is a repeat of the activity at time t 3 . at time t r in fig2 voltages at c , f and a , where a ( not shown ) represents the potential on the anode and remains constant , are all returned to zero . the schematic of fig3 discloses one method for providing the required reset to zero voltage . in fig3 filament 12 at point f corresponds to like points in fig1 . filament 36 and its associated circuitry has been added to provide the reset function . point a ( anode ) has been tied to zero for simplicity . this does not , of course , change the action of the circuit , since zero is within the acceptable anode voltage range . at time t r in fig2 cathode supply current i k has been disabled by switch 38 ( s 1 ), and current i a has been reduced to zero by the negative bias on point c with respect to point f . the reset action for resetting voltage levels to zero begins with the closing of switch 40 ( s 2 ) and the heating of filament 36 . the heated filament 36 ( thermionic emitter ) generates its own cloud of electrons . these electrons are attracted to anode 24 and create a current i d , which discharges capacitor 34 . as the voltage on point c becomes less negative , the cloud of electrons surrounding filament 12 is no longer restricted , and current i f is created , which discharges capacitor 22 toward anode potential . current i a is now the sum of current i f and i d . when all capacitor charge has been neutralized , current flow stops and filament 36 can be turned off , via switch s 2 , and reset is complete . referring now to fig4 there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the present invention which uses a laser beam 42 from laser 44 to indirectly heat the electron emitter 46 to a controlled level using a measure of current i k as feedback to laser 44 . the function of filament 12 in fig1 and 3 is duplicated by a first thermionic emitter 46 as heated by laser 44 . laser 48 , with laser beam 50 directed to cathode cup structure 28 , is added for reset purposes . the function of laser 48 is to produce a &# 34 ; hot spot &# 34 ;, or second thermionic emitter , at point c on the surface of the cup 28 , to accomplish the reset . it should be noted that the use of direct heating by filament or indirect heating can be mixed , such as by using one filament and one laser , or used interchangeably , to obtain the same operational result . referring now to fig5 there is illustrated another alternative embodiment of the present invention . in fig5 a switch 52 has been added , and switch 40 of fig3 has been removed . switch 52 , which serves the same purpose as switch 40 , is representative of an electronic switch . when switch 52 is momentarily closed , the negative charge on the cup with respect to the cathode , is neutralized , and current i a flows , resetting all points in the circuit to zero voltage . as will be obvious to those skilled in the art , this switch can be constructed of cascaded semiconductor devices , a mechanical relay or any other switching device which is capable of withstanding the cutoff voltage of the tube , and which can be isolated to withstand the full cathode voltage of an x - ray tube . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that modifications and variations can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention .

7Electricity

fig1 is a schematic of a multi - channel optical analyzer including the optical module . the multi - channel optical analyzer illustrated in fig1 is described in greater detail in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 002 , 392 , which is incorporated herein by reference , and will only briefly be described herein to the extent necessary for understanding the present invention . as shown in fig1 a broadband spectral light source 1 , such as a tungsten - halogen or a xenon lamp , which may include a diffuser ( not shown ), projects light towards a slit forming device 3 which passes a beam 4 having the pattern of a slit . a short focal length collimator 5 follows the slit and is used to project the beam 4 in a pattern of a slit to infinity , thereby forming a slowly diverging beam 6 . the slit length and collimator are chosen so that at a reasonable distance beam 6 has diverged to cover a plurality of reaction wells 7 containing the reaction volume ( blood samples ) to be optically monitored . slit 3 may be formed , for example , of a stainless steel substrate 0 . 013 mm thick having an air slit width of 100 μm and length of 5 . 0 mm . collimator 5 may be an edmund scientific co . achromat no . j32 , 319 , which has a focal length of 35 mm , diameter of 25 mm , center thickness of 13 . 50 mm and which is antireflection coated with 1 / 4 wavelength m g f 2 . to make the optical system compact , beam 6 is folded a number of times by mirrors 9 , 10 and 11 prior to being intercepted by a mask 13 having a plurality of openings 15 for dividing beam 6 into a plurality of individual beams 16 corresponding to the number of reaction wells 7 containing reaction volumes to be optically monitored . the divided beams are sized and spaced so that each beam passes through the desired portion of just one of the reaction wells 7 . reaction wells 7 are moved incrementally in the direction of arrow 8 from station to station , each station corresponding to the optical path of a respective one of the individual beams 16 . the respective optical beams are also referred to herein as light channels . although only 8 light channels are illustrated in fig1 the number of light channels built into a machine is a design choice . for example in one implementation of the machine developed by the assignee of the present application , there were 15 light channels , meaning that there were 15 light beams formed by mask 13 and each reaction well of a cuvette was moved incrementally through each light channel , residing at each station or channel long enough for the reaction volume to be optically monitored to detect any change in the spectrum of the light beam transmitted therethrough . after passing through reaction wells 7 , beams 16 are intercepted by a rotating shutter 17 which sequentially passes the beams transmitted by the reaction volumes in reaction wells 7 . the beams passing through shutter 17 are diffracted by transmitting diffraction gratings 19 in a known manner . fig1 shows four diffraction gratings 19 followed by four corresponding focussing lenses 21 for focussing the diffracted beams onto four corresponding photodiode arrays 23 . again , the number of diffraction gratings , focussing lenses and photodiode arrays is a design choice depending on how the light channels are to be time shared . the diffraction gratings are preferably high dispersion , high efficiency transmission holographic diffraction gratings having a pitch of 0 . 8744 μm . photodiode arrays 23 are arranged so that the spectrum of each diffracted beam falls across the linearly arranged photodiode elements of a respective one of the arrays . the optics of the system are such that a central element of each array 23 is the optical conjugate of slit 3 . photodiode arrays 23 each develop electrical signals corresponding to the spectral distribution falling on the array . photodetector arrays 23 are oriented so that the spectrum of the diffracted beams falls across the linearly arranged photodetector elements and the optics of the system are such that a central element of each array 23 is an optical conjugate of slit 3 . each photodetector array may include 35 identical photodiodes each covering a spectral range of 390 nm to 690 nm with a spectral resolution of 10 nm . photodiode arrays of this type are available commercially from hamamatsu co . of japan under part number s 2317 - 35q . the light modifying wheel ( lmw ) 27 may be provided with an open position , a blocked ( closed ) position , a filter position in which the plurality of filters can be selectively inserted , and a position where a liquid crystal clot simulator ( lccs ) is disposed in the light path . this liquid crystal clot simulator ( lccs ) is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 030 , 005 , assigned to the assignee of the present application , hereby incorporated by reference . photodiode arrays 23 each develop electrical signals corresponding to the spectral distribution falling on the array . arrays 23 are connected to scanning and recording electronics which sequentially scan the photodiodes for converting the electrical signals to digital signals and storing the digital signals in a computer memory , e . g ., ram or disk storage , for further processing and evaluation . fig2 a and 2b are a block diagram showing an arrangement for testing an mda optical module . as shown , the materials needed to conduct the testing according to an embodiment of the invention are the automatic acceptance test procedure ( atp ) test station personal computer ( pc ) 202 , an mda optics power supply with cable 204 , an mda optical module with lamp for testing 205 , an optical covers 206 , e . g ., photographer &# 39 ; s cloth , for the optical module 205 and track fixture 208 , a printed circuit board ( pcb ) data acquisition interface board 210 , a beam alignment fixture having 3 pieces and two screws ( not shown ), the automatic test procedure software on a 31 / 2 &# 34 ; floppy disk 212 ( one per mda optical module ), and a set of 7 optical filters ( not shown ). track fixture 208 simulates the track which carries the samples of material into the optical module of an mda . initially the track fixture 208 , if it can be bolted to the optical module under test , verifies that the optical module will fit the mda properly . the track fixture is also important in that it assures that the light beams are at the proper height where they will pass through the material to be analyzed , as described later with respect to the beam height test . in this way the fixture simulates actual operational mounting of the optical module on an mda . setting up for the test procedure is as follows . with power off ( and unplugged from power strip ), install the lamp on the optical module , connect the lamp power supply to the lamp , connect the cable from the optical module external pcb ( printed circuit board ) to the light tower pcb ( the optical module is shipped with these circuit boards disconnected ), connect the power supply to the optical module via the two connectors , connect the ribbon cable from the atp test station pc ( including a data acquisition board ) to the optical module , plug in the pc and the power supply to the power strip , plug in the power strip to a 120 vac wall outlet , turn the pc on and then turn the power strip on . after the pc is turned on , the software will load and testing can proceed by following the instructions displayed on the pc . when all tests have been completed , shutting down proceeds as follows . turn off the pc , turn off the power strip , disconnect the power supply and pc from optical module , if placing optical module back in packing carton then disconnect the connector from the external pcb to the tower pcb , remove the lamp and reinstall lamp hold down screws in optical module . the test procedures will first be summarized and then explained in more detail . alignment and diagnostic tests include the display of all photodiode array elements of any of 15 ( for example ) stations , the display of any photodiode array element for all stations , and wavelength registration testing . qualification testing includes traceability through serial number . features of electrical systems tests include electrical dark current , electrical noise , digital to analog convertor ( dac ) and analog to digital ( ad ) bit tests , precision shutter speed tests , and light modifying wheel ( lmw ) tests . features of optical dark testing include optical leakage and optical noise tests . features of wavelength tests include range of wavelengths realized , wavelength resolution , and wavelength calibration tests . features of optical signal testing include usable signal , illumination uniformity , optical stability , cross - talk , and beam height tests . features of filter testing include bg36 filter and lccs ( liquid crystal clot simulator ) testing . mechanical compatibility with a test fixture emulating the mda mounting bracket is also confirmed . appropriate test results and values may be recorded to disk for later use and analysis . acceptance test procedure ( atp ) will now be described in more detail . the atp is based on real time data acquisition by a pc 202 using a burr - brown data acquisition board the software for performing the test procedures may be advantageously written in quickbasic and may be run compiled or in the quickbasic environment . the hardware requirements are as follows . a high speed pc , e . g ., a 386 based pc operating at 40 mhz is needed to accept data as it is produced by the optical module . the pc should be equipped with at least a 40 megabyte hard disk , a 1 . 44 meg 31 / 2 &# 34 ; disk drive , a vga monitor and a cyrix 387 - 40 coprocessor or equivalent . the pc should be configured ( config . sys file ) to specify files = 20 and buffers = 20 . a power supply system should provide + 12 vdc @ 10 amps , + 28 vdc @ 4 amps , and 110 vac @ 0 . 5 amps , and be equipped with appropriate connector cables ( see fig3 ). the burr - brown data acquisition board is installed inside the pc and should be a pci 20002c carrier with digital input / output ( i / o ) with the following modifications : cut trace p1 , pin 31 ; cut trace p1 , pin 33 ; jump fuse 2 to p1 pins 33 and 34 , set address to d000 : switch position 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 on (+), and 7 9 10 off (-); and install a 4 . 7k resistor from ground to each of p1 pins 19 - 29 . the connector cable for the board ( and the power supply ) should be as shown in fig3 . software requirements are dos 3 . 3 or higher ( required ); quickbasic professional ver 7 . 0 ( used for development and changes only ); and masm , microsoft assembly language assembler ver 5 . 0 or higher ( used for development and changes only ). the specification appendix lists an embodiment of the testing software according to the invention . a 31 / 2 &# 34 ; disk is shipped with each optical module . the disk must be formatted . it is advantageous to have only one disk for each mda optical module , i . e ., only data for one mda optical module on each disk . the disk should accompany the mda optical module for future consultation . it is recommended that at least one backup disk be maintained . the atp test program will prompt the user for automatic back up to hard disk . if a serial number already exists on the floppy disk the user is so notified . if files exist under a sub - directory of the disk , the user has the option of recording over those files or replacing the disk . also required are other fixturing items : a photographer &# 39 ; s cloth and track cover ( fig2 b ), track fixture , slider and gage , a set of spike ( narrow bandpass ) filters ( andover xxxfs10 - 25 or equivalent ) of the following wavelengths : 405 , 420 , 450 , 500 , 546 , 600 , and 656 nm . the procedure for implementing the features of the atp includes instrument ( optical module ) traceability -- the part number with revision letter and serial number of the optical module must be permanently marked on the back of each optical module . disk files -- at the end of an evaluation the floppy disk contains a serial number file , a log file , a criteria file and two files for each test run . those files are automatically placed in the appropriate sub - directory listed above and are copied to the hard disk if desired under file directory c : mda files & lt ; serial number & gt ;. a file &# 34 ; serial . num &# 34 ; is produced in the root directory to contain the serial number of the optical module under test . a log file under each location &# 39 ; s subdirectory logs tests attempted and test results a file &# 34 ; crit . prn &# 34 ;, containing all the criteria from which tests are evaluated against , is copied from the hard disk to the tester &# 39 ; s directory on the floppy disk . two files , an error file and a results file , are produced for each of the following tests : electrical systems check , optical dark current , optical beam alignment , wavelength registration , optical profile , bg36 filter evaluation , and lccs evaluation . the error file , one file for each test , includes a list of errors which caused a test to fail . the disk file combines the test name and an &# 34 ;. err &# 34 ; extension for the file name . the result file , a second file for each test , includes test criteria and details of the performance for each photodiode of the array . the disk file combines the test name and a &# 34 ;. prn &# 34 ; extension . these &# 34 ;. prn &# 34 ; files are formatted to be imported into a spread sheet program , such as lotus 123 , as numbers . optical module testing proceeds as follows . disk -- the user is asked to insert a disk in drive &# 34 ; a :&# 34 ;. the following subdirectories will be automatically added if they do not already exist : &# 34 ; kmc &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; okc &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; dur &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; test &# 34 ;. code name -- the user is asked to enter a location code where applicable . the code for , for example , kollsman is &# 34 ; kmc &# 34 ;, oklahoma is &# 34 ; okc &# 34 ;, durham is &# 34 ; dur &# 34 ;, and testing is &# 34 ; test &# 34 ;. all files are placed in the appropriate subdirector , based on the location code . criteria -- the criteria for each test , data file &# 34 ; c : mda files crit . xxx &# 34 ; ( where xxx is a three character location code ), are loaded at the beginning of the program . the entire file is copied to the user &# 39 ; s sub - directory . test specific criteria are recorded at the beginning of each test file . wavelength -- if the disk has a reasonable wavelength registration file recorded then those parameters for determining wavelength are read . menu -- the user is presented with a menu from which to select tests ( see fig4 a ). the desired test is selected by pressing the corresponding letter . & lt ; enter & gt ; need not be pressed after pressing the desired letter . the tests must be run contiguously in the order in which they appear in the menu . if the optical module fails a current test , the succeeding test will not run . if a test fails or if the program is interrupted , the user must begin testing at the beginning . selecting &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; from the main menu will cause all tests to be run in order ( see fig4 b ). specific tests will now be described in more detail . display ( fig4 c )-- after selecting &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; from the main menu . a screen of 35 elements for position ( station ) one will be displayed ( positional display ). if wavelength has already been determined , each element will be displayed in the color of light on that element , otherwise all elements are displayed in white . the positional display visually indicates the output levels of the array elements , and may be take the form of color , intensity or height variations , for example , representing the different output levels . a user can thereby readily observe how an array and / or element is behaving . a sub - menu is displayed on the right . pressing sub - menu letter &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; ( fig4 k ) when the display is showing all elements of one station ( position ), changes the display from a positional display to a display of one element for all 15 positions ( elemental display ). pressing &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; followed by a number and & lt ; enter & gt ; when the display is already in the elemental mode allows the user to jump to any corresponding element number . pressing the & lt ; right arrow & gt ; key in the elemental mode increments the element number being displayed by 1 . pressing the & lt ; left arrow & gt ; key in the elemental mode decrements the element number being displayed by one . pressing &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; when the display is showing one element for all positions , changes the display from a elemental display back to a display of all elements for one position . pressing &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; followed by a number and & lt ; enter & gt ; when the display is in the positional mode allows the user to jump to any position number . pressing the & lt ; right arrow & gt ; key in the positional mode increments the position number being displayed by 1 . pressing the & lt ; left arrow & gt ; key in the positional mode decrements the position number being displayed by one . pressing &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; followed by a number and & lt ; enter & gt ; when the display is in the positional mode allows the user to select any corresponding element number . subsequently pressing the & lt ; right arrow & gt ; key in this mode increments the element number selected by 1 , and pressing the & lt ; left arrow & gt ; key decrements the element number selected by one . the gain of an element signal amplifier is typically preset to 170 / 4095 , however any gain may be selected as desired . a gain of 170 / 4095 is selected to provide an adequate dynamic range , so that at maximum element output signal levels , the element signal amplifiers remain unsaturated . pressing sub - menu letter &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; ( see fig4 ) followed by a number and & lt ; enter & gt ; changes the gain to the number entered divided by 4095 . pressing the & lt ; up arrow & gt ; key increments the gain by 10 . pressing the & lt ; down arrow & gt ; key decrements the gain by 10 . pressing sub - menu letter &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; ( fig4 ) normalizes the array signal to a preprogrammed ( not user selectable ) value by mathematical selection of individual elemental gain values . pressing &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; followed by a number , & lt ; up arrow & gt ;, or & lt ; down arrow & gt ;, restores the gain to a constant value . pressing sub - menu letter &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; ( fig4 m ) changes the y axis scale to display from 0 to 270 only . this is used to evaluate dark and very low light levels . pressing sub - menu letter &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; a second time returns the scale to normal ( 0 to 4000 ). pressing sub - menu letter &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; ( fig4 n ) causes the light modifying wheel to increment position by one . pressing sub - menu letter &# 34 ; q &# 34 ; ( fig4 o ) or any other undefined key returns the user to the main menu . preliminary testing will now be described ( see fig4 d ). these tests are done automatically to ensure that the other tests described below are capable of running , that is , that the shutter is running and the lmf is operating . first , the light modifying wheel is rotated in turn to both positive stops which ensures that the light modifying wheel is responsive , and then a rough check of the shutter is performed to see if pulses are present and within 80 % of tolerance . electrical systems tests will now be described ( see fig4 e ). these tests are to determine basic electronics operations . electrical dark test -- this test checks the performance of the electronics used in the detection of optical signal . dark current levels and electronic noise are measured . the user is instructed to disconnect the lamp ( or turn off the lamp supply ) and cover the optical module so as to eliminate any ambient light . the atp scans the photodiode array 100 times . after each scan , a rolling sum and rolling standard deviation is calculated . at the end of 100 scans , the average for each photodiode element is compared to a minimum and a maximum signal level and the standard deviation is compared to a maximum rms noise level . the variables lowedk and maxedk define the lower and upper limits of acceptable dark current in the program criteria . noisyedk defines the maximum rms noise acceptable . a minimum signal of 0 counts , a maximum signal of 100 counts and a maximum rms noise of 2 . 5 counts is acceptable . digital bit testing , an electrical systems test , will now be described . the gain dac , a to d converter , and interface are checked for &# 34 ; stuck &# 34 ; bits , i . e ., bits that will not change , &# 34 ; toggle ,&# 34 ; from logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; or vice versa . the dac is checked by first normalizing the signal . then the dac values are checked to ensure that each bit toggled at least once . next the a to d converter is checked . after setting a constant gain , the detectors are scanned and the values are checked to ensure that each bit toggled at least once . the shutter speed test , an electrical systems test , is now described . the atp counts interrupts by polling the interrupt signal as a digital i / o ttl signal . in order to test for required accuracy with the current digital resolution , this test runs silently for 5 minutes . after 5 minutes , the number of interrupts counted is divided by the pc clock timer . the program variable rpstime is defined as the criteria for the length of time the test must run in order to achieve the desired resolution . the variables highrps and lowrps define the upper and lower acceptable limits . a calculated speed of 5 . 00 rps (± 0 . 1 rps ) is acceptable . light modifying wheel testing , an electrical systems test , is now described . a complete test is performed by commanding the wheel to move clockwise to each of the next 3 positions and then back counterclockwise to each of 3 positions . any move must be completed within a prescribed time period , e . g ., 5 seconds . any failure causes the test to halt . after the electrical systems tests are completed successfully , data associated therewith is stored . otherwise , flow returns to the main menu display . the optical dark test ( see fig4 f ) is used to determine the amount of ambient light leaking though the box , i . e ., the optical module cabinet . the user is instructed to reconnect the lamp ( or turn on the lamp supply ) and cover only the optical module track area . this test should be performed in a normally lit room so as to measure the effect of ambient light from all sources . the atp scans the photodiode array 100 times . after each scan a rolling sum , and rolling standard deviation for each photodiode element is calculated . at the end of 100 scans , the average for each photodiode element is compared to a minimum and a maximum signal level and the standard deviations are compared to a maximum rms noise level . the variables lowodk and highodk define the lower and upper levels of acceptable ambient light in the program criteria . noisyodk defines the maximum rms noise acceptable . a minimum signal of 0 counts , a maximum signal of 100 counts and a maximum rms noise of 2 . 5 counts is acceptable . the beam alignment test ( see fig4 g ) determines how much light for one optical channel is bleeding onto another optical channel &# 39 ; s detector ( cross talk ) and whether the height of the beam is within tolerance ( beam height ). the track fixture is important in determining the proper beam height , as mentioned above . the user is instructed to be sure the lamp is on and that the track is reasonably covered . the atp then measures dark current for 10 scans with the light modifying wheel in the blocked position . the average of the 10 scans is zdark , for each element . the user is now instructed to place a blocking device known as a slider , for blocking one or more optical channels with both adjacent channels unobstructed , in the track with the slider placed in the track fixture as far left ( away from the shutter motor ) as possible . signal gain for each element is at maximum ( 4095 / 4095 ). the average of the raw signal ( raw ) from 10 scans minus zdark becomes zcross ( cross - talk ) for each blocked element : the user is instructed to place the slider in the middle position and finally in the full right position . similarly , the average of the signal from 10 scans minus the dark current becomes zcross for each of the new sets of blocked elements . the atp compares the normal signal znorm to zcross with the predefined maximum crosstalk , defined in the program criteria as maxcross . the maximum crosstalk to signal acceptable is 0 . 1 %. the user is now instructed to place the beam height gage in the center position . the signal without the gage is compared to the signal with the gage . no more than 99 % difference in signal intensity is acceptable . the wavelength registration test ( see fig4 h ) determines the wavelength mid - frequency and bandwidth for each detector of an array . the user is instructed to be sure the lamp is on and that the track is reasonably covered . the atp then measures dark current for 10 scans with the light modifying wheel in the blocked position . the average of the 10 scans is zdark for each element . a preliminary profile test is performed to ensure that a reasonable amount of light can be sensed by each detector . the profile minimum is about 1 / 2 of the final required value as defined in the program as minpro where minpro = 1 / 2 ( zpr00 + zpr01 * x + zpr02 * x 2 + zpr03 -* x 3 + zpr04 * x 4 + zpr05 * x 5 + zpr06 * x 6 + zpr07 * x 7 + zpr08 * x 8 ), and where : ______________________________________zpro0 = - 139 . 78 , zpro1 = 148 . 51 , zpro2 = - 55 . 276 , zpro3 = 10 . 446 , zpro4 = - 0 . 99866 , zpro5 = 0 . 055139 , zpro6 = - 0 . 0017867 , zpro7 = 3 . 1212e - 5 , zpro8 = - 2 . 2519e - 7______________________________________ and x is the index into the detector array for elements 1 through 35 . the signal is then normalized by the atp by selecting individual gain values for each element so as to balance the signal at a preprogrammed ( not user selectable ) level . for each of seven filters , the peak is found by fitting a gaussian curve to the signal detected with a filter in place . the user is asked to confirm that the peak for each position is reasonable . the user then has the option to reposition the filter and try again ( by pressing &# 34 ; r &# 34 ;) abort the wavelength determination , ( by pressing &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;) , or continuing ( by pressing &# 34 ; y &# 34 ;). after all filters have been evaluated a linear regression is determined by a least squares fit . the test passes if the calculated smallest wavelength ( element 1 ) is less than or equal to the specified low wavelength , the calculated largest wavelength ( element 35 ) is greater than or equal to the specified high wavelength , and the residual of each regression is greater than the criteria minimum . the maximum acceptable low wavelength is defined in the program as lowwvlnth . the minimum high wavelength is highwvlnth , and the correlation coefficient is defined as zresidual . for example , the maximum acceptable low wavelength may be 395 nm , the minimum acceptable high wavelength 710 nm , and the correlation coefficient ( r - 2 ) greater than 0 . 9992 . the optical profile test ( see fig4 i ) measures the amount of light reaching the detectors and the signal to noise ratio for each of 15 optical channels under normal operating conditions . the user is instructed to be sure the lamp is on and that the track is reasonably covered . the atp then measures dark current for 10 scans with the light modifying wheel in the blocked position . the average of the 10 scans divided by its gain value ( 4095 ) becomes zdark for each element . the gain is then set to 170 / 4095 for all optical channels . the atp calculates an element number based on each of 32 wavelengths to test . the signal value for each wavelength is interpolated from the closest discrete elements corresponding to the desired wavelength . the average of the 10 scans is compared with a maximum value ( not saturated ) and with a minimum value calculated using a polynomial based on a typical signal defined at the beginning of the program . the signal divided by the standard deviation of each element : is likewise compared to a maximum optical rms noise value . this comparison ensures that the combination of noise sources ( electrical noise , optical noise , and shutter motor instability ) will not significantly distort the usable signal . the minimum signal is calculated in the program as minpro where minpro = zpr00 + zpr01 * x + zpr02 * x 2 + zpr03 * x 3 + zpr04 *- x 4 + zpr05 * x 5 + zpr06 * x 6 + zpr07 * x 7 + zpr08 * x 8 , and where ______________________________________zpro0 = - 139 . 78 , zpro1 = 148 . 51 , zpro2 = - 55 . 276 , zpro3 = 10 . 446 , zpro4 = - 0 . 99866 , zpro5 = 0 . 055139 , zpro6 = - 0 . 0017867 , zpro7 = 3 . 1212e - 5 , zpro8 = - 2 . 2519e - 7______________________________________ and x is the element index into the detector array for wavelengths every 10 nm from 400 nm to 710 nm . the maximum is defined in the program criteria as maxpro where maxpro = 4000 counts . the minimum signal to noise ratio is defined as mins2n such that mins2n = zs2n0 + zs2n1 -* x + zs2n2 * x 2 + zs2n3 * x 3 + zs2n4 * x 4 + zs2n5 * x 5 + zs2n6 * x 6 + zs2n7 * x 7 + zs2n8 * x 8 , and where : ______________________________________zs2n0 = - 221 , zs2n1 = 296 . 43 , zs2n2 = - 126 . 41 , zs2n3 = 28 . 16 , zs2n4 = - 3 . 0109 , zs2n5 = 0 . 17263 , zs2n6 = - 0 . 0054823 , zs2n7 = 9 . 104e - 5 , zs2n8 = - 6 . 1752e - 7______________________________________ and x is the element index into the detector array for wavelengths every 10 nm from 400 nm to 710 nm . the filter testing ( fig4 j ) covers the two miscellaneous filters in the mda optical module the bg36 , filter and the lccs filter . for both tests the user is instructed to be sure the lamp is on and that the track is reasonably covered . the atp then measures dark current for 10 scans with the light modifying wheel in the blocked position . the average of the 10 scans is zdark for each element . the signal is then normalized by the atp by selecting individual gain values for each element so as to balance the signal at a preprogrammed ( not user selectable ) level . bg36 filter -- the light modifying wheel is set in the bg36 filter position . at each of three wavelengths ( 493 nm , 548 nm , and 653 nm ), the peak is found by fitting a gaussian curve to the signal detected around the element expected to show a peak for that wavelength . the test passes if the calculated element for each wavelength corresponds to the calculated element determined by the wavelength determination found in the wavelength registration test . this variation in the realized element and the calculated element is defined in the program criteria as minbg36 and maxbg36 . the maximum variation from the calculated element to the realized element is 0 . 25 elements . lccs filter -- the light modifying wheel is set in the lccs position . at each of three commanded lccs levels ( low , mid , and high ), the average signal of 10 scans is compared to an expected value at element number 21 . the error between the expected signal level ( lccs $( level , expect )) and the measured signal level is calculated in the program and compared with the criteria , lccs $( level , tolerance ) for each of three levels . the component parts and the assembly of a mounting fixture used during testing the optical module are shown in fig5 and 6 . all of the parts are made of stainless steel . fig5 a shows the dimensions of part 1 , of which two are required . fig5 b shows the dimensions of part 2 , of which one is required . fig5 c shows the dimensions of part 3 , of which one is required . fig5 d shows the dimensions of part 4 , of which one is required . fig5 e and 5f show parts 5 and 6 respectively , of which one each is required . fig5 g shows the dimensions of part 7 , of which one is required . fig5 h shows the dimensions of part 8 , of which one is required . fig6 a shows a first portion of the assembly of the component parts of fig5 fig6 b showing a detail of fig6 a . fig6 c , 6d , 6e and 6f show other portions of the assembly of the parts of fig5 . the apparatus and method for testing the optical module of an mda device , in particular , for performing alignment , diagnostic tests and qualification testing described above may be subject to various modification within the scope of the invention . for example , in the described embodiment , the test results and parameters are stored on a disk shipped with the optical module , however certain information , for example , the serial number and test parameter data for a particular optical module could be stored in read only memory ( rom ) provided with the module . this information could then be downloaded to the testing computer upon beginning the test procedure . or the complete test software could be so stored and shipped with the optical module . in the described embodiment , the test software operates interactively with a user , however completely automatic operation could be achieved with only minor modifications . instead of instructing the user to cover the module , for example , the program could command a robot arm to place a cover over the module , making the test procedure completely machine implemented . a plurality of test stations could be provided each having an optical module for testing and each under the control of a central computing system for performing the tests simultaneously on the plurality of modules . in the described embodiment , the software is implemented in the basic computer language for use with a personal computer , however any other computer and / or computer language could be used for implementation within the scope of the invention . likewise , the particular mounting fixture described could be adapted to different optical modules within the scope of the invention . the serial number of a module could be associated with a particular mounting arrangement and / or specific tests and test parameters , so that a test apparatus according to the invention is useful for a collection of optical module varieties . it will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications , changes and adaptations , and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims .

6Physics

fig1 through 15 of the drawings depict various preferred embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein . generally , fig1 through 10 depict one embodiment of the present invention and fig1 through 15 depict another embodiment . as shown in fig1 the trocar assembly 10 consists of two basic subassemblies : a trocar tube subassembly 12 and a co - axial trocar body subassembly 14 . the two subassemblies are designed to be separable from each other as shown . trocar body subassembly 14 includes a head or grip 16 made up of top and bottom halves - 18 , 20 , respectively . these top and bottom halves may be made of plastic material such as abs plastic . the grip 16 is generally rectangular with a rounded rear end wall 22 adapted to fit the palm of the hand of the surgeon . axially projecting from the rear end wall is a movable pushbutton 24 which will be more fully described hereafter . located in the distal end of the grip is a slot 26 which is dimensioned to closely receive a correspondingly shaped trocar tube body 28 . the slot 26 defines a pair of spaced parallel arms 30 , 32 having wings 34 , 36 extending laterally therefrom . projecting from an aperture 38 in front wall 40 within slot 26 is an elongated obturator 42 , which may be conveniently be made of plastic , aluminum or other metal material . a sharp piercing tip or point 44 , which may conveniently be made of aluminum or stainless steel material , is fixedly mounted on the distal end thereof . the piercing tip is formed by the intersection of three angled surfaces , two of which are shown at 46 , 48 . the obturator 42 has a tapered surface which narrows from its distal end 50 to its proximal end to facilitate movement through body tissue . it also has a reduced diameter portion 49 where it enters aperture 38 thereby to facilitate movement through valve body seal 51 , as seen in fig5 . returning to fig1 the trocar tube body 28 may be made of plastic material such as abs plastic . rounded rear portion 52 of trocar tube body 28 fits within a correspondingly - shaped portion of grip 16 . when in this fully engaged position , rounded front walls of the trocar tube body , one of which is shown at 54 , will be in register with correspondingly - shaped front walls 56 , 58 of grip 16 . in this manner , the surgeon can conveniently grip the trocar by placing a finger on each front wall 56 , 58 while holding the rounded rear wall 22 and pushbutton 24 in the palm of the hand . projecting from the trocar tube body 28 in a distal direction is a tubular trocar tube or cannula 60 , which may also be of abs plastic . the tube 60 has an angled opening 62 and a tapered end portion 64 to facilitate travel through the body wall . a valve lever 65 movable in a recess 66 on the top of the trocar tube body 28 permits opening a flapper valve ( not shown ), as will be described hereafter . turning to fig2 the trocar body subassembly will now be described . as seen in this figure , top half 18 and bottom half 20 of grip 16 define a hollow chamber 68 therebetween . the top and bottom halves may be conveniently held together by fasteners , such as pins 70 , press fit into accommodating holes 71 in the top and bottom halves . pushbutton 24 projects through generally square aperture 72 in the rear end wall 22 of grip 16 . pushbutton 24 includes a rectangular rail 74 on its bottom that slides in a correspondingly - shaped track ( not shown ) in wall 76 of bottom half 20 . travel in the proximal direction is limited by a stop 78 molded into the half 20 . a vertical ridge 79 molded in the lateral wall of the pushbutton 24 is biased against the stop 78 by means of a pushbutton coil spring 80 . this coil spring is held in place between a projection 82 on pushbutton 66 and a projection 84 on the interior of the bottom half 20 . a bifurcated locking member 86 includes a bottom leaf 88 which is normally located in the path of ridge 79 so as to lock the pushbutton in its fully depressed position . locking member 86 fits within and is retained by elongated groove 90 in a side wall of chamber 68 . located within the chamber 68 is a rotator assembly 92 . the rotator assembly consists of upper and lower link members 94 , 96 . these link members have elongated slots 98 , 100 in their proximal ends . upper link member 94 has extending therefrom at its proximal end an integral cylindrical shaft 102 with a vertical groove 104 therein . similarly , lower link member 96 has an upwardly directed cylindrical shaft 106 with a tongue 108 dimensioned to be closely fitted within groove 104 . an integral cam 110 on shaft 106 serves to depress leaf 88 at the end of a cycle to permit pushbutton 24 to return to its normal position extended from grip 16 . pin 112 passes through holes 114 and 116 in upper and lower link members 94 , 96 respectively . the lower end of pin 112 is restrained in hole 118 in the interior wall 76 of lower half 20 . similarly , and as best seen in fig3 a hole 120 is provided in the inner wall 122 of upper half 18 to accommodate the upper end of pin 112 . returning to fig2 a cylindrical shaft 124 having a bore 126 therethrough is integrally connected to a middle link member 128 . a pin 130 passes through this bore and the ends of pin 130 pass through slots 98 , 100 and are movable therein . the lower end of pin 130 travels in an arcuate groove 132 molded within wall 76 of lower half 20 . similarly , and turning to fig3 again , the upper end of pin 130 travels in arcuate groove 134 in upper half 18 . returning to fig2 main torsion spring 136 is wrapped about shaft 106 . one free end 138 of the spring is bent at right angles and contacts interior side wall 140 . the other end 142 is curved and wrapped around shaft 124 . secondary torsion spring 144 has its free ends 146 , 148 wrapped around shafts 106 and 124 respectively . a latch 150 is fixed to inner wall 76 by means of screw 152 . the rotator assembly 92 is connected to obturator 42 by means of a pin 154 which secures middle link member 128 within slot 156 in the proximal reduced diameter portion 49 of obturator 42 . pivotal movement of the rotator assembly 92 about pin 112 thereby is transmitted to obturator 42 through links 94 , 96 , shaft 124 and link 128 , so as to reciprocate the reduced diameter portion 49 of obturator 42 in aperture 38 . referring to fig5 the trocar assembly 10 is shown in its initial position for storage , transportation , and pre - stick clinical handling . in this position and condition , the trocar tip 44 resides within and spaced from the open end 62 of trocar tube 60 . pushbutton 24 , the top portion of which has been cut away for purposes of clarity , extends rearwardly through aperture 72 in grip 16 in a position to be actuated by the palm of the surgeon &# 39 ; s hand when the first and second fingers are in position on front walls 56 , 58 . in order to move the tip 44 to its fully extended or &# 34 ; cocked &# 34 ; position ( fig6 ), the pushbutton 24 is depressed by the palm in a distal direction . the distal edge 158 of pawl 160 which is fastened to the bottom wall of pushbutton 24 is in a position to contact and move link 96 of rotator assembly 92 . rotator assembly 92 pivots around pin 112 so as to move middle link 128 , obturator 42 and tip 44 . the pawl 160 rides over a ridge 162 in shaft 106 , as best seen in fig9 so that it no longer rests on link 96 when the pushbutton 24 is depressed , enabling the tip 44 to fire even when the pushbutton is depressed . this is because the linkage is free to move into the pushbutton . as shown in fig6 bottom leaf 88 in locking member 86 springs out to catch ridge 79 and thereby prevent rearward distal movement of the pushbutton 24 . the pushbutton is held in this depressed position until a cam 110 integral with link 96 and shaft 106 pushes bottom leaf 88 laterally away from ridge 79 . this does not occur until the tip 44 is almost fully retracted . when this happens , pushbutton spring 80 causes the pushbutton 24 to return to its initial extended position shown in fig5 and the trocar is again ready for use . continuing with fig6 the trocar obturator 42 is shown fully advanced with tip 44 penetrating a body wall shown in dotted lines . in its fully extended position shown , the tip 44 is located a distance d1 of about 0 . 1875 inches from open end 62 of trocar tube 60 . in this position , pin 130 is at the distal end of slot 98 and on the side edge 164 of latch 150 . in this position , the force due to penetration , which may be about 4 - 10 pounds , is distributed to trocar body subassembly 14 by means of pin 130 contacting the body . for example , force is distributed to body 14 by means of the pin seating in the apex 149 of grove 134 . ( see : fig3 .) latch 150 prevents pin 130 from entering arcuate groove 132 . as shown in fig7 tip 44 moves in a proximal direction so that the distance between the tip and open end 62 falls to a distance d2 of about zero . thus the tip will have moved proximally a &# 34 ; float distance &# 34 ; of about 0 . 1875 inches upon penetration of the body wall . at the same time pin 130 moves to the proximal end of slot 98 against the biasing force of secondary spring 144 , which may be about 2 pounds . pin 130 also moves off the edge 164 of latch 150 . as the pin 130 continues to travel along slot 98 , the secondary spring 144 is compressed until the pin has traveled the full 0 . 1875 inches along the slot . if there is a small change in force at the body wall , the pin 130 will move in the slot and such minor movement will be accommodated by the &# 34 ; float distance &# 34 ; of the slot without premature triggering of the device . the tip 44 will not begin to retract until the force from the body wall is reduced to zero and the pin 130 has traveled back towards the distal end of the slot 98 a portion of the float distance . when pin 130 travels back , it will no longer contact edge 164 of latch 150 . rather , it will contact generally perpendicular edge 166 of latch 150 , due to the fact that main spring 136 will have moved link 96 laterally . in this position , pin 130 will be restrained from moving laterally by a wall 168 . ( see : fig3 ). secondary spring 144 will then move pin 130 against and compress latch 150 so that pin 130 moves free of the restraining action of wall 168 and into arcuate groove 132 . main spring 136 , which may be about 6 pounds of force , will then cause pin 130 to follow the arcuate path of groove 132 , as shown in fig8 until it reaches its most proximal position shown in fig5 . in doing so , it retracts tip 44 through the linkage mechanism thus described . by having secondary spring 144 at about 2 pounds of force while main spring 136 is about 6 pounds of force , this will allow the tip 44 to be set easily while the stiffer main spring will cause rapid firing . it may be noted that the mechanism does not immediately retract upon reduction of force on the tip . rather , there must first be a movement of the tip in the distal direction a short distance before this occurs . again , as bottom link 96 reaches the end of its rotation in the counter - clockwise direction , a cam 110 will depress leaf 88 of locking member 86 so as to release pushbutton 24 . pushbutton 24 will then be moved rearwardly in the proximal direction by the force provided by spring 80 to the fully extended position shown in fig5 so that the trocar body subassembly 14 is ready for another cycle . the return of the pushbutton to the extended position also gives visual indication of this condition . another visual indicator is provided by a small window 169 in top half 18 of grip 16 , as best seen in fig2 . when tip 44 is fully advanced , the end of pin 130 , which may be painted a highly visible color , appears in window 169 . when the tip has retracted , pin 130 will no longer be visible in the window . with the pushbutton mechanism thus described , a mechanical advantage will be produced of the order of 2 : 1 . that is , compression of pushbutton 24 its full length of travel of about one - half inch will be translated by the mechanism into about 1 inch travel of the tip 44 . after the trocar tube subassembly 12 is in place providing communication within the patient , the trocar body subassembly 14 may be manually removed . as best seen in fig4 within head or grip 16 is a flap valve mechanism generally at 170 . the flap valve mechanism includes generally circular seal 51 of deformable material such as rubber , having a circular opening 176 therethrough for admitting the obturator . seal 51 is mounted within an aperture 178 in the proximal end of housing 16 by means of an annular groove 172 . aperture 176 serves as a port for the entry of instruments and the like during surgery . the flap valve mechanism further includes a generally u - shaped valve 179 mounted along a vertical edge thereof to an integral shaft 180 . the shaft 180 is pivotally mounted at opposite ends thereof in holes ( not shown ) in the grip 16 . a circular pad 182 , which may be made of plastic material such as tygon plastic , is fixed to valve 179 by suitable means . a coil spring 184 , which is positioned over shaft 180 , biases flap valve 178 to normally close off aperture 176 when the obturator 42 is removed . in this manner , unwanted foreign matter such as bacteria or the like is prevented from entering aperture 176 , and thereby entering the patient , through tube 60 . trocar tube subassembly 12 includes a hollow body or housing 188 , having a top portion 190 and a bottom portion 192 . a lever 65 may be rotated within fan - shaped recess 66 molded in top portion 190 . lever 65 has a shaft 194 depending therefrom that may be fixed to the upper end of shaft 180 by suitable means . in this manner , rotation of lever 65 will cause valve 178 to be opened against the biasing force of spring 184 . in addition , the trocar tube subassembly also includes a conventional one - way check valve which is fixed within an aperture 198 in top portion 190 . valve 196 may be connected to a source of insufflation gas , which may be admitted to the patient cavity through housing 188 and trocar tube 60 . alternatively , a stopcock valve may be used . in an alternate embodiment shown in fig1 , the obturator shank 49 at its distal end is shown to be of reduced diameter from that shown in the previous figures . this reduces the frictional drag on the obturator induced by main seal opening 176 during its movement , which is important to ensure smooth operation of the device . the reduced diameter also increases the angle &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; at which flap valve 178 contacts the obturator shank 49 , and thus reduces the spring force ( since the spring is less compressed in this position ), thereby reducing the friction which is a function of the force imposed by the valve . turning now to another embodiment , as shown in fig1 , a trocar assembly 210 consists of two subassemblies : a trocar tube subassembly 212 and a trocar body subassembly 214 . the two subassemblies are designed to be separable from each other . trocar body subassembly 214 includes a head or grip 216 made up of top and bottom halves 218 and 220 , respectively . these top and bottom halves may be made of plastic material such as abs plastic . the head 216 is generally rectangular with a rounded rear wall 222 adapted to fit the palm of the hand of the surgeon . the front of the head has a rectangular slot 224 therein which is dimensioned to closely receive correspondingly shaped trocar tube body 226 , as best seen in fig1 a - 12d . returning to fig1 , the slot 224 in head 216 defines a pair of spaced , parallel arms 228 , 230 having a pair of opposing side walls , one of which is shown at 232 . projecting between the arms centrally and disposed from front wall 234 is a stylet 236 . styler 236 is comprised of an elongated obturator 238 , which may conveniently be made of aluminum or other material . styler 236 has a sharp piercing tip or point 240 which may conveniently be made of aluminum or stainless steel material fixedly mounted on the distal end thereof . the piercing tip is formed by the intersection of three angled surfaces , two of which are shown at 242 , 244 . the obturator has a tapered surface which narrows from its distal end 246 to its proximal end 248 , where it enters aperture 247 in frustoconical projection 249 on the front wall 234 in order to reduce friction and thereby facilitate its movement through body tissue . trocar tube subassembly 212 has a body 250 , which may be made of plastic material such as abs plastic , which is dimensioned to closely fit within slot 224 . in this position the side walls of the body 250 , one of which is shown at 252 , will closely contact the accommodating side walls of the head 216 . at the same time , a rear wall 254 of the trocar tube body 250 will closely contact front wall 234 of head 216 . when in this position , the rounded front walls 256 , 258 of head 216 will be in register with a correspondingly shaped rounded front wall 260 of trocar tube body 250 . in this manner , the surgeon can conveniently grip the head 216 by placing a finger on each front wall 256 , 258 , while holding the rounded rear wall 222 in the palm of the hand . in order to hold the two subassemblies 212 , 214 together , projections ( one of which is shown at 262 ), are molded into the side walls of trocar tube subassembly 212 . projecting from the front wall 260 of the tube body 226 is an elongated trocar tube or cannula 264 , which may be made of plastic material such as abs plastic , having a distal end 266 which has a tapered frustoconical surface 268 . as best seen in fig1 b , the principal elements of the trocar tube subassembly 212 are : the body 226 , which is made up of generally symmetrical upper and lower halves 270 , 272 which are held together by a plurality of pin projections 274 in lower half 272 , which mate with corresponding bores ( not shown ) in top half 270 ; and the trocar tube 264 having a circumferential ring 276 formed thereon adjacent its proximal end which fits within annular groove 278 in mating semicircular projections 280 , 282 . another ring 284 , which is spaced from ring 276 and formed on said trocar tube 264 intermediate ring 276 and the distal end 266 of tube 264 , functions to seal off the semicircular openings 286 , 288 in projections 280 , 282 , respectively . while pin projections have been shown , it is to be understood that other fastening means such as screws or adhesive could alternatively be used . within chamber 290 formed by the body halves 270 , 272 is a flap valve mechanism 292 . the flap valve mechanism includes : a generally circular grommet - like seal 294 of deformable material such as rubber , having a groove 296 therearound for mounting in a pair of semicircular holes , one of which is shown at 298 in lower half 272 and having central opening 300 therethrough ; a generally u - shaped valve 302 mounted along one edge thereof to a vertically oriented shaft 304 , the shaft being pivotally mounted at its upper and lower ends 306 , 308 in holes in the tube body , one of which is shown at 310 ; a circular pad 312 , which may be made of a plastic material such as tygon plastic , fixed to the valve 302 by means of an integral projection 314 which engages bore 316 through the center of valve 302 ; and a spring 318 which fits over shaft 304 . the spring 318 biases valve 302 and thereby pad 312 to normally close off opening 300 when the styler ( not shown ) is removed . the function of the flap valve mechanism is to act as a closure when the trocar tube subassembly is removed from the trocar body subassembly . parenthetically , grommet - like seal 294 is adapted to seal with the frustoconical projection 249 on the front wall 234 of head 216 ( see fig1 ). also a part of the flap valve mechanism is an actuating lever 320 which is mounted on the upper end 306 of the shaft exteriorly of the body 272 . the exterior top surface 322 of the body has a fan - shaped recess 324 molded therein within which the lever 320 is free to move . the lever 320 allows the valve to be manually opened for admission of surgical instruments . completing the tube assembly is a valve or stopcock 326 having a valve inlet 328 and a valve outlet 330 . a tapered frustoconical portion 331 of the valve 330 is inserted into a bore 332 in top half 270 . the valve is actuated by means of rotating a valve handle 334 so as to selectively open or close off communication between inlet 328 and outlet 330 , thereby facilitating the admission of insufflating gas to the body cavity . turning now to fig1 a , the top and bottom halves 218 , 220 are exploded to show details of the interior mechanism of trocar body subassembly 14 . as may be seen , a cavity 336 is formed in the bottom half 220 . as best seen in fig1 , a mating cavity 338 is formed in top half 218 . returning to fig1 a , the top and bottom halves are joined together by means of a plurality of metal pins 274 or other convenient fastening means . as may be seen , these pins are press fit into accommodating bores 340 in bottom half 220 . as may be seen in fig1 , the opposite ends of these pins are adapted to be press fitted into a plurality of bores 342 in top half 218 . again returning to fig1 a , styler 236 has a reduced diameter shank portion 344 which is dimensioned to be axially slidable in an aperture 247 in front wall 234 and projection 249 . an elongated horizontally disposed slot 246 is formed in the proximal end of shank 344 . this slot is adapted to receive lever arm 348 . lever arm 348 is pivotally connected at its distal end to shank 344 by means of a pivot pin 350 which passes through bore 352 in the distal end of lever arm 348 and is press fit into bore 354 which is drilled through shank 344 . the proximal end of lever arm 348 has a lateral projection 356 at a right angle to the direction of lever arm 348 and a bore 358 therethrough . an elongated actuator pin 360 is fixedly mounted within said bore intermediate its ends by welding or other convenient means . the upper end portion of actuator pin 360 extends into an arcuate slot 362 in top half 218 and has an actuating lever 364 mounted thereon . a projection 361 depending from the underside of actuating lever 364 travels in groove 362 and is adapted to contact and move pin 360 when the lever is rotated about pivot 363 within aperture 365 in top half 218 . lever 364 is retained within aperture 365 by means of a retainer screw 367 threadedly engaged within an axial bore in pivot 363 . the slot 362 is cut to the rear so as to form an axially directed wall 366 for a purpose to be described hereinafter . material is cut away so as to form an indentation 368 in top half 218 . an upward projection 371 facilitates manipulation of lever 364 . shaft 360 is of such a length as to permit a free end thereof to travel within slot 362 . a spring 369 around and fixed at one end to pivot 363 and at the other end to a hole 373 in top half 218 biases lever 364 to the position shown in fig1 . in the fully retracted position , pin 360 is permitted to reach a position near bottom wall 392 within slot 362 ( see fig1 a ). the lower portion of actuator pin 360 extends through and is freely pivotable within a bore 370 in lever arm 372 . lever arm 372 is in turn fixed at its opposite end to cylindrical member 374 intermediate its upper and lower ends 376 , 378 . a slot 380 extends through the length of member 374 . this slot is in line with the direction of lever arm 372 . a pivot pin 382 passes through slot 380 . the lower end of pivot pin 382 is fixed within bore 384 in the bottom of cavity 336 . the upper end is adapted to be fixed within bore 386 in cavity 338 in upper half as seen in fig1 . returning to fig1 a , a coil spring 388 has a body portion adapted to encompass member 374 . one end 392 of coil spring 388 is adapted to bear against and bias actuator pin 360 against wall 366 and towards the bottom 392 of arcuate slot 362 . the other end 394 of coil spring 388 has a curved end and contacts a cylindrical projection 396 that extends from the bottom of cavity 336 . a pin 398 is press fit within a bore 400 within projection 396 . this pin is adapted to fit within a bore 402 in a corresponding cylindrical projection 403 in cavity 338 as seen in fig1 . as seen in this figure and in fig1 a , an l - shaped latch 404 is mounted within cavity 338 by means of a screw 406 which passes through a bore 408 at the juncture of the two arms 410 , 412 of the latch . the latch 404 may conveniently be injection molded of plastic material . turning to fig1 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of the invention which includes a mechanism for reducing frictional drag on the obturator 238 and thereby on the stylet 236 . the drag reduction mechanism comprises a hollow tube 500 which may conveniently be of stainless steel material . the tube is fixedly mounted in an aperture 247 in frustoconical projection 249 on the front wall 234 of head 216 as by press fitting its proximal end 502 therein . the tube is of a length from its proximal end 502 to its distal end 504 so as to hold flap valve mechanism 292 out of contact with the obturator 238 when the two subassemblies 212 , 214 are fully engaged as shown . the inner diameter of tube 500 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of obturator 238 so that no frictional drag is imparted to the obturator by the flap valve mechanism 292 when the obturator moves axially incident to operation of the trocar . tube 500 will eliminate any frictional impedance that would tend to slow the action of spring 388 upon retraction of obturator 238 . the operation of the trocar will now be discussed as follows . prior to use , the trocar tube assembly 210 will be in the assembled form shown in fig1 a . in this form , trocar tube subassembly 212 will have its body 250 nestled within slot 224 . obturator 238 of styler 236 will be positioned as shown within trocar tube 264 . in this initial position or state , tip 240 is recessed within the tube and spaced from the distal end 266 . in this manner , the tip is prevented from causing injury during transport . in order to place the trocar in operational condition or form , actuator pin 360 is manually advanced in the arrow direction by moving lever 364 by projection 371 so that projection 361 moves pin 360 as shown in fig1 a until it reaches the end of its travel in slot 362 . near the end of its travel , pin 360 will contact rearward - facing transverse edge 414 of latch 404 , which projects into slot 362 ( see fig1 ). continued movement of pin 360 will move the latch to the left or distal direction as shown in fig1 a until it passes axial edge 416 . at this moment , the biasing force of latch 404 will return it to its initial position and pin 360 will be held against axial edge 416 , as best seen in fig1 b . it will be held in this cocked position by the biasing force of coil spring 388 applied through spring end 392 . in this cocked position , the tip 240 projects a distance d 1 from distal end 266 of tube 264 . arm 348 and lever arm 372 will be axially aligned with stylet 236 . as shown in this figure , the trocar is manually advanced against the body tissue shown in dotted lines defining the wall of a body cavity . the trocar is inserted through the tissue defining the wall of the body cavity . in practice , this insertion is made through a small incision in the skin that is created for this purpose . the trocar is gripped firmly in the hand with the rounded rear wall 222 of the head 216 against the palm and the index and middle fingers extending around the front walls 256 , 258 of the trocar body subassembly 214 on either side of tube 264 . the reactant force of the tissue will cause a slight &# 34 ; float distance &# 34 ; movement of the stylet 236 , arm 348 and lever arm 372 in the proximal direction until the position seen in fig1 c is achieved . in this position , the distance between the tip and the open end 266 falls to a distance d 2 of about zero . this small amount of excess movement called the &# 34 ; float distance &# 34 ; is made possible by slot 380 in cylindrical member 374 . parenthetically , the &# 34 ; float distance &# 34 ; may be in the range of 0 . 050 to 0 . 1875 inches , with 0 . 125 inches as an optimum . the movement of pivot pin 382 in slot 380 is designed to be greater than the movement required to release latch 404 . the slight additional movement of pin 382 within slot 380 allows for slight changes in surgeon advancement rate or variations in tissue density or resistance to not trigger latch 404 and retract the point 240 prior to penetrating the body cavity . this movement of pin 382 in slot 380 of cylindrical member 374 will now be described in further detail . in this position , pivot pin 382 is located at the distal end of slot 380 and end 394 of coil spring 388 is rotated so as to produce a biasing force in the distal direction . at the same time , actuator pin 360 moves in the proximal direction until it is free of contacting axial edge 416 . the lateral biasing force of end 392 of coil spring 388 causes actuator pin 360 to move laterally until it seats against wall 366 and the apex 418 of slot 362 . in this position , the final force generated by tip 240 passing through the tissue is resisted by a positive stop formed in top half 218 in the area of contact between pin 369 and apex 418 where wall 366 intersects slot 362 . the balance of the force thus generated will be transmitted to bottom half 220 by means of actuator pin 360 contacting apex 420 formed in a raised portion 422 within cavity 336 , as best seen in fig1 a . after the tip passes through the tissue and enters the body cavity , the force on the tip will decrease and in fact cease . as soon as this resistant force is less than a threshold value supplied by the biasing force of end 394 of coil spring 388 , actuator pin 360 will move in a distal direction under the influence of such biasing force . as seen in fig1 d , actuator pin 360 will move distally against edge 414 , compressing and moving latch 404 in a distal direction , since the force generated by end 394 of coil spring 388 is greater than that generated by latch 404 . as soon as actuator spring 360 moves distally enough to clear contact with wall 366 , it will enter slot 362 and move in the arrow direction under the biasing influence of end 392 and spring 388 . actuator pin 360 will move along the arcuate path defined by slot 362 until it is stopped by projection 361 ( see fig1 a ), against which it bears , reaching the slot bottom 392 . it will thus have automatically returned to the position shown in fig1 a with the tip 240 fully retracted into tube 264 . of course , unlike the fig1 a situation , tube 264 will be within the body cavity . in this manner , viscera and other internal tissues are protected from contact with the piercing tip and potential damage that it might cause . at the same time , the surgeon has a visual indication , by the lever 364 ( see fig1 ) being fully retracted , that the tip has completely retracted . while holding trocar tube subassembly 212 in place , the trocar body subassembly 210 is manually removed in a proximal direction as seen in fig1 . in this position , the flap valve mechanism ( not shown ) will close as visually indicated by the position of actuating lever 320 being in a transverse position . in this operation , once the tip 240 of stylet 236 clears the opening 300 in grommet - like seal 294 , spring 318 will bias flapper pad 312 into contact with the grommet - like seal , as best seen in fig1 b . in this manner , opening 300 will be closed and sealed . gas pressure - in the body cavity is thus maintained . in this regard , the stopcock 326 will normally be closed during trocar insertion to maintain the gas pressure within the body cavity . if necessary , the stopcock may be used as a conduit for admitting an additional insufflating gas into the cavity . after the trocar body subassembly 214 has been separated from the trocar tube subassembly 212 , surgical instruments may be inserted into the body cavity by way of the trocar tube subassembly to view internal tissues , perform operations , and / or drain body fluids . actuating lever 320 can be used to manually open valve 302 to facilitate such procedures and also permit removal of specimens , as well as to deflate the body cavity . it is to be understood that while the invention has been described above in conjunction with the preferred specific embodiments , the description and examples are intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the scope of the appended claims .

0Human Necessities

fig1 shows a view into the rear part of a cabin having a back wall 3 and a ceiling 4 at which a luggage compartment 2 is mounted . below the luggage compartment 2 a bunk arrangement or sleeping compartment comprising a sleeper berth or bunk 1 is provided for the driver and / or the assistant driver , respectively , for resting or sleeping during a journey or for storing objects or articles . the bunk 1 is fastened with a first longitudinal edge at the back wall 3 of the cabin . the bunk arrangement is provided with a partition device comprising a partition wall 10 ( or separation or safety wall ) which preferably extends from the opposite and tree second longitudinal edge of the bunk 1 upwardly and is guided and held by means of holding and guiding means preferably in the form of a first and a second belt 11 , 12 . as can be seen as well in fig2 which is a side view from the left in fig1 , the belts 11 , 12 are attached according to a first variation of the first embodiment with their first upper ends at the luggage compartment 2 . the wall 10 can be manufactured from one or more of a plurality of different materials in dependence on the desired properties and functions to be obtained . if for example the wall 10 is provided for hiding objects or articles which are stored on the bunk 1 and / or for keeping the compartment behind the wall 10 dark , the material is preferably opaque . for obtaining a fire protection , for preventing that a person or objects which are lying on the bunk 1 can fall down from the bunk 1 in case of an emergency brake or a collision , and / or for other functions and purposes , the material has to be chosen primarily with respect to an appropriate strength . the wall 10 is manufactured for example from a polyester fabric with a thickness of between about 0 . 7 mm and about 1 . 2 mm which is usually strong enough for most of the above functions and purposes . furthermore , such a polyester fabric is easy to clean as well . according to fig1 and 2 , the wall 10 comprises a plurality of wall elements 113 . preferably the wall 10 is provided substantially in the form of a jalousie with a plurality of longitudinal elements 113 which extend along the length of the wall 10 and which provide a zigzag form in the direction of the height of the wail 10 . the belts 11 , 12 are guided through slits within the elements of the wall 10 so that when shifting the wall 10 down , the wall elements 113 are folded together in a zigzag manner . if one or both belts 11 , 12 are inclined relative to the extension of the longitudinal elements 113 ( e . g . if the first upper end of one or both belts 11 , 12 is attached at a side wall of the cabin instead of at the luggage compartment 2 ), the slits within the elements 113 have a corresponding length so that the wall 10 can be pulled up ( i . e . extended ) and shifted down as well . the longitudinal elements 113 can be swivelling linked together as especially indicated in fig7 , or the elements 113 are single elements as in case of a usual jalousie . an advantage of such a wall 10 is that it can be used as well to replace a usual curtain which is provided for dividing a known partition device from other parts of a cabin . for receiving the elements 113 of the wall 10 in its down - shifted position , the free second edge of the bunk 1 is provided with a receptacle preferably in the form of a cassette 13 with a substantially rectangular cross section which is indicated in fig2 . the partition wall 10 can be retracted by folding it into the receptacle 13 and it can be extended by defolding or pulling it out of the receptacle 13 . the belts 11 , 12 are attached with their second lower ends at the foot of the partition wall 10 and especially within the receptacle 13 . preferably , the strengths of the attachments of the belts 11 , 12 at the luggage compartment 2 and in the receptacle 13 , as well as the strengths of the belts 11 , 12 themselves are dimensioned such that they fulfill the requirements for achieving the function of safety belts for preventing that a person or objects which are lying on the bunk 1 can fall down in case of an emergency brake or a collision . the upper free end of the wall 10 is provided with a tube or rod 114 by which the wall 10 can be pulled up ( and down ) by hand along the belts 11 , 12 until reaching the luggage compartment 2 as shown in fig2 , and by which the wall 10 can be fixed in this or in any intermediate position between the receptacle 13 and the luggage compartment 2 by means of clamping devices ( not shown ) which are effective between the tube or rod 114 and the belts 11 , 12 . fig3 shows a front view onto the wall 10 and the luggage compartment 2 . the wall 10 is drawn partly out of the receptacle 13 up to an intermediate position at about a half of the height between the receptacle 13 and the luggage compartment 2 . furthermore , the belts 11 , 12 are shown in this figure which are again attached with one end within the receptacle 13 and with the other end at the luggage compartment 2 . fig4 shows the same view as in fig3 , however , the wall 10 is pulled up to the luggage compartment 2 so that the bunk arrangement behind the wall 10 is closed against the front part of the cabin . fig5 shows a schematic three - dimensional view into the rear part of a cabin of a truck or bus with a bunk arrangement or sleeping compartment comprising a partition device with a partition wall 10 ( or separation or safety wall ) according to a second variation of the first embodiment of the invention . equal or corresponding parts as in fig1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference signs . the bunk arrangement again comprises a bunk 1 which is fastened with a first longitudinal edge at a back wall 3 of the cabin and which comprises at the opposite free second longitudinal edge a receptacle 13 in the form of a cassette for enclosing the elements 113 of the wail 10 which can be pulled out of the receptacle 13 and fixed at holding and guiding belts 11 , 12 as explained above . in contrary to the first variation , the belts 11 , 12 are attached with their first upper ends at fastening means 111 , 112 at the ceiling 4 of the cabin . consequently , the height of the wall 10 is preferably dimensioned such that it can be pulled up to the ceiling 4 so that the bunk arrangement can be closed . the side view according to fig6 from the left side in fig5 shows the wall 10 pulled up into an intermediate position between the receptacle 13 and the ceiling 4 . in both the first and the second variations the belts 11 , 12 are preferably provided as well for holding and carrying the free second longitudinal edge of the bunk 1 and not only as safety belts and for holding and guiding the wall 10 . furthermore , only one or more than two belts can be provided in dependence on their strengths and the load effected by the bunk 1 . the positions of the belts along the length of the wall 10 are substantially selected such that a person can get onto the bunk 1 in a comfortable manner . fig7 shows a more detailed view of the right side end portion of the bunk 1 ( in which a mattress has been removed ) and the wall 10 together with the second belt 12 . as indicated in this figure , the receptacle 13 is formed at the free second longitudinal edge of the bunk 1 with a substantially u - shaped cross - section . furthermore , this figure shows in more details the wall 10 comprising a plurality of longitudinal elements 113 which when shifting down the wall 10 are folded together into the receptacle 13 . the opposite upper edge of the wall 10 is provided with the tube or rod 114 which provides a termination of the wall 10 and makes handling of the wall 10 easier , especially when pulling if up and shifting if down . this tube 114 preferably also comprises clamping means for fixing the wall in an intermediate position at the belts 11 , 12 . fig8 shows a side view from the right in fig1 or 5 in which the back wall 3 of the cabin , the bunk 1 with the receptacle 13 at the free second longitudinal edge of the bunk 1 and the belts 11 , 12 are indicated . in this figure the wall 10 is shifted into its down most position in which the elements 113 of the wall 10 are folded above each other and are enclosed entirely within the receptacle 13 . furthermore , the rube or rod 114 which terminates the wail 10 at its upper edge is positioned on the opening of the receptacle 13 so that if closes the same . for this purpose the upper surface of the receptacle 13 comprising the opening for receiving the elements 113 is provided with a groove 131 ( see fig9 ) running along its length which is formed to receive at least a part of the rod or tube 114 so that it can lie in it and closes the opening when the wall 10 has been shifted into its retracted state . fig9 again shows the side view of fig8 in which the wall 10 has been pulled out of the receptacle 13 partly so that some of the elements 113 of the wall 10 are de - folded and some of the elements 113 are still enclosed within the receptacle 13 . as mentioned above , the rod or tube 114 is preferably provided to fix the wall 10 in a desired position by means of clamping means which are effective between the rod or tube 113 and the belts 11 , 12 . fig1 to 13 show a second embodiment of the invention in three variations in which instead of the receptacle 13 the partition wall 10 is retracted into a space under or within the bunk 1 . this embodiment is especially provided for a wall 10 in the form of e . g . a net or a fabric or any other material which is flexible or can be rolled , curved or bent , or is suitable in another way , for being drawn into or under the bunk 1 . fig1 shows a plan view into the space within ( or under ) a bunk 1 . the wall 10 is terminated at its upper free edge with a first tube or rod 114 as described above with respect to the first embodiment . however , in contrary to the first embodiment , this second embodiment of the partition device does not comprise any belts 11 , 12 or other guiding means for the partition wall 10 . instead , the first tube or rod 114 is provided preferably for being hooked into a related upper attachment or suspension at or above the bunk arrangement . furthermore , the opposite lower edge of the wall 10 is drawn into or under a bunk 1 of the bunk arrangement by means of a retracting device 23 , 24 comprising an actuation means , which is mounted within or under the bunk 1 and is connected with the lower edge of the partition wall 10 for drawing the same at least partly into or under the bunk 1 when the wall 10 is released from its suspension . according to a first variation , the wall 10 is provided at its opposite lower edge which lies within or under the bunk , with a second tube or rod 115 a at which a wire or line 23 is attached . this wire or line 23 is wound on a turning roll 24 which is actuated by a spiral spring ( not shown ) and which is rotatably mounted at the downside of the bunk or between a lower part 22 and an upper part 21 of the bunk . when releasing the wall 10 from a suspension ( not shown ), the roll 24 is driven by the spring force so that the wire or line 23 is turned onto the roll 24 and the wall 10 is drawn into the space within or under the bunk 1 . fig1 shows a plan view into the space within ( or under ) a bunk 1 of a second variation of the second embodiment . the same parts as in fig1 are again denoted with the same reference signs . the wall 10 is again provided at its upper free edge with a first tube or rod 114 as described above . according to this second variation the wall 10 is provided at its opposite lower edge lying within or under the bunk 1 with a second tube or rod 115 b which is a hollow element so that a wire or line 23 for retracting the wall 10 can be guided through the tube or rod 115 b . more in details , a first end of the wire or line 23 is attached within or under the bunk at its inner or back side . the wire or line 23 runs through the second tube or rod 115 b and is guided around a spring biased roil 24 which is again driven by the force of a spiral spring ( not shown ) and is rotatably mounted under the bunk or between a lower part 22 and an upper part 21 of the bunk 1 as described above and indicated in fig1 . fig1 shows a three - dimensional view into the space within a bunk 1 ( the upper part 21 being removed ) in which the roll 24 comprising the spiral spring , and the second hollow tube or rod 115 b are indicated together with the wall 10 which comprises at its upper tree edge the first tube or rod 114 . preferably the wall 10 is guided out of the space within the bunk 1 around a longitudinal cylinder 25 which extends substantially along the free second longitudinal edge of the bunk 1 . fig1 shows a third variation of the second embodiment in a cross - section through a bunk 1 having an upper part 21 and a lower part 22 between which the space within the bunk 1 is delimited for retracting the partition wall 10 ( which is again preferably a net ). the wall 10 is drawn through an opening along the free second longitudinal edge of the bunk 1 . the roil 24 is rotatably mounted within the space of the bunk 1 in the region of its first longitudinal edge and again driven by the force of a spiral spring . in contrary to the first and second variation , in this third variation the wall 10 is attached with its lower edge at the lower part 22 of the bunk 1 , in the region of the free second longitudinal edge of the bunk 1 . from there , the wall 10 is guided over a tube or rod 115 c to the outside of the bunk . the tube or rod 115 c itself is drawn by means of a wire or line 23 and an actuated roll 24 as described with respect to the second variation according to fig1 and 12 . this third variation is especially advantageous in case of a bunk 1 with a small width in relation to a wall 10 in the form of a fabric or net with a large height , or generally in case of a wall 10 having a large height . finally , the roll 24 according to the second embodiment can be actuated or driven for drawing the wall 10 into or under the bunk 1 as well by means of an electromotor or another actuation means which instead of a spiral spring turns the roll 24 .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

fig1 shows a motor vehicle provided with a database system according to the invention . the vehicle is depicted schematically by means of car body 70 and wheels 72 , 74 . furthermore , block 20 represents the individual station . as explained , the database system may be used in various other environments . the station is provided with a player for a cdrom disc 38 that is shown inserted in an appropriate berth 40 . this berth may be constructed in a way known for commercially available cdroms ; the cdrom disc is removable . also shown is a mechanical drive motor 36 with a bidirectional connection 34 to central processor 26 for exchanging drive control commands and driving speed sensor signals with the processor . element 32 represents a reading head mechanism with associated servo subsystems for track following , focusing , signal amplification , and bit discrimination , and possibly code byte reconstruction , so that processor 26 receives a stream of formatted code bytes possibly provided with erasure flags or other qualification information . on the other hand , reading head mechanism from processor 26 receives control signals such as track addresses for accessing from the cdrom exactly the necessary information . the information received from cdrom 36 therewith represents road map information of a region that is suitably chosen under control of processor 26 . processor 26 has a bidirectional communication with a symbolically indicated user interface mechanism 28 that has actuators such as keyboard or mouse , and a user output mechanism such as display or speech channel , thereby constituting bidirectional channel 30 . furthermore , antenna 22 receives secondary information such as dynamic traffic data . the medium for transfer may be cellular radio , other types of broadcast or otherwise . the content of the secondary information may be traffic information . alternatively or supplementarily , the secondary information may be amendments on the map data that have occurred through road reconstruction , road damage or changed traffic regulations . the secondary information is provisionally processed in block 24 that may contain ram facilities , in similar way as described for the cdrom information . it may be organized in a secondary database . the contents of the primary database may be supplemented and / or updated , first , by changes in road or traffic conditions , second in case of persistent changes with respect to the cdrom data , by a more or less cyclic organization of the broadcasting . the processor may then take up the change information according to need . if broadcast by cellular radio , the secondary information may be limited to the information considered relevant to the actual radio cell , for example , limited to no more than a predetermined set of surrounding cells thereof . the secondary information so taken up is selectively sent to processor 26 under control of processor request signals . a user person may now input present position and destination . the processor then selects adequate map data from cdrom and calculates a global route . next , from block 24 any dynamic traffic data is selected as far as necessary for complementing the static map data . the combined informations now allow the processor to calculate an optimum route for the vehicle . qualifications to the route may be given on grounds of easy driving , fuel economy , early arrival , scenic roadsides , but also for reasons of fleet management , such as the realization of a rendez vous with another vehicle , or an intermediate visit to a particular customer . the calculations take the map data , together with the secondary information to get the optimum route . if no route is possible , a default indication is given . when the route has been found , the progress of the vehicle along this route is ascertained by means of odometer , compass , and possibly other facilities , to determine actual position . this has been symbolically represented by means of interconnection 76 for the case of an odometer . as based on such actual position , the system by means of audio or video indications directs the driver actions that must be executed next . conventionally , the data from the map , as well as the secondary information are in cleartext , so that no decryption thereof should be necessary other than by a generally known key . according to the invention however , a certain amount of data is presented in encrypted form . this may pertain to all data , to critical data only , or to a more or less arbitrary selection amongst the data . in particular , the secondary data may be encrypted . the key may be provided in various ways . first , the station in question may have a station key , for example , a four - digit number that is stored inside processor 26 , and which identifies the station in question . this key is loaded upon manufacturing of the system , but need not be unique to the station . the station key may have an infinitely long validity interval . second , the cdrom disc 42 , shown once more , has two distinct regions . the first region is a relatively large read - only region 44 that is shown divided into sectors . such read - only field is realized by first writing the information serially into a master carrier . next , some kind of press - type mechanism is used for producing multiple replicas of the master carrier . this technology is in wide use . the second region is a relatively small writable region 46 , that allows for the writing of one or more decryption keys . on one hand , such write part corresponds to the serial write part of the master - type carrier . the difference is , first that two different types of information area are present on the carrier , and second , that the write part must now be able to survive in the less controlled environment of everyday life . in the context of the present invention , a ` write part ` refers to one or more carrier tracks that allow serial writing . various different technologies have been proposed : the simplest is write - once , wherein a bit , once written , can no more be reversed . a somewhat more complicated technology allows the bits to be reversed , so that new decryption keys and / or new non - key information may be overwritten over old information . the rewriting may be done at special apparatus that are located at some category of vendor . in other cases such rewriting could even be done within the remote station such as the vehicle in question . now , each decryption key may have a unique and prespecified validity interval . if a plurality of decryption keys is present , during a predetermined rather extended time always at least one decryption key thereof may be valid . by way of example , the validity of each separate decryption key may be for two uniquely prespecified months , whilst 18 different keys are present in total , yielding an overall validity of 36 months . alternatively , a single key with a validity period of three years could have been written . the decryption keys are written at delivery time of the cdrom disc and are specific , but not necessarily unique to the intended user station as represented by the station key thereof : various stations could have the same station key , although the number of stations having a particular station key should be a small fraction of all stations . an elementary type of decryption organization is that the single decryption key is read from the write part of the disc . to this effect the key proper may be packetized in a standard data format . the key extracted therefrom may be used in a standard decryption method , such as rsa , des , or otherwise . first , the key is tested by the processor on actual validity . a simple feature is that the key package contains in the clear an indication on its validity period . in case of an invalid key , this is signalled to the user person . thereupon , the system may either prove unusable completely , or the intended service is only rendered on a lower level . if a plurality of decryption keys is present on the write part , the correct one is accessed by the processor , for example , by searching for the correct validity period . after the correct one has been found , the system is rendered operative . if no correct one can be found the system reacts as explained for a single invalid key . for a system using an aggregate key based on both the station key and the decryption key from the disc , the process is as follows . upon loading the cdrom in the station , first the station key is combined with the actually valid decryption key from the disc . the combining may be done in any way known in digital mathematics , such as finite field addition , multiplication , or a combination thereof , thereby constituting an actual aggregate key . the actual aggregate key is now used for decrypting the secondary information that had been encrypted in a variable manner , as determined by the actual instant in time . note that the validity of the secondary information is of the order of one hour or so . in similar way , the standard information is decrypted by means of a combination of the station key and further decryption key information from the cdrom disc . however , in contradistinction to the secondary information , the encryption of the information on the disc is generally uniform in time , so that the aggregate decryption key in this respect must be invariable . also here , the required decryption may be limited to a particular fraction of the information . the aggregate keys , both for the disc information , and for the secondary information must be uniform for the respective stations and discs . a particular realization is that the time - variant aggregate key is produced by the addition of the actual decryption key from the disc to the station key . after the predetermined validity time of the disc has terminated , various procedures are feasible . the first one is that a new disc must be acquired , that has new decryption codes thereon , and if applicable , updated standard information . a second one is that the standard information is maintained as is , but new decryption codes are overwritten over , or in addition to , the old ones . this may require full rewriting facility for the write part of the disc . fig2 shows a decryption key system for the invention , together with the two categories of data . block 50 represents four successive decryption keys stored in the write part of the cdrom in question . the fields comprise an address a that may indicate the period of validity , and a data subfield b that comprises the key proper . block c represents the station key . indication 54 represents the combining of the station key with an invariable part of the information of the write part . this may be one of the normal decryption codes , or another code . the result is a steady key that is stored in register 58 of the station . information from read element 32 may in processing cell 60 be decrypted to yield the necessary information to processor 26 . in a period - variable manner , the information from the successive decryption key fields 50 is combined with the fixed station key 52 to result 66 that is stored in register 62 of the station . information received on antenna 22 , or information selected therefrom as present in element 24 in fig1 may then in processing cell 64 be decrypted to yield the necessary information to processor 26 . processing cells 60 , 64 and associated registers may be mapped on appropriate hardware of the station . the combining of the keys may be by digital addition , multiplication , division , and other in a finite field .

6Physics

the invention pertains to a laminate comprising at least two layers . the laminate may comprise more than two layers , as discussed further below , but essentially comprises a first layer for providing bulk and strength to the laminate and a second layer for providing a desired level of breathability and abrasion resistance . the first layer comprises a substrate which may be any conventional fibrous material or apertured film through which a vacuum can be drawn . preferably , the substrate is a fibrous material . the fibrous material may comprise a nonwoven web of synthetic or natural fibers , such as spunbonded , carded , meltblown , wet - laid , hydroentagled nonwovens , or a woven material , such as a textile , netting , or scrim . suitable materials for the substrate are well known and include , for example , low and high density polyolefins , mettallocene - catalyzed polyolefins , cellulose , regenerated cellulose and other cellulose derivatives , and fiber glass . in a preferred embodiment , the substrate is a spunbonded nonwoven comprised of polypropylene fibers . the substrate may be of any reasonable weight and should be selected based on the desired bulk and strength for the given application . typically , the substrate ranges from about 10 to about 100 g / m 2 . for instance , the substrate may be about 70 g / m 2 for housewraps , and about 40 g / m 2 for protective apparel . the second layer is a polymeric matrix having particles dispersed therein . preferably , the second layer is formed from an extruded thermoplastic composition that may be extruded as a mono or multi - layer curtain , which is capable of suspending the particulates as described below , and , once extruded or polymerized , capable of being activated without being ruptured to a significant degree . as used here , “ activation ” refers to the initial stretching of the laminate to a degree sufficient to create microvoids in the second layer . in a preferred embodiment , the composition comprises two parts prior to extrusion — a particle dispersion and a thermoplastic base polymer . although the composition of the second layer is described herein in terms of these two major components , it should be understood that this is done for illustrative purposes and the invention is not limited to a two - part composition . for example , it is within the scope of the invention for the particles to be mixed directly with the base polymer to avoid the preparation of a particle dispersion altogether . additionally , it is within the scope of the invention to further divide the second layer composition into three or more sub - compositions which are mixed at the time of extrusion . the particle dispersion serves to homogenize the individual particles in the composition to permit good extrusion . that is , prior to extrusion , it is desirable to have the particles individually dispersed within the composition to the maximum extent possible to prevent agglomerates which might cause the formation of unwanted holes , rather than the desired microvoids , during activation . the particle dispersion may be layered with different sizes or types of filler that impart different characteristics , such as improved abrasion resistance , that still will result in micro - voids around the particle when activated in either a mono or multilayer curtain . the particle dispersion comprises mainly relatively hard particles and a carrier resin . suitable particles include those having a size of about 1 . 2 microns to a plus 3 sigma of 5 . 0 microns , and a hardness of at least about 3 on the moh &# 39 ; s hardness scale . as used herein , the term “ relatively hard ” refers to a particle having a hardness of at least 3 . suitable relatively hard particles include , for example , calcium carbonate , kaolin , talc , silicon dioxide , and barium sulfate and mixtures of these and other particles . in a preferred embodiment , the particles are calcium carbonate due to its wide availability , reasonable cost , and hardness . suitable carrier resins include those having relatively low viscosity compared to the base polymer . carrier resins typically are chosen to have the desired level of affinity for the mineral being compounded to improve the level of dispersion . carrier resins include , for example dow 2517 , which is an octane based linear polyethylene , and combinations thereof . in a preferred embodiment , the carrier resin comprises a linear low density polyethylene ( lldpe ) resin and the calcium carbonate masterbatch has a melt index of about 0 . 0005 to 0 . 002 , preferably about 0 . 001 , and a density of about 1 . 8 to about 2 g / cc 2 , preferably about 1 . 92 g / cc 2 . the concentration , size , and type of the particles in the dispersion significantly affects both the abrasion resistance of the laminate and the degree of breathability that can be imparted to it during activation . higher percentages of particles generally provide greater abrasion resistance and permit greater breathability . although the concentration of particles can vary , it has been found that relatively high loading of the particles in the dispersion is preferred . typically , the particle concentration in the dispersion is about 55 to about 95 % wt ., preferably about 70 to about 90 % wt ., and more preferably about 80 % wt . ( unless otherwise stated , constituent concentrations of the particle dispersion are stated relative to the weight of the entire dispersion .) the concentration of the carrier resin is usually less than that of the particles . typically , the concentration of the carrier resin is about 5 to about 45 % wt ., preferably about 10 to about 40 % wt ., and more preferably about 20 % wt . good results have been obtained with a particle concentration of about 80 % wt and a carrier resin concentration of about 20 % wt . the other major component of the second layer composition is the base polymer . suitable base polymers include known extrudable thermoplastics , for example , polyethylenes , polypropylenes , polyurethanes , polyamides , elastomers ( although elastomers tend to be more expensive and , therefore , less preferred ), and combinations thereof . preferably , the base polymer is a high density polymer such as high density polyethylene ( hdpe ). the high density improves the hardness and , therefore , the abrasion resistance , of the film as well as permits greater breathability to be imparted to the film during activation . however , it could be a polypropylene or a medium density polymer , such as mdpe or a linear low density pe ( lldpe ). in a more preferred embodiment of the invention , the base polymer is a hdpe with a density of about 0 . 950 to about 0 . 965 g / cc 2 and a melt index of about 1 . 0 to about 10 . 0 . in a highly preferred embodiment , the base polymer is a hdpe with a density of about 0 . 962 g / cc 2 and a melt index of about 6 . 5 . the relative concentrations of the particle dispersion and base polymer in the second layer composition may vary according to the application . typically , the particle dispersion has a concentration of about 40 to about 80 % wt ., preferably about 50 to about 70 % wt ., and more preferably about 55 to about 65 % wt . ( unless otherwise stated , constituent concentrations of the composition are stated relative to the weight of the entire composition .) typically , the concentration of the base polymer is from about 8 to about 48 % wt ., preferably from about 18 to about 38 % wt ., and more preferably from about 23 to about 33 % wt . good results have been obtained with a particle dispersion concentration of about 60 % wt and a base polymer concentration of about 28 % wt . in addition to the particle dispersion and base polymer , the composition preferably comprises additives to impart properties to the product which are not related to hardness or breathability of the laminate . such additives may include , for example , colorants ( e . g ., titanium dioxide to impart whiteness and opacity ), process aids ( e . g ., viton ™, a fluoropolymer processing aid polymer available from e . i . dupont de nemours & amp ; co . of wilmington , del ., usa ), uv resistance agents , flame retardants , anti - microbials , anti - rodent agents , anti - insect agents , odor neutralizing agents , or other additives and combinations thereof . concentrations of such additives are readily determinable by one of skill in the art based on this disclosure . these and other types of additives , alternately , can be added to the first , substrate layer 17 . furthermore , such additives would be beneficial in the types of product applications discussed herein regardless of the composition or manufacturing process of the product . specifically , housewraps , protective apparel , carpet backing , roofing underlayments , ice dam material , and window / door flashing all would benefit from incorporating additives such as uv resistant agents , flame retardants , anti - microbials , anti - rodent agents , anti - insect agents , and / or odor neutralizing agents . the titanium dioxide may be a blend of 67 % of the active ingredient , tio 2 , in a base of ldpe and have a density of 1 . 91 grams per cubic centimeter and a melt index of 2 . 5 . the uv inhibitor that may be added improves uv resistance of the laminate . this may be a blend of 10 . 2 % active ingredient ( uv inhibitor ) in a base of ldpe and have a density of 0 . 93 grams per cubic centimeter and a melt index of 10 . the process aid named viton ™ is a fluoropolymer available from e . i . dupont de nemours & amp ; co . of wilmington , del ., usa . this may be a blend of 2 % viton ™ in a base of ldpe and have a density of 0 . 92 grams per cubic centimeter and a melt index of 1 . 0 . all percentages are by weight . the first layer and the second layer are laminated using a vacuum coating process that causes the second layer to at least partially encapsulate at least some of the fibers of the substrate . to strongly lock the second layer to the first , complete encapsulation is not required . particularly , most of the abrasion resistance is provided merely by causing the material of the second layer to substantially surround a plurality of the fibers of the first layer to form a mechanical connection therebetween ( in addition to any chemical bond therebetween ). for instance , assuming that the fibers of the first layer are generally cylindrical ( which is merely exemplary , as other shapes are available ), it is desirable for the material of the second layer to be forced ( via the vacuum pressure ) past the geometric center of the cylinder such that it surrounds more than half of the fiber . thus , when the material cools to a hardened state , it is mechanically locked to the fiber . this form of mechanical locking to the fiber will impart significant abrasion resistance to the entire laminate even if it occurs with respect to only some of the fibers . depending on the particular formulations and extrusion processes , complete encapsulation of some or all of the fibers may or may not occur . fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the apparatus 10 for manufacturing the laminates . in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention , the components that make up the second layer are introduced into the hopper 21 of an extruding apparatus where they are heated to a thermoplastic state and mixed to create a homogeneous blend . the blend may be heated to and maintained at a very high temperature , on the order of about 450 ° fahrenheit , for instance . while in the thermoplastic state , the blend is extruded , such as by passing it through a slot 11 in an extruding die 12 to form a sheet of the second layer 13 . in one preferred embodiment of the invention , the second layer is extruded to a weight in the range of 20 - 200 grams per square meter . in a more preferred embodiment , the second layer is extruded to a weight in the range of 25 - 55 grams per square meter . in an even more preferred embodiment of the invention , the second layer is extruded to a weight in the range of 35 - 45 grams per square meter . in an even more preferred embodiment of the invention , the second layer is extruded to a weight of 40 grams per square meter . die 12 is positioned immediately adjacent to the vacuum coating apparatus 15 . the die 12 preferably is positioned within about 2 to 3 inches of the vacuum coating apparatus 15 . the vacuum coating apparatus 15 comprises a drum 16 having a sieve - like surface 16 a having a plurality of apertures therein . a vacuum is generated inside the drum 16 . the substrate 17 is fed onto the surface 16 a of the drum 16 with the help of a guide roller 18 . the second layer 13 is brought into surface - to - surface contact with the substrate 17 by guide roller 18 immediately out of the die while still in a thermoplastic state . the drum 16 and the guide roller 18 rotate so as to advance the two layers 13 and 17 laminate over the drum surface 16 a . the vacuum pressure should be set high , but not so high as to create holes in the second layer . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the vacuum is a very strong vacuum , on the order of greater than 2 inches ( 51 mm ) of mercury , preferably about 10 - 20 inches ( 254 - 508 mm ) of mercury , and more preferably about 14 inches ( 356 mm ) of mercury . accordingly , the substrate 17 is drawn very strongly and held very firmly to the surface of the drum as it is advanced over the drum . the substrate film preferably is highly breathable such that the vacuum draws right through the substrate film 17 and strongly draws the second layer 13 against the substrate film 17 . the vacuum in combination with the still thermoplastic second layer causes the second layer to be drawn through and around the fibers of the substrate layer 17 thereby mechanically locking the fibers of the first , substrate layer with the material of the second layer 13 . hence , the two layers become very securely mechanically attached to each other when the second layer cools . it also provides the superior abrasion resistance of the laminate of the present invention since the two layers are essentially locked together mechanically in addition to any chemical bond between the two layers . the vacuum coating process is believed to cause less damage to the substrate material than prior art techniques such as hard nip techniques , in which the two layers are essentially compressed together by a nip between two rollers , one made of a resilient material such as rubber and the other made of a hard material such as steel . such techniques can damage the substrate as a result of the high lay - on pressure at the nip required to cause the extrudate to bond to the substrate . the decreased damage to the substrate should improve strength properties of the laminate , including abrasion resistance . of course , the second layer 13 begins to cool as soon as it leaves the die and becomes exposed to room temperature . in addition , the air drawn by the vacuum increases the rate of cooling . further , cooling is even further facilitated due to the intimate contact to the substrate layer and the resultant conductive heat transfer . in addition , cooling units ( not shown ) may be provided to assist in and speed up the cooling process either in connection with the vacuum coating stage or after it . as the second layer cools and becomes hardened , the mechanical bond between the two layers becomes stronger . the two layers are tightly bound to each other and the laminate is highly abrasion resistant . at this point , the laminate likely has extremely low or no breathability . hence , after the second layer cools below the thermoplastic state , the laminate continues on to an activation stage 20 in order to impart the desired level of breathability to the laminate . in applications in which little or no breathability is desired , the activation stage can be skipped . such applications may include protective apparel that is to be used in extremely hazardous environments , for instance . in the activation stage 20 , the laminate 19 is stretched to create microvoids in the second layer , such as by feeding the laminate through at least one pair of intermeshing gears 21 , 21 that will stretch the laminate ( and particularly the second layer ), creating micro - voids in it , and thereby imparting breathability to it without making it permeable to liquid water . the particular permeability achieved by the activation process can be accurately controlled over a broad range by proper selection of the depth of the activation ( e . g ., the depth of the teeth of the gears ) and the percentage of calcium carbonate in the film 13 . other factors that affect breathability are the coating weight of the second layer 13 on the first , substrate layer 17 and the formulation of the base polymer in the second layer 13 . generally , higher density base polymers permit higher breathability than linear low density polymers . in fig1 , the gear teeth are oriented in a direction transverse (“ transverse direction ”) to the direction that the laminate is moving (“ machine direction ), resulting in the laminate being stretched in the machine direction . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the gear teeth are oriented parallel to the machine direction , resulting in the laminate being stretched in the transverse direction . as mentioned above in the background section , the desired breathability may be anywhere from 0 to hundreds or even thousands of perms and beyond . the activation stage can be configured to provide any desired level of breathability in accordance with well - known techniques . at this point , the laminate is essentially complete and can be cut to size and packaged for sale . if desired , the laminate may be surface treated , such as for printing or with an aqueous functional coating . since the original layer of second material has at least partially encapsulated at least some of the fibers of the substrate material and has become so strongly attached to it , it should not be necessary to apply another layer . however , if desired , either before or after the activation process , another lamina of the second layer can be deposited on the opposite side of the substrate layer . however , it is believed that this will rarely be desirable since the two layer laminate will already be extremely abrasion resistant . furthermore , the laminate 19 itself will have a much lower breathability than the original substrate material 17 before the second layer was deposited on it . accordingly , it typically will be much more difficult to draw a strong vacuum through the laminate 19 for a second vacuum coating process than it was for the original substrate material . hence , if it is desirable to make a three - layer laminate , it is preferable to use a different lamination process , such as extrusion coating , to apply the third layer . furthermore , depending on the application , it may be desirable to apply third or subsequent layers of different materials on the two layer laminate . this can be done by any reasonable technique . for instance , should high viral protection be desired , for instance , for protective apparel applications , then an additional monolithic second layer composed of a material such as co - polyester or polyurethane can be laminated to either one or both sides of the two layer laminate . however , as noted above , techniques other than above - described vacuum coating technique likely would be more suitable since it will be difficult to draw a vacuum through the two layer laminate . on the other hand , if the activation process is configured to provide a highly breathable laminate , then vacuum coating third or subsequent layers may be reasonable . fig2 is a scanning electron micrograph ( sem ) of a cross section of an exemplary housewrap 200 made in accordance with the principles of the present invention . in this particular example , note that few or none of the fibers 201 of the first layer are completely encapsulated by the material 202 of the second layer , but that many of the fibers are more than halfway surrounded by the material of the second layer , thereby providing a mechanical lock against the second layer being separated from the first layer . in other embodiments some or all of the fibers of the first layer may be entirely encapsulated . the level of encapsulation or surrounding of the fibers of the first layer by the material of the second layer will depend on many factors including the temperature of the extrusion , the formulations of the constituents of the second layer , the strength of the vacuum applied , and the distance between the extrusion slit and the vacuum drum . the superior abrasion resistance of the laminate of the present invention is largely the result of the mechanical locking of the second layer to the fibers of the first layer . however , abrasion resistance is also partially the result of the composition of the second layer , specifically the hardness of the base polymer as well as the content and type of particle used . a high content of a very hard particle , like calcium carbonate , will improve abrasion resistance . additionally , the use of a high density substrate , such as a high density polyolefin , also will increase abrasion resistance . the present invention provides abrasion resistance up to two orders of magnitude greater than prior art housewrap or protective apparel laminates . in prior art laminates of similar nature , the substrate and the second layer commonly are bonded to each other by a technique known as hard nip , in which the two layers are essentially compressed together by a nip between two rollers , one made of a resilient material such as rubber and the other made of a hard material such as steel . in such techniques , the bond between the two layers is an adhesive bond , and there is little or no mechanical bond between the two materials . in tests performed generally in accordance with the standardized tappi t476 abrasion test method , housewraps made in accordance with the principles of the present invention were determined to have abrasion ratings greater than 4000 cycles as compared to abrasion ratings of about 44 - 152 cycles for other commercially available housewrap products . the laminates in accordance with the invention have an abrasion resistance of at least 200 cycles , preferably at least 400 cycles , more preferably at least 100 cycles , and most preferably at least 4000 cycles as measured , for instance , using the standardized tappi t476 abrasion test method . having thus described a few particular embodiments of the invention , various alterations , modifications , and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art . such alterations , modifications and improvements as are made obvious by this disclosure are intended to be part of this description though not expressly stated herein , and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the foregoing description is by way of example only , and not limiting . the invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and equivalents thereto . fig3 is a table illustrating certain characteristics of a laminate made in accordance with a particular embodiment of the principles of the present invention as compared to comparable commercially available products . the inventive laminate reported in connection with these particular test results comprised : 60 % calcium carbonate blend 28 % base polymer 4 % uv inhibitor blend 4 % tio 2 blend 4 % viton ™- a blend wherein the calcium carbonate blend is 80 % calcium carbonate and 20 % linear low density carrier polyethylene ( lldpe ) having a melt index of 0 . 001 and a density of 1 . 92 grams per cubic centimeter . the particle size of the calcium carbonate blend was 1 . 2 microns (± 3σ ). the base polymer was high density polyethylene ( hdpe ) with a density of 0 . 962 grams per cubic centimeter and a melt index of 6 . 5 . the titanium dioxide additive was a blend of 67 % of tio 2 in a base of ldpe and had a density of 1 . 91 grams per cubic centimeter and a melt index of 2 . 5 . the uv inhibitor was a blend of 10 . 2 % active ingredient ( uv inhibitor ) in a base of ldpe and had a density of 0 . 93 grams per cubic centimeter and a melt index of 10 . the viton ™ was a blend of 2 % viton ™ in a base of ldpe and had a density of 0 . 92 grams per cubic centimeter and a melt index of 1 . 0 . the second layer was extruded to a weight of 40 grams per square meter and was laminated to a substrate of a weight of 70 grams per square meter . the vacuum drum was placed within about 4 inches of the extrusion slit and a vacuum of 14 inches ( 356 mm ) of mercury was applied . the laminate was activated to a depth of 10 mils . activation depth can range from near zero ( 0 ) to several hundred mils . the activation rolls may be temperature controlled as well to assist in the efficient activation of the laminate . as can be seen from the table of fig3 , the taber abrasion resistance of the inventive laminate was tested generally in accordance with tappi t476 abrasion test method . it provided abrasion resistance of 4066 cycles , whereas the other commercial products achieved abrasion resistances in the range of 44 - 152 cycles . it also achieved tensile strengths in line with the other , commercial products . water vapor transmission and waterhead tests were conducted generally in accordance with astm e - 96 method a and aatcc test method 127 ( water resistance : hydrostatic pressure test ), respectively . the inventive laminate achieved a water vapor resistance generally in line with the other laminates . however , it should be understood that the water vapor resistance can be selectively set to essentially any reasonable value by proper selection of the activation parameters and the formulation of the calcium carbonate blend as previously discussed . furthermore , the inventive laminate had a waterhead resistance of 340 , essentially in line with the other products .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

the invention is implemented by placing the desired gbn mixtures in a suitable high pressure cell which then is placed in a suitable high pressure apparatus , and the pressure and temperature raised to conditions which result in direction conversion of the various hbn components to the hard cubic phase . the hp / ht conditions , apparatus , and procedure for carrying out such direct conversion are detailed in the references cited above , particularly u . s . pat . no . 4 , 188 , 194 . after recovery , the resultant cbn / cbn composite mass can be cleaned , and may be milled to mesh size particles for grinding applications or shaped to size for turning , thermode , or heat skin applications . because the process is carried out by direct conversion , the structure of the cbn formed at any given location in the converted mass will be related directly to the structure of the original gbn at this location . the resulting structure of the cbn / cbn composite mass , thus , will be related to and controlled by the structural composition of the original gbn mixture . the process may be illustrated by considering direction conversion of mixtures of turbostratic pbn particles with ideal structure hbn particles . hbn powder is available in the form of small individual ideal structure micron to sub - micron sized particles . conversion of this hbn powder to cbn results in the formation of individual micron to sub - micron sized cbn particles bonded together in the converted cbn mass . pyrolytic boron nitride ( prepared by chemical vapor deposition or cvd ) can be made in the form of large continuous turbostratic structure pieces with more or less orientation of the crystal planes depending on the deposition conditions . conversion of pbn particles results in the formation of like - sized unitary continuous structure cbn particles with the same degree of crystallite orientation as the original pbn particles . conversion of pbn / hbn powder mixtures , then , will result in the formation of cbn / cbn composite masses consisting of unitary continuous structure cbn particles resulting from conversion of the pbn particles within a micron to sub - micron size matrix resulting from conversion of the hbn powder fraction of the mixture . while the disclosure herein may refer to mixtures of pbn and ideal structure hbn powder , the inventive process has equal applicability to other gbn mixtures in which the gbn components differ in structure - 13 such structural differences including variation in the crystallinity , extent of continuous structure , and the like . the content of the various gbn components of the mixture may be varied at will . the references cited above detail the various forms of boron nitride as those skilled in the art will appreciate . the advantageous properties achieved by virtue of the resulting different structural form of the inventive cbn / cbn composite masses of the present invention will be illustrated in the following examples , which should be construed as illustrative and not limiting . in this application , all units are in the metric system and all percentages and proportions are by weight , unless otherwise expressly indicated . also , all citations referred to herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference . a 30 %/ 70 % by weight mixture of - 30 mesh pbn powder ( which had been vacuum fired to a weight loss of 2 %) and hbn powder ( which had been vacuum fired to a 6 % weight loss ) was formed . a total of about 360 g of this mixture ( 5 g / cell ) was pressed at about 60 kbar and 1800 °- 2000 ° c . ( heating time of 4 minutes ). the recovered cbn / cbn composite masses then were milled to mesh size , cleaned , and sized . the 60 / 80 mesh fraction was nickel - coated for use in grinding tests . a 50 %/ 50 % by weight mixture of - 12 mesh pbn particles ( vacuum fired to a 1 % weight loss ) and hbn powder ( vacuum fired to a 6 % weight loss ) was prepared , pressed , and milled , and a 60 / 80 mesh fraction nickel - coated as described in example 1 above . samples of the nickel - coated 60 / 80 mesh particles from examples 1 and 2 were tested by dry grinding hardened m4 steel workpieces ( resin bond 11v9 cup wheels ). comparison tests also were run at the same time with cbn 560 wheels , which utilize nickel - coated cbn powder as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 289 , 503 . the results are set forth below . table 1______________________________________grinding test resultswheel speed : 20 m / sectable speed : 2 . 44 m / min infeed : 0 . 051 mm infeed : 0 . 076 mmabrasive gr * rgr ** gr * grr ** ______________________________________cbn 560 118 1 . 0 61 1 . 0example # 1 142 1 . 2 85 1 . 4example # 2 153 1 . 3 82 1 . 3______________________________________ * gr = grinding ratio ** rgr = relative grinding ratio the above - tabulated data shows improved dry grinding results were achieved utilizing the novel cbn / cbn composite particles compared to a conventional commercially - available cbn particle . a 50 / 50 weight mixture of 6 / 12 mesh pbn powder ( unfired ) and hbn powder ( vacuum fired to a 6 % weight loss ) was prepared and pressed as described in example 1 . the converted cbn / cbn product was milled to mesh sizes and cleaned . light transmission photomicrographs then were taken of the resulting particles . fig2 shows the structure of the particles obtained in which the light transmitting areas correspond to the directly converted pbn particles and the dark non - transmitting areas correspond to the directly converted hbn powder regions . the laminar nature of the structure resulted from the high aspect ratio shape of the pbn particles contained in the reaction mixture . approximately 1 , 000 g each of the following mixtures of pbn powder with vacuum - fired hbn powder were pressed , milled to mesh size , and cleaned as described in example 1 ( cell load of 8 g / cell ): mix 2 , 50 wt -%- 140 mesh pbn ( vacuum fired to 1 . 7 wt -% loss ) and 50 wt -% hbn powder ( vacuum fired to 6 % weight loss ); and mix 4 , 80 wt -%- 50 mesh pbn ( vacuum fired to 1 . 2 % weight loss ) and 20 % hbn powder ( vacuum fired to 6 % weight loss ). quantities of 100 / 120 mesh particles of mixes 2 and 4 were fabricated into vitrified bond wheels and tested grinding 4140 steel workpieces . the test conditions and results recorded are set forth below . after truing the first grind pass was made at a table speed of 0 . 05 m / min ., the second pass at 0 . 10 m / min ., third pass at 0 . 15 m / min ., fourth pass at 0 . 20 m / min , fifth pass at 0 . 25 m / min ., sixth pass at 0 . 30 m / min . at which point the table speed was kept constant until specific volume ground was 16 . 2 mm3 / mm2 . note that each grind pass corresponds to a length of 150 mm at a depth of 1 mm . the following data was recorded for mix 2 , mix 4 , and commercially available cbn - 550 product , as described above . table 2______________________________________specific volume ground ( mm . sup . 3 / mm . sup . 2 ) abrasive 2 . 8 8 . 1 16 . 2______________________________________ grinding ratiomix 2 546 1055 1948mix 4 543 1406 2110cbn 550 336 791 1333 specific energy ( w - hrs / cm . sup . 3 ) mix 2 14 . 6 15 . 4 13 . 7mix 4 14 . 6 14 . 8 14 . 8cbn 550 25 . 4 17 . 8 16 . 4______________________________________ these results show improved grinding performance with respect to both grinding ratio and specific energy requirements for both the mix 2 and mix 4 samples compared to conventional cbn - 550 powder . similar tests with mixes 2 and 4 samples were done in grinding 440c stainless steel workpieces . the test conditions are set forth below . after truing the first grind pass was made at at table speed of 0 . 05 m / min ., the second pass at 0 . 10 m / min ., third pass at 0 . 127 m / min ., fourth pass at 0 . 15 m / min . at which point the table speed was kept constant until specific volume ground was 16 . 1 mm3 / mm2 . note that each grind pass corresponds to a length of 150 mm at a depth of 1 mm . table 3______________________________________specific volume ground ( mm . sup . 3 / mm . sup . 2 ) abrasive 2 . 5 8 . 0 16 . 1______________________________________ grinding ratiomix 2 393 904 1688mix 4 393 1150 1948cbn 550 357 791 1101 specific energy ( w - hrs / cc ) mix 2 27 . 4 38 . 1 44 . 5mix 4 25 . 8 35 . 6 43 . 4cbn 550 37 . 3 49 . 6 54 . 0______________________________________ these results , in concert with the results of example 5 with respect to 4140 steel workpieces , showed that mixes 2 and 4 provided improvement in grinding performance compared to commercially available cbn 550 abrasive .

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

in the present text , by “ binder ” or “ hydraulic binder ” is meant a pulverized material in the solid , dry state , which , when mixed with water , yields plastic mixtures that are able to set and harden , for example a cement . by “ dry premix ” is meant a homogeneous mixture suitable for being mixed with water and yielding cementitious compositions ( for example , mortars and concretes ), comprising at least one cement binder , one or more additives for cementitious compositions , and possibly one or more inert materials . by “ cementitious composition ” or “ cementitious mixture ” is meant a composition in which a binder is mixed with water , and possibly with aggregates of varying grain size . the cementitious compositions thus comprise both cement pastes , i . e ., mixtures comprising binder and water , without aggregates , and conglomerates , i . e ., mixtures comprising , water , binder and aggregates . the “ aggregates ” or “ inert materials ” may be coarse aggregates , such as crushed stones or gravel , or fine aggregates , such as sand , and are classified in the uni 8520 standards . examples of conglomerates are mortars ( mixtures comprising binder , water and fine aggregate ) and concretes ( mixtures comprising water , binder , fine aggregate and coarse aggregate ). the clinker used for the preparation of a binder for the present invention is any clinker of portland cement as defined in the uni env 197 . 1 standard , i . e ., a hydraulic material made up of at least two thirds by weight of calcium silicates ( 3cao sio 2 ) and ( 2cao sio 2 ), the remaining part being al 2 o 3 , fe 2 o 3 and other oxides . in the broad definition of “ hydraulic binder ” according to the present invention are included both cements ( white , grey or pigmented ) defined according to the aforementioned standard uni env 197 . 1 , as well as the so - called “ cements for debris dams ”, the cementitious binding materials , and hydraulic limes , as defined in the act no . 595 of may 26 , 1965 . according to the present invention , the dry premix or the cementitious compositions obtained therefrom may thus contain white , grey or pigmented cement , preferably white cement . the particular characteristic that essentially distinguishes white cement from the other cements is precisely that of being perfectly white . the typical grey colour of ordinary portland cements derives from the presence in them of compounds of iron and other metals . white cement is obtained from raw materials which , in the pure state , are perfectly white , and the whiteness is the demonstration of the purity of the composition of the cement . the dry premixes according to the present invention preferably contain white cement and are characterized in that they maintain their luminance and quantity of colour for a longer period of time after being laid or applied . in the present text , the term “ in mass ” indicates that the photocatalyst is added to the mass of the binder , dry premix or cementitious compositions according to the present invention , and hence is found to be distributed throughout the entire mass , i . e ., also in the internal and deep layers , and not only on the surface of the present premix , or of compositions obtained therefrom . any type of photocatalyst capable of oxidizing , in the presence of light , oxygen and water , the pollutant substances that come into contact with the surface of the hydraulic binder in the hardened state may be used provided , of course , that it does not adversely affect the physical and mechanical characteristics of the premix and of the cementitious compositions according to the invention . for example , photocatalysts such as cadmium sulphide ( cds ) and zinc sulphide ( zns ) are not suitable , whereas tungstic oxide ( wo 3 ) or strontium titanate ( srtio 3 ), and calcium titanate , limited to application on grey cements , may be used . the preferred photocatalyst according to the present invention is titanium dioxide or one of its precursors , and more typically titanium dioxide prevalently in the form of anatase . the term “ titanium dioxide prevalently in the form of anatase ” means that the particles of photocatalyst present in the hydraulic binder of the present invention are particles of titanium dioxide ( tio 2 ) having the structure of anatase for at least 5 % by weight , preferably 25 % by weight , more preferably for at least 50 % by weight , more preferably still for at least 70 % by weight , with respect to the total weight of titanium dioxide . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , either tio 2 p25 , marketed by degussa , was used ( this is a mixture having a weight ratio of 70 : 30 of tio 2 anatase : tio 2 rutile ), or else tio 2 ah - r micro produced by tioxide , which is tio 2 basically in the form of 100 % anatase . it is in fact known that tio 2 crystallizes in the tetragonal forms of anatase and rutile . rutile is the form that is more stable and more important from an industrial standpoint . anatase may turn into rutile even at room temperature but at an extremely slow rate . at higher temperatures the rate of transformation is more significant . the transformation from rutile to anatase is instead impossible for tio 2 crystals . industrially these transformations are made possible owing to the orienting action of certain impurities , even though present in very small quantities . the term “ precursor of titanium dioxide ” means that the preferred photocatalyst is not only limited to “ tio 2 prevalently in the form of anatase ”, but is also extended to any product which , added to the burnt clinker , hydraulic binder , premix or conglomerate , may form tio 2 prevalently in the form of anatase , possibly with appropriate heat treatment . for example , the so - called “ titanium paste ” may be considered a valid precursor for the titanium dioxide - based photocatalyst of the present invention . the titanium paste ( tio 2 h 2 o ) derives from the treatment of the product tioso 4 with water , and may be effectively used as a precursor of anatase without any particular heat treatment . a titanium paste that is particularly effective is sold by tioxide . the photocatalytic activity may be obtained also on tio 2 matrices doped with suitable atoms , such as fe ( iii ), mo ( v ), ru ( iii ), os ( iii ), re ( v ), v ( iv ), and rh ( iii ). in particular , these atoms may substitute , at an atomic level , the ti ( iv ) present in the matrix of tio 2 for at least 0 . 5 %. the method for obtaining these photocatalysts is described in the literature , for example in j . phys . chem . 1994 , 98 , 1127 - 34 , angew . chemie 1994 , 1148 - 9 , and angew . chemie int ., ed . 1994 , 33 , 1091 . it should be pointed out that the photocatalytic action need not necessarily be fast , in that the fouling of the product by environmental pollutants takes place slowly over time . for this reason , even extremely small percentages of photocatalysts may produce a very high effect of conservation of colour over time . by “ environmental pollutant substances ” are meant organic substances that may be present in the environment owing to engine exhausts or industrial emissions , such as benzene , volatile aromatic compounds , pesticides , organic aromatic compounds , benzofluorides , etc . not to be excluded are also inorganic compounds , such as oxides of nitrogen no x which may be oxidized to nitrates . the photocatalytic action of titanium dioxide is well known to the state of the art , as is also the fact that the particles of tio 2 may adhere to inorganic substrates , such as cement . what , instead , is not described is the use of titanium , or more in general of a photocatalyst , in mass , in cement or in cementitious compositions in order to maintain the quality of the surface appearance constant in terms of luminance and quantity of colour of the hardened product . by “ quantity of colour ” is meant the combination of characteristics of dominant wavelength and purity , as defined later . thanks to the peculiar feature of maintaining the colour unaltered over time , a preferred aspect of the invention regards in particular the use of white cement ( and of prepared cements ) as hydraulic binder . as luminance , i . e ., as power for reflecting incident light ( which is the characteristic proper to white bodies as opposed to black bodies ), expressed as the percentage ratio between the light reflected from a surface of white cement and the light reflected from an equivalent surface of magnesium oxide , conventionally considered as the ideal white body . in white cements produced in italy , the value of luminance is higher than 82 ; in mortars produced with these cements it is a little lower ; as dominant wavelength , i . e ., as tonality of the hue that accompanies and characterizes each type of white ( it is precisely for this reason that white bodies are not all the same ). the dominant wavelength is between yellow and blue ; as purity , i . e ., as intensity of the hue . purity is measured by the percentage of colour , which is lower than 5 %. the use of photocatalysts according to the present invention thus makes it possible to maintain these three important properties constant over time . white cement may also be pigmented to obtain an additional chromatic effect . this effect is decidedly better than the one obtainable , given the same conditions , with grey cement . it is interesting to note that white cement , given its chemical composition , does not alter either the tone or the luminosity of the colouring obtained with the pigment ( alterations which , instead , are inevitable with grey cement ). the pigment must be mixed thoroughly in the mixture or , separately , with the cement . the percentage of pigment to be added must be sought on a case - by - case basis according to the desired chromatic effect . this percentage is with respect to the weight of cement ( for example , if iron - oxide based mineral pigments are used , the above percentage is around 2 % with respect to the weight of the cement ). colouring agents with an inorganic base , such as : natural colouring agents ( yellow ochre , iron oxide - based reds , such as red ochre , english red , spanish red ; umber ; ultramarine , etc . ); or mineral colouring agents ( yellow zinc chromate ; schweinfurt green ; berlin blue ; bremen blue ; lead - based colouring agents , such as naples yellow ; chrome yellow ; the group of iron oxide - based mineral colouring agents , having a chromatic range from brown to orange and to yellow ). the additives useful for the present invention are chosen from among those known in the cement field . the mixture of organic additives of the present invention is in particular suitable for the preparation of mortars containing the aforesaid photocatalyst , more in particular mortars for plasters , such as hydraulic limes , or , more in general , cementitious levellers , i . e . plasters for levelling uneven surfaces , suitable for protecting the surfaces of concretes . particularly preferred cementitious compositions according to the present invention are mortars containing the above - mentioned photocatalyst , which are used for the preparation of plasters for finishing coats , and the said plasters . according to the type of cementitious composition that is to be prepared and the characteristics desired , in combination with the organic additives a ), b ), c ′) or c ″), and d ), it is possible to use also one or more of the following additives for cementitious compositions : h ) at least one fibre chosen from among organic or inorganic fibres . the modified starch d ), the surfactant e ), and the anti - foaming agent g ) have in particular the function of improving the sprayability of the cementitious compositions . the polysaccharide f ) improves the workability , using a putty knife , of the cementitious compositions . the component a ) is a superfluidifier : this enables reduction of the water / cement ratio and improves the impermeability and resistance of the cementitious compositions thus obtained . a superfluidifier that is suitable for the purposes of the present invention is , for example , melment ® f10 marketed by skw - trostberg . the component b ) is an agent that regulates the viscosity in the mixing water : it improves the water retention of the mixture and the adherence of the cementitious composition to the substrate to which it is applied . the component b ) is for example a cellulose ether having etherified hydroxyl groups ( alkylates ) with c 1 - c 6 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl residues , such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , hydroxypropylcellulose , hydroxyethylcellulose , methylcellulose , and more in particular hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , for example that marketed by dow chemicals under the name methocell ® 228 . the cellulose ether has , for example , a viscosity of between 4 , 000 and 15 , 000 cp ( at 25 ° c .). ( c x - c y , where x and y are integers , indicates , in accordance with convention , an interval of numbers of carbon atoms ). the component c ′) or c ″) is a plasticizer : this improves adherence , elasticity , stability and impermeability of the cementitious compositions containing it , and also favours formation of flexible films . the component c ′) is in general a polymeric powder that can be re - dispersed in water ; for example , a terpolymer comprising as co - monomers at least one ester of acrylic acid with a c 1 - c 6 alcohol and at least one ester of vinylic alcohol with a c 1 - c 12 carboxylic acid , such as acetic acid ( vinyl acetate ) and versatic acid ( vinyl versatate ). under the common name “ versatic acid ” are indicated various trialkylacetic acids having , for example , from 4 to 12 carbon atoms ; for example , triethylacetic acid , 2 , 2 - dimethylpropanoic acid ( pivalic acid or neopentanoic acid ), neodecanoic acid , having 10 carbon atoms , all these acids being either used alone or mixed together , and also used as mixtures of isomers ( cf . encyclopedia of chemical technology , kirk - othmer , john wiley & amp ; sons , 3rd ed ., 1981 , vol . 4 , pp . 863 - 864 ). the additive c ′) is , for example , the butyl acrylate — vinyl acetate — vinyl versatate terpolymer , marketed by aqualon under the name elotex ® ap 200 . alternately , the component c ′) may be replaced by one of the latexes listed above as component c ″), which is not premixed with the other organic additives or with the other components of the dry premix , but added to the cementitious composition at the moment of mixing its components with water . the additive d ) is a thickener : this improves , in particular , the resistance to sagging of the cementitious compositions containing it . the additive d ) is for example an etherified starch , having hydroxyl groups alkylated with c 1 - c 6 alkyl or hydroxylated residues , for example 2 - hydroxypropyl ether of starch , for example the one marketed by aqualon under the name amylotex ® 8100 . the component e ) is an air - entraining agent ; this improves workability and resistance of the cementitious compositions to freezing / thawing . the component e ) is , for example , a sulphuric ester of higher alcohols , for example c 12 - c 16 ones , such as sodium lauryl sulphate ( for example the product marketed by aqualon under the name silipon ® rn 6031 ). the component f ) is an agent having thixotropic activity : this improves segregation and surface finishing of the present cementitious compositions . the component f ) is , for example , a polysaccharide , such as alginic acid , cellulose , and corresponding salts ( e . g ., sodium salt ) or esters with carboxylic acids , or a rubber . the component f ) may , for instance , be the commercial product kelco - crete ® k1c 376 manufactured by monsanto . the component g ) is an anti - foaming agent : this controls the quantity of air bubbles included in the cementitious compositions containing it . the component used , for example , may be the product marketed under the name nopco ® pd1 by nopco italiana . the component h ) is , for example , chosen from among organic fibres , such as polyvinyl alcohol fibres and polyethylene fibres , or from among inorganic fibres , such as carbon fibres or wollastonite fibres . the quantity of photocatalyst in the present cementitious compositions is not critical , it being , however , desirable to use small quantities for reasons of costs . preferably , the mixtures of additives , the dry premixes and the cementitious compositions according to the present invention contain a photocatalyst ( preferably titanium dioxide prevalently in the form of anatase ) in a proportion of from 0 . 1 % by weight to 10 % by weight , more in particular from 0 . 3 % by weight to 3 % by weight , for example around 1 . 5 % by weight , the said weight percentage being with respect to the total weight of the inorganic components in the dry state of the dry premix or of the cementitious composition , where the inorganic components comprise at least one hydraulic binder ( for example , a cement ) and at least one photocatalyst , possibly at least one inert aggregate , and possibly also an inorganic filling material . by “ dry state ” is meant the degree of humidity substantially corresponding to that of the materials as they are sold . preferably , the organic additives selected according to the present invention are used in the following weight percentages , with respect to 100 parts by weight of inorganic components of the premixes or of the cementitious compositions of the present invention in the dry state : a ) from 0 . 35 % by weight to 1 % by weight , more preferably approximately 0 . 5 % by weight ; b ) from 0 . 1 % by weight to 0 . 3 % by weight , more preferably approximately 0 . 15 % by weight ; c ′) or c ″) from 1 % by weight to 5 % by weight , more preferably approximately 3 % by weight ; d ) from 0 . 005 % by weight to 0 . 02 % by weight , more preferably approximately 0 . 01 % by weight ; and , in addition , when present : e ) from 0 . 02 % by weight to 0 . 04 % by weight , more preferably approximately 0 . 02 % by weight ; f ) from 0 . 01 % by weight to 0 . 04 % by weight , more preferably approximately 0 . 02 % by weight ; g ) from 0 . 1 % by weight to 0 . 5 % by weight , more preferably approximately 0 . 2 % by weight ; h ) from 0 . 1 % by weight to 3 % by weight of organic fibres , or else up to 10 % by weight of inorganic fibres . the dry premixes according to the present invention thus comprise at least one to hydraulic binder ( for example , a cement ), the aforementioned photocatalyst , and more over the combination of organic additives a ), b ), c ′) and d ), or else the combination of organic additives a ), b ) and d ) as specified above , and possibly also one or more additives chosen from among e ), f ) and g ), and possibly h ). according to typical embodiments of the present invention , the dry premix contains the following inorganic components : at least one hydraulic binder ( typically a cement ), at least one inert aggregate , at least one inorganic filler , and the above - mentioned photocatalyst . the preferred types and quantities of hydraulic binder , inert aggregate and inorganic filler are as specified below for the cementitious compositions . the cementitious compositions of the present invention are characterized in that they contain the aforementioned photocatalyst , as well as the additives a ), b ), c ′) or c ″) and d ) as specified above , and possibly also one or more additives e ), f ) and g ), and possibly h ), as specified above . preferred cementitious compositions of the present invention , particularly suitable for the preparation of plasters , comprise , in addition to the above - mentioned photocatalyst , the following inorganic materials : at least one hydraulic binder ( typically a cement ), at least one inert aggregate , and at least one inorganic filler . the dry premixes and cementitious compositions according to the present invention contain , for example , the following weight percentages of inorganic components , with respect to the total weight of the inorganic components in the dry state : hydraulic binder ( typically cement ): from 30 % by weight to 55 % by weight , more preferably approximately 35 % by weight ; inert aggregate ( typically sand ): from 30 % by weight to 70 % by weight , more preferably approximately 60 % by weight ; filler : from 1 % by weight to 6 % by weight , more preferably approximately 3 . 5 % by weight ; photocatalyst ( preferably titanium dioxide ): preferably in quantities of from 0 . 3 % by weight to 3 % by weight , typically approximately 1 . 5 % by weight . for example , type - i white cement may be used ( such as white cement of type i - 52 , 5 r ), more in particular in quantities of from 30 % by weight to 40 % by weight , more preferably approximately 35 % by weight , with respect to the total weight of the inorganic components in the dry state , or type - ii white cement ( such as type ii - b - l ), in particular in quantities of from 40 % by weight to 55 % by weight , with respect to the total weight of the inorganic components in the dry state . the inert aggregate is typically sand , either siliceous or calcareous sand , having , for example , particles of up to approximately 150 μm . the inorganic filling material , also referred to as filler , bestows on the cementitious compositions containing it increased resistance , lower porosity and reduced laitance . the inorganic filler is , for example , chosen from among metakaolin ( al 2 o 3 sio 2 ) and sio 2 and their mixtures , preferably one of their mixtures . in typical compositions according to the present invention , as previously described , the titanium dioxide is preferably chosen from between a mixture of tio 2 anatase and tio 2 rutile in a weight ratio of 70 : 30 , and tio 2 essentially 100 % in the form of anatase . typical cementitious compositions , dry premixes and mixtures of additives according to the present invention have the compositions specified later in examples 1 and 2 . cementitious compositions of the invention are in particular mortars having binder / aggregate weight ratios of between 2 : 1 and 1 : 1 or concretes having binder / aggregate weight ratios of between 1 : 3 and 1 : 6 . the quantity of water used in the cementitious compositions is that sufficient for completing the hydration reaction of the binder and for bestowing optimal workability on the mixture in the plastic state . the proportions between water , binder and possible aggregates of the cementitious compositions may vary within a wide range and depend upon the desired properties and final uses of the mortars and concretes . in general , the quantity of water is between 20 % by weight and 60 % by weight with respect to the weight of the binder . the method for preparing the mixture may be any conventional method . the temperature at which the water is mixed with the binder and possible aggregates is generally between + 5 ° c . and + 30 ° c ., and is preferably at least + 20 ° c . the way in which the photocatalyst is added is not an essential characteristic of the invention ; the photocatalyst may be simply added to the powder of the hydraulic binder or to the components of the mixture of additives , of the premix or of the cementitious compositions , and mixed according to any one of the methods known to the state of the art , either using an automatic mixer or manually . the fact that the photocatalyst may be added in such a simple way makes the use of premixes particularly preferred for the implementation of the present invention . it should be pointed out that an exhaustive exemplification of the invention may be carried out only through very long procedures ( in the order of years ), in so far as the correct evaluation of the maintenance of the characteristics of the hardened binders , in particular architectural concretes , involve procedures of natural “ ageing ” in the actual micro - climate . the invention so far described will now be illustrated in a few examples , which in no way should be considered as limiting the scope of the invention . formulation with a cementitious base having a high conservation of the degree of white the quantities of inorganic materials are weight percentages with respect to the total weight of the inorganic materials in the dry state . the quantities of the organic materials are weight percentages out of 100 parts by weight of the inorganic materials in the dry state . formulation with a cementitious base having a high conservation of the degree of white the quantities of inorganic materials are weight percentages with respect to the total weight of the inorganic materials in the dry state . the quantities of the organic materials are weight percentages with respect to 100 parts by weight of the inorganic materials in the dry state . * the introduction of these materials depends on the type of surface finishing desired and on the application technique adopted . substrates were prepared having the shape of disks ( diameter , 3 . 2 cm ; thickness , 7 mm ) using ordinary cementitious mortar having a base of italbianco italcementi 52 . 5 . r white cement . after preparation , the test specimens were cured for 1 day in moulds at a temperature of 20 ° c . and relative humidity ( rh ) & gt ; 90 %; after ejection , the test specimens were kept for a further 7 days at a temperature of 20 ° c . and rh of approx . 60 %. these test specimens were then used as substrates for the applications of a cementitious mortar to which titanium dioxide had been added , having the composition specified in example 1 ( optimal values ). the two specimens contained 1 . 5 % by weight of tio 2 , of the type p - 25 degussa ( specimen a ) and ah - r tioxide ( specimen b ). for purposes of comparison , a third specimen without tio 2 was prepared ( specimen c ). each composition was vigorously mixed for 5 minutes using a high - speed stirrer until a fluid consistency was obtained . next , the compositions were applied , using a roller or a brush , on the substrates previously described . at the end of the application , the mean thickness of the mortar was found to be & lt ; 1 mm . the test specimens thus prepared were then cured for 7 days at a temperature of 20 ° c . and rh of ˜ 60 %. in order to obtain reproducible and homogeneous surface quantities of organic substance , a solution obtained from extraction with alcoholic solvent of tobacco was deposited , on the specimens , using a spray gun . the quantity deposited on the specimens was 1 . 5 mg / cm 2 . at the end of the above - mentioned treatment , each specimen presented a surface of an even , yellow colour . both before and after the application of the organic substance on the test specimens , reflectance spectrophotometric analyses were performed using a perkin elmer spectrophotometer , model lambda 6 , equipped with an integrating sphere to eliminate diffused light ( which is the cause of the anisotropy and irregularity of the surfaces ). the specimens were irradiated by means of a solar flux simulator ( this simulates the solar spectrum ), which emits radiations having a wavelength of above 290 nm . the apparatus used for irradiation consisted of four 400 - watt hanau lamps located at the vertices of a square , at the centre of which was located a specimen carousel rotating about its own axis . using this apparatus , it was possible to irradiate a number of specimens simultaneously and to ensure that each specimen should obtain the same quantity of photons per photon flux . the irradiation apparatus thus makes it possible to perform tests of accelerated ageing , where , as an approximation , 100 days of irradiation correspond to one year of sunlight . for each specimen , spectra of percentage reflectance ( r %) according to the wavelength ( nm ) were acquired at different times . the data confirming the activity of these catalysts are tabulated in table 1 , which gives the values of the percentage reflectance ( r %) for the wavelength of 450 nm as a function of time . the values were then normalized to take into account the different indices of refraction of the specimens . the values given are indicated with residual q %. the reflectance r is obtained from the ratio between the light reflected from a surface and the light incident on the same surface . where r t0 is the reflectance of the specimen at time zero , before the application of the cigarette extract , and r t is the reflectance measured at a given time t after application of the cigarette extract . the normalization coefficient thus determined makes it possible to calculate the residual q %, so enabling a comparison between different materials with different intrinsic reflectance . as may be noted in table 1 , the specimens containing titanium dioxide achieve increasingly lower normalized values over time , this being an index of the activity of the photocatalyst . the analytical datum emerges also from the visual standpoint ; in the specimens containing tio 2 , in fact , the yellow colouring due to the cigarette extract was seen to disappear completely . although also the values regarding the specimen c ( i . e ., the specimen without tio 2 ) decrease over time , albeit to a significantly lower extent than in the specimens containing tio 2 , from a visual standpoint it is possible to note clear isolated areas of a yellow colour on the surface of the said specimen . in table 1 it may also be noted how the process works with different types of titanium dioxide , prevalently in the form of anatase .

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

the subject technology overcomes many of the prior art problems associated with hazardous conditions in clothes dryers . the advantages , and other features of the technology disclosed herein , will become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of certain preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings which set forth representative embodiments of the present technology and wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural elements . in brief overview , the subject technology relates to appliance safety such as clothes dryer safety mechanisms that disable the appliance ( e . g ., disabling a heating element ) or operation when maintenance is overdue by predetermined criteria ( e . g ., an amount of cycles and / or runtime ). referring now to the fig1 , there is shown a clothes dryer 100 in accordance with the subject disclosure . the clothes dryer 100 includes a cabinet 102 , which is shown in partial cutaway to illustrate interior components . a control panel 104 mounts on the cabinet 102 to allow users to selectively program operation of the clothes dryer 100 . the control panel 104 may have a selector dial , a plurality of selector buttons , switches and the like ( not explicitly shown ) as necessary to accomplish operation in accordance with the subject technology . a led display 106 also mounts on the housing to provide visual indication to users of the status of the clothes dryer . in one embodiment , the led display 106 includes three leds 118 a - c to provide easy review of the status of the clothes dryer 100 . commonly , the clothes dryer 100 also includes a start button 108 that is used to begin a drying cycle . a drum 110 is mounted for rotational movement in the cabinet 102 . once clothes are placed in the drum 110 and a dry cycle is started , a heating element 112 raises the temperature inside the drum 110 to facilitate drying of the clothes . the clothes are placed and secured in the drum through a latching door mechanism ( not shown ). the heating element 112 may use electricity or natural gas to generate the heat . ductwork 114 allows air to circulate through the drum 110 . typically , the circulating air is driven through the clothes dryer 100 by an air handling unit 116 . as noted above , lint may collect inside the cabinet 102 and in the ductwork 114 . by the lint being in close proximity to the heating element 112 , a fire hazard exists . operation of the clothes dryer 100 is controlled by a control module 200 ( see fig2 ). still referring to fig1 , various information ( not shown ) is silkscreened onto the cabinet so that users inherently understand the meaning of the leds 118 a - c . for example , led 118 a has the words “ lint filter ” adjacent thereto and is typically off . a lint filter sensor ( not shown ) provides a signal to a control module 200 so that when cleaning of the lint filter is required , the led 118 a illuminates , preferably in a red color . the led 118 b has the word “ heat ” adjacent thereto and is typically illuminated green . however , when service such as cleaning of the cabinet 102 and ductwork 114 is required , the led 118 b turns from green to yellow to provide indication of the required service . the led 118 b may also blink to further draw the users attention thereto . once the criteria to disable the heating element 112 is reached , the led 118 b turns from yellow to red . again , the led 118 b may blink to draw attention thereto as the criteria for disabling the clothes dryer 100 completely approaches . the led 118 c has the words “ service required ” adjacent thereto and is typically off . however , when service by a factory technician becomes so overdue that operation of the clothes dryer 100 will be disabled , the led 118 c illuminates red and blinks to further draw the users attention thereto . once the factory technician has performed the required maintenance , the leds 118 a - c are reset . more particularly detail of the operation of the clothes dryer 100 is described below . the led display 106 may alternatively be an lcd screen that provides messages , various images and the like to enhance operation of the clothes dryer 100 in accordance with the subject technology . referring now to fig2 , a somewhat schematic block diagram of the control module 200 is shown . the control module 200 includes one or more digital data processing devices particularly suited to work in various embodiments of the subject technology . the control module 200 also interacts with the control panel 104 , the led display 106 , and the start button 108 . typically , the control module 200 is a specialized printed circuit board with components for receiving , processing , displaying , and / or transmitting digital and / or analog data . although shown as a discrete singular element , the control module 200 may have separate components distributed throughout the clothes dryer 100 . the control module 200 includes a processor 220 , which is generally logic circuitry that responds to and processes instructions . the processor 220 can include , without limitation , a central processing unit , an arithmetic logic unit , an application specific integrated circuit , a task engine , and / or any combinations , arrangements , or multiples thereof . the processor 220 is in communication with memory 222 . typical memory 222 includes random access memory ( ram ), rewritable flash memory , read only memory ( rom ), mechanisms and structures for performing i / o operations , and a storage medium such as a magnetic hard disk drive ( s ). the memory 222 may be a combination of integral and external memory . the memory 222 includes software 224 and a plurality of modules 226 , 228 , 230 as needed to perform the functions of the subject technology . for example , the software 224 may include an operating system for execution on the processor 220 . software or code generally refers to computer instructions which , when executed on one or more digital data processing devices , cause interactions with operating parameters , sequence data / parameters , database entries , network connection parameters / data , variables , constants , software libraries , and / or any other elements needed for the proper execution of the instructions , within an execution environment in memory . a module is a functional aspect , which may include software and / or hardware . typically , a module encompasses the necessary components to accomplish a task . it is envisioned that the same hardware ( e . g ., memory and processor ) could implement a plurality of modules and portions of such hardware being available as needed to accomplish the task . for example , a database module 226 creates , stores , and maintains data and multiple databases necessary for the proper operation of the subject technology . a program module 228 stores an instruction set to allow the operator to program operation of the control module 200 and , in turn , the operation of the clothes dryer 100 by using the control panel 104 . an algorithm module 230 stores an instruction set to allow the processor to apply one or more algorithms for operation of the clothes dryer 100 . the control module 200 also includes various other circuitry 236 ( not drawn distinctly ) as needed for proper operation . for example , the circuitry 236 may include a power module , control circuitry , circuitry for processing logical operations , integral a / d conversion circuitry , an integral display driver , a peripheral eeprom ( non - volatile rewriteable memory for storing user settings and the like ), an external flash memory chip ( for in - field software updates ), and an external wifi radio which includes built - in ip stack and wifi encryption functionality . still referring to fig2 , the control module 200 also includes a wifi module 238 and / or wired communication channels 240 to facilitate communication with external devices such as a cellular telephone , home network , other devices and the like . the control module 200 also has a connector sections 204 for interacting with the other components such as the drum 110 , heating element 112 , and air handling unit 116 . although drawn as part of the processor 220 , the wifi module 238 may be separate or otherwise incorporated into the clothes dryer 100 . those of ordinary skill will recognize that the hardware , software , modules , sensors , elements , devices and various processes discussed herein are merely exemplary of the functionality performed by the disclosed technology and thus such hardware and processes ( and / or their equivalents ) may be implemented in commercial embodiments in various combinations without materially affecting the operation of the disclosed technology . it is also envisioned that the control module 200 may interact with a comprehensive home / site controller that controls the operation of additional systems ( e . g ., air conditioning ) along with additional components and sensors ( e . g ., smoke detectors etc .) and the like . the following flow charts herein illustrate the structure or the logic of the present technology , possibly as embodied in program software for execution on the processor 220 of the control module 200 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the flow charts illustrate the structures of the program software or code elements , which may include logic circuits on an integrated circuit and / or printed circuit board , that function according to the present technology . as such , the present technology may be practiced by a specialized machine component that renders the program software in a form that instructs a processor to perform a sequence of function steps corresponding to those shown in the flow charts and equivalents . referring now to fig3 , there is illustrated a flowchart depicting a process 300 for preventing normal operation of the clothes dryer 100 when maintenance such as cleaning the cabinet 102 for lint is overdue in accordance with the subject technology . initially , the process 300 begins under ongoing operation circumstances as opposed to an initial start - up condition when power is applied to the clothes dryer . at step 302 , the process 300 begins by initiating the main program function loop . at step 304 , the process 300 sets up the internals for the processor 220 such as initiating the registers and the like . at steps 306 and 308 , the necessary data is loaded from the memory 222 . such data may include pre - defined criteria for when to provide indication ( i . e ., warning ) to the user and when to take further action such as disabling the heating element 112 . such criteria are programmed into the memory 222 and kept in non - volatile memory storage . at step 310 , the main programming loop is entered . in step 312 , an interrupt is driven by an internal timer so that a live variable is updated . the live variable is the elapsed ( live ) time . at step 314 , the process 300 checks the inputs to determine if a service switch change is required . for example , the processor 220 can compare a number of cycles of use of the clothes dryer 100 against a predetermined criteria so that when the number of cycles exceeds the predetermined criteria , an indication of service being recommended is provided . as noted above , the processor 220 changes the state of the led 118 b from green to yellow to indicate that service is required . at step 316 , the process 300 prepares to save the updated data by collecting a snapshot of all the relevant data . at step 318 , the relevant data is loaded into temporary registers as the active registers continue to update . the relevant data is then loaded into non - volatile ram memory at step 320 . still referring to fig3 , at step 322 , the process 300 evaluates the relevant data to determine if any of the limits have been exceeded . based upon the evaluation of the relevant data , the processor 220 takes control action ( e . g ., disabling the heating element 112 ) and change of state for the leds 118 a - c as needed at step 324 . once the user has been warned and / or the necessary protection against hazard has been accomplished , the process 300 proceeds to step 330 . at step 330 , the process 300 checks to see if the clothes dryer 100 is running or in an idle state . if in an idle state , the control module 200 can enter an idle state as well , preferably a sleep mode to conserve power . the process 300 will loop through steps 310 - 330 to insure that the user is protected and hazards are avoided . optionally , the factory technician or other user may utilize diagnostic functions in the process 300 at steps 326 - 328 . at step 326 , the process 300 can display a visual of the run time , cycles , maintenance history and the like . the technician may have to utilize a diagnostic tool to access the reading or use the led display 106 . at step 328 , the process 300 can calculate the run time and otherwise tabulate relevant maintenance data for presentation at step 326 . as can be seen from review of the above , the subject technology provides a safety device for clothes dryers to prevent fires related to lint accumulation in hard to access places like inside the cabinet and ductwork . the additional components may simply be a small printed . circuit board and warning light ( s ). the warning lights not only provide warnings to the consumer but indicate various states of operation based upon run - time or other usage . the states of operation can include operation without heat , completely disabled and the like . in one embodiment , the predefined criteria can be an amount of calendar time such as 18 months . as such , an 18 month interval without servicing can start a grace period ( e . g ., 6 months ) of still normal operation in which a single warning light is yellow . at the end of the grace period , the heating element is disabled and the warning light turns red . the disabled heating element period can also be set to a temporal limit such as another 6 months . as the end of the disabled heating element period approaches , the warning light blinks to indicate that the clothes dryer will become completely disabled soon unless proper service is performed . once the disabled heating element period ends without service , the clothes dryer is disabled and can only be reset by a technician , who would need to clean the clothes dryer and reset the warning system . preferably , the disabling of the clothes dryer may be a general overall disablement or a locking of the door . in one embodiment , the criteria is a number of cycles . a cycle could be defined as simply starting a drying cycle , 1 hour of run - time , and variations thereof . preferably , when a cycle is a full drying cycle , the caution yellow led is illuminated after a criteria selected from 416 , 520 or 624 cycles . after another 50 cycles , the red led illuminates with the clothes dryer still cycling but disabling of the heating element 112 . blinking could occur for 5 cycles as transition between the periods approaches . for another example , the clothes dryer could modify operation and provide warning based on usage recorded in an hour - meter off the hours of operation of the heating element , rotation of the drum , and / or running of the air handling unit . such run - time could also be converted into cycles such as by equating 1 hour of operation being counted as 1 cycle . additionally , the wifi module can email the same warnings and relevant status information to the manufacturer or a service provider , who can in turn contact homeowner to schedule a service appointment when the product has been registered . although the subject technology has been described with respect to clothes dryers , it is envisioned that the subject technology would be equally applicable to other fields and applications such as on refrigerator icemakers , dishwashers , water treatment systems such as reverse osmosis filters and uv light sanitizing modules , stovetop vents or any appliance that may need periodic maintenance such as filter changing or cleaning . the subject technology can also be formed as a retrofit kit for use on existing appliances such as clothes dryers . it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art that the functions of several elements may , in alternative embodiments , be carried out by fewer elements , or a single element . similarly , in some embodiments , any functional element may perform fewer , or different , operations than those described with respect to the illustrated embodiment . also , functional elements ( e . g ., modules , processors , memory , printed circuit boards , light emitting diodes , databases , interfaces and the like ) shown as distinct for purposes of illustration may be incorporated within other functional elements in a particular implementation . all patents , patent applications and other references disclosed herein are hereby expressly incorporated in their entireties by reference . while the subject technology has been described with respect to preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various changes and / or modifications can be made to the subject technology without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . for example , each claim may depend from any or all claims in a multiple dependent manner even though such has not been originally claimed .

3Textiles; Paper

hereinafter , exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . however , this is only by way of example and therefore , the present invention is not limited thereto . when technical configurations known in the related art are considered to make the contents obscure in the present invention , the detailed description thereof will be omitted . further , the following terminologies are defined in consideration of the functions in the present invention and may be construed in different ways by the intention of users and operators . therefore , the definitions thereof should be construed based on the contents throughout the specification . as a result , the spirit of the present invention is determined by the claims and the following exemplary embodiments may be provided to efficiently describe the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art . hereinafter , the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram of an apparatus 100 for controlling a motor speed according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , an apparatus 100 for controlling a motor speed according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a motor 180 , a targeted speed external setting unit 110 that sets a targeted speed for the motor 180 , a speed comparing unit 120 that compares a targeted speed with an actual speed of the motor 180 , an error detecting unit 140 that detects a difference between the targeted speed and the actual speed , a speed storage unit 130 that is connected with the speed comparing unit 120 to store the targeted speed and the actual speed , and an error storage unit 150 that is connected with the error detecting unit 140 to store a difference between the targeted speed and the actual speed . the targeted speed external setting unit 110 may set the targeted speed so as to allow the motor 180 to output a predetermined targeted speed , the speed comparing unit 120 compares the targeted speed with the actual speed using the targeted speed and the actual speed output by the motor 180 , and the error detecting unit 140 may detect the difference between the targeted speed and the actual speed . in this case , the apparatus for controlling a motor speed may further include a speed measuring unit 170 that is connected with the motor 180 to measure the actual speed and input the measured speed to the speed comparing unit 120 , and a speed control unit 160 that controls the speed of the motor 180 based on the targeted speed set by the targeted speed external setting unit 110 . in addition , the error storage unit 150 may store a difference e 1 between a first targeted speed at the time of setting a primary targeted speed first set by the targeted speed external setting unit 110 and a first actual speed that is the same speed as the same first targeted speed and a difference e 2 between a second targeted speed at the time of setting a secondary targeted speed set to more increase than the primary targeted speed by the targeted speed external setting unit 110 and a second actual speed . since the primary targeted speed first set by the targeted speed external setting unit 110 is a first speed set in the motor 180 , the first targeted speed may be considered to be the same as the first actual speed . the second targeted speed at the time of setting the secondary targeted speed is a speed increased more than the first targeted speed and the second targeted speed may be equal to or different from the second actual speed according to the second targeted speed . therefore , the difference e 2 between the second targeted speed and the second actual speed may be calculated and when the second targeted speed is equal to the second actual speed , the e 2 is zero and when the second targeted speed is different from the second actual speed , the e 2 may correspond to the difference value between the second targeted speed and the second actual speed . in this case , the targeted speed external setting unit 110 may set the second targeted speed to a final targeted speed when the e 1 is equal to the e 2 and may set the first targeted speed to the final targeted speed when the e 1 is different from the e 2 . that is , since the first targeted speed is equal to the first actual speed , the e 1 is zero . here , the meaning that the e 1 or the e 2 is zero may indicate that the actual speed is equal to the targeted speed and may indicate that the actual speed is output as the targeted speed , which may indicate that the motor is normally operated . therefore , when the e 1 is equal to the e 2 , the e 1 is zero and therefore , the e 2 is also zero , which may mean that the second targeted speed is equal to the second actual speed . that is , this means that the motor 180 is driven at the same speed as the second targeted speed set by the targeted speed external setting unit 110 and therefore , the targeted speed external setting unit 110 may set the second targeted speed to the final targeted speed . however , the meaning that the e 1 is different from the e 2 may indicate that the e 2 is not zero , which may mean that the second targeted speed is not equal to the second actual speed . in this case , despite the increase in the speed of the motor 180 , this may mean that the motor 180 is driven at the speed that does not reach the increased targeted speed . the reason is that the actual speed cannot exceed the targeted speed . therefore , in this case , the increase in the targeted speed does not have a meaning any more and causes the power consumption , such that the motor may be driven at the first targeted speed set before the second targeted speed . that is , even though the targeted speed is set to be the second targeted speed , when the actual speed is not the second targeted speed but is the first targeted speed smaller than the second targeted speed , there is no need to set the excessively targeted speed consuming only power for the output of the motor 180 and therefore , the first motor 180 is driven at the first targeted speed before the targeted speed is increased so that the targeted speed is equal to the actual speed . as the same meaning , the speed control unit 160 may perform a control to output the second targeted speed when the e 1 is equal to the e 2 and may perform a control to output the first targeted speed when the e 1 is different from the e 2 . fig2 is a block diagram of an apparatus 200 for controlling a motor speed according to another embodiment of the present invention . the overlapping portion with the portions described in fig1 will not be repeatedly described . referring to fig2 , the apparatus 200 for controlling a motor speed according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include a targeted speed internal setting unit 290 that is connected with the speed comparing unit and the speed control unit 260 and sets a third targeted speed that is a new targeted speed different from the targeted speed set by the targeted speed external setting unit 210 as long as the e 1 is different from the e 2 , wherein the speed control unit 260 may control a speed of the motor 280 according to one selected from the targeted speed external setting unit 210 or the targeted speed internal setting unit 290 . the targeted speed internal setting unit 290 is operated as long as the e 1 is different from the e 2 , which means the case in which the second actual speed does not reach the second targeted speed . therefore , it is possible to provide more opportunities of increasing the actual speed output by the motor 280 by newly setting the third targeted speed increased more than the first targeted speed and reduced more than the second targeted speed . therefore , the third targeted speed may be higher than the first targeted speed and lower than the second targeted speed . in this case , the error storage unit 250 may store a difference e 3 between the third targeted speed at the time of setting a third order targeted speed by the targeted speed internal setting unit 290 and the third actual speed . as the same logic described in fig1 , the targeted speed internal setting unit 290 may set the third targeted speed to the final targeted speed when the e 2 is equal to the e 3 and may set the second targeted speed to the final targeted speed when the e 2 is different from the e 3 . in this case , the speed control unit 260 may perform a control to output the third targeted speed when the e 2 is equal to the e 3 and may perform a control to output the second targeted speed when the e 2 is different from the e 3 . fig3 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a motor speed according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 , the method for controlling a motor speed according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include setting the primary targeted speed ( s 10 ), detecting the difference e 1 between the first targeted speed and the first actual speed that is the same speed as the first targeted speed ( s 20 ), setting the secondary targeted speed ( s 30 ), detecting the difference e 2 between the second targeted speed and the second actual speed ( s 40 ), and determining whether the e 1 is equal to the e 2 ( s 50 ). since the first targeted speed is equal to the first actual speed , the e 1 is zero and the since the second targeted speed may be equal to or different from the second actual speed , the e 2 may be or may not be zero . in this case , when the e 2 is zero , the second targeted speed may be set to be the final targeted speed since the second actual speed is normally output at the same speed as the set second targeted speed . therefore , after the determining ( s 50 ), the method for controlling a motor speed may further include setting the second targeted speed to the final targeted speed ( s 70 ) when the e 1 is equal to the e 2 and outputting , by the motor , the second targeted speed . however , when the e 2 is not zero , the speed that does not reach the second targeted speed may be considered to be the case in which the second actual speed is output . the reason is that the actual speed cannot exceed the targeted speed . therefore , after the determining ( s 50 ), the method for controlling a motor speed may further include setting the first targeted speed to the final targeted speed ( s 60 ) when the e 1 is different from the e 2 and outputting , by the motor , the first targeted speed . further , after the determining ( s 50 ), the method for controlling a motor speed further includes setting the third order targeted speed as long as the e 1 is different from the e 2 and detecting the difference e 3 between the third targeted speed and the third actual speed , wherein the third targeted speed may be higher than the first targeted speed and lower than the second targeted speed . when the e 1 is different from the e , it means that the second actual speed does not reach the second targeted speed . therefore , it is possible to provide more opportunities of increasing the actual speed by newly setting the third targeted speed increased more than the first targeted speed and reduced more than the second targeted speed . therefore , the third targeted speed may be higher than the first targeted speed and lower than the second targeted speed . in this case , after the setting of the third targeted speed , the method for controlling a motor speed may further include setting the third targeted speed to the final targeted speed when the e 2 is equal to the e 3 and outputting , by the motor , the third targeted speed . further , after the setting of the third targeted speed , the method for controlling a motor speed may further include setting the second targeted speed to the final targeted speed when the e 2 is different from the e 3 and outputting , by the motor , the second targeted speed . according to the embodiments of the present invention , it is possible to prevent power from being excessively consumed by issuing the meaningless order of a speed increase when the motor is driven at the actual speed . although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications , additions and substitutions are possible , without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims . accordingly , the scope of the present invention is not construed as being limited to the described embodiments but is defined by the appended claims as well as equivalents thereto .

7Electricity

the present disclosure describes an apparatus for mounting photovoltaic modules , herein referred to as a unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 . the preferred embodiment as shown in fig1 through 11 , comprises a unitary frame 110 constructed to retain multiple photovoltaic modules 102 and various other elements . the unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 is designed for off - site fabrication , and can be transported and installed as a single unit , thereby reducing the time and resources required for build on - site construction . in the preferred embodiment of unitized photo voltaic assembly 100 , shown in fig1 , a unitary frame 110 provides the structural framework for the mounting of various elements . as shown , nine photovoltaic modules 102 are arranged into three rows defined by unitary frame 110 . alternatively , unitary frame 110 can be adjusted to accommodate more or less photovoltaic modules 102 , depending on the application requirements . the photovoltaic modules 102 are maintained within unitary frame 110 by a plurality of retaining brackets 140 a , b at the ends of each row in addition to spacers 160 between adjacent photovoltaic modules 102 . the unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 is secured to a surface 150 with repositionable mounting brackets 152 . more specifically , mounting brackets 152 are attached to the unitary frame 110 and bolted to mounting devices 156 . the mounting devices 156 are preinstalled to the surface 150 in accordance with local building codes . in the present embodiment , mounting devices 156 are bolted to rafters 154 . various types of mounting devices 156 , common within the industry , may be utilized . in some instances , mounting devices 156 may not be necessary , in which case mounting brackets 152 can be secured directly to the surface 150 . also shown in fig1 , are mounting interlocks 170 a , b . mounting interlocks 170 a , b are secured to the unitary frame 110 and are used to mechanically interconnect adjacent unitized photovoltaic assemblies 100 to form a complete system . because of mounting interlocks 170 a , b , various arrangements of unitized photovoltaic assemblies 100 can be created , which have the added benefit of increased load sharing across the completed system . fig2 shows unitary frame 110 in further detail , without photovoltaic modules 102 . the unitary frame 110 is comprised of a plurality of rails 104 mounted above and welded to a plurality of struts 106 at cross points 108 . brackets or fasteners could also be used in place of welding to mount rails 104 to struts 106 . fabrication in this manner creates a unified framework central to the formation of the unitized photo voltaic assembly 100 . in the preferred embodiment , additional elements are attached to unitary frame 110 prior to installation . additional elements may include , but are not limited to , power conversion elements 112 , spray head 118 , wiring 114 , tubing 120 , retaining brackets 140 a , b , mounting interlocks 170 a , b and mounting brackets 152 . in the preferred embodiment , power conversion elements 112 are micro - inverters , which are attached to unitary frame 110 beneath photovoltaic modules 102 . the micro - inverters convert power from unregulated direct current ( dc ) to alternating current ( ac ) or to regulated dc depending on the installation requirements . each power conversion element 112 is electrically connected to a corresponding photovoltaic module 102 . individual power conversion elements 112 are also connected to one another by wiring 114 . wiring 114 is generally attached to unitary frame 110 and terminates at the perimeter of unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 with polarized power connectors 116 a , b . polarized power connector 116 a can be connected to 116 b of an adjacent unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 permitting a plurality of unitized photovoltaic assemblies 100 to aggregate their power by providing feed in and feed out paths for electrical power and control signals . the polarized power connectors 116 a , b can also be connected to a power collection unit when unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 is an original or terminal assembly . in this manner , minimal effort is required to wire the completed system . the preferred embodiment also includes at least one assembly spray head 118 attached to unitary frame 110 . spray head 118 directs cleaning fluids into a spray pattern covering photovoltaic modules 102 . spray head 118 is connected to tubing 120 by a “ t ” spray connector 122 . in an alternate embodiment , when spray head 118 is the final sprayer , spray connector 122 is an elbow instead of a “ t ”. tubing 120 supplies alternately , clear and soapy water from a pressure source ( not shown ). tubing 120 is also generally attached to the unitary frame 110 and terminates at the perimeter of unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 with fluid connectors 124 a , b . fluid connectors 124 a , b allow cleaning fluid to flow to and from adjacent unitized photovoltaic assemblies 100 . the addition of elements to the unitary frame 110 in this manner provides for a plug - and - play unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 . this system allows for additional unitized photovoltaic assemblies 100 to be added with minimal connections and little or no additional wiring or tubing . also , pre - wiring and the use of low - voltage power conversion elements 112 eliminates hazardous live wiring on the roof surface 150 creating a safer working environment . as referred to above , the main structural components of unitary frame 110 are rails 104 and struts 106 . fig3 illustrates the uniform structural cross - section of rails 104 . an extrusion process forms rails 104 with a uniform double “ i ” cross section designed to resist flexure . in the preferred embodiment , rails 104 are made from aluminum alloy , but other material having similar strength to weight properties could also be used . the structure of rails 104 provides u - shaped receiving slots 130 for retaining photovoltaic modules 102 . in the preferred embodiment , rails 104 are oriented laterally and substantially parallel to one another . when arranged in this manner , photovoltaic modules 102 can be slideably retained by their opposing edges within slots 130 . in the illustrated embodiment the slots 130 present smooth support surfaces upon which photovoltaic module edges can slide . the retained opposing edges of photovoltaic modules 102 can be either the long or short edges . accordingly , the length and arrangement of rails 104 are determined by the dimensions , orientation and number of photovoltaic modules 102 to be retained . additionally , rails 104 provide u - shaped receiving slots 132 for accepting mounting interlocks 170 a , b and retaining brackets 140 a , b . rails 104 also include holes 136 for the securing of mounting interlocks 170 a , b and retaining brackets 140 a , b . fig4 a and 4b more closely illustrate retaining brackets 140 a , b , shown generally in fig1 . retaining brackets 140 a , b , laterally retain photovoltaic modules 102 within slots 130 . in the present embodiment , individual retaining bracket assemblies 140 a , b comprise a retaining element 142 that engages the outer edge of the end most photovoltaic modules 102 in each row so as to block the photovoltaic modules from sliding out of the unitary frame 110 . retaining element 144 is attached to an l bracket 144 by fastener 146 . l bracket 144 includes a threaded hole 148 for receiving fastener 146 . removal of fastener 146 allows retaining element 142 to be disengaged from photovoltaic module 102 . this will allow partial or complete removal of photovoltaic modules 102 from unitary frame 110 . furthermore , l bracket 144 is affixed to the ends of rails 104 within receiving slots 132 . specifically , l bracket 144 includes holes 158 , which align with holes 136 on rails 104 . a bolt or other fastener engages holes 158 and holes 136 to secure l bracket 144 to rails 104 . the main deference between retaining brackets 140 a and 140 b is the orientation of l bracket 144 , depending on which side of rail 104 it is positioned . additionally , during installation of unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 it may be helpful to disengage the retaining element 142 and slide photovoltaic modules 102 partially out of the unitary frame 110 in order to gain access to mounting brackets 152 or to additional elements of the system described above . as shown in fig3 and 5b , the surfaces of the u - shaped receiving slot 130 in each rail 104 are flat and smooth , as are surfaces of the edges of the photovoltaic module 102 , thus enabling the photovoltaic modules 102 to slide relative to the unitary frame 110 . fig5 a and 5b show spacer 160 . spacer 160 comprises a clip 162 , which attaches to photovoltaic modules 102 . spacer 160 includes fins 164 . fins 164 contact the edges of adjacent photovoltaic modules 102 thereby maintaining a gap 180 . gap 180 is useful for allowing the expansion and contraction of photovoltaic modules 102 during temperature changes . spacer 160 is sufficiently resilient to allow such expansion and contraction of the photovoltaic modules 102 . additionally , gap 180 provides a space for lifting frame 190 to engage unitary frame 110 , discussed below . fig6 shows the uniform structural cross - section of struts 106 , shown generally in fig2 . an extrusion process forms struts 106 with an “ i ” cross - section designed to resist flexure . struts 106 are preferably made from aluminum alloy , but other material having similar strength to weight properties could also be used . the design of struts 106 provides u - shaped receiving slots 134 for accepting interlock elements 170 . struts 106 also provide mounting surfaces for additional elements attached to unitary frame 110 , discussed above . in the present embodiment , struts 106 are oriented generally in the vertical direction to align with the roofs underlying rafters 154 . it is important to note that struts 106 must not be aligned with gaps 180 as this will prevent lifting frame 190 from engaging with unitary frame 110 . the preferred embodiment includes interlocks 170 a , b , shown in fig7 a and 7b , in order to maintain a mechanical relationship between adjacent unitized photovoltaic assemblies 100 , thereby contributing to the structural integrity and load sharing capacity of the completed system . interlocks 170 a , b are attached to the ends of rails 104 and struts 106 within receiving slots 132 and 134 , respectively . mounting interlocks 170 a , b include holes 178 , which align with holes 136 or 138 depending on whether they are mounted to rails 104 or struts 106 . as shown in fig7 a , interlocks 170 also provide a ledge 174 . ledge 174 is positioned face up or face down in order to engage a corresponding adjacent ledge 174 . the interaction between adjacent interlocks 170 a , b is more clearly demonstrated in fig7 b . interlocks 170 a , b also include a locking hole 176 to accept a fastener 202 , thereby mechanically joining adjacent unitized photovoltaic assemblies 100 . mounting interlocks 170 a and 170 b are mirrored so that corresponding locking holes 176 will align during the joining of unitized photovoltaic assemblies 100 . also shown in fig7 b , are mounting brackets 152 for securing unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 to a surface . mounting brackets 152 are attached to rails 104 or struts 106 of the unitary frame 110 . during installation , mounting brackets 152 are secured to standard mounting devices 156 using bolts 208 . prior to installation of the unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 , mounting devices 156 , are installed to the surface 150 and secured with lag bolts 206 to underlying rafters 154 . fig1 more broadly illustrates the use of mounting brackets 152 for securing unitary frame 110 to a surface 150 . in some instances , mounting devices 156 may not be required , in which case mounting brackets 152 can be directly attached to surface 150 or underlying rafters 154 , depending on the local building code . fig8 , 9 and 10 relate to the structure and use of lifting frame 190 . unitary frame 110 is designed to maintain the general structure of unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 , but it is not significantly rigid to support photovoltaic modules 102 independently . merging lifting frame 190 with unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 provides the necessary rigidity to inhibit bending of unitary frame 100 and thereby prevents damage to photovoltaic modules 102 during installation . lifting frame 190 comprises a framework having a plurality of tabs 192 and rail supports 194 a , b for engaging unitary frame 110 . more specifically , tabs 192 pass through gaps 180 to engage corresponding horizontal rails 104 . vertical rail supports 194 a are comprised of two “ c ” channels oriented back to back with tabs 192 positioned between them . tabs 192 are secured to rail supports 194 a with bolts 212 , as shown in fig1 . horizontal cross rail supports 194 b , also “ c ” channels , are attached to the horizontal rail supports 194 a with bolts 210 . bolts 210 and 212 are used to allow for lifting frame 190 to be adjusted for unitized photovoltaic assemblies 100 of varying sizes . for large assemblies 100 additional rail supports 194 a can be added including additional tabs 192 . in the preferred embodiment , lifting frame 190 is connected to a crane hook 200 by cables 198 attached to holes 196 , as shown in fig9 . the cables 198 can be attached to different holes 196 and repositioned in relation to the crane hook 200 to achieve varying angles in order to match the slope of the installation surface 150 . after unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 is installed on the roof or other surface 150 , lifting frame 190 is disengaged from unitized photovoltaic assembly 100 and re - used . although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown and contains many specifics , these descriptions should not be construed as limiting the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims .

8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology

referring more specifically to the pomological details of this new and distinct variety of flat peach tree , the following has been observed , if not differently specified , during the second fruiting season under the ecological conditions prevailing at the orchards located in elne , in the pyrénées orientales departement , france . all observations have been done on rootstock cultivar . the rootstock was a ‘ franc inra montclar ®’ ( unpatented ) tree . all major color code designations are by reference to the r . h . s . color chart ( fourth edition ) provided by the royal horticultural society of great britain . generally .— considered medium to large as compared to other common commercial flat peach cultivars ripening in the middle season of maturity . the tree size the first year was approximately 280 cm . the tree was pruned during each following dormant season to a height of approximately 250 cm . current season shoots growth could reach 80 cm . so the tree size from the second year ( second and next years ) reached a final height of 330 cm with current season shoots length comprised . spread : approximately 200 cm with a cylindrical shape . the whole orchard was oriented to a central leader organisation , with tree lines spaced of 4 . 0 meters and trees spaced of 1 . 0 meter in a same tree line . as a result , the orchard contains 2500 trees by hectare . productivity : very productive . fruit set is spaced by thinning to develop the remaining fruit into the desired market sized fruit . the number of the fruit set varies with the prevailing climatic conditions , and cultural practices employed during the bloom period , and is therefore not distinctive of the present variety . bearer : very regular . fruit set has been heavy during the years of observation and thinning of 1 fruit on 3 was useful every year during the past 5 years . fruit have an important magnifying potential . hardiness : the present tree was grown and evaluated in france . the variety appears to be hardy under typical central pyrénées orientales departement climatic conditions . experimentations on different sites with winter chilling requirement comprised between 350 and 1200 hours showed a good behavior of the tree in all cases . ascertained temperatures as low as − 12 degrees celsius caused no damages to the tree . the tree was also very resistant to frosty springtime weather . diameter : approximately between 7 . 0 and 8 . 0 cm in diameter when measured at a distance of approximately 30 cm above the soil level . bark texture : considered slightly rough , with folds of papery scarfskin being present . lenticels : numerous lenticels are present . the lenticels range in size from approximately 0 . 5 cm in width , and from 0 . 1 to 0 . 2 cm in height . lenticel colour : the outside of lenticels has a silver - grey color ( varying from rhs grey 201 d to rhs black 202 d ), whereas the inside is considered brown ( rhs greyed orange 166b ). bark colouration : the bark has a silver - grey color a little darker than the lenticels ( varying from rhs grey 201 c to rhs black 202 c ). size : mature branches as well as current season shoots are medium to thick for the variety . diameter : average as compared to other flat peach varieties . the current season shoots have a diameter from 4 . 0 to 12 . 0 millimeters , and branches of trees have a diameter comprised between 22 . 0 and 30 . 0 millimeters . surface texture : average , wood which is several years old has no furrowed appearance . crotch angles : primary branches are considered variable , but the crotch angles are generally around 70 degrees from the horizontal axis . this particular characteristic is not considered distinctive of the variety , however . colour of mature branches : medium grey - brown ( varying from rhs grey brown 199 c to b ). colour .— the color of new shoot tips is considered a light green ( varying from rhs green 143 c to d ) on lower part of new shoot tips , whereas the upper part is colored in reddish brown ( varying from rhs greyed red 182 b to c ), darkening when more exposed to the sun . size : considered large for the species . leaf measurements have been taken from vigorous , upright , current - season growth at approximately mid - shoot . the ratio leaf length / leaf width is around 4 . upper leaf surface .— dark green ( rhs green 137 a ). lower surface .— medium green ( varying from rhs green 137 b to 137 c ). uniformity : leaves are isolated or grouped by 2 or 3 . in this last case , it is found one leaf of normal size with one or two smaller leaves ( size - reduction of 50 % and more ). size .— considered medium to large , between 1 . 5 and 2 . 0 millimeters . number .— generally between 3 and 4 . type .— reniform . colour .— on young leaves , leaf glands color is considered a pale green ( rhs green 145 b ). on older leaves , leaf glands color turns to a dark brown ( varying from rhs grey brown 199 a to 199 b ). generally .— no leaf stipules were observed . but as seen in the characteristic relative to the leaves uniformity , it is possible to find leaves by groups of 2 or 3 , with a normal - size leaf and smaller ones . generally .— observations have been made at the end of blooming , on march 2 , 2008 . generally .— at pre - floral stage of development , the floral buds are conic in form with a round tip . their form is evolving until blooming , with variables dimensions . just before blooming , floral buds are approximately 10 . 0 millimeters wide and approximately 18 . 0 millimeters long . colour .— this characteristic is dependent upon the proximity to bloom . at pre - floral stage of development , the bottom of the flowers buds , formed by sepals , is of purple - brown color ( rhs greyed purple 183 a ); the corolla , formed by petals , is generally of pale pink color ( varying from rhs red purple 65 a to b ). petals color shows an evolution until the end of flowering . the buds are considered hardy under typical central pyrénées orientales departement climatic conditions . hardiness : no winter injury was noted during the last several years of evaluation in the central pyrénées orientales departement , with winter temperatures as low as − 12 degrees celsius in january . the current variety has not been intentionally subjected to drought or heat stress , but the variety showed a very good resistance in orchard to temperatures up to 42 degrees celsius with an average temperature between 28 and 30 degrees celsius during 3 weeks in summer . date of bloom : generally march . the first bloom , observed on feb . 26 , 2002 , was exceptionally early . second and third bloom took place respectively on march 10 , 2003 and mar . 7 , 2004 . blooming time : considered early - season in relative comparison to other commercial nectarine cultivars grown in the pyrénées - orientales departement , france . the date of full bloom is observed on march , more particularly between march 3th and 18th . the date of bloom varies slightly with climatic conditions and cultural practices . duration of bloom : approximately 15 days . this characteristic varies slightly with the prevailing climatic conditions . flower type : the variety is considered to have a showy type flower . flower size : considered large . flower diameter at full bloom is approximately 32 . 0 to about 37 . 0 millimeters . flower bud frequency : generally 2 flower buds appear per node , occasionally 1 . petal colour : medium pink ( rhs red purple 65 b ) when young , darkening with advancing senescence . form .— the claw is considered to have a conic form with a slighty rounded extremity . length .— approximately 5 . 0 to 6 . 0 millimeters . width .— approximately 4 . 0 to 5 . 0 millimeters . generally .— the petal apices are generally entire at the tip , dome - shaped . length .— considered medium - long and having an average length of approximately 3 . 0 to 4 . 0 millimeters . diameter .— considered average , approximately 2 . 0 millimeters . colour .— brown to light brown ( varying from rhs grey brown n199 c to d ). colour .— a greenish yellow ( ranging from rhs yellow group 13 a to b to rhs yellow green 150 a to b ). internal surface texture .— smooth and glabrous . color .— the outer surface of the calyx is considered of purple - brown ( rhs greyed purple 183 a ) color . surface texture .— the outer surface has a short , fine pubescent texture . size .— average . colour .— a purple - brown ( rhs greyed purple 183 a ). generally .— average in length . color .— orange - yellow ( varying from rhs yellow orange 16 a to b ). anthers are becoming brown after maturity ( rhs greyed purple group 178 a ). pollen production : pollen is abundant , and has a yellow color ( varying from rhs yellow orange 17 b to c ). the present variety is considered self fruitful ( self - pollinating ). size .— variable in length , approximately 11 . 0 to 18 . 0 millimeters in length . in all cases filament &# 39 ; s length is superior or equal to pistil &# 39 ; s length . color : considered light pink ( varying from rhs red purple 62 c to d ) to darker pink ( varying from rhs red purple 73 a to b ) with advancing senescence . number .— generally 1 . generally .— average in size . length .— approximately 12 . 0 to 15 . 0 millimeters including the ovary ; smaller or equal to filament &# 39 ; s length . colour .— considered a very pale green ( varying from rhs yellow green 150 d group to rhs yellow green 151 d group ). surface texture .— the variety has a glabrous pistil . date of first picking : aug . 16 , 2002 . the date of harvest varies slightly with the prevailing climatic conditions . date of last picking : aug . 23 , 2002 , only 2 harvests were necessary . typical weight : approximately between 150 . 0 and 200 . 0 grams . this characteristic is high dependent upon the prevailing cultural practices , and therefore is not particularly distinctive of the variety . generally .— flat and rounded . the fruit is generally uniform in symmetry , viewed from pistil end . fruit suture : shallow , extending from the base to the apex . no apparent callousing or stitching exists along the suture line . colour .— this has generally a color similar to the blush fruit color , an orange red ( varying from rhs orange red group 34 a to b ). stem cavity : average depth of the stem cavity is about 0 . 5 to 0 . 6 cm . average width is about 1 . 2 to 1 . 5 cm . thickness .— considered thick and strong , and very tenacious to the flesh to tenacious to the flesh depending on stage of maturity . texture .— slightly pubescent . taste .— semi - sweet . tendency to crack .— generally not observed . blush colour .— this blush colour is generally homogenous and orange red ( varying from rhs orange red group 34 a to b ). the red blush covers between 80 % and 90 % of the fruit skin surface . the percentage of the blush on the fruit skin surface can vary , and is generally dependant upon the prevailing conditions under which the fruit was grown . ground colour .— yellow orange ( rhs yellow orange group 18 d ). fruit stem : medium in length , approximately between 4 . 0 and 5 . 0 millimeters . colour : pale green ( varying from rhs yellow green 145a to 145 b ). ripens .— very evenly , homogenous , long shelf - life of the fruit . texture .— very firm , very dense , juicy at harvest maturity stage . fibers .— generally none observed . aroma .— pronouced . eating quality .— considered very good , aromatic . flavor .— considered semi - sweet . the brix is superior to 13 . 0 degrees . acidity is comprised between 6 and 9 meq / 100ml . the flavor is considered aromatic . the flesh is juicy . juice .— jucy to very juicy at complete maturity . brix .— generally superior to 13 . 0 degrees . this characteristic varies slightly with the number of fruit per tree ; prevailing cultural practices ; and the surrounding climatic conditions , and can be much more higher . flesh colour .— white ( rhs white group n155d ) with a slight red pigmentation under the skin and close to the stone . stone cavity : considered small size , with dimensions corresponding to stone &# 39 ; s dimensions . surface texture .— the pit is transversely furrowed on its entire surface . furrows are more pronounced and more flat toward lateral faces . ridges .— the surface texture is generally characterized by more prominent ridges along the ventral edges and is more prominent at the apical tip . stone colour : the color of the dry stone is generally considered an orange to red brown ( varying from rhs greyed orange 173 c to d ). tendency to split : splitting is absent or very low , depending on climatic conditions between blooming period and stone hardening . size .— the kernel is considered small . length .— about 7 . 0 millimeters . thickness .— about 5 . 0 millimeters . form .— considered flat and and elliptic . pellicle .— pubescent . colour .— the kernel skin is a light yellowish orange ( rhs greyed orange 166 c ). the almond is cream - white ( rhs orange chite 159 d ). the kernel and its embryo are mature at the time of fruit maturity . use : the subject variety ‘ flatprincesse ’ is considered to be a nectarine tree of the medium season of maturity , and which produces fruit that are considered very firm , attractively coloured . fruits are excellent for uncooked consumption , crunchy or at full maturity , and very aromatic . they are useful for both local and very long distance shipping , with a shelf life of few weeks after harvest . keeping quality : good . fruit stayed a little more than one week on tree before harvest and then , has stored well until 2 to 3 weeks after harvest at 2 . 0 degree celsius . they have a slow maturation and a long shelf life both on the tree after growth completion and after harvesting without alteration . shipping quality : considered good . the fruit of the new flat peach variety showed minimal bruising of the flesh or skin damage after being subjected to normal harvesting and packing procedures . resistance to insects and disease : no particular susceptibilities were noted . the present variety has not been shown to be very sensitive to powdery mildew , or conservation diseases and decay due to its thick and strong skin . although the new variety of flat peach tree possesses the described characteristics when grown under the ecological conditions prevailing near the town of elne , france , it should be understood that variations of the usual magnitude and characteristics incident to changes in growing conditions , fertilization , pruning , pest control and horticultural management are to be expected .

0Human Necessities

next , embodiments of the present invention are explained with reference to drawings as follows . [ basic concept for an image retrieving device according to the present invention ] in the image retrieving device of the present invention , the object ( such as a human ) in the image is detected . a template for the keywords are prepared in advance ; thus , the keywords are added to the image easily in which the keyword is detected . by doing this , it is possible to retrieve the object by using the keywords effectively . ( 1 ) when an object ( such as a human ) in the image is detected , a keyword for specifying the object is added to the image . in such a case , a keyword which is prepared in advance is proposed such that a system inquires the user which category the image belongs to . if there is an item coincides the keyword in the proposed category , the user selects such a keyword . ( 2 ) the keyword is used for retrieving an image which contains a human . such keywords can be set up in a hierarchical structure . for example , if an object is a human , a “ family ” and “ relative ” may be keywords for superior concept . furthermore , it is possible to name “ eldest brother ”, “ eldest sister ”, and “ maternal relative ” for a subordinate concept . ( 3 ) basic keywords which are formed in a hierarchical structure are prepared for the retrieving template so as to be correctable ( such as an additional keywords ). in the image retrieving device of the present invention , it is possible to add the keywords to the image simply in the above manner . fig1 is a block diagram for a structure in a device which is provided in the image retrieving device of the present invention . in the fig1 , only sections which relate to the present invention are shown . sections which are provided in the image retrieving device shown in fig1 have following functions . the image inputting detecting section 100 detects a fact that a new image is contained in the image detecting section 100 . the image reading device 102 reads values ( such as rgb values ) for pixels which form the image . the still picture generating section 103 generates a still picture from a motion picture if the image is a motion picture . the object acknowledging section 104 acknowledges whether of not a specific object is contained in an image by analyzing the image . for a specific example , a case in which an object is a “ human ” is explained later . the keyword proposing section 105 extracts a keyword which relates to an object by referring to a database when the object is detected so as to propose the keywords to the user . for a specific example , a case in which an object is a “ human ” is explained later . the object information inputting section 106 serves for a user to select an object information among the proposed keywords or to input / update the keywords . for a specific example , a case in which an object is a “ human ” is explained later . the retrieving condition inputting section 107 serves for inputting a retrieving condition for the image which is supposed to be retrieved . for example , if an object which is supposed to be retrieved is a human , retrieving conditions ( keywords ) such as selecting among “ family ”, and “ friend ” are inputted . here , a retrieving template 121 for adding the keywords and data for a motion picture 122 and a still picture 123 which are related to the keywords ( retrieving template ) are stored in a database ( image storing section 120 . next , more detail of the image retrieving device of the present invention is explained with reference to an example in which an object which is supposed to be detected is a “ human ”. fig2 is a block diagram for explaining an example of a structure in an image retrieving device shown in fig1 for a case in which an object which is supposed to be detected is a “ human ”. the object acknowledging section 104 shown in fig1 realizes functions for a human detecting condition inputting section 111 , a face image detecting section 112 , a face color area detecting section 113 , and a face image similarity determining section 114 which are shown in fig2 . also , the object information inputting section 106 shown in fig1 serves for a human information inputting section 115 shown in fig2 . the rest of the sections are the same as each other between fig1 and 2 . hereinafter , sections shown in fig2 are explained . hereinafter , the same reference numerals are applied to corresponding members as shown in fig2 so as to omit the repeated explanation thereof . the human detecting condition inputting section 111 sets up a condition for determining whether or not a human is contained in an image . the human detecting condition inputting section 111 not only detects the face image but also inputs conditions for detecting the face color area and determining whether or not a human is contained in the image . the face image detecting section 112 detects the fact for whether or not a face image is contained in the image by analyzing the image . there are various methods for detecting the face image such that patterns for the face images are stored in advance , or frequency analysis is performed for the image pattern . it may be acceptable if any one of these methods is performed . also , it is possible to employ a method which is disclosed in japanese unexamined patent application , first publication no . hei 8 - 221547 . here , it may be acceptable if the face image detecting section 112 uses a face color area detecting section 113 which is explained in a next paragraph compatibly so as to perform a human detecting operation . there are various methods for detecting a human by using not only a face image , but also an edge information and a template . here , the face color is used . the face color area detecting section 113 determines whether or not the pixel which is read out is within a range of a skin color . for detecting such a skin color , it is possible to use a method which is disclosed in a document such as “ detecting a face not by depending on a background and a direction of a face , and inferring a direction of a face / araki , shimada , shirai , technical report of ieice , information and communication engineers , prmu2001 - 217 pp 87 - 94 ( 2002 - 01 )”. in an item 2 . 1 in the above document , it is disclosed that a range of a skin color can be detected according to following formulae . here , there are relationships such as r = r /( r + g + b ), g = g /( r + g + b ). here , r , g , and b indicate rgb values for the pixel . the face image similarity determining section 114 refers to the database 120 so as to check whether or not a similar face image to the detected face image is contained . here , it is possible to employ a method which is disclosed in japanese unexamined patent application , first publication no . hei . 8 - 221547 for determining such a similarity by forming a density image of a face so as to classify the category . the human information inputting section 115 serves for a user such that the user may select the human information according to the keyword information which is proposed by the image retrieving section 100 or input / update the keywords . fig3 is a view for showing an example for a display for inputting the human information . here , when a new image is contained in the image retrieving device 100 , the image retrieving device 100 tries to detect a human in the contained image . if a human is detected , the image retrieving device 100 expedites a user to input the human information by a display form which is shown in fig3 . in such a case , it is possible to use various methods for proposing the human information . for example , it is possible to propose keyword information to the user by a following priority so as to increase an operability for the users . if it is determined that the face image coincides to the face image which is contained previously or that the face image is very similar to the face image which is contained previously , the information for such a human is proposed so as to expedite the user to confirm . the information for a human which is contained in an image which is inputted last , an updated human information , or a keyword is displayed . this is because the images for the same human tend to be input continuously for a case in which family photographs are taken in cases for a school entrance ceremony or an athletic meet . fig4 is a view for a first example for a method for proposing human information which is supposed to be a keyword . as shown in fig4 , keywords such as “ an eldest brother ”, “ a family ”, “ a relative ”, or “ a friend ” are registered for the human information in advance . that is , fig4 is an example in which these keywords are proposed according to the above priority . if there is an item which coincides the priority , the user selects such an item . if there is not an item which coincides the priority , the user can select an option for “ making a new human information ” or “ making a new human category ”; thus , the user can add new item . fig5 is a view for an example for a second method for proposing the human information which is supposed to be the keyword . fig5 is an example in which a keyword which has the superior priority ( eldest brother ) is disposed . if the image does not relate to the eldest brother , a coincident keyword via a pull - down menu . fig6 is a view for an example for a record which is stored in the database 120 . the keywords are recorded in the database 120 in two - layer hierarchical structure which has a superior keyword 1 and a subordinate keyword 2 . for example , the superior keyword 1 indicates a “ family ”. the subordinate keyword 2 is a “ second eldest brother ” such that a first name is “ jiro ” who was born on “ jan . 1 , 2003 ”. here , three images 1 , 2 , and 3 are saved . fig7 is a view for showing an example for the retrieving template which is used for showing the human relationship . the retrieving template is prepared in the database 120 in advance . consequently , if a record which is shown in fig6 is added such that images which relate to the “ second eldest brother ” are contained , it is necessary to produce a keyword for the “ second eldest brother ” as a subordinate keyword under the superior keyword “ family ”. such operations are performed by the operations which are shown in fig3 , 4 , and 5 . next , the processing steps in the image retrieving device of the present invention are explained with reference to the flow chart . fig8 shows the processing steps for detecting a human and adding the keywords in the image retrieving device of the present invention . in this flow chart , the processing steps for detecting the human in the image and registering the keywords are shown . hereinafter , the processing steps are explained with reference to fig8 . ( 1 ) step s 1 : a newly inputted image is detected by the image inputting detecting section 101 . ( 2 ) step s 2 : it is tried out whether or not a face image can be detected from the image which is inputted by the face image detecting section 112 . the image data is read by the image reading section 102 . also , when a motion picture is inputted , a still picture is produced by the still picture generating section 103 according to a predetermined rule such that the still pictures should be generated every certain period of time interval so as to proceed the steps thereafter . ( 3 ) step s 3 : it is checked whether or not the face image is detected . ( 4 ) step s 4 : it is checked whether or not a face image which is similar to a face image which is pre - registered by the face image similarity determining section 114 exists in the database 120 . ( 5 ) step s 5 : a human information which corresponds to the similar face image is selected from the database 120 . ( 6 ) step s 6 : if there is not a pre - registered keyword , a new keyword which indicates a human is produced . ( 7 ) step s 7 : the selected human information is displayed by the displaying section 108 so as to expedite the user to select the human information ( selection of the keyword ) and input the necessary information . ( 8 ) step s 8 : the database 120 which contains the human information is updated . ( 9 ) step s 9 : if the face image is not detected in the step s 3 , the processing step goes to the step s 9 in which a skin color area is detected from the inputted image by the skin color area detecting section 113 . ( 10 ) step s 10 : it is checked whether or not the skin color exits . ( 11 ) step s 11 : if the skin color area is not detected in the step s 10 , the human information which is inputted / updated last . also , fig9 is a flow chart for explaining processing steps for a retrieving operation . ( 1 ) step s 21 : retrieving condition is inputted by a retrieving condition inputting section 107 . all the photographs which relate to jiro contained in the database 120 . photographs for all friends who belong to a certain community or a certain society which are taken in year 2003 . ( 2 ) step s 22 : keywords are set up according to the designated retrieving condition so as to access the database 120 . ( 3 ) step s 23 : all the images which correspond the retrieving condition are selected . ( 4 ) step s 24 : the selected images are displayed by the displaying section 108 , or printed by the printing section 109 . according to the above processing steps , it is possible to register the keywords to the images and retrieve the images . also , fig1 is a block diagram for explaining an example for a structure of the image retrieving device in which the object which is supposed to be retrieved is a human such that only sections which relate to the present invention are shown . in fig1 , reference numeral 100 indicates an image retrieving device . reference numeral 1 indicates a communication network such as internet . reference numeral 131 indicates a communication interface which connects the image retrieving device and the communication network 1 . reference numeral 132 indicates a controlling section which controls an entire image retrieving device integrally . reference numeral 140 indicates a processing program section . here , it is acceptable if a pc ( personal computer ) is used for the image retrieving device 100 . also , following processing sections are contained in the processing program section 140 . the image inputting detecting processing section 141 detects a fact that a new image is contained in the image retrieving device 100 . the image reading processing section 142 reads out various values ( such as the rgb values ) for each pixel which forms the image . the still image generating processing section 143 generates a still picture from the motion picture if the image is a motion picture . the human detecting condition inputting processing section 144 sets up a condition for determining whether or not a human in contained in the image . here , conditions for determining is inputted whether or not a human is contained in the image not only by detecting the face image but also by detecting the skin color in the image . the face image detecting processing section 145 detects a fact for whether or not the face image is contained in the image by analyzing the image . there are various methods for detecting the face image such that patterns for the face images are stored in advance , or frequency analysis is performed for the image pattern . it may be acceptable if any one of these methods is performed . also , it is possible to employ a method which is disclosed in japanese unexamined patent application , first publication no . hei 8 - 221547 . here , it may be acceptable if the face image detecting processing section 145 may detect a human by using a skin color area detecting processing section 146 compatibly which is explained in following paragraphs . the skin color area detecting processing section 146 determines whether or not the values in the read - out pixel is within a range for the skin color . for detecting such a skin color , it is possible to use a method which is disclosed in a document such as “ detecting a face not by depending on a background and a direction of a face , and inferring a direction of a face / araki , shimada , shirai , technical report of ieice , information and communication engineers , prmu2001 - 217 pp 87 - 94 ( 2002 - 01 )”. the face image similarity determining processing section 147 performs a checking operation for whether or not a face image which is similar to the detected face image is contained with reference to the database 120 . for such a determining operation for the similarity , it is possible to employ a method which is disclosed in japanese unexamined patent application , first publication no . hei 8 - 221547 in which a mosaic pattern of the face image is formed so as to classify the category . the keyword proposing processing section 148 extracts the keyword which relates to the detected object with reference to the database 120 so as to propose the keywords to the user . the human information inputting processing section 149 serves for the use such that the user may select the human information according to the keyword information which are proposed by the image detecting device 100 or the user may input / update the keyword ( see fig3 and 4 ). the retrieving condition inputting processing section 150 serves for inputting the retrieving condition for the image which is supposed to be retrieved . here , for example , the retrieving conditions for selecting “ family ” or “ friend ” are inputted . also , the retrieving template 121 which adds the keyword to the image and data which relate to the motion picture 122 and the still picture 123 which are related to the keyword ( retrieving template ) are stored in the database ( image storing section ) 120 ( see fig6 ). here , it is acceptable if the processing program section 140 may be realized by a hardware which is used for the processing program section 140 exclusively . also , it is acceptable the processing program section 140 may be formed by a common information processing device such as a memory and a cpu ( central processing unit ) in which the program ( not shown in the drawing ) for realizing the functions in the processing section is loaded to the memory and executed . also , it should be understood that peripheral apparatuses such as an inputting device , a displaying device , and a printing device ( neither of which are shown in the drawings ) are connected to the image retrieving device 100 . here , a keyboard , a computer mouse can be named for such an inputting device . also , a crt ( cathode - ray tube ) and a liquid displaying device can be named for the displaying device . also , a laser printer and an inkjet printer can be named for the printing device . also , it is acceptable if operations which are necessary for the image retrieving device of the present invention by recording the program for realizing the function in the image retrieving device 100 shown in fig1 in a computer - readable recording medium and loading the program which is recorded in the recording medium into the computer system so as to execute the program . here , it should be understood that the “ computer system ” may include an os ( operation system ) and a hardware such as a peripheral apparatus . also , it should be understood that the “ computer system ” may contain an environment in which a homepage is provided ( or an environment in which a homepage is displayed ) under condition that the computer system is a www ( world - wide - web ) system . also , a portable medium such as a flexible disc , a optical magnetic disc , a rom ( read - only - memory ), a cd - rom ( computer - disc read - only - memory ) and a storing device such as a hard disc which is built in a computer system can be named for the “ computer - readable recording medium ”. furthermore , it should be understood that , for the “ computer - readable recording medium ”, a communication line ( transmitting medium or a transmitting wave ) for transmitting the program via a communication circuitry such as a network like internet or a telephone line can be named for maintaining a program dynamically for a short period of time . also , it should be understood that , for the “ computer - readable recording medium ”, a volatile memory which is disposed in a computer system as a server and a client under the above condition may be named for maintaining the program for a certain period of time . also , the above program may serve for realizing a part of the above functions . also , the above program may be a differential file ( differential program ) which can realize the above functions with a combined use of the program which is recorded in the computer system in advance . here , in the image retrieving device of the present invention which is explained above , explanations are made for an example in which a keyword is added under condition that the object which is supposed to be classified in the image is a face image ( human ). however , more importantly , the present invention is not limited to such an example ; that is , it is possible to add keywords by detecting the object such as a car and an animal which are supposed to be classified . the embodiments of the present invention are explained as above . more importantly , the image retrieving device according to the present invention disclosed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms . it should be understood , however , that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed , but on the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims .

8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology

a magnetic modulator 10 is employed to energize a pair of modulation - detection windings 11 , 12 , each wound on a respective modulator core 13 , 14 . the cores 13 , 14 are a pair of side - by - side cores , each toroidal and each formed of high - permeability magnetic material . a magnetic shield 15 in the form of a hollow toroid surrounds the cores 13 and 14 and acts as a core for outer , &# 34 ; ratio &# 34 ; windings . the ratio windings consist of a secondary winding ns and two primary winding sections ni and nj , each having an adjustable number of turns . for convenience , these primary winding sections have been illustrated as separate portions depending upon the number of turns chosen by switched taps . each bit of the digital input will be applied to a respective terminal b1 - b20 and will operate a relay ( not shown ) having contacts 16 and 17 . as illustrated , when each contact 16 is closed its corresponding contact 17 is open , and vice versa . in the position illustrated , namely with all the contacts 16 closed and all the contacts 17 open , all twelve portions n1 , n2 . . . n11 and n12 of the primary winding section ni and all eight portions n13 , n14 . . . n19 and n20 of the primary winding section nj are in circuit . when any one of the contacts 17 is closed , with consequential opening of its associated contact 16 , that particular portion of the winding section ni or nj is taken out of circuit . the most significant bit b1 of the 20 - bit digital input controls the most significant winding portion n1 which has 2 , 048 , i . e . 2 n - 1 , turns , where n is the number of bits in the first section , namely 2 11 turns . the next most significant bit b2 controls the winding portion n2 which has 1 , 024 ( 2 10 ) turns , and so on , until bit b12 , which is the least significant bit of this first group of bits and which controls the winding portion n12 consisting of only a single turn . winding portion n11 has two turns and the intermediate winding portions n10 to n3 ( not shown ) have , respectively 4 , 8 , 16 , 32 , 64 , 128 , 256 , and 512 turns . the total number of turns on the entire primary winding section ni is thus 2 n - 1 , i . e . 4 , 095 . in a like fashion , the second primary winding section nj is divided into eight portions identified respectively as n13 , n14 . . . n19 and n20 controlled by the input bits b13 , b14 . . . b19 and b20 , respectively , these being numbered in descending order of significance . the number of turns in the respective winding portions n20 to n13 is 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , 16 , 32 , 64 and 128 . as will be explained later , the winding section nj has a further , single turn portion nx which is controlled from a terminal bx and is used for purposes of calibration and performance checking . apart from this extra calibration turn , the total number of turns in the second primary winding section nj is 2 m - 1 , where m is the number of bits in the second section . when m = 8 , this total number becomes 255 , or , with the calibration turn 256 . hence the total number of turns for the entire primary winding ( ni and nj together ) is 4 , 351 . the number of turns in the secondary winding ns will be 2 n , which in the present case is 4096 . a reference voltage er , buffered by a low drift and offset , high gain follower amplifier a1 , provides , through a resistor r1 and an amplifier a2 , a constant current that flows through the winding section ni , and , through a resistor r2 ( equal to 256 times the resistance of the resistor r1 ), and an amplifier a3 , a constant current that flows through the winding section nj . the cores 13 , 14 , magnetic shield 15 , magnetic modulator 10 and peak detector 18 can be similar to those used in the macmartin paper referred to above . the magnetic modulator 10 is conveniently a square wave oscillator , with a frequency of approximately 1 khz . the cores 13 , 14 are driven into saturation twice per cycle by this modulator . the output of the modulation - detection windings 11 , 12 is a peaked alternating voltage of mainly fundamental frequency . direct current in the ratio windings adds even harmonics to this signal , increasing the amplitude of the peaks of one polarity and decreasing that of the opposite polarity peaks . the peak detector 18 generates a direct voltage proportional to the difference between the amplitudes of the positive and negative peaks , and this output is thus proportional to the net direct current in the ratio windings . the magnetic shield 15 shields the cores 13 , 14 from external fields and winding leakage fluxes , so that any need for a special environment or for very careful ratio winding distribution is effectively eliminated . the shield 15 also suppresses the currents that would otherwise be induced by the modulator 10 in the ratio windings . the comparator is self - balancing by virtue of a slave power supply 19 controlled by a signal from the peak detector 18 . this slave power supply 19 acts as a feedback system to control the current in the secondary winding ns in such a way as to keep the net ampere - turns in the ratio windings equal to zero . the system thus performs like a current transformer that operates down to zero frequency , i . e . direct current . the slave power supply 19 consists of a voltage source es and an amplifier a4 . when the peak detector 18 indicates an ampere - turn unbalance , its output signal controls the amplifier a4 in a feedback manner to bring the current in the winding ns back into balance , i . e . zero ampere - turns in the three ratio windings ( ni , nj and ns ) taken together . the analog output eo is a voltage across a resistor rs in series with the secondary winding ns , supplied through an output amplifier a5 . this will be a low drift and offset , unity - gain , low - pass , active filter having an 80 db attenuation in the range from about 100 hz to 1 khz . it buffers the output of the converter , providing a low output impedance , and reduces the component of the output voltage due to currents induced by the modulator 10 in the ratio windings . while the coupling between the modulator 10 and the ratio windings is very substantially reduced by the magnetic shield 15 , the permeability of the material of such shield is finite and isolation is not complete . the amplifier a5 reduces this effect in the output voltage eo . to be more specific about the performance of the system , it should be explained that the automatic balance of the net ampere - turns is achieved by means of an open - loop control that gives coarse balance and a closed - loop control that gives fine balance . the open - loop control is provided by the slave power supply 19 , which is , in effect , an ampere - turn tracking circuit . the coarse balance is controlled by an adjustable programming resistor ri . this resistor is automatically adjusted by conventional means ( not shown ) to the various positions of the switches 16 , 17 , so that its value corresponds at any given time to the number of turns in circuit in the first primary winding section ni ( controlled by the 12 most significant bits ). this open - loop control causes the current in the secondary winding ns to keep the net ampere - turns approximately zero . no similar ampere - turn tracking is provided for the second primary winding section nj which responds to the least significant 8 bits . the closed - loop gain is sufficiently high to correct any changes in the slave power supply due to temperature variations , and to keep the net ampere - turns in balance at zero even though no ampere - turn tracking is provided for the last 8 bits . an ampere - turn balance indicator 23 is connected to the output of the peak detector . the indicator 23 is a simple , null reading volt meter . it is optional and is provided merely to indicate to the operator that the system is working correctly , without cooperating with the remainder of the circuit . for zero net ampere turns in the windings , ## equ1 ## where : ni =( 2 ) 12 - i turns for 1 ≦ i ≦ 12 in more general terms ## equ2 ## where : the ratio of the first and second primary currents is 2 m , for zero net ampere - turns in the ratio windings , the output current in the resistor rs is exactly proportional to the number of turns of the primary winding sections ni and nj in circuit at any one time . by making r2 equal to 2 m , i . e . 256 , times r1 , the portions n1 - n12 of the winding section ni are caused to correspond to the most significant 12 bits , i . e . bits b1 to b12 , while the portions n13 - n20 of the winding section nj are caused to correspond to the least significant bits b13 to b20 of the digital input . since the winding portions n1 to n12 and n13 to n20 are arranged in the feedback of a respective amplifier a2 , a3 , contact resistances and thermal voltages in the switching of these winding portions do not present a problem . the dac can be adjusted for proper operation by a simple , self - calibration procedure , only two adjustments being required , namely a zero adjust and a full scale adjust . the output of the dac should be zero for zero digital input . however , this may not be true , due to the offset of the output amplifier a5 and also due to any core mismatch . any core mismatch will cause zero current in the ratio windings to not necessarily correspond to zero second harmonic components in the modulator output . the closed - loop control from the peak detector 18 would then cause a current in the secondary winding ns , thus driving the second harmonic component in the modulator output to zero , resulting in a voltage across the output resistor rs . the effect of such a core mismatch and of any offset of the output amplifier a5 can be cancelled by a variable voltage zero adjust 21 which injects an adjustable current into a ten - turn , bias winding nb . while an offset in the peak detector 18 or the slave power supply 19 could also cause a current in the secondary winding ns , resulting in a voltage across the output resistor rs , the closed - loop control will tend to drive this current to zero and keep the net ampere - turn unbalance at zero . the ratio of the resistors rs and r1 should ideally be exactly 1 . however , due to mismatch , this may not necessarily be so . such mismatch and any offsets in the amplifiers a1 and a2 can cause a gain error in the output voltage . this error can be adjusted to zero by a full - scale adjust 22 which injects an adjustable current into the winding section ni . adjustment is carried out by switching all bits b1 to b20 on , plus terminal bx which controls the extra turn nx , i . e . all switches 16 closed . the output voltage eo should then be equal to the reference voltage er . in other words , with all the turns of the winding sections ni and nj in circuit , the voltage eo is compared with the voltage er by suitable means , such as a null detector , and the adjust 22 used to correct any unbalance . the gain error due to offsets in the amplifier a3 is negligible , since such error affects only the accuracy of the last eight bits of the converter . the essential difference between the present arrangement and that disclosed by suzuki et al resides in the fact that the present arrangement divides the primary winding into two sections ni and nj . suzuki et al use a single input winding wi with variable turns . a switch s selects the number of turns in accordance with the digital input . as was typical around 1970 when the suzuki et al apparatus was designed , there was only need for such converters to function with what now appears to be a relatively small number of bits , typically 12 bits . if the suzuki et al apparatus were to operate with 12 bits , for example , the minimum number of turns on the winding wi would have to be 4 , 095 , with a similar number of turns , e . g . 4096 , required on the output winding wo , for a total of just over 8000 turns . this is a practical number . however , if any attempt were made to expand the suzuki et al device to work with say 20 bits ( a typical modern requirement ), the number of turns on each of the windings wi and wo would have to be 2 20 - 1 , and 2 20 , respectively , namely over a million . a total for both windings of over two million turns would be physically unmanageable in an apparatus of acceptable size . the present invention achieves the ability to expand the number of bits that can be handled by a suzuki et al type of dac while keeping the total number of ratio turns within reasonable practical bounds . as already indicated , given n bits in the first ( most significant ) group of bits , e . g . b1 to b12 , the total number of turns required for the winding section ni will be 2 n - 1 , i . e . one less turn than twice the number of turns ( 2 n - 1 ) in the most significant portion . when n = 12 , as in the above example , such number is relatively low . similarly , given m bits in the second ( less significant ) group of bits , e . g . b13 to b20 , the total number of turns required for the winding section nj will be 2 m , i . e . one less turn than twice the number of turns ( 2 m - 1 ) in the most significant portion plus the single calibration turn nx . when m = 8 , as in the above example , this number is even lower than for the first primary winding section . since the number of turns in the secondary winding is equal to 2 n , i . e . 4096 , the total number of ratio turns comes out to only a few over 8 , 000 , and yet the total number of bits n + m is 20 . over the past decade , the requirements for analog - to - digital and digital - to - analog converters have undergone dramatic expansion . the extension in resolution alone , from the 10 to 12 bit capability of several years ago , to the 16 to 20 bit capability achievable today , implies not only at least a 64 fold increase in performance , but also represents a comparable increase in the number of discrete states available and a corresponding increase in the number of calibration points potentially required . the present invention is not limited to splitting the primary winding into two sections . a split into three sections or more is possible and indeed may ultimately be desirable , especially if the number of bits were increased further , for example , to 24 bits . nor is the invention constrained by the number of bits assigned to each section of the primary winding . the split into 12 ( most significant ) bits for the first section and 8 ( less significant ) bits for the second section has been chosen for convenience , but these numbers can vary , e . g . two sections , each covering 10 bits .

7Electricity

in preferred embodiments , the design , synthesis and characterization of novel sesquiterpene - like carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase ( slccd ) inhibitors 11 - 18 ( fig2 ) are described below . these novel compounds were designed starting with the sesquiterpenoid subunit of the substrate and product of the nced enzyme . of these inhibitors , three were found to inhibit recombinant atnced3 activity more strongly . these have been fully characterized in vitro , with kinetic inhibition constants comparing favorably to those of the abm - type compounds . computational docking of the inhibitors correlated with these findings and supported the proposed functional mechanism . in vivo , one inhibitor in particular , slccd inhibitor compound 13 was found to moderate aba responsive genes and aba metabolism . interestingly , the inhibitors reduced expression of atnced3 , presenting a second mechanism for inhibition of aba 1 biosynthesis by the molecules . while in vitro studies identified slccd compound 17 as the most promising candidate inhibitor , hormone profiling data convincingly demonstrated that slccd 13 , a more easily synthesized racemic compound , best met the objective of reducing the total aba metabolite levels in planta . overall , these sesquiterpenoid - like inhibitors present new tools for controlling and investigating aba biosynthesis , regulation and effects . fresh spinach was macerated under liquid nitrogen and extracted five times with three volumes of methanol / 0 . 1 % koh . samples were dried using a roto - evaporator , resuspended in acetone and then chilled on ice for one hour . the solvent was subsequently transferred to a new flask , roto - evaporated and resuspended in acetonitrile / acetone ( 1 : 1 ) mixture . the mixture was applied to a gravity flow column containing c - 18 silica gel ( sigma ) equilibrated in 65 % acetonitrile / 35 % water ( solvent c ). the column was washed with 49 % acetone ( solvent d )/ 51 % solvent a and 20 ml of 55 % solvent d / 45 % solvent a while collecting 5 ml fractions . fractions containing neoxanthin were pooled , dried , and resuspended in 100 μl of methanol . the pooled mixture was separated using an agilent 1100 series hplc and a supelcosil ™ lc - 18 ( 25 cm × 10 mm , 5 m ) ( supelco ) column equilibrated with solvent a . the hplc method consisted of a linear gradient over 30 minutes from 100 % solvent a to 100 % solvent d with a flow rate of 4 ml / minute at 22 ° c . and monitored with a pda detector at 436 nm . the neoxanthin fractions were collected , dried and resuspended in ethanol . neoxanthin was quantified by determining its od439 using a perkinelmer lambda 35 uv / vis spectrometer and applying its extinction coefficient of 2243 ( a 1 % 1cm ). 30 atnced3 was over - expressed using the prl296 expression vector ( a gift from m . cygler , bri , montreal ) in e . coli ( bl21 ) de3 cells as a glutathione - s - transferase fusion protein and affinity purified using glutathione sepharose 4 fast flow resin ( ge healthcare ) as described previously . 35 essentially , cells were grown to an od600 of 0 . 45 at 37 ° c . and 200 rpm shaking . the culture was induced with 1 mm isopropyl - β - d - thiogalactoside for 16 h at 15 ° c . and 200 rpm shaking . the cells were pelleted and resuspended in 50 mm tris - hcl ( ph 8 . 0 ) 1 mm dtt and 0 . 5 % protease inhibitor cocktail set iii ( calbiochem ). cells were lysed using a french press at 20 , 000 psi and affinity purified as per manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions ( ge healthcare ). protein concentration was determined by the method of bradford . 36 enzymatic assays contained 100 mm bis - tris ( ph 6 . 7 ), 5 m feso 4 , 10 mm ascorbate , 0 . 05 % triton ™ x - 100 , catalase ( 1 mg / ml ), neoxanthin and inhibitor to a total volume of 5 l of ethanol and 8 g atnced3 to a total assay volume of 100 l . assays were incubated at 22 ° c . for 20 min . the assays were stopped with the addition of 50 l of 25 % triton ™ x - 100 and extracted with 150 l of ethyl acetate . all procedures were performed under red - light to minimize photo - induced damage to assay components and products . 6 fine chemicals and solvents were purchased from sigma - aldrich . 75 μl of the assay extract was injected into an agilent 1100 series hplc machine equipped with a supelcosil ™ lc - 18 ( 3 . 3 cm × 4 . 6 mm , 3 m ) ( supelco ) column pre - equilibrated with 15 % acetonitrile ( solvent b )/ 85 % water ( solvent a ). solvent b increased to 35 % over ten minutes , followed by a linear gradient of 65 % solvent b to 100 % solvent d over 10 minutes . solvent d was maintained at 100 % for 2 minutes and then the column was returned to 15 % solvent b for 5 min . the flow rate was maintained at 1 . 5 ml / min . and monitored with a photodiode array ( pda ) detector at 436 and 262 nm . evaluation of recombinant atnced3 kinetic parameters for k m was accomplished using michaelis - menten equation plotted with enzfitter ™ v2 . 0 . 18 . 0 ( biosoft ). the k i for inhibitors was determined using a dixon plot and concentration ranges of 250 , 200 , 150 , 100 , 50 and 0 μm inhibitor in the presence of either 55 , 30 or 10 μm 9 - cis - neoxanthin 2 . 5 a homology model of atnced3 was built using the x - ray crystal structure of synechocystis sp . pcc 6803 aco ( pdb code : 2biw ; available at the rcsb protein data bank ) at 2 . 39 å resolution as a structural template . 25 to model atnced3 , amino acid alignments were made between aco , atnced3 and vp14 . atnced3 shares 25 % and 45 % amino acid identity and similarity with aco , and 64 % and 76 % respectively with vp14 . 37 highly conserved amino acids including h183 , h238 , h304 and h484 forming the octahedral coordination of the non - heme iron required for catalysis of the dioxygenase reaction were used to aid in development of a suitable alignment and ultimately build the homology model . homology modeling jobs were submitted to the swiss - model servers using the deepview program as an interface . 26 each generation of the atnced3 homology model was energy minimized within deepview using 1000 steps of steepest descent followed by 1000 steps of conjugate gradient minimization until the rms gradient of the potential energy was less than 0 . 01 kj . inhibitor structures were created using cs chemoffice ™ v9 ( cambridgesoft ). in silico docking of inhibitor structures to the atnced3 homology model were performed using autodock ™ v3 . 1 on a silicon graphics octane2 workstation . 38 inhibitor structures were docked within a grid box encompassing the entire catalytic pocket of atnced3 corresponding to 80 × 36 × 30 points using a spacing of 0 . 375 å between grid points . the docking parameters consisted of 20 lamarckian genetic algorithm runs using a population size of 100 individuals and 1 , 000 , 000 energy evaluations . final docked structures having orientations less than or equal to 0 . 5 å root mean square deviation were clustered . in vivo application of slccd inhibitors to arabidopsis thaliana col - 0 for each condition to be tested , three hundred wild - type arabidopsis thaliana col - 0 seeds ( lehle ) were sterilized , vernalized and sewn onto 200 ml of sunshine mix # 3 ( sun gro ) potting material in an 8 × 8 × 4 cm pot . plants were watered continuously with 25 g / 100 ml of 20 - 20 - 20 ( plantprod ™) fertilizer and grown at 22 ° c . with a 16 hour photoperiod for 22 days . plants were pre - treated with 50 ml / pot of buffer a ( 10 mm hepes ph 6 . 5 ) ( sigma )+/− 10 or 33 μm test compound for 2 hours . plants were then soaked with 50 ml / pot of buffer a containing 0 . 4 m mannitol ( sigma )+/− 10 or 33 μm test compound . non - treated / non - stressed control plants were simply soaked in buffer a at the designated time points . aerial plant tissue was harvested after 6 , 12 and 48 hours from the time of initial inhibitor treatment and flash frozen in liquid nitrogen . half of the tissue samples were lyophilized for metabolite profiling and the other half taken for quantitative reverse - transcription polymerase chain reaction ( qrt - pcr ) analysis . freeze - dried tissue was homogenized using a multi - tube ball mill ( mini - beadbeater - 96 ™, biospec products inc ., bartlesville , okla ., usa ) and 50 mg of each sample was weighed out into individual falcon tubes . to each sample , 100 μl of a cocktail of internal standards comprised of (−)- 5 , 8 ′, 8 ′, 8 ′- d4 - aba , (−)- 7 ′, 7 ′, 7 ′- d3 - pa , (−)- 5 , 8 ′, 8 ′, 8 ′- d4 - 7 ′ oh aba , (−)- 7 ′, 7 ′, 7 ′- d3 - dpa and (+)- 4 , 5 , 8 ′, 8 ′, 8 ′- d5 - abage , each at a concentration of 0 . 2 ng / μl and dissolved in a mixture of water : acetonitrile ( 1 : 1 , v / v ) with 0 . 5 % glacial acetic acid , was added . further , 3 ml of isopropanol : water : glacial acetic acid ( 80 : 19 : 1 , v / v / v ) extraction solvent was added , and samples were placed in the fridge ( 4 ° c ., in the dark ) on an orbital shaker at about 350 rpm . after 18 - 24 hours , the samples were centrifuged at 4 . 4 krpm for 10 min , the supernatant was transferred to a disposable culture tube , and a second portion of 500 μl extraction solvent mixture was added to wash the pellet . after vortexing and centrifuging again at 4 . 4 krpm for 10 min , each wash was combined with its appropriate supernatant . the organic extract was dried under reduced pressure , then re - dissolved in 100 μl methanol : glacial acetic acid ( 99 : 1 , v / v ) followed by 900 μl of aqueous 1 % glacial acetic acid . this mixture was extracted with 2 ml hexane , and then the aqueous layer was dried down under reduced pressure . the sample was further reconstituted in 2 ml aqueous 1 % glacial acetic acid and loaded onto an oasis mcx spe cartridge ( 3 cc , waters corporation , mississauga , ontario , canada ). after a wash with 3 ml aqueous 1 % glacial acetic acid , samples were eluted with 1 ml methanol : glacial acetic acid ( 99 : 1 , v / v ) and then dried down under reduced pressure . the extract was re - dissolved in 100 μl methanol : glacial acetic acid ( 99 : 1 , v / v ) followed by 900 μl of aqueous 1 % glacial acetic acid . this mixture was further cleaned on an oasis hlb spe cartridge ( 1 cc , waters corporation , mississauga , ontario , canada ). after a wash with 1 ml aqueous 1 % glacial acetic acid , the fraction containing aba and aba metabolites was eluted with 1 ml acetonitrile : water : glacial acetic acid ( 30 : 69 : 1 , v / v / v ) and then was evaporated to dryness . the final residue was dissolved in 200 μl of acetonitrile : water ( 15 : 85 , v / v ) containing 0 . 1 % glacial acetic acid and 100 pg / μl (±)- 3 ′, 5 ′, 5 ′, 7 ′, 7 ′, 7 ′- d6 - aba as a recovery standard . finally , the sample was subjected to lc - es - ms / ms analysis and quantification , as described in owen and abrams , 2008 . 39 arabidopsis thaliana col - 0 seeds were sterilized by washing them with 10 % sodium hypochlorite and 20 % sodium dodecyl sulfate ( sigma ) for five minutes and then rinsing four times with sterile water . seeds were moist chilled for 4 days and then plated on germination medium ( 0 . 41 % ms salts , 1 % sucrose , 0 . 05 % mes and 0 . 1 % gamborg &# 39 ; s vitamins , ph 5 . 7 , 0 . 7 % agar ) ( sigma ) containing either 0 . 1 , 0 . 33 , 1 . 0 or 3 . 33 μm of inhibitor or (+)- aba 1 . as a control , seeds were sewn and germinated on media only without inhibitors or (+)- aba 1 . germination was recorded over seven days and indexes calculated as described previously . 40 250 mg of frozen plant material was ground under liquid nitrogen and extracted for mrna as suggested by the manufacturer ( polyatract ™ system 1000 , promega ). the resulting mrna was quantified and checked for quality using a nano - drop ™ nd - 1000 spectrophotometer . quantitect ™ reverse transcription kit ( qiagen ) was used to produce cdna as directed by the manufacturer from 20 ng of starting mrna . quantitative pcr was performed on 1 μl of cdna product using a bio - rad icycler ™ and the quantitect ™ sybr green pcr kit ( qiagen ) coupled with quantitect ™ primer assays ( qiagen ) for the gene targets ; atnced3 ( nm — 112304 ), rd29b ( nm — 124609 ), cyp707a1 ( nm — 118043 ), cyp707a3 ( nm — 123902 ) and ubq10 ( nm — 178968 ). the pre - validated primer sets are as follows indicated by the geneglobe ( www1 . qiagen . com / geneglobe / default . aspx ) product name and ( catalogue number ): at_nced3 — 1_sg ( qt00769573 ), at_rd29b — 1_sg ( qt00840399 ), at_cyp707a1 — 1_sg ( qt00808339 ), at_cyp707a3 — 1_sg ( qt00739242 ), at_ubq10_va . 1_sg ( qt01123745 ). relative changes in transcript level were normalized using ubq10 and quantified as previously described . 41 the present compounds were designed to incorporate the 9 - cis double bond geometry of the substrates and product of atnced3 as well as a heteroatom at carbon 12 ( carotenoid numbering ) of the inhibitor molecules . all of the slccd inhibitors 11 - 18 were synthesized from 4 - oxoisophorone 19 ( fig3 ). bakers &# 39 ; yeast reduction of 19 afforded (−)-( r )- 2 , 2 , 6 - trimethylcyclohexa - 1 , 4 - dione 19 which was converted into chiral nonracemic allylic alcohols 20 , 21 , 23 and 24 . 20 racemic allylic alcohol 22 was prepared in a similar manner , except that reduction of 19 was accomplished using zinc in acetic acid . 21 the terminal allylic alcohols were then converted to the corresponding ethyl sulfides by reaction with ethyl disulfide in the presence of tributylphosphine . 22 inhibitor 16 was obtained by reacting 2 - thiopheneacetyl chloride and allylic alcohol 22 ( protected as the neopentylglycol ketal ). the xanthoxin - like allylic alcohol 22 was prepared through a sonogashira coupling between the terminal acetylene in 21 23 and ( z )- 3 - iodobut - 2 - en - 1 - ol . alcohol 22 was then converted to the phenyl sulfide 13 with 54 % yield . the nitrogen - containing inhibitor 18 was synthesized by oxidation of allylic alcohol 22 with mno 2 , followed by imine formation using phenyl amine and then reduction to the amine . recombinant atnced3 including a c - terminally located glutathione - s transferase fusion tag was expressed in e . coli and purified by affinity chromatography . in vitro assays demonstrated the functionality of the recombinant purified enzyme product . sample hplc profiles ( fig1 ) show cleavage of the 9 ′- cis - neoxanthin 2 substrate ( r t 14 . 2 min . with three maxima at 415 , 438 and 467 nm ) producing the expected c 25 - allenic apo - aldehyde cleavage product ( r t 11 . 6 min . with a maxima of 423 nm ). further kinetic analysis fitted by non - linear regression analysis defined a k m of 24 μm ( fig4 ). this value correlates well with the k m &# 39 ; s of 27 μm and 49 . 0 μm determined previously for vp14 and vunced1 . 18 , 24 using this recombinant enzyme and assay system , the eight potential inhibitor compounds were tested for their relative ability to inhibit atnced3 activity at 1 mm concentration ( fig5 ). compounds 12 , 17 and 18 completely inhibited atnced3 activity at 1 mm , while 13 inhibited atnced3 activity by 75 %. compound 12 is one of the stereoisomers of racemic 13 . the latter being easier to synthesize ( and thus of higher potential practical application ), it was decided to move forward with compounds 13 , 17 and 18 for detailed in vitro and in vivo testing . dixon plots indicated that compounds 13 , 17 and 18 competitively inhibit recombinant atnced3 with k i &# 39 ; s comparable or better than those observed for abm and abm - sg ( table 1 and fig1 ). recently a crystal structure was determined for synechocystis apocarotenoid - 15 , 15 ′- oxygenase ( aco ), a fungal homologue of the nceds . 25 atnced3 shares 25 % identity and 45 % similarity with aco at the amino acid level . homology modeling using the swiss - model servers generated a hypothetical protein structure of atnced3 which maintained the octahedral coordination of the four active site histidines at 2 . 14 , 2 . 05 , 2 . 16 and 2 . 31 å from the iron atom for h164 , h211 , h276 and h450 respectively . 26 structural differences between the atnced3 model and aco were limited to small surface exposed loops related to a few minor alignment gaps . as controls to test the atnced3 model , 9 - cis - neoxanthin 2 , the substrate of aco ( all - trans -( 3r )- hydroxy - 8 ′- apo - β - carotenol ( 3 - on )), and xanthoxin 4 structures were docked ( fig6 a , 12 a and 12 b ). the 3 - on molecule docked to the atnced3 model with a similar orientation as observed in the aco crystal with its β - ionone ring oriented towards the tunnel entrance but shifted in toward the catalytic site by 5 å . this positions the c12 and c13 bond within 3 . 95 å of the iron atom and 2 . 10 å of a coordinated active site water molecule . docking of 9 - cis - neoxanthin 2 resulted in the epoxide ring entering the protein channel first , yielding a final orientation with the c11 - c12 bond 4 . 4 å away from and directly over the iron atom and 2 . 3 å away from the active site water molecule . the xanthoxin molecule docked in the opposite orientation from the 9 - cis - neoxanthin substrate , with its epoxide ring towards the tunnel entrance and its c10 carbon atom 3 . 6 å and 1 . 9 å from the iron atom and water molecule respectively . docking results correlated well with the in vitro enzyme assay data . structures representing 12 ( the more active stereoisomer of the racemic compound 13 ), 17 and 18 ( fig6 b , 6 c and 12v , respectively ) all docked in the same orientation as xanthoxin , in close proximity to the iron atom in the binding pocket . the nitrogen of 18 docked 2 . 67 å away from the iron atom . the sulfur atoms of 12 and 17 docked 2 . 6 and 2 . 65 å away from the iron atom respectively . other slccd inhibitor molecules that performed poorly in the in vitro trials generally were not targeted to the catalytic site of the binding pocket , or in some instances were not targeted to the binding pocket at all during docking . arabidopsis thaliana plants were treated with either abm 9 or the inhibitor compounds 13 , 17 and 18 , to evaluate their ability to reduce aba biosynthesis induced by an osmotic stress . essentially plants were treated +/− inhibitor compound for 2 hours followed by mannitol stress - treatment in the presence of the same compounds . mannitol stress has been shown to result in loss of turgor with a corresponding increase in aba levels through the induction of atnced3 in arabidopsis thaliana . 7 , 27 as expected , mannitol treatment alone resulted in an elevation of the levels of aba and catabolites peaking 24 hours after the imposition of treatment , compared to the levels in non - treated / non - stressed plants ( fig7 ). accumulation of aba and catabolites dropped off by 48 hours as described previously . 28 treatment with compound 13 for two hours prior to and then during mannitol stress - treatment resulted in levels of aba and catabolites remaining comparable to those of the non - treated / non - stressed control plants in the first 6 hours . by 24 hours , the total levels of aba and catabolites in the compound 13 treated plants increased to only 8211 pmol / g , significantly below those of the mannitol - stressed only plants ( 15147 pmol / g ). similar treatment of plants with abm 9 resulted in higher levels of aba and catabolites at the first time point , with levels remaining constant ( and higher than those for treatment with compound 13 ) over the remaining time course of the experiment . the remaining two inhibitors , 17 and 18 , were less effective than 13 in reducing the effect of the osmotic stress on aba and catabolite pools . interestingly , the overall effect observed for compound 13 is not represented in individual plots of aba levels ( or any one other catabolite ) alone ( fig1 ). it is only when total accumulation of aba and its catabolites are considered that the overall effect becomes evident . seed germination assays were performed for compounds 13 , 17 and 18 to assess the aba - like character of the inhibitors . 29 inhibitors had relatively little effect on seed germination at low concentration compared to non - inhibitor treated and aba treated controls ( fig8 ). at increasing concentrations ( 0 . 33 μm ) the inhibitors did lead to reductions of seed germination by approximately 15 %, compared to 47 % for the (+)- aba 1 . both compounds 13 and 17 reduced seed germination by 26 % at 1 μm while 18 showed a more pronounced effect with a 50 % reduction compared to 61 % for (+)- aba 1 . at the highest concentration tested , compound 13 still only had a modest impact on seed germination at 38 % reduction , while compounds 17 and 18 showed 51 % and 71 % reductions respectively , compared to 96 % for (+)- aba 1 . effect of slccd inhibitors on target gene transcript levels under osmotic stress in light of the observed effectiveness of compound 13 in moderating aba and catabolite levels in vivo and its limited effect on seed germination , it was targeted for further evaluation . specifically , quantitative reverse - transcription pcr was used to assess inhibitor induced changes in gene transcript levels in mannitol stressed plants . the gene targets chosen for this purpose were atnced3 , the aba and drought inducible rd29b and the aba ( inducible ) catabolic genes cyp707a1 and cyp707a3 . transcript levels were normalized against ubq10 mrna levels . 5 , 30 , 31 mannitol treatment led to the induction of expression of all four target genes within 4 hours of the stress treatment ( fig9 ). subsequently the mannitol - induced gene transcription levels decrease back to non - treated / non - stressed levels by 24 hours post - treatment and remained low through 48 hours ( fig1 and 15 ). in general , pretreatment with compound 13 at both 10 and 33 μm concentrations prior to mannitol - stress led to reductions in the accumulation of mrna transcript levels at 6 hours post - compound treatment for rd29b , cyp707a1 and cyp707a3 compared to the mannitol - stressed control ( fig9 a ). the inhibition of mannitol - induced rd29b transcription by compound 13 ( about 90 %) is especially striking and is consistent with the mannitol effect on rd29b being primarily mediated by aba . this result indicates the potential of this inhibitor for dissecting the role of aba in physiological and developmental processes . as observed in mannitol stressed only plants , transcript levels in compound 13 pretreated plants decreased back to non - treated / non - stressed levels by 24 hours and remained low through 48 hours ( fig1 ). in addition to this , compound 13 was also found to decrease the relative expression levels of atnced3 in mannitol stressed plants ( fig9 b ). while the former results emphasize the lack of aba - like character for compound 13 , the moderation of atnced3 transcription represents a useful inhibitor - dependent side - effect that likely further contributes to lowering aba levels in planta . testing of compounds 17 and 18 demonstrated similar , although not as pronounced effects on atnced3 expression ( fig9 b , fig1 ). the design of inhibitors described herein focuses on specific interaction with the non - heme iron atom within atnced3 , a definitive motif of carotenoid cleavage enzymes . it was envisioned that a molecule maintaining characteristics of the native enzyme substrate 9 - cis - neoxanthin 2 or xanthoxin 4 product , but presenting a nitrogen or sulfur heteroatom might specifically occupy the active site of the enzyme with the heteroatom interacting with the non - heme iron , resulting in inactivation of the enzyme . similar concepts have been applied to inhibitors of other dioxygenase enzymes . 32 , 33 in earlier aba structure activity studies , analogs with the side chain having a triple bond conjugated to a cis double bond were found to be highly active and were also readily synthesized . 20 therefore the enyne feature was incorporated into the design of the present set of eight potential aba biosynthesis inhibitors . the epoxy alcohol analogs 17 and 18 , which most closely resemble the substrate and product of the nced , strongly inhibited the nced enzyme activity in vitro , and demonstrated higher inhibitory function than abm 9 in this assay . however , in the experiment simulating drought stress , 17 and 18 were relatively weak inhibitors of aba biosynthesis . as well , the aniline derivative 18 had a fairly pronounced ( and undesirable ) aba - like effect on seed germination , with the thiophenyl analog 17 demonstrating a moderate effect . compounds with a tertiary alcohol at the junction of ring and side chain and either ketone or alcohol at c - 4 were also envisioned to be possible inhibitors , as the general shape of the molecule and oxygen atom would be maintained . the keto allylic alcohol precursors 20 , 21 and 22 were more conveniently prepared , affording both racemic and enantiomerically pure compounds . this was desirable as we had found earlier that the individual enantiomers 20 and 21 of the allylic alcohol 22 had different properties as competitive inhibitors of aba perception . 34 the analog 20 competitively blocked aba perception , while its enantiomer was a weak aba agonist . on observing significant nced inhibition with the racemic compound 13 , comparable with that of abm 9 and abm - sg 10 , we anticipated similar differences might be found in the present case , and the thioethyl derivatives of compounds 20 and 21 were synthesized and tested . again , the stereochemistry of the analogs had an effect . compound 12 inhibited the enzyme as strongly as the more xanthoxin - like compounds , while the other enantiomer 11 had reduced activity in the in vitro enzyme assay . two diasteromeric hydroxy compounds 14 and 15 were synthesized to explore the effect of changing the oxidation level of the c - 4 or position of the oxygen atom . in the in vitro enzyme assay , the hydroxyl compounds did not afford greater activity . compound 16 was incorporated into the set of test molecules to determine if positioning the sulfur atom further from the cyclohexanone ring would have an effect on activity compared to that of 13 . in the aco structure the binding pocket entrance is proposed to act as a bottleneck , arresting movement of 3 - on to the interior and positioning the c15 - c15 ′ bond over the iron molecule in a trans conformation . 25 in contrast , atnced3 must accept substrate molecules with rings at both extremities , and thus it would be expected that the binding pocket entrance be sufficiently large to allow ring structures to enter the cavity . therefore in contrast to aco , atnced3 likely determines substrate positioning based on where the molecule interacts with the internal terminus of the binding pocket . docking to the atnced3 model highlights that this is likely the case , as 3 - on was oriented with its c13 - c14 bond over the iron , and the β - ionone ring pulled inside the tunnel entrance . docking of 9 - cis - neoxanthin 2 resulted in the epoxide ring being buried in the atnced3 catalytic pocket . this positioned the c11 - c12 bond over the iron atom in a suitable position for catalytic cleavage at the expected location . these results emphasize the validity and potential utility of the atnced3 model . the xanthoxin 4 molecule docked with its epoxide ring in the opposite orientation ( similar to 3 - on ) to that of the 9 - cis - neoxanthin 2 . while this likely does not represent its native orientation following cleavage of the 9 - cis - neoxanthin 2 substrate , it emphasizes the accommodating size of the atnced3 entrance tunnel and that the preferred orientation of single ring containing molecules is with the ring pointing toward the entrance . docking results for the slccd inhibitors seem to follow this preference with the hydroxylated rings preferentially pointing toward the entrance . in the aco crystal structure a coordinated water molecule occupies the fifth ligand position within the iron octahedral co - ordination structure . the water molecule , theorized to be an oxygen donor and required for catalytic activity , is located 3 . 2 å from the c15 of the substrate and 2 . 07 å from the non - heme iron atom . 25 each of the three active slccd inhibitors docked with their heteroatoms ( nitrogen or sulfur ) within 2 . 7 å of the iron atom such that they would be sufficient to occupy the coordinate space of the water molecule in the aco structure and stop catalysis . the basic premise of this work lies in the design of inhibitors that bind to and inactivate the nced enzyme responsible for the first committed step in aba 1 biosynthesis . in a recent study on effects of drought stress on signaling and gene expression in arabidopsis , it had been shown that the levels of aba and its catabolites phaseic acid 6 , dihydrophaseic acid 7 and aba glucose ester 8 were all found to increase on imposition of the stress . 28 in the present study to compare the effects of potential inhibitors on aba biosynthesis capacity , an osmotic stress treatment of arabidopsis plants was substituted for the drought stress . aba biosynthetic inhibitors were designed and tested and in the case of compound 13 were shown to significantly reduce the accumulation of aba 1 and the catabolites 6 , 7 , and 8 in plants subjected to osmotic stress . while the rationale for inhibitor design was based on maintaining structural characteristics similar to the enzymes substrate and products to maximize specificity , this also meant that the inhibitors share structural characteristics with aba 1 itself . obviously an inhibitor of aba 1 biosynthesis should not mediate aba signaling . toward assessing the aba - like character of the inhibitors their ability to mediate known aba 1 effects at the levels of seed germination and gene regulation were determined . in general , the slccd inhibitors were found to be weaker germination inhibitors than (+)- aba 1 , with compound 13 having 60 - 70 % less effect . interestingly , low concentrations of compounds 13 and 17 had slight promotion effects on seed germination . as well , treatment of mannitol - stressed plants with compound 13 led to a reduction of transcript levels for three genes known to be (+)- aba 1 inducible . 5 , 30 the reduction of transcription mediated by this inhibitor is in agreement with previous observations made for alternate inhibitors and likely results from the reduction of endogenous aba 1 levels . 17 overall , these results emphasize that slccd inhibitor 13 does not generally simulate aba - inducible responses and thus does not maintain aba - like characteristics . finally , these pilot in vivo studies demonstrate that mannitol stress leads to induction of atnced3 gene expression as reported previously . 7 while stress induced , it is not clear whether atnced3 is specifically aba - inducible . but from the results reported here , it is clear that application of the slccd inhibitors significantly reduces atnced3 mrna levels under stress conditions , which would further contribute to reducing aba 1 biosynthesis in planta . while this characteristic was not specifically sought in designing the inhibitors , in terms of the overall objective of inhibiting aba 1 biosynthesis , a reduction in the primary biosynthetic enzyme is a very useful side effect the relatively lesser effects of inhibitors 17 and 18 in planta were surprising considering their effectiveness in vitro and docking results in silico . this lowering of efficacy in moderating aba levels in vivo could be due to many factors , including stability of the different compounds in the plant and the presence of the hydrophobic aromatic rings in both 17 and 18 structures , possibly reducing their permeability through the roots and transport to the site of action . the discrepancy between in vitro and in vivo results is consistent also in the atnced3 expression profiling where 13 led to the highest reduction of stress - induced gene expression . a solution of alcohol 20 20 ( 25 mg , 0 . 1 mmol ), ethyl disulfide ( 25 μl , 0 . 2 mmol ) and n - bu 3 p ( 49 μl , 0 . 2 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 1 . 5 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 4 . 5 h . ethanol ( 1 ml ) was added to the reaction and the resulting mixture was stirred for 20 min . ethanol was removed by evaporation and ch 2 cl 2 ( 15 ml ) was added . the organic phase was washed with 0 . 5 n naoh and brine successively , dried and concentrated to give a residue which was purified by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 15 : 85 v / v ) to provide 11 ( 19 . 2 mg , 62 %) and recover 20 ( 4 mg , 19 %). [ α ] 25 d - 16 ( c 0 . 48 , chcl 3 ); ir ( kbr ): 3463 , 2975 , 2872 , 1688 cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 5 . 76 ( 1h , dt , 1 . 25 , 7 . 75 hz , ═ ch ), 3 . 31 ( 2h , d , 8 . 75 hz , ch 2 s ), 2 . 65 ( 1h , d , 14 . 25 hz , h - 2 ), 2 . 48 ( 2h , q , 7 . 5 hz , sch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 29 ( 3h , m , h - 5 & amp ; h - 6 ), 2 . 08 ( 1h , d , 14 . 25 hz , h - 2 ), 1 . 89 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 22 ( 3h , t , 7 . 5 hz , sch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 20 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 14 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 0 . 97 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 209 . 2 , 134 . 2 , 119 . 5 , 92 . 6 , 86 . 8 , 77 . 4 , 52 . 9 , 47 . 0 , 42 . 2 , 37 . 4 , 31 . 6 , 25 . 9 , 25 . 4 , 23 . 2 , 20 . 8 , 16 . 6 , 14 . 9 ; hrms ei + m / z calc . for c 17 h 26 o 2 s : 294 . 1654 . found : 294 . 1655 . a solution of alcohol 21 20 ( 28 mg , 0 . 11 mmol ), diethyl sulfide ( 28 μl , 0 . 22 mmol ) and n - bu 3 p ( 55 μl , 0 . 22 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 6 h . work up as described above , followed by purification by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 15 : 85 v / v ) to afford 12 ( 22 mg , 63 %). [ α ] 25 d + 15 ( c 1 . 0 , chcl 3 ). the spectral characterization data was identical to enantiomer 11 . a solution of allylic alcohol 22 , protected as the neopentylglycol ketal 20 , ( 34 mg , 0 . 1 mmol ), ethyl disulfide ( 34 μl , 0 . 27 mmol ) and n - bu 3 p ( 62 μl , 0 . 25 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 was stirred at room temperature for 4 . 5 h . work up as described above , followed by purification by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 10 : 90 v / v ) to afford the sulfide ( 22 . 1 mg , 58 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 5 . 67 ( 1h , ddq , 1 . 5 , 7 . 75 , 7 . 75 hz , ═ ch ), 3 . 54 ( 2h , d , 11 . 25 hz , och 2 ), 3 . 36 ( 2h , ddd , 1 . 75 , 11 . 25 , 13 . 25 hz , och 2 ), 3 . 31 ( 2h , dd , 0 . 75 , 7 . 75 hz , sch 2 ), 2 . 48 ( 2h , q , 7 . 5 hz , sch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 24 ( 1h , dd , 3 . 25 , 14 . 25 hz , h - 2 ), 2 . 18 ( 1h , m , h - 5 ), 1 . 96 ( 1h , dt , 3 . 25 , 13 . 5 , h - 6 ), 1 . 87 ( 3h , d , 1 . 0 hz , ch 3 ), 1 . 57 ( 1h , dd , 13 . 5 , 13 . 5 hz , h - 6 ), 1 . 46 ( 1h , d , 14 . 25 hz , h - 2 ), 1 . 22 ( 3h , t , 7 . 5 hz , ch 3 ), 1 . 12 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 09 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 04 ( 3h , d , 7 . 5 hz , ch 3 ), 1 . 04 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 0 . 82 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ). to a solution of the ketal protected sulfide ( 160 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ) in acetone ( 5 ml ) was added 2n hcl ( 8 drops ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 40 min . after evaporation of acetone , ether was added and washed with sat . nahco 3 , dried and concentrated to give a residue which was purified by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane 20 : 80 v / v ) to provide 13 ( 100 mg , 80 %). the spectral characterization data was identical to pure enantiomer 11 . a solution of allylic alcohols 23 and 24 20 ( 200 mg , 0 . 55 mmol ), ( c 2 h 5 s ) 2 ( 102 μl , 0 . 83 mmol ) and n - bu 3 p ( 203 μl , 0 . 83 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 5 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 6 h . work up as described above , followed by purification by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 5 : 95 v / v ) to provide 25 ( 41 mg , 17 %), 26 ( 18 . 4 mg , 8 %) and recovery of the unreacted starting material ( 70 mg , 35 %). for 25 : 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 5 . 67 ( 1h , dt , 1 . 5 , 7 . 75 hz , ═ ch ), 3 . 92 ( 1h , m , h - 4 ), 3 . 32 ( 2h , dd , 0 . 75 , 7 . 75 hz , ch 2 s ), 2 . 49 ( 2h , q , 7 . 25 hz , sch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 32 ( 1h , m , h - 6 ), 1 . 87 ( 3h , d , 1 . 0 hz , ch 3 ), 1 . 76 ( 1h , br s , oh ), 1 . 62 ( 1h , dd , 3 . 5 , 14 . 25 hz , h - 3 ), 1 . 57 ( 2h , m , h - 5 ), 1 . 49 ( 1h , d , 14 . 25 hz , h - 3 ), 1 . 23 ( 3h , t , 7 . 25 hz , sch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 20 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 06 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 04 ( 3h , d , 6 . 5 hz , ch 3 ), 0 . 86 ( 9h , s , sicme 3 ), 0 ( 6h , s , sime 2 ). to a solution of 25 ( 41 mg , 0 . 1 mmol ) in thf ( 1 . 5 ml ) was added tbaf ( 1 m solution in thf , 0 . 5 ml , 0 . 5 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 day and diluted with ether . the mixture was washed with water ( 10 ml × 3 ), dried , concentrated and fractionated by fcc ( 10 % ethyl acetate / hexane , 10 : 90 v / v increased to 35 : 65 v / v ) to provide 14 ( 21 . 3 mg , 71 %). [ α ] 25 d − 13 ( c 0 . 94 , ch 2 cl 2 ); ir ( kbr ): 3332 , 2976 , 2879 , 1450 cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 5 . 67 ( 1h , dt , 1 . 5 , 7 . 75 hz , ═ ch ), 4 . 0 ( 1h , m , h - 4 ), 3 . 30 ( 2h , dd , 1 . 0 , 7 . 75 hz , ch 2 s ), 2 . 47 ( 2h , q , 7 . 5 hz , sc 2 h 5 ), 2 . 32 ( 1h , m , h - 6 ), 1 . 85 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 63 ( 4h , m , h - 5 & amp ; h - 3 ), 1 . 19 ( 3h , t , 7 . 5 hz , sc 2 h 5 ), 1 . 19 , ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 08 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 03 ( 3h , d , 6 . 5 hz , ch 3 ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 133 . 2 , 120 . 0 , 94 . 1 , 85 . 7 , 79 . 1 , 66 . 8 , 44 . 5 , 40 . 1 , 38 . 8 , 31 . 9 , 31 . 6 , 27 . 5 , 25 . 2 , 23 . 3 , 23 . 1 , 16 . 1 , 14 . 9 ; hrms cl + nh 3 m / z calc . for c 17 h 32 no 2 s : 314 . 2154 . found : 314 . 2162 . to a solution of 26 20 ( 18 . 4 mg , 0 . 045 mmol ) in thf ( 1 . 2 ml ) was added tbaf ( 1 . 0 m solution in thf , 0 . 13 ml , 0 . 13 mmol ). the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 1 day . work up as for 14 to provide product 15 ( 8 . 5 mg , 64 %) and recovered starting material ( 4 . 5 mg , 24 %). [ α ] 25 d + 10 ( c 0 . 25 , ch 2 cl 2 ); ir ( kbr ): 3388 , 2968 , 2922 , 1458 cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 5 . 71 ( 1h , dt , 1 . 5 , 7 . 75 hz , ═ ch ), 3 . 87 ( 1h , m , h - 4 ), 3 . 33 ( 2h , dd , 1 . 0 , 7 . 75 hz , ch 2 s ), 2 . 51 ( 2h , q , 7 . 7 hz , sc 2 h 5 ), 2 . 00 ( 1h , m , h - 6 ), 1 . 88 ( 3h , d , 1 . 5 hz , ch 3 ), 1 . 67 ( 1h , ddd , 2 . 5 , 4 . 5 , 12 . 75 hz , h - 5 ), 1 . 57 ( 1h , dd , 11 . 5 , 12 . 5 hz , h - 5 ), 1 . 35 ( 1h , dd , 12 . 5 , 24 . 25 hz , h - 3 ), 1 . 23 ( 3h , t , 7 . 25 hz , ch 3 ), 1 . 13 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 07 ( 3h , d , 6 . 5 hz , ch 3 ), 1 . 02 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 133 . 4 , 119 . 9 , 93 . 9 , 86 . 3 , 78 . 3 , 66 . 2 , 46 . 8 , 41 . 7 , 39 . 9 , 35 . 7 , 31 . 6 , 27 . 0 , 25 . 3 , 23 . 2 , 20 . 8 , 16 . 5 , 14 . 9 ; hrms ei + m / z calc . for c 17 h 25 o 2 s : 296 . 1810 . found : 296 . 1822 . a mixture of compound 27 20 ( 18 mg , 0 . 1 mmol ), ( z )- 3 - iodobut - 2 - en - 1 - ol ( 30 mg , 0 . 15 mmol ), cui ( 15 mg , 0 . 08 mmol ) and ( ph 3 p ) 4 pd ( 23 mg , 0 . 02 mmol ) in ( i - pr ) 2 nh ( 0 . 3 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 17 h . saturated nh 4 cl solution was added to quench the reaction . the mixture was extracted with ether , dried , concentrated and fractioned by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 60 : 40 v / v ) to provide compound 28 ( 18 . 1 mg , 72 %). [ α ] 25 d − 8 . 0 ( c 1 . 2 , chcl 3 ); ir ( kbr ): 3333 , 2959 , 2923 cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 5 . 85 ( 1h , ddq , 1 . 0 , 6 . 75 , 6 . 75 hz , ═ ch ), 4 . 26 ( 2h , d , 6 . 75 hz , ═ chch 2 ), 3 . 79 ( 1h , m , h - 3 ), 2 . 32 ( 1h , ddd , 1 . 75 , 5 , 14 . 25 hz , h - 2 ), 1 . 84 ( 3h , d , 1 hz , ch 3 ), 1 . 74 ( 1h , br s , oh ), 1 . 61 ( 1h , dd , 8 . 75 , 14 . 25 hz , h - 2 ), 1 . 57 ( 1h , m , h - 4 ), 1 . 47 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 22 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 19 ( 1h , dd , 10 . 5 , 13 . 0 hz , h - 2 ), 1 . 08 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ); 13 c nmr ( c 6 d 6 ) δ : 137 . 8 , 119 . 1 , 92 . 4 , 84 . 3 , 66 . 6 , 63 . 8 , 63 . 6 , 61 . 5 , 45 . 7 , 40 . 0 , 34 . 4 , 30 . 0 , 26 . 2 , 22 . 9 , 22 . 0 ; hrms cl + m / z calc . for c 15 h 23 o 3 : 251 . 1647 . found : 251 . 1646 . a solution of alcohol 28 ( 56 . 6 mg , 0 . 23 mmol ), phenyl disulfide ( 98 . 9 mg , 0 . 45 mmol ) and n - bu 3 p ( 112 μl , 0 . 45 mmol ) in dry ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 3 h . ethanol ( 1 ml ) was added to the reaction and stirred for 30 min . ethanol was evaporated off and more ch 2 cl 2 added . the organic phase was washed with 0 . 5 n naoh , followed by water and then dried , concentrated , and fractionated by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 30 : 70 v / v ) to give product 17 ( 42 mg , 54 %). [ α ] 25 d − 16 ( c 0 . 84 , chcl 3 ); ir ( kbr ): 3438 , 2961 , 2924 , 1583 cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 7 . 31 ( 2h , m , c 6 h 5 ), 7 . 23 ( 2h , m , c 6 h 5 ), 7 . 14 ( 1h , m , c 6 h 5 ), 5 . 73 ( 1h , ddq , 1 . 0 , 7 . 5 , 7 . 5 hz , ═ ch ), 3 . 82 ( 1h , m , h - 3 ), 3 . 71 ( 2h , dd , 0 . 75 , 7 . 5 hz , ch 2 s ), 2 . 34 ( 1h , ddd , 1 . 75 , 5 . 0 , 14 . 5 hz , h - 2 ), 1 . 81 ( 3h , d , 1 . 0 hz , ch 3 ), 1 . 63 ( 1h , dd , 8 . 5 , 14 . 5 hz , h - 2 ), 1 . 58 ( 1h , m , h - 4 ), 1 . 47 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 23 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 21 ( 1h , m , h - 4 ), 1 . 10 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ); 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 135 . 9 , 132 . 9 , 129 . 3 , 128 . 9 , 126 . 0 , 120 . 7 , 91 . 7 , 84 . 2 , 67 . 1 , 63 . 8 , 63 . 7 , 45 . 8 , 39 . 8 , 34 . 4 , 33 . 9 , 29 . 9 , 25 . 7 , 22 . 9 , 21 . 7 ; hrms ei + m / z calc . for c 21 h 26 o 2 s : 342 . 1654 . found : 342 . 1659 . a mixture of alcohol 28 ( 89 mg , 0 . 36 mmol ) and mno 2 ( 774 mg , 8 . 9 mmol ) in petroleum ether ( 10 ml ) and ethyl acetate ( 5 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 4 h . the reaction mixture was filtered through a pad of celite 545 ™ and washed with ethyl acetate . the combined filtrates and washings were concentrated and purified by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 30 : 70 v / v ) to afford aldehyde 29 ( 73 . 3 mg , 83 %). [ α ] 25 d − 11 ( c 3 . 0 , chcl 3 ); ir ( kbr ): 3456 , 2918 , 1601 , 1593 cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( c 6 d 6 ) δ : 10 . 27 ( 1h , d , 8 . 0 hz , cho ), 5 . 88 1h , dd , 0 . 75 , 8 . 0 hz , ═ ch ), 3 . 55 ( 1h , m , h - 4 ), 2 . 03 ( 1h , ddd , 1 . 0 , 5 . 0 , 15 . 5 hz , h - 5 ), 1 . 46 ( 3h , d , 0 . 75 hz ch 3 ), 1 . 36 ( 2h , m , h - 3 and h - 5 ), 1 . 27 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 13 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 11 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 0 . 99 ( 1h , dd , 10 . 0 , 13 . 0 hz , h - 3 ); 13 c nmr ( c 6 d 6 ) δ : 190 . 8 , 140 . 1 , 136 . 3 , 98 . 4 , 82 . 5 , 67 . 0 , 63 . 4 , 45 . 4 , 39 . 8 , 34 . 3 , 29 . 6 , 26 . 1 , 24 . 1 , 21 . 8 ; hrms cl + m / z calc . for c 15 h 21 o 3 : 249 . 1491 . found : 249 . 1489 . 5 . 1 . 9 . a solution of aldehyde 29 ( 16 mg , 0 . 065 mmol ) and aniline ( 10 μl , 0 . 11 mmol ) in ethanol ( 1 . 5 ml ) was refluxed for 30 min . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and then nabh 4 ( 7 . 4 mg , 0 . 2 mmol ) was added . the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 15 min . and water ( 3 ml ) with glacial acetic acid ( 1 drop ) was added . the ethanol was evaporated off and water phase was extracted with ether , dried , concentrated and fractionated by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 35 : 65 v / v ) to provide product 18 ( 17 mg , 81 %). [ α ] 25 d − 13 ( c 1 . 4 , chcl 3 ); ir ( kbr ): 3410 , 2960 , 1602 , 1504 cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( c 6 d 6 ) δ : 7 . 15 ( 2h , m , c 6 h 5 ), 6 . 73 ( 1h , dd , 7 . 25 , 7 . 25 hz , c 6 h 5 ), 6 . 52 ( 2h , dd , 1 . 0 , 8 . 5 hz , c 6 h 5 ), 5 . 47 ( 1h , ddq , 1 . 5 , 6 . 5 , 6 . 5 hz , ═ ch ), 3 . 80 ( 2h , m , ch 2 nh ), 3 . 62 ( 1h , m , h - 3 ), 2 . 09 ( 1h , ddd , 1 . 5 , 5 . 0 , 14 . 5 hz , h - 2 ), 1 . 67 ( 3h , d , 1 . 25 , ch 3 ), 1 . 44 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 40 ( 2h , m , h - 2 & amp ; h - 4 ), 1 . 31 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 23 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 05 ( 1h , dd , 9 . 75 , 13 . 0 hz , h - 4 ); 13 c nmr ( c 6 d 6 ) δ : 148 . 4 , 136 . 5 129 . 5 , 119 . 8 , 117 . 7 , 113 . 2 , 92 . 9 , 84 . 5 , 66 . 6 , 63 . 6 , 45 . 7 , 44 . 1 , 40 . 0 , 34 . 4 , 30 . 1 , 26 . 2 , 22 . 9 , 22 . 0 ; hrms tof + m / z calc . for c 21 h 28 no 2 : 326 . 2114 . found : 326 . 2123 . to a solution of the allylic alcohol , racemic 20 from reference 20 , ( 34 mg , 0 . 1 mmol ), et 3 n ( 42 μl , 0 . 3 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 1 . 5 ml ) was added 2 - thiopheneacetyl chloride ( 18 μl , 0 . 15 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 h and diluted with ch 2 cl 2 . the organic phase was washed with saturated nahco 3 , dried , concentrated and fractionated by ptlc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 20 : 80 v / v ) to the ketal protected thiophene ester ( 13 mg , 28 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): 7 . 19 ( 1h , d , 1 . 25 hz , sch ), 6 . 93 ( 2h , m , thiophene ch ═ ch ), 6 . 67 ( 1h , d , 15 . 5 hz , ch ═ ch ), 5 . 98 ( 1h , d , 15 . 5 hz , ch ═ ch ), 5 . 47 ( 1h , t , 7 . 0 hz , ═ chch 2 o ), 4 . 80 ( 2h , d , 7 . 0 hz , ch 2 o ), 3 . 82 ( 2h , s , coch 2 ), 3 . 58 ( 2h , dd , 5 , 10 . 25 hz , och 2 ), 3 . 41 ( 2h , dd , 5 , 10 . 25 hz , och 2 ), 2 . 30 ( 1h , dd , 2 . 75 , 14 . 5 hz , h - 3 ), 2 . 17 ( 1h , m , h - 6 ′), 1 . 98 ( 1h , dd , 3 . 25 , 14 . 25 hz , h - 5 ′), 1 . 86 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 40 ( 1h , d , 14 . 0 hz , h - 3 ′), 1 . 35 ( 1h , d , 14 . 0 hz , h - 3 ′), 1 . 12 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 06 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 0 . 85 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 0 . 78 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 0 . 77 ( 3h , d , 8 . 0 hz , ch 3 ). to a solution of the ketal protected thiophene ester ( 13 mg , 0 . 028 mmol ) in acetone ( 1 . 5 ml ) was added 2n hcl ( 2 drops ). the mixture was stirred at room temp . for 1 h . after removing acetone , ether was added and washed with saturated nahco 3 , dried and concentrated to give a residue which was purified by fcc ( ethyl acetate / hexane , 20 : 80 v / v ) to provide 16 ( 8 mg , 75 %). ir ( kbr ): 3517 , 2959 , 1714 cm − 1 ; 1h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ : 7 . 19 ( 1h , d , 1 . 5 hz , sch ), 6 . 93 ( 2h , m , thiophene ch ═ ch ), 6 . 80 ( 1h , d , 15 . 5 hz , ch ═ ch ), 6 . 12 ( 1h , d , 15 . 5 hz , ch ═ ch ), 5 . 54 ( 1h , t , 7 . 0 hz , ═ chch 2 o ), 4 . 81 ( 2h , d , 7 . 0 hz , ch 2 o ), 3 . 82 ( 2h , s , coch 2 ), 2 . 46 ( 1h , d , 15 . 0 hz , h - 3 ′), 2 . 30 ( 2h , m , h - 5 ′ & amp ; h - 6 ′) 2 . 13 ( 2h , m , h - 5 ′ & amp ; h - 3 ′), 1 . 90 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 1 . 02 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 0 . 90 ( 3h , s , ch 3 ), 0 . 85 ( 3h , d , 6 . 5 hz , ch 3 ); 13 c nmr ( c 6 d 6 ) δ : 209 . 3 , 170 . 4 , 136 . 7 , 135 . 6 , 135 . 0 , 129 . 9 , 128 . 2 , 126 . 8 , 125 . 1 , 123 . 1 , 78 . 1 , 61 . 0 , 52 . 9 , 47 . 1 , 41 . 6 , 37 . 4 , 35 . 4 , 25 . 2 , 22 . 8 , 20 . 9 , 15 . 9 ; hrms ei + m / z calc . for c 21 h 28 o 4 s : 376 . 1708 . found : 376 . 1720 . references : the contents of the entirety of each of which are incorporated by this reference . 1 . zeevaart , j . a . ; creelman , r . a . ann . rev . plant physiol . plant mol . biol . 1988 , 39 , 439 2 . mccarty , d . r . ann . rev . plant physiol . plant mol . biol . 1995 , 46 , 71 3 . nambara , e . ; marion - poll , a . ann . rev . plant biol . 2005 , 56 , 165 . 4 . milborrow , b . v . j . exp . bot . 2001 , 52 , 1145 . 5 . kushiro , t . ; okamoto , m . ; nakabayashi , k . ; yamagishi , k . ; kitamura , s . ; asami , t . ; hirai , n . ; koshiba , t . ; kamiya , y . ; nambara , e . the embo journal 2004 , 23 , 1647 . 6 . schwartz , s . h . ; tan , b . c . ; gage , d . a . ; zeevaart , j . a . d . ; mccarty , d . r . science 1997 , 276 , 1872 . 7 . iuchi , s . ; kobayashi , m . ; taji , t . ; naramoto , m . ; seki , m . ; kato , t . ; tabata , s . ; kakubari , y . ; yamaguchi - shinozaki , k . ; shinozaki , k . the plant journal 2001 , 27 , 325 . 8 . qin , x . ; zeevaart , j . a . d . pnas 1999 , 96 , 15354 . 9 . burbidge , a . ; grieve , t . m . ; jackson , a . ; thompson , a . ; mccarty , d . r . ; taylor , i . b . the plant journal 1999 , 17 , 427 . 10 . chernys , j . t . ; zeevaart , j . a . d . plant physiol . 2000 , 124 , 343 . 11 . iuchi , s . ; kobayashi , m . ; yamaguchi - shinozaki , k . ; shinozaki , k . plant physiol . 2000 , 123 , 553 . 12 . tan , b .- c . ; joseph , l . m . ; deng , w .- t . ; liu , l . ; li , q .- b . ; cline , k . ; mccarty , d . r . the plant journal 2003 , 35 , 44 . 13 . endo , a . ; sawada , y . ; takahashi , h . ; okamoto , m . ; ikegami , k . ; koiwai , h . ; seo , m . ; toyomasu , t . ; mitsuhashi , w . ; shinozaki , k . ; nakazono , m . ; kamiya , y . ; koshiba , t . ; nambara , e . plant physiol . 2008 , pp . 108 . 116632 . 14 . nagamune , k . ; hicks , l . m . ; fux , b . ; brossier , f . ; chini , e . n . ; sibley , l . d . nature 2008 , 451 , 207 . 15 . toh , s . ; imamura , a . ; watanabe , a . ; nakabayashi , k . ; okamoto , m . ; jikumaru , y . ; hanada , a . ; aso , y . ; ishiyama , k . ; tamura , n . ; iuchi , s . ; kobayashi , m . ; yamaguchi , s . ; kamiya , y . ; nambara , e . ; kawakami , n . plant physiol . 2008 , 146 , 1368 . 16 . creelman , r . a . ; bell , e . ; mullet , j . e . plant physiol . 1992 , 99 , 1258 . 17 . kitahata , n . ; han , s .- y . ; noji , n . ; saito , t . ; kobayashi , m . ; nakano , t . ; kuchitsu , k . ; shinozaki , k . ; yoshida , s . ; matsumoto , s . bioorganic & amp ; medicinal chemistry 2006 , 14 , 5555 . 18 . han , s .- y . ; kitahata , n . ; sekimata , k . ; saito , t . ; kobayashi , m . ; nakashima , k . ; yamaguchi - shinozaki , k . ; shinozaki , k . ; yoshida , s . ; asami , t . plant physiol . 2004 , 135 , 1574 . 19 . baumeler , a . ; brade , w . ; haag , a . ; eugster , c . h . helv . chim . acta 1990 , 73 , 700 . 20 . lamb , n . ; abrams , s . r . canadian journal of chemistry 1990 , 68 , 1151 . 21 . isler , o . ; lindlar , h . ; montavon , m . ; rüegg , r . ; saucy , g . ; zeller , p . helv . chim . acta 1956 , 39 , 2041 . 22 . nakagawa , i . ; hata , t . tetrahedron letters 1975 , 17 , 1409 . 23 . furuichi , n . ; hara , h . ; osaki , t . ; mori , h . ; katsumura , s . angew . chem ., int . ed . 2002 , 41 , 1023 . 24 . schwartz , s . h . ; tan , b . c . ; mccarty , d . r . ; welch , w . ; zeevaart , j . a . d . biochimica et biophysica acta ( bba )— general subjects 2003 , 1619 , 9 . 25 . kloer , d . p . ; ruch , s . ; al - babili , s . ; beyer , p . ; schulz , g . e . science 2005 , 308 , 267 . 26 . schwede , t . ; kopp , j . ; guex , n . ; peitsch , m . c . nucl . acids res . 2003 , 31 , 3381 . 27 . creelman , r . a . ; zeevaart , j . a . d . plant physiol . 1985 , 77 , 25 . 28 . huang , d . ; wu , w . ; abrams , s . r . ; cutler , a . j . journal of experimental botany 2008 , 59 , 2991 . 29 . cutler , a . j . ; rose , p . a . ; squires , t . m . ; loewen , m . k . ; shaw , a . c . ; quail , j . w . ; krochko , j . e . ; abrams , s . r . biochemistry 2000 , 39 , 13614 . 30 . yamaguchi - shinozaki , k . ; shinozaki , k . plant physiol . 1993 , 101 , 1119 . 31 . norris , s . r . ; meyer , s . e . ; callis , j . plant molecular biology 1993 , 21 , 895 . 32 . han , s .- y . ; inoue , h . ; terada , t . ; kamoda , s . ; saburi , y . ; sekimata , k . ; saito , t . ; kobayashi , m . ; shinozaki , k . ; yoshida , s . ; asami , t . bioorganic & amp ; medicinal chemistry letters 2002 , 12 , 1139 . 33 . abe , m . ; matsuki , h . ; domae , m . ; kuwata , h . ; kudo , i . ; nakanishi , y . ; hara , n . ; mitsuyama , t . ; furukawa , t . am . j . respir . cell mol . biol . 1996 , 15 , 565 . 34 . wilen , r . w . ; hays , d . b . ; mandel , r . m . ; abrams , s . r . ; moloney , m . m . plant physiol 1993 , 101 , 469 . 35 . guo , s . ; boyd , j . ; sammynaiken , r . ; loewen , m . c . biochemistry and cell biology 2008 , in press . 36 . bradford , m . m . analytical biochemistry 1976 , 72 , 248 . 37 . nicolas guex , m . c . p . electrophoresis 1997 , 18 , 2714 . 38 . morris , g . m . ; goodsell , d . s . ; halliday , r . s . ; huey , r . ; hart , w . e . ; belew , r . k . ; olson , a . j . journal of computational chemistry 1998 , 19 , 1639 . 39 . owen , s . j . ; abrams , s . r . in plant hormones : methods and protocols , second edition ; cutler , s ., bonetta , d ., eds . ; humana press , a part of springer science + business media , 2008 ; vol . 495 , in press . 40 . walker - simmons , m . k . plant , cell and environment 1988 , 11 , 769 . 41 . livak , k . j . ; schmittgen , t . d . methods 2001 , 25 , 402 . other advantages that are inherent to the structure are obvious to one skilled in the art . the embodiments are described herein illustratively and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention as claimed . variations of the foregoing embodiments will be evident to a person of ordinary skill and are intended by the inventor to be encompassed by the following claims .

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

the invention relates to an improvement in coding systems for elements of machine tools , particularly of the numerically controlled type . more specifically , the invention relates to a recognition system for elements such as tools or tool holders , which uses an optical or telecamera sensor and a &# 34 ; bar &# 34 ; code mounted on the coded element and readable by means of said optical sensor . the fields of application of this system are various , so that only one of them will be described by way of non - limiting example . for example , in numerically controlled machine tools , the tools or tool holders held in store must be identified unambiguously by means of a code which can be read by the machine and then by a processor which controls the withdrawal and replacement of the necessary tools at any given time . the various coding systems currently used include for example a system comprising an assembly of rings applied to the outside of the tool holder case , this resulting in considerable radial or axial overall size , according to the particular arrangement used , and a modification to the standard tool holder . another known system comprises an assembly of pins applied perpendicularly to the tool holder surface in seats formed directly in the tool holder and disposed along two generating lines of said tool holder at 180 ° to each other . of the various drawbacks of this system , the most important is that it requires the tool holder to be in phase at least at the moment of reading the code , besides requiring the said modification to the standard tool holder . a further known system uses for coding purposes an assembly of annular bands either applied to or integral with the tool shank , said annular bands being either electrically conducting or not electrically conducting according to the particular code for the tool concerned , the code being read by a line of electromagnetic proximity sensors independently of any phasing of the tool or tool holder . this system is costly and requires a lengthy application time , and in addition does not result in a high numerical selection capacity . the object of the present invention is to provide an improved coding system for tools and tool holders which obviates the drawbacks of known systems . in particular , the proposed system reduces the costs and time of application of the tool recognition code , in addition to increasing the numerical selection capacity with respect to current systems , without altering the form of the standard tool holder . according to the invention , a system is used for coding machine tool elements , characterized in that a &# 34 ; bar &# 34 ; code is applied to the element , the code being read by a reading head provided with a code detection sensor . a preferred but non - limiting embodiment of the invention is described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which : fig1 is a fragmentary view of a tool holder shank provided with the coding system according to the present invention ; fig2 is a view of the tool holder of fig1 in the direction of the arrow a ; fig3 is a diagrammatic view of a preferred method using the coding system according to the invention ; fig4 is a plate carrying the bar code used by the invention ; fig5 is a block diagram showing a possible but non - limiting embodiment of the decoder - detector circuit used ; fig6 is a diagrammatic view of a second method using the coding system according to the invention . fig1 and 2 show a tool or tool holder 10 of substantially conical configuration , connected to a cylindrical shank 11 by way of an annular zone 12 projecting from said elements 10 and 11 . the illustrated element is of known type , normally used on numerically controlled machine tools . two diametrically opposed recesses 13 are provided in known manner in the annular portion 12 . according to the invention , a plate 14 ( fig4 ) provided with a bar code is fitted into one of said recesses 13 . the merits of the bar code itself will not be discussed in detail , this being an optoelectronic system available commercially and used currently in various applications . it consists basically of a surface of the type illustrated in fig4 i . e . constituted by a plurality of wide and narrow bars various interspersed and spaced apart . by convention , a wide bar can represent &# 34 ; one &# 34 ; in binary code , and a narrow bar can represent &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ; or vice versa . the required binary code is obtained by the different combinations of bars and their composition on the strip . the most suitable codes for this purpose are the &# 34 ; two - out - of - five &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; three - out - of - nine &# 34 ; code . the preferred code will however be determined by the applicational requirements , in which respect the first type , namely the &# 34 ; two - out - of - five &# 34 ; code , is limited to the detection of figures plus a message initiation and termination signal , whereas the second , the &# 34 ; three - out - of - nine &# 34 ; code , has a greater capacity because it can also define letters , but for the same extent of message requires a greater quantity of signals , with consequent increased space requirements . fig3 diagrammatically illustrates one field of application of the invention . a tool store 15 carries in known manner a plurality of tools or tool holders of the type illustrated in fig1 and 2 . a bar code reading head 17 is inserted between the store 15 and the tool change unit 16 . fig5 shows the block diagram of the circuit of said head 17 . an optical sensor 18 detects the code on the plate 14 fitted to the tool holder . it is connected to an electronic pulse formation circuit 19 and to a decoder module 20 , the purpose of which is to convert the pulses , which are read in series form on the bar code 14 , into useful parallel output signals 21 ( binary words ). the power supply from the mains reaches said components by way of a power supply circuit 22 . the output signals 21 are already suitable for feeding to the utilisation circuits of the series of words corresponding to the figures of the read code . as an alternative to the described method , instead of using a reflection sensor with remote transmission of the electrical signal , it is possible to use a device as shown diagrammatically in fig6 i . e . effecting total transfer of the image of the code 14 by means of a suitable optical system 24 on a linear telecamera 25 provided with a circuit for converting the image into parallel output signals 26 for utilisation . in both the aforesaid cases , when the read code coincides with the code assigned to the required tool , authorisation is given for withdrawing the tool in question from the store , when this attains the predetermined axis . depending on the type of bar code and the relative reading system , it is possible to obtain a definition capacity of at least four decimal figures , equal to 10 , 000 numbers for assigning to tools . in this manner , an infinite number of tools can be coded , so enormously increasing the numerical selection capacity by an extremely low cost system . in addition to the facility for using different types of bar code , it will be apparent that the plate 14 ( fig4 ), which has been illustrated by way of example only , can also be applied at points on the tool or tool holder other than the recesses 13 , for example on one of the two front surfaces of the annular portion 12 , or the cone 10 , the shank 11 or any other point of any tool or tool holder , should this have a different configuration , or should the machine in question have special constructional requirements which make a different form of reading head 17 necessary . in this respect , the application shown diagrammatically in fig3 is given purely as a non - limiting example of the system according to the invention . as already stated , this system can in fact be used for coding and recognising any machine tool element , whether this be a tool or any other part , or even a workpiece being machined .

6Physics

the client card mail system according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a view showing main parts of a client card mail system according to the present invention ; fig2 is a flow chart for storing the good purchase data of clients using a main computer 1 and a terminal of the client card mail system according to the present invention ; fig3 is an illustrative view of individual information of clients stored in the client card mail system according to the present invention ; and fig4 is an illustrative view of purchased data of clients stored in the client card mail system according to the present invention . the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out making use of a computer comprising an input apparatus for client information provided with a main computer 1 and terminal devices 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d and a data storing apparatus 1 e , and a card issuing machine 2 are combined , and a client card issuing system , as shown in fig1 . as the client management apparatus and the client card issuing system , a conventional device , for example , a pos device may be used . as shown in fig1 the terminal devices 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d are a terminal machine having a scanner or the like and connected to a store processor or the like to perform a unit article information management , which is called a so - called pos terminal or merely pos ( point on sales ) ( sales point information management ). in the client management and the client card issuing system , information is registered in the terminal devices 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d at the store front on the basis of a registration sheet entered ( filled up ) by the client who desires an information registration for having a service of the store , or a sheet is sent to a card issuing central issuing agent or the like where information is registered in the main computer 1 by an operator or the like , or each client registers the client &# 39 ; s own information in the terminal devices 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d att the store front or other terminals . concurrently with the registration , a number for client management is given to each client , and as shown in fig3 data are stored in a registered member file along with client &# 39 ; s individual information . then , a number of each client , the registered individual information and the like are stored in a read and write memory medium , and the card is sent to each client for issuance . each client carries the card , and as shown in fig2 when paying money for the goods purchased or the service presented , a salesman ( saleswoman ) or a client himself uses the card to read the card data in the terminal devices 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d ( n 1 ) and connect to a network ( n 2 ). collation is made with individual information stored in the main computer 1 on the basis of individual information recorded in the card ( n 3 ), and reference of client is made to the terminal devices 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d . in the terminal devices 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d , the price for the purchased goods is entered in a register , or a bar code is read by a laser scanner or the like so that data of the purchased goods or data of the presented service are repeatedly read every goods in the main computer 1 ( n 4 , n 5 , n 6 ). the salesman receives the money ( n 7 ) and issues a receipt ( n 8 ). concurrently with the issuance of the receipt , purchase information of a client is stored in a data storing device 1 e ( n 9 ). when the purchase information of a client is confirmed on the screen of the client card mail apparatus , as shown in fig3 and 4 , clients are lined up in order of numbers given as shown in fig ., 3 on the computer screen , and for example , when one out of the client information is selected , the goods purchased data of the client selected is displayed as shown in fig4 which is readily distinguished . according to the present invention , as shown in fig3 circulars or addressed advertisements are mailed , to many clients with clients &# 39 ; goods purchase data gathered in the main computer 1 applied with special conditions , or being telephoned for propaganda advertisement to promote the purchase of the goods . the data take - in and the data retrieval will be described in detail hereinafter . [ 0035 ] fig5 is a flow chart showing data take - in and data retrieval in the client card mail system according to the present invention . in the client card mail system according to the present invention , the retrieval by classes can be made . for example , referring to fig4 in the case where circulars for special sales of the goods , beer xxx - ooo of liquor sold by company s , are sent to specific clients , the circulars may be sent to only the clients who have purchased the goods previously on the basis of sales information . further , in the case where circulars for specific sales of the entire beer are desired to be sent , the circulars for specific sales of beer are not sent to clients who take no beer or clients who take no liquor but the circular for specific sales may be sent to only the clients who have purchased beer actually previously . so , in the client card mail system according to the present invention , the retrieval can be made with respect to the goods for which propaganda advertisement is carried out in company for the goods , departments , the goods , and classes of the goods names . initially , as shown in fig5 in the main computer 1 , purchase time for the goods advertised is set ( k 1 ). preferably the aforesaid time is suitably set according to the goods advertised and the sales time , for example , such as from january to february , a spring season ( from marcy to may ), since opening a store , or for one year last year . by setting the time as described , it is possible to omit clients who have not visited the store and have not purchased anything recently . next , whether or not retrieval is made by the company , or by the department , or by the goods is selected in class ( k 2 ). in the present selection , clients who desire the specific goods or clients who desire the goods of specific companies are selected , an clients who have purchased the goods advertised are extracted . next , the retrieval is carried out in the selected class ( k 3 , k 4 , k 5 ), which is displayed on the screen , for example . fig6 illustrates the state in which when the goods are selected in class and the retrieval is made , the result of retrieval is read ( k 6 ), which is displayed on the screen of the main computer 1 . [ 0041 ] fig6 is a view illustrating the result of retrieval of the goods to which the retrieving conditions are set in the client card mail system according to the present invention . this displays the result of retrieval relative to “ sales goods referred to the goods name xxx - ooo ” with “ time setting is a summer season ( from june to august )”, and “ class selection is the goods ”. it is effective that when clients are selected on the screen , sales information of the clients can be readily observed ., as shown in fig5 the retrieval result which was read and displayed on the screen is output ( k 7 ). the address and the postal code are printed on an envelope using a printer 3 shown in fig1 on the basis of the retrieval result output ( k 8 ). an apparatus may be employed in which an envelope is printed by the printer 3 and at the same time the circulars are sealed into an envelope . alternatively , an envelope is not printed but an address and a dwelling place are printed on an addressed seal , circulars are sealed into an envelope , a seal is pasted , and an addressed advertisement is prepared . further , circulars with a plurality of the goods combined , for example , circulars on which articles for special sale of different kinds such as beer , sliced raw fish , a kind of chinese cabbage , and gum are prepared . simultaneously , when clients &# 39 ; names and addresses applied to the goods advertized are printed on envelopes and the circulars are sealed thereinto on the basis of the retrieval result of clients for advertisement of the plurality of the goods , more effective propaganda activity can be performed . fig7 to 15 show the screen displays when a program for the client card mail system according to the present invention is prepared and carried out on the main computer 1 actually . the present embodiment is not carried out by taking - in sales data from the terminal devices 1 a , 1 b , 1 c and 1 d shown in fig1 so - called pos terminals on the on - line but carried out by the main computer 1 in which the sales data gathered in the main computer 1 are once shifted to a magnetic memory medium , a so - called floppy disk ( hereinafter called fd ) or the like to actuate the present system . of course , the program executed in the present client card mail system may be incorporated in the main computer 1 shown in fig1 . [ 0045 ] fig7 is a display on the screen of the main computer 1 when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out , showing a client card mail system menu screen . the client card mail system according to the present invention is provided with three modes of embodiments , i . e ., “ sales data are taken in from a recording medium ”, “ client information is retrieved and drawn out , clients &# 39 ; retrieval information are shown in a table , and an addressed advertisement is prepared ”, and “ master data is input ”. as shown in fig7 “ client card mail system menu ”, which is a client card mail system menu screen 4 , is provided with a sales data take - in button 4 a , a client information output button 4 b , a master maintenance button 4 c , and a termination button 4 d . here , when the sales data take - in 4 a is selected , sales information or the like can be taken into the present client card mail system from fd or the like to apply a date . alternatively , not reading from fd , but a program stored in the main computer 1 is incorporated into a main computer 1 ′ which controls the terminal devices 1 a to 1 d , and terminal information ( pos terminal information ) is instantaneously taken in on the on - line . the sales data take - in 4 a will be described with reference to fig8 . when the client information output 4 b is selected , client information can be extracted and drawn out on the basis of the retrieval conditions set from data stored in the main computer 1 , and the name and address for addressed advertisement can be printed on an addressed seal on the basis of the selected client information . the client information output 4 b will be described with reference to fig9 to 14 . when the master maintenance 4 c is selected , it is possible to perform inputting , changing and deleting of data which rarely change through a certain period , a so - called master record . in the present client card mail system , regional information , goods information and client information correspond to the master record . data of the present master record are stored in a file in which all the information necessary for data processing are collected , a so - called basic file ( called a master file also ). the master maintenance 4 c will be described with reference to fig1 to 18 . when the termination 4 d is selected , the client card mail system menu screen 4 is closed to terminate the program for the client card mail system . in the following , three modes of embodiments , i . e ., the sales data take - in 4 a , the client information output 4 b , and the master maintenance 4 c will be described in order with reference to the display screen . [ 0052 ] fig8 is a display on the screen of the main computer 1 when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out , showing a sales data take - in screen . in the present embodiment , there is employed a program in which sales data are collected every day and taken into the main computer 1 . therefore , when sales data are taken into the main computer 1 by fd , data are stored after the take - in date has been applied to data . this is because records such as when sales data were taken in , and when was the latest input ( that is , the latest update date of sales data ) are left . when sales data are taken into the main computer 1 from fd , they may be taken in without applying dates relative to all the data . when the sales data take - in button 4 a , in which dates and time on which clients purchase the goods are shown in fig7 is depressed , the sales data collection screen 5 appears . the sales data collection screen 5 is provided , as shown in fig8 with a date write - in column 5 a , a ok button 5 b , and a termination button 5 c . a fd is inserted into a read / write device , a so - called floppy disk drive provided in the main computer 1 , a date of sales data stored in the fd is written into the date write - in column 5 a , and when the ok button 5 b is depressed , data is taken into the main computer 1 . the termination button 5 c is depressed to close the sales data collection screen 5 , then returning to the client card mail system menu which is the client card mail system menu screen 4 . [ 0056 ] fig9 is a display on the screen of the main computer 1 when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out , showing a client information output menu screen . in the present embodiment , the conditions comprising a master record of regional information , goods information and client information and sales data can be set to extract and draw out the client information in which the specific goods are purchased . a name and an address for mailing an addressed advertisement to the client can be printed on the basis of the client information extracted . when the client information output button 4 b shown in fig7 is depressed , the client information output menu screen 6 shown in fig9 appears . the present client information output screen 6 is provided with a client information retrieval button 6 a , an uncorking client retrieval button 6 b , and a termination button 6 c . when the client information retrieval 6 a is selected , the conditions for retrieving the client information can be set , and the client information can be collated with the conditions and extracted . the client information retrieval 6 a will be described with reference to fig1 . here , when the uncorking client retrieval 6 b is selected , it is possible to extract and output clients who has no actual purchase result of the goods advertised within a set period of time , and output mailing of an addressed advertisement on the basis of the retrieval result . the uncorking client retrieval 6 b will be described with reference to fig1 . when the termination button 6 c is depressed , the client information output screen 6 is closed , then returning to the client card mail system menu screen 4 . two embodiment modes , i . e ., the client information retrieval 6 a and the uncorking client retrieval 6 b will be described in order with reference to the display screen . [ 0062 ] fig1 is a display on the screen of the main computer 1 when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out , showing a client retrieval screen . when the client information retrieval button 6 a shown in fig9 is depressed , the client retrieval screen 7 shown in fig1 appears . the present client retrieval screen 7 is provided with a date range designation column 7 a , a region range designation column 7 b , a goods designation 7 c , a sales rate setting column 7 h , an output designation column 7 i , an output button 7 j , and a termination button 7 k . in the present client retrieval screen 7 , the conditions of a time range , a regional range , and the goods are imposed to retrieve and select clients to which circulars of the goods are distributed . in the date range designation column 7 a , the time for retrieving the client who purchased the goods designated in a certain time is set . the region range designation column 7 b is the column which for example , in a branch store for special sale , sets the retrieval conditions for specifying the goods purchaser class who lives in a certain regional range about the branch store . the goods designation 7 c sets the goods put on circulars out of a plurality of the goods . that is , this is the column ( item ) for setting the designated goods in order to retrieve the goods purchaser who purchases the goods in a certain time and lives in the designated region for distributing circulars for advertisement of the designated goods . the goods designation 7 c is provided with a goods code selection column 7 d , an addition 7 e , a cancellation 7 f , and a goods code setting column 7 g . the goods is selected from the goods code selection column 7 d , and the addition button 7 e is depressed to take it into the goods code setting column 7 g . when the goods taken in is mistaken , the cancellation button 7 f is depressed to make the goods code setting column 7 g empty . the sales rate setting column 7 is provided to set a plurality of actual purchases because when all the members who have experience to purchase the goods are extracted , clients who accidentally stop over at the store to buy the goods are also extracted . it is understood from the repert principle that a few number of clients indicates the major part of sales of the goods . therefore , for example , where the sales rate is set to 80 %, out of clients having the actual purchases of the goods designated in the goods designation 7 c , high - ranking clients who contribute to sales of 80 % of the entirety from the total sales of the goods are extracted . the output designation column 7 i designates a method for outputting the result of retrieval carried on the client retrieval screen 7 , which selects and designates either client sales actual list or dm list . when the output button 7 j is depressed , the retrieval results can be tabled , or the retrieval results can be printed on an addressed seal . when the termination button 7 k is depressed , the client retrieval screen 7 is closed , then returning to the client information output menu screen 6 . [ 0071 ] fig1 is a table when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out to output the result of retrieval ; and fig1 is a client actual sales list showing an example wherein the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out to output the result of retrieval to an addressed seal . [ 0072 ] fig1 shows an output example when the output designation 7 i is selected on the client actual sales list in the client retrieval screen 7 shown in fig1 . individual information such as a client code , a name , a postal number , an address , a telephone number of the client , the purchase price within a designated period of the designated good and the final date of visit , out of information of clients who have experience to buy the goods obtained as a result of retrieval , are output to the client actual sales list in the form of a table in order , and the total of the goods purchase prices obtained by the retrieval is also displayed . [ 0073 ] fig1 shows an output example when the output designation 7 i is selected on the dm list in the client retrieval screen 7 shown in fig1 . individual information of the postal number , address and name for mailing an addressed advertisement with circulars for the designated goods enclosed to the designated goods purchasers obtained as a result of retrieval are printed on addressed seals 8 a , 8 a , 8 a , 8 a , 8 a , . . . provided on a mount 8 . the addressed seal 8 a printed is stripped from the mount 8 , and pasted at a given position of the envelope in which the circulars are sealed . [ 0074 ] fig1 is a display on the screen of the main computer 1 when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out , showing an unworking client retrieval screen . when the uncorking client retrieval 6 b is selected in the client information output menu screen 6 shown in fig9 the uncorking client retrieval screen 9 shown in fig1 appears . the uncorking client retrieval screen 9 is provided with a date range designation column 9 a , a region range setting column 9 b , an output designation column 9 c , an output button 9 d , and a termination button 9 e . the uncorking client retrieval screen 9 is to extract clients who have never purchased even one goods out of clients within a designated term and a designated regional range . the screen extracts clients who have utilized the store before and have actual purchases but have not utilized the store recently , extracts clients who have not purchased the goods for a bargain sale and a special sale , or extracts clients who have not purchased the goods since a separate store is newly opened in an adjacent region . the date range designation column 9 a is to set a term for retrieving clients who have not purchased the goods in a certain term . the region range designation column 9 b is the column ( item ), for example , in a certain branch store for a special sale , for setting the retrieval conditions for specifying the goods unpurchasers who live in the regional range about the branch store . the output designation column 9 c is to designate the method for outputting the present retrieval result carried out on the client retrieval screen 9 , and select and designate either uncorking client list or dm list . when the output button 9 d is depressed , the retrieval results obtained by extracting clients who have no actual goods purchase can be tabled or the retrieval results can be printed on the addressed seal . when the termination button 9 e is depressed , the uncorking client retrieval screen 9 is closed , then returning to the client information output menu screen 6 . [ 0079 ] fig1 is an output table when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out to output the result of retrieval , and is an output example when the output designation 9 c is selected in the uncorking client list in the uncorking client retrieval screen 9 shown in fig1 . out of client information who have no experience to buy the goods in a certain term obtained as a result of retrieval , individual information such as a client code , a name , a postal number , an address , a telephone number and a final visit date of the clients are output in a table in order to the uncorking client list . [ 0080 ] fig1 is a display on the screen of the main computer 1 when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out , showing a master maintenance selection screen . in the present embodiment , data which rarely change through a certain term , that is , a so - called master record of regional information , goods information and client information can be input , changed and deleted . a master maintenance selection screen 10 is provided with a district master maintenance button 10 a , a goods master maintenance button 10 b , a client master maintenance button 10 c , and a termination button 10 d . when the region master maintenance 10 a is selected , a district code number that has been secured in the region or district previously in the main computer can be set and input . the district master maintenance 10 a will be described with reference to fig1 . when the good master maintenance 10 b is selected , the goods name , vendor , unit price and the like of the goods can be input into the main computer 1 . the goods master maintenance 10 b will be described with reference to fig1 . when the client master maintenance 10 c is selected , the name , address , telephone number and client code of clients can be set to the main computer 1 . the client master maintenance 10 will be described with reference to fig1 . when the termination button 10 d is depressed , the master maintenance selection screen 1 is closed , returning to the client card mail system menu screen 4 . [ 0086 ] fig1 is a display on the screen of the main computer 1 when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out , showing a district master maintenance selection screen . a district master maintenance screen 11 is provided with a district code column 11 a , a district name column 11 b , an updating button 11 c , a deletion button 11 d , a cancellation button 11 e , and a termination button 11 f . numbers employed in the district code column 11 a are entered and district names corresponding to the numbers employed in the district name column 11 b are entered and registered . for example , umbers are secured every region where the branch store is present , and numbers are secured in unit of cities , towns and villages . when the updating button 11 c is depressed , the numbers described in the district codes and the names described in the district names are updated . when the deletion button 11 d is depressed , the numbers described in the district code column 11 a and the district names described in the district name column 11 b are deleted . when the cancellation button 11 e is depressed , the numbers described in the district code column 11 a and the district names described in the district name column 11 b are canceled to make the column empty . when the termination button 11 f is depressed , the master maintenance selection screen 10 appears . [ 0089 ] fig1 is a display on the screen of the main computer 1 when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out , showing a goods master maintenance screen . in the present goods master maintenance screen 12 , data peculiar to the goods are input into the main computer 1 . the goods master maintenance screen 12 is provided with a goods code column 12 a , a pos good name column 12 b , a goods formal name column 12 c , a goods informal name column 12 d , a vendor code column 12 e , a consumption tax section 12 f , a prim cost column 12 g , a desired retail price column 12 h , a sales unit price 12 i , an updating button 12 j , a deletion button 12 k , a cancellation button 12 l , and a termination button 12 m . the good numbers are entered in the goods code column 12 a . with respect to the goods numbers , bar code numbers that are used in the world so as to be readily read by a register or a terminal device may be input . the goods names used in the pos terminal are input in katakana into the pos goods column 12 b . this can be also used when being described in a receipt issued to clients who purchased the goods . the goods names are correctly described in the goods formal name column 12 c . shortened goods names , goods names with a capital letter removed , and common names are described in the goods informal name column 12 d . this can be also used when being described in a receipt issued to clients who purchased the goods . in the vendor code column 12 e , numbers are secured previously for the vendor so that the vendor can be discriminated by the number secured . the consumption tax section 12 f sums up , with respect to the goods input into the main computer 1 in the goods master maintenance screen 12 , the prices of the goods in the register or sets the sections of consumption tax necessary when described in the receipt . for example , when set as an outer tax , there is displayed ¥ 105 ( yen ) obtained by adding 5 % to the goods of ¥ 100 . in case of an inner tax , the goods of ¥ 100 is displayed as ¥ 100 . when summed up by the main computer 1 , the price of the consumption tax can be divided and summed up while corresponding to the inner tax and outer tax of the goods . further , the prime price 12 g related to the vendor registered in the main computer 1 on the goods master maintenance screen 12 , the desire retail price 12 h , and the sales unit prices 12 i as the sales price can be registered . when the updating button 12 j is depressed , the goods code stored in the master code , the vendor code , the consumption tax section , the prime price , the desired retail price , and the sales unit price are updated to the number described in the goods card column 12 a , the goods names described in the goods name columns 12 b , 12 c and 12 d , the vendor number of the vendor code column 12 e , the consumption tax section , the prime unit price of the unit price information column , the desired retail price and the sales unit price . when the deletion button 12 k is depressed , the number descried in the goods code registered in the master code , the goods name described in the goods name , the vendor , the consumption tax section , the prime price , the desired retail price , and the sales price are deleted . when the cancellation button 12 l is depressed , the number described in the goods code column 12 a , the goods names described in the goods name columns 12 b , 12 c , and 12 d , the vendor code described in the vendor cod column 12 e , the consumption tax section of the consumption tax section 12 , the prime price of the prime price column 12 g , the desired retail price of the desired retail price column 12 h , and the sales unit price of the sales unit price column 12 i are canceled to make the column empty . when the termination button 12 m is depressed , the master maintenance selection screen 10 appears . [ 0100 ] fig1 is a display on the screen of the main computer 1 when the client card mail system according to the present invention is carried out , showing a client master maintenance screen . client individual information is registered in the main computer 1 , and the client master maintenance screen 13 inputs data peculiar to the client into the main computer 1 . the client master maintenance screen 13 is provided with a client code column 13 a , a client name column 13 b , a client appellation column 13 c , a sex distinction setting column 13 d , a date of one &# 39 ; s birth column 13 e , a postal number column 13 f , a telephone number column 13 g , kanji input address columns 13 h and 13 i , katakana input address columns 13 j and 13 k , a district code column 13 l , an updating button 11 m , a deletion button 11 n , a cancellation button 11 o , and a termination button 11 p . a client number secured enters in the client code column 13 a . the client number can be also used for a service point or the like , for example , when the goods are purchased in the register or the terminal device . a member card is issued . client information is read by a scanner or the like before being handled by the register , a point is added to the client simultaneously with the reading of the goods , and when reaching the amount as defined , some service can be received . clients &# 39 ; names are input in katakana or alphabet into the client name column 13 b , and clients &# 39 ; name are input in kanji into the client appellation column 13 c . katakana were used because the names are readily arranged in order of a , i , u , e and o when data are put in order . input into the sex distinction setting column 13 d , the date of one &# 39 ; s birth column 13 e , the postal number column 13 f , and the telephone number column 13 g are a sex distinction of a client to be registered , the date of birth of a client to be registered , a postal number of an address where a client to be registered lives , and a telephone number own by a client to be registered , respectively . addresses of clients are correctly described in the address columns 13 h , 13 i , 13 j , and 13 k . katakana ( or alphabet ) input address columns 13 j and 13 k are provided because they are readily arranged in order of a , i , u , e and o ( or alphabet ) when data are put in order . the district code column 13 l selects and registers districts secured in number by the district master maintenance screen 11 shown in fig1 . the district code corresponding to the client &# 39 ; s address is selected from the district code column 13 l . when the updating button 13 m is depressed , the client information registered in the master code are updated to the number and the client name 13 b described in the client code column 13 a ; and the client name , the sex distinction , the date of birth , the postal number , the telephone number , the address , and the district code described in the client appellation column 13 c . when the deletion button 13 n is depressed , the name , address , sex distinction , date of birth , postal number and telephone number of the clients described i the client code , and the district code out of client information being registered in the master code are deleted . when the cancellation button 13 o is depressed , the number described in the client code column 13 a , the clients &# 39 ; names described in the client name columns 13 b and 13 c , the sex distinction of the sex distinction column 13 d , the date of birth in the date of birth column 13 e , the postal number in the postal number column 13 d , the telephone number in the telephone number column 13 e , the addresses described in the address columns 13 h , 13 i , 13 j and 13 k , and the district code in the district code 131 are canceled to make the columns empty . when the termination button 13 p is depressed , the master maintenance selection screen 10 appears . further , the client card mail system according to the present invention can be also utilized by developing it on the shopping mall on the internet . the present invention is constituted as described above . therefore , first , since an advertisement for cheap goods can be mailed immediately to the clients who have once purchased the goods , clients can be induced positively . second , since 20 % of the entire client occupy 80 % of total sales , clients can be retrieved to distribute an advertisement to only the clients who have actually purchased the goods , rather than distribution of circulars to the whole clients , to thereby lower the advertisement fee positively . third , as the effect extended from the above - described effect , there are clients scalled a bargain hunter who wonders from place to place aiming at only a bargain sale , but this is not a distribution method for an advertisement as in a newspaper advertisement which can be seen by anybody , thus preventing the purchase of the goods by clients like the bargain sale . fourth , since an advertisement is mailed directly , clients can be established .

6Physics

in embodiments of the invention , the faqs are presented using hyper text markup language ( html ) pages . html pages provide a user - friendly interface and provide linking to other pages . diagnostics can be related to faqs in the following manner . an end - user with a problem acknowledges the problem and runs a diagnostic program directed to the particular device ; the diagnostic can be built into the device . if the diagnostic program finds a failure , the diagnostic program returns a “ errorlevel ” condition from the diagnostic command line application . an “ errorlevel ” condition can be a “ 0 ” for pass or a “ 1 ” for fail . a parsing program is performed to locate error strings that are compared to a known value . the parsing program can be written in a language such as a java ® by sun microsystems , inc . these error strings are placed in an error log . once an “ errorlevel ” condition other than “ 0 ” is received , the error log can be parsed in order to locate the error strings that are compared to the known value . upon detection of string compares , the parsing program assembles the appropriate faqs to be displayed to the end - user to utilize in self - repair of the system . in certain embodiments of the invention , error string parsing compares are avoided . in these instances , a keyword is placed in the error log after an error string along with an event code ( error code ). the event code has an alpha - numeric designation . as the diagnostic program tests a component or device , the diagnostic program generates diagnostic events for each error it encounters and writes the error string and event code to the error log . the following is an example of such an error log . testing started at 12 : 42 : 00 pm 8 / 25 / 2000 floppy test : linear seek - n / a warning : could not obtain drive size parameters for drive 1 of 1 you probably don &# 39 ; t have a floppy disk in the drive . to test the drive , insert a formatted disk and run this test again . _event : 30_22 floppy test : random seek - n / a warning : could not obtain drive size parameters for drive 1 of 1 . you probably don &# 39 ; t have a floppy disk in the drive . to test the drive , insert a formatted disk and run this test again . _event : 30_22 floppy test : funnel seek - n / a warning : could not obtain drive size parameters for drive 1 of 1 . you probably don &# 39 ; t have a floppy disk in the drive . to test the drive , insert a formatted disk and run this test again . _event : 30_22 floppy test : surface scan - n / a warning : could not obtain drive size parameters for drive 1 of 1 you probably don &# 39 ; t have a floppy disk in the drive . to test the drive , insert a formatted disk and run this test again . _event : 30_22 testing completed at 12 : 42 : 00 pm 8 / 25 / 2000 the error log can be parsed for the keyword and a list of event codes can be built . a diagnostic program now is able to write many events to an error log . in operating systems such as windows ® by the microsoft corporation , this is of great benefit , since windows ® and similar operating systems can only report one return code and only report one failure . when a diagnostic test is ran , and if the “ errorlevel ” returned by the command line program is a non - zero , a program is called to parse the error log . an example of such a parsing program is the following script written in java ®. /* **************************************************** * function : return a list of error codes found in the log file * return value : string []: return an array of errorcodes * function inputs : string : fully qualified logfile path * string : name of vendor * ****************************************************/ public string [] geterrorcodes ( string logname , string vendor ) { vector errcodes = new vector ( 1 ); int i = 0 ; string errstored = null ; // build the error code list and return it in a vector errcodes = builderrorcodelist ( logname , vendor ); // build a string array the size of the vector string err [] = new string [ errcodes . size ()]; // enum the vector for use enumeration errenum = errcodes . elements (); /* build the string array to pass back to the caller */ while ( errenum . hasmoreelements ()) { errstored = ( string ) errenum . nextelement (); err [ i ] = new string (); err [ i ] = errstored . trim (); i ++; } return ( err ); } /* **************************************************** * function : build the error code vector list * return value : vector : containing all the errorcodes * function inputs : string : fully qualified path to the logfile * string : name of the vendor * ****************************************************/ private vector builderrorcodelist ( string logfile , string vendor ) { vector errcodes = new vector ( 1 ); system . out . println (“ builderrorcodelist ():”); try { enumeration errenum = errcodes . elements (); file filetoparse = new file ( logfile ); string input = null ; string errcode = null ; string errstored = null ; int ln = 0 ; int colon = 0 ; boolean eof = false ; int loc = − 1 ; int errcount = 0 ; int elementcount = 0 ; if ( filetoparse . exists ()) { bufferedreader errorlog = new bufferedreader ( new filereader ( filetoparse )); while (! eof ) { try { input = errorlog . readline (); loc = input . indexof (“ _event ”); if ( loc != − 1 ) { /* found an errorcode string */ colon = input . indexof (“:”); colon ++; ln = input . length (); errcode = input . substring ( colon , ln ); errcount ++; adderrorcode ( errcode , errcodes ); } } catch ( eofexception e ) { /* end of file , exit */ eof = true ; } catch ( nullpointerexception e ) { /* end of file , exit */ eof = true ; } catch ( ioexception e ) { system . out . println (“ not able to do a readline () from errorlog ”); } } } } catch ( filenotfoundexception e ) { /* file not found */ system . out . println (“ file :” + logfile + “ not found .”); m_mainxml . setinteresting ( m_delltools . getresource (“ file ”)+“ ” + logfile + “ ” + m_delltools . getresource (“ notfound ”)); m_mapapi . logxmlentity ( m_mainxml ); } errcodes . trimtosize (); return (( vector ) errcodes ); } the preceding java ® script opens the error log and begins search for the keyword “ _event .” once “ _event ” is located , the script will retrieve the data to the immediate right of “ _event ” until a white space character is received . the script continues parsing the error log until the end of file ( eof ) is reached . each time the script locates “ _event ,” data is retrieved . if the event code is a duplicate of one stored in the array , the script will ignore the redundant event code . otherwise , a new event code is added to the array . once the error log has reached the eof , the array is utilized to build a faq list that is displayed to the end user . since an alpha - numeric event code is used and not an event string , there is no language dependence . [ 0030 ] fig1 illustrates a flow chart for parsing the error log . the parsing begins when a diagnostic test is ran , step 100 . a determination is made if the test has failed or passed , step 105 . if the test did not fail , a “ no failure ” is posted , step 110 , and the process ends . if the test did fail , the error log is parsed for event codes , step 115 . a determination is made if the eof is reached , step 120 . if the eof is reached , the parsing process is complete and the array is used to build a dynamic html interface for the user , step 125 . the process then ends . if the eof is not reached , the keyword “ _event ” is searched , step 130 . if “ _event ” is not found the process returns to step 115 . if “ _event ” is found , a determination is made if the identified event code is already in the array , step 135 . if the event code is already in the array , the event code is not added to the array , step 140 , and the process returns to step 115 . if the event is not in the array , the event is added to the array , step 145 , and the process returns to step 115 . end - users of pcs have different requirements and needs , therefore diagnostic messaging can be tailored to specific end - user groups . specific pc architectures can also be separated out and identified as to specific diagnostics that can be used . likewise , component or device types can be reported with different diagnostic reporting packages . like diagnostic reports , faqs can be tailored to specific end - user groups . by relating diagnostics with faqs an end - user can be provided with troubleshooting procedures to allow the end - user to resolve the problems . faqs can be categorized into two criteria : 1 ) a failed faq , a faq that is displayed to the end - user if the diagnostic has determined a component or device under test to have failed , and is usually specific to the failure or failures ; or 2 ) a passed faq , a faq that is displayed to the end user if the component under test has passed , which gives the end - user suggestions as to troubleshooting the problem if problems are still experienced . with the use of the earlier described event codes and the ability to record multiple events for each device under test , there is the capability to narrow down events or errors that are reported and to provide summarized information to an end - user . the summarized information is the appropriate help needed by the end - user . a typical scenario is a user calling up a diagnostic program , and selecting a component or device to be tested . the diagnostic program , or the test module in specific , generates a diagnostic event for each error that the test module finds . the diagnostic program writes the event code to the error log . the previously described parsing routine is executed on the error log to extract the event codes . event codes are now minimized , and only relevant event codes are made available to the end - user . in order to provide detailed help to the end user , particular event codes are related to particular faq files . the end - user then is able to choose among the faqs that are presented . the faqs are initially placed in a pre - configured database that allows the user to list the faqs on demand without any particular indexing order . the faq set is indexed using the event codes that can be obtained when the diagnostic is run . the indexing is performed prior to product ( device ) installation on the pc system , and the indexed image is stored in the pre - configured database . using the event codes , a dynamic faq list can built that is displayed to the end - user . the dynamic faq list provides a user - friendly interface , with links to different faq pages . the end - user is able to pick and choose from various faqs using the dynamic faq list . the dynamic faq list is achieved by using the output of the diagnostic test as a mask to expose the appropriate html content . an html file called the html template , containing all possible content ( or respective links ) is used . the html template is masked out , the masking depends on the event codes that are generated . the html template is targeted by the device that is to be opened at the end of the diagnostic targeted for the device . the masking is performed at runtime using the previously described java ® script . the java ® script looks at the generated event - codes and decides which corresponding faqs are to be displayed . the desired content is filtered out and exposed while the rest of the static content is masked out ( i . e . made invisible to the end - user ). generally a static framework involves the creation of a static html page for every possible scenario of presentation and then opening or loading the html page in the browser at run - time . this can lead to a redundancy between each of the html files that can be produced . it is desirable to have a single instance of display for each of the faqs , which can be achieved by using the html template , as long as there is only one instance of this file in the system . the overall faq presentation solution therefore needs to have the capability to point to a single instance of the html template and feed the html template with the appropriate input for masking the irrelevant content while the html template gets loaded within the browser . [ 0041 ] fig2 is a flow chart illustrating the diagnostic process and displaying to an end - user a faq in the form of an html page to the end - user . a diagnostic is started on a particular device when an end - user initiates diagnostic testing , step 200 . the end - user is presented with a list of diagnostic options that are available , in particular devices in which diagnostics tests can be performed on , step 205 . the end - user selects the device to perform diagnostic upon , step 210 . an html document template is generated , step 205 . in generating the html document template , all faqs are indexed for all diagnostics based on the following : 1 ) result of status of a diagnostic , which can be “ passed ” ( also called “ hardware ”) or “ failed .” the following html code is placed within an html page , and generates the desired html document template page . an embodiment of the invention uses a preprocessor in the device in which the diagnostic is being ran . the preprocessor processes the html code . var faq = new array ( ); & lt ; assign i = “ n ”& gt ; & lt ; list load . scuhwj3yo3klya2uvdcmfg . subcats as cat1 & gt ; & lt ; if cat1 . name == “ failed ” ∥ cat1 . name == “ hardware ”& gt ; faq [“${ cat1 . name }”] = new array ( ); & lt ; list cat1 . subcats as cat2 & gt ; str = “${ cat2 . name }” str1 = str . replace (/[ − v . ]/ g , “”) faq [“${ cat1 . name }”][ str1 ] = new array ( ); & lt ; if cat1 . name == “ failed ”& gt ; faq [“${ cat1 . name }”][ str1 ][“${ notes . name }”] = new finalvalue (“$ { notes . url }”, “$ { notes . abstract }”); & lt ;/ if & gt ; & lt ;/ list & gt ; & lt ;/ if & gt ; & lt ;/ list & gt ; the preprocessor interprets this logic and traverses all faqs in the database and indexes the faqs for masking by way of an array that is indexed by the event codes . “ failed ” and “ passed ” ( hardware ) are states decided by the diagnostic depending on the presence of a diagnostic error code ( event code ). in the preceding html code , the word “ str1 ” is a storage variable that holds the diagnostic name provided at run time . run time is the period while the device is executing . operation is performed by the logic while the product is executing , as compared to an operation in which the operation is performed by a pre - configured setting . the process continues with step 230 , looking at the diagnostic log , also known as the previously described error log . the following records are extracted , as illustrated by step 225 , from the diagnostic log : the previously created html document template is opened , after reading in the three index values , step 220 . an html document is opened in the browser , step 240 . the html document template is looks for at all the faqs athat are provided and their respective index values . the faqs that have the appropriate index values are selected and will be shown , step 245 . the following file is from the html template after the preprocessor indexes all the faqs based on criteria that enable the previous java ® script to mask out the non applicable faqs . the numbers “ 30 — 18 ”, “ 30 — 1 ”, “ 30 — 2 &# 39 ; and “ 30 — 22 &# 39 ; illustrate possible error codes of the diagnostic on a floppy drive . only a subset of these error codes can be submitted to the java ® script . the java ® script looks at the following file and displays the faqs that correspond to those error codes . str = “ floppy drive ” str1 = str . replace (/[− v . ]/ g , “”) faq [“ failed ”][ str1 ] = new array (); faq [“ failed ”][ str1 ][“ 30_18 ”] = new finalvalue (“/ dell / mots / content / sco / scoaphuajy4646rtrrzxgz / snqhryxrdnw2msuzrvj3yx . mots ”, “ the resolution assistant floppy disk diagnostic was halted due to verification errors .”); faq [“ failed ”][ str1 ][“ 30_1 ”] = new finalvalue (“/ dell / mots / content / sco / scoaphuajy4646rtrrzxgz / snfpwrx2nctcmevulttgn2 . mots ”, “ resolution assistant detected that & amp ; quot ; no floppy drives are present & amp ; quot ;.”); faq [“ failed ”][ str1 ][“ 30_2 ”] = new finalvalue (“/ dell / mots / content / sco / scoaphuajy4646rtrrzxgz / sne55odjmj4fsyvrfy3wha . mots ”, “ floppy drive is exhibiting errors .”); faq [“ failed ”][ str1 ][“ 30_22 ”] = new finalvalue (“/ dell / mots / content / sco / scoaphuajy4646rtrrzxgz / snkl5i635e1xccohnp4h1h . mots ”, “ detected there was no media in the floppy drive ”); a possible execution scenario could result in the following html content being presented to a customer after having run the “ floppy drive ” diagnostic , which “ failed ” with the error code “ 30 — 22 ”. in this particular case either the end - user did not have media inserted in the device under test , or the drive is not able to detect the media . the relevant faqs and their related diagnostic are presented in an html output page , step 250 . once the diagnostic is completed and the faq presented , control is returned to the end - user , step 255 . [ 0057 ] fig3 illustrates a example of an html output page illustrating a faq to the end - user . only the relevant faq page is presented to the end - user , the result of the diagnostic that was performed on the particular device . in this particular example , a faq was returned that no media exists in the floppy drive . the user is also provided an option to look at other possible failures by way of a link on this particular html page . [ 0058 ] fig4 is a block diagram illustrating a network environment in which a system according to the present invention may be practiced . as is illustrated in fig4 network 400 , such as a private wide area network ( wan ) or the internet , includes a number of networked servers 410 ( 1 )-( n ) that are accessible by client computers 420 ( 1 )-( n ). communication between client computers 420 ( 1 )-( n ) and servers 410 ( 1 )-( n ) typically occurs over a publicly accessible network , such as a public switched telephone network ( pstn ), a dsl connection , a cable modem connection or large bandwidth trunks ( e . g ., communications channels providing t 1 or oc 3 service ). client computers 420 ( 1 )-( n ) access servers 410 ( 1 )-( n ) through , for example , a service provider . this might be , for example , an internet service provider ( isp ) such as america on - line ™, prodigy ™, compuserve ™ or the like . access is typically had by executing application specific software ( e . g ., network connection software and a browser ) on the given one of client computers 420 ( 1 )-( n ). one or more of client computers 420 ( 1 )-( n ) and / or one or more of servers 410 ( 1 )-( n ) may be , for example , a computer system of any appropriate design , in general , including a mainframe , a mini - computer or a personal computer system . such a computer system typically includes a system unit having a system processor and associated volatile and non - volatile memory , one or more display monitors and keyboards , one or more diskette drives , one or more fixed disk storage devices and one or more printers . these computer systems are typically information handling systems which are designed to provide computing power to one or more users , either locally or remotely . such a computer system may also include one or a plurality of i / o devices ( i . e ., peripheral devices ) which are coupled to the system processor and which perform specialized functions . examples of i / o devices include modems , sound and video devices and specialized communication devices . mass storage devices such as hard disks , cd - rom drives and magneto - optical drives may also be provided , either as an integrated or peripheral device . one such example computer system , discussed in terms of client computers 420 ( 1 )-( n ) is shown in detail in fig5 . [ 0060 ] fig5 depicts a block diagram of a computer system 510 suitable for implementing the present invention , and example of one or more of client computers 420 ( 1 )-( n ). computer system 510 includes a bus 512 which interconnects major subsystems of computer system 510 such as a central processor 514 , a system memory 516 ( typically ram , but which may also include rom , flash ram , or the like ), an input / output controller 518 , an external audio device such as a speaker system 520 via an audio output interface 522 , an external device such as a display screen 524 via display adapter 526 , serial ports 528 and 530 , a keyboard 532 ( interfaced with a keyboard controller 533 ), a storage interface 534 , a floppy disk drive 536 operative to receive a floppy disk 538 , and a cd - rom drive 540 operative to receive a cd - rom 542 . also included are a mouse 546 ( or other point - and - click device , coupled to bus 512 via serial port 528 ), a modem 547 ( coupled to bus 512 via serial port 530 ) and a network interface 548 ( coupled directly to bus 512 ). bus 512 allows data communication between central processor 514 and system memory 516 , which may include both read only memory ( rom ) or flash memory ( neither shown ), and random access memory ( ram ) ( not shown ), as previously noted . the ram is generally the main memory into which the operating system and application programs are loaded and typically affords at least 66 megabytes of memory space . the rom or flash memory may contain , among other code , the basic input - output system ( bios ) which controls basic hardware operation such as the interaction with peripheral components . applications resident with computer system 510 are generally stored on and accessed via a computer readable medium , such as a hard disk drive ( e . g ., fixed disk 544 ), an optical drive ( e . g ., cd - rom drive 540 ), floppy disk unit 536 or other storage medium . additionally , applications may be in the form of electronic signals modulated in accordance with the application and data communication technology when accessed via network modem 547 or interface 548 . storage interface 534 , as with the other storage interfaces of computer system 510 , may connect to a standard computer readable medium for storage and / or retrieval of information , such as a fixed disk drive 544 . fixed disk drive 544 may be a part of computer system 510 or may be separate and accessed through other interface systems . many other devices can be connected such as a mouse 546 connected to bus 512 via serial port 528 , a modem 547 connected to bus 512 via serial port 530 and a network interface 548 connected directly to bus 512 . modem 547 may provide a direct connection to a remote server via a telephone link or to the internet via an internet service provider ( isp ). network interface 548 may provide a direct connection to a remote server via a direct network link to the internet via a pop ( point of presence ). network interface 548 may provide such connection using wireless techniques , including digital cellular telephone connection , cellular digital packet data ( cdpd ) connection , digital satellite data connection or the like . many other devices or subsystems ( not shown ) may be connected in a similar manner ( e . g ., bar code readers , document scanners , digital cameras and so on ). conversely , it is not necessary for all of the devices shown in fig5 to be present to practice the present invention . the devices and subsystems may be interconnected in different ways from that shown in fig5 . the operation of a computer system such as that shown in fig5 is readily known in the art and is not discussed in detail in this application . code to implement the present invention may be stored in computer - readable storage media such as one or more of system memory 516 , fixed disk 544 , cd - rom 542 , or floppy disk 538 . additionally , computer system 510 may be any kind of computing device , and so includes personal data assistants ( pdas ), network appliance , x - window terminal or other such computing device . the operating system provided on computer system 510 may be ms - dos ®, ms - windows ®, os / 2 ®, unix ®, linux ® or other known operating system . computer system 510 also supports a number of internet access tools , including , for example , an http - compliant web browser having a javascript interpreter , such as netscape navigator ® 8 . 0 , microsoft explorer ® 8 . 0 and the like . moreover , regarding the signals described herein , those skilled in the art will recognize that a signal may be directly transmitted from a first block to a second block , or a signal may be modified ( e . g ., amplified , attenuated , delayed , latched , buffered , inverted , filtered or otherwise modified ) between the blocks . although the signals of the above described embodiment are characterized as transmitted from one block to the next , other embodiments of the present invention may include modified signals in place of such directly transmitted signals as long as the informational and / or functional aspect of the signal is transmitted between blocks . to some extent , a signal input at a second block may be conceptualized as a second signal derived from a first signal output from a first block due to physical limitations of the circuitry involved ( e . g ., there will inevitably be some attenuation and delay ). therefore , as used herein , a second signal derived from a first signal includes the first signal or any modifications to the first signal , whether due to circuit limitations or due to passage through other circuit elements which do not change the informational and / or final functional aspect of the first signal . the foregoing described embodiment wherein the different components are contained within different other components ( e . g ., the various elements shown as components of computer system 510 ). it is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely examples , and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality . in an abstract , but still definite sense , any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “ associated ” such that the desired functionality is achieved . hence , any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “ associated with ” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved , irrespective of architectures or intermediate components . likewise , any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “ operably connected ”, or “ operably coupled ”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality . [ 0066 ] fig6 is a block diagram depicting a network 600 in which computer system 510 is coupled to an internetwork 610 , which is coupled , in turn , to client systems 620 and 630 , as well as a server 640 . internetwork 610 ( e . g ., the internet ) is also capable of coupling client systems 620 and 630 , and server 640 to one another . with reference to computer system 510 , modem 547 , network interface 548 or some other method can be used to provide connectivity from computer system 510 to internetwork 610 . computer system 510 , client system 620 and client system 630 are able to access information on server 640 using , for example , a web browser ( not shown ). such a web browser allows computer system 510 , as well as client systems 620 and 630 , to access data on server 640 representing the pages of a website hosted on server 640 . protocols for exchanging data via the internet are well known to those skilled in the art . although fig6 depicts the use of the internet for exchanging data , the present invention is not limited to the internet or any particular network - based environment . referring to fig4 and 6 , a browser running on computer system 510 employs a tcp / ip connection to pass a request to server 640 , which can run an http “ service ” ( e . g ., under the windows ® operating system ) or a “ daemon ” ( e . g ., under the unix ® operating system ), for example . such a request can be processed , for example , by contacting an http server employing a protocol that can be used to communicate between the http server and the client computer . the http server then responds to the protocol , typically by sending a “ web page ” formatted as an html file . the browser interprets the html file and may form a visual representation of the same using local resources ( e . g ., fonts and colors ). while particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that , based upon the teachings herein , changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and , therefore , the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention . furthermore , it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims .

6Physics

the present invention will now be further described by way of example and with reference to the figures which show : fig1 : antibody response of common carp against different isolates of a . hydrophila determined by elisa expressed as an absorbance at 450 nm . all sera were diluted 1 : 512 . fig2 : western blot analysis of different whole cell preparations of a . hydrophila against pooled serum from common carp infected with 6 different a . hydrophila isolates . lanes : ( 1 ) standard marker ; ( 2 ) t4 ; ( 3 ) 98141 ; ( 4 ) hh ; ( 5 ) vds ; ( 6 ) catla ; ( 7 ) c241i ; ( 8 ) 2d 2 o ; ( 9 ) 3d14 ; ( 10 ) 2n14 ; ( 11 ) 98140 ; ( 12 ) 98139 ; ( 13 ) b2 / 12 ; ( 14 ) f1d75 ; ( 15 ) calf . fig3 : western blot analysis of different preparations of 6 a . hydrophila isolates screened with serum raised against corresponding a . hydrophila isolates in common carp . ( a ) t4 , ( b ) 98141 , ( c ) hh , ( d ) vds , ( e ) catla , ( f ) c241i . lanes : ( 1 ) standard marker ; ( 2 ) wc in vitro ; ( 3 ) wc in vivo 25 kda ; ( 4 ) wc in vivo 100 kda ; ( 5 ) omp in vitro ; ( 6 ) omp in vivo 25 kda ; ( 7 ) omp in vivo 100 kda ; ( 8 ) ecp in vitro ; ( 9 ) ecp in vivo 25 kda ; ( 10 ) ecp in vivo 100 kda . fig4 : 2d western blot analysis of whole cell preparation of a . hydrophila t4 isolate screened with antibody from common carp infected with a . hydrophila t4 isolate . fig5 : cumulative percentage of goldfish mortality in preliminary vaccination trial fig6 : maldi - tof ms spectrum showing the peptide profiles of 50 kda band fig7 : nucleic ( seq id no : 1 ) and amino acid ( seq id no : 2 ) sequences of a . hydrophila s - layer protein signal peptide sequences are highlighted ( nucleic acid in green and amino acid in yellow ). fig8 : genomic sequences ( seq id nos 3 - 4 , respectively , in order of appearance ) of a . hydrophila isolate t4 bases different to that genome reported for the s - layer protein of a . hydrophila isolate tf7 by thomas and trust ( 1995a ) have been highlighted . fig9 : amplification of the s - layer gene of a . hydrophila isolate t4 shown on a 1 % agarose gel . lanes : ( 1 ) standard marker ; ( 2 ) s - layer protein gene ; ( 3 ) purified s - layer protein gene ; ( 4 ) pqe60 vector carrying s - layer protein gene . fig1 : expression of s - layer protein of a . hydrophila with e . coli wc protein . ( a ) 12 % sds - page stained with coomassie blue , ( b ) western blot of protein using an anti - histidine tag antibodies . lanes : ( 1 ) standard protein marker ; ( 2 ) wc preparation of recombinant e . coli without iptg induction ; ( 3 ) wc preparation of recombinant e . coli with iptg induction showing s - layer protein . fig1 : cumulative percentage mortality of carp vaccinated with recombinant s - layer protein and challenged with a . hydrophila isolates . ( a ) t4 , ( b ) hh , ( c ) 98140 , ( d ) 98141 , ( e ) vds , ( f ) b2 / 12 . four virulent strains ; t4 , 98141 , hh , vds and two avirulent strains ; catla and c241i of a . hydrophila were used ( table 1 ). common carp ( average weight 30 g ) were maintained in 6 separate glass tanks . the fish were anesthetized and injected intraperitoneally ( ip ) with 0 . 1 ml pbs containing 1 × 10 6 viable a . hydrophila . each strain was injected into 24 fish and an additional 24 fish were injected with phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ) as controls . after injection , the fish were supplied with re - circulating water that had been passed through a sedimentation tank , drum filter , biofilter and ultraviolet ( uv ) radiation . the temperature of the tank water was maintained at 20 ± 1 ° c . blood samples were taken 3 , 9 , 12 and 21 days post - injection and pre - injection bleeds were taken from six fish . blood was stored overnight at 4 ° c . and the serum collected by centrifuging at 2000 × g for 5 min . the serum was stored at − 20 ° c . until further analysis . western blot analysis was performed using fish anti - sera as per the method outlined by wiens et al . ( 1990 : with modifications ). western blot analysis was carried out for the 14 a . hydrophila isolates shown in table 1 using pooled common carp serum raised against six isolates of a . hydrophila strains ( t4 , 98141 , hh , vds , catla and c241i ). different preparations of the bacterium ( i . e . whole cell ( wc ), outer membrane protein ( omp ) and extracellular products ( ecp )) prepared from these 6 isolates of a . hydrophila grown either in vitro or in vivo were screened by western blot with each of the 6 anti - sera raised against different isolates of a . hydrophila . the bacterial preparations described above were subjected to 12 % sds - page and the resolved antigens transferred to nitrocellulose membranes (@ 60 v for 1 h ). the nitrocellulose membranes were blocked using 2 % ( w / v ) casein for 1 h at 20 - 22 ° c . the membranes were washed three times ( tris buffered saline containing 0 . 1 % ( v / v ) tween - 20 : ttbs / 5 min per wash ) and then incubated overnight in the common carp anti - serum diluted 1 / 10 in tris buffered saline ( tbs ). membranes were again washed and incubated with an anti - carp igm monoclonal antibody ( aquatic diagnostics ltd , stirling , uk ) for 2 h . the membranes were washed and incubated with anti - mouse igg - hrp ( sigma , missouri , usa ) for 1 h . the blots were developed by adding chromogen and substrate solution ( 2 ml of 4 - chloro - naphthol solution with 10 mls of pbs and 10 μl of h 2 o 2 ) until bands were observed . the antigenic profile of wc preparation of isolate t4 grown in vitro was screened using 2d sds - page and western blotting with anti - serum ( raised for t4 isolate ) from common carp . assessing the levels of protection of a 50 kda protein in goldfish against a . hydrophila challenge : preparation of the antigen . volumes ( 100 μl ) of sample were subjected to 12 % sds page . the gels were run for between 5 - 6 h at 250 v / 130 ma . on completion the 50 kda band was cut from the gel and finely chopped . these were placed in tubes containing 300 μl sds - page reservoir buffer a blotting paper disk and a porous polyethylene plug . the tip of the tube was cut and placed into a 1 . 5 ml centrifuge tube containing 300 μl of 4 × sds - page reservoir buffer . the tubes were then placed into an electroluter and subjected to 50 v at 0 . 5 ma and a reverse run at 50 v for 5 sec at the end . the eluted protein was collected and the reservoir buffer removed using a 10 , 000 mw cut - off spin concentrator . the concentration of protein was determined . the presence of the 50 kda protein was confirmed by sds - page and western blot . for preliminary vaccination , four goldfish weighing around 30 - 40 g were injected ip with 200 μl of suspension having 12 . 3 μg of 50 kda protein in 60 μl of pbs and 140 μl of montanide adjuvant . another four fish were also injected with pbs to serve as controls . all the fish were challenged with a . hydrophila 31 days post - vaccination and sacrificed 21 days after challenge as described above . samples were taken from their kidneys . the relative percentage survival ( rps ) was calculated using the following formula ( ellis , 1988 ). in addition , two goldfish weighing 30 - 40 g were injected ip with 200 μl , of antigen ( i . e . 12 . 3 μg 50 kda protein ) emulsified with freund &# 39 ; s complete adjuvant ( fca ). thirty four days later , both fish were re - vaccinated with the same suspension as described above except freund &# 39 ; s incomplete adjuvant was used in place of fca . seventeen days after the booster injection , blood was collected from one fish and the anti - serum collected . three goldfish weighing between 30 - 40 g were immunised by ip injection with 0 . 1 ml of goldfish sera raised against the 50 kda protein electro - eluted from a . hydrophila , and 3 fish were injected with control serum collected from non - vaccinated goldfish . after 24 h all the fish were challenged with 0 . 1 ml of 2 . 5 × 10 7 ml − 1 a . hydrophila t4 isolate in pbs by ip injection , but on the opposite side to the site where they had been injected with the antiserum ( lafrentz , 2003 ). kidney samples from fish which died during the experiment and surviving fish at day 21 post - challenge were streaked on tsa to confirm specific mortality . sequencing and identification of the 50 kda protein of a . hydrophila a whole cell preparation of a . hydrophila t4 isolate in sds - page sample buffer was prepared for sequencing and analysis of the 50 kda protein by maldi - tof ms . samples were in - gel reductively alkylated prior to staining with colloidal coomassie blue , then digested in 0 . 1 % of n - octyl glucoside / 20 mm ammonium bicarbonate plus 12 . 5 μg ml − 1 trypsin , and the sample ( 1 . 5 μl ) was spotted from the extract ( 30 μl ) after adding an equal volume of acetonitrile for performing maldi - tof ms analysis . recombinant protein was produced in order to have a sufficient quantity of protein for a large scale vaccination trial . all the recombinant protein work was conducted at the genomic laboratory , tokyo university of marine sciences and technology , japan . polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ) of a . hydrophila 50 kda protein gene specific primers were designed to amplify the full length of the 50 kda protein gene based on the sequence data for the s - layer gene of a . hydrophila published by thomas and trust ( 1995a : see fig8 ). restriction sites nco i and bgl ii were added to the forward and reverse primers respectively to assist its cloning into the expression vector pqe60 . the pcr was run for 32 cycles ( 95 ° c ./ 5 min ; denaturation for 95 ° c ./ 30 sec ; annealing at 55 ° c ./ 30 see ; elongation at 72 ° c ./ 1 min and a final elongation step at 72 ° c ./ 5 min ). the primers used were as follows : forward : acatgggagttaatctggacactggtgc ( seq id no : 5 ); reverse : gacttgtggtacttgcgtaagtctaga ( seq id no : 6 ), the pcr products were resolved by 1 % agarose gel electrophoresis and the dna was extracted using a dna purification kit . digestion of the pcr products and the pqe 60 vector ( qiagen ) were carried out overnight at 37 ° c . both pqe 60 vectors and pcr products were purified after the digestion process and ligated by mixing 2 μl of vector with 8 μl of pcr products and adding 10 μl ligation high ( cosmo bio co ltd , tokyo ) before incubating it overnight at 16 ° c . transformation of vectors carrying 50 kda protein gene into e . coli escherichia coli , m15 ( quiagen , tokyo , japan ) was transformed with pqe 60 vectors carrying the amplified 50 kda protein gene of a . hydrophila . expression of the recombinant 50 kda protein in e . coli the clones containing the 50 kda protein gene insert identified by pcr , were inoculated into lb broth containing ampicillin ( 100 μg ml − 1 ) and kanamycin ( 25 μg ml − 1 ), and incubated overnight at 37 ° c . recombinant protein expression was induced by addition of 1 mm isopropyl - β - thiogalactoside ( iptg ) for 4 h . for large scale production , positive clones were cultured in 50 ml of antibiotic supplemented lb broth overnight at 37 ° c . with vigorous shaking . this culture was transferred to 1 l fresh lb broth and cultured at 37 ° c . with vigorous shaking . recombinant protein expression was induced by adding 1 mm iptg . sequencing of the a . hydrophila t4 isolate 50 kda protein gene the whole 50 kda protein gene of a . hydrophila isolate t4 was sequenced at the genomic laboratory , tokyo university of marine sciences and technology . recombinant 50 kda protein of a . hydrophila diluted in pbs was mixed with montanide adjuvant at a ratio of 30 : 70 ( v / v ) to a final antigen concentration of 300 μg ml − 1 . buffer ( pbs ) mixed with the adjuvant was also prepared at the same ratio as the antigen to serve as a negative control . one hundred and fifty common carp ( 30 - 40 g ) were vaccinated by ip injection with 0 . 1 ml of the vaccine preparation , and another 150 fish were injected with the pbs adjuvant mixture . all the fish were maintained for 35 days in 1 × 1 m ( diameter × depth ) tanks with recirculating water before challenging with six different isolates of a . hydrophila . each of the six virulent isolates described above were used to challenge vaccinated fish . twenty vaccinated and 20 control fish were injected ip with each strain . the concentrations of the bacteria used in the challenge were 1 × 10 8 , 2 × 10 7 , 2 × 10 7 , 5 × 10 7 , 7 . 5 × 10 6 and 2 × 10 7 bacteria ml − 1 for t4 , 98140 , 98141 , hh , b2 / 12 and vds respectively . all 40 fish within each group were placed in separate glass tank ( 90 cm length × 47 cm height × 40 cm depth ) with aeration and recirculating water . the fish were maintained for 16 days post - challenge and dead fish were removed 3 times a day . samples from the kidney of dead fish and also from surviving fish at the end of the experiment on day 16 post - challenge were streaked onto tsa . the results obtained were statically analysed using chi - square test for survival , comparing the mortality of vaccinated fish with the control group fish after challenging with bacteria . antibody response of common carp infected with different isolates of a . hydrophila the antibody levels increased after day 9 and a positive response was observed on day 12 post - infection with all the isolates , except for isolate 98141 . by day 21 post - infection , this response had increased for all the isolates , with the highest antibody response recorded against isolate t4 ( fig1 ). the wc preparations of a . hydrophila isolates grown in vitro , screened by western blot with the anti - sera from infected common carp , exhibited a distribution of bands between 20 and 160 kda ( fig2 ). carp antibodies bound to antigens ranging from 30 - 50 kda for 3 of the virulent isolates , t4 , hh and b2 / 12 . except for isolate 2d20 , one band was observed at approximately 50 kda . the antibody response against wc , omp and ecp preparations of a . hydrophila grown in vitro and in vivo , showed similar profiles among isolates t4 , 98141 and hh ( fig3 ). with all the virulent isolates ( t4 , hh , 98141 and vds ), a band was evident at around 50 kda in wc and omp preparations . this band was also present in ecp preparations from in vitro cultured bacteria . the omp preparations from isolate vds grown in vitro showed 6 bands between 25 and 50 kda . a band at 50 kda was observed in wc and omp preparations of isolate catla grown in vitro . a band at around 50 kda was seen in both wc and omp preparations from isolate c241i grown in vitro and in vivo . six bands were seen between 35 and 100 kda with ecp preparations from bacteria grown in mw cut - off tubes but the bands were weakly stained in the case of bacteria grown in the 100 mw cut off tube . the 2d western blot for a . hydrophila t4 isolate using the antibody raised against the isolate in common carp expressed three spots at approximately 50 kda with pi values between 5 and 5 . 7 ( fig4 ). vaccination and passive immunisation of goldfish with an electro - eluted 50 kda protein from a . hydrophila in the vaccination experiment , two control and one vaccinated fish died due to unknown causes before challenging them with a . hydrophila isolate t4 . the two fish remaining in the control group died on day one and day 4 post - challenge ( fig6 ). one fish from the vaccinated group was also sacrificed one week post - challenge as it was suffering from a severe lesion and a . hydrophila was isolated from swabs taken from the lesion and kidney of the sacrificed fish . the remaining two fish in the vaccinated group were healthy and sacrificed at the end of the experiment , at 21 days post - challenge . all kidney swabs taken from dead fish were positive for a . hydrophila while the samples taken from two vaccinated fish at the end of experiment were negative . though the numbers of fish used in the experiment were low , the rps value was 66 . 7 %. the fish serum raised against the 50 kda protein of a . hydrophila used to passively immunise fish , had a titre of 1 / 16 . in the trial , one fish from the control group died two days post - infection and the presence of a . hydrophila in its kidney was confirmed using an api 20e strip . no other fish died and no kidneys were positive for the bacteria when remaining fish were sampled at the end of the trial on day 21 . maldi - tof sequence of the 50 kda protein from a . hydrophila after maldi - tof analysis and sequencing , the 50 kda protein of a . hydrophila isolate t4 was identified as a 47 . 6 kda s - layer protein ( fig7 and fig9 ). six bases were found to be different in the whole s - layer genome of a . hydrophila t4 isolate ( fig9 ) compared with the s - layer genome sequence of isolate tf7 reported by thomas and trust ( 1995a : fig8 ). the amino acid sequence shown in fig8 was obtained from the ncbi database . production of a recombinant protein for the s - layer of a . hydrophila isolate t4 bands at 1353 by on the 1 % ( w / v ) agrose gel verified that the amplification of s - layer genomic dna was successful ( fig1 ). after transformation of vectors into e . coli cells , the presence of the s - layer genome in e . coli was confirmed by pcr ( fig1 a ) and western blot ( fig1 b ). all six strains t4 , 98140 , 98141 , hh , b2 / 12 and vds were passaged twice through common carp and the bacteria were successfully recovered from both passages . during the first passage , no mortalities occurred in any of the groups of fish , while most fish died upon passaging the bacterium a second time with all strains except t4 . the values obtained in the preliminary challenge experiment in which the ld 50 dose for each strain was determined are given in table 2 . in fish challenged with isolate t4 , 75 % of control and 10 % of vaccinated fish died . a high percentage of mortalities were recorded in control fish challenged with isolate t4 compared with fish challenged with the other isolates of a . hydrophila . fifteen percent of the control group died by the first day post - challenge and 25 % had died by day 2 post - challenge . the levels of mortality decreased to 10 % by day 3 post - challenge and thereafter it varied between 5 and 10 % until the mortalities stopped by day 8 post - challenge . the mortality in the vaccinated group was 5 % on day 1 post - challenge and another 5 % had died by day 5 ( fig1 a ). a relatively high percentage survival ( rps ) value ( 87 %) was found with isolate t4 compared with other isolates ( table 3 ). mortality of 5 % was noted in the control group challenged with isolate hh on day 1 post - challenge . however , the mortality increased to 20 % by day 2 , 15 % occurred on day 5 and 10 % on day 6 . the remainder of mortalities ( i . e . 15 %) were distributed over the period after day 7 . in the vaccinated group , 5 % of mortalities were recorded on the first and third day post - challenge ( fig1 b ). the second highest rps value ( 85 %) in the trial was observed with this isolate . fifty - percentage mortality was seen with the control group challenged with isolate 98140 . thirty percent died in the control group during the first two days post - challenge and remainder died over the course of the experiment ( 16 days post - challenge ). five percent mortality was recorded in the vaccinated group during the first two days post - challenge , and no further mortalities occurred in this group leading to an 80 % rps value for this isolate ( fig1 c ). in the control group challenged with isolate 98141 , 25 % of mortality occurred over the first two days of the experiment and thereafter 15 % mortalities occurred . the mortality with the vaccinated group was similar to that of the mortality recorded with vaccinated group challenged with isolate 98140 ( fig1 d ). an rps value of 75 % was recorded with this isolate . the control group challenged with isolate vds experienced a 10 % mortality on day 1 , day 2 and day 5 post - challenge , while 5 % mortalities occurred on the third and sixth day post - challenge ( fig1 e ). a total of 15 % mortality occurred in the vaccinated group distributed over day 2 , 3 and 5 post - challenge . the rps value with this isolate was 62 . 5 %. percentage mortality in the control group rose to 30 % during the first two days after challenging the fish with isolate b2 / 12 . another 15 % mortality occurred in this group over the remainder of the experiment . the highest percentage mortality amongst vaccinated fish was recorded in the group challenged with b2 / 12 . ten percent mortality was observed in this group on the next day post - challenge and 5 % of mortality occurred on the second day and the third day post - challenge ( fig1 f ). the rps value was low ( 56 %) with this isolate compared to other isolates . all the fish that died during the experiment showed the presence of a . hydrophila in their kidneys . in contrast , a . hydrophila was not cultured from kidney swabs taken from the surviving fish except very few colonies from one fish in the vaccinated group challenged with isolate 98140 and one fish in the control group challenged with isolate 98141 . statistical analysis revealed that survival against isolates t4 , 98140 , 98141 and hh were significant in vaccinated fish compared to control fish , while levels of survival were not statistically significant for isolates b2 / 12 and vds ( table 3 ). in this study , common carp were infected with a . hydrophila and the anti - sera produced were used to identify immunogenic components of the bacterium . the different a . hydrophila isolates examined elicited a variety of responses in common carp , as determined by elisa . an increase in antibody response against a . hydrophila was seen after day 9 post - infection for all the isolates except one ( 98141 ). antibody response peaked on day 12 post - infection for two isolates ( hh and catla ) and on day 21 post - infection for three isolates ( t4 , vds and c241i ). the antibody response of common carp did not show any differentiation between virulent and avirulent isolates of a . hydrophila . this may be due to differences in the ability of the immune system of the host to respond to foreign agents . western blot analysis using the anti - sera produced on day 21 post - infection , against different strains of a . hydrophila , showed differences in the profiles between the isolates . however , when pooled sera ( from common carp infected with 6 different isolates ) were used to examine the response against the 14 isolates of a . hydrophila ( described in table 1 ), a band at around 50 kda was observed in all the isolates grown in vitro , except for isolate 2d 2 o . moreover , bands from 30 - 50 kda were stained in the profiles of 3 of the virulent isolates , t4 , hh and b2 / 12 grown in vitro . a band at around 50 kda was seen with all the preparations ( wc , omp , ecp ) from the virulent isolates grown both in vitro and in vivo compared with avirulent isolates , with the exception of the ecp from bacteria grown in vivo . the 2d western blot analysis of a . hydrophila ( t4 isolate ) wc revealed 3 spots at approximately 50 kda between 5 and 5 . 7 μl range when serum raised against t4 isolates was used . the results of the 1d and 2d western blot analysis suggest that a molecule at approximately 50 kda ( ranging between 47 and 51 kda ) might be one of the major immunogenic components of a . hydrophila . the 50 kda protein of a . hydrophila was considered to be the most immunogenic and most homogenous protein , recognised on each of the a . hydrophila isolates examined . the 50 kda protein conferred protection in goldfish against a . hydrophila in the direct immunisation trial . after maldi - tof ms sequencing , six bases were found to be different in the whole s - layer genome of a . hydrophila t4 isolate ( fig9 ) compared with the s - layer genome sequence of isolate tf7 reported by thomas and trust ( 1995a : fig8 ). this in turn could result with changes in 4 amino acids in the s - layer protein of a . hydrophila isolate t4 compared with s - layer amino acid sequence reported for isolate tf7 . a recombinant s - layer protein of a . hydrophila was produced to confirm the protection efficacy of this protein in common carp against different isolates of a . hydrophila . the recombinant s - layer protein proved reactive in western blot analysis against anti - a . hydrophila t4 common carp serum and it was used to vaccinate a number of fish . these fish were then challenged with a range of different a . hydrophila isolates . high mortality rate was observed both in the vaccinated and control group within two days post - challenge compared with the mortality from day 3 post - challenge as described in fig4 . 8 . the protection elicited by the s - layer protein in vaccinated fish indicates a potential role for this protein in the virulence of a . hydrophila . the s - layer protein antigen of a . hydrophila appears to have conferred protection against the different isolates of a . hydrophila tested , although the rps values of carp did vary between the different challenge isolates . no mortalities occurred in any of the groups of fish after day 11 post - challenge in the vaccination trial described in this chapter . moreover , no colonies of a . hydrophila grew from the kidney swabs taken from surviving fish at the end of experiment except for two fish . this suggests that most of the surviving fish in the control group had cleared the bacterium through their own immune response , as fish can produce an antibody response against different components of bacterium and clear the bacteria in blood circulatory system within seven days post - infection ( leung and stevenson , 1988b ; chandran et al ., 2002b ). asha a ., nayak d . k ., shankar k . m . and mohan c . v . ( 2004 ) antigen expression in biofilm cells of aeromonas hydrophila employed in oral vaccination of fish . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 16 , 429 - 436 . azad i . s ., shankar k . m ., mohan c . v . and kalita b . ( 1999 ) biofilm vaccine of aeromonas hydrophila - standardization of dose and duration for oral vaccination of carps . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 9 , 519 - 528 . azad i . s ., shankar k . m ., mohan c . v . and kalita b . ( 2000a ) uptake and processing of biofilm and free - cell vaccines of aeromonas hydrophila in indian major carps and common carp following oral vaccination - antigen localization by a monoclonal antibody . diseases of aquatic organisms 43 , 103 - 108 . baba t ., imamura j ., izawa k . and ikeda k . ( 1988a ) cell - mediated protection in carp , cyprinus carpio l ., against aeromonas hydrophila . journal of fish diseases 11 , 171 - 178 . baba t ., imamura j ., izawa k . and ikeda k . ( 1988b ) immune protection in carp , cyprinus carpio l ., after immunization with aeromonas hydrophila crude lipopolysaccharide . journal of fish diseases 11 , 237 - 244 . chandran m . r ., aruna b . v ., logambal s . m . and dinakaran m . r . ( 2002b ) immunisation of indian major carps against aeromonas hydrophila by intraperitoneal injection . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 13 , 1 - 9 . chandran m . r ., aruna b . v ., logambal s . m . and michael r . d . ( 2002a ) field immunization of indian major carps against aeromonas hydrophila by dooley j . s . g ., lallier r . and trust t . j . ( 1986 ) surface antigens of virulent strains of aeromonas hydrophila . veterinary immunology and immunopathology 12 , 339 - 344 . ellis a . e . ( 1988 ) general principles of fish vaccination . in : fish vaccination ( ed . by ellis a . e . ), academic press , london , pp . 2031 . esteve c ., amaro c ., garay e ., santos y . and toranzo a . e . ( 1995 ) pathogenicity of live bacteria and extracellular products of motile aeromonas isolated from eels . journal of applied bacteriology 78 , 555 - 562 . fang h . m ., ge r . and sin y . m . ( 2004 ) cloning , characterisation and expression of aeromonas hydrophila major adhesin . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 16 , 645 - 658 . janda j . m ., guthertz l . s ., kokka r . p . and shimada t . ( 1994b ) aeromonas species in septicemia : laboratory characteristics and clinical observations . clinical infectious diseases 19 , 77 - 83 . khashe s ., hill w . and janda j . m . ( 1996 ) characterization of aeromonas hydrophila strains of clinical , animal , and environmental origin expressing the o : 34 antigen . current microbiology 33 , 104 - 108 . kusuda r ., chen c . and kawai k . ( 1987 ) changes in the agglutinating antibody titre and serum protein composition of colored carp after immunization with aeromonas hydrophila . fish pathology 22 , 141 - 146 . lafrentz b . r ., lapatra s . e ., jones g . r . and cain k . d . ( 2003 ) passive immunisation of rainbow trout , oncorhynchus mykiss ( walbaum ), aganist flavobacterium psychrophilum , the causative agent of bacterial coldwater disease and rainbow trout fry syndrome . journal of fish diseases 26 , 377 - 384 . lamers c . h . j ., de haas m . j . h . and van muiswinkel w . b . ( 1985 ) the reaction of the immune system of fish to vaccination : development of immunological memory in carp , cyprinus carpio l ., following direct immersion in aeromonas hydrophila bacterin . journal of fish diseases 8 , 253 - 262 . leung k . y . and stevenson r . m . w . ( 1988b ) tn5 - induced protease - deficient strains of aeromonas hydrophila with reduced virulence for fish . infection and immunity 56 , 2639 - 2644 . leung k . y ., wong l . s ., low k . w . and sin y . m . ( 1997 ) mini - tn5 induced growth - and protease - deficient mutants of aeromonas hydrophila as live vaccines for blue gourami , trichogaster trichopterus ( pallas ). aquaculture 158 , 11 - 22 . leung k . y ., yeap l v ., lam t . j . and sin y . m . ( 1995 ) serum resistance as a good indicator for virulence in aeromonas hydrophila strains isolated from diseased fish in south - east asia . journal of fish diseases 18 , 511 - 518 . loghothetis p . n . and austin b . ( 1994 ) immune response of rainbow trout ( oncorhynchus mykiss , walbaum ) to aeromonas hydrophila . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 4 , 239 - 254 . loghothetis p . n . and austin b . ( 1996b ) antibody responses of rainbow trout ( oncorhynchus mykiss , walbaum ) to live aeromonas hydrophila as assessed by various antigen preparations . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 6 , 455 - 464 . majumdar t ., ghosh d ., datta s ., sahoo c ., pal j . and mazumder s . ( 2006 ) an attenuated plasmid - cured strain of aeromonas hydrophila elicits protective immunity in clarias batrachus l . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology in press . moral c . h ., del castillo e . f ., fierro p . l ., cortes a . v ., castillo j . a ., soriano a . c ., salazar m . s ., peralta b . r . and carrasco g . n . ( 1998 ) molecular characterization of the aeromonas hydrophila aroa gene and potential use of an auxotrophic aroa mutant as a live attenuated vaccine . infection and immunity 66 , 1813 - 1821 . munn c . b . ( 1994 ) the use of recombinant dna technology in the development of fish vaccines . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 4 , 459 - 473 . nayak d . k ., asha a ., shankar k . m . and mohan c . v . ( 2004b ) evaluation of biofilm of aeromonas hydrophila for oral vaccination of clarias batrachus - a carnivore model . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 16 , 613 - 619 . newman s . g . ( 1993 ) bacterial vaccines for fish . annual review of fish diseases 3 , 145 - 185 . olivier , g ., lallier , r . and lariviere , s . ( 1981 ) a toxigenic profile of aeromonas hydrophila and aeromonas sobria isolated from fish . canadian journal of microbiology 27 , 330 - 333 . rahman m . h . and kawai k . ( 2000 ) outer membrane proteins of aeromonas hydrophila induce protective immunity in goldfish . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 10 , 379 - 382 . sakazaki r . and shimada t . ( 1984 ) o - serogrouping scheme for mesophilic aeromonas strains . japanese journal of medical science and biology 37 , 247 - 255 . shotts e . b ., gaines j . l ., martin l . and prestwood a . k . ( 1972 ) aeromonas - induced deaths among fish and reptiles in an eutrophic inlands lake . journal of the american veterinary medical association 161 , 603 - 607 . stevenson r . m . w . ( 1988 ) vaccination against aeromonas hydrophila . in : fish vaccination ( ed . by ellis a . e . ), academic press , new york , pp . 112 - 123 . thomas s . r . and trust t . j . ( 1995a ) tyrosine phosphorylation of the tetragonal paracrystalline array of aeromonas hydrophila : molecular cloning and high - level expression of the s - layer protein gene . journal of molecular biology 245 , 568 - 581 . vivas j ., riano j ., carracedo b ., razquin b . e ., lopez - fierro p ., naharro g . and villena a . j . ( 2004b ) the auxotrophic aroa mutant of aeromonas hydrophila as a live attenuated vaccine against a . salmonicida infections in rainbow trout ( oncorhynchus mykiss ). fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 16 , 193 - 206 . vivas j ., carracedo b ., riano j ., razquin b . e ., lopez - fierro p ., acosta f ., naharro g . and villena a . j . ( 2004c ) behavior of an aeromonas hydrophila aroa live vaccine in water microcosms . applied and environmental microbiology 70 , 2702 - 2708 . vivas j ., razquin b ., lopez - fierro p . and villena a . j . ( 2005 ) modulation of the immune response to an aeromonas hydrophila aroa live vaccine in rainbow trout : effect of culture media on the humoral immune response and complement consumption . fish & amp ; shellfish immunology 18 , 223 - 233 .

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

the following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings . although the description includes exemplary embodiments , other embodiments are possible , and changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts . the present invention discloses a hole saw boss 10 including a threaded member 12 adapted to accommodate two hole saws . moreover , member 12 may be adapted to include a first threaded section 14 and a second threaded section 16 of stepped down diameter , an arrangement that allows for hole saws with differing bore thread diameters to be connected thereto . in both cases , threaded member 12 is adapted to engage both an outer hole saw 18 and an inner hole saw 20 respectively of different diameter cutting sizes . when the diametric enlargement of an existing aperture 22 in a work piece 24 is required , the inner hole saw 20 seeks to minimise any unfavourable lateral movement of the outer hole saw 18 during initial contact with the work piece surface 26 , since it protrudes beyond the outer hole saw 18 . illustrated in fig1 and 2 is a hole saw assembly utilising a hole saw boss the subject of the present invention . for details of the hole saw assembly the reader is referred to applicants international patent application pct / au02 / 01296 whose content is incorporated by reference herein . fig1 illustrates an exploded view of a hole saw assembly including the boss 10 of the present invention . the hole saw assembly 28 includes a shank 30 , a mandrel 32 ( or driving means ), a drill bit 33 , and an annulus 34 ( or locking ring ) that locks the boss 10 to the mandrel 32 . fig2 - 6 illustrates the alternate configuration of boss 10 which can be incorporated into the same hole saw assembly 28 . a work piece 24 includes an existing aperture 22 required to be enlarged while dotted line 36 forms an invisible circle perimeter to which enlargement of the aperture 22 is required to extend . using either configuration , the invention allows for a more accurate enlargement of the existing aperture 22 in that the inner hole saw 20 extends a greater distance longitudinally than the outer hole saw 18 and fits snugly within the aperture 22 , thereby acting as a guide or pilot for the outer hole saw 18 . it is the contact between the outer surface 38 of the inner hole saw cylinder with the inner surface 40 of the aperture 22 that minimises the risk of the outer hole saw 18 unfavourably moving as it makes contact with the work piece surface 26 . if it were not for the inner hole saw 20 , the rotating motion of the outer hole saw 18 would cause it to gyrate as soon as it makes contact with the work piece surface 26 . the first configuration of boss 10 shown in fig1 simply includes a single diameter threaded member 12 to which firstly the outer 18 and secondly the inner 20 hole saw are screwed , the two hole saws being of different cutting diameter so that one can fit within the other . boss 10 of the second configuration shown in fig2 - 6 engages the outer hole saw 18 with a first threaded section 14 . longitudinally extending from the first threaded section 14 is a second threaded section 16 of stepped down diameter adapted to engage the inner hole saw 20 . it is to be understood that in both configurations , the threaded section 14 is fixedly attached to a base member 42 , which is adapted to fit to the mandrel 32 using connection means 44 and 46 locked by annulus 34 . furthermore , a central aperture 47 through boss 10 allows drill bit 33 to protrude there through . the second configuration including a second threaded section 16 of stepped down diameter is provided to accommodate typical hole saws that engage with one of two boss thread sizes , a smaller thread size ( typically ½ ″) or a larger thread size ( typically ⅝ ″). these cover a wide range of hole saw diameters from relatively small hole saws to larger hole saws . preferably , the threaded sections 14 and 16 are shaped correspondingly to engage these industry standard threads , however , the boss of the invention should not be limited to these sizes as it could well be used for other functions incorporating thread sizes of a different magnitude . for example , the first threaded section 14 could be used to engage a buffing or grinding wheel ( not shown ) while the second threaded section 16 could be used to engage a locking bolt ( not shown ) or the like . threaded sections for this operation may well differ from those used in a typical hole saw operation . it is to be also understood that the connection means referred to in this invention need not limit the connection means used , for example , the boss 10 may simply be screwed onto the mandrel 32 whereby both mandrel 32 and base member 42 include engageable threads . furthermore , any member adapted to be screwed may include flat surfaces adapted to be engaged by a spanner or the like for screwing and unscrewing of the member . it should be further understood that the lengths of sections 14 and 16 of threaded member 12 are such that two different sized hole saws may well engage only one of the sections . this would occur , for example , when the diameter of the required enlargement perimeter 36 is only slightly larger than that of the existing aperture 22 and therefore hole saws of relatively similar sizes are used . it should now be apparent to those skilled in the art that the use of either of the two configurations of the boss of the present invention in a hole saw assembly , allows the user of such an assembly , when faced with wanting to enlarge a hole on a work piece to simply reach into their toolbox , pick up two hole saws of the same or different size , screw them onto the boss and proceed with drilling . the invention does away with the need to manually enlarge a hole in a work piece . it further eliminates the need to replace the boss when a hole saw of differing bore size needs to be used and it achieves this by including different sized threads on the one boss . in a further embodiment the hole saw assembly 28 includes drive pins 50 and 52 as illustrated in fig7 . the drive pins 50 and 52 are configured to fit within the pre - existing apertures 54 and 56 of the hole saw 18 . these pre - existing aperture 54 and 56 are a feature of all hole saws and are used to engage older hole saw mandrels . the drive pins 50 and 52 engage recesses 58 and 60 on the base member 42 respectively , as illustrated in fig8 . alternately , a single drive pin could be used . in this way the hole saw 18 is prevented from over tightening on the threaded member 12 . over tightening can occur when a large hole saw is used on machinery . if drive pines are not used the gears of the machinery can tighten the hole saw 18 onto the threaded member 12 is such as way that the hole saw 18 is difficult to remove from the threaded member 12 . it is then necessary to remove the hole saw boss 10 from the machinery and forcibly disengage the hole saw 18 . in some cases the thread of the treaded member 12 may even be stripped thereby damaging the hole saw boss 10 . the drive pins 50 and 52 therefore bear the load and prevent the hole saw 18 tightening onto the boss 10 . the risk of damage to the threaded member 12 is thereby reduced whilst ensuring that the hole saw 18 can be rapidly engaged and disengaged from the hole saw boss 10 . as further illustrated in fig8 , the drive pins 50 and 52 are held in place during operation of the hole saw assembly 28 by the mandrel 32 . however , when the mandrel 32 is disengaged from the hole saw boss 12 , as illustrated in fig9 , the drive pins 50 and 52 are no longer restrained within apertures 54 and 56 . the drive pins 50 and 52 therefore have the potential to be lost during removal of the hole saw 18 . thus it may be desirable that the drive pins 50 and 52 are magnetised so they are restrained within the aperture 54 and 56 even when the mandrel 32 is disengaged . the reader should however appreciate that the present invention is not limited this particular configuration nor to the use of magnetised drive pins . it is important that the drive pins 50 and 52 do not interfere with the operation of the hole saw assembly 28 if more than one hole saw is located on the threaded member 12 . therefore , as illustrated in fig1 the drive pins engage the aperture 50 and 52 in such as way that they do not protrude excessively into the cavity 62 of the hole saw 18 . this ensures that the ends of the drive pins 50 and 52 do not interfere if a second hole saw ( not shown ) is attached to the threaded member 12 . alternatively , the drive pins could be configured to engage both of the hole saws . as the skilled addressee will now appreciated the embodiment that incorporates at least one drive pin allows the hole saw boss of the present invention to be used in conjunction with large hole saws on industrial machinery . the use of the drive pins prevents the hole saw 18 from being over tightened onto the boss or damaging the boss by stripping the thread . further advantages and improvements may very well be made to the present invention without deviating from its scope . although the invention has been shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope and spirit of the invention , which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus .

8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology

the invention is a method of preparing microencapsulated therapeutic and diagnostic agents in discrete nonaggregated particles suitable for diagnostic radiologic studies and therapeutic use in humans . the novel microcapsules of the invention are useful for selective targeting in vivo because of the modified surface characteristics . in one aspect , the invention is the preparation of hydrophilic microcapsules to which a wide variety of drugs may be attached and which target to sites other than the liver . the method also relates to the preparation of 1 μm particles for intravenous and intra - arterial administration as well as 100 μm particles for intra - arterial use . in other aspects of the invention , cells in the body are specifically targeted with drugs microencapsulated in polymeric material whose surface properties are modified by conjugation with an amino acid . the microcapsules may be conjugated or used to encapsulate targeting agents which bind to specific body cell receptors , including steroids , antibodies and the like . poly ( benzyl - l - glutamate ) of two average molecular weights ( mw 58 , 000 and 43 , 000 ) was obtained from sigma chemical co . ( st . louis , mo .). poly -( d , l )-( lactic acid ), was obtained from polysciences , inc . ( warrington , pa .). cisplatin and estrone were also supplied by sigma as powders of unspecified size . to prepare cisplatin - containing microcapsules , the cisplatin crystals were ground manually with a pestle in a mortar to an average size of about 3 μm . polyvinyl alcohol ( mw 30 , 000 - 70 , 000 ) was obtained from sigma and used as an emulsifier as received . chempure ™ methylene chloride solvent supplied by curtin matheson scientific , inc . ( houston , tex . ), was used without further purification . iopanoic acid was purchased from sigma and converted to ethyliopanoate for radiolabeling . radiotracer : [ 131 i ] sodium iodide ( specific activity 7 . 75 ci / mg , 680 mci / ml ) was obtained from dupont new england nuclear ( boston , mass .). rats : female rats weighing 100 - 125 g were purchased from harlan sprague - dawley , inc . ( indianapolis , ind .). drug - loaded capsules were produced by the solvent - evaporation procedure according to example 1 . various amounts of cisplatin and poly ( benzyl - l - glutamate ) were dispersed in methylene chloride depending on the drug - to - polymer ratio desired . the cisplatin : pblg ratios were 2 : 1 ( 0 . 8 g : 0 . 4 g ), 1 : 1 ( 0 . 5 g : 0 . 5 g ), 1 : 1 . 5 ( 0 . 33 g : 0 . 5 g ), and 1 : 2 ( 0 . 4 g : 0 . 8 g ). the cisplatin crystals were ground with a mortar and pestle for 5 minutes before being weighed . the appropriate amounts of drug and polymer were then stirred for 20 minutes or more in 5 - 20 ml of methylene chloride . this organic phase was emulsified in 250 ml of water containing 2 % ( w / v ) polyvinyl alcohol spun at 350 rpm . the resulting mixture was stirred for 5 hours at room temperature ( 24 ° c .) to ensure complete evaporation of the solvent . the contents of the beaker were then poured through a buchner funnel under suction . the microcapsules remaining on the filter paper were washed with 250 ml of water to remove the emulsifier . cisplatin crystals were left on the filter to air dry . microcapsules were collected using a sieve to separate the 100 - 200 μm fraction . ten milligrams of each batch of capsules was dissolved in 5 ml of n , n - dimethylformamide ( fisher scientific co ., fiar law , n . j .). the amount of cisplatin in the resulting solution was determined using a perkin elmer model 55 ultraviolet spectrophotometer ( coleman instruments division , oakbrook , ill .) at 310 nm . a standard curve was produced using the same procedure by adding a known amount of pure cisplatin ( 5 mg ). experiments were performed in triplicate . the drug content was calculated as a percentage of the total weight of the capsule . because of variations in the yield of each batch of capsules after sieving , release rates were run in triplicate . thirty milligrams of capsules were weighted into vacutainer brand evacuated blood collection tubes , 10 ml draw ( becton dickinson vacutainer systems , rutherfored , n . j . ), and 5 ml of dulbecco &# 39 ; s phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ) without calcium or magnesium ( sigma chemical co .) was added . initially , the tubes were inverted several times to ensure contact of the capsules to the pbs ( ph 7 . 4 ). the test tubes were immersed in a water bath at 37 ° c . and shaken on a water bath . tubes were periodically centrifuged at 2500 rpms for 5 minutes and 3 ml of the pbs drawn off and analyzed using ultraviolet spectrophotometry . the remaining 2 ml of solution was removed and 5 ml of fresh pbs added for each measurement . tubes were inverted several times before returning to the shaker bath . the effects of centrifugation on capsule morphology were examined using cross - sections of capsules centrifuged for six 5 - minute intervals . surface characteristics of the microcapsules were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope . one micrometer cross sections of the capsules were obtained and embedded in epon , a medcast resin ( ted pella , inc ., redding , calif . ), cast in beem imbedding capsules ( ted pella ), and cut on a microtome . cross sections were photographed with an axiovert 405m inverted photomicroscope ( zeiss , germany ) equipped with a long distance condenser for differential - interference contrast and a 35 mm camera . 2 g ( 3 . 5 mmol ) of iopanoic acid was dissolved in 50 ml absolute ethanol , and 0 . 4 ml ( 5 , 25 mmol ) thionyl chloride was added . the reaction was refluxed for 3 hours . after cooling , the reaction mixture was evaporated and reconstituted in 100 ml methylene chloride . the organic mixture was washed twice with 25 ml 5 % naoh and twice with 25 ml water . the methylene chloride layer was dried over mgso 4 and evaporated to dryness , yielding 1 . 73 g of ethyliopanoate ( 82 . 4 %). the structure was provided by 1 h nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry ( m + 599 ). the radioisotope exchange reaction was carried out using a known procedure with some modification ( zupon , et al ., 1983 ; kroschwitz , 1989 ). briefly , 10 mg of the ester and 0 . 3 ml of tetrahydrofuran were placed in a vial and treated with 1 . 6 mci of [ 131 i ] sodium iodide ( in 100 μl of 0 . 1m sodium borate buffer ). pivalic acid ( 25 mg ) was then added . the reaction vial was sealed and heated at 150 ° c . for 1 . 5 hours . the vial was cooled and the ethyliopanoate reconstituted in methylene chloride ( 0 . 1 ml ) and chromatographed on a silica gel column with methylene chloride / methanol ( 9 : 1 ) as the eluent . this yielded 0 . 54 mci ethyliopanoate ( 34 %). radiochemical purity was determined by co - chromatography on a silica gel plate eluted with methylene chloride methanol ( 9 : 1 ); unlabeled ester served as the standard , with a retardation factor of 0 . 80 . pblg and estrone - pblg microcapsules loaded with [ 131 i ] ethyliopanoate ( 5 . 7 μci in 0 . 6 ml of water ) were administered to rats in the tail vein . rats ( n = 3 / group ) were sacrificed at 1 , 3 , 6 , and 24 hours after injection . the percentage of injected dose in an organ or tissue was determined by a gamma counter . positron emission tomography ( pet ) imaging was performed on four domestic female pigs ( 30 lb ) with a positron camera ( positron corp ., houston , tex .). a 20 - minute attenuation scan was performed with a 4 - mci 68 ge - ring source prior to tracer injection . after each pig received 10 mci of 18 f - labelled tamoxifen , eight consecutive 10 - minute scans were performed employing a 5 - minute wait between scans for data transfer . total counts collected per scan was 15 - 30 million . serial transaxial images of the pelvic region enabled viewing of the uterus . the tomograph has a field of view of 42 cm on the transverse plane and 12 cm on the coronal plane . the axial resolution on the reconstructed plane is 1 . 2 cm . twenty - one transaxial slices separated by 5 . 2 mm were reconstructed for each scan . each pig was supine in the scanner to allow the detector rings to span the entire pelvic region . prior to scanning , the position of the uterus and ovaries was determined by hysterosalpingography . fifteen milliliters of radiopaque ( renografin 76 , squibb diagnostic , new brunswick , n . j .) was injected through the vagina into the uterus through a 5 fr catheter whose balloon was inflated by 1 ml of air . radiographs of the pelvis in the anterior - posterior position were taken . the location of the uterus was marked permanently on the skin of each pig for consistent positioning in the pet camera . the same positioning was used in subsequent scanning . to demonstrate that the estrone - pblg uptake in the uterus and ovaries was effected by estrogen receptors , a pig was given estrone - pblg ( 200 mg ) empty capsules 30 minutes before intravenous injection of the [ 18 f ]- labelled tamoxifen ( yang , et al ., 1991 ) cisplatin - containing capsules of 100 - 200 μm prepared by the process described herein were appropriate for in vivo use as determined by gas chromatography , mass spectrometry with a mass selective detector . the amount of residual methylene chloride in the capsules was less than 0 . 2 ppm . scanning electron microscopy showed that almost all the drug was encapsulated , regardless of the drug - to - polymer ratio . all the capsules had porous outer surfaces ( fig1 a and 17b ). processing conditions and experimental loading yields are given in table 1 . the efficiency of drug loading in the microcapsule prepared is clearly influenced by the viscosity of the organic phase . the factors affecting drug loading also direct the release rates of microcapsules . fig1 indicates that higher loading due to increased viscosity of the organic phase causes capsules to release their drug load more slowly . microcapsules with a 21 . 53 % drug load ( 20 ml ch 2 cl 2 ) exhibited a strong initial release and continued to release rapidly for the first 24 hours . at 43 . 96 % loading , the microcapsules prepared with 5 ml of methylene chloride released in a slower , more linear fashion and did not reach a release plateau until after 96 hours . the difference between the two release rates was especially striking during the first hour . the lower loaded capsule ( 21 . 53 %) released 26 . 0 % of its load within the first hour of being introduced to the pbs ; however , the capsule bearing 43 . 96 % drug lost only 5 . 8 % of its drug load under the same conditions . as seen in fig1 , the capsule with higher loading resulting from a higher core - to - wall ratio , also released more slowly , even though the amounts of methylene chloride used in preparation of the capsules were the same . all capsules displayed the same general release pattern : an immediate strong release that tapered off within the first 1 to 4 days . the loading affected only the strength and duration of the initial release . in no case was there any indication of degradation of the polymer matrix such as would be indicated by a delay of several days before drug release or a sudden increase in drug release . the processing conditions described herein yield pblg - cisplatin microcapsules in which higher drug loading corresponds to more central drug concentration and slower release rates . however , all capsules prepared demonstrated sustained - release properties during 31 days of monitoring without an initial or final burst that would complicate their clinical use as a means of steady drug administration . scatchard analysis of [ 3 h ] estradiol binding in pig uteri indicated a single class of binding sites with a mean binding affinity constant ( kd ) of 2 . 2 nm and a mean receptor density ( βmax ) of 350 fmol / mg protein . the protein concentration used was 1 mg / ml cytosol . hill analysis ( coefficient 0 . 992 ) indicated that estradiol has competitive reversible binding . the ic 50 for estrone was 5 × 10 - 8 m and for estrone - pblg was 5 × 10 - 7 m ( based 12 % conjugation ). the results of tissue distribution studies for 131 i - labeled microcapsule groups are shown in tables 2 and 3 . the uterus - to - muscle radioactivity - uptake ratio in the estrone - pblg group was higher than that of the pblg group . the pet image was correlated with the findings on the hysterosalpingogram . fig2 a is the transaxial view of a pet image of the pelvis of a pig 1 hour after administration of 18 f - labeled tamoxifen . the pig was scanned in a caudal - to - cranial direction . slices 2 - 6 showed increased tamoxifen uptake in the uterus and ovaries ( fig2 b ). this increased uptake was blocked by pretreatment with estrone - pblg ( 200 mg ) empty capsules ( fig2 c ). slices 2 - 6 show the effect of this blockage . here , the pig was scanned in a cranial - to - caudal direction . the pet data indicate that the uptake of estrone - pblg microcapsules in the uterus and ovaries was mediated by means of estrogen receptors . the following examples are intended to illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention . those skilled in this field will recognize that modifications could be made to the disclosed methods and that other applications would remain within the scope of the present invention . meglumine diatrizoate , 2 g , was dispersed in 40 ml methylene chloride and 1 g poly -( d , l )- lactic acid added to the mixture . encapsulation was achieved while stirring at 350 rpm in 250 ml 0 . 9 % ( w / v ) saline solution containing 1 . 25 g polyvinyl alcohol . the ph of the solution was adjusted below 4 with 1n hcl . from time to time , formation of microcapsules was determined by examining a drop of the material at 125 × magnification under a light microscope . the mixture was stirred for approximately 6 hr until the methylene chloride was completely evaporated . the microcapsules were collected by filtration and washed with distilled water ( 2 × 100 ml ). the microcapsules were air dried at room temperature and then sieved through various meshes , including stepwise , 600 μm mesh , 600 - 500 μm mesh , 500 - 355 μm mesh , 355 - 212 μm mesh and 106 μm mesh , to give a mixture containing particles of size range 106 - 212 μm . the weight of the 106 - 212 μm particles was approximately 70 % of the initial total amount of the contrast agent plus polymer . the microcapsules contained 46 % ( w / w ) of meglumine diatrizoate . all the following steps were done under aseptic conditions using ultraviolet light with sterile instrumentation . meglumine diatrizoate , 1 . 2 g ( sigma chemical company , st louis , mo . ), was dissolved in 100 ml water and then 1 ml of tween 80 was added . the mixture was stirred at 500 rpm and the ph of the solution adjusted below 4 with 1n hcl . to this mixture was added dropwise 0 . 5 g poly -( d , l )- lactic acid ( mw 30 , 000 - 60 , 000 ) dissolved in 10 ml acetone . the mixture was stirred at 1500 rpm or sonicated at 20 khz for 10 min and periodically monitored under a light microscope at 600 × magnification until round particles of approximately 1 μm in diameter were observed . the mixture was stirred at 1500 rpm ( without sonication ) or 500 rpm ( with sonication ) for an additional 6 hr or until the acetone was completely evaporated . the microcapsules were collected by sieving through a nylon mesh to remove a small amount of aggregated material , approximately 1 %. the microcapsule suspension was centrifuged at 24 , 000 g and washed 3 times with saline to remove the emulsifier . the microcapsules were resuspended in sterile phosphate buffered saline . the microcapsules weighed 1 . 5 g ( 90 % by total initial weight of contrast plus polymer ). the microcapsules contained 66 % by weight of meglumine diatrizoate . the particles were cultured and found to be sterile . scanning electron microscopy ( sem ) revealed round , uniform particles as shown in fig7 . the distribution of particles was determined using a coulter counter , indicating a narrow range of 2 - 7 μm with 50 % having a mean capsular size less than 5 μm , as indicated in fig8 . to a solution of 2 . 0 g ( 0 . 05 mmol ) poly -( d , l )- lactic acid in 10 ml dimethylformamide ( dmf ) was added 1 . 2 g ( 5 . 5 mmol ) of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and 0 . 68 g ( 5 . 5 mmol ) of n - hydroxysuccinimide . after stirring 10 min , 1 . 2 g ( 5 mmol ) phenylalanine ester dissolved in 5 ml dmf was added . the mixture was stirred overnight . the solid urea was filtered . the filtrate was poured into 100 ml water and the white solid precipitated . the solid was filtered , washed with 100 ml water , air dried and weighed to obtain 2 . 4 g ( 75 %) of the total chemical yield . thin layer chromatography indicated a single spot ( rf = 0 . 3 , chloroform / methanol 9 : 1 ). the phenylalanine content in the polymer conjugate was 23 % as determined by ultraviolet spectroscopy at 254 nm . similar conditions were used to prepare microcapsules of poly -( d , l )- lactic acid conjugated with methionine , tyrosine or tryptophan ester . eighteen adult mongrel dogs were anesthetized with intravenous sodium pentobarbital ( nembutal ; abbott , north chicago , ill . ), 30 mg / kg , and an intravenous drip of normal saline was initiated . through a cutdown , a 5 - f polyethylene catheter was introduced into the femoral artery , and the animal was given an intra - arterial bolus of sodium heparin ( 100 units / kg ). the catheter was then advanced into one of the renal arteries . the ipsilateral renal vein was also catheterized via a femoral vein with a 5 - f catheter to sample blood for cisplatin ( cddp ), while simultaneous systemic venous blood samples were collected through an 18 - gauge cathlon ™ catheter inserted in a jugular vein . microcapsules with an average size of 106 μm ( range 50 - 350 μm ) and containing cisplatin ( 40 - 43 %) by weight , were formulated as described in example 1 from lactic acid polymer and ethylhydroxyethyl cellulose polymer . the capsules , in dry form , were sterilized with ethylene oxide . the microcapsules were suspended in a 1 : 1 solution of radiographic contrast material . iohexol ( omnipaque , nycombed , norway ) and normal saline such that the final concentration was 20 mg / ml . the suspension was administered into the renal artery until stasis of flow was observed fluoroscopically . one kidney was embolized in each of three animals with each of the capsular materials containing cddp , and one kidney from each of five dogs was occluded with each of the capsular materials without cddp . renal and systemic venous blood samples were collected in heparinized tubes at 30 - minute intervals for 6 hours after embolization . the plasma was analyzed for cddp using atomic absorption . drug release curves were generated from these data . two such curves are shown in fig1 and 14 . to evaluate renal and hepatotoxicity , systemic venous blood samples were collected before and at 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and 6 weeks after embolization to determine blood urea nitrogen ( bun ), creatinine , and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase ( sgpt ) levels . renal angiography was performed with omnipaque before and immediately after embolization , at hourly intervals up to 6 hours after embolization , and 1 , 2 , 4 and 6 weeks later to document the radiographic changes in the occluded kidneys . after 6 weeks , each animal was killed with an overdose of sodium pentobarbital , and a complete necropsy performed . the gross and microscopic findings in each dog were compared . both pla and ehec capsules without encapsulated drug produced embolic effects in the kidneys . the polymers loaded with cisplatin damaged kidneys significantly more than polymers alone . pla capsules loaded with cisplatin had a greater effect on tissue than cisplatin - loaded ehec capsules . ehec capsules without cddp showed slightly more degradation than pla capsules in these studies . in vitro drug release data were also determined by incubation of the microcapsules in phosphate buffered saline . the data are shown in table 1 for release of cddp from cddp : pla microcapsules . table 1______________________________________release rate of cddp from cddpmicrocapsules . sup . 1 ( size 100 μm ) incubation time ( min ) % released______________________________________1 11 . 65 21 . 315 27 . 430 39 . 560 37 . 7120 35 . 0240 40 . 4______________________________________ . sup . 1 cddp : pla = 1 : 1 1 μm microcapsules loaded with meglumine diatrizoate were prepared as described in examples 2 and 3 using pla and pla conjugated with phenylalanine ( pla - phe ) as the capsular material . each preparation was injected intravenously into a rabbit and thereafter monitored by computed tomography for organ uptake . the rabbit receiving pla - phe showed a faster liver uptake than the rabbit receiving pla encapsulated diatrizoate . after 2 hr , the pla - phe treated rabbit showed liver uptake and little , if any , contrast in the general circulation while the pla treated rabbit showed both liver uptake and presence in the general circulation . after 48 and 72 hr , both rabbits showed significant liver uptake . biodistribution is shown in fig2 which compares tissue distribution of diatrizoate ( dz ), 131 i - dz labeled polylactite ( pla ) microcapsules and 131 i - dz labeled phenylalamine surface modified ( pla - phe ) microcapsules . the mean particle size of the pla - phe microcapsules loaded with meglumine diatrizoate was determined to be 3 μm , as indicated from a particle size distribution curve obtained using a coulter counter , fig9 . in a second series of animal experiments , male webster mice ( 25 - 30 g ) were intravenously injected with 1 μc ; radiolabeled microspheres , then sacrifieced at 30 min , 1 h , 3 h , 6 h and 24 h . organs were excised , weighed and counted for radioactivity . the microcapsules exhibited sustained release . liver uptake was faster in mice injected with labeled pie - modified capsules than in mice receiving labeled unmodified capsules . microcapsules were prepared as described in example 1 using the solvent evaporation method with drug : polymer ratios of 1 : 1 and 1 : 3 ( w / w ) and polyvinyl alcohol as emulsifier . the biodegradable polymers used were pcl , pcld and polylactic acid ( pla ). the cytotoxic compounds tamoxifen and 5 - fluorouracil were dissolved in methylene chloride , then added with the emulsifier to a water solution with stirring at 400 rpm . after 6 hr , the capsules were washed with water and air dried . capsules of approximately 100 μm were collected from mesh screens . assays on the encapsulated drugs were performed by dissolving 5 mg of the microcapsules in 5 ml methanol . the solution was centrifuged and 100 μl of the supernatant diluted with 3 ml methanol and analyzed spectrophotometrically at 238 nm . a standard solubility time curve was produced using the same procedure by adding 2 mg of both tx and 5 - fu . the drug content was calculated as a percent of total capsule weight . triplicate determinations were made . dissolution studies were performed on the microencapsulated drugs . capped test tubes were filled with 5 ml of 0 . 05m phosphate buffered saline ph 7 . 4 and placed in a water bath shaker set at 100 rpm at 37 ° c . 5 mg of microcapsules were added to each test tube , and sample solutions of 3 ml were collected at different time intervals after centrifugation . after each determination , the sample solutions were returned to each test tube . the concentrations of the drug released from microcapsules were determined by comparison with the standard drug ( 2 mg ) in the same dissolution solution for the controls and measured spectrophotometrically at 238 nm . determinations were made in triplicate . a student &# 39 ; s t - test was used to compare the sample after 1 hr of incubation and the corresponding sample at different incubation time intervals ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 level ). the percent of drug content in the various biodegradable microcapsules is shown in table 2 below . scanning electron microscopy showed that all the microcapsules prepared were spherically shaped with smooth outer surfaces ( fig5 and 6 ). table 2______________________________________ % ( w / w ) drug in microcapsules drug : polymerdrug polymer 1 : 1 1 : 3______________________________________tamoxifen pla 30 . 0 22 . 5 pcl 30 . 7 13 . 0 pcld 36 . 4 14 . 95 - fluorouracil pla 8 . 8 8 . 5 pcl 9 . 9 6 . 6 pcld 7 . 6 7 . 6______________________________________ release rate of tx and 5 - fu is shown in fig1 and 2 . the release rate of tx ( 1 : 1 ratio ) at 48 hr incubation time decreased in the order : pla & gt ; pcl & gt ; pcld ; however , the release rate of 5 - fu ( 1 : 1 and 1 : 3 ratios ) at 48 hr incubation showed pcl & gt ; pcld & gt ; pla . this study indicates that different polymers alter drug release rate . poly ( benzyl l - glutamate )( pblg , sigman ) microspheres were prepared by a solvent evaporation method according to example 1 . polybenzyl - l - glutamate ( pblg , 0 . 7 g ) and unlabeled ethyliopanoate ( 0 . 3 g ) were dissolved in methylene chloride ( 30 ml ). to this mixture [ 131 i ] ethyliopanoate ( 320 μci ) was added . the organic phase was emulsified in a water solution ( 200 ml ) containing polyvinyl alcohol ( 1 % w / v ). the mixture was stirred at 2000 rpm for 25 hours to ensure complete evaporation of the solvent . the suspension was then centrifuged ( 12 , 000 rpm ) for 10 minutes . the microcapsules were separated , washed with water to remove any excess polyvinyl alcohol and centrifuged again . the resulting microcapsules were filtered through nylon cloth ( 5 - μm mesh ). the final concentration was 154 μci in 18 ml of water . in a typical run , particles had a mean diameter of 2 . 0 μm and over 95 % of particles were less than 5 μm . pblg microspheres were converted to phpg hydrogel microspheres by treating pblg with aminopropyl alcohol containing 3 % of diaminohexane as a crosslinker at 70 ° c . for 2 , 3 or 5 hrs . to determine the extent of conversion , phpg microspheres were completely hydrolyzed and the unsubstituted benzyl groups analyzed by hplc . fig2 illustrates the conversion of poly ( benzyl l - glutamate ) to poly ( hydroxypropyl l - glutamine ). a schematic representation of the microspheres formed from the polymer is also shown . microspheres were labeled with covalently bound 131 i prepared by treating pblg microspheres with aminopropyl alcohol in the presence of tyramine ( 1 % w / w ) followed by iodogen labeling ( wallace , et al ., 1988 ). radiochemical yield : 65 % with purity & gt ; 95 %. 131 i labeled phpg particles ( 20 μci / ml ) were incubated in 50 % serum at 37 ° c . at various time intervals , aliquots of serum were removed and centrifuged . the radioactivity of supernatant was measured with a γ - counter . female sprague - dawley rats ( 140 - 160 g ) were anesthetized with ketamine ( 10 mg , i . p .) and radiolabeled microspheres were given i . v . ( 0 . 4 ml ). the dose corresponded to 12 mg dry microspheres with total activity of 6 ± 2 μci . the animals were sacrificed at 20 min , 3 , 6 , 24 , 48 and 96 hrs . the organs were excised , weighed and counted for radioactivity . liver tissue samples were examined by tem . 30 min after administration of microspheres , liver was perfused with 2 % glutaraldehyde in 0 . 2m sodium cacodylate buffer through the portal vein . tissue samples were processed and stained using standard tem methods . sem of air dried microspheres were examined in a hitachi model s520 electron microscope . phpg microspheres were prepared directly from pblg microspheres by aminolysis . this approach made it possible to prepare a series of phpb microspheres with different surface characteristics . the resulting microspheres became increasingly hydrophilic with longer reaction times . swelling ratio increased from 3 % ( pblg microspheres ) to 36 % ( phpg microspheres ) after 4 hrs treatment with aminopropyl alcohol . the hydrophilicity of phpg microspheres was also evidenced by sem which showed that the microspheres tend to become flat after drying in air . only 1 % of radioactivity dissociated from phpg microspheres after incubation in 50 % serum for 2 hrs . 96 % of radioactivity was found bound to phpg microspheres even after two days . fig1 shows the deposition of three preparations of phpg microspheres in liver , blood and spleen 20 minutes post - administration . with the increased hydrophilicity of the microspheres , there was a substantial decreased uptake in liver ; the concentration of microspheres circulating in the blood was increased . this indicated decreased uptake of microspheres in liver kupffer cells achieved by modification of phpg microspheres . electron microscopic studies revealed that pblg microspheres were taken up by kupffer cells . on the other hand , no phpg microspheres could be identified in the kupffer cells of rats . the following example illustrates modification of the phenolic group of estrone to enable coupling with poly - benzyl - l - glutamate . the product illustrates a &# 34 ; spacer &# 34 ; between the estrone 3 - position functionality and the conjugating amide bond . estrone ( 5 . 0 g , 18 . 5 mmole ) was dissolved in 80 ml of anhydrous dmf . sodium hydride ( 4 . 4 g , 185 mmole ) was slowly added to the solution to generate reactive phenoxide in situ . care was taken to avoid rapid evolution of hydrogen gas . 4 . 3 g ( 55 mmole ) chloroethylamine was added to the solution and the mixture was allowed to react at 60 ° c . for 4 hrs . the product was precipitated with a large volume of water and the precipitate collected . for purification , the crude solid was dissolved in methylene chloride , and washed with water . evaporation of methylene chloride yielded 3 - aminoethyl estrone which after washing with ethyl ether gave 3 . 0 g ( 52 %) of product m . p . 140 ° c . ( decomp . ), 3 - aminoethyl estrone hydrochloride , m . p . 180 ° c . ( decomp . ), 1 hnmr ( ppm ): δ3 . 01 ( 2 , t , ch 2 ch 2 nh 2 ), 2 . 78 ( 2 , t , ch 2 , ch 2 nh 2 ), 4 . 00 ( 2 , t , coch 2 ). the reaction below was conducted in p - dioxane as solvent . the reaction may also be conducted in dimethyl sulfoxide or dimethyl formamide with comparable success ; however these solvents are not so readily removed and are therefore less preferable . 3 - aminoethyl estrone ( 1 . 25 g , 4 mmole ) was added to a 7 ml dioxane solution of pblg ( 0 . 88 g , 4 mmole ). the mixture was allowed to react at 60 ° c . for 2 days . the conjugate formed was collected by precipitating the dioxane solution with water , followed by filtration . for purification , the solid was dissolved in methylene chloride . insoluble impurities were removed by filtration . the methylene chloride solution was washed with cold aqueous 0 . 2n hydrochloric acid solution (× 2 ), water , and saturated nacl until neutral . evaporation of methylene chloride yielded 0 . 4 g product . elemental analysis for the conjugate , calculated , c : 70 . 73 ; h : 7 . 60 ; n : 6 . 60 ; found , c : 66 . 70 ; h : 6 . 45 ; n : 6 . 00 . degree of substitution was calculated to be 12 % based on elemental analysis data . 1 hnmr ( ppm ): δ3 . 70 ( 2 , t , ch 2 ch 2 nhco ), 2 . 86 ( 2 , t , ch 2 ch 2 nhco ), 4 . 04 ( 2 , t , coch 2 ). estrone - conjugated poly - benzyl - l - glutamate was dissolved in p - dioxane and used to prepare 1 μm microcapsules by the method of example 2 . this example illustrates determination of binding affinity constants for estradiol in pig uterus . affinity for binding the estrogen receptor was determined . 30 g uteri obtained from domestic swine ( 30 kg ) were homogenized in 80 ml of 10 mm tris buffer , ph 7 . 4 , containing 1 . 5 mm edta and 3 mm sodium azide . the homogenate was centrifuged at 1 , 000 × g for 1 hr at 4 ° c . uteri cytosol was then pretreated with dextran - coated charcoal . to investigate the nature of estradiol interaction with the estrogen receptor site , a saturation curve was obtained from [ 3 h ] estradiol ( 10 - 5 m to 10 - 10 m ) in the presence or absence of excess estradiol ( 10 - 5 m )( fig1 ). uteri cytosol was incubated at 4 ° c . for 2 hr with [ 3 h ] estradiol ( 5 nm / tube ) and competitor ( ranging from 10 - 3 m to 10 - 8 m ) or with estradiol ( 10 - 5 m )( non - specific ). the concentration of test compounds that decreased specific radioligand binding by 50 % ( ic 50 ) was measured . protein concentrations were determined according to the method of lowry et al . ( 1956 ). scatchard analysis indicated a single class of binding sites with a mean binding affinity constant kd of 2 . 2 nm ( n = 9 ) and a mean receptor density ( b max ) of 350 fmol / mg protein , fig1 . the protein concentration used was 1 mg / ml cytosol . hill analysis ( 0 . 992 ) indicated that estradiol had competitive reversible binding . the ic 50 of estrone conjugates to polybenzyl - l - glutamate was 5 × 10 - 7 m which is ten - fold lower than the binding affinity for estrone ( 5 × 10 - 8 m ), table 3 . table 3______________________________________comparison of est - pg and estrone onestrogen receptor binding in pig uterus ic . sub . 50 ( m ) equiv . ( wt ) ______________________________________estrone 5 × 10 . sup .- 8 0 . 14 ngest - pg . sup . a 5 × 10 . sup .- 7 500 ng______________________________________ . sup . a est - pg : estrone with spacer ( ethanolamine ) conjugates to polybenzylglutamate ( mw 58 , 000 ) . sup . b based upon 12 . 0 % of conjugation between estrone and polymer , determined by uv at 282 nm and elemental analysis . this example provides data comparing percent tissue uptake of estrone loaded polybenzyl - l - glutamate microcapsules containing 131 i - iopanoate with microcapsules containing 131 i - iopanoate but lacking estrone . of significance is the greater uptake of the estrone loaded microcapsules by the uterus whereas there is less relative uptake by microcapsules containing only the labeling agent . estrone conjugated poly - benzyl - l - glutamate microcapsules loaded with 131 i - labeled ethyliopanoate were injected into rats ( three per group ) via the tail - vein ( 5 . 7 μci in 0 . 3 ml water ). control groups were given only the 131 i - labeled iopanoic acid . rats were sacrificed at 1 , 3 , 6 and 24 hours post injection . the percent of injected dose per organ or per tissue weight was determined by a cobra auto - gamma counter ( packard , meridien , conn .). results are shown in tables 4 and 5 . table 4______________________________________tissue distribution of . sup . 13 i - iopa loadedestrone poly ( benzyl l - glutamate ) conjugate microspheresafter i . v . injection into rat ( n = 3 ). sup . 1 , 2 . 1 hr 3 hr 6 hr 24 hrorgan mean ( s . d .) mean ( s . d .) mean ( s . d ) mean ( s . d . ) ______________________________________blood 1 . 01 ( 0 . 12 ) 0 . 72 ( 0 . 08 ) 0 . 46 ( 0 . 01 ) 0 . 09 ( 0 . 03 ) lung 1 . 05 ( 0 . 15 ) 0 . 53 ( 0 . 03 ) 0 . 34 ( 0 . 02 ) 0 . 07 ( 0 . 03 ) liver 1 . 34 ( 0 . 18 ) 0 . 75 ( 0 . 09 ) 0 . 56 ( 0 . 03 ) 0 . 17 ( 0 . 02 ) kidney 0 . 52 ( 0 . 01 ) 0 . 62 ( 0 . 05 ) 0 . 26 ( 0 . 01 ) 0 . 06 ( 0 . 02 ) uterus 0 . 70 ( 0 . 12 ) 0 . 62 ( 0 . 01 ) 0 . 39 ( 0 . 05 ) 0 . 06 ( 0 . 01 ) muscle 0 . 20 ( 0 . 01 ) 0 . 12 ( 0 . 01 ) 0 . 09 ( 0 . 01 ) 0 . 01 ( 0 . 01 ) fat 0 . 37 ( 0 . 01 ) 0 . 20 ( 0 . 02 ) 0 . 14 ( 0 . 01 ) 0 . 03 ( 0 . 01 ) ______________________________________ . sup . 1 iopa = ethyl iopanoic acid . . sup . 2 data shown represents percent of injected dose per gram tissue . table 5______________________________________tissue distribution of . sup . 131 i - iopa loadedpoly ( benzyl l - glutamate ) conjugate microspheres afterintravenous injection into rat ( n = 3 ). sup . 1 , 2 . 1 hr 3 hr 6 hr 24 hrorgan mean ( s . d .) mean ( s . d .) mean ( s . d ) mean ( s . d . ) ______________________________________blood 1 . 53 ( 0 . 71 ) 1 . 46 ( 0 . 21 ) 1 . 30 ( 0 . 26 ) 0 . 29 ( 0 . 16 ) lung 1 . 86 ( 0 . 40 ) 1 . 06 ( 0 . 16 ) 1 . 02 ( 0 . 19 ) 0 . 28 ( 0 . 03 ) liver 1 . 80 ( 0 . 78 ) 1 . 20 ( 0 . 15 ) 1 . 16 ( 0 . 14 ) 0 . 54 ( 0 . 16 ) kidney 0 . 74 ( 0 . 28 ) 0 . 58 ( 0 . 09 ) 0 . 58 ( 0 . 05 ) 0 . 24 ( 0 . 08 ) uterus 0 . 85 ( 0 . 29 ) 0 . 76 ( 0 . 02 ) 0 . 73 ( 0 . 10 ) 0 . 14 ( 0 . 01 ) muscle 0 . 32 ( 0 . 16 ) 0 . 24 ( 0 . 02 ) 0 . 21 ( 0 . 03 ) 0 . 05 ( 0 . 01 ) fat 0 . 83 ( 0 . 29 ) 0 . 58 ( 0 . 23 ) 0 . 36 ( 0 . 11 ) 0 . 07 ( 0 . 04 ) ______________________________________ . sup . 1 iopa = ethyl iopanoic acid . . sup . 2 data shown represent percentage of injected dose per gram tissue . table 6 shows the distribution of 131 i - labeled ethyliopanoate in rats in terms of uterus to muscle ratio . after 3 hr , the targeting of the estrone - conjugated labeled microcapsules was significantly greater than targeting by the labeled microcapsules or by labeled ethyliopanoate . table 6__________________________________________________________________________distribution of . sup . 131 i - labeled ethyliopanoate in rats . uterus to muscle ratiotime ( hrs ) 1 3 6 24__________________________________________________________________________iopa . sup . 12 . 92 ± 0 . 464 3 . 60 ± 0 . 346 3 . 47 ± 0 . 122 n . d .. sup . 3pblg . sup . 12 . 84 ± 0 . 447 3 . 23 ± 0 . 300 3 . 48 ± 0 . 369 2 . 76 ± 0 . 214pe . sup . 13 . 50 ± 0 . 433 5 . 16 ± 0 . 592 . sup . 2 4 . 75 ± 0 . 354 . sup . 2 4 . 25 ± 1 . 061 . sup . 2__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 iopa : ethyliopanoate , pblg : polybenzylglutamate microcapsules loaded with iopa , pe : microcapsules of estrone and pelg conjugate . each rate received 5 uci of radiotracer in saline ( 0 . 25 ml ). . sup . 2 significant difference ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) between pe and the corresponding groups by student ttest . . sup . 3 n . d . : not detectable . novel hydrophilic microcapsules may be prepared utilizing hydrophilic polymers for formation of microcapsules . in the following example , polyethylene glycol ( peg ) is covalently attached to a labeling agent , iopanoic acid . it is contemplated that this material may be readily formulated into microcapsules according to example 1 . into 6 ml methylene chloride solution containing 1 . 45 g poly ( ethylene glycol ) ( peg , mw 1450 , 1 . 0 mmol ) was added 1 . 43 g iopanoic acid ( iopa , 2 . 5 mmol ), 454 mg dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( dcc , 2 . 2 mmol ) and 24 mg dimethylaminopyride ( 0 . 24 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature . after filtration to remove dicyclohexylurea ( dcu ) precipitate the solution was evaporated to dryness . the residual was then washed with dry ether three times to yield a hygroscopic solid . yield 1 . 15 g ( 45 %). iodine content 20 - 30 % ( w / w ). using the microcapsule preparation according to example 1 , the product is then formulated as particles (& lt ; 5 μm ) which are suitable for iv injection . in vivo biodistribution of 131 i - iopa attached to polyethylene glycol ( peg ) is shown in tables 7 and 8 . the ratio of liver to blood uptake of 131 i - iopa is altered by the presence of peg which is hydrophilic . the changes in liver / blood uptake ratio conferred by conjugation of 131 i - iopa to peg are illustrated in fig2 . table 7______________________________________organ distribution of . sup . 131 i peg - iopa solutionafter intravenous injection to rats ( n = 3 ) organ 10 min 1 hr 3 hr 6 hr______________________________________blood 1 . 67 ( 0 . 05 ) 1 . 62 ( 0 . 19 ) 0 . 54 ( 0 . 13 ) 0 . 39 ( 0 . 18 ) lung 0 . 65 ( 0 . 08 ) 0 . 38 ( 0 . 14 ) 0 . 06 ( 0 . 02 ) & lt ; 0 . 01spleen 0 . 64 ( 0 . 04 ) 0 . 24 ( 0 . 04 ) 0 . 03 ( 0 . 01 ) & lt ; 0 . 01liver 2 . 74 ( 0 . 50 ) 1 . 28 ( 0 . 12 ) 1 . 00 ( 0 . 02 ) 0 . 55 ( 0 . 09 ) kidney 1 . 78 ( 0 . 13 ) 0 . 83 ( 0 . 09 ) 0 . 49 ( 0 . 07 ) 0 . 27 ( 0 . 06 ) muscle & lt ; 0 . 01liver / blood 1 . 64 ( 0 . 34 ) 0 . 80 ( 0 . 10 ) 1 . 92 ( 0 . 47 ) 1 . 53 ( 0 . 43 ) ______________________________________ table 8______________________________________organ distribution of . sup . 131 i peg - iopa suspensionafter intravenous injection to rats ( n = 3 ) organ 20 min 1 hr 3 hr 6 hr______________________________________blood 3 . 18 ( 0 . 38 ) 2 . 01 ( 0 . 06 ) 2 . 15 ( 0 . 48 ) 1 . 36 ( 0 . 06 ) lung 1 . 73 ( 0 . 14 ) 1 . 01 ( 0 . 11 ) 0 . 93 ( 0 . 25 ) 0 . 98 ( 0 . 13 ) liver 2 . 72 ( 0 . 95 ) 1 . 52 ( 0 . 05 ) 1 . 57 ( 0 . 33 ) 1 . 29 ( 0 . 08 ) kidney 1 . 72 ( 0 . 07 ) 0 . 99 ( 0 . 04 ) 1 . 09 ( 0 . 18 ) 0 . 88 ( 0 . 11 ) muscle 0 . 89 ( 0 . 14 ) 0 . 44 ( 0 . 08 ) 0 . 40 ( 0 . 06 ) 0 . 26 ( 0 . 02 ) liver / blood 0 . 85 ( 0 . 24 ) 0 . 73 ( 0 . 03 ) 0 . 76 ( 0 . 02 ) 0 . 95 ( 0 . 10 ) ______________________________________ the present invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments found by the inventors to comprise preferred modes of practice of the invention . it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that in light of the present disclosure numerous modifications and changes can be made in the particular embodiments exemplified without departing from the intended scope of the invention . for example , amino acid modified microcapsules could be attached to specific targeting agents without affecting the intended nature and practice of the invention . all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the claims . the references listed below are incorporated herein by reference to the extent they supplement , explain , provide a background for or teach methodology , techniques and / or compositions employed herein . wright , k . c ., wallace , s ., mosier , b ., mosier , d ., j . microencapsulation 5 ( 1 ), 13 - 20 ( 1988 ). wright , k . c ., charnsangavej , c ., wallace , s ., chuang , v . p ., savaraj , n ., cardiovasc . internat . radiol . 7 , 294 - 298 ( 1984 ). kawashima , y ., lin , s . y ., kasai , a . et al ., drug dev . ind . pharm . u . s . a . 10 , 467 - 479 ( 1984 ). benita , s ., benoit , j . p ., puisieur , f . and thies , c ., j . pharm . sci . 73 , 1721 - 1724 ( 1984 ). tice , t . r . and gilley , r . m ., j . control . release ( netherlands ) 2 , 343 - 352 ( 1985 ). smith , a . and hunneyball , i . m ., int . j . pharm . ( netherlands ) 30 , 215 - 220 ( 1986 ). bechtel , w ., wright , k . c ., wallace , s ., mosier . b ., mosier , d ., mir , s ., kudo , s ., radiology 161 , 601 - 604 ( 1986 ). bruning , j . l . and kintz , b . l . &# 34 ; computational handbook of statistics &# 34 ;&# 39 ; 2nd ed ., scott , foreman and company , glenview , ill . ( 1977 ). mccague , r . ; leclercq , g . ; jordan , v . c ., j . med . chem . 1988 , 31 , 1285 - 1290 . lowry , o . h . ; rosebrough , n . j . ; farr , a . l . ; randall , r . j ., j . biol . chem . 193 , 265 - 266 ( 1953 ). zupon , m . a ., fang , s . m . christensen , j . m . and peterson , r . v ., j . pharm . sci . 72 , 1323 - 1326 ( 1983 ). kroschwitz , j . i . in polymers , biomaterials and medical applications , wiley and sons , new york , 5 - 27 ( 1989 ). lowry , o . h ., rosenbrough , n . j ., farr , a . l . and randall , r . j ., j . biol . chem . 193 , 265 ( 1951 ) yang , d . j .. emran , a . m ., tansey , w ., wallace , s . and kim , e . e . in new trends in radiopharmaceutical synthesis , quality assurance and regulatory control , ed . a . m . emran , plenum press , new york , pp . 67 - 78 ( 1991 ). although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding , it will be obvious that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the claims .

0Human Necessities

fig1 is a block diagram of a program and system information protocol ( psip ) data generator according to the invention in the context of system 100 that can produce an advanced television standards committee ( atsc ), standard a / 65 , compliant digital television ( dtv ) signal . the system 100 of fig1 includes : a psip generator 102 according to the invention ; sources of data upon which the psip generator operates , such as a source 108 of listing service data , a source 110 of traffic system data and a source 112 of other data ; a multiplexer 114 to incorporate the psip data from the psip generator 102 into an a / 65 - compliant dtv signal ; and a source 116 of audio data , video data , etc . in fig1 , the psip generator 102 includes an interface unit 104 and a non - uniform interval calculation unit 106 . the psip generator 102 according to the invention can be implemented by adapting a well known psip generator according to the discussion herein . an example of a known psip generator is the psip builder pro brand of psip generator manufactured and sold by triveni digital inc .. the psip builder pro itself is based upon a programmed pc having a pentium type of processor using the microsoft windows nt4 . 0 operating system . the software can be written in the java language . the other blocks of fig1 correspond to known technology . in fig1 , the invention has been depicted in the context of a digital television broadcast such as a terrestrial broadcast , and more particularly one that is compliant with the advanced television standards committee ( atsc ), where each event is a program , and the schedule data is psip data . however , the invention is readily applicable to any television format , e . g ., analog terrestrial , analog cable , digital cable , satellite , etc ., for which an electronic schedule is maintained and corresponding data is sent to a receiver for the purpose of presenting an electronic program guide ( epg ) to a viewer . the units 104 and 106 within the psip generator 102 do not necessarily correspond to discrete hardware units . rather , the units 102 and 104 can represent functional units corresponding to program segments of the software that can embody the invention . the interface unit 104 can generate a graphical user interface ( gui ) that operates to receive at least one issuance parameter for like psip tables ( e . g ., etts or eits ) that do not all have an issue interval assigned by the a / 65 standard . such an interface will be described in more detail below with regard to fig2 . the non - uniform interval calculation unit 106 is operable to determine non - uniform issuance intervals for ones of the like psip tables that do not have an assigned interval , based upon the issuance parameter ( s ) received via the interface unit 104 . fig2 is an example image of a dialog window 200 ( a gui ) that can be generated by the interface unit 104 according to the invention . in fig2 , the dialog window 200 can include : a cycle time settings tab 202 ; a miscellaneous settings tab 204 ; a ftp periodic update controls tab 206 ; an “ apply settings ” button 226 ; a “ defaults ” button 228 ; a “ refresh ” button 230 ; and a “ close ” button 232 . the position of the cursor can be indicated via the reverse highlighting 234 . the cycle time settings tab 202 can include a “ cycle times ( in seconds ) for eits :” region 208 , a “ cycle times ( in seconds ) for psip tables :” region 210 , a “ cycle times ( in seconds ) for psi tables :” region 212 and a “ cycle times ( in seconds ) for etts :” region 214 . it is well known that eits carry program schedule information including program title information and program start information . each eit covers a three - hour time span . etts carry text messages associated with the eits , e . g ., program description information for an eit . in fig2 , the “ cycle times ( in seconds ) for eits :” region 208 of the dialog window 200 can include : a box 216 in which a user can enter a fixed interval for the eit o table ; a box 218 in which a user can enter an increment for the eit k table ; and a box 220 in which a user can enter a maximum number of eit tables that are to be sent . usually , the number entered in box 220 will be far smaller than the maximum number of eit tables permitted by the a / 65 standard . also , in fig2 , the “ cycle times ( in seconds ) for etts :” region 214 can include : a box 222 in which a user can enter a fixed interval for the ett o table ; and a box 224 in which a user can enter an increment for the ett k table . the non - uniform interval calculation unit 106 can receive the values in the boxes 216 , 218 , 220 , 222 and 224 from the regions 208 and 214 , respectively , and use them to determine the non - uniform issuance intervals of , e . g ., the eit and ett tables . further discussion of the operation of the unit 106 is couched in a particular non - limiting example , for simplicity . the a / 65 standard recommends a time interval for outputting the zeroith event information table ( eit ), i . e ., eit o , but provides no guidelines regarding eit 1 through eit 128 . for the rating region table ( rrt ), the a / 65 standard recommends a value only for the output frequency of rrt 1 . and no recommendation is made regarding the output frequencies of any of the extended text tables ( etts ). under the a / 65 standard , it is left to the discretion of the operator of a psip data generation system to select the frequency of table output for the unmentioned tables . the operator could specify an entry for each group of tables , but that would be burdensome because it would require a total of over 500 entries . a simple solution to the problem of unspecified output frequencies would be to set each type of table to the same output frequency , but that creates a problem in that the guidelines for bandwidth specified by the a / 65 standard would be exceeded . a further consideration to solve the problem , namely of how to insert the least amount possible of meta data into the dtv signal and yet still achieve an a / 65 compliant dtv signal , is : how closely in time to the present moment does each table relate ? that is , table types such as the eit describe event information up to two weeks into the future . a user of an electronic program guide that receives such table types will typically want to view event information concerning only the next 24 - 48 hours . users typically do not look farther into the future than this because ( at least in part ) the event schedule information two weeks into the future is much more likely to change than is event schedule information concerning the next 24 - 48 hours , i . e ., the farther into the future , the less reliable the event information becomes . care must be exercised so as not to set the intervals to be too infrequent . this is because the dtv receiver can become stalled waiting for a table to arrive . if the dtv receiver is stalled for 0 . 5 seconds , a user might not notice or object if she did . but such a delay of , e . g ., 4 - 5 seconds probably would be noticed by , and probably would annoy , the user . this reinforces the need to set short intervals for near term events because users are likely to want to display epg information about them . again , the invention , in part , provides an interface unit 104 that defines parameters that the non - uniform interval calculation unit 106 then can use to generate the time intervals between tables of the same type . typically ( but not necessarily ) the function performed by the unit 106 will be linear , e . g ., with a defined start interval ( the root_time ) and an increment interval ( increment_time ). for example , if the user desires eit o to be output every half second ( root_time ) with each succeeding eit , to be output 0 . 25 seconds less frequently than the preceding eit , namely eit i - 1 , the user would enter 0 . 5 seconds as the root_time in box 216 and 0 . 25 seconds as the increment_time in box 218 . the function for each table eit - i interval would then be : for example , eit 12 can be output every 0 . 5 sec +( 0 . 25 sec * 12 )= 3 . 5 seconds , which is less frequent than eit o . obviously , other examples are possible , e . g ., the increment_time for each of different groups of like tables can be set . a similar calculation for etts can be performed by the unit 106 . the invention has at least the following advantages : 1 ) it provides an easy way of entering the interval times for the tables : 2 ) it defines the interval times for like tables that are not all fixed to a constant interval ; and 3 ) it provides an interval function that increases the interval for tables that represent information further out in time . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .

7Electricity

referring to the accompanying drawings , particularly to fig1 there is illustrated a block diagram of the preferred embodiment of doze warning system according to the present invention . a steering angle detector means 20 detects angle variation from a standard angular position of the steering to produce steering angle pulses s 2 and s 3 indicative of the steering direction for every 5 degrees of steering angle , for example . the steering angle detector means 20 comprises a steering angle sensor 22 and a steering angle pulse generating circuit 26 . the steering angle sensor 22 may be of a type provided at a position adapted for detecting steering angle variation such as , for example , on a steering column to detect left - hand and right - hand rotational angle position of the steering column to produce a signal for each predetermined rotational angle displacement . the sensor may also be of the type adapted to detect working fluid pressure variation in the power steering hydraulic circuit to produce a signal representative of the detected working fluid pressure , and so on . the sensor signal s 1 outputted by the steering angle sensor 22 is inputted to the steering angle pulse generating circuit 26 . the steering angle pulse generating circuit 24 produces steering angle pulses s 2 or s 3 for every 5 degrees of steering angle variation in left - or right - hand directions depending on the sensor signal s 1 . the steering angle pulses s 2 and s 3 are respectively fed to an input section 32 of a counter circuit 30 . the input section 32 is turned on for a given period of time , for example 15 sec ., in response to the steering angle pulse s 2 or s 3 to receive the trailing steering angle pulse , or is turned on for a given period of time , for example 5 sec ., in response to the steering angle pulse and renewed the measurement of the given time in response to every trailing steering angle pulse . the input section 32 is responsive to the steering angle pulse s 2 and s 3 while it is maintained in an on position , to produce a pulse signal s 4 . the pulse signal s 4 produced by the input section 32 is fed to a counter section 34 . the counter section 34 counts up the number of pulse signals s 4 inputted at an interval shorter than a predetermined pulse interval and produces a counter signal s 5 when the counter value exceeds a predetermined threshold value . the counter value of the counter section 34 is cleared if the pulse signal of the input section is inputted for an interval longer than the predetermined pulse interval . on the other hand , a signal s 6 produced by the input section 32 and representative of the present time of the input section is fed to a time setting section 38 . the time setting section 38 produces a pulse signal s 7 in response to the trailing edge of the signal s 6 . the pulse signal s 7 is inputted to the counter section 34 to clear the counter value . the counter pulse s 5 of the counter section 34 of the counter circuit 30 is inputted to the warning signal generating circuit 40 to turn the latter on . the warning signal generating circuit 40 produces a warning signal s 8 when the counter pulse s 5 is inputted and the pulse signal s 7 is inputted to establish an and condition . a warning device 50 is responsive to the warning signal s 8 of the warning signal generating circuit 40 to produce a warning . the warning produced by the warning device can be selected among various kinds of warnings , for example , visible warnings one such as lamp , display and the like , or audible warnings such as buzzer , warning voice and the like . on the other hand , the steering angle pulse s 2 and s 3 of the steering angle pulse generating circuit 26 is inputted to a reset signal generating circuit 60 . the reset signal generating circuit 60 has a steering angle difference detecting section 62 , left - hand steering angle detecting section 64 and right - hand steering angle detecting section 66 . the steering angle difference detecting section 62 detects a difference of the steering angle pulses s 2 and s 3 within a period set by the time setting section 38 and produces a signal s 9 when the detected difference reaches a given value , e . g ., 4 . the left - hand steering angle detecting section 64 counts up the number of the steering angle pulse s 2 within the period set by the time setting section 38 and produces a signal s 10 when the counter value reaches a given value , e . g ., 4 . the counter value of the left - hand steering angle detecting circuit 64 is cleared in response to a count signal s 11 produced everytime the steering angle pulse s 3 is inputted to the right - hand steering angle detecting section 66 . likewise , the right - hand steering angle detecting section 66 counts up the steering angle pulse s 3 within a period set by the time setting section 38 and produces a signal s 12 when the counter value reaches a given value , e . g ., 4 . the counter value of the right - hand steering angle detecting section 66 is cleared in response to a count signal s 13 produced everytime when the steering angle signal s 3 is inputted to the left - hand steering angle detecting section 64 . the reset signal generating circuit 60 further includes a reset signal generating section 68 . the reset signal generating section 68 is responsive to one of signals s 9 , s 10 and s 12 to produce a reset signal s 14 . the reset signal s 14 of the reset signal generating section 68 is inputted to the counter section 34 of the counter circuit 30 to clear the counter value thereof and is inputted to the warning signal generating circuit 40 to make the latter inoperative . fig2 to 9 show one example of the steering angle detecting means 20 of the system of fig1 . as shown in fig2 to 5 , the steering angle sensor 22 of the steering angle detecting means 20 has a gear 222 fixedly secured to a steering column shaft 221 and a gear 223 engageable to the former gear . the gear 222 is rotatable with the steering column shaft 221 and steering column tube 224 and transmits rotation in left - and right - hand direction according to the steering operation to the gear 223 . the gear 223 is rotatably mounted onto a rotational axle 225 protruded from the upper surface of the steering column tube 224 . the gear 223 has a smaller diameter than that of the gear 222 , which gear ratio of the gear 223 in relation to the gear 222 is selected so that the one cycle rotation of the gear 223 corresponds to a given rotational angle of the steering column shaft 221 , e . g ., 1 degree . a projection 226 is protruded from the bottom surface of the gear 223 . the projection 226 opposes an elongated projection 229 formed on a movable contact disc 228 which is rotatably mounted on an axle 227 protruded from the steering column tube 224 . the projection 226 of the gear 223 contacts against the elongated projection 229 to rotate the rotational contact disc 228 at a given angle while the gear 223 rotates , as shown in fig6 to 8 . as will be appreciated from fig2 and 6 to 8 , the given rotational angle in left - and right - hand directions of the movable contact disc 228 is defined by the positional relationship of the gear 223 and the movable contact disc 228 on the steering column tube 224 and the position of the projection 226 . the movable contact disc 228 engages with the upper end of a helical spring 230 the lower end thereof being engaged to the upper surface of the steering column tube and wound onto the axle 227 . the helical spring 230 urges the movable contact disc 228 to a neutral position as shown in fig7 . the movable contact disc 228 is provided with a movable contact 231 on the lower surface thereof . stationary contacts 232 and 233 are protruded on the upper surface of the steering column tube 224 at positions opposing to the movable contact 231 . the movable contact 231 is rotatable in left - and right - hand directions according to the rotation of the movable contact disc 228 . at the end of rotation , the movable contact 231 contacts to one of the stationary contacts 232 and 233 . the movable contact 231 is connected to a power source ( not shown ) via line 234 and , in turn , the stationary contacts 232 and 233 are connected to counters 261 and 262 of the steering pulse generating circuit 26 , as described hereafter ( fig9 ) via lines 235 and 236 . fig9 shows one example of the steering angle pulse generating circuit 26 in the steering angle detecting means 20 of fig1 . the counters 261 and 262 are respectively connected to the stationary contacts 232 and 233 of the steering angle sensor 22 via the lines 235 and 236 , as set forth . the counter 261 counts up the sensor signal s 1 produced when the steering is operated in the left - hand direction and thus the movable contact 231 comes to contact with the stationary contact 232 . the counter 261 produces the steering angle pulse s 2 when the counter value thereof reaches a value , i . e ., 5 in the shown embodiment , corresponding to a steering angle of 5 degrees . on the other hand , the counter 261 is connected to the stationary contact 233 via line 263 to receive the sensor signal s 1 indicative of right - hand steering operation which is produced when the steering is operated in the right - hand direction to contact the movable contact 231 with the stationary contact 233 , and to clear the counter value thereof in response to the sensor signal s 1 of right - hand steering operation . likewise , the counter 262 counts up the sensor signal s 1 inputted through the line 236 and produces the steering angle pulse s 3 when the counter value thereof reaches to 5 , and is cleared the counter value by the sensor signal s 1 indicative of the left - hand steering inputted through a line 264 . fig1 shows a block diagram illustrating a detail of the counter circuit 30 of the doze warning system of fig1 . the input section 32 comprises an or gate 323 connected to the steering angle pulse generating circuit 26 via lines 321 and 322 and a monostable multivibrator 324 and an and gate 325 . the or gate 323 is turned on in response to one of steering pulse signals s 2 and s 3 to produce a signal s 15 . the monostable multivibrator 324 is responsive to the signal s 15 to turn on for a given period of time , e . g ., 15 sec ., to produce the signal s 6 . the preset of period of time in the monostable multivibrator can be done otherwise . for example , it is possible to adapt the monostable multivibrator to turn on for a given period of time , e . g . 5 sec ., everytime the signal s 15 of the or gate is provided and to renew the period when the trailing signal s 15 is inputted while the multivibrator is maintained in an on condition . the and gate 325 is connected to the monostable multivibrator 324 via a line 326 and , in turn , connected to or gate 323 via a line 327 . therefore , the or gate signal s 15 from the or gate 323 and the signal s 6 of the monostable multivibrator 324 are inputted to the and gate 325 . the and gate 325 produces the pulse signal s 4 when the and condition of the signals s 15 and s 6 is established . the pulse signal s 4 of the and gate 325 is counted by a counter 341 of the counter section 34 . the counter 341 counts up the number of the pulse signals s 2 and s 3 by counting up the number of pulse signal s 4 and produces a counter pulse s 5 when the counter value reaches a predetermined value , e . g ., 7 . the pulse signal s 4 of the and gate 325 is further inputted to a monostable multivibrator 342 to turn the latter on for a given period of time , e . g ., 3 sec . the monostable multivibrator 342 produces a signal s 17 while it is maintained in an on condition . the signal s 17 of the monostable multivibrator 342 is inverted by an inverter 343 to provide a signal s 18 to a differentiation circuit 344 . the differentiation circuit 344 produces a signal s 19 by detecting raising of the inverter output s 18 . the signal s 19 of the differentiation circuit 344 is inputted to an or gate 345 to produce an or signal s 20 . or signal s 20 is used to clear the counter value of the counter 341 . on the other hand , the signal s 6 of the monostable multivibrator 324 of the input section 32 is inverted by an inverter 381 of the time setting section 38 and then inputted to a differentiation circuit 382 . the differentiation circuit 382 is responsive to raising of the inverter output to produce a pulse signal s 7 . the pulse signal s 7 of the differentiation circuit 382 is fed to the or gate 345 of the counter section 34 via line 383 to produce the or signal s 20 . by this or signal s 20 , the counter value of the counter 341 is cleared . at the same time , the pulse signal s 7 of the differentiation circuit 382 is fed to the warning signal generating circuit 40 and the reset signal generating circuit 60 via respective lines 384 and 385 . fig1 shows one embodiment of the warning signal generating circuit 40 in fig1 . a set terminal s of a flip - flop 401 is connected to the counter 341 of the counter circuit 30 via a line 402 . the reset terminal of the flip - flop 401 is connected to the differentiation circuit 382 of the time setting section 38 via a line 403 , an or gate 404 and the line 384 . therefore , the flip - flop is set by the counter signal s 5 of the counter 341 and is reset by an or signal s 21 of the or gate 404 produced in response to the pulse signal s 7 of the differentiation circuit 382 . the set - output terminal q of the flip - flop 401 is connected to an or gate 405 to feed a set signal s 22 to the or gate 405 . on the other hand , the reset - output terminal q of the flip - flop 401 is connected to a monostable multivibrator 407 via a line 406 to feed thereto a reset signal s 23 which is produced in response to resetting of the flip - flop by the or signal s 21 . the monostable multivibrator 407 is responsive to the reset signal s 23 to turn on for a given period of time , e . g . 1 sec . to produce a signal s 24 . the signal s 24 of the monostable multivibrator 407 is fed to the or gate 405 via a line 408 . the or gate 405 is turned on in response to one of the set signal s 22 of the flip - flop or the signal s 24 of the monostable multivibrator 407 to produce an or signal s 25 . thus , the duration of the or signal s 25 is a sum of the period of time t 1 in which the flip - flop 401 is maintained on and the period of time in which the monostable multivibrator 407 is maintained on . the or signal s 25 of the or gate 405 is fed to an and gate 409 . the and gate 409 is , in turn , connected to the differentiation circuit 382 of the counter circuit 30 via lines 410 and 384 to produce the warning signal s 8 when an and condition exists for the or signal s 25 of the or gate 405 and pulse signal s 7 of the differentiation circuit 382 , to activate the warning device 50 . fig1 illustrates a detail of the reset signal generating circuit 60 of fig1 . the steering angle difference detecting section 62 and the left - hand steering detecting section 64 are connected to the counter 261 of the steering angle pulse generating circuit 26 ( fig9 ). likewise , the steering angle difference detecting circuit 62 and the right - hand steering angle detecting circuit 66 are connected to the counter 262 of the steering angle pulse generating circuit 26 . the steering angle difference detecting circuit 62 has and gates 621 and 622 . and gates 621 and 622 are connected to the counters 261 and 262 respectively to receive the steering angle pulse s 2 and s 3 . the other input terminals of the and gates 621 and 622 are connected to the monostable multivibrator 324 of the input section 32 of the counter circuit 30 via a line 623 to receive the signal s 6 . the and gate 621 is connected to the up - input terminal u of an up / down counter 624 and produces an and signal s 26 when an and condition of the steering angle pulse s 2 and the signal s 6 of the monostable multivibrator 324 is established . the up / down counter 624 counts up the and signal s 26 . on the other hand , the and gate 622 is connected to the down - input terminal of the up / down counter 624 and produces an and signal s 27 when an and condition of the steering angle pulse s 3 and the signal s 6 of the monostable multivibrator 324 is established . the up / down counter 624 counts down the and signal s 27 to reduce the counter value . the up / down counter 624 produces a counter signal s 9 when the absolute value of the counter value reaches a predetermined value , e . g ., 4 . the counter signal s 9 is inputted to one of inputs of the or gate 681 of the reset signal generating circuit 68 . the counter value of the up / down counter 624 is cleared by the signal s 7 of the differentiation circuit 382 . the and signal s 26 of the and gate 621 is further inputted to the counter 642 of the left - hand steering angle detecting section 64 via the line 641 . the counter 642 counts up the and signal s 26 inputted thereto and produces a counter signal s 10 when the counter value reaches a predetermined value , e . g ., 4 . the counter signal s 10 is inputted to an or gate 682 of the reset signal generating circuit 68 . on the other hand , the counter 642 is connected to an or gate 644 via a line 643 . the or gate 644 is connected to the differentiation circuit 382 of the time setting section 38 of the counter circuit 30 via a line 645 and is connected to the and gate 622 via a line 646 . the or gate 644 is turned on in response to one of the pulse signal s 7 of the dfferentiation circuit 382 and the and signal s 27 of the and gate 622 to produce an or signal s 11 to be fed to the counter 642 . this or signal s 11 serves as a reset signal of the counter 642 to clear the counter value thereof . a counter 661 of the right - hand steering angle detecting section 66 is connected to the and gate 622 via a line 662 . the and signal s 27 is counted up by the counter 661 . the counter 661 produces a counter signal s 12 when the counter value thereof reaches a predetermined value , e . g ., 4 , to feed to the or gate 682 . the counter 661 is further connected to the and gate 621 via a line 665 , an or gate 663 and a line 664 , and is connected to the differentiation circuit 382 via the or gate 663 and the line 645 . the or gate 663 is turned on to produce an or signal s 13 when the and signal s 26 of the and gate 621 or the pulse signal s 7 of the differentiation circuit 382 are inputted . by this or signal s 13 , the counter value of the counter 661 is cleared . the or gate 682 of the reset signal generating section 68 is turned on to produce an or signal s 28 when either of counter signals s 10 or s 12 of the counters 642 and 661 is inputted . the or signal s 28 of the or gate 682 is fed to an or gate 681 via a line 683 . the or gate 681 is turned on to produce an or signal s 29 in response to one of the counter signal s 9 of the up / down counter 624 and the or signal s 28 of the or gate 682 . the output terminal of the or gate 681 is connected to a set - input s of a flip - flop 684 to set the latter with the or signal s 29 . the reset - input r of the flip - flop 684 is connected to the differentiation circuit 382 via a line 685 . therefore , the flip - flop 684 is reset when the pulse signal s 7 is produced in the differentiation circuit 382 . the flip - flop 684 produces a reset signal s 14 on the output terminal q while it is kept at set position . the output terminal q of the flip - flop 684 is connected to the or gate 345 of the counter circuit 30 via a line 686 to produce an or signal s 20 in response to the reset signal s 14 , and is connected to an or gate 404 of the warning signal generating circuit 40 via a line 687 . the or gate 404 produces a signal s 21 in response to the reset signal . therefore , the flip - flop 684 is set and counter value of the counter 341 is cleared . at this time , the flip - flop 401 of the warning signal generating circuit 40 is reset . the operation of the foregoing embodiment will be explained hereinbelow with reference to the timing chart of fig1 . as apparent from the timing chart of fig1 , the monostable multivibrator 324 of the counter circuit 30 of the foregoing embodiment is maintained in an on condition for the predetermined period t 3 , e . g ., 5 sec ., after inputting the last or signal s 15 which is sequentially inputted . for instance , assuming the steering angle pulses s 2 of the steering angle pulse generating circuit 26 are inputted at time p 2 , p 3 , p 4 and p 5 and the steering angle pulses s 3 are inputted at time p 1 , p 6 and p 7 , the or gate 323 produces or signals s 15 at each time point p 1 to p 7 . the monostable multivibrator 324 is turned on at the time point p 1 and maintained on for the predetermined period t 3 after the time point p 7 at which the last or signal is inputted . the and gate 325 produces the and signal s 4 every time when even an and condition is established for the output s 6 of the monostable multivibrator 324 and or signal fed from the or gate 323 via the line 327 and feeds it to the counter 341 . on the other hand , at the same time , the and signal s 4 of the and gate 325 is inputted to the monostable multivibrator 342 to turn the latter on for the predetermined period , e . g ., 3 sec . in an on condition of the monostable multivibrator 342 , the inverter 343 produces the signal s 18 in response to the trailing edge of the signal s 17 and thereby produces the signal s 19 in the differentiation circuit 344 . the signal s 19 of the differentiation circuit 344 is fed to the or gate 345 to produce the signal s 20 . the or signal s 20 of the or gate 345 is inputted to the counter 341 to clear the counter value thereof . thus , in the foregoing embodiment , if the pulse interval of the steering angle pulse s 2 and s 3 exceeds 3 sec ., the counter value of the counter 341 is cleared . namely , the counter produces the counter signal s 5 when predetermined numbers of the steering angle pulses s 2 and s 3 are inputted with pulse intervals less than 3 sec . on the other hand , at the time points p 2 , p 3 , p 4 and p 5 , the and signal s 26 of the and gate 621 produced in response to the steering angle pulse s 2 is inputted to up - input u of the up / down counter 624 of the steering angle difference detecting circuit 62 and the and signal s 27 of the and gate 622 produced in response to the steering angle pulse s 3 at the time point p 1 , p 6 and p 7 is inputted to the down - input d of the up / down counter 624 . at this time , the maximum counter value of the up / down counter 624 is 3 and does not reach at the predetermined value , i . e ., 4 . therefore , the up / down counter 624 does not produce the counter signal . at the same time of the counting operation of the up / down counter , the counter 642 of the left - hand steering detecting circuit 64 counts up the and signal s 26 inputted thereto at time points p 2 , p 3 , p 4 and p 5 . at the time point p 5 at which the counter value of the counter reaches to 4 , the counter 643 produces the counter signal s 10 . the flip - flop 684 is set in response to the or signal s 29 of the or gate 681 which is produced in response to the counter signal s 10 of the counter 624 . thus , the counter value of the counter 341 is cleared at the time point p 5 by the or signal s 20 of the or gate 345 . assuming the steering angle pulse s 2 is produced at time points p 8 , p 9 , p 11 , p 12 and p 13 and , on the other hand , the steering angle pulse s 3 is produced at time points p 10 and p 14 , the up / down counter 624 counts up the and signal s 26 of the and gate 621 inputted at the time points p 8 , p 9 , p 11 , p 12 , and p 13 and counts down the and signal s 27 of the and gate 622 inputted at time points p 10 and p 14 . the counter value of the up / down counter 624 becomes 4 at the time point p 13 to cause output of counter signal s 9 . therefore , or signal s 20 is produced in the or gate 345 to clear the counter value of the counter 341 . further assuming that the steering angle pulse s 2 is inputted at time points p 15 , p 17 , p 19 , p 21 , p 23 and p 25 and the steering angle pulse s 3 is inputted at time points p 16 , p 18 , p 20 , p 22 and p 24 , the flip - flop 684 is maintained at a reset condition by alternatively inputted and signals s 26 and s 27 . therefore , when the counter 341 counts up to 7 , the counter signal s 5 is produced . by the counter signal s 5 , flip - flop 401 is set . the set signal s 22 of the flip - flop 401 is fed to the or gate 405 to cause output of or signal s 25 . the or signal s 25 of the or gate 405 is kept on for the set period 1 sec ., of the monostable multivibrator 407 after the flip - flop 401 being reset by the signal s 7 of the differentiation circuit 382 produced at time point p 26 expiring the reset period , 15 sec . an and condition of the or signal s 25 and the signal s 7 of the differentiation circuit 382 is established at the time point p 26 to produce the warning signal s 8 . thus , the warning device 50 is responsive to produce warning at the time point p 26 . here , the operation of the up / down counter 624 of the steering angle difference detecting circuit 62 corresponding to steering angle variation in actual steering operation will be described herebelow with reference to fig1 and 15 . fig1 shows a steering variation appearing as passing through left - hand curved road and fig1 shows a timing chart of the signals corresponding to the steering angle variation . in fig1 , the portions encircled by circles a and b respectively show steering angle variation for passage through a leftwardly curved portion of the road and for return to straight - ahead steering . in the portion encircled by circle a , the left - hand steering angle variation is gradually increased as entering into the curved portion of the road and in the portion encircled by the circle b , the steering is rotated in the right - hand direction to return to the neutral position . the steering angle detecting means 20 produces the steering angle pulse s 2 every time the steering angle is varied by 5 degrees . at time points p 30 to p 32 , the steering angle is varied by about 10 degrees in the left - hand direction and at the time point p 33 , the steering angle is returned in right hand direction by about 5 degrees . in the period between the time points p 33 to p 36 , the steering angle is varied in the left - hand direction by about 15 degrees . according to this steering operation , the steering angle detecting means 20 produces left - hand steering angle pulses s 2 in the period p 30 to p 32 and p 34 to p 36 and a right - hand steering angle pulse s 3 at the time point p 33 . on the other hand , during returning the steering to a neutral position , the steering angle varies by 20 degrees within a period from time point p 37 to the time point p 41 and thereby are produced the right - hand steering angle pulses s 3 . the up / down counter 624 counts up the and signal s 26 of the and gate 621 corresponding to the steering angle pulse s 2 . at the time point p 33 , the counter value of the up / down counter 624 is 3 . here , the up / down counter 624 counts down the and signal s 27 of the and gate 622 corresponding to the steering angle pulse s 3 and therefore the counter value becomes 2 . at the time point p 35 , the counter value becomes 4 in response to the and signal s 2 . then the counter signal s 9 of the up / down counter 624 is produced and thus the flip - flop 684 is set . subsequently , steering returns to the neutral position . this time , the counter 661 of the right - hand steering angle detecting circuit 66 counts up the and signal s 27 . the counter value of the counter 661 becomes 4 at the time point p 41 to produce the counter signal s 12 to set the flip - flop 684 . as explained hereabove , in the doze warning system according to the present invention , the decision that the driver is dozing at the wheel is made when a number of steering pulses which exceeds a predetermined value , are produced within a predetermined period and the steering direction is not a single direction , namely when alternative directions of steering operation in left - and right - hand are unnecessarily carried out . therefore , detection of dozing is made to never cause malfunction of the system by mis - judgement . it should be noted that the left - and right - hand steering angle detecting sections 64 and 66 are not always necessary and it is possible to produce the reset signal by the up / down counter 624 alone . further , the invention is not limited to the circuit construction of the specific embodiment and can be embodied otherwise .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

in order to explain the method for programming a plurality of memory cells of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device of the present invention , the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device that performs the method of the present invention will be described herein . fig6 shows a block diagram of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig6 , the memory device 60 comprises the memory array 32 , the column decode and level shift circuit 34 , the row decode and level shift circuit 36 , and the i / o circuit 38 as shown in fig3 , and further comprises a control circuit 64 . fig7 shows a part of the memory array 32 of fig6 . for the purpose of conciseness , the memory array 32 shown in fig7 comprising a single word line wl 0 , first to sixteenth bit lines bl 0 to bl 15 , and first to sixteenth memory cell transistors m 1 , 1 to m 1 , 16 is exemplified . however , the present invention is not limited to such a configuration . referring to in another embodiment as shown in fig7 , the first to sixteenth memory cell transistors m 1 , 1 to m 1 , 16 are arranged in the form of a matrix , and each memory cell transistor is connected to the word line wl 0 and to one of the bit lines bl 0 to bl 15 . as shown in fig7 , the first to sixteenth memory cell transistors m 1 , 1 to m 1 , 16 are divided into first to fourth groups group 1 , group 2 , group 3 , and group 4 . in this embodiment , each of the groups is composed of four memory cell transistors . referring now to fig6 , to program the first to sixteenth memory cell transistors m 1 , 1 to m 1 , 16 in the memory array 32 , the control circuit 64 generates a pumped output voltage vh to the column decode and level shift circuit 34 in response to a mode signal pgm issued from the i / o circuit 38 . during the program operation , the row decode and level shift circuit 36 selects one of the word lines from the memory array 32 in response to an address signal ar output form the i / o circuit 38 , and the column decode and level shift circuit 34 selects a plurality of bit lines from the memory array in response to an address signal ac output form the i / o circuit 38 . in this manner , the memory cells of the first to fourth groups group 1 , group 2 , group 3 , and group 4 are successively selected , and the pumped voltage vh is applied to the memory cells of the selected group through the selected bit lines . fig8 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the control circuit 64 of fig6 . referring to fig8 , the control circuit 64 comprises a timing circuit 642 and a pump circuit 644 . the timing circuit 642 receives the mode signal pgm and an internal clock clk synchronized with an external clock signal xclk for generating a plurality of successive overlapping pulse signals ph 1 , ph 2 , ph 3 , and ph 4 during the program operation . the pump circuit 644 generates the pumped output voltage vh in response to the pulse signals ph 1 , ph 2 , ph 3 , and ph 4 , wherein the level of the voltage vh is higher than a power supply vdd when the pump circuit 644 is activated . in this embodiment , the pump circuit 644 is an internal circuit . in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , the pump circuit 644 may be implemented outsize the memory device 60 so as to minimize circuit size and complexity . fig9 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the timing circuit 642 of fig6 . referring to fig9 , the timing circuit 642 comprises a logic circuit 6422 and a delay circuit 6424 . the logic circuit 6422 receives the clock signals clk and the mode signal pgm for generating the first pulse signal ph 1 . the delay circuit 6424 is composed of three serial - connected d flip - flops d 1 , d 2 , and d 3 . the delay circuit 6424 is used to generate a plurality of delayed versions of the input signal ph 1 at a predetermined delay as successive overlapping pulse signals . fig1 is a timing diagram showing an embodiment of an operation of the timing circuit 642 of fig9 . referring to fig1 , at time t 1 , the first pulse signal ph 1 is activated in response to the rising edge of the clock signal clk when the mode signal pgm is activated . in this embodiment , the pulse width of the pulse signal phi is equal to 2 × t , wherein t is the time period of the clock signal clk . referring to fig9 and fig1 , upon receiving the pulse signal ph 1 , the d flip - flop d 1 of the delay circuit 6424 generates a delayed version of the input signal ph 1 at a predetermined delay t at time t 2 . thereafter , the d flip - flop d 2 receives the delayed signal ph 2 from the d flip - flop d 1 for generating a delayed version of the signal ph 2 at a predetermined delay t at time t 3 . then , the d flip - flop d 3 receives the delayed signal ph 3 from the d flip - flop d 2 for generating a delayed version of the signal ph 3 at a predetermined delay t at time t 4 . in this manner , the delay circuit can generate successive pulse signals ph 1 , ph 2 , ph 3 , and ph 4 having the same overlapping amount of t as shown in fig1 . in the above embodiment , each pulse width of the pulse signals ph 1 to ph 4 is equal to 2 × t and the overlapping amount of the pulse signals phi to ph 4 is equal to t . however , the pulse width and the overlapping amount of the pulse signals can be adjusted to any value . for example , the pulse width of the pulse signals ph 1 to ph 4 can be designed to be a multiple of the time period t , and the overlapping amount between two successive pulse signals can be varied . fig1 is a timing diagram showing an embodiment of an operation of the memory device 60 during the programming operation . hereinafter , the detailed program operation in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention is introduced with reference to fig6 to fig1 . referring to fig6 and fig1 , during the time period t 1 to t 3 , the first group group 1 in the memory array 32 is selected by the circuits 32 and 34 first . therefore , the pumped voltage vh is applied to the memory cells m 1 , 1 , m 1 , 2 , m 1 , 3 , and m 1 , 4 of the group group 1 through the bit lines bl 0 , bl 1 , bl 2 , and bl 3 shown in fig7 . thereafter , the second group group 2 is selected by the circuits 32 and 34 during the time period t 2 to t 4 , and the pumped voltage vh is applied to the memory cells m 1 , 5 , m 1 , 6 , m 1 , 7 , and m 1 , 8 of the group group 2 through the bit lines bl 4 , bl 5 , bl 6 , and bl 7 . during the time period t 3 to t 5 , the third group group 3 is selected by the circuits 32 and 34 , and the pumped voltage vh is applied to the memory cells m 1 , 9 , m 1 , 10 , m 1 , 11 , and m 1 , 12 of the group group 3 through the bit lines bl 8 , bl 9 , bl 10 , and bl 11 . in this manner , the groups of the memory devices 60 are successively selected , and the pumped voltage vh is applied to the memory cells of the selected group during the program operation . referring to fig1 , since the memory cell transistors m 1 , 1 to m 1 , 16 in fig7 are divided into a plurality of groups and the program operations for the memory cells in each group are performed in turn , the instantaneous power consumption of the entire operation can be relatively low . furthermore , because the pulse signals for programming each group are overlapping each other , the entire program duration of the memory cells can is be significantly reduced according to the present invention . the above - described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative only . numerous alternative embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the following claims .

6Physics

the tube bending mandrel 10 shown in fig1 is an illustrative embodiment of the principles of the invention and represents a presently preferred mode of realizing the benefits of our discovery . mandrel 10 comprises a straight and rigid cylindrical mandrel body 12 and a flexible ball - and - link section 14 . mandrel body 12 has at its free end a threaded coaxial hole 16 which is adapted to receive a stem ( not shown ) by which mandrel 10 may be connected to a tube bending machine of appropriate design . the opposite or leading end of mandrel body 12 is provided with a smooth coaxial hole 18 which is adapted to receive a mandrel link 20 described in detail hereafter . a smooth coaxial hole 22 having a somewhat smaller diameter than either of holes 16 or 18 extends between their bottoms and is adapted to pass the shank of a socket head cap screw 24 by which mandrel link 20 is retained in hole 18 . hole 22 has a larger diameter portion 26 at its end toward the free end of body 12 to accommodate the head of cap screw 24 , and a shoulder 28 at the transition between the larger and smaller diameters provides a surface against which the head 25 of screw 24 may be drawn tight as its threaded shank 30 engages a correspondingly threaded hole 32 in mandrel link 20 . the leading end of mandrel body 12 is formed with an annular recess 34 having an inwardly flared spherically curved side - wall 36 adapted to mate slidingly with the spherical outer surface 37 of the initial mandrel ball member 38 of flexible link section 14 . the bottom surface of recess 34 has , in the illustrative embodiment 10 of fig1 a flat surface portion 40 surrounding the opening of hole 18 , and an outwardly flared surface portion 42 which effects the transition between flat surface 40 and inwardly flared surface 36 . the two oppositely flared surfaces 36 and 40 intersect to form the deepest portion 43 of recess 34 which is shaped to receive a correspondingly shaped rear surface 44 of initial or mandrel ball 38 . flexible link section 14 of mandrel 10 comprises a series of spherically surfaced mandrel ball members 38 , 46 and 48 , the outer surfaces of which are adapted to support the walls of a tube during a bending or forming operation , and a corresponding series of flexibly interconnected rigid ball link members 50 . the initial ball member 38 of the series has a rear surface 44 which is generally adapted to fit the bottom surface 40 , 42 of recess 34 in the leading end of mandrel body 12 when flexible section 14 is bent to its maximum extent as illustrated in fig1 . the leading end of each of mandrel balls 38 , 46 and 48 is provided with a recess similar in form and function to that of recess 34 . in particular , the leading end of each ball 38 , 46 and 48 has a recess 52 defined by an inwardly flared spherically curved surface portion 54 and outwardly flared conical surface portion 56 . the inwardly flared surfaces 54 are each adapted to mate slidingly with the outer surfaces 58 of the mandrel ball immediately next in the series of balls on flexible link section 14 of mandrel 10 . outwardly flared surfaces 56 are each adapted to fit against the correspondingly shaped rear surface 60 of the next ball member in the series when flexible link section 14 is bent to its maximum extent . the series of ball members 38 , 46 , 58 is held together by a series of flexibly interconnected rigid link members comprising mandrel link 20 , master link 68 , ball links 50 , and terminal link 90 . mandrel link 20 comprises a cylindrical body adapted to fit slideably in hole 18 in the leading end of mandrel body 12 , with its leading end flush with the flat annular surface 40 . a threaded hole 32 in the rear end of mandrel link 20 is adapted to receive the threaded end 30 of cap screw 24 which , when drawn tight , holds flexible link section 14 together with mandrel body 12 . the leading end of mandrel link 20 is formed to provide a partially open spherical recess or socket 64 adapted to receive a spherical enlarged end 66 of a dub - bell shaped master link 68 . socket 64 is surrounded by an inwardly flared annular surface 70 . master link 68 has a second spherical enlargement 72 at its leading end , which is adpated to fit within a corresponding spherical socket 74 . each of the ball links 50 has a similar spherical socket 74 at its rear end , and a corresponding spherical enlargement 76 at its leading end , by which means the entire series of individual rigid links may be flexibly interconnected . the body portion 80 of each link surrounding the spherical socket recess is divided by slots 78 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 , to provide sufficient flexibility for the spherical ends 76 of the adjoining links to be inserted and removed , poppet style . the sockets are prevented from expanding in use by the strength of the surrounding ball members , so that a flexible and very strong chain of links is formed . the outside surface of body portion 80 of each link 50 is cylindrical and is adapted to mate slideably with the inside surfaces of corresponding cylindrical holes in the ball members 38 , 46 . the transition from the relatively large outside diameter of body portion 80 to the relatively small diameter of the neck 82 is accomplished by an outwardly flared surface 84 . the angle of surface 84 , together with the angle of the inwardly flared annular surface 86 , is adapted to permit each link 50 to swivel freely at least to the extent of the bending permitted by the nesting surfaces of the ball members 38 , 46 , 48 . terminal ball 48 at the free end of mandrel 10 has a threaded central hole 88 adapted to receive a threaded terminal link 90 which has a socket compared in form and function to the sockets of links 50 , previously described . a lock nut 92 is provided to be screwed over the leading end of terminal link 90 , and is recessed in the end of terminal ball 48 . in accordance with our invention , the centers of curvature of outer and inner spherical surfaces 58 and 54 are axially spaced apart by a distance equal to the pitch defined by the spacing between the centers of the ball and socket portions 74 , 76 of the ball links 50 . the length of master link 68 is selected so that the center of spherically enlarged end portion 72 is located substantially at the center of curvature of spherical surface 36 of mandrel body 12 . as a consequence of these relationships , the centers of curvature of the outer spherical surfaces of adjacent mandrel balls in assembled flexible link section 14 are axially spaced apart by the distance defined as the pitch , and the center of curvature of the outer surface of each ball coincides with the center of the socket portion 74 of the link 50 on which it rides , which is also the center of the ball end 76 , 72 of the preciding link in the series . moreover , the center of curvature of the inner spherical surface 54 of each ball 46 coincides with the center of the ball end 76 of the link 50 on which it rides , which is also the center of the socket portion 74 of the succeeding link in the series . as a result , when flexible link section 14 is flexed , the outer spherical surface 58 of each ball member 46 rotates about its own center of curvature . a mandrel of the type described herein to illustrate the invention may be assembled by inserting end of master link 68 into the socket 64 or mandrel link 20 , which is then inserted into the hole 18 of mandrel body 12 and engaged by cap screw 24 . ball links 50 are then interconnected by inserting each spherical end into the socket of the adjoining link , and the series of links is attached to the mandrel by inserting the leading end 72 of master link 68 into the socket 74 of the initial link 50 . ball members , beginning with mandrel ball 38 and following with the appropriate number of intermediate balls 46 are next slid over the interconnected series of links 50 . finally , terminal link 90 is swivelly joined to the spherical end of the last link 50 of the series , terminal ball member 48 is screwed onto the threaded outer surface of terminal link 90 , and lock nut 92 is applied to complete the assembly . in a tube bending mandrel embodying the invention , such as mandrel 10 depicted in fig1 the reverse or nesting configuration of the balls permits the pitch or spacing between centers of rotation of adjoining links to be shorter than in the more customary or normal configurations . also , the outer surface of the flexible link section 14 of the mandrel 10 is substantially continuous rather than presenting the gaps found in mandrels of the more normal type . thus , the wall of a tube undergoing bending is more uniformly supported during the process , and a smoother bend is produced . because the ball members 46 swivel about the centers of curvature of their outer spherical surfaces 58 as the flexible link section 14 is flexed , the principal forces acting as the surfaces 58 during tube bending operations are directed radially and normal to the surfaces . this reduces the frictional wearing of the balls and prolongs their useful lives , further reducing maintenance time and improving the economic factors associated with the use of mandrels embodying our invention . another advantage of the preferred embodiment follows from the fact that the initial or mandrel ball 38 swivels about the center of the socket 74 of initial link 50 instead of about a point within the mandrel body 12 as in more conventional designs . as a result , the point on the mandrel which must be tangent to the bend die of the bending machine lies on line 94 in front of the mandrel body . because line 94 extends through the moveable initial ball 38 , positioning of the mandrel body with respect to the point of tangency of the bend die may be within a relatively broad range rather than being critically restricted as with other designs . the reduction of criticality makes adjustment easier and reduces the likelihood of breakage or accelerated wear due to improper adjustments . it is characteristic of mandrels embodying the invention that the balls -- with the exception , of course , of the terminal ball -- slide freely on the links . moreover , in the case of spherically shaped balls for use in bending tubes of circular cross - section , each ball is also free to rotate in a plane transverse to the link on which it floats . the rotational freedom serves to distribute wear more or less evenly over the surface of the balls . the freedom of the balls to slide on the links causes the position of the balls to be controlled by the forces transmitted directly through the sliding contact of adjoining balls instead of through the links as in conventional mandrels . since the transverse shear type forces of bending are transmitted through the balls , and the links carry chiefly longidudinal tension loads , the links may be made smaller than in previous mandrels and thereby permit closer pitches and tighter bends . and , since the bending forces are spread over the larger and stronger peripherial portions of the balls , the overall structure of the mandrel is more resistant to the loads imposed in use . it will also be appreciated that replacement of worn parts is simpler in our floating ball mandrel than in those wherein the balls are attached to corresponding links . thus , to replace a worn ball , it is necessary only to remove the lock nut , terminal link and terminal ball . the remaining balls may then be slid off without disassembling the links , the worn ball removed and all of the balls replaced back onto the still intact chain of links . those skilled in the tube bending art will recognize that many variations and modifications of our invention are possible and may be made without departing from its scope and spirit . as one example , while the preferred embodiment has been described with reference to a mandrel for bending tubes of circular cross - section , the sample principles may also be applied to mandrels of bending tubes of other cross - section . other possibilities will be apparent and should be considered within the scope of the claims .

1Performing Operations; Transporting

in a first embodiment , the lens material is a droplet of photopolymer , thermoplastic , sol - gel , or the like and is applied to a preselected end of a rod or fiber . the lens material is selected from the group of suitable lens materials having a large refractive index , high transparency , low shrinkage upon curing , good thermal stability , and ease of curing while centrifuged . the optical fiber is cleaved at a preselected end and the coating of optical fiber is removed with a stripping agent . the droplet is applied at the cleaved end and the optical fiber and droplet are placed in an artificial gravitational acceleration . the shape of the liquid drop is found from laplace &# 39 ; s formula : where r 1 and r 2 are the principal radii of curvature , g is gravitational acceleration , ρ is the density of the liquid , and α is the surface tension coefficient for the liquid . when the capillary constant is much larger than the dimensions of the drop , the last term on the left may be ignored . this holds for rods having a diameter of about 100μ at the surface of the earth . the shape of the solid lens will be the same as that of the liquid if negligible shrinkage occurs upon solidification . with the coordinates as depicted in fig1 , equation ( 1 ) becomes where r 0 is the radius of curvature at x = 0 . y = r 0 −√{ square root over ( r 0 2 − x 2 )} ( equation 3 ) it is seen that when gravity is ignored , the drop is a sphere having a flattened top . the focusing by a thick lens as shown in fig2 is given by : to achieve large focusing power ( for a given n ), r must be made small and s ′ large . the largest s ′/ s is achieved for s ′& gt ;& gt ; r , in which case : for a given s ′, r can be made smaller by applying an artificial gravitational acceleration , ( through spinning , e . g .) to increase g and hence decrease a . for a comparable to r , the shapes of the droplets have been given by freud & amp ; hawkins in the journal of physical chemistry , volume 33 , page 1217 ( 1929 ). for r / a = 0 . 6 and s ′/ a = 1 . 6 , e . g ., r / a = 0 . 6 . from equation ( 4 ), s = s ′ for n = 2 . 2 . in contrast , the best focusing power without artificial gravity would be s ′/ s = 0 . 2 for the same n from equation ( 5 ). for r = 120μ , a = 0 . 2 mm . this corresponds to g = 200 g 0 , and can readily be achieved by spinning . as depicted in fig3 , a platform is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis . the optical fiber is aligned in radial relation to the axis of rotation with the droplet positioned radially outwardly of the optical fiber . the optical fiber is positioned so that the droplet and a predetermined extent of the optical fiber overhang a peripheral edge of the platform . a top wall of the platform is sloped at a predetermined slope so that a center of the platform is elevated with respect to the peripheral edge of the platform . the predetermined slope is an angle equal to the arctan of the ratio of the gravitational acceleration of earth to the artificial gravitational acceleration produced by the spinning . more precisely , the angle θ should be made to be equal to where g s is the artificial gravitational acceleration produced by spinning . the polymer - tipped rod or fiber is placed inside a small glass tube to shield the droplet from the deleterious effects of air currents as the platform is spun about its axis of rotation . when the droplet has reached equilibrium , a curing / drying source such as a uv lamp is turned on . to achieve uniformity of curing , a polished aluminum platform is used to reflect the uv radiation so that the top and bottom sides of the droplet receive approximately equal irradiation . this prevents hardening of one part of the lenslet prior to hardening of another part and thus reduces unwanted distortion . the spinning has the effect of elongating the droplet and making it more pointed . the result is a microlens in the far field that overcomes the limitations of microlenses heretofore known . in a second embodiment of the invention , the refractive index of the polymer or sol - gel is increased by mixing in high refractive index nanoparticles formed of a transparent material such as ti 2 o 3 . this also enables producing a microlens with a graded refractive index along the optical axis through centrifugation as depicted in fig4 . solid line ab indicates a bent ray as a result of the graded index , and dashed line ac is a straight line the ray would follow without the gradient . in a third embodiment , a microsphere is attached to the end of an optical fiber by using an optical cement for the purpose of focusing the light coming out of the fiber . the focusing properties of the microsphere depend on the thickness of the cement in between . the novel technique of this invention allows the controlled positioning of the microsphere by applying an artificial gravitational acceleration to the fiber / microsphere assembly before the cement is cured . when a fiber tipped with a liquid containing a microsphere is held vertically with the droplet hanging at the bottom , the microsphere protrudes out of the liquid if it has a density greater than that of the liquid , as depicted in fig5 . the extent of protrusion depends upon its size and its surface interaction with the liquid , the radius of the fiber , the surface tension of the liquid , etc . by balancing the “ weight ” of the microsphere with the buoyant force of the liquid and the atmosphere outside , to have the solid / liquid / gas intersection make an angle α with the “ horizontal ” ( fig5 ), the artificial gravitational acceleration needed is given by : g = 6 ⁢ ⁢ γ ⁢ ⁢ cos ⁢ ⁢ α ⁡ ( α + θ c ) - 3 ⁢ r ⁢ ⁢ δ ⁢ ⁢ p ⁡ ( 1 - sin 2 ⁢ α ) 4 ⁢ r 2 ⁢ ρ ′ - r 2 ⁢ ρ ⁡ ( 2 + 3 ⁢ sin ⁢ ⁢ α - sin 3 ⁢ α ) where γ is the surface tension of the liquid . θ c is the contact angle of the liquid on the microsphere , r is the radius of the microsphere , ρ and ρ ′ are the densities of the liquid and the microsphere , and δp is the difference in pressure between the liquid at the bottom and the outside atmosphere ( p − p in fig5 ). for α = 0 , γ = 40 dynes / cm , θ c = 30 °, r = 30μ , δp = γ / r , ρ = 1 . 2 g / cm 3 , and ρ ′= 4 g / cm 3 , g = 700 g 0 where g 0 is the earth &# 39 ; s gravitational acceleration . the volume of the liquid determines the gap between the microsphere and the end of the fiber . the artificial gravity is created by placing the fiber on a rotating disk , with the fiber end pointing outwards . the microsphere is fixed in place by applying uv / heat to cure the optical cement while the fiber is spun at the desired rotational speed . to correct for earth &# 39 ; s gravity which will introduce some amount of asymmetry , the disc can be made to have a slightly conical cross - sectional profile with a cone angle of tan − 1 ( g / g 0 ). distancing microsphere from end of optical fiber by controlling contact angle in a fourth embodiment , a microsphere is attached to the end of an optical fiber at a distance from the fiber end if a suitable contact angle between the optical cement and the microsphere is selected as depicted in fig6 a and 6b . for a cement drop & gt ; 100 μm , forces due to liquid and air pressure can be ignored . accordingly , 2πrγ cos α cos ( α + θ c )≅ 4 / 3πr 3 ρg where γ is the surface tension of the cement and θ c the contact angle between the cement and the microsphere . for r & lt ; 50μ and typical values of γ and ρ , the equation is satisfied for α + θ c ≅ π / 2 . for small α , θ c must be close to ninety degrees ( 90 °), i . e ., the cement must wet the microsphere only slightly . when the microsphere is captured by the cement by contact , the fiber is held vertically as shown and cement uv / heat cured . if the contact angle between the selected cement and the native surface of the sphere is not close to 90 ° to begin with , the latter can be treated chemically to produce decreased wetting . this method can either reduce or eliminate the need to apply artificial gravity . in the above embodiments , curing of the droplet which is to become the lenslet is initiated when the artificial gravity generated by spinning has reached a constant value and the droplet has had time to adjust to an equilibrium shape . under these conditions the shape of the lenslet for a given base diameter and volume is completely determined by its density , surface tension , and the magnitude of the artificial gravitational field . more precisely , where : when equilibrium has been reached at a given artificial gravitational acceleration , i . e ., when all flowing of the droplet has ceased , the final shape of the droplet is uniquely determined by its base diameter , its volume ( or height ), and the capillary constant a . in this fifth embodiment the droplet is cured under nonequilibrium conditions to obtain different final shapes for the lenslet . a hyperbolic shape is especially desirable because it provides distortionless focusing for a collimated incident beam . in the following examples , the starting liquid is a photopolymer and the curing agent is ultraviolet light , although other possibilities also exist ( e . g ., thermoplastic with heat curing ). in a first example of the fifth embodiment , a droplet is deposited on an optical fiber and may be partially cured before it is spun . this increases the starting viscosity of the droplet to a sufficiently high value so that the time required for the droplet to change its shape noticeably at any moment during its evolution history from rest to a predetermined terminal rotational speed is long compared to its curing time . accordingly , it becomes possible to obtain any of the intermediate shapes between the two times . the sequence of intermediate shapes itself depends on the predetermined time profile of the rotational speed . in a second example of the fifth embodiment , a weak uv curing source is used so that the curing time is comparable to the total spin time . thus , the viscosity and surface tension coefficient of the photopolymer varies with time in addition to the rotational speed . the evolution of the droplet ceases when a sufficiently high viscosity is reached . lenslet shapes different from those obtainable with the first example of this fifth embodiment can be provided when the steps of this second example are followed . in a third example of the fifth embodiment , the second method is modified by programming the intensity of the weak uv curing source to vary with time . in particular , the weak radiation may be followed at the end by a short intense pulse to instantaneously solidify the photopolymer at some desired droplet shape . this third example of the fifth embodiment thus produces lenslet shapes not possible with the first examples . in view of this disclosure , it is now obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art that other variations are possible to produce lens - tipped optical fibers in artificial gravity under nonequilibrium conditions . in a sixth embodiment , the same basic principles are applied to the fabrication of microlens arrays . the process begins by selecting a substrate that has been treated previously ( e . g ., lithographically ) to produce an array of circular mesas . fig7 a and 7b provide top and side views , respectively , of such a substrate , denoted 10 as a whole . droplets of photopolymer 12 ( fig7 c ) are applied to the top of mesas 14 by microjetting or other suitable means . the shape of each droplet 12 will always be spherical in normal gravity for mesa diameters of less than approximately one millimeter ( 1 mm ), regardless of the orientation of substrate 10 . when used to focus a beam of light , such a shape will lead to spherical aberration , especially when the thickness of the lens is a substantial fraction of its diameter at the base and the light beam fills a large portion of the available aperture . this aberration is reduced by subjecting droplets 12 to artificial gravity prior to curing by uv radiation under either equilibrium or non - equilibrium conditions . a preferred embodiment of an apparatus that forms an array of microlenses under artificial gravity is depicted in fig8 , 8 a , 9 , and 9 a . substrates 10 with photopolymer droplets 12 are attached to spinning disk 16 which is mounted for rotation as indicated by directional arrow 15 about axis 17 . disc 16 is a many sided polygon with a wedged side as seen in side elevation or cross section , as shown in fig9 . more particularly , disc 16 includes top wall 16 a of first predetermined diameter , bottom wall 16 b of second predetermined diameter less than said first predetermined diameter , and sidewall 16 c interconnecting said top and bottom walls to one another , said sidewall presenting a wedge - shaped profile when viewed in side elevation . the wedge - shaped side eliminates the effect of the earth &# 39 ; s gravitational field . as indicated in the detailed views of fig8 a and 9a , each substrate 10 is covered by a housing 20 which is fitted with a window 22 transparent to the uv radiation required for curing . housing 20 eliminates any deleterious effect that might be caused by air turbulence during spinning . as depicted in fig8 , a plurality of uv light sources 24 are circumferentially arranged around the inside of rotor housing 26 in such a way that each array sees essentially a uniform light intensity regardless of its instantaneous position . array housings 20 can be eliminated if a vacuum is provided in the space in which the arrays are spun . in the case of equilibrium curing , wedge angle α ( fig9 ) should be made α = tan - 1 ⁡ ( g g 0 ) where g 0 is earth &# 39 ; s gravitational acceleration and g is the artificial gravitational acceleration at the terminal rotational speed . in the case of non - equilibrium curing , g should correspond to the rotational speed at which curing is essentially complete . it will thus be seen that the objects set forth above , and those made apparent from the foregoing description , are efficiently attained . since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described , and all statements of the scope of the invention that , as a matter of language , might be said to fall therebetween .

6Physics

a detailed description of this invention is given below based on the detailed description of the invention . there are four kinds of control devices available for selection . fig1 and fig2 are the “ v ”/“ u ” shapes cmyk halftone % dots for experience as well as artistic users . fig3 is the “ unique pre - determined design ”. fig4 is the rectangular form “ r ” for the elementary users . shown as fig1 and fig2 , cmyk % dots with “ v ”/“ u ” shape can be described as a series of “ v ” or “ u ” shape patterns of pre - determined cmyk % dots that are alternatively upright and inverted to each other with positioning serial for providing the grey tone visual comparison reference . the “ k ” grey tone is the primary checking reference as the starting point , which is positioned at the inverted area acting as the target to the “ cmy ” neutral grey halftone with a mixed upright pattern . this referring tool has no length limit . it can cover the full machine width without any interruption of ink distribution information in any color at any ink track . as operator &# 39 ; s option , 100 % solid and 50 % mid - tone cmyk can also be integrated and replacing the “ k ” grey tone for additional information . shown as fig3 , “ unique pre - determined design ” is working under the same principle as the “ v ”/“ u ” shapes . the major difference is the three primary colors formed a neutral grey tone in pre - determined design shape and placing within the “ k ” grey tone area or vice verse . the printing result can be visible by the operator or measurable by any color measuring device to compare the result with the grey tone to achieve the best printing result . as operator &# 39 ; s option , 100 % solid and 50 % mid - tone cmyk at suitable size and shape can also be integrated and replacing some “ k ” grey tone for additional information . shown as fig4 , rectangular form “ r ” can be described as neutral tone cmy pre - determined halftone % dots overprinted within the rectangular bar , which is placed next to the k % grey dots square patch for referring purpose as one group of checking element . between every two checking elements are the individual cmyk solid ; mid - tone and slur information tools so that the operator can fully understand the individual ink value condition , dot gain value and the printing press mechanical defect condition . since the cmyk individual inking information are placed within the checking element and occupying space for more , the neutral grey tone element therefore can only provide 32 to 33 ink checking adjustment zones ( in 40 inches press width ) instead of full coverage as the “ v ” and “ u ” shapes . it is still five to six times more than the control ability of any available control rods in the market . the “ v ”, “ u ”, and “ unique pre - determined ” design ” are designed for experience users without information overload and with unique color balancing feature . these devices can be described by four elements , to build four individual color control rods for each style by different combinations . then correctly over printing each other to become a final color quality referring fig1 a , fig2 a and fig3 a as monochrome versions . fig1 , fig2 , and fig3 have shown that the control rod &# 39 ; s design consists with four elements . correctly overprinted four process colors to form the control rods as fig1 b , fig2 b and fig3 b . the color of control rods of fig1 d , fig2 d , and fig3 d is the cyan “ c ”. the color of control rods of fig1 e , fig2 e , and fig3 e is the magenta “ m ”. the color of control rods of fig1 f , fig2 f , and fig3 f is the yellow “ y ”. fig1 g , fig2 g , and fig3 g are designed with pre - determined “ k ” grey tone halftone as the reference guide for the quality control purpose . elements 1 d 13 , 2 d 13 , and 3 d 13 are the pre - determined halftone cyan “ c ” shown as fig1 d , fig2 d , and fig3 d . elements 1 e 13 , 2 e 13 , and 3 e 13 are the magenta “ m ” shown as fig1 e , fig2 e , and fig3 e . elements 1 f 13 , 2 f 13 , and 3 f 13 are the yellow “ y ” shown as fig1 f , fig2 f , and fig3 f . elements 1 g 12 , 2 g 12 , and 3 g 12 are the pre - determined black “ k ” grey tone shown as fig1 g , fig2 g , and fig3 g . to achieve the best balance printing result , both “ k ” grey tone patches and the neutral grey tone are placing next to each other in similar shade without contaminated by any over dosed “ c ” “ m ” and “ y ” color and then causing the neutral grey tone changes of shade . in fig1 d , fig2 d , and fig3 d , 100 % solid color cyan “ c ” is shown as 1 d 2 , 2 d 2 , and 3 d 2 ; magenta “ m ” is shown as 1 e 2 , 2 e 2 , and 3 e 2 ; and yellow “ y ” is shown as 1 f 2 , 2 f 2 , and 3 f 2 patches . the mid - tone halftone elements patches cyan “ c ” shown as 1 d 3 , 2 d 3 , and 3 d 3 , magenta “ m ” shown as 1 e 3 , 2 e 3 , and 3 e 3 , and yellow “ y ” shown as 1 f 3 , 2 f 3 , and 3 f 3 can be placed at any location in the device for replacing a few “ k ” 12 shown as 1 g 12 , 2 g 12 , and 3 g 12 grey tone referring position so that the printer can also use it for ink density measurement and dot gain verification as operator &# 39 ; s discretion . “ r ” is rectangular shape . it is designed for elementary users to learn and understand this unique color balance feature easier . this device can be described by six elements , by different combinations to build four individual color control rods , then correctly over printing each other to become a final color quality referring device 4 a . in fig4 , the control color bars shown as fig4 c is the cyan “ c ”; the control color bars shown as fig4 d is the magenta “ m ”; the control color bars shown as 4 e is the yellow “ y ”, and the control color bars shown as 4 f is the black “ k ”. in fig4 c , fig4 d , fig4 e and fig4 f , mid tone halftones are all formed by “ c ”, shown as 4 c 3 , “ m ” 4 d 3 , “ y ” 4 e 3 and “ k ” 4 f 12 , 100 % solid , shown as 4 c 2 , 4 d 2 , 4 e 2 and 4 f 2 , and slur information , shown as 4 c 14 , 4 d 14 , 4 e 14 and 4 f 14 . pre - determined halftone “ c ”- 4 c 13 , “ m ”- 4 d 13 and “ y ”- 4 e 13 are carefully overprinted to form the neutral grey tone [ ngt ] and pre - determined “ k ” 4 f 12 grey tone [ mgt ] as matching reference . elements ngt and mgt are placed next to each other for grey tone matching to achieve the best color balancing printing result . elements 4 c 15 , 4 d 15 , 4 e 15 , and 4 f 15 are the register mark for accurate controlling overprinting . this design can also easily provide the full information to the operator for visualize and continuously monitor the solid color density ; study the dot gain value ; slur condition and comparison between monochrome grey tone [ mgt ] and neutral grey tone [ ngt ]. the basic component of this method is made by an easy understanding design , consisting the black “ k ” halftone that has been designed as the referring monochrome grey tone [ mgt ] and the cyan , magenta and yellow “ c ” “ m ” “ y ” that are accurately over printed together to form the neutral grey tone [ ngt ] by the wet trapping of pre - determined % halftone . they are placed next to each other so that the operator can immediately visualize any ngt shade changes against mgt for color correction referring . no study time or visual memory is necessary for color correction . under the standard lighting condition , the wktone system can effectively provide the visual referring images so that the printing press operator can continuously and visually monitor the mgt and ngt &# 39 ; s neutral tone shade imbalance condition . if the mgt and ngt are visually identical , this can be confirmed as correct cmyk inking value combination . if the mgt and ngt are visually dissimilar , the cmyk values used in the printing is incorrect . quick color correction response is necessary . applying this method to the color proofing production , grey tone comparison method can also be used . the mgt and ngt can be adopted accordingly onto the proofing job to achieve the final matching result . this invention can be described as a series of unique pre - determined design patterns that are alternatively upright and inverted to each other with positioning serial for providing the grey tone visual comparison reference . this invention can be described as a series of “ v ” shape design patterns that are alternatively upright and inverted to each other with positioning serial for providing the grey tone visual comparison reference . this invention can be described as a series of “ u ” shape design patterns also in the list that are alternatively upright and inverted to each other with positioning serial for providing the grey tone visual comparison reference . rectangular form “ r ” can be described as neutral grey tone of cmy pre - determined halftone % dots over printed within the rectangular bar , which is placed next to the k % grey dots square patch for referring purpose as one group of checking element . as operator &# 39 ; s opinion , 100 % solid and 50 % mid - tone cmyk at a suitable size and shape can replace some “ k ” grey tone area for additional information . between every two checking elements are the individual cmyk solid ; mid - tone and slur information tools so that the operator can fully understand the individual ink value condition ; dot gain value as well as the printing press mechanical defect condition . this invention can be applied for mechanical production process usages . both ngt and mgt images are used for visual comparison purposes . this invention can be applied for digital and electro magnetic environment production process usages . both ngt and mgt images are used for visual comparison purpose . this invention is a print quality control method . both grey tones mgt and ngt color value structures are combined to be the work product content images . required both grey tones mgt and ngt shape monitor images are designed based on the substrate space availability to determine if suitable in size and shape to meet the best visual referring result . this invention is a print quality control method . both mgt and ngt are accurately and tightly registered for visual referring purposes . a white line formed between the mgt and ngt will indicate mgt and ngt are placed apart . when a dark grey line formed between the mgt and ngt it will indicate an overlap between mgt and ngt . these can provide misalignment - registered information . the embodiments of the present invention further comprise the following advantages and application : 1 . 1 ) linear graphic device containing neutral grey tone [ ngt ] information for visual comparison . single tone reference is to simplify the color differentiation checking period and speed up the color adjustment time . 1 . 2 ) continuous monitoring of printing press running status for imperfections ; doubling ; gear marking ; mechanical wearing ; scumming ; inconsistency of ink supply method ; automatic color bar scanning device malfunction and etc . 1 . 3 ) color reference is positioned side by side , creating diffusion referring function . no visual memory is required for matching tones to achieve instant color adjustment . conventional cmyk individual color reference patches are often remotely placed making it extremely difficult or impossible for the operator to quickly and accurately compare and adjust for color matching . 1 . 4 ) quality control method can be widely used between proof making and bulk production . 1 . 5 ) quality control method can be widely used for mechanical , electronic , electro magnetic digital printing processes especially good application in lithographic printing , digital printing , digital and conventional proofing and color electro magnetic photocopying . 1 . 6 ) certain jobs may need different grey balance ngt values as the target reference . it overcomes the restrictions of the grey bar for standard cie lab as long as the whole job is in matching condition with “ v ”, “ u ”, “ unique pre - determined ” and “ r ” grey bars . 1 . 7 ) unique pre - determined design neutral grey pattern as part of the print job content can be integrated in any place . 1 . 8 ) pre - determined mgt for providing a standard reference guide for ngt color matching . 1 . 9 ) visualization of the neutral grey sample in the control method to improve the imbalance inking coverage . 1 . 10 ) simple design provides operator with instant overview aiding ink adjustment , avoiding information overload and visual confusion . 1 . 11 ) print quality control method can provide a uniform ngt environment condition . it can be used for the color density reading equipment manufacturer to precisely collect grey tone shade value changes by means of a photo - electronic device reading 100 % across the job width so that the automatic scanning and correction device can be utilized faster and more accurate than the conventional bar for collecting only the individual cmyk solid density data . 1 . 12 ) quality control in printing production by using chosen ngt reference instead of match referring in 100 % solid individual cmyk patches to save reading time and reduce trial and error that results in overprinting due to an imbalanced color condition . 1 . 13 ) the lacking color element ( grey tone shade changes ) can be easily identified without using expensive and sophisticated ink density reading equipment . 1 . 14 ) universal application can be integrated with many color management controlling methods as a quick referring device . 1 . 15 ) ngt shade changes shows an incorrect balance of chosen ink ( s ) value . 1 . 16 ) mgt and ngt shade change appearing quickly between printed sheets indicates printing machine mechanical defector material instability condition . 1 . 17 ) source of inking adjustment is based on cmy overprinting result , which can truly visually represent the printing images color balance information . conventional method uses the individual color standard density reading only and cannot visualize the overprint color changes . the resulting imbalance in the inking condition can happen without any indication . the product description of embodiments of the present invention are as follow : 2 . 1 ) this method is to provide accurate cmyk ink zones / ink keys adjustment control during printing . the neutral grey tone system design of “ v ”, “ u ”, “ pre - determined ” and “ r ” can provide maximum coverage of all cmyk inking information across the entire printing width without disruption of data . 2 . 2 ) the print quality control method is in soft form , available in digital download channel and can be output in analog form such as film wedges . 2 . 3 ) no restriction on ink set usage . every ink set can provide the neutral grey tone as long as the balancing condition is under control . the mechanical features of embodiments of the present invention are as follow : 3 . 1 ) control system size can be as small and long as possible as long as it is readable . there is no restriction in height and width . 3 . 2 ) there is no restriction in line per inch screening . 3 . 3 ) can be in any type of halftone screening style such as am / fm . 3 . 4 ) screen angles are normal , no particular special screen angle setting for each cmyk is necessary . 3 . 5 ) the unique “ pre - determined ” system has no restriction on shape and size of the ngt . midtone and solid area is to be placed over the mgt strip as long as the comparison is readable and measurable by equipment when necessary . 3 . 6 ) control method can provide the accurately , tight registered printing environments for creating mgt and ngt . both grey tones are used to provide the misalignment of mgt and ngt referring purpose . a dark line formed between the mgt and ngt will indicate an overlap in mgt and ngt patches . a white line formed between the mgt and ngt will indicate mgt and ngt are placed apart . while particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects , and therefore , the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .

7Electricity

450 g 1 , 4 - butanediol , 10 . 4 g teos , 10 . 7 g magnesium acetate , 228 g tetrabutyl titanate were added to a three - necked glass flask with a stirrer , dissolved in 92 g anhydrous ethanol solution , to react 0 . 5 hour under 80 ° c . to remove some small molecules ; at this time , 15 g tartaric acid , 273 g triethyl phosphate were added successively to continue to react 0 . 5 h under 80 ° c ., then the byproduct was removed , to get liquid catalyst containing 4 . 20 wt % titanium . 506 . 2 g 1 , 4 - butanediol , 14 . 3 g teos , 14 . 7 g manganese acetate , 228 g tetrabutyl titanate were added to a three - necked glass flask with a stirrer , dissolved in 150 g anhydrous ethanol solution , to react 0 . 8 hour under 100 ° c . to remove some small molecules ; at this time , 31 . 3 g citric acid , 307 . 1 g triethyl phosphate were added successively to continue to react 0 . 8 h under 100 ° c ., then the byproduct was removed , to get liquid catalyst containing 4 . 25 wt % titanium . 562 . 5 g 1 , 4 - butanediol , 18 . 2 g teos , 18 . 7 g magnesium acetate , 256 g tetrabutyl titanate were added to a three - necked glass flask with a stirrer , dissolved in 400 g anhydrous ethanol solution , to react 1 hour under 110 ° c . to remove some small molecules ; at this time , 48 . 7 g citric acid , 341 . 2 g triethyl phosphate were added successively to continue to react 1 hour under 110 ° c ., then the byproduct was removed , to get liquid catalyst containing 4 . 19 wt % titanium . 618 . 7 g 1 , 4 - butanediol , 22 . 1 g teos , 22 . 7 g manganese acetate , 270 g tetrabutyl titanate were added to a three - necked glass flask with a stirrer , dissolved in 800 g anhydrous ethanol solution , to react 1 . 4 hour under 120 ° c . to remove some small molecules ; at this time , 65 . 1 g tartaric acid , 425 . 3 g triethyl phosphate were added successively to continue to react 1 . 4 hour under 120 ° c ., then the byproduct was removed , to get liquid catalyst containing 4 . 23 wt % titanium . 675 g 1 , 4 - butanediol , 26 g teos , 26 . 7 g aluminum nitrate , 284 g tetrabutyl titanate were added to a three - necked glass flask with a stirrer , dissolved in 1 , 300 g anhydrous ethanol solution , to react 1 . 6 hour under 150 ° c . to remove some small molecules ; at this time , 82 . 5 g citric acid , 409 . 5 g triethyl phosphate were added successively to continue to react 1 . 6 hour under 150 ° c ., then the byproduct was removed , to get liquid catalyst containing 4 . 18 wt % titanium . 731 . 2 g 1 , 4 - butanediol , 29 . 9 g teos , 30 . 7 g magnesium acetate , 298 g tetrabutyl titanate were added to a three - necked glass flask with a stirrer , dissolved in 1 , 600 g anhydrous ethanol solution , to react 1 . 9 hour under 160 ° c . to remove some small molecules ; at this time , 99 . 3 g citric acid , 443 . 6 g triethyl phosphate were added successively to continue to react 1 . 9 hour under 160 ° c ., then the byproduct was removed , to get liquid catalyst containing 4 . 22 wt % titanium . 787 . 5 g 1 , 4 - butanediol , 33 . 8 g teos , 34 . 7 g magnesium acetate , 312 g tetrabutyl titanate were added to a three - necked glass flask with a stirrer , dissolved in 2 , 000 g anhydrous ethanol solution , to react 2 . 2 hours under 170 ° c . to remove some small molecules ; at this time , 116 . 2 g citric acid , 477 . 7 g triethyl phosphate were added successively to continue to react 2 . 2 hours under 170 ° c ., then the byproduct was removed , to get liquid catalyst containing 4 . 20 wt % titanium . 843 . 7 g 1 , 4 - butanediol , 37 . 7 g teos , 38 . 7 g magnesium acetate , 326 g tetrabutyl titanate were added to a three - necked glass flask with a stirrer , dissolved in 2 , 300 g anhydrous ethanol solution , to react 2 . 5 hours under 190 ° c . ; to remove some small molecules ; at this time , 133 . 1 g citric acid , 511 . 8 g triethyl phosphate were added successively to continue to react 2 . 5 hours under 190 ° c ., then the byproduct was removed , to get liquid catalyst containing 4 . 12 wt % titanium . 900 g 1 , 4 - butanediol , 41 . 6 g teos , 42 . 8 g magnesium acetate , 340 g tetrabutyl titanate were added to a three - necked glass flask with a stirrer , dissolved in 2 , 700 g anhydrous ethanol solution , to react 3 hours under 200 ° c . to remove some small molecules ; at this time , 133 . 1 g citric acid , 546 g triethyl phosphate were added successively to continue to react 3 hours under 200 ° c ., then the byproduct was removed , to get liquid catalyst containing 4 . 12 wt % titanium . 100 kg succinic acid , 95 kg 1 , 4 - butanediol and 10 kg adipic acid were added to a production reactor equipped with a mixer , a rectification tower , a condenser and a collecting tank to have an esterification reaction under the normal pressure condition ; 2 hours later , when the distillate reached the theoretical amount , it was considered as completion of esterification reaction . the material was conveyed to a polymerization reactor with nitrogen gas , and 2 kg of diluted liquid catalyst was added to stir 10 min , then the reactor was heated to increase the temperature of reactants and start the vacuum pump to gradually reduce the vacuum degree in the reactor for polymerization reaction , and then the vacuum degree was reduced to 1 mmhg or less , and temperature was increased to 255 ° c ., 3 hours later , the reaction was stopped . the material in the reactor was discharged by pressurizing with nitrogen gas , and the polymer was cooled down , granulated by a granulator to get the polyester granules . 100 kg succinic acid , 99 kg 1 , 4 - butanediol and 15 kg adipic acid were added to a production reactor equipped with a mixer , a rectification tower , a condenser and a collecting tank to have an esterification reaction under the normal pressure condition ; 3 hours later , when the distillate reached the theoretical amount , it was considered as completion of esterification reaction . the material was conveyed to a polymerization reactor with nitrogen gas , and 2 kg of diluted liquid catalyst was added to stir 10 min , then the reactor was heated to increase the temperature of reactants and start the vacuum pump to gradually reduce the vacuum degree in the reactor for polymerization reaction , and then the vacuum degree was reduced to 1 mmhg or less , and temperature was increased to 255 ° c ., 4 hours later , the reaction was stopped . the material in the reactor was discharged by pressurizing with nitrogen gas , and the polymer was cooled down , granulated by a granulator to get the polyester granules . 100 kg succinic acid , 102 . 5 kg 1 , 4 - butanediol and 20 kg adipic acid were added to a production reactor equipped with a mixer , a rectification tower , a condenser and a collecting tank to have an esterification reaction under the normal pressure condition ; 4 hours later , when the distillate reached the theoretical amount , it was considered as completion of esterification reaction . the material was conveyed to a polymerization reactor with nitrogen gas , and 2 kg of diluted liquid catalyst was added to stir 10 min , then the reactor was heated to increase the temperature of reactants and start the vacuum pump to gradually reduce the vacuum degree in the reactor for polymerization reaction , and then the vacuum degree was reduced to 1 mmhg or less , and temperature was increased to 255 ° c ., 5 hours later , the reaction was stopped . the material in the reactor was discharged by pressurizing with nitrogen gas , and the polymer was cooled down , granulated by a granulator to get the polyester granules . 100 kg succinic acid , 106 kg 1 , 4 - butanediol and 25 kg adipic acid were added to a production reactor equipped with a mixer , a rectification tower , a condenser and a collecting tank to have an esterification reaction under the normal pressure condition ; 4 hours later , when the distillate reached the theoretical amount , it was considered as completion of esterification reaction . the material was conveyed to a polymerization reactor with nitrogen gas , and 2 kg of diluted liquid catalyst was added to stir 10 min , then the reactor was heated to increase the temperature of reactants and start the vacuum pump to gradually reduce the vacuum degree in the reactor for polymerization reaction , and then the vacuum degree was reduced to 1 mmhg or less , and temperature was increased to 255 ° c ., 6 hours later , the reaction was stopped . the material in the reactor was discharged by pressurizing with nitrogen gas , and the polymer was cooled down , granulated by a granulator to get the polyester granules . 100 kg succinic acid , 109 kg 1 , 4 - butanediol and 30 kg adipic acid were added to a production reactor equipped with a mixer , a rectification tower , a condenser and a collecting tank to have an esterification reaction under the normal pressure condition ; 4 hours later , when the distillate reached the theoretical amount , it was considered as completion of esterification reaction . the material was conveyed to a polymerization reactor with nitrogen gas , and 2 kg of diluted liquid catalyst was added to stir 10 min , then the reactor was heated to increase the temperature of reactants and start the vacuum pump to gradually reduce the vacuum degree in the reactor for polymerization reaction , and then the vacuum degree was reduced to 1 mmhg or less , and temperature was increased to 255 ° c ., 7 hours later , the reaction was stopped . the material in the reactor was discharged by pressurizing with nitrogen gas , and the polymer was cooled down , granulated by a granulator to get the polyester granules . 100 kg succinic acid , 99 kg 1 , 4 - butanediol and 10 kg adipic acid were added to a production reactor equipped with a mixer , a rectification tower , a condenser and a collecting tank to have an esterification reaction under the normal pressure condition ; 3 hours later , when the distillate reached the theoretical amount , it was considered as completion of esterification reaction . the material was conveyed to a polymerization reactor with nitrogen gas , and 2 kg of diluted liquid catalyst was added to stir 10 min , then the reactor was heated to increase the temperature of reactants and start the vacuum pump to gradually reduce the vacuum degree in the reactor for polymerization reaction , and then the vacuum degree was reduced to 1 mmhg or less , and temperature was increased to 260 ° c ., 6 hours later , the reaction was stopped . the material in the reactor was discharged by pressurizing with nitrogen gas , and the polymer was cooled down , granulated by a granulator to get the polyester granules . 100 kg succinic acid , 99 kg 1 , 4 - butanediol and 10 kg adipic acid were added to a production reactor equipped with a mixer , a rectification tower , a condenser and a collecting tank to have an esterification reaction under the normal pressure condition ; 4 hours later , when the distillate reached the theoretical amount , it was considered as completion of esterification reaction . the material was conveyed to a polymerization reactor with nitrogen gas , and 2 kg of diluted liquid catalyst was added to stir 10 min , then the reactor was heated to increase the temperature of reactants and start the vacuum pump to gradually reduce the vacuum degree in the reactor for polymerization reaction , and then the vacuum degree was reduced to 1 mmhg or less , and temperature was increased to 245 ° c ., 5 hours later , the reaction was stopped . the material in the reactor was discharged by pressurizing with nitrogen gas , and the polymer was cooled down , granulated by a granulator to get the polyester granules . 100 kg succinic acid , 99 kg 1 , 4 - butanediol and 10 kg adipic acid were added to a production reactor equipped with a mixer , a rectification tower , a condenser and a collecting tank to have an esterification reaction under the normal pressure condition ; 3 hours later , when the distillate reached the theoretical amount , it was considered as completion of esterification reaction . the material was conveyed to a polymerization reactor with nitrogen gas , and 2 kg of diluted liquid catalyst was added to stir 10 min , then the reactor was heated to increase the temperature of reactants and start the vacuum pump to gradually reduce the vacuum degree in the reactor for polymerization reaction , and then the vacuum degree was reduced to 1 mmhg or less , and temperature was increased to 240 ° c ., 5 hours later , the reaction was stopped . the material in the reactor was discharged by pressurizing with nitrogen gas , and the polymer was cooled down , granulated by a granulator to get the polyester granules . a tensile test was conducted for the polyester polymers obtained in above embodiments , and results were as follows : the basic principles and main features and advantages of the inventions are described herein . technicians skilled in the art should be aware that , the invention is not limited to the above embodiments and above embodiments and descriptions are only for explanations of the principles for the invention . variation and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all these variations and modifications must be within the scope of protection as claimed in the invention . the scope of protection of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof .

2Chemistry; Metallurgy

in the following description , reference is made to the accompanying figures , which show by way of illustration how the invention may be practiced . the method is performed in a computer program suitable for performing the method . a screen connected to the computer may be provided on which the user can view the user interface of the program , and by means of e . g . a computer keyboard , a computer mouse , a touch screen , a space ball , a touchpad etc . the user can perform demands , such as selecting features and modifying features viewed on the screen . the program performs calculations or shows the changes on the screen view corresponding to the demands the user has made . the program , in which the method can be performed , can be a part of a larger program , it can be a separate program , the program can have means for communicating with other programs , other hardware , software or firmware etc . fig1 shows an example of a flow chart of the method . in step 101 a composed set of teeth is selected , where the composed set of teeth comprises a number of teeth , and where the number of teeth are arranged spatially relative to each other . in step 102 a virtual three dimensional representation of the patient &# 39 ; s present oral situation is provided . in step 103 the composed set of teeth is applied to the virtual three dimensional representation of the patient &# 39 ; s present oral situation to obtain an initial set of teeth . in step 104 one or more parameters of one or more of the teeth in the initial set of teeth is modified to obtain a finalized set of teeth . fig2 shows an example of a composed set of teeth . the composed set of teeth 201 is in this example seen from below and is the teeth of the upper arch . the figure shows an example of the curve of the teeth defined by the relative position of teeth . the composed set of teeth can be selected from an electronic library containing a number of different composed set or teeth , or the user can design the composed set of teeth himself by defining one or more parameters for the teeth . the teeth in the composed set of teeth 201 are arranged relative to each other , they are interrelated spatially . the teeth in the composed set of teeth 201 can be selected based on a number of parameters , such as size , shape etc . the median line 206 is shown and a line 212 perpendicular to the median line is shown . the function of the line 212 is for improved visual direction for the user . thus a global coordinate system for the complete composed set of teeth is defined , whereby rotation , positioning etc . can be controlled for the complete composed set of teeth . the box 213 around the first molar tooth indicates that a coordinate system can be defined for each tooth , whereby rotation , positioning etc . can be controlled for each individual tooth . fig3 shows an example of modification of a composed set of teeth . a tooth 305 in a composed set of teeth 301 is modified individually . in this example , the tooth 305 is rotated relative to the median line 306 . a coordinate system 307 specific for the tooth 305 is shown on the tooth 305 for indicating to the user that that the program is in the mode , where the tooth can be modified with respect to positioning , e . g . rotation , translation etc . the tooth can also be modified for example with respect to shape , e . g . length , thickness , distribution of mass etc . fig3 and the following figures show screen - shots from a program where the method can be performed . fig4 shows an example of a patient &# 39 ; s present oral situation . the present oral situation 402 is in this example a case where the right central teeth 408 , which may be denoted no . 9 in some dental notations , is prepared for a crown , the left central teeth no . 8 , 409 is missing , the lateral teeth no . 7 , 410 , is also prepared for a crown , and the canine or cuspid no . 6 , 411 , is unmodified and not prepared for a dental restoration . the present oral situation 402 can be a three dimensional virtual representation of the patient &# 39 ; s present set of teeth or missing set of teeth . the three dimensional virtual representation can be obtained by scanning the patient &# 39 ; s present oral situation or set of teeth using an intraoral scanner and / or scanning the surface of a negative impression of the patient &# 39 ; s present teeth and / or scanning the surface of a positive model of the patient &# 39 ; s present teeth . fig5 shows an example of an initial set of teeth , where the composed set of teeth is applied to the patient &# 39 ; s present oral situation . the initial set of teeth 503 is a combination of the composed set of teeth 501 and the patient &# 39 ; s present oral situation 502 . in this case , four teeth , 508 , 509 , 510 , 511 , from the composed set of teeth 501 are applied to the present oral situation 502 . however , in other cases , all teeth from a composed set of teeth may be applied to the present oral situation , such that no present or original teeth are left . in other cases , more or less than four teeth from the composed set of teeth are applied to the present oral situation , depending on how many teeth the patient wishes to have exchanged . fig6 shows examples of collective modifications of different parameters of the initial set of teeth . fig6 a shows an example of collective rotation of the initial set of teeth . the parameter which is collectively modified is in this example rotation , and the modification is performed on the composed four teeth , 608 , 609 , 610 , 611 , in the initial set of teeth 603 with respect to the median line . the four composed teeth 608 , 609 , 610 , 611 are all four rotated collectively so that they all have become skew with respect to the remaining teeth in present oral situation . the global or common rotation is indicated with a circle 614 with markers , and it is clearly seen that the composed teeth have been rotated simultaneously and uniformly or identically , for example if comparing the length of tooth 611 with the length of the corresponding teeth 511 in fig5 . this is an example of global rotation , where a number of teeth are rotated collectively , i . e . simultaneously and e . g . identically . fig6 b ) shows an example of collective shaping of the initial set of teeth . the parameter which is collectively modified is in this example shaping or morphing , and the modification is performed on the composed four teeth 608 , 609 , 610 , 611 , in the initial set of teeth 603 . the composed teeth 608 , 609 , 610 , 611 are all four collectively reshaped or morphed such that their shape or geometry is changed simultaneously and uniformly or identically . the global or common shaping or morphing is indicated by dots 615 on the collectively modified teeth and by dots 616 forming a line along the biting edge of the collectively modified teeth . it is seen that the teeth 608 , 609 , 610 , 611 have been collectively shaped or morphed with a point of origin at the mesial point of the biting edge of tooth 609 , and that the shaping or morphing is directed to a small compression at the point of origin , whereby the two central teeth 609 , 608 have got sloped biting edges , which are in opposite directions . the other composed teeth 610 , 611 are only slightly reshaped or morphed as a result of the collective shaping or morphing with point of origin at tooth 609 . fig7 shows examples of individual modifications of different local parameters of the initial set of teeth . fig7 a ) shows an example of individual scaling of a single tooth in the initial set of teeth . the parameter which is individually modified is in this example scaling , and the composed tooth 708 in the initial set of teeth 703 is modified . the other composed teeth 709 , 710 , 711 are not modified in this example . the coordinate system 717 indicates the scaling of the tooth 708 . by means of the scaling , tooth 708 can become bigger or smaller , longer or shorter , wider or narrower . in this case , the tooth 708 has been modified to be longer than before , i . e ., tooth 708 is made longer than it was in the composed set of teeth . when moving for example a pointer arrow by means of e . g . a computer mouse over a single tooth then the coordinate system 717 for that tooth is seen when the program is in the individual scaling mode . fig7 b ) shows an example of individual rotation of a single tooth in the initial set of teeth . the parameter which is individually modified is in this example rotation , and it is the composed tooth 708 in the initial set of teeth 703 which is modified . the other composed teeth 709 , 710 , 711 are not modified in this example . the initial set of teeth 703 is seen from below in this figure instead of from the front as in the other figures , since the individual rotation is better illustrated in this view . the rotation system 718 indicates the rotation of the tooth 708 . the tooth 708 has been rotated with respect to the median line such that the mesial part of the tooth 708 points more outwards . fig8 shows an example of a finalised set of teeth . the finalised set of teeth 804 is obtained when the modifications of the initial set of teeth are finished and no more modifications will be performed . the finalised set of teeth 804 is the set of the teeth that will be manufactured and inserted into the patient &# 39 ; s mouth . the finalized set of teeth may be manufactured as a number of dental restorations . fig9 shows examples of retention means for the designed set of teeth . fig9 a ) shows an example where the retention means is a patient &# 39 ; s present oral situation 902 , which is in this example a case where the right central teeth 908 , which may be denoted no . 9 in some dental notations , is prepared for a crown , the left central teeth no . 8 , 909 is missing , the lateral teeth no . 7 , 910 , is also prepared for a crown , and the canine or cuspid no . 6 , 911 , is unmodified and not prepared for a dental restoration . the present oral situation 902 can be a three dimensional virtual representation of the patient &# 39 ; s present set of teeth or missing set of teeth . the three dimensional virtual representation can be obtained by scanning the patient &# 39 ; s present oral situation or set of teeth using an intraoral scanner and / or scanning the surface of a negative impression of the patient &# 39 ; s present teeth and / or scanning the surface of a positive model of the patient &# 39 ; s present teeth . fig9 b ) shows an example where the retention means is an implant bridge 919 onto which a full denture is adapted to be arranged . on the side opposite to where the denture should be attached , the implant bridge 919 comprises protrusions 920 from holes for receiving implants ( not shown ). the implant bridge may be a standard bridge . alternatively , the implant bridge may be customized for the patient and may be modeled automatically based on the shape of the patient &# 39 ; s dental arch . the patient &# 39 ; s dental arch may be determined by means of scanning the patient &# 39 ; s mouth using an intraoral scanner and / or scanning the surface of a negative impression of the patient &# 39 ; s mouth and / or scanning the surface of a positive model of the patient &# 39 ; s mouth . fig9 c ) shows an example where the retention means is an implant bridge 919 comprising pins 921 where each pin is adapted to receive an artificial tooth having a hole in it for fitting over the pin , or where the pin is adapted to be covered by veneering in the form of e . g . ceramics or composite material for resembling teeth . on the side opposite to the pins 921 , the implant bridge 919 comprises protrusions 920 from holes for receiving implants ( not shown ). the implant bridges shown in fig9 c ) may be difficult to model automatically because the final shape of such an implant bridge is customized to the dental arch and the denture and as seen from the figures the implant bridges are not primarily based on standard geometrical forms . the implant bridge in fig9 c ) may therefore be provided by cut - back of the preliminary model of the denture . from the figure it can be seen that the cut - back vary from tooth to tooth depending on the position of the tooth . the cut - back also varies depending on the type of the tooth and from which side of the tooth the cut - back is provided . although some embodiments have been described and shown in detail , the invention is not restricted to them , but may also be embodied in other ways within the scope of the subject matter defined in the following claims . in particular , it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilised and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . in device claims enumerating several means , several of these means can be embodied by one and the same item of hardware . the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims or described in different embodiments does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage . it should be emphasized that the term “ comprises / comprising ” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , components or groups thereof . the features of the method described above and in the following may be implemented in software and carried out on a data processing system or other processing means caused by the execution of computer - executable instructions . the instructions may be program code means loaded in a memory , such as a ram , from a storage medium or from another computer via a computer network . alternatively , the described features may be implemented by hardwired circuitry instead of software or in combination with software .

0Human Necessities

the figures show a medical identification assembly 10 having a computing device 12 . while shown in the system diagram in fig1 as a central processing unit the computing device 12 may be a controller , a microprocessor , a hand held device ( optionally equipped with veriscan ™ software available from hospira , inc . of lake forest , ill ., usa ), or the like without falling outside of this disclosure . the computing device 12 has software 13 that utilizes an algorithm 14 . computing device 12 is configured to receive and the algorithm 14 is able to sort through both patent and caregiver information and identify similarities of attributes of the patients and caregivers . for example , the algorithm 14 can identify when patients have the same or similar names , when patients have the same or similar diagnosis , are on the same floor of the hospital , are in the same wing or area of the hospital , have the same or similar birthdays , have the same doctor , nurse or other caregiver , or the like . then based on these similarities the algorithm 14 generates one or more identifiers 16 or a unique combination of human cognitive identifiers 16 . human cognitive human readable identifiers are identifiers that a person can instantly recognize such as a color or a shape . these identifiers 16 are not like a bar code that one must utilize a scanner to identify . examples of human cognitive identifiers include , but are not limited to shapes , colors , fonts , line patterns , icons , shadings , symbols , backgrounds , borders and the like . thus the algorithm 14 ensures that if a first patient named john smith is identified by the color blue and a rectangular shape that a second patient named john smith will not be identified with blue or color similar to blue , such as green , and will not be identified with a shape such as a rectangle or square . so the algorithm could choose a pink background with a triangular shaped icon for the second john smith . the computing device 12 also can have or be in communication with a display 18 , utilize an led 20 and can be powered by a power supply 22 such as a battery , electrical outlet or the like . the computing device 12 is electrically connected to and / or is in communication with devices 24 that can place the identifiers 16 on a medium 26 . for example device 24 can be a color printer that generates prescription labels or generates wrist bands . medium 26 can include but is not limited to wrist bands , badges , electronic skins , electronic medical records ( emr records ), prescription labels and the like . in one embodiment the medium 26 is in communication with or electrically connected to the computing device 12 . for example an electric skin is a type of flexible display that has electronic components that can be operated to present different images thereon . an example of an electric skin can be seen at http :// www . kentdisplays . com / products / lcdelectronicskins . html and is incorporated herein . the electric skin can be placed over a medical device 28 , including but not limited to a medical pump , ventilator , patient - connected monitoring or diagnostic equipment and the like , such that the identifiers on the skin may be seen in three dimensions . the electric skin can be included on one or more visible surfaces of the medical device 28 . by placing the electric skin on a plurality of surfaces that face in a plurality of directions , the skin can be seen from a variety of directions and viewing of the skin can be independent of the direction of the display 18 . thus in an embodiment , such as shown in fig2 , where a patient is being operated on and a plurality of caregivers are in an operating room , each having a medical device 28 that they attached to an iv pole 30 or plugged into a similar outlet 32 , the electric skin provides an automatic cognitively recognized identification means for each medical device 28 . this minimizes or even eliminates the chance of a caregiver mistakenly using another caregivers &# 39 ; medical device 28 . the electric skins or medium 26 can be associated with a plurality of medical devices 28 such that each medical device 28 has a unique identifier . similarly the electronic skin 26 can be associated with a plurality of caregivers such that each caregiver has a unique identifier . alternatively , the electric skins 26 can be associated with a plurality of patients such that each patient has a unique identifier . furthermore , by utilizing the same unique identifier patients , medical devices 28 and / or caregivers can be associated with each other in logical and easily visually discernible groups according to the present invention . for example , a plurality of electronic medical devices 28 can be associated with a single patient or caregiver by use of the same unique identifier . a plurality of patients can be associated with a single caregiver or medical device by use of the same unique identifier . for purpose of identification , control or authorization , a plurality of caregivers or medical devices can be associated with a single patient by use of the same unique identifier assigned to the patient . one advantageous feature of using an electronic skin on a medical device or wearable identification media is that the identifiers can be modified and reused as needed . for example , the electronic skin on a patient &# 39 ; s wristband can be electronically controlled to change its identifier to correspond with an identifier on one or more medical devices or one or more caregivers it is brought into proximity with . the computing or controlling device 12 controls the color / pattern of the skin 26 based on the context of the application . in general , the computing device 12 is connected to the power supply 22 and controls or sends a power signal to the electronic skin 26 to modify the skin as needed . specifically the computing device 12 controls the power supply and only applies power to the skin 26 when skin change is required . electric skin 26 can be a single monolithic unit that wraps around the medical device 28 or a plurality or a set of patches that attach and that are controlled individually . therefore , when a patient leaves a room and a new patient arrives , the electric skin 26 on a medical device 28 in a room can be changed at the computing device 12 to provide new identifiers for the new patient . the computing device 12 can be located in the patient room or located remotely from the room . the computing device 12 is connected to the medical device 28 or caregiver or patient identification devices via a communication network that can be hard - wired , wireless or some combination thereof . in operation , a hospital admits a plurality of patients . the algorithm 14 of the computing device 12 determines attributes unique to each patient and determines where similarities of attributes exist between patients . the algorithm 14 then determines a unique identifier or combination of identifiers associated with each patient depending on the similarity of attributes . the algorithm ensures that where similarities exist very distinct and unique identifiers are provided so that patients having similarities can be easily distinguished by human cognitive identifiers . once the algorithm 14 determines the human cognitive identifier for each patient the identifier is placed on a medium 26 in order to identify the patient . in one embodiment the medium 26 is an electronic skin such that the computing device 12 can be used to activate the electronic skin to generate the human cognitive identifier or combination of identifiers thereon . in one embodiment , the computing device 12 can be used to activate electronic skins and identifiers on medical devices , caregivers and patients . the computing device 12 and algorithm 14 similarly can be used to identify caregivers associated with patients and / or medical devices in a room such as an operating room to provide human cognitive identifiers 16 for each caregiver authorized and associated with a particular patient or identify one or more medical devices 28 being used by a caregiver . again , the algorithm 14 is able to choose distinctive identifiers so that similar medical devices 28 that are attached to an iv pole 30 together or plugged into a similar outlet 32 are easily identifiable by the caregivers . for example , the identifiers used on the electronic skins of the medical devices 28 can assist an anesthesiologist in identifying medical pumps they are using or are associated with and distinguish them from medical pumps a surgeon or nurse is using . in another embodiment a first medical device 28 is associated with and connected to a first individual and a second medical device 28 is associated with and connected to a second individual . a separate , distinct medium 26 such as an electronic skin is placed on or associated with each of the first and second medical devices 28 . in the embodiment using electronic skins , the electronic skins are in communication with a computing device 12 and in response to a control signal from the computing device 12 generate a combination of identifiers on each of the first medical device 28 and the second medical device 28 to indicate that the first individual and the second individual are associated . thus provided is a medical identification assembly that allows for a method of identifying individuals , medical devices and other medical items in a medical facility . the assembly is tailored to provide human cognitive identifiers 16 that minimize the chances of mistake by caregivers when providing medication , treatments and surgery for a patient . the system is efficient , easy to use and reusable . because an electronic skin may merely be changed with the push of a button the need to customize medical devices and constantly replace devices to ensure safety is no longer necessary . the expenses of manufacturing or printing disposable or static tags , labels , badges and the like can be substantially reduced or eliminated . adhesive tags or labels often lose adhesion over time and fall off . temporary labels may not be current and accurate . up - to - date , accurate and dynamic human readable visual associations and identifiers are provided by the present invention . thus much expense is eliminated while the chance of mistake is decreased . thus at the very least all the stated objectives have been met . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other various modifications could be made to the device , components , assemblies , systems and methods described above without departing from the scope of this invention . all such modifications and changes fall within the scope of the claims and are intended to be covered thereby .

6Physics

fig1 shows a circuit diagram of a ripple converter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , elements corresponding or equivalent to those in fig1 b are designated by the same numerals , and descriptions thereof will be omitted . in a ripple converter 10 shown in fig1 , a waveform converter 11 is disposed on a connecting path between the output terminal vout and the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . the ripple converter 10 is otherwise the same as the ripple converter 1 according to the related art shown in fig1 . in the ripple converter 10 , the waveform converter 11 and the comparing unit 2 define a control circuit for exercising feedback control of the on / off of a switching element according to ripple in an output voltage . in the ripple converter 10 , the waveform of the output voltage vo is converted by the waveform converter 11 , and a result of the waveform conversion is compared with the reference voltage vref . as will be described later , the waveform converter 11 converts the waveform of the output voltage vo into a different waveform . thus , regardless of the output capacitor that is attached to the ripple converter , it is possible to change the characteristics of the waveform converter in accordance with the output capacitor to increase an allowable setting range of the driving frequency , thereby maintaining desired oscillation status . now , the waveform converter will be described more specifically with reference to preferred embodiments . fig2 shows a circuit diagram of a ripple converter according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig2 , elements corresponding to those in fig1 are designated by the same numerals , and descriptions thereof will be omitted . in a ripple converter 15 shown in fig2 , the output terminal vout is connected to the ground via resistors r 1 and r 2 in series . furthermore , a capacitor c 2 and a resistor r 3 , connected in series with each other , are connected in parallel to the resistor r 1 . a node between the resistors r 1 and r 2 is connected to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . that is , the resistors r 1 , r 2 , and r 3 , and the capacitor c 2 define a waveform converter 16 . of the elements of the waveform converter 16 , the resistors r 1 and r 2 provide a circuit for inputting a voltage ver 1 that is proportional to the output voltage vo to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . the capacitor c 2 and the resistors r 3 and r 2 provide a circuit ( differentiator ) for inputting a value ver 2 obtained by differentiating the output voltage vo from the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . thus , a voltage ver that is actually input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 is a sum of these values . the resistor r 3 is provided in order to adjust the amount of feedback of ripple voltage , and may be omitted ( short - circuited ) when it is unnecessary . now , it is assumed that a capacitor having a small esr or esl , such as a ceramic capacitor , is used as the smoothing capacitor c 1 . fig3 shows the voltage ver 1 , the voltage ver 2 , and the voltage ver in this case . the phase of the voltage ver that is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 is somewhat advanced as compared to the phase of the output voltage vo . thus , delay times t 1 ′ and t 2 ′ between when the voltage ver crosses the reference voltage vref and when the on / off of the transistor q 1 is switched are increased as compared to a case where the waveform converter 16 is not used ( i . e ., when the output voltage vo itself is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 ). however , since the delay times are actually constant values determined by the characteristics of the comparator , the on / off of the transistor q 1 is actually switched after predetermined delay times t 1 and t 2 since the voltage ver crosses the reference voltage vref . the predetermined delay times t 1 and t 2 are shorter than the delay times t 1 ′ and t 2 ′ described above . thus , the on / off of the transistor q 1 switches faster than in the waveform shown in fig3 . this indicates that the driving frequency increases . therefore , a small choke coil is used as the choke coil l 1 , which enables compact design of the ripple converter 15 . furthermore , the ripple converter 15 overcomes the problem of the related art that , assuming the same delay times ( t 1 , t 2 ), the driving frequency is decreased when a ceramic capacitor is used as the smoothing capacitor c 1 as compared to a case where an electrolytic capacitor is used . on the contrary , it is assumed that a capacitor having a large esl , such as a low - impedance electrolytic capacitor , is used as the smoothing capacitor c 1 . fig4 shows the voltage ver 1 , the voltage ver 2 , and the voltage ver in this case . that is , the phase of the voltage ver that is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 is somewhat advanced as compared to the phase of the output voltage vo . thus , similarly to a case where a capacitor having a small esr or esl , such as a ceramic capacitor , is used , the driving frequency is increased . this enables compact design of the ripple converter . as will be understood from the fact that the phase of the voltage ver that is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 is advanced as compared to the phase of the output voltage vo , the waveform converter 16 essentially includes a phase converter . fig5 shows a circuit diagram of a ripple converter according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig5 , elements corresponding to those in fig2 are designated by the same numerals , and descriptions thereof will be omitted . in a ripple converter 18 shown in fig5 , instead of the capacitor c 2 and the resistor r 3 in fig2 , a resistor r 4 and a capacitor c 3 , connected in series with each other , are connected in parallel to the resistor r 2 . thus , the resistors r 1 , r 2 , and r 4 , and the capacitor c 3 define a waveform converter 19 . of the elements of the waveform converter 19 , the resistors r 1 and r 2 provide a circuit for inputting a value ver 1 that is proportional to the output voltage vo to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . the resistors r 1 and r 4 and the capacitor c 3 provide a circuit ( integrator ) for inputting a value ver 2 obtained by integrating the output voltage vo to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . thus , a voltage ver that is actually input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 is a sum of these values . now , it is assumed that a capacitor having a large esr , such as an ordinary electrolytic capacitor , is used . fig6 shows the voltage ver 1 , the voltage ver 2 , and the voltage ver in this case . the phase of the voltage ver that is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 is somewhat delayed as compared to the phase of the output voltage vo . thus , delay times t 1 ′ and t 2 ′ between when the voltage ver crosses the reference voltage vref and when the on / off of the transistor q 1 is switched are decreased as compared to a case where the waveform converter 16 is not used ( i . e ., when substantially the output voltage vo itself is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 ). however , since the delay times are actually constant values determined by the characteristics of the comparator , the on / off of the transistor q 1 is actually switched after predetermined delay times t 1 and t 2 since the voltage ver crosses the reference voltage vref . the predetermined delay times t 1 and t 2 are longer than the delay times t 1 ′ and t 2 ′ described above . thus , the on / off of the transistor q 1 is switched later than in the waveform shown in fig6 . this indicates that the driving frequency decreases . when the delay time of a system is small and the driving frequency is high without using a waveform converter , resulting in large switching loss , switching loss is reduced by using an integrated value of an output voltage as such a waveform converter to decrease the driving frequency . as will be understood from the fact that the phase of the voltage ver that is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 is delayed as compared to the phase of the output voltage vo , the waveform converter 16 essentially includes a phase converter . fig7 is a circuit diagram of a ripple converter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig7 , elements corresponding or equivalent to those in fig1 are designated by the same numerals , and descriptions thereof will be omitted . a ripple converter 20 shown in fig7 differs from the ripple converter 10 shown in fig1 only with regard to a waveform converter 21 . the waveform converter 21 includes a voltage detector 22 for detecting an output voltage vo and outputting a signal that is proportional to the output voltage vo , a current detector 23 for detecting a current that flows through the choke coil l 1 and outputting a corresponding signal , and a signal processor 24 . the output terminal vout is connected to an input terminal of the signal processor 24 via the voltage detector 22 . the current detector 23 is disposed so as to detect a current that flows through a wire connecting the choke coil l 1 with the output terminal vout , and is connected to another input terminal of the signal processor 24 . an output terminal of the signal processor 24 is connected to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . now , the current converter and functions thereof will be described specifically . fig8 shows a circuit diagram of a ripple converter according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig8 , elements corresponding to those in fig1 a are designated by the same numerals , and descriptions thereof will be omitted . in a ripple converter 30 shown in fig8 , a current detecting resistor r 5 having a small resistance is disposed between the choke coil l 1 and the output terminal vout , two resistors r 1 and r 2 are connected in series between the ground and a node between the choke coil l 1 and the resistor r 5 , and a node between the resistors r 1 and r 2 is connected to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . in this case , the resistor r 1 and r 2 and the current detecting resistor r 5 define a waveform converter 31 , among which the current detecting resistor r 5 functions as a current detector . in the ripple converter 30 constructed as described above , the voltage across the current detecting resistor r 5 is proportional to the current that flows through the choke coil l 1 . thus , the voltage at the node between the choke coil l 1 and the current detecting resistor r 5 ( denoted as a voltage vr ) has a waveform obtained by converting the waveform of the output voltage vo according to the current that flows through the choke coil l 1 . a voltage obtained by dividing the voltage at the node by the resistors r 1 and r 2 is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 , such that a sum of a signal detected by the current detector and a signal detected by the voltage detector is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . thus , the waveform converter 31 essentially includes a signal processor for processing a signal that is proportional to the output voltage according to an output signal of the current detector . now , it is assumed that a capacitor having a small esr or esl , such as a ceramic capacitor , is used as the smoothing capacitor c 1 in the ripple converter 30 . fig9 shows the voltage vo , the voltage vr , and the voltage ver in this case . the voltage vo is the same as in the case of the ripple converter 15 shown in fig2 . the voltage vr has a waveform that increases linearly during an on period of the transistor q 1 and decreases linearly during an off period of the transistor q 1 , proportionally to the current that flows through the choke coil l 1 . the voltage ver is a sum of these voltages . as will be understood from fig9 , delay times t 1 ′ and t 2 ′ between when the voltage ver crosses the reference voltage vref and when the on / off of the transistor q 1 is switched increase as compared to a case where the waveform converter 31 is not used ( i . e ., when substantially the output voltage vo itself is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 ). thus , the driving frequency increases similarly to the case of the ripple converter 15 shown in fig2 . furthermore , in the case of the ripple converter 30 , the voltages across the resistors r 1 and r 2 connected in series with each other can be changed by changing the resistance of the current detecting resistor r 5 , irrespective of the magnitude of ripple voltage . thus , design flexibility of the waveform converter is increased as compared to the case of the ripple converter 15 . furthermore , stable operation is achieved . in addition , in the ripple converter 30 , even when an output capacitor is additionally provided externally to the module , the voltage ver only becomes closer to the voltage vr when the amplitude of the output voltage vo decreases . thus , advantageously , the driving frequency remains substantially the same . fig1 shows a circuit diagram of a ripple converter according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , elements corresponding to those in fig2 are designated by the same numerals , and descriptions thereof will be omitted . in the ripple converter 15 shown in fig2 , the capacitor c 2 and the resistor r 3 , connected in series with each other , are connected in parallel to the resistor r 1 in the waveform converter 16 . thus , one end of the capacitor c 2 is connected to the output terminal vout . on the other hand , in a ripple converter 40 shown in fig1 , in waveform converter 41 , a current detecting resistor r 6 is disposed between the choke coil l 1 and the output terminal vout , and one end of the capacitor c 2 is connected to a node between the choke coil l 1 and the current detecting resistor r 6 . the resistor r 6 has a small resistance and functions as a current detector , similar to the current detecting resistor r 5 in the ripple converter 30 shown in fig8 . similar to the case of the ripple converter 15 , the resistor r 3 may be omitted ( short - circuited ) when it is unnecessary . in the ripple converter 40 constructed as described above , the waveform of a signal obtained by the resistors r 1 and r 2 at a node between the resistors r 1 and r 2 is proportional to the output voltage vo , similar to the case of the ripple converter 15 . on the other hand , the waveform of a signal obtained by the capacitor c 2 and the resistors r 3 and r 2 at a node between the resistors r 3 and r 2 is a value obtained by differentiating a sum voltage of the output voltage vo and the component of a current that flows through the choke coil l 1 in relation to the resistor r 6 . thus , the waveform converter 41 essentially includes a signal processor for processing a signal that is proportional to the output voltage according to an output signal of the current detector . in the ripple converter 30 , as opposed to the ripple converter 40 , a voltage detected by the resistors r 1 and r 2 is not the output voltage vo . in this case , the voltage at a node between the choke coil l 1 and the resistor r 5 is controlled so as to be constant . thus , the voltage drop across the resistor r 5 increases when , for example , the output current increases , which possibly deteriorates load regulation ( i . e ., the output voltage of the ripple converter changes as the load current is increased ). on the other hand , in the ripple converter 40 , the output voltage vo itself is used as a dc feedback by the resistors r 1 and r 2 , such that load regulation is not deteriorated . furthermore , since ac components of the ripple voltage are input to the comparator 3 via the capacitor c 2 and the resistor r 3 , the waveform at the non - inverting input of the comparator 3 is maintained so as to be substantially triangular , similar to the case of the ripple converter 30 . thus , the accuracy of output voltage is improved while maintaining the advantages of the ripple converter 30 . furthermore , similar to the ripple converter 30 , the magnitude of the voltage that is input to the comparator 3 via the capacitor c 2 and the resistor r 3 can be changed by changing the resistance of the resistor r 6 , irrespective of the magnitude of ripple voltage . this increases design flexibility of the waveform converter , and achieves more stable operation . fig1 shows a circuit diagram of a ripple converter according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , elements corresponding to those in fig1 are designated by the same numerals , and descriptions thereof will be omitted . in the ripple converter 40 shown in fig1 , the resistor r 6 for current detection is disposed in series with a current path between the choke coil l 1 and the output terminal vout in the waveform converter 41 . thus , power loss caused by the current detecting resistor r 6 cannot be neglected . in view of this , in a ripple converter 50 , a resistive component that the choke coil l 1 includes ( hereinafter referred to as a resistance ri ) is used such that a discrete resistor such as the resistor r 6 disposed in series is omitted . in the ripple converter 50 , a series circuit including a resistor r 7 and a capacitor c 4 is connected in parallel with the choke coil l 1 . furthermore , one end of the capacitor c 2 is connected to a node between the resistor r 7 and the capacitor c 4 , defining a waveform converter 51 . that is , the waveform converter 51 includes the resistors r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , and r 7 , and the capacitors c 2 and c 4 . now , the relationship among the choke coil l 1 ( inductance l 1 and resistive component ri ), the resistor r 7 ( resistance r 7 ), and the capacitor c 4 ( capacitance c 4 ) in the ripple converter 50 will be considered . it is generally known that the voltage across the capacitor c 4 is proportional to the value of the current that flows through the choke coil l 1 when the values are chosen such that c 4 = l 1 /( ri · r 7 ). thus , the voltage at the node between the resistor r 7 and the capacitor c 4 is substantially the same as the voltage at the node between the choke coil l 1 and the current detecting resistor r 6 in the ripple converter 40 . thus , the ripple converter 50 achieves the same advantages as the ripple converter 40 while eliminating unnecessary power loss due to the addition of a discrete current detecting resistor . when the values are chosen such that c 4 & lt ; l 1 /( ri · r 7 ), the ripple voltage across the capacitor c 4 increases . thus , the overdrive voltage of the comparator 3 increases , such that the driving frequency increases . on the contrary , when the values are chosen such that c 4 & gt ; l 1 /( ri ˜ r 7 ), the ripple voltage across the capacitor c 4 decreases , such that the driving frequency decreases . that is , an effect equivalent to the effect of increasing or decreasing the resistance of the resistor r 6 in the ripple converter 40 is achieved . fig1 shows a circuit diagram of a ripple converter according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , elements corresponding to those in fig2 are designated by the same numerals , and descriptions thereof will be omitted . in a ripple converter 60 shown in fig1 , as a current detector in a waveform converter 61 , a current transformer ct is disposed on a wire connecting the choke coil l 1 with the output terminal vout . one of the terminals of the current transformer ct is connected to a node between the resistors r 1 and r 2 , and the other terminal is connected to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . by the connections described above , a signal adder , i . e ., a signal processor , is provided . in the ripple converter 60 constructed as described above , a voltage that is proportional to a current that flows through the choke coil l 1 is generated on the current transformer ct . then , the voltage is added to a voltage ver 1 that is proportional to the output voltage vo appearing at the node between the two resistors r 1 and r 2 , and the result is input to the non - inverting input terminal of the comparator 3 . as described above , in the ripple converter 60 , it is possible to convert the waveform by adding a voltage that is proportional to a current that flows through the choke coil l 1 to a voltage that is proportional to the output voltage vo . the current that flows through the choke coil l 1 depends on the difference between input and output voltages and the inductance of the choke coil l 1 , regardless of the type of an output capacitor . thus , stable control operations are provided regardless of the type or capacitance of an output capacitor . also in this case , similar to the case of the ripple converter 50 , the output voltage is accurately controlled even when the load current is large . instead of the current transformer ct , a wiring electrode 61 disposed in proximity to the choke coil l 1 may be used , as shown in fig1 a and 13b . fig1 a is a perspective view and fig1 b is a sectional view showing positional relationship between the choke coil l 1 and the wiring electrode 61 . according to the arrangement described above , a flux ( leakage flux ) generated by a current that flows through the choke coil l 1 crosses the wiring electrode 61 . accordingly , although such a large value as in the case where a current transformer is used cannot be expected , a voltage that is proportional to the current that flows through the choke coil l 1 is generated on the wiring electrode 61 . thus , advantageously , a current transformer need not be separately provided . it should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the present invention . various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention . accordingly , the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims .

7Electricity

fig1 shows a rotating double lock stitch shuttle or hook 1 , which contains a bobbin case 2 . the bobbin case 2 has a hollow peg ( fig2 ), which is used to accept a bobbin 3 ( fig1 and 3 ). the thread is wound on the bobbin 3 . an exit opening 5 ( fig1 and 2 ) for the thread is provided in the annular casing wall 4 of the bobbin case 2 . the surface of a groove 6 , forms a conducting surface , and it is provided on at least part of the periphery of the bobbin case 2 , and it adjoins the exit opening 5 . a support surface 7 is advantageously a deflection surface which is recessed into the casing wall 4 . the deflection surface 7 is located behind the exit opening 5 in the direction , in which the thread is drawn off . the deflection surface 7 is monitored by a thread monitor 8 ( fig1 and 5 ), which comprises a light - emitting diode 9 and a photo - detector 10 in the form of a phototransistor . the deflection surface 7 is accommodated in the casing wall 4 at an angle to the photo - detector 10 . furthermore , a spring 11 to tension the thread is mounted on the casing wall 4 . fig6 shows a simplified control circuit 12 with the components that are necessary for the functioning of the electrical control of the thread monitor 8 . from the plus pole of a controlled voltage source , the current flows via the light - emitting diode 9 and a resistor 13 to ground . current likewise flows from the plus pole of the voltage source via the photodetector 10 and a resistor 14 to ground . a capacitor 15 is connected to the emitter of the photodetector 10 . through an amplifier 16 and an inverter or negation element 17 , this capacitor is connected to the setting input s of a flip - flop memory 18 . the output q of the flip - flop memory 18 is connected to a display element 19 , which is connected to ground through a resistor 20 . a switch 23 , connected to the shut - off device 21 of a drive motor 22 , is also connected at the output q . the drive motor 22 drives a main shaft 24 of the sewing machine via a v - belt 25 . the arrangement operates in conjunction with the double lock stitch hook as follows : after the thread exits from the bobbin case 2 , it is guided on the periphery of the bobbin case 2 in at least one thread winding . here the thread runs in the groove 6 and covers part of the deflection surface 7 . the light rays emitted by the light - emitting diode 9 strike the thread and , if the deflection surface is larger , they also strike the exposed parts of this surface on both sides of the thread . due to the inclination of the deflection surface 7 relative to the photodetector 10 , the light rays striking the deflection surface 7 are reflected in a direction where they cannot be received by the photodetector 10 . on the other hand , a portion of the scattered light rays reflected at the thread reaches the photodetector 10 . the photodetector 10 becomes conducting due to the scattered light rays received , and current flows through the resistor 14 to ground . the voltage thus applied to the emitter is conducted via the capacitor 15 and the amplifier 16 to the negation element 17 . the capacitor 15 is advantageously used to filter out direct currents caused by daylight and low - frequency alternating current caused by the sewing light . no voltage is present at the output of the negation element 17 as long as the photodetector 10 is conducting . on the other hand , if the thread has been used up to such an extent that the deflection surface 7 is exposed , light rays no longer reach the photodetector 10 . thus , there is no longer a signal present at the input of the negation element 17 . as a result , a signal is emitted at its output , and is conducted to the setting input s of the flip - flop memory 18 . thereupon , the flip - flop memory 18 switches on the display element 19 via its output q , so as to indicate to the operator the approaching end of the thread . when the switch 23 is closed , the output q of the flip - flop memory 18 simultaneously activates the shut - off device 21 . depending on the design , this immediately shuts off the drive motor 22 or prevents the drive motor 22 from restarting after the next stoppage process . when the empty bobbin 3 is replaced by a bobbin filled with thread , an electrical signal is conducted in suitable fashion to the reset input r of the memory 18 , so that the memory switches off the display element 19 and , if necessary , releases the drive motor 22 . a chain stitch machine shuttle or looper 26 , shown in fig7 to 9 , can also be monitored by the thread monitor 8 . for this purpose , the looper 26 has on the side facing the thread monitor 8 a deflection surface 28 , which is inclined relative to the photodetector 10 . since the looper 26 is movable relative to the photodetector 10 , the deflection surface 28 is constructed sufficiently large , so that the light rays from the light - emitting diode 9 strike the deflection surface 28 in every position of the looper 26 , and are reflected at the surface away from the receiving range of the photodetector 10 . thus , only scattered light rays reflected at the thread will reach the photodetector 10 as proof of the trouble - free operation of the thread . during a traverse of the looper 26 , the position of the thread changes only little relative to the deflection surface 28 . consequently , the thread always runs in the monitoring range of the thread monitor 8 . if the deflection surface 28 is exposed , for example , as a consequence of a thread breakage , and scattered light rays therefore no longer reach the photodetector 10 , a control circuit 12 , connected to the photodetector 10 , emits a warning signal to indicate a thread breakage . this warning signal activates the display device ( 19 ) or the shut - off device 21 . the arrangements described above function equally well if the respective support surface is constructed as a surface , which absorbs light rays . such a surface is not shown in the drawing . in this way , the light rays are reflected only at the thread , which covers the absorbing surface , and enter the light detector 10 . the absorbing surface can be constructed , for example , as a roughened , blackened surface 40 . while specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles .

3Textiles; Paper

referring to fig1 ( a ) an electro - stimulation device ( 1 ) is shown in the non - compressed , fully expanded state . the device ( 1 ) has a body ( 2 ) which has been constructed from bio - compatible resiliently compressible foam . electrode components hereinbefore and after also referred to as electro - conductive elements ( 3 and 3 ′ not shown ) emerge from within the body ( 2 ) of the device and are located at the surfaces ( 4 and 4 ′ not shown ) on sides ( 5 and 5 ′ not shown ) of the device ( 1 ). the electro - conductive elements ( 3 and 3 ′ not shown ) are relatively flat . in this particular embodiment the electrode components ( 3 , 3 ′) are in communication with the internal components ( not shown ) of the device ( 1 ) through internal conductive paths . they pass from within the device ( 1 ) to provide electrode surfaces ( 6 and 6 ′ not shown ) that are located in approximately the same plane as the surfaces ( 4 , 4 ′) of the sides ( 5 , 5 ′) of the device . the main body of the flat electrode components ( 3 , 3 ′) are located below the surface ( 4 , 4 ′) of the body ( 2 ) within a hollow cavity ( not shown ) within the body ( 2 ) of the device ( 1 ). the surfaces ( 6 and 6 ′ not shown ) of the electro - conductive elements ( 3 , 3 ′) appear through these openings ( 7 and 7 ′ not shown ) of the body ( 2 ). in one embodiment the electrode components ( 3 , 3 ′) may be surface mounted on the body ( 2 ) of the device ( 1 ); in this embodiment the surface mounted electrode components ( 3 , 3 ′) may be in contact with conductive paths that communicate with the interior of the body ( 2 ). the interior components of the device ( 1 ) are not shown in this figure but are described in more detail below . the device ( 1 ) has a cord ( 8 ) which passes through a hole ( not shown ) in the body ( 2 ) of the device and communicates with and is attached to the interior components of the device ( 1 ). the cord ( 8 ) may be attached to interior components which enable the cord ( 8 ) to act upon the internal mechanisms of the device ( 1 ) in order to activate or deactivate the device ( 1 ) during use . the cord ( 8 ) may be made of string or similar materials , plastic materials or for example bio - compatible metal . the dimensions of the device ( 1 ) which , in the non - compressed state , are such that the length ( l ) is greater than the width ( w ), which is in turn greater than the height ( h ). this device ( 1 ) is therefore an example of a device according to the invention where when viewed in cross - section along the axis of insertion ( x ) the device ( 1 ) has a non - uniform symmetrical cross - section with two planes of symmetry . this non - uniformity means that the device ( 1 ) is less prone to rotation or displacement relative to the axis of insertion ( x ) during use of the device ( 1 ). the device ( 1 ) has no sharp edges whilst having clearly defined surfaces that are connected to each other by gently curving regions . the compressible properties of the device ( 1 ) ensure resilient contact with the endocavity during use , its overall dimensions and shape , coupled with the smooth curvature of communicating surfaces , enables the device ( 1 ) to be easily and comfortably inserted during use , whilst at the same time limiting or preventing unwanted rotation and displacement during use . referring to fig1 ( b ) the cross - sectional shape of the device is shown in ( i ); the cross - section being perpendicular to the axis of insertion ( x ) of the device . here it can be seen that the shape is broadly rectangular with softened rounded corners . the perpendicular cross - sectional shape exhibits two axes ( a and b ) of reflective symmetry and a single axis of rotational symmetry along the axis of insertion . referring to fig1 ( b ) the device is shown in side perspective in ( ii ); here it can be seen that in side profile the device has a single axis of reflective symmetry c , which is along the axis of insertion x of the device . in side profile there is no rotational axis of symmetry . referring to fig1 ( b ) the device is shown in top perspective in ( iii ); here it can be seen that in top profile the device has a single axis of reflective symmetry d , which lies along the axis of insertion x of the device . in top profile there is no rotational axis of symmetry . fig2 ( a ) and ( b ) show a device ( 10 ) whilst being broadly similar in construction to the device ( 1 ) illustrated in fig1 has a more uniform cross - section and overall appearance . thus the device ( 10 ) has a body ( 11 ), electrode components ( 12 and 12 ′ not shown ), body surfaces ( 13 and 13 ′ not shown ) on sides of the device ( 14 and 14 ′ not shown ), electrode surfaces ( 15 and 15 ′ not shown ), body openings ( 16 and 16 ′ not shown ) and a cord ( 17 ). fig2 ( a ) shows the device ( 10 ) in the non - compressed state . here the device ( 10 ) has a width ( w ) which at its widest point is about 45 mm and has a height ( h ) which at its highest point is about 45 mm . the length ( l ) is about 60 mm . thus the device ( 10 ) will have a relatively uniform cross - section at any point along the axis ( x ) of insertion . however , although the cross - sectional dimensions are approximately uniform the device ( 10 ), overall , has a shape which has distinct surfaces that are in communication with each other through smooth curves ; this shape provides for a cross - section along the axis ( x ) of insertion that is non - circular . fig2 ( b ) shows the same device ( 10 ) as shown in fig1 ( a ) but after it has been compressed . here it is apparent that the length ( l ) of the device ( 10 ) has remained broadly unchanged at 60 mm but the height ( h ) has been reduced to 25 mm and the width ( w ) has been reduced to 15 mm . the compressed device has the overall appearance and dimensions of a tampon . in this embodiment the device in compression is less than 20 % of the volume of the device in the non - compressed state . the device ( 10 ) in this compressed form is preferably inserted into the vagina or anus by means of an applicator . one suitable form of applicator is illustrated in fig3 . referring to fig3 ( a ) and ( b ) there is shown an applicator ( 30 ) that has an outer member ( 31 ) and an inner member ( 32 ). the inner member ( 32 ) has a head ( 33 ) attached to a handle ( 34 ). the inner member ( 32 ) has a bore ( 35 ) that passes through the inner member ( 32 ) and opens at the end ( 36 ) of the handle ( 34 ). the inner member ( 32 ) is able to fit comfortably within the bore ( 37 ) of the outer member ( 31 ). the outer member ( 31 ) has a marker ( 38 ) that indicates the correct orientation for use of the applicator ( 30 ). when assembled the inner member ( 32 ) is located within the bore ( 37 ) of the outer member ( 31 ) and a compressed electro - stimulation device according to the present invention e . g . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 ( a ) and ( b ) is located within the bore ( 37 ) of the outer member ( 31 ) and adjacent the opening ( 39 ) of the outer member ( 31 ). when located within the bore ( 37 ) the compressed device is retained in the compressed state . the device is orientated within the applicator such that the cord of the device ( not shown in this figure ) is able to pass along the bore ( 37 ) of the outer member ( 31 ) through the bore ( 35 ) of the inner member ( 32 ) and emerge from the end ( 36 ) of the inner member ( 32 ). once assembled the applicator ( 30 ) with device are ready for use . in order to position the device in the vagina or anus of a user the outer member ( 31 ) of the applicator ( 30 ) is placed at the vaginal introitus ( opening ) or anal sphincter and then the inner member ( 32 ) is used to apply pressure to the end of the compressed device within the bore ( 37 ) of the outer member ( 32 ) and to force the device out of the bore ( 37 ) and into the endocavity of the vagina or anus . as the device leaves the bore ( 37 ) of the outer member ( 31 ) it is no longer held in compression and is able to expand and contact the walls of the vaginal or anal endocavity . the cord passes out of the vagina or anus and may be held and pulled by the user to remove the device from the vagina or anus once the treatment cycle is completed . in this embodiment the bore of the outer member will have a cross section on the axis of insertion ( x ) that is broadly similar in shape to the cross - section of the device when in the compressed state . referring to fig4 ( a ) ( b ) and ( c ) the inner components of the device of fig2 are shown prior to assembly of the device . the inner components are housed in and / or connected with a chassis ( 40 ) that in this embodiment is injection moulded in unison with the string / cord ( 41 ) used to remove the device on completion of the treatment cycle . the electrode components ( 42 , 42 ′) have electrode pads ( 43 , 43 ′) that are broadly rectangular in shape . each pad has an electrode surface ( 44 and 44 ′ not shown ) which is exposed on assembly of the device through openings ( 45 and 45 ′ not shown ) of the device body shell ( 53 ) as shown in fig4 ( c ). each electrode component ( 42 , 42 ′) has a resilient arcuate arm ( 46 , 46 ′) that at one end ( 47 , 47 ′) is connected to or formed with the pad ( 43 , 43 ′) and at the opposing end ( 48 , 48 ′) is connected to or formed with a flat plate section ( 49 , 49 ′) that is in a plane ( a ) which is approximately parallel to the plane ( b ) of the electrode pad ( 43 , 43 ′). in this embodiment the arcuate arms ( 46 , 46 ′) are connected to the pads ( 43 , 43 ′) at one of their narrower edges . the flat plates ( 49 , 49 ′) may be attached to , or located within the chassis ( 40 ) as indicated in fig4 ( b ), and in such an arrangement , that the electrode surfaces ( 44 , 44 ′) face away from each other and the chassis ( 40 ). in this arrangement the electrode components ( 42 , 42 ′) may be compressed and moved towards the chassis ( 40 ) by the application of pressure to the electrode pads ( 43 , 43 ′). when the pressure is released the electrode components ( 42 , 42 ′) return to their non - compressed state due to the spring like properties afforded to the components by the resilient deformable nature of the arcuate arms ( 46 , 46 ′) and the nature of their attachment to and their spatial arrangement in relation to the chassis ( 40 ). a printed circuit board ( 50 ) is snap fitted into the chassis ( 40 ) and relevant contacts on the pcb are sprung connected against the ends of the electrode plates ( 49 , 49 ′). in one embodiment the electrode components ( 42 , 42 ′) may be moulded as a single piece with the chassis ( 40 ) and the cord ( 41 ). to assemble the electro - stimulation device the electrode components ( 42 , 42 ′) are attached to the chassis ( 40 ) and the printed circuit board ( 50 ) is then snap fitted into the chassis ( 40 ) in sprung contact with the ends ( 49 , 49 ′) of the electrode plates . the power source ( not shown ) may be located on the printed circuit board ( 50 ) or may be located within the chassis ( 40 ) and connected to the printed circuit board ( 50 ). once combined these components provide a unitary device assembly ( 51 ) shown in fig4 ( b ) that may then easily be used to manufacture the final device . the final device is assembled by taking the device assembly ( 51 ) and compressing the electrode components ( 42 , 42 ′) towards the chassis ( 40 ) so that the device assembly ( 51 ) is in the compressed state . in this state the device assembly ( 51 ) may then be inserted into a device body shell ( 53 ) manufactured from biocompatible materials such as a biocompatible foam or compressible material such as a thermoplastic elastomer . the device body shell ( 53 ) has a cavity ( 52 ) that is moulded so that it may accommodate the device assembly ( 51 ). the device body shell ( 53 ) has openings ( 45 and 45 ′ not shown ) through which the electrode pads ( 43 , 43 ′) may be exposed to the exterior of the device once the device assembly ( 51 ) has been inserted into the cavity ( 52 ) of the device body shell ( 53 ) and the electrode components ( 42 , 42 ′) are no longer under compression . once the device assembly ( 51 ) has been inserted into the device body shell ( 53 ) then the shell may be welded closed along the open edges to the cavity and also welded around the openings ( 45 , 45 ′) and electrode pads ( 44 , 44 ′). in an alternative embodiment the device assembly ( 51 ) in the non - compressed state may be placed in a suitable mould and the device body ( 53 ) is then formed around the assembly ( 51 ) by injection moulding or a similar process . the components by their design and arrangement are easy to assemble and provide an easy to assemble compressible electro - stimulation device . referring to fig5 there is shown an example of a circuit and a circuit block diagram that may be used in the device of the present invention . this circuit and the required components may be accommodated on a relatively small printed circuit board that may easily be accommodated within the body of the device . the circuit comprises a voltage generator , means for amplitude control , means for pulse switching and a logical control element ( control logic pulse table ). referring to fig6 an electro - stimulation device ( 60 ) is shown in the non - compressed , fully expanded state . the device ( 60 ) has a body ( 61 ) which has been constructed from resiliently compressible polyurethane foam . the electro - conductive elements ( 62 and 62 ′ not shown ) are bonded to the surface of the body ( 61 ) of the device ( 60 ) with a suitable adhesive such as a cyanoacrylate based adhesive . the electro - conductive elements ( 62 and 62 ′ not shown ) are located within moulded recesses ( 63 and 63 ′ not shown ). each electro - conductive element ( 62 and 62 ′ not shown ) has an arm section ( 64 and 64 ′ not shown ) which is located within arcuate recesses ( 65 and 65 ′ not shown ). the ends of the arm sections ( not shown ) are bent and pass into the interior of the body ( 61 ) of the device ( 60 ) towards the front of the device ( 60 ) to make contact with suitable connectors on the pcb ( not shown ) located within the interior of the device . in this embodiment the ends of the arms ( not shown ) are partly held in their location by the plug ( 66 ) located at the front of the device ( 60 ). the plug ( 66 ) also serves to protect the ends of the arms ( not shown ). towards the rear of the device is located switch component ( 67 ) with a cord ( 68 ) attached thereto . the dimensions of this device ( 60 ) have the same relationships as discussed in detail for device ( 1 ) illustrated in fig1 and 1 ( a ). in this embodiment the exposed surfaces of the arcuate arms are electrically insulated from the user by means of a suitable polymer film or mask applied to their surface and within the recess . referring to fig7 a moulded electro - stimulation device body ( 70 ) is shown in the non - compressed , fully expanded state but without the internal components or electro - conductive elements . the moulded recesses ( 71 ) and ( 72 ) for the electro - conductive elements and their arms respectively can clearly be seen . also show is the internal moulded cavity ( 73 ) which is for accommodating the internal electronic sub - assembly and switching mechanism ( not shown ). it can bee seen that the cavity passes through the moulded device body with openings at both ends . referring to fig8 the electronic sub - assembly ( 80 ) for the device of fig6 is shown without the presence of the moulded device body . the electronic sub - assembly ( 80 ) consists of a chassis ( 81 ), a pcb ( 82 ), a switch mechanism consisting of a switch component ( 83 ) and a switch socket ( 84 ) with two switch contacts ( not shown ). the electro - conductive elements ( 85 and 86 ) have arm ends ( 87 and 88 ) that pass through openings ( 89 and 90 ) of the chassis ( 81 ) to make contact with terminals ( not shown ) on the pcb ( 82 ). the chassis ( 81 ) has two distinct regions ( 81 a ) and ( 81 b ). the switch component ( 83 ) is able to move relative to the assembly ( 80 ) in the direction indicated by double headed arrow x . the switch component ( 83 ) is captive within the end chassis component ( 81 b ). this is achieved by engaging the barbed arms ( 91 ) of the switch component ( 83 ) within the closed slots ( 92 ) of the end chassis component ( 81 b ). the barbed arms ( 91 ) are able to move freely in the directions indicated by x within the constraints of the closed slot ( 92 ). the plug end of the switch component ( not shown ) is able to engage with the switch contacts ( not shown ) of the switch socket ( 84 ). also illustrated is the cord ( 93 ). referring to fig9 the electronic sub - assembly ( 100 ) for the device of fig6 is shown without the presence of the moulded device body or the chassis as illustrated in fig8 . in this figure the spatial arrangement of the ends ( 101 and 102 ) of the electro - conductive elements ( 103 and 104 ) can clearly be seen . in addition without the chassis the plug end ( 105 ) of the switch component ( 106 ) can clearly be seen engaged within the socket of the switch socket ( 107 ). also clearly exposed is one of the barbed arms ( 108 ) of the switch component ( 106 ). the other components are as described in fig8 . referring to fig1 a and 10 b an electro - stimulation device ( 200 ) is shown in the non - compressed , fully expanded state . the device ( 200 ) has a body ( 201 ) which has been constructed from injection moulded resiliently compressible polyurethane foam . the electro - conductive elements ( 202 and 202 ′ not shown ) are bonded to the surface of the device body ( 201 ) with a suitable adhesive such as a cyanoacrylate based adhesive . the electro - conductive elements ( 202 and 202 ′ not shown ) are located within moulded recesses ( 203 and 203 ′ not shown ). each electro - conductive element ( 202 and 202 ′ not shown ) is connected to the internal pcb ( not shown ) through wire connectors ( not shown ) that are attached to clips ( not shown ) on the back of the electro - conductive elements ( 202 and 202 ′ not shown ). towards the rear of the device is located switch component ( 204 ) with a cord ( 205 ) attached thereto . the device body also comprises recesses ( 206 , 207 , 208 and 209 ) in the body surface . the recesses may aid compressibility of the device . fig1 a illustrates the relative proportions of the device viewed from the side , top and back of the device . the dimensions of this device ( 200 ) have the same relationships as discussed in detail for device ( 1 ) illustrated in fig1 and 1 ( a ). referring to fig1 a is the electro - stimulation device of fig1 a and 10 b showing in an expanded view the key components of the device ( 300 ) prior to assembly . unlike the device illustrated in fig6 to 9 , the device ( 300 ) is configured to be assembled through openings towards the rear ( 302 ) and sides ( 303 and 303 ′ not shown ) of the device body ( 304 ). unlike the embodiment of fig6 the opening ( 302 ) does not pass through to an opening towards the front of the device ( 300 . the electro - conductive elements ( 305 and 305 ′) are clearly shown with conductive wires ( 306 and 306 ′) clipped to the back of each electro - conductive elements ( 305 and 305 ′) via clips ( 307 and 307 ′). during assembly the conductive wires ( 306 and 306 ′) pass through openings ( 303 and 303 ′ not shown ) to be connected to the pcb components within fully enclosed chassis ( 308 ), which is in two parts ( 308 a ) and ( 308 b ) that may be bonded or snap fitted to each other . the pcb components ( not shown ) are located within the front chassis component ( 308 a ). the switch component ( 309 ) shown here prior to insertion into the end chassis component ( 308 b ) is able to move relative to that component in the direction indicated by double headed arrow x . the switch component ( 309 ) once inserted is captive within the end chassis component ( 308 b ). this is achieved by engaging the barbed arms ( 310 and 310 ′) of the switch component ( 309 ) within the closed slots ( 311 and 311 ′) of the end chassis component ( 308 b ). the barbed arms ( 310 and 310 ′) are able to move freely in the directions indicated by x within the constraints of the closed slot ( 311 and 311 ′). also illustrated is the plug end ( 312 ) of the switch component ( 309 ), which is able to engage with the switch contacts ( not shown ) of the switch socket ( not shown located within the chassis ( 308 ). also illustrated is the cord ( 313 ). also illustrated is guide means ( 314 and 314 ′) located within the cavity of the end chassis component ( 308 b ), which engages with the barbed arms ( 310 and 310 ′) of the switch component ( 310 ) during assembly to aid engagement of those arms with the closed slots ( 311 and 311 ′). the electro - conductive elements ( 305 and 305 ′) and the chassis ( 308 ) are bonded in place and to the surface of the device body ( 304 ) with a suitable adhesive such as a cyanoacrylate based adhesive . the electro - conductive elements ( 305 and 305 ′) are manufactured from conductive sbs or eva and are located and bonded within moulded recesses ( 315 and 315 ′ not shown ). fig1 b illustrates the spatial relationship of the key components of the electronic sub - assembly after assembly of the device as illustrated in fig1 a but with the omission of the device body and chassis for clarity . the description for the numerically indicated components in fig1 b is the same as that used for like numbered components of fig1 a . fig1 b shows the pcb ( 400 ) and the point contact of the conductive wires ( 306 and 306 ′) with the pcb ( 400 ). the figure shows the plug end ( 312 ) of the switch component ( 309 ), engaged with the switch contacts ( not shown ) of the switch socket ( 401 ). the devices of fig6 to 11 in their compressed forms are preferably inserted into the vagina or anus by means of an applicator . in both of these devices the activation mechanism is designed to be activated with the aid of the applicator during deployment of the device . one suitable form of applicator for this purpose is illustrated in fig1 a to 12 c . referring to fig1 a there is shown an applicator ( 500 ) that has an outer member ( 501 ) and an inner member ( 502 ). the inner member ( 502 ) takes the form of a hollow cylinder which is engaged with the distal end ( 503 ) of the outer member ( 501 ). the applicator in this state has an electro - stimulation device ( not shown ) within the bore ( not shown ) of the outer member ( 501 ). the switch component ( not shown ) of the device will be aligned with the head ( not shown ) of the inner member ( 502 ) and is either proximate to the head of the inner member ( 502 ) or in contact engagement with the head of the inner member ( 502 ). in this state the device and applicator ( 500 ) are ready for use . the cord ( 504 ) of the device is shown passing through the bore of the inner member ( 502 ) and exiting through the bore opening ( 505 ) of the inner member ( 501 ). the outer member ( 501 ) has a gripping region ( 506 ) that is shaped to aid holding and actuation of the applicator ( 500 ) by the human hand . the inner member ( 502 ) has a flanged end ( 507 ) that presents a larger surface area to aid application of pressure by a human hand to the inner member ( 502 ) during use of the applicator ( 500 ). this applicator ( 500 ) is operated in a similar fashion to that described in fig3 a and 3 b . with reference to fig1 b the outer member ( 501 ) is shown without the inner member ( 502 ). this figure clearly shows the detent mechanism ( 508 ) which is exposed towards rear of the member ( 501 ). this detent mechanism ( 508 ) consists of a series of spaced apart fins ( 509 ) each attached at the distal end ( 510 ) of the outer member on its interior radial surface ( 511 ). the fins ( 509 ) protrude towards the central axis ( y ) of the outer member ( 501 ). each of the fins ( 509 ) has a ridge ( 512 ) on their inner surface ( 513 ) which , in this embodiment , is aligned with the ridges ( 512 ) on each neighbouring fin ( 509 ). in addition there is a chamfer surface ( 514 ) provided at the junction of the proximate edge ( 515 ) of each fin and their inner surface ( 513 ). this fin ( 509 ), ridge ( 512 ) and chamfer surface ( 514 ) arrangement provides a detent mechanism with corresponding features on the inner member ( 502 ) and a narrow bore within the outer member ( 510 ) to accommodate , secure and support the inner member ( 502 ) within the outer member ( 501 ) once the applicator ( 500 ) has been assembled . with reference to fig1 c the inner member ( 502 ) has an annular ridge ( 516 ) around its external circumference at its proximate end ( 517 ) and an annular notch ( 518 ) on the same surface and close to the annular ridge ( 516 ). the distance between the annular ridge ( 516 ) and annular notch ( 518 ) on the inner member ( 512 ) corresponds to the distance between the ridges ( 512 ) and chamfer surface ( 514 ) on each fin ( 509 ) of the outer member ( 501 ). thus when the inner member ( 502 ) is inserted into the outer member ( 501 ) it is held in the correct axial position by the radial fin ( 509 ) arrangement and is securely held by the engagement of its notch ( 518 ) and ridge ( 516 ) with the corresponding ridge ( 512 ) and chamfer surface ( 514 ) of the outer member fins ( 509 ). in an alternative embodiment the radial notch ( 518 ) of the inner member ( 502 ) is replaced with a distal radial ridge . in this embodiment the distance between the proximate and radial ridges of the inner member ( 502 ) is just greater than the distance between the chamfer surface ( 514 ) and ridge ( 512 ) arrangement of the outer member ( 501 ). on assembly the proximate ridge ( 516 ) of the inner member ( 502 ) engages with the chamfer surface ( 514 ) and the distal radial ridge ( 518 ′ not shown ) impacts the frusto - conical surface ( 519 ) on the ridges ( 512 ) of the fins ( 509 ). for both embodiments on insertion of the inner member ( 502 ) into the outer member ( 502 ) these arrangements of ridges and notches engage with each other to provide the required detent effect . all of the features disclosed in this specification for each and every embodiment ( including any accompanying claims , abstract and drawings ), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed , may be combined in any combination , except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive .

0Human Necessities

as used herein , the following terms and variations thereof have the meanings given below , unless a different meaning is clearly intended by the contest in which such term is used . the terms “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” and similar referents used herein are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural unless their usage in context indicates otherwise . as used in this disclosure , the term “ comprise ” and variations of the term , such as “ comprising ” and “ comprises ,” are not intended to exclude other additives , components , integers ingredients or steps . the following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention and several variations of that embodiment . this discussion should not be construed , however , as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments . practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well . the device described herein can be used as a ball throwing training device used to train a user to correctly throw a ball , or as an arm and shoulder strengthening device . the device can also be used in physical or occupational therapy as an aid to strengthen a user &# 39 ; s arm and shoulder . in use , the device engages the user &# 39 ; s arm , shoulder , neck and trunk muscles , such as , for example , forearm flex muscles , forearm extensor muscles , biceps , triceps , deltoids , chest muscles , side muscles , and trapezius muscles . it is contemplated that adults and children of any size can use the device . fig1 a and 1b shows a diagram of a ball throwing training device 100 . the ball throwing training device has a longitudinal body portion 114 and a first ball - shaped object 102 coupled to the longitudinal body portion . the head portion 110 couples the first ball - shaped object to the longitudinal body portion 114 . the length of longitudinal body portion 114 can be extended or shortened to accommodate users of different sizes and physiology . the longitudinal body portion 114 can be made up of one body portion , or it can segmented and made up of different sized longitudinal body portions as shown by first segmented longitudinal body portion 104 , second segmented longitudinal body portion 106 , and third segmented longitudinal body portion 108 . the different sized first , second and third segmented longitudinal body portions 104 , 106 , 108 can be coupled together to form the longitudinal body portion 114 . the size and number of segmented longitudinal body portions can be combined as desired by the user . fig1 b shows an example of how first , second and third segmented longitudinal body portions 104 , 106 , 108 can be coupled to the head portion 110 containing the first ball - shaped object 102 . as an example , for a ball throwing device of thirty - three inches long , the first segmented longitudinal body portion 104 can be fourteen inches long , the second segmented longitudinal body portion 106 can be twelve inches long , the segmented longitudinal body portion 108 can be four inches long , and the head portion 110 can be three inches long . the longitudinal body portion 114 can be of any size needed so that the user of the ball throwing training device 100 can comfortably hold the first ball - shaped object 102 while the proximal end of the longitudinal body portion 114 rests on the user &# 39 ; s lower back . it is contemplated that the longitudinal body portion 114 can be adjusted to accommodate the height of the user . optionally , the longitudinal body portion 114 can comprise a telescoping form , such that the first , second and third segmented body portions 104 , 106 , 108 , and the head portion 110 retract into each other , making transportation of the device very easy . the longitudinal body portion 114 , the first , second and third segmented longitudinal body portions 104 , 106 and 108 , and the head portion 110 can be made from any inflexible material such as , for example , fiberglass , metal , plastic , wood , aluminum , steel , carbon fiber , steel alloy , copper tubing , bamboo , paper , glue , rubber , glass , tin , leather or brass . the first ball - shaped object 102 can be made from any material . for example , the first ball - shaped object 102 can be made from foam , metal , plastic , rubber , glass , leather , aluminum , tin , wood , or brass . it is contemplated that the first ball - shaped object 102 will be in the form of a ball used in a sporting event , such as , for example , a baseball , football , tennis ball , soft ball , golf ball , basketball volleyball , and racquet ball . the first ball - shaped object 102 can also be a squeeze ball , a glow in the dark ball , a marble , or a weighted ball . in one embodiment of the ball throwing training device 100 , the proximal end of the first size of a longitudinal body portion 104 can be optionally coupled to a second ball - shaped object 112 . the second ball - shaped object 112 can be made from any material such as , for example , foam , metal , plastic , rubber , glass , leather , aluminum , tin , wood , or brass . it is contemplated that the most common second ball - shaped object 112 will be in the form of a ball used in a sporting event such as , for example , a baseball , football , tennis ball , soft ball , golf ball , basketball , volleyball , and racquet ball . the second ball - shaped object 112 can also be a squeeze ball , a glow in the dark ball , a marble , or a weighted ball . referring now to fig2 , there is shown a diagram of one embodiment of the ball throwing training device 100 , wherein the first ball - shaped object 102 is coupled to the head portion 110 at an angle to the head portion 114 . the angle of coupling of the first ball - shaped object 102 to the head portion 114 can be any angle . fig2 shows the head portion 110 with a mechanical means 202 of attachment coupled at approximately a 90 degree angle to the distal end of the head portion 110 . the mechanical means 202 of attachment is coupled to the first ball - shaped object 102 via a receptor 204 in the first ball - shaped object 102 . the mechanical means 202 can comprise any means of attaching the head portion 110 to the first ball - shaped object , such as , for example , a screw , nail , clip , snap , ball joint , or adhesive . additionally , it should be noted that the first ball - shaped object 102 can either remain stationary on the mechanical means 202 of attachment , or it can rotate about the mechanical means 202 as the user rotates their wrist during use of the device , as described in further detail below . in one embodiment of the ball throwing training device 100 , the head portion 110 can have a spacer 208 added to it extend the length of the head portion 110 . this allows the ball throwing training device 100 to be adapted to users of varying heights . fig2 a shows the head portion 110 comprising a bottom piece 206 , coupled to a spacer 208 , which is then coupled to a top piece 210 . the parts of the head portion 110 can be coupled by any means , such as , for example , a screw , nail , clip , snap , ball joint or adhesive . fig2 b shows the head portion 110 without a spacer 208 , so that the bottom piece 206 is directly coupled to the top piece 210 . optionally , head portion 110 can be coupled to either a pivot joint 302 ( as shown in fig3 ), or the head portion 110 coupled directly to the longitudinal body portion 114 ( as shown in fig1 ). it is also contemplated that the ball throwing training device of the present invention can have a moveable portion proximate to the distal end of the longitudinal body portion 114 . the movable portion can be any means in order that the distal portion of the longitudinal body portion 114 can be moved . in one embodiment of a ball throwing training device with moveable portion , the ball throwing training device with pivot joint 300 , the longitudinal body portion 114 is coupled to a pivot joint 302 ( fig3 ). the pivot joint 302 causes either side of the longitudinal body portion 114 to which it is coupled to rotate about the pivot joint 302 . as with the ball throwing training device described above and shown in fig1 and 2 , the longitudinal body portion 114 can be adjusted by the use of any number of first , second and third segmented longitudinal body portions 104 , 106 , 108 in order to accommodate users of different heights ( fig3 a and 3b ). fig3 c shows a fourth segmented longitudinal body portion 304 that can be added to the longitudinal body portion 144 . the segmented longitudinal body portions can be coupled together in any order via any mechanical means , such as , for example , a screw , nail , clip , snap , ball joint or adhesive . the longitudinal body portion 114 , the first , second , third and fourth segmented longitudinal body portions 104 , 106 , 108 , and 304 , and the head portion 110 can be made from any inflexible material such as , for example , fiberglass , metal , plastic , wood , aluminum , steel , carbon fiber , steel alloy , copper tubing , bamboo , paper , glue , rubber , glass , tin , leather or brass . as with the ball throwing training device 100 previously described , the ball throwing training device with pivot joint 300 can have a first ball - shaped object 102 coupled to the distal end of the longitudinal body portion 114 , and optionally a second ball - shaped object 112 can be coupled to the proximal end of the longitudinal body portion 114 . fig4 shows an exploded view of the movable pivot joint 302 . the movable pivot joint 302 comprises a top piece 402 and a bottom piece 406 . fig4 a shows a view of the top piece 402 with pivot pin 404 of the movable pivot joint 302 from the top and fig4 b shows a view of the top piece 402 from the side . fig4 c is a view of the bottom piece 406 with pivot pin 404 from the top and fig4 d is a view of the bottom piece 406 from the side . pivot pin 404 holds the top piece 402 and bottom piece 406 together . the top piece 402 has a first hole 408 for the pivot pin 404 to pass through . the bottom piece 406 has a second hole 410 for the pivot pin 404 to pass through . the top piece 402 has an elongated portion 412 , which is designed to fit between the two extensions 414 of the bottom piece 406 . when the elongated portion 412 from the top piece 402 is sandwiched between the two extensions 414 of the bottom piece 406 , the first hole 408 and the second hole 410 line up , and the pivot pin 404 passes through and creates the movable pivot joint 302 . optionally , the movable pivot joint 302 can have a means for locking the pivot joint , making the pivot joint unmovable , as described further below . fig5 shows the motion that the movable pivot joint 302 provides for the ball throwing training device with pivot joint 300 . fig5 a shows the movable pivot joint 302 before it is pivoted by the user . fig5 b shows the movable pivot joint 302 in the pivoted position . the longitudinal body portion 114 remains stationary while the head portion 110 , while the first ball - shaped object 102 attached to the distal end of the head portion 110 pivots to the desired position . referring now to fig6 , there is shown a diagram of a locking mechanism 602 that is designed to lock the pivot joint 302 in a straight position . the locking mechanism 602 can be in the form of a sleeve that slides up and around the pivot joint 302 , preventing the pivot joint 302 from moving . optionally , the locking mechanism 602 can be spring loaded to provide easy use . optionally , the locking mechanism 602 can comprise a first opening 606 and a second opening 608 . there can also be a button 604 , which can be located in the bottom piece 406 of the pivot joint 302 . the button 604 can be spring loaded for easy use . when the locking mechanism 602 is in the “ unlocked ” position , the locking mechanism 602 is below the pivot joint 302 , and the button 604 is extending up through the second opening 608 in the locking mechanism 602 . to activate the locking mechanism 602 and move it into the “ locked ” position , the user must depress the button 604 out of the second opening 608 , slide the locking mechanism 602 up and over the pivot joint , and allow the button 604 to extend up through the first opening 606 in the locking mechanism 602 , which prevents the locking mechanism 602 from sliding off the pivot joint 302 . to disengage the locking mechanism 602 , the user depresses the button 604 out of the first opening 606 , slides the locking mechanism 602 down and off the pivot joint 302 , and allows the button 604 to extend up through the second opening 608 . it is also contemplated that the moveable portion made out of flexible material . referring now to fig7 , in one embodiment of the ball throwing training device 100 , the longitudinal body portion 114 is coupled to a flexible portion 704 . the flexible portion 704 has first connector 702 on the proximal end of the flexible portion 704 . the first connector 702 can be coupled to the distal end of the longitudinal body portion 114 . the flexible portion 704 also has a second connector 706 attached to the distal end of the flexible portion 704 . the second connector 706 is coupled to the proximal end of head portion 110 . the distal end of head portion 110 has a mechanical means 202 to couple to the first ball - shaped object 102 . the flexible portion 704 is designed to be freely manipulated in any direction by the user , to achieve the desired positioning with very minimal effort . this allows for easy accommodation of users still recovering from injuries . due to the injuries they may not be able to achieve the desired throwing position . it is contemplated that the ball throwing training device 100 can contain a means for attaching the ball throwing training device 100 to the user . in one embodiment with a harness , the proximal end of the longitudinal body portion 104 can be coupled to a waist belt or harness to secure the ball throwing training device 100 to the user in the correct position . the use of a harness 900 is shown in fig9 . the harness 900 is attached to the user &# 39 ; s waist by a first belt 910 . the harness can optionally have straps 916 that extend from the first belt 910 horizontally across the user &# 39 ; s back and is fastened around the users chest and upper back by means of a second belt 918 . the second ball - shaped object 112 is attached to the first belt 910 at a location 912 in the center of the user &# 39 ; s lower back by a first flexible means 914 , such as an elastic strap or retractable cord . the harness can also be attached to the second belt 918 by a second flexible means 920 , such as an elastic strap or retractable cord . in another embodiment of the ball throwing training device 100 , the proximal end of the first longitudinal body portion 114 can be strapped to the user &# 39 ; s arm in order to secure the ball throwing training device 100 in the correct position ( not shown ). the straps can be located around the user &# 39 ; s wrist and bicep . a harness 900 or straps can also be used with the ball throwing training device with pivot joint 300 or flexible portion 704 . fig8 depicts the method of using the ball throwing training device 100 . the placement of the ball throwing training device 100 and movement allowed by the ball throwing training device 100 corrects the user &# 39 ; s form , and aligns the user &# 39 ; s elbow properly in order to avoid improper throwing form the damaging side - arm motion . the user grasps the first ball - shaped object 102 in either hand , and positions either the proximal end of the longitudinal body portion 114 , or the second ball - shaped object 112 , against their lower back , so that the longitudinal body portion 114 runs along the back of the user , against the user &# 39 ; s side , under the user &# 39 ; s arm and along the user &# 39 ; s forearm . the user then raises their hand and arm to the desired starting position , which is ideally above shoulder height . the user then moves the ball into a second ending position that is lower than the starting position . the user moves the ball by rotating their arm forward such that the ending position is below the user &# 39 ; s shoulder . this rotation forward can also involve some rotation of the wrist forward as well . this movement will cause the first ball - shaped object to rotate on the head portion 110 , and causes the proximal end of the longitudinal body portion to move away from the user &# 39 ; s lower back . however , the longitudinal body portion will remain against the user &# 39 ; s side . in the case of a ball throwing training device with pivot joint 300 , the device starts in the same starting position as described above for the ball throwing training device 100 . the user then moves the ball into an ending position that is lower than the starting position by rotating their arm forward . in use , the first ball shaped object is stationary relative to the head portion 110 , and only the movable pivot joint 302 moves during use . fig5 a shows the movable pivot joint 302 in the starting position . fig5 b shows the movable pivot joint 302 in the ending position . similarly , in the ball throwing training device with flexible portion 704 , the user holds the device in the starting position . the user then moves the ball into an ending position that is lower than the starting position . in use , the first ball shaped object is stationary relative to the head portion 110 , and only the movable flexible portion 704 moves during use , and then automatically returns to the starting position . when used with a harness 900 , the user attaches the harness 900 by means of the first belt 910 and optional second belt 918 . the second ball - shaped object 112 is attached to the first belt 910 at a location 912 in the center of the user &# 39 ; s lower back by a first flexible means 914 , such as an elastic strap or retractable cord . the harness can also be attached to the second belt 918 by a second flexible means 920 , such as an elastic strap or retractable cord . the user grasps the first ball - shaped object 102 in the first starting position and moves it to the ending position . the second ball - shaped object 112 moves from a first position to a second position when the first ball - shaped object 102 is moved from the first starting position to the ending position . the harness in combination with the first flexible means 914 can provide resistance for the user &# 39 ; s muscles . it is also contemplated that any of the ball throwing devices described above can be used as an arm and shoulder strengthening device . the movement described above can strengthen areas of the arm and shoulder . in use , the device engages the user &# 39 ; s arm , shoulder , neck and trunk muscles , such as , for example , forearm flex muscles , forearm extensor muscles , biceps , triceps , deltoids , chest muscles , side muscles , and trapezius muscles . the device can be used in physical or occupational therapy as an aid to strengthen a user &# 39 ; s arm , shoulder , and trunk muscles . although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments , other embodiments are possible . the steps disclosed for the present methods , for example , are not intended to be limiting nor are they intended to indicate that each step is necessarily essential to the method , but instead are exemplary steps only . therefore , the scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of preferred embodiments contained in this disclosure . all references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety .

0Human Necessities

a detailed description will be given below of exemplary embodiments according to the present invention with reference to the attached drawings . explanation will be made on an image forming apparatus for forming an image by electrophotography , to which the invention is applied . fig1 is a general view showing the configuration of an image forming system 10 including an image forming apparatus 12 in the present exemplary embodiment . the image forming system 10 in the exemplary embodiment is constituted of the image forming apparatus 12 and external paper feeding apparatuses 14 a , 14 b , and 14 c ( generically called “ a paper feeding apparatus 14 ”) for feeding a recording paper p . the image forming apparatus 12 and the paper feeding apparatus 14 are connected to each other via a connector , not shown . in the exemplary embodiment , the image forming system 10 is provided with the paper feeding apparatuses 14 a , 14 b , and 14 c , however members to be provided are not limited to these . the image forming apparatus 12 is adapted to form an image on an intermediate transfer member based on image data , transfer the image formed on the intermediate transfer member onto a paper , and form ( i . e ., print ) an image on the paper . the paper feeding apparatus 14 is an external type that feeds the paper to the image forming apparatus 12 . a post - processing device may be connected to the image forming apparatus 12 , thereby post - processing ( e . g ., stapling , punching , folding ( into two or three leaves ), sticking , trimming , or the like ) the paper having the image formed thereon in the image forming apparatus 12 . as shown in fig2 , the paper feeding apparatus 14 a is connected to the image forming apparatus 12 in the image forming system 10 in the exemplary embodiment . the other paper feeding apparatuses 14 will be omitted below . the image forming apparatus 12 includes an image forming engine 16 that carries out image forming processing on the recording paper p based on the image data . the image forming engine 16 corresponds to an image formation unit . the image forming engine 16 is provided with a photoreceptor drum 20 . the photoreceptor drum 20 is rotated at a predetermined speed in a direction indicated by an arrow a in fig2 by a driving force of a driving unit such as a motor , not shown . a charger 22 that electrically charges an peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 20 is disposed at the upper right portion of the photoreceptor drum 20 in fig2 . an optical beam scanner 24 is arranged at the upper left side of the charger 22 in fig2 . the optical beam scanner 24 scans the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 20 electrically charged by the charger 22 with a light beam in parallel to an axis of the photoreceptor drum 20 based on image data . in this manner , an electrostatic latent image is formed on the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 20 . for the sake of simple explanation , only one set of the photoreceptor drum 20 and the like is shown in fig2 . a developing device 26 is disposed at the left side of the photoreceptor drum 20 in fig2 . the developing device 26 includes a developing roller 26 a , and contains a toner therein . the developing roller 26 a allows the toner to adhere onto the electrostatic latent image formed on the periphery of the photoreceptor drum 20 , and then , develops the image . under the photoreceptor drum 20 in fig2 , an endless intermediate transfer belt 28 is arranged . the intermediate transfer belt 28 is wound around plural rollers 29 , and further , its periphery is brought into contact with the peripheral surface of the photoreceptor drum 20 . each of the rollers 29 rotates the intermediate transfer belt 28 at the same rotational speed as that of the photoreceptor drum 20 in a direction indicated by an arrow b in fig2 by a driving force transmitted from a motor , not shown . a transfer device 32 is disposed at a contact position between the photoreceptor drum 20 and the intermediate transfer belt 28 and at an opposite side of the photoreceptor drum 20 such that the transfer device 32 holds the intermediate transfer belt 28 with the photoreceptor drum 20 . the toner image developed on the photoreceptor drum 20 is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 28 by the transfer device 32 at a transfer position in which the transfer device 32 contacts with the intermediate transfer belt 28 according to the rotation of the photoreceptor drum 20 . a charge removal and cleaner device 30 , which has functions of electrically discharging the periphery of the photoreceptor drum 20 and removing an unnecessary toner remaining on the periphery , is arranged at a downstream side of the transfer position on the periphery of the photoreceptor drum 20 in a rotational direction . after transferring the toner onto the intermediate transfer belt 28 , a region which has carried the transferred toner image , on the periphery of the photoreceptor drum 20 is cleaned by the charge removal and cleaner device 30 . plural paper trays 34 ( four in the exemplary embodiment ) are installed under the image forming engine 16 in the image forming apparatus 12 . each of the paper trays 34 may change a size of a recording paper p which is to be accommodated therein by adjusting a position of an inside partition or the like . the plural recording papers p are accommodated inside of each of the paper trays 34 . plural mechanical switches , not shown , for detecting the size of the accommodated recording paper p are disposed in each of the paper trays 34 . when each of the mechanical switches is brought into contact with the accommodated recording paper p , the combination of turning - on and off is changed according to the size of the recording paper p . the size of the accommodated recording paper p is detected based on a combination of turning - on and off of the mechanical switches . a taking - out roller 36 is disposed at the diagonally upward to the left of each of the paper trays 34 in fig2 . plural roller pairs 38 are arranged in sequence at a downstream side in the taking - out direction of the recording paper p of the taking - out roller 36 in each of the paper trays 34 . the uppermost recording paper p accommodated on each of the paper trays 34 is taken out from the paper tray 34 according to the rotation of the taking - out roller 36 , and then , the paper is conveyed to the intermediate transfer belt 28 in synchronism with the transferred toner image via a conveyance path 40 by the plural roller pairs 38 . at the center left portion of the image forming apparatus 12 in fig2 , there is provided a manual tray 42 , on which the recoding paper p is manually placed . a taking - out roller 44 is disposed at the diagonally upward to the right of the manual tray 42 in fig2 . the recoding paper p placed on the manual tray 42 is guided onto the conveyance path 40 by the taking - out roller 44 and the roller pairs 38 , and then , is conveyed to the intermediate transfer belt 28 through the conveyance path 40 . at the lower portion of the image forming apparatus 12 in fig2 , there is provided a paper inlet 46 , through which the recoding paper p is fed from the paper feeding apparatus 14 a . the recoding paper p fed through the paper inlet 46 is guided at a portion in which a recoding paper p conveyed from a paper tray 34 of the second stage conveys on the conveyance path 40 by the roller pairs 38 , and then , the paper p is conveyed to the intermediate transfer belt 28 through the conveyance path 40 . a transfer device 48 is disposed at an opposite side of the lowermost roller 29 sandwitching the intermediate transfer belt 28 . the recoding paper p conveyed to the intermediate transfer belt 28 through the conveyance path 40 is fed between the intermediate transfer belt 28 and the transfer device 48 , and then , the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 28 is transferred on the recording paper p by the transfer device 48 . an endless conveyor belt 52 wound around two rollers 50 is disposed at a downstream side of the transfer device 48 in the conveyance direction of the recoding paper p . the recoding paper p having the toner image transferred thereonto is conveyed to a fixing device 54 via the conveyor belt 52 , followed by melting and fixing by the fixing device 54 , and then , the recording paper p is ejected outside of the image forming apparatus 12 onto a ejecting tray , not shown . the image forming apparatus 12 is provided with a double - sided recording reverse path 56 . the reverse path 56 includes plural roller pairs 58 . the recoding paper p having the image recorded on either side thereof is reversed on the reverse path 56 , and then , is conveyed to the intermediate transfer belt 28 . images may be recorded on both sides of the recoding paper p . a connecting unit 68 has a paper outlet 71 at a position facing to the paper inlet 46 provided in the image forming apparatus 12 . the paper feeding apparatus 14 a is installed in such a manner that the paper outlet 71 faces the paper inlet 46 . a paper feed unit 62 includes plural paper trays 70 ( two in the exemplary embodiment ). each of the paper trays 70 also may contain the recording papers p of various sizes therein by adjusting the position of an inside partition or the like . the plural recording papers p are accommodated inside of each of the paper trays 70 . each of the paper trays 70 includes plural mechanical switches , not shown , for detecting the size of the accommodated recording paper p , like the above - described paper trays 34 . a taking - out roller 72 is disposed at a diagonally upward to the right of each of the paper trays 70 in the paper feed unit 62 in fig2 . plural roller pairs 74 are arranged in sequence from a downstream side in the recording paper p taking - out direction of the taking - out roller 72 in the paper feed unit 62 . the recording paper p is taken out from the paper tray 70 according to the rotation of the taking - out roller 72 , and then , is conveyed to the paper outlet 71 via a conveyance path 80 provided in the connecting unit 68 by the plural roller pairs 74 . the recording paper p conveyed to the paper outlet 71 is fed to the image forming apparatus 12 through the paper inlet 46 , and then , the recording paper p is conveyed to the intermediate transfer belt 28 via the conveyor path 40 by the roller pairs 38 . in the paper feeding apparatus 14 a , a first paper detection sensor 84 is disposed on the conveyor path 80 and at an upstream side of the paper outlet 71 in the conveyance direction . the first paper detection sensor 84 detects whether or not the recording paper p exists at a position at which the sensor 84 faces the recording paper p , and outputs a signal indicating the existence of the recording paper p . the paper feeding apparatuses 14 b and 14 c , not shown , also have a similar configuration . recording papers p accommodated in the paper feeding apparatuses 14 b and 14 c are taken from paper trays 70 according to rotation of taking - out rollers 72 , and then , are conveyed to a joining unit 66 in the paper feeding apparatus 14 a . in the joining unit 66 , the recording paper p reaches at a confluence portion between a conveyor path 82 and the conveyor path 80 inside of the connecting unit 68 by plural roller pairs 76 and the plural roller pairs 74 , and then , the recording paper p is conveyed to the paper outlet 71 through the conveyor path 80 . a second paper detection sensor 86 is disposed at an upstream side of the confluence portion between the conveyor path 82 and the conveyor path 80 in the conveyance direction , and thus the sensor 86 detects whether or not the recording paper p exists at a position at which the sensor 86 faces the recording paper p . as illustrated in fig3 , the image forming apparatus 12 and the plural paper feeding apparatuses 14 are daisy - chained in the image forming system 10 in the exemplary embodiment . the image forming apparatus 12 manages and controls all the processing , and includes a main controller 90 and a memory 92 . the paper feeding apparatus 14 includes a paper feed controller 94 ( 94 a to 94 c ) for controlling the entire apparatus 14 and a memory 96 ( 96 a to 96 c ). the main controller 90 corresponds to an output unit , a recognition unit , and a correction unit . the image forming apparatus 12 ( i . e ., the main controller 90 ) and the paper feeding apparatuses 14 ( i . e ., the paper feed controllers 94 ) are connected to each other via an interactively receivable serial communication line 100 and a hot line 102 . the hot line 102 is adapted to carry a direct electric signal which is unidirectionally output from the main controller 90 to the paper feed controller 94 . the electric signal is off in a normal state , and the electric signal is turned on when the paper is started to be fed to the paper tray 70 in the paper feeding apparatus 14 . in other words , the signal triggers feeding in the paper feeding apparatus 14 . the paper feed controller 94 corresponds to a paper feed unit . the paper feed controller 94 performs detection filtering ( i . e ., periodic software filtering ) to avoid an influence by noise in detecting the signal on the hot line . therefore , the filtering induces a delay in signal detection . for example , as illustrated in fig4 a , an on instruction ( i . e ., an instruction to feed a paper ) is determined to have been sent when an on signal via the hot line 102 is successively detected twice at periods 10 ms apart . specifically , filtering is performed at periods 10 ms apart ( in 10 ms cycles ), whereby if an on signal is not detected successively , that is , if an on signal is detected only once , the signal is determined to be noise . if an on signal is successively detected twice , an on instruction is determined to have been sent . therefore , if an on signal begins before the period at which the first detection is made , since the detection timing is constant , a delay of from 10 ms to 20 ms until the second detection is made arises . fig4 b illustrates that on is determined when the on signal on the hot line 102 is successively detected twice at periods 50 ms apart . in this case , a delay in signal detection of 50 ms to 100 ms occurs . fig4 c illustrates that on is determined when the on signal on the hot line 102 is successively detected quadruple at periods 10 ms apart . in this case , a delay in signal detection of 30 ms to 40 ms occurs . as illustrated in fig5 a , even if the main controller 90 outputs a paper feed start request hot line signal ( i . e ., an on signal ) as an instruction signal to the paper feed controller 94 at a predetermined paper feed start request timing ( x ms ), which is determined in design , from a paper feed control reference timing of an upstream paper feeding apparatus , a delay in signal detection ( a signal detection filtering delay time = y ms ) occurs at the paper feed controller 94 . when the plural paper feeding apparatuses 14 are daisy - chained to the image forming apparatus 12 , the delays in signal detection due to the filtering are accumulated in a paper feeding apparatus 14 which is disposed at more downstream side . in the exemplary embodiment , the main controller 90 acquired in advance a delay time of each of the paper feed controllers 94 via the serial communication line 100 . in this manner , the main controller 90 outputs the paper feed start request hot line signal earlier by the delay time ( i . e ., x − y ms ), and thus , the paper feed controller 94 detects the signal at the predetermined paper feed start request timing ( i . e ., x ms ) ( see fig5 b ). more specifically , as illustrated in fig6 a , upon receipt of a notification command of the delay time of the paper feeding apparatus 14 c from the main controller 90 ( a use signal which indicates that the main controller 90 intends to use the paper feeding apparatus 14 c ), the paper feed controller 94 c acquires its own delay time ( x ms ) from the memory 96 c . the paper feed controller 94 c writes the delay time in a communication command , and then transmits the command , as a signal in response to the use signal , to the paper feed controller 94 b which is adjacent to the controller 94 c at the upstream side thereof . the paper feed controller 94 b acquires its own delay time ( y ms ) from the memory 96 b upon receipt of the communication command . thereafter , the paper feed controller 94 b adds its own delay time to the delay time written in the communication command ( x + y ms ). the paper feed controller 94 b replaces the delay time in the communication command with the added delay time , and then , transmits the replaced delay time to the paper feed controller 94 a ( i . e ., the paper feeding apparatus 14 a ) which is adjacent to the controller 94 b at the upstream side . in a similar manner , the paper feed controller 94 a adds its own delay time ( z ms ) acquired from the memory 96 a to the delay time of the received communication command ( x + y + z ms ). the main controller 90 acquires the communication command , and thus , stores the delay time ( x + y + z ms ) of the paper feed controller 94 c ( i . e ., the paper feeding apparatus 14 c ) in the memory 92 . accordingly , the delay times of the paper feed controllers 94 are acquired . alternatively , the delay times of the paper trays 70 in the paper feeding apparatuses 14 may be stored in the memory 92 . in the exemplary embodiment , the delay times of the paper feed controllers 94 ( or the paper trays 70 ) are acquired , it is not limited to this . for example , delay times of the paper feed controllers 94 may be acquired by receiving a single communication command which has delay times of the paper feed controllers 94 written therein . more specifically , as illustrated in fig6 b , the main controller 90 transmits a notification command of a delay time to the paper feed controller 94 c which is disposed at the most downstream side . the paper feed controller 94 c transmits a communication command which has its own delay time ( x ms ) written at the top thereof to the paper feed controller 94 b which is adjacent to the controller 94 c at the upstream side based on the command from the main controller 90 . the paper feed controller 94 b shifts down the delay time of the paper feed controller 94 c written at the top of the communication command , and then , writes its own delay time ( y ms ) in the paper feed controller 94 b at the top of the communication command . thereafter , the paper feed controller 94 b transmits the communication command to the paper feed controller 94 a . likewise , the paper feed controller 94 a shifts down the delay time written in the communication command , and then , writes its own delay time ( z ms ) at the top of the communication command , so as to transmit it to the main controller 90 . the main controller 90 determines that the delay time ( z ms ) written at the top of the communication command is a delay time of the paper feeding apparatus 14 a which is directly connected to the image forming apparatus 12 . similarly , the main controller 90 determines that the delay time ( y ms ) written under the delay time ( z ms ) is a delay time of the paper feeding apparatus 14 b which is connected to the paper feeding apparatus 14 a , and further , that the delay time ( x ms ) written under the delay time ( y ms ) is a delay time of the paper feeding apparatus 14 c which is connected to the paper feeding apparatus 14 b . in other words , the main controller 90 finds that a delay time which is written more upward on the communication command corresponds to a paper feeding apparatus 14 which is disposed at more upstream side . additionally , the main controller 90 finds from the number of delay times written in the communication command that the three paper feeding apparatuses 14 are connected to the image forming apparatus 12 . a delay time may be written without shifting down a preceding delay time , and may be written under a preceding delay time in the communication command . explanation will be made below on the function produced by the exemplary embodiment . fig7 is a flowchart illustrating a delay time transmission routine in a paper feed controller 94 . in step 110 , it is determined whether or not the main controller 90 outputs the transmission request for its own delay time . if the result is affirmative , the routine jumps to step 116 . to the contrary , if the result is negative , the routine proceeds to step 112 . in step 112 , it is determined whether or not another paper feed controller 94 which is adjacent to the paper feed controller 94 at the downstream side outputs the communication command which has the delay time written therein . if the result is negative , the routine ends . to the contrary , if the result is affirmative , the routine proceeds to step 114 . in step 114 , its own delay time is added to the delay time written in the received communication command . for example , the delay time which is obtained by adding its own delay time to the previously written delay time is written as a new delay time . alternatively , its own delay time is added to the delay time previously written in the communication command to obtain a new delay time . thereafter , the routine proceeds to next step 116 . in step 116 , the communication command which has its own delay time ( or , the added delay time ) written therein is transmitted to another paper feeding apparatus 14 which is adjacent to the paper feeding apparatus at the upstream side or the image forming apparatus 12 . in this manner , the routine ends . fig8 is a flowchart illustrating a paper feed instruction routine by the main controller 90 . in step 120 , the main controller 90 determines whether or not a job is input , and waits for an affirmative result . in step 122 , the main controller 90 decides a paper feeding apparatus 14 based on print information on the input job . moreover , the main controller 90 acquires a delay time of a paper feed controller 94 of the paper feeding apparatus 14 from the memory 92 . in the exemplary embodiment , the recording papers p of different sizes are accommodated in the paper feeding trays 70 . in step 124 , the main controller 90 sets the paper feed start request timing . specifically , the time ( x ms ) from the paper feed control reference timing to the paper feed start request timing has been predetermined , and thus , the acquired delay time is subtracted from the time ( x − y ms ) ( see fig5 a and 5b ). in step 128 , it is determined whether or not a time until the paper feed start request timing which has been set in step 124 elapses , and waits for an affirmative result . in step 130 , the main controller 90 transmits the paper feed start request signal to the paper feed controller 94 . the main controller 90 transmits an on signal over the hot line communication . in step 132 , it is determined whether or not all of jobs are finished . if the result is negative , the routine returns to step 128 . to the contrary , if the result is affirmative , the routine ends . in the exemplary embodiment , the delay time is acquired every time the job is input , it is not limited to this . the delay time may be acquired once when the configuration of the image forming system 10 is determined , and then , the acquired delay time of each of the paper feed controllers 94 may be stored in the memory 92 . in this case , a delay time of a target paper feed controller 94 is read from the memory 92 and control the target paper feed controller 94 every time the job is input . the foregoing description of the embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purpose of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . obviously , many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications , thereby enabling others skilled in the art to are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents .

6Physics

various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views . reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the claims attached hereto . additionally , any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the appended claims . referring now to fig1 , an example therapeutic electrical stimulation device 10 is shown . in this example , device 10 is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (“ tens ”) device . device 10 includes controller 11 and an electro - mechanical connecting shoe 13 . controller 11 generates electrical impulses and supplies the electrical impulses to shoe 13 . the connector shoe 13 receives the electrical impulses from controller 11 and supplies the electrical impulses to a conductive layer or directly to a therapeutic location , such as the skin of a patient . examples of electrical signals which may be used by controller 11 are described in more detail in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 922 , 908 , the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference . as shown in fig2 - 5 , controller 11 includes an outer protective shell formed of upper housing 12 and lower housing 14 . upper and lower housings 12 , 14 are made of any suitable material such as plastic , metal , or the like . a lower edge of upper housing 12 is configured to be connected with an upper edge of lower housing 14 . in some embodiments , a fastener is used to connect upper housing 12 to lower housing 14 . examples of suitable fasteners include adhesive , screws , latching mechanisms , and other known fasteners . in other embodiments , upper housing 12 is directly connected to lower housing 14 , such as by welding or over molding . upper and lower housings 12 , 14 act together to enclose battery 26 and electrical circuitry 29 . as a result , upper and lower housings 12 , 14 provide protection to the enclosed components from contact with other objects that could otherwise damage the components . in some embodiments , upper and lower housings 12 , 14 are water resistant to protect enclosed components from water or other fluids . some embodiments of upper and lower housing 12 , 14 are completely sealed to resist most or all fluid , gas , or particle intrusion . some embodiments are hermetically sealed . battery 26 is a power source that provides electrical power to controller 11 . in some embodiments , battery 26 is a rechargeable battery such as a lithium - ion battery . battery 26 can be charged by connecting controller 11 to a battery charger , as described further below . one example of a battery charger is a docking station described in more detail herein . inductive charging is used in some embodiments . in other embodiments , other rechargeable batteries are used , such as a nickel cadmium battery , a nickel metal hydride battery , or a rechargeable alkaline battery . yet other embodiments include non - rechargeable , disposable batteries , such as alkaline batteries , or other known batteries . an alternate embodiment of controller 11 does not include battery 26 , but rather includes a different power source such as a capacitor . lower housing 14 includes a controller receptacle 24 that is arranged and configured to receive a portion 42 of shoe 13 . in some embodiments , lower housing 14 and portions of electrical circuitry 28 are uniquely arranged and configured to mate with portion 42 and resist mating with other shoe configurations . in addition , a railway platform 28 is positioned within controller receptacle 24 to fit with complementary surfaces on portion 42 to matingly engage with receptacle 24 , as described more fully below . this mating engagement foul &# 39 ; s a keyed receptacle . one benefit of a keyed receptacle is that it can be used to resist connection with inappropriate patches or other devices , such as to resist connection with a patch that would be incompatible with controller 11 . on the other hand , the keyed receptacle is also used in some embodiments to allow connection of controller 11 with various types of patches or other devices if desired . in the example shown , the electrical circuitry 28 includes a pcb board 29 with a plurality of pins 31 extending therefrom . pins 31 are sized to be received in receptacles formed in corresponding portion 42 of the shoe 13 to create an electrical connection between controller 11 and shoe 13 , as described below . upper housing 12 includes a member 22 that moves into and out of controller receptacle 24 to capture and release corresponding structure 42 of the shoe 13 . as described further below , as portion 42 is inserted into controller receptacle 24 , and member 22 engages structure 56 on portion 42 to couple portion 42 to controller 11 . to release portion 42 , the user depresses member 22 to disengage member 22 from portion 56 . portion 42 of shoe 13 can then be pulled out of controller receptacle 24 . in one embodiment , controller 11 includes an on - board user interface having a power button 20 and amplitude adjustment buttons 16 and 18 . when power button 20 is first depressed , the controller turns on and begins generating therapeutic electrical signals . when power button 20 is depressed again , the controller turns off and stops generating the therapeutic electrical signals . while the controller 11 is on , amplitude adjustment buttons 16 and 18 are used to adjust the amplitude of the generated therapeutic electrical signals accordingly . amplitude adjustment button 16 provides an input to increase (“+”) the amplitude of the therapeutic electrical signals . amplitude adjustment button 18 provides an input to decrease (“−”) the amplitude of the therapeutic electrical signals . referring now to fig6 - 8b , the shoe 13 , with sides 42 a and 42 b , is shown in greater detail . in the example shown , shoe 13 includes upper portion 42 and a base 44 , having sides 44 a and 44 b . as shown , upper portion 42 a is mounted to base portion 44 a , and upper portion 442 b is mounted to base portion 44 b . also typically included , but not shown , is an insulating layer ( see , e . g ., insulating layer 122 described below ). during sliding insertion , portion 42 is configured to engage with a receptacle 24 ( shown in fig9 and 10 ) of controller 11 , as previously described . portion 42 is a plastic or other suitable structure used to physically and electrically connect shoe 13 with controller 11 . the shoe 13 includes two symmetric halves 13 a and 13 b that allow insertion of an electrical connector 51 inside , as shown in fig8 a . the electrical connector may be any suitable electrical connection device , such as a fci connector . the electrical connector 51 fits snugly inside of shoe 13 within the two halves . the electrical connector 51 may be fastened inside of the shoe 13 using glue , ultrasonic welding , or other available techniques . one or more electrodes ( such as electrodes 124 and 126 in fig1 or electrodes 1502 in fig2 b and 23d ) are connected to shoe 13 . when the electrodes are applied to a patient , they provide an electrical connection with the skin of the patient to supply electrical pulses to a desired therapeutic location , such as on the patient &# 39 ; s skin . exemplary electrodes are made of one or more sheets of electrically conductive material ( e . g ., conductive polymer or stainless steel ). in some embodiments , the electrodes are generally disk - shaped to distribute the electrical signals across a relatively large area of skin . in other embodiments , the electrodes are of a variety of other shapes including ring - shaped , circular , elliptical , serpentine , comb - shaped , or other desired shape . in operation , the electrodes are connected to the shoe 13 and ultimately to the controller using electrode lead wires 46 , 48 , which extend from shoe 13 and connect to the electrical connector 51 . the connection of lead wires to the shoe and the electrodes is done using any appropriate connection mechanism ( e . g ., metal crimp , solder , etc .). in certain embodiments , lead wire 46 connects to the shoe 13 through electrical connector 51 and to signal pin 31 a in receptacle 50 a . lead wire 48 connects to the shoe 13 through electrical connector 51 and to ground pin 31 b in receptacle 50 b . lead wire 46 and 48 connect to separate electrodes no that during stimulation , a voltage potential is generated between the electrodes and current enters the skin through one electrode , passes through the skin , and then returns through the other electrode . a disposable , conducting adhesive layer ( e . g ., adhesive layer 128 and 1504 described below ) is applied to one side of electrodes 124 , 126 and 1502 to allow the electrodes to be securely , yet removably , adhered to the skin and to permit the electrical signals to flow from the controller 11 to the patient . in some embodiments , adhesive layers 128 and 1504 are applied across an entire surface of electrodes 124 , 126 and 1502 . in other embodiments , adhesive layers 128 and 1504 are electrically connected to the shoe , but not to the regions of electrodes 124 , 126 and 1502 . other adhesive layer arrangements are used in other embodiments . exemplary adhesive layers are made of an electrically conductive material such as an electrogel or hydrogel ( e . g ., ultrastim self - adhering neurostimulation electrodes made by axelgaard manufacturing co .). the adhesive layer is preferably disposed of after one use , but may reused for multiple applications . some embodiments of shoe 13 include additional layers . during stimulation , controller 11 generates a voltage potential between electrode lead wires 46 , 48 such that the current enters the skin through one wire , passes through the skin , and then returns through the other wire . some embodiments provide a plurality of electrodes . in some implementations , the polarity of the electrodes is alternated during a therapy . in some embodiments a skin preparation product , such as a conductive gel , is applied to the skin prior to application of shoe 13 . to make electrical connection between shoe 13 and controller 11 , portion 42 includes a plurality of receptacles 50 a - 50 c on a front face 52 of portion 42 . the receptacles are part of connector 51 ( e . g ., fci connector ) housed inside of shoe 13 . the three electrical receptacles 50 a - 50 c are assigned various functions such as providing an electrical signal , connection to ground , and battery charging connection . the electrical receptacles 50 a - 50 c are sized to receive pins 31 a - 31 c , respectively , of controller 11 when portion 42 is fully inserted into connector receptacle 24 ( see fig9 and 10 ), and provide a location where the pins 31 a and 31 b connect with the lead wires 46 and 48 , respectively . as shown , pins 31 extend generally parallel to the railway platform 28 . fitting pins 31 into receptacles 50 creates an electrical connection between controller 11 and shoe 13 and allows controller 11 to deliver electrical stimulation therapy through electrode lines 46 , 48 to the patient . in particular , as shown , receptacle 50 a receives the electrical signal pin 31 a and receptacle 50 b receives the ground pin 31 b , which combine to form the electrical connection between the shoe 13 and the controller 11 . receptacle 50 c receives the battery charging pin 31 c . it will be appreciated that when the shoe 13 and the controller 11 are mated together for operation , the battery charging pin 31 c sits within the receptacle 50 c but does not electrically connect . as discussed below , the controller 11 may be disengaged from the shoe 13 after patient therapy and connected to a battery charging station . the mechanical connection between the shoe 13 and controller 11 is further shown in fig6 - 10b . with reference to fig6 , shoe 13 includes portion 42 that defines a channel 54 sized to receive railway platform 28 of controller 11 when portion 42 is inserted into controller receptacle 24 . railway platform 28 slides inside channel 54 below portion 42 and above the bottom surface defining channel 54 , fitting in a ‘ u ’ shape around portion 55 of shoe 13 . also , portion 42 includes a clip member 56 sized to engage a detent or lip 23 of member 22 of controller 11 when portion 42 is fully inserted into controller receptacle 24 to retain portion 42 within receptacle 24 . in certain embodiments , when clip member 56 engages the lip 23 of member 22 the connection creates an affirmative “ click ” sound , indicating that shoe 13 is connected to controller 11 . in addition , the base 44 of the shoe includes two side flanges 44 a and 44 b . as the shoe 13 slides into connection with the controller 11 , the base flanges 44 a and 44 b slide under and at least partially abut respective side portions 8 a and 8 b of the controller 11 . referring now to fig9 and 10b , the coupling between shoe 13 and controller 11 also occurs as pins 31 of controller 11 are inserted into receptacles 50 of portion 42 of shoe 13 . the process of connecting shoe 13 and controller 11 begins as shown in fig1 a which depicts the controller 11 and shoe 13 detached and in position to be coupled . by moving shoe 13 in the direction x ( i . e ., in the direction of the arrow toward controller 11 ), they can be coupled as shown in fig9 and 10b . when coupled , railway 28 of controller 11 is received in channel 54 of portion 42 and allows portion 42 to be slid along railway 28 as portion 42 is inserted into controller receptacle 24 . additionally , railway 28 fits around portion 55 of shoe 13 . the engagement of railway 28 and channel 54 fixes the position of controller 11 and shoe 13 in a direction y so that shoe 13 cannot be moved out of controller receptacle 24 in the direction y . further , lip 23 of member 22 of controller 11 is engaged by clip member 56 of portion 42 . the engagement of lip 23 and clip member 56 fixes the position of controller 11 and shoe 13 in a second dimension so that shoe 13 cannot be moved in a direction x out of controller receptacle 24 . when the user wants to remove portion 42 from controller receptacle 24 , the user depresses member 22 in the direction y so that lip 23 clears clip member 56 . portion 42 thereupon be slid along railway 28 in direction x out of receptacle 24 . flanges 44 a and 44 b engage portions 8 a and 8 b , as described above . other configurations can be used to maintain the portion 42 in the receptacle 24 . for example , in another embodiment , a knob or knurl can be formed on the portion 42 that engages or is seated with a detent within the receptacle when fully inserted . when the portion 42 is removed , the knob or knurl flexes slightly to bend away from the detent so that the portion can be removed . other configurations are possible . in some examples described herein , shoe 13 is connected to a garment to deliver therapy to the user . the is made by stitching , gluing or embedding the shoe 13 in a laminate layer . in other examples , shoe 13 is connected to other structures to deliver therapy ; charge controller 11 ; and / or program controller 11 . for example , referring now to fig1 , shoe 13 is electrically connected to a structure 60 . as described below , shoe 13 can be connected to a plurality of different structures so that controller 11 can be coupled thereto . in some examples , structure 60 is an apparatus that can be used to deliver therapy to the user . for example , as described below , structure 60 can be a patch ( e . g ., patch 104 ) or an electrode that is attached to the skin to deliver therapy . in other examples , structure 60 is a garment such as a belt that is worn around certain anatomy of a patient , such as the waist , arm , or leg . one or more shoes 13 can be located along the belt so that one or more controllers 11 can be coupled to the shoes 13 to deliver therapy at desired locations along the belt . for example , the belt can include a single shoe 13 for one controller 11 , and can include a plurality of electrodes that are spaced along the belt to deliver therapy along an entire surface for the patient . fig2 d shows an example of a belt including a shoe 13 with base 44 electrically connected to electrodes 1502 . electrodes 1502 may be placed in any position along the belt and in any pattern suitable to provide therapy to a user . there may be an array of four electrodes , as shown in fig2 d , or there may be more or fewer electrodes provided as necessary . in addition , multiple shoes 13 , may be placed on the belt of fig2 d . in other examples , structure 60 is a brace or cast ( e . g ., air cast , knee brace , or back brace ) with built - in electrodes that allow controller 11 to be connected to the shoe and delivery therapy to the desired area . in some embodiments , structure 60 is electrical components that are used to provide power so that controller 11 can be connected to shoe 13 to charge battery 26 in controller 11 . for example , in one embodiment , structure 60 is a docking station , such as docking station 1300 described below . in other examples , structure 60 is an electrical power transformer that can be plugged into a typical wall outlet or an automobile outlet to provide power to charge battery 26 . in other examples , controller 11 can also include an auxiliary charging port , such as a usb or micro - usb port , which can be used to charge controller 11 . in yet other examples , controller 11 can include on - board recharge capabilities , such as solar panels or inductive coupling technologies . in yet other examples , structure 60 is electrical circuitry that can be used to program controller 11 . in some embodiments , controller 11 includes computer readable media , such as ram or rom . in one embodiment , controller 11 includes flash memory that can be rewritten with new therapy programs to enhance the functionality of controller 11 . in such examples , structure 60 can be a docking station , such as docking station 1300 described below . in other examples , structure 60 can be a component in a care giver &# 39 ; s office that allows the care giver to modify or enhance the therapies that can be provided by controller 11 . in other examples structure 60 can be connected to a lan or have an internet or phone connection . referring now to fig1 , another example therapeutic electrical stimulation device 100 is shown . device 100 is similar to device 10 described above , except that device 100 is configured differently . in the example of fig1 , device 100 is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (“ tens ”) device . device 100 includes controller 102 and patch 104 , similar to those described above . controller 102 is a device that generates electrical impulses and supplies the electrical impulses to patch 104 . patch 104 receives the electrical impulses from controller 102 and supplies the electrical impulses to a therapeutic location , such as the skin of a patient . in one embodiment , controller 102 includes a user interface having a power button 110 and amplitude adjustment buttons 112 and 114 . when power button 110 is first depressed , the controller turns on and begins generating therapeutic electrical signals . when power button 110 is depressed again , the controller turns off and stops generating the therapeutic electrical signals . while the controller 102 is on , amplitude adjustment buttons 112 and 114 are used to adjust the amplitude of the generated therapeutic electrical signals accordingly . amplitude adjustment button 112 provides an input to increase the amplitude of the therapeutic electrical signals . amplitude adjustment button 114 provides an input to decrease the amplitude of the therapeutic electrical signals . patch 104 is typically applied to the skin of a patient . the electrical signals are conducted from the controller to the skin by patch 104 . patch 104 includes a shoe 120 ( shown in fig1 ), an insulating layer 122 , and conductive electrodes 124 and 126 . shoe 120 is connected to one side of insulating layer 122 , and is configured to engage with a receptacle ( shown in fig1 ) of controller 102 . shoe 120 is a connector used to physically and electrically connect patch 104 with controller 102 . electrodes 124 and 126 ( shown more clearly in fig1 ) are located adjacent insulating layer 122 on a side opposite shoe 120 . the electrodes are typically a sheet of electrically conductive material that , when applied to a patient , provides an electrical connection with the skin of the patient to supply electrical pulses to a desired therapeutic location . an adhesive layer 128 is typically applied to one side of patch 104 to allow patch 104 to be securely , yet removably , adhered to the skin . some embodiments of patch 104 include additional layers . during stimulation , controller 102 typically generates a voltage potential between electrodes 124 and 126 such that current enters the skin through one electrode , passes through the skin , and then returns through the other electrode . some embodiments alternate the polarity of the electrodes during a therapy . in some embodiments a skin preparation product , such as a conductive gel , is applied to the skin prior to application of patch 104 . in some embodiments , buttons 110 , 112 , and 114 are arranged with a unique tactile arrangement . for example , buttons 110 , 112 , and 114 are arranged at one end of controller 102 and protrude out from the housing of controller 102 . the tactile arrangement allows the device to be controlled by the patient or caregiver even if the device is hidden from view under clothing or in a non - visible location , such as on the back . if , for example , the device is located under a shirt on the patient &# 39 ; s upper arm , the patient can feel controller 102 through the shirt and locate protruding buttons 110 , 112 , and 114 . due to the unique arrangement of buttons 110 , 112 , and 114 , the user is able to identify each button , and select from them accordingly . other embodiments include additional tactile elements . for example , in some embodiments buttons 110 , 112 , and 114 include an elevated identifier , such as a line , square , arrow , dot , circle , or braille character . in other embodiments , buttons 110 , 112 , and 114 each include a unique shape , such as a square , triangle , circle , oval , rectangle , arrow , or other desired shape . in yet other embodiments , buttons are located on different locations of the housing , such as on the sides or bottom of the housing . fig1 is an exploded perspective view exemplary therapeutic electrical stimulation device 100 . device 100 includes controller 102 and patch 104 . controller 102 includes upper housing 202 , battery 204 , user input devices 206 , electrical circuitry 208 , and lower housing 210 . patch 104 includes shoe 120 , insulating layer 212 , electrodes 124 and 126 , and adhesive layer 128 . controller 102 includes an outer protective shell formed of upper housing 202 and lower housing 210 . upper and lower housings 202 and 210 are made of any suitable material such as plastic , metal , or the like . a lower edge of upper housing 202 is configured to be connected with an upper edge of lower housing 210 . in some embodiments , a fastener is used to connect upper housing 202 to lower housing 210 . examples of suitable fasteners include adhesive , screws , latching mechanisms , and other known fasteners . in other embodiments , upper housing 202 is directly connected to lower housing 210 , such as by welding or over molding . upper and lower housings 202 and 210 act together to enclose battery 204 and electrical circuitry 208 and to at least partially enclose user input devices 206 . as a result , upper and lower housings 202 and 210 provide protection to the enclosed components from contact with other objects that could otherwise damage the components . in some embodiments , upper and lower housings 202 and 210 are water resistant to protect enclosed components from water or other fluids . some embodiments of upper and lower housing 202 and 210 are completely sealed to resist most or all fluid , gas , or particle intrusion . some embodiments are hermetically sealed . lower housing 210 includes a controller receptacle 211 that is arranged and configured to receive shoe 120 of patch 104 . in some embodiments , lower housing 210 and portions of electrical circuitry 208 are uniquely arranged and configured to mate with shoe 120 and resist mating with other shoe configurations . this is sometimes referred to as a keyed receptacle . one benefit of a keyed receptacle is that it can be used to resist connection with inappropriate patches or other devices , such as to resist connection with a patch that would be incompatible with controller 102 . on the other hand , the keyed receptacle is also used in some embodiments to allow connection of controller 102 with various types of patches or other devices if desired . battery 204 is a power source that provides electrical power to controller 102 . in some embodiments , battery 204 is a rechargeable battery such as a lithium - ion battery . battery 204 can be charged by connecting controller 102 to a battery charger . one example of a battery charger is a docking station described in more detail herein . inductive charging is used in some embodiments . in other embodiments , other rechargeable batteries are used , such as a nickel cadmium battery , a nickel metal hydride battery , or a rechargeable alkaline battery . yet other embodiments include non - rechargeable , disposable batteries , such as alkaline batteries , or other known batteries . an alternate embodiment of controller 102 does not include battery 204 , but rather includes a different power source such as a capacitor . user input devices 206 receive input from a user to cause controller 102 to adjust an operational mode of the device 100 . different operational modes may be used to provide different types of therapy , such as therapy to treat edema or to provide drug delivery . a more thorough description of how operational modes work can be found in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 961 , 542 which is incorporated herein by reference . user input devices 206 include power button 110 and amplitude adjustment buttons 112 and 114 . user input devices 206 are arranged such that a portion of buttons 110 , 112 , and 114 protrude through upper housing 202 . a user provides input to controller 102 by momentarily depressing one of buttons 110 , 112 , and 114 . when the button is depressed , the force is transferred through user input device 206 to a switch of electrical circuitry 208 . the switch closes to make an electrical connection and causes current flow within electrical circuitry 208 . the electrical circuitry 208 responds to adjust the appropriate operational mode of controller 102 . electrical circuitry 208 typically includes a circuit board and a plurality of electrical circuits such as a power supply circuit , pulse generator circuit , and electrical contacts for electrical connection with conductors of shoe 120 . examples of electrical circuitry 208 are described in more detail herein . in some embodiments , electrical circuitry 208 includes sensors that receive electrical signals from patch 104 . in some embodiments the electrical circuitry is activated between output pulses to monitor the patient . some embodiments of controller 102 further include sensor electronics that monitor patch 104 to be sure that patch has not become partially or fully disconnected from the patient . if the patch does become disconnected , the electronics deactivate delivery of therapeutic electrical signals from controller 102 . a more detailed description of how a patch connection can be monitored is found in u . s . patent application publication no . 2004 / 0015212 , which is incorporated herein by reference . in some embodiments , the electronics monitor for changes in impedance between electrodes . in another embodiment , electrical circuitry 208 also includes activity monitoring , such as with an accelerometer . with activity monitoring , feedback control is used to increase electrical stimulation level in response to activity level . patch 104 is a device that transfers electrical impulses from controller 102 to a therapeutic location on a patient , such as the patient &# 39 ; s skin . patch 104 includes shoe 120 , insulating layer 212 , electrodes 124 and 126 , and adhesive layer 128 . shoe 120 is arranged and configured to engage with controller 102 , such as through controller receptacle 211 . in some embodiments , shoe 120 includes a unique configuration that is designed to mate only with controller receptacle 211 and to resist connection with other receptacles or devices . the unique configuration is sometimes referred to as a keyed shoe . one benefit of a keyed shoe is that it can be used to resist connection with inappropriate controllers or other devices , such as to resist connection with a controller that would be incompatible with patch 104 . this may be done by creating a unique shoe configuration with a particular two or three dimensional shape that fits snugly within controller receptacle 211 . thus , controller receptacles and shoes that do not have a matching two or three dimensional shape cannot be connected . on the other hand , the keyed shoe is also used in some embodiments to allow patch 104 to be connected with various types of controller 102 . in this case , the shoe may be designed with a two or three dimensional shape that fits into multiple controller receptacles . shoe 120 includes conductors that conduct electrical signals between controller 102 and electrodes 124 and 126 . patch 104 includes insulating layer 212 . insulating layer 212 is connected to patch 104 by any suitable fastening mechanism , such as adhesive , screws , nails , or other known fasteners . in other embodiments , insulating layer 212 and shoe 120 are formed of a unitary piece , such as by molding . conductors from shoe 120 pass from shoe 120 , through insulating layer 212 , and are connected to electrodes 124 and 126 . in some embodiments , insulating layer 212 is a primary structural layer of patch 104 . insulating layer 212 also electrically insulates a side of patch 104 . in this way , if insulating layer 212 comes into contact with a conductive object ( e . g ., the hand of the patient or another electronic device ), insulating layer 212 prevents or at least resists the electrical conduction between electrodes 124 and 126 and the conductive object . inadvertent electrical shocks and unintended electrical connections are thereby reduced or entirely prevented . electrodes 124 and 126 are electrical conductors that are used to introduce electrical signals to a therapeutic location of a patient , such as on to the patient &# 39 ; s skin . electrodes 124 and 126 are electrically connected to conductors that pass through shoe 120 . in some embodiments electrodes 124 and 126 are generally disk - shaped to distribute the electrical signals across a relatively large area of skin . in other embodiments , electrodes 124 and 126 are of a variety of other shapes including ring - shaped , circular , elliptical , serpentine , comb - shaped , or other desired shape . patch 104 is connected to the skin of a patient with adhesive layer 128 . in some embodiments , adhesive layer 128 is applied across an entire surface of patch 104 , including across electrodes 124 and 126 . in such embodiments , adhesive layer 128 is electrically conductive . in other embodiments , adhesive layer 128 is applied to the surface of patch 104 , but not on the regions of electrodes 124 and 126 . other adhesive layer arrangements are used in other embodiments . fig1 - 16 illustrate an exemplary method of connecting a controller 102 to a patch 104 of a therapeutic electrical stimulation device 100 . fig1 - 16 are right side cross - sectional views of device 100 . fig1 illustrates controller 102 disconnected from patch 104 . fig1 illustrates controller 102 arranged in a first position over patch 104 . fig1 illustrates controller 102 arranged in a second position and connected with patch 104 . a method of disconnecting controller 102 from patch 104 is the reverse of that described herein . before connecting controller 102 with patch 104 , patch 104 is typically applied to a desired therapeutic location on the patient ( not shown in fig1 ) such that shoe 120 extends from patch 104 in a direction generally away from the therapeutic location . the process of connecting controller 102 with patch 104 begins as illustrated in fig1 , such that controller 102 is arranged such that controller receptacle 211 is in line with shoe 120 . controller 102 is also oriented such that rear side 301 of shoe 120 is facing toward the rear side 302 of receptacle 211 . in some embodiments , shoe 120 in receptacle 211 is shaped such that shoe 120 can only be inserted into receptacle 211 in a single orientation . in other embodiments , shoe 120 can be inserted within receptacle 211 in multiple orientations , but can only be fully engaged ( as shown in fig1 ) if shoe 120 and receptacle 211 are properly oriented . once properly oriented , controller 102 is moved toward patch 104 in the direction of arrow a 1 , such that shoe 120 enters receptacle 211 as shown in fig1 . controller 102 is then advanced in the direction of arrow a 2 . this movement of controller 102 causes shoe 120 to engage with controller 102 as shown in fig1 . in particular , electrical circuitry 208 makes electrical contact with conductors of shoe 120 to electrically connect electrodes of patch 104 with electrical circuitry 208 . electrical connectors are used to electrically connect conductors of shoe 120 with electrical circuitry 208 . in one embodiment , male and female plug - type connectors are included as part of shoe 120 and electrical circuitry 208 . in another embodiment , surface conductors are used to connect with protruding electrical contacts , such as used in universal serial bus ( usb ) connectors and for connecting memory cards with memory slots . other electrical connectors are used in other embodiments . as described above , fig1 - 16 illustrate a two - step method of connecting patch 104 and controller 102 . the first step involves moving controller 102 in the direction of arrow a 1 , and the second step involves moving controller 102 in the direction of arrow a 2 . this method of connection is partially a result of the “ l - shape ” of shoe 120 . shoe 120 has a first portion 304 that extends generally normal to a surface of insulating layer 212 , and a second portion 306 that extends at generally a right - angle to the first portion 304 . one of the benefits of this shape of shoe 120 is that it resists unintentional disengagement of controller 102 from patch 104 , once controller 102 is properly connected ( as shown in fig1 ). for example , if a force is applied to controller 102 in a direction opposite arrow a 1 , the second portion of shoe 120 resists disengagement of controller 102 from patch 104 . sideways forces ( e . g ., forces normal to arrow a 1 and arrow a 2 ) are also resisted , as well as a force in the direction of arrow a 2 . a force in the direction opposite arrow a 2 will result in disconnection of shoe 120 from electrical circuitry 208 . however , shoe 120 will still provide support to receptacle 211 unless controller 102 is arranged vertically below patch 104 . this allows the user to manually grasp controller 102 before it becomes completely disconnected from patch 120 and reconnect controller 102 , if desired . if controller 102 is arranged vertically below patch 104 , then gravity will tend to pull controller 102 away from patch 104 . in another embodiment , shoe 120 has a generally linear shape ( not shown in fig1 - 16 ), such that shoe 120 is plugged directly into controller 102 in a single step , namely the insertion of shoe 120 into receptacle 211 . in this embodiment , electrical circuitry 208 includes an electrical connector that is in line with the path of entry of shoe 120 into receptacle 211 or directly surrounds the point of entry . in another possible embodiment , shoe 120 has an “ l - shape ” but receptacle 211 is arranged on a side of controller 102 . in this embodiment , connection of controller 102 with patch 104 is accomplished in a single step — insertion of a second portion of shoe 104 into the side receptacle . some embodiments of shoe 120 and receptacle 211 are arranged and configured to safely disconnect from each other upon the application of a sufficient force . if the user bumps device 100 on another object , for example , it is preferred that controller 102 electrically disconnects from patch 104 before patch 104 becomes disengaged from the patient . shoe 120 and receptacle 211 are designed to remain connected unless a sufficient force is applied to controller 102 and before the force becomes large enough to disconnect patch 104 from the patient . fig1 is a perspective top view of an exemplary embodiment of partially assembled device 100 . in this figure , upper housing 202 and battery 204 ( shown in fig1 ) are removed . device 100 includes controller 102 and patch 104 . controller 102 includes user input device 206 and electrical circuitry 208 . electrical circuitry 208 includes circuit board 602 and electronic components 604 . electrical components 604 include transformer 606 , status indicator 608 , and electrical connector 610 . in fig1 , shoe 120 is shown in the fully connected position , such as shown in fig1 . when in this position , electrical connectors of shoe 120 mate with electrical connectors 610 of electrical circuitry 208 . circuit board traces on or within circuit board 602 communicate electrical signals between electrical components 604 and shoe 120 . some embodiments of electrical circuitry 208 include transformer 606 . in some embodiments ( such as shown in fig1 ), the transformer is mounted on a surface of the circuit board . to reduce space consumed by transformer 606 , some embodiments include a hole in circuit board 602 . transformer 606 is inserted within the hole to reduce the overall distance that transformer 606 extends above circuit board 602 . this allows upper and lower housing 202 and 210 to have a reduced profile . some embodiments include a receptacle in the circuit board ( e . g ., circuit board 29 of fig5 ) to accept a component such as portion 42 of shoe 13 . this allows the allows pins 31 of circuit board 29 to extend into the space created by connector receptacle 24 . some embodiments include one or more status indicators 608 . status indicators inform a user of the operational status of device 100 and can come in the form of visual , audible , and / or tactile indicators . examples of suitable status indicators 608 include a light , an led , a liquid crystal or other type of display , a speaker , a buzzer , and a vibrator . status indicators 608 are used in some embodiments to show whether device 100 is on or off . in other embodiments , status indicators 608 communicate an operational mode , such as a type of therapy being provided , or a change in operational mode , such as an increase or decrease in amplitude . in yet other embodiments , status indicators 608 are used to show battery power status ( e . g ., full power , percentage of full power , or low on power / in need of charge ), or charging status ( e . g ., charging or fully charged ). other indicators are used in other possible embodiments . speakers , buzzers , and vibrators are particularly useful for those with certain disabilities or impairments and also for communication when the device is located in an area that is not easily visible ( e . g ., on the back of a patient ). fig1 is a block diagram of an exemplary electrical schematic for controller 102 . controller 102 includes power supply 700 , pulse generator 702 , power switch 704 , amplitude adjustment switches 706 , and output 708 . power supply 700 provides electrical power to controller 102 . in some embodiments , power supply 700 includes a battery and also includes power filtering and / or voltage adjustment circuitry . power supply 700 is electrically coupled to power switch 704 and to pulse generator 702 . power switch 704 receives input from a user through power button 110 ( e . g ., shown in fig1 ) and operates with power supply 700 to turn controller 102 on or off . pulse generator 702 generates therapeutic electrical signals . pulse generator 702 is electrically coupled to output 708 and provides the electrical signals to output 708 . in turn , output 708 is electrically coupled to patch electrodes to deliver the electrical signals to the therapeutic location of the patient . amplitude adjustment switches 706 are electrically coupled to pulse generator 702 and receive input from the user through amplitude adjustment buttons 112 and 114 ( e . g ., shown in fig1 ). amplitude adjustment switches 706 operate with pulse generator 702 to adjust the intensity of the electrical signals sent to output 708 . some examples of suitable pulse generators are described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 887 , 603 and 4 , 922 , 908 , both by morawetz et al . and titled medical stimulator with stimulation signal characteristics modulated as a function of stimulation signal frequency , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . in some embodiments , the electrical signals generated by pulse generator 702 are simple modulated pulse ( smp ) signals . other configurations and electrical signals are possible . fig1 is an electrical schematic of an exemplary circuit for controller 102 . controller 102 includes power supply 800 , pulse generator 802 , power switch 804 , amplitude adjustment switch 806 , and output 808 . power supply 800 includes battery 812 , thermistor 814 , step up converter 816 , and other electrical components . power supply 800 is electrically coupled to supply power to pulse generator 802 . in addition , power supply 804 is electrically coupled to connector block 820 that is used to supply power to power supply 800 to charge battery 812 . in this example , battery 812 is a lithium - ion battery having a voltage of about 3 . 7 to 4 . 2 volts , although other battery types and voltages are used in other embodiments . thermistor 814 is electrically coupled between battery 812 and connector block 820 and is used to detect the temperature of battery 812 to ensure that battery 812 is not overheated while recharging . power switch 804 is used to turn controller 102 on or off . power switch 804 may be easily controlled , for example , by user control 110 . in one embodiment , switch 804 is a single pole double throw ( spdt ) switch , as shown . power supply 800 also includes step up converter 816 . step up converter 816 operates to increase the voltage of power from battery 812 to a desired voltage . one suitable step up converter is the ltc3401 micropower synchronous boost converter that is distributed by linear technology corporation , with headquarters in milpitas , calif . pulse generator 802 receives power from power supply 700 and generates a therapeutic electrical signal . the therapeutic electrical signal is provided by pulse generator 802 to output 808 . pulse generator 802 includes amplitude adjustment switch 806 . amplitude adjustment switch 806 may be easily controlled , for example , by user controls 112 and 114 . in this embodiment , amplitude adjustment switch 806 is a potentiometer . when the potentiometer is adjusted , intensity of the electrical signal generated by pulse generator 802 is increased or decreased accordingly . in this example , pulse generator 802 includes first and second timers 830 and 832 as well as additional circuitry as shown . in one embodiment , both timers 830 and 832 are the ts556 low - power dual cmos timer , distributed by stmicroelectronics , with headquarters in geneva , switzerland . pulse generator 802 also includes output stage 840 . output stage 840 includes mosfet 842 and transformer 844 . output stage 840 acts to increase the output voltage of the electrical signal before sending the electrical signal to output 808 . fig2 is a block diagram of another exemplary electrical schematic for controller 102 . in this embodiment , controller 102 is formed from primarily digital circuitry . controller 102 includes power supply 902 , battery 904 , controller processor 906 , power switch 108 , amplitude adjustment switches 910 , data communication device 912 , data storage device 914 , output stage 916 , and output 918 . controller 102 is connected to external power source 920 , to charge battery 904 . in one embodiment , external power source 920 is a home or commercial power supply , such as available through an electrical power outlet . in another embodiment , external power source 920 is an vehicle power supply , such as accessible through a 12v receptacle . during normal operation , power supply 902 receives power from battery 904 . power supply 902 converts the battery power to a desired voltage before supplying the power to other components of controller 102 . power supply 902 also includes battery charger 930 . battery charger 930 receives power from an external power supply and operates to recharge battery 904 . control processor 906 controls the operation of controller 102 . control processor 906 is powered by power supply 902 . control processor 906 also generates electrical signals that are provided to output stage 916 . control processor 906 is electrically coupled to power switch 908 and amplitude adjustment switches 910 . control processor 906 monitors the state of power switch 908 . when control processor 906 detects that the state of power switch 908 has changed , control processor 906 turns controller 102 on or off accordingly . control processor 906 also monitors the state of amplitude adjustment switches 910 . when control processor 906 detects that the state of amplitude adjustment switches 910 has changed , control processor 906 increases or decreases the intensity of electrical signals provided to output stage 916 accordingly . control processor 906 includes memory 932 . firmware 934 is stored in memory 932 . firmware 934 includes software commands and algorithms that are executed by control processor 906 and defines logical operations performed by control processor 906 . the software commands and algorithms in firmware 932 may be used to operate the electrical stimulation device in a desired mode , such as a mode that provides transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy . in certain embodiments , controller 102 includes a data communication device 912 . data communication devices include wired or wireless communication devices , such as serial bus communication devices ( e . g ., a universal serial bus communication devices ), local area networking communication devices ( e . g ., an ethernet communication device ), a modem , a wireless area networking communication device ( e . g ., an 802 . 11x communication device ), a wireless personal area networking device ( e . g ., a bluetooth ™ communication device or other communication device . data communication device 912 can be used to send and receive data with another device . for example , data communication device 912 can be used to download different firmware 934 to the controller 102 to alter the operation of control processor 906 , and operate the therapeutic electrical stimulation device in a desired mode , such as a mode that provides iontophoresis therapy . in certain embodiments , a firmware algorithm must be purchased before it can be downloaded by a user . in certain embodiments , the a user must access a patient interface of a web server or other similar interface before downloading a firmware algorithm . data communication device 912 can also be used to upload data to another device . for example , control processor 906 stores a therapy log in data storage device 914 . the control processor 906 can be used to upload the therapy log to an external device by sending the data log to data communication device 912 . data storage device is a device capable of storing data , such as a memory card or other known data storage device . in some embodiments , data storage device 914 is part of memory 932 . when controller 102 is on , control processor 906 generates therapeutic electrical signals , and provides those signals to output stage 916 . output stage 916 converts and filters the electrical signals , and then provides the electrical signals to output 918 . output 918 is electrically coupled to a patch that delivers electrical signals to the patient . fig2 is an electrical schematic of another exemplary circuit for controller 102 . in this embodiment , controller 102 includes a control processor 1006 that controls the operation of controller 102 . in this embodiment , controller 102 is made from primarily digital circuitry . controller 102 includes power supply 1002 , battery 1004 , control processor 1006 , power switch 1008 , amplitude adjustment switches 1010 , output stage 1016 , and output 1018 . controller 102 can also be connected to external power source 1020 , such as to charge battery 1004 . in this embodiment , power supply 1002 includes a lithium - ion charge management controller 1030 and a step up converter 1032 , as well as other electrical components as shown . an example of a suitable lithium - ion charge management controller 1030 is the mcp73833 stand - alone linear lithium - ion charge management controller manufactured by microchip technology inc ., of chandler , ariz . an example of a suitable step up converter is the ltc3401 micropower synchronous boost converter . battery 1004 provides power to power supply 1002 . in this example , battery 1004 is a lithium - ion 3 . 7v battery . power supply 1002 can also be connected to external power source 1020 , such as a 5v dc power source . external power source 1020 provides power to power supply 1002 that enables power supply 1002 to recharge battery 1004 . in some embodiments , battery 1004 includes a thermistor to monitor the temperature of battery 1004 during charging . control processor 1006 controls the operation of controller 102 . one example of a suitable control processor 1006 is the attiny44 8 - bit microcontroller manufactured by amtel corporation , located in san jose , calif . alternatively , various other processing devices may also be used including other microprocessors , central processing units ( cpus ), microcontrollers , programmable logic devices , field programmable gate arrays , digital signal processing ( dsp ) devices , and the like . control processor 1006 may be of any general variety such as reduced instruction set computing ( risc ) devices , complex instruction set computing devices ( cisc ), or specially designed processing devices such as an application - specific integrated circuit ( asic ) device . control processor 1006 is electrically coupled to power switch 1008 and amplitude adjustment switches 1010 . power switch 1008 provides signals to control processor 1006 that cause control processor 1006 to alternate controller 102 between on and off states accordingly . amplitude adjustment switches 1010 instruct control processor 1006 to adjust the intensity of the electrical signals generated by controller 102 . electrical signals generated by control processor 1006 are passed to output stage 1016 . output stage 1016 converts the electrical signals received from control processor 1006 to an appropriate form and then provides the electrical signals to output 1018 . in this example , output stage 1016 includes mosfet 1042 and transformer 1044 . other embodiments do not include transformer 1044 , but rather use a flyback converter or other converter to generate an appropriate output signal . fig2 is a top perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of patch 104 . patch 104 includes insulating layer 212 and shoe 120 . shoe 120 is connected to a surface of insulating layer 212 . in this embodiment , shoe 120 includes wires 1101 and 1103 that are electrically coupled to conductors within shoe 120 . the wires 1101 and 1103 may be connected to conductors within shoe 120 using a metal crimp or other suitable method of electrical connection . wires 1101 and 1103 are also connected at an opposite end to patches 1102 and 1104 . patches 1102 and 1104 may include electrodes such as a conducting polymer material . patch 104 may be used in a garment or medical device such as the belt depicted in fig2 a - d . in one embodiment , patch 104 includes one or more electrodes , such as shown in fig1 , and an adhesive layer that allows patch 104 to be connected to a patient or other device . in another embodiment , patch 104 does not include an electrode , but rather passes electrical signals through wires 1101 and 1103 to separate patches 1102 and 1104 . patches 1102 and 1104 include an insulating layer and one or more electrodes , but do not include a shoe . instead , patches 1102 and 1104 receive electrical signals from the shoe included in patch 104 . patches 1102 and 1104 can be adhered to the patient such as with an adhesive layer . the electrodes of patches 1102 and 1104 direct the electrical signals to desired therapeutic locations of the patient . other embodiments include any number of wires 1101 and 1103 and any number of patches 1102 and 1104 ( e . g ., one patch , two patches , three patches , four patches , five patches , etc .) as desired for a particular therapy . shoe 120 includes an appropriate number of electrical conductors that can provide multiple electrical conduction channels for communicating electrical signals between controller 102 ( such as shown in fig1 ) and the patches . in some embodiments , wires 1101 and 1103 are formed adjacent to or within insulating layers to provide additional protection to the wires from damage . in some embodiments , wires 1101 and 1103 are other types of electrical conductors . in other examples , multiple electrode sites can be positioned in a patch 104 . for example , a quad - patch can be formed with an insulating layer having four lobes , with each lobe having an electrode for delivery of therapy , as described below with respect to fig2 d . other configurations are possible . in some embodiments , patches 104 , 1102 , and 1104 are held in place by a band , strap , brace , built , garment , active wear , or other suitable supporting object . for example , patches can be formed integral with a supporting object or inserted within a pocket or recess of a supporting object . some embodiments include integrated hot or cold packs . the connection to a supporting object may be made by stitching , gluing , snapping , velcroing , embedding in a laminate layer or any other possible way to connect one or more of elements 1101 , 1103 , 104 , 1102 and 1104 to a supporting material . in embodiments where one or more of elements 1101 , 1103 , 104 , 1102 and 1104 are formed integral with a supporting object , they may be washed or cleaned ( e . g ., in a washing machine , soap and water , dry cleaned , etc .) along with the supporting object . some further examples are illustrated in fig2 a . fig2 a schematically illustrates some of the possible applications and configurations of therapeutic electrical stimulation device 100 . fig2 a illustrates a patient 1200 including a front profile ( left ) and a rear profile ( right ). one application of device 100 is to reduce joint pain or to reduce swelling in a joint . for example , device 100 is integrated into elbow brace 1202 , hip support 1204 , knee braces 1206 and 1208 , shoulder brace 1210 , glove 1212 , back support 1214 , and sock 1216 to provide relief from pain or swelling at the respective location . this illustrates that device 100 can be used to treat symptoms at the patient &# 39 ; s elbow , hip , knee , shoulder , wrist , hand , fingers , back , ankle , foot , or any other joint in the body . alternatively , embodiments of device 100 are directly adhered to the desired therapeutic location , such as shoulder 1220 , as described herein . another application of device 100 is to reduce muscle or other tissue pain at any desired therapeutic location on the body . for example , device 100 is adhered to thigh 1222 of patient 1200 . another application of device 100 is to stimulate wound healing . for example , device 100 can be placed on or adjacent to wound 1224 ( shown on the rear left thigh of patient 1200 ). some embodiments of device 100 act as electronic adhesive bandage to promote wound healing and reduce pain associated with wound 1224 . some embodiments of device 100 include controller 102 and patch 104 ( such as shown in fig1 ) as a single non - separable unit . furthermore , alternate patch configurations ( such as shown in fig2 ) can be used to supply therapeutic electrical signals to multiple locations of the body ( e . g ., a back and hip ) or to multiple regions of the same body part ( e . g ., opposite sides of the knee or top and bottom of the foot ). fig2 b and 23c show an example of how a therapeutic stimulation device , such as device 100 , may be configured to provide therapy to as user ( e . g ., as depicted in fig2 a ). in fig2 b , shoe 13 is attached to a garment 2602 . the shoe 13 may be attached to garment 2062 in a variety of ways , for example it may be stitched or glued to the garment or embedded in a laminate layer . the garment 2062 may be any type of garment or medical device such as clothing or elbow brace 1202 , hip support 1204 , knee braces 1206 and 1208 , shoulder brace 1210 , glove 1212 , back support 1214 , and sock 1216 . the garment 2602 is connected to one or more electrodes 1502 positioned adjacent the garment and electrically connected to lead wire 46 . one or more electrodes 1502 may be placed in various positions on the garment 2602 ( e . g ., the layout shown in fig2 d ). the electrodes 1502 may be wired and connected electrically in various patterns and orders and to one or more different shoes 13 . for example , two of the electrodes 1502 ( right ) of fig2 d are electrically connected to each other but not to the electrodes 1502 ( left ). the variance in electrode patterns and electrical connections allows for the ability to create various stimulation schemes for therapy . the electrodes are made of a conductive polymer , stainless steel or other suitable material , and may be integrated within the garment or connected to the outside of the garment by sewing , gluing , velcroing or other suitable attachment schemes . in certain embodiments , stainless steel snaps ( male connector ) are stamped through the garment and are thereby securely connected to the garment . the snaps are electrically conductive and allow for an electrode ( female connector ) to mechanically and electrically connect to the male snaps and become secured to the garment . the male snaps are connected to leads wires 46 and 48 , which are electrically connected to the shoe 13 . snap connectors for electrodes are described in more detail in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 438 , 428 which is incorporated herein by reference . as shown in fig2 b and 23c , the base 44 of shoe 13 and one or more of the lead wires 46 are positioned between layers of the garment 2602 . this allows the wires 46 to be hidden and shielded from the user . the base 44 physically holds the shoe 13 within the garment to create a connection between the garment and the shoe . the top of shoe 13 is exposed on the outside of garment 2602 , to allow connection to controller 11 . in certain embodiments , shoe 13 , lead wires 46 , and electrode 1502 remain attached as a unit , while the controller 11 may be frequently detached and reused for other applications with other shoes or at a different times with the same shoe . in this example , the shoe 13 , lead wires 46 , and electrode 1502 elements may all be washed or cleaned together . typically , the garment including the shoe , wire , and electrodes are used for about 6 months before being disposed and replaced . in certain embodiments , the electrode 1502 connects directly to a user 1506 by sitting directly on top of the skin . in other embodiments , an adhesive layer 1504 is affixed to electrode 1502 and the adhesive layer affixes the electrode to the patient . the adhesive layer 1504 is a conductor to allow current to pass from the electrode 1502 to the patient 1506 . the adhesive layer 1504 may be sticky on both sides so that a more reliable electrical and mechanical connection is made with the skin of a user . in certain embodiments only one side of the adhesive layer 1504 is sticky , and one side ( e . g ., the exposed side ) of the electrode 1502 is sticky . typically the adhesive layer 1504 is used only once before being disposed , though it may be reused multiple times . in some embodiments , multiple devices 100 are in data communication with each other to synchronize therapies provided by each respective device . for example , wireless communication devices ( e . g ., 912 shown in fig2 ) are used to communicate between two or more devices 100 . in some embodiments , device 100 is configured to provide interferential therapy , such as to treat pain originating within tissues deeper within the body than a typical tens device . some embodiments of device 100 are configured for drug delivery . such embodiments typically include a drug reservoir ( such as absorbent pads ) within patch 104 ( e . g ., shown in fig1 ). iontophoresis is then used to propel the drug ( such as medication or bioactive - agents ) transdermally by repulsive electromotive forces generated by controller 102 . an example of a suitable device for iontophoresis is described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 167 , 302 by philippe millot , titled device for transcutaneous administration of medications using iontophoresis , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . other therapies can also be delivered . for example , controller 100 can be programmed to deliver microcurrent . such microcurrent can be a constant voltage that is delivered for wound healing purposes . other therapies can be delivered to address pain , edema , drop - foot , and other abnormalities . the components of the therapeutic electrical stimulation devices , such as device 10 and garment 2602 , are manufactured to be disposable and replaced after the useful life of such components has expired . useful life of a component can be defined , for example , by number of uses of the particular component , the lifetime of a component before wearing out , time established by the manufacturer , time available between reimbursements by medicare or medicaid ( or other similar programs ), or other similar standards . in certain embodiments , the controller is provided with a manufacturer - imposed useful life of about 5 years , such that upon the expiration of such 5 years , a replacement controller is made available to the patient . during its useful life , the controller may be reused for multiple applications on various different garments and with several different shoes 13 . in certain embodiments , the garment , such as shown in fig2 a - d , including shoe 13 and patch 104 , is provided with a manufacturer imposed useful life of about 6 months or less . in certain embodiments , the adhesive layer ( e . g . adhesive layer 128 ) is provided with manufacturer imposed useful life of one application or use , though it may be reused multiple times . in certain embodiments , a user uses a certain number of adhesives ( e . g ., a package of 10 ) on a monthly basis . in certain embodiments , the useful life of the component is predetermined prior to initial use or sale of the component , and it is replaced upon expiration of the useful life . in some implementations , the predetermined useful life coincides with a period established by regulatory or other administrative authority by paying for or reimbursing for such component . in some embodiments , such predetermined useful life is shorter than the period in which the component becomes physically worn out or inoperable . fig2 is a perspective view of an exemplary docking station 1300 . docking station 1300 includes housing 1302 including multiple slots 1304 , 1306 , and 1308 and status indicators 1310 associated with each slot . each slot of the docking station 1300 is arranged and configured to receive a controller 102 of a therapeutic electrical stimulation device 100 , such that multiple controllers 102 can be connected with docking station 1300 at any time . however , some embodiments of docking station 1300 include only a single slot 1304 or other port for connection to a single controller 102 . other embodiments include any number of slots as desired . docking station 1300 includes an electrical connector similar to connector 51 in shoe 13 , such as shown in fig8 a and 8b . when device 100 is inserted into docking station 1300 , shoe 120 engages with receptacle 211 , such as described with respect to fig1 - 16 . when the shoe 120 engages with receptacle 211 , pins 31 a - 31 c combine with receptacle 211 to form an electrical connection . when device 100 is coupled with docking station 1300 , data is transferred through pin 31 a to the docking station 1300 through an abutting connector wire inside the station 1300 , similar to the connection formed when pin 31 a joins wire 46 , as shown in fig1 b . a ground connection is similarly made through pin 31 b , and the battery in controller 102 is charged through pin 31 c . in this example , docking station 1300 performs two primary functions . the first function of docking station 1300 is to recharge the battery of controller 102 . to do so , docking station 1300 is typically electrically coupled to a power source such as an electrical wall outlet . docking station 1300 converts the power from the electrical wall outlet to an appropriate form and then provides the power to the power supply ( e . g ., 902 shown in fig2 ) of controller 102 . the second function of docking station 1300 is to communicate data between controller 102 and a communication network . controller 102 can send data to docking station 1300 and can receive data from docking station 1300 . this function is described in more detail with reference to fig2 . some embodiments of docking station 1300 provide only one of these functions . other embodiments provide additional features and functionality . for example , some embodiments of docking station 1300 allow multiple devices 100 to communicate with each other when connected with docking station 1300 . in other examples , docking station 1300 is also configured to communicate with one or more computers accessible through a network , as described below . this allows for interactive data sharing between devices in order to promote , for example , greater efficiency in hospitals . connection to the docking station 1300 allows nurses to keep a record of pain management for patients , and thereby increase the quality of care . docking station 1300 includes status indicators 1310 associated with each slot of docking station 1300 . in this example , status indicators 1310 include a data communication indicator and a charging indicator . the data communication indicator is a light emitting diode ( led ) that illuminates when the docking station 1300 is communicating with the respective controller 102 . the charging indicator is an led that illuminates when docking station 1300 is charging the respective controller 102 . other embodiments include additional status indicators 1310 . other types of status indicators include audible status indicators ( e . g ., speakers , buzzers , alarms , and the like ) and visible status indicators ( e . g ., lights , liquid crystal displays , display screens , and the like ). docking station 1300 is not limited to connection with a single type of controller 102 . multiple types of controllers 102 can be connected with docking station 1300 at any one time , if desired . for example , controllers 102 include a tens device , an iontophoresis device , a muscle stimulation device ( e . g ., a neuromuscular electrical stimulation ( nmes ) device ), a wound healing device , an interferential device , or other devices . in some examples , docking station 1300 is configured to be used at a patient &# 39 ; s home , such as in a bathroom or kitchen . docking station 1300 can include multiple stations for charging different types of devices , as well as drawers and other conveniences that allow docking station 1300 to be used for multiple purposes . fig2 is a block diagram of an exemplary system for communicating across communication network 1400 involving therapeutic electrical stimulation devices . the system includes devices 102 , 1402 , and 1404 . devices 102 are in data communication with docking station 1300 , such as shown in fig2 . device 1402 includes a wireless communication device and device 1404 includes a wired network communication device . the system also includes server 1406 , caregiver computing system 1408 , and patient computing system 1410 . server 1406 includes database 1412 and web server 1414 . system also includes wireless router 1416 . communication network 1400 is a data communication network that communicates data signals between devices . in this example , communication network 1400 is in data communication with docking station 1300 , device 1402 , device 1404 , server 1406 , caregiver computing system 1408 , patient computing system 1410 , and wireless router 1416 . docking station 1300 is in data communication with devices 102 . wireless router 1416 is in data communication with device 1404 . examples of communication network 1400 include the internet , a local area network , an intranet , and other communication networks . in some embodiments , devices 102 , 1402 , and 1404 store , in memory , data relating to therapy delivery or other operational characteristics of the respective devices . communication network 1400 can be used to communicate that data to another device . for example , the data is transferred to patient computing system 1410 or to caregiver computing system 1408 . once the data has been transferred to the computing system , the data is stored for review and analysis by the patient or the caregiver . communication network 1400 can also be used to communicate data from devices 102 , 1402 , and 1404 to server 1406 . server 1406 stores the data in patient record 1420 . in some embodiments , server 1406 includes web server 1414 . web server 1414 includes caregiver interface 1430 patient interface 1432 . additional interfaces are provided in some embodiments to third parties , such as an insurance company . web server 1414 generates web pages that are communicated across communication network 1400 using a standard communication protocol . an example of such a protocol is hypertext transfer protocol . the webpage data is arranged in a standard form , such as hypertext markup language . thew data is transferred across communication network 1400 and received by computing system 1408 and computing system 1410 . a browser operating on respective computing system reads the webpage data and displays the webpage to the user . caregiver interface 1430 generates a webpage intended for use by a caregiver . the caregiver interface 1430 allows the caregiver to access patient records 1420 and generates reports or graphs to assist the caregiver in analyzing data from patient records 1420 . in addition , caregiver interface 1430 provides technical or medical suggestions to the caregiver . in some embodiments , caregiver interface 1430 also allows the caregiver to request adjustments to an operational mode of a device 102 , 1402 , or 1404 . the operational mode adjustments are then communicated from server 1406 to the device , and the device makes the appropriate mode adjustments . patient interface 1432 generates a webpage intended for use by a patient . in one example , patient interface 1432 allows the patient to access patient records 1420 and generates reports or graphs that assist the patient in analyzing data from patient records 1420 . patient interface 1432 provides instructions to assist the patient with uploading data from device 102 , 1402 , or 1404 to patient records 1420 . instructions or other educational information is also provided by patient interface 1432 , if desired . in some embodiments , database 1412 includes firmware repository 1422 . firmware repository 1422 includes data instructions that define the logical operation of a controller 102 ( e . g . firmware 934 shown in fig2 ). firmware repository 1422 is used in some embodiments to store various versions of firmware . for example , when a new firmware version is created , the developer stores the new version of firmware in the firmware repository 1422 . the firmware is then communicated to the appropriate devices 102 , 1402 , or 1404 . the communication of new firmware versions can be either automatically distributed , or provided as an option to a patient or caregiver through interfaces 1430 and 1432 . in some embodiments , patient interface 1432 requires that a patient agree to pay for an upgraded firmware version before the firmware is made available for installation on a device . in another embodiment , firmware repository 1422 includes different firmware algorithms . each firmware algorithm is specifically tailored to provide a specific therapy when executed by devices 102 , 1402 , 1404 or to be used with a particular hardware configuration . examples of therapies defined by separate firmware algorithms include tens , interferential therapy , edema therapy , muscle stimulation , iontophoresis therapy , and other therapies . a different firmware algorithm can also be specifically tailored for particular hardware configurations , such as for particular electrode numbers or configurations , for particular data communication devices , for different docking stations , or to accommodate other differences in hardware configuration . for example , a patient may first obtain a tens device including a patch shown in fig1 . the device includes a first firmware type that defines an algorithm appropriate for tens therapy . later , the patient desires to upgrade the device to cause the device to operate as an iontophoresis device . to do so , the patient uses patient computing system 1410 to access patient interface 1432 . the patient selects a new firmware algorithm that is designed for iontophoresis therapy . the patient purchases and downloads the firmware associated with the iontophoresis therapy and loads the firmware onto the device . if necessary , an appropriate patch can be purchased through patient interface 1432 and delivered to the patient . the patch is then connected to the device controller and the new firmware algorithm is executed . the firmware causes the device to provide the desired iontophoresis therapy . in this way , some embodiments of controller 102 are customizable to provide multiple different therapies . in another embodiment , firmware is specially tailored for providing a therapy to a particular part of the body . as a result , separate firmware algorithms are available for the treatment of separate body parts and conditions associated with those body parts . such firmware algorithms can be obtained by downloaded , as described above . in some embodiments , controllers 11 , 100 include graphical user interfaces that allow the user to control the controllers 11 , 100 and the therapy provided thereby . for example , the controllers can include built - in displays that are used to present the user interfaces . the user interfaces have home pages that allow the user to control various aspects of the controller , such as turning the device on and off , the type of therapy provided , and the intensity of the therapy . in other examples , a separate device is used to control the controllers 11 , 100 . this device can communicate with the controllers 11 , 100 through wired or wireless means ( e . g ., wifi , bluetooth ). for example , a docking station ( e . g ., docking station 1300 described above ) can include a user interface that is programmed to control the therapy provided by controllers 11 , 100 . the docking station can communicate wirelessly with controllers 11 , 100 . in some examples , controllers 11 , 100 can include additional functionality , such as open lead detection . if a lead looses contact with a surface that is being delivered therapy , controllers 11 , 100 are programmed to detect the open lead and to modify therapy appropriately until the lead again makes contact . for example , controllers 11 , 100 can be programmed to shut down therapy that is delivered to the open lead and to issue an alarm so that the user can replace the lead . in other examples , controllers 11 , 100 are programmed to sense feedback from the user and modify therapy accordingly . for example , controllers 11 , 100 can be programmed to sense electromyographic biofeedback based on muscle activity and regulate therapy accordingly . in other examples , controllers 11 , 100 are programmed to sense impedance and deliver therapy accordingly . in other examples , other biofeedback such as heart rate or activity levels can also be monitored . other configurations are possible . in some examples , the user can provide specific feedback as well . for example , the user can set pain thresholds that controllers 11 , 100 are programmed to remember . in other examples , the pain thresholds can be set automatically by controllers 11 , 100 by monitoring capacitance levels . in yet other examples , controllers 11 , 100 can include accelerometers and / or gyroscopes that can be used to measure orientation and activity level of the patient . for example , therapy can be adjusted based on the orientation of the patient ( e . g ., lying down or upright ), as well as activity level . controllers 11 , 100 can be programmed to adjust therapy over a specific time . in yet other examples , multiple controllers can be used , and the controllers can be programmed to communicate with each other to synchronize the therapy that is delivered to the user , thereby forming a body area network . this network can be formed through wireless communication and / or conductive communication through the patient &# 39 ; s body . the number of delivery channels can be modified ( e . g ., 2 channel vs . 4 channel ) to modify the type and intensity of therapy . also , devices can be connected in series to deliver an increase in therapy intensity or increase the area treated . the various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the claims attached hereto . those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein , and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure .

0Human Necessities

referring to fig1 a block diagram of a presently employed ranging technique is shown . the system of fig1 is based on an interacting multiple model ( imm ) architecture , which is explained in detail in tracking and data association , by bar - shalom et al , academic press , inc . ( 1988 ) and in &# 34 ; multitarget - multisensor tracking &# 34 ; vol . 1 , bar - shalom ( 1987 ). the imm uses one or more kalman filters or extended kalman filters whose operation is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art , such as is described in the above - identified imm references and in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 058 , 836 which is assigned to the same assignee as hereof . only so much of the details of the imm as is necessary to an understanding of the present invention will be provided . reference to the above - noted sources is directed for additional details . he imm approach was originally designed with the intent of providing robust tracking performance for a plurality of target flyout possibilities , such as benign constant velocity , constant heading and high &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; maneuvers . use of multiple models or kalman filters in parallel provides a scheme for the ownship platform to &# 34 ; tune &# 34 ; or predeterminedly configure each kalman filter to respond to a predetermined portion of potential target flyout so that during a mission there will be at least one filter which may be considered to be &# 34 ; correct &# 34 ; for the current actual target conditions and performance . for example , if three kalman filters are used in an imm configuration , they may be respectively assigned predetermined potential states for determining position , velocity and acceleration of a target . thus , once track has been established on a target , the system should be able to maintain track inasmuch as any maneuvers by the target should be detected by at least one of the filters . filter outputs would be supplied to update the tracker . the system of fig1 includes three kalman filters 14 , 15 and 16 which each receive predetermined actual measurement values z k , such as angular azimuth and elevation . for tracking , each of filters 14 , 15 and 16 is initialized , or seeded , with the same value of the parameter to be determined , such as range . the output of state estimate combination circuitry 32 has available a combined state target passive range ( r ) signal available thereat , while the error covariance combination circuitry 34 has a combined covariance ( σ r ) signal available thereat . it is noted that although the term circuitry is used , the functions represented by each box of fig1 ( as well as those of fig2 to be described below ) may be performed by an appropriately programmed general purpose computer as is known in the art . range ( r ) and covariance ( σ r ) are designated as combined functions . that is , the value of range ( r ) from circuitry 32 includes a predetermined contribution from the range function of each filter 14 , 15 and 16 , while the value of covariance ( σ r ) from circuitry 34 includes a predetermined contribution from the covariance function of each filter 14 , 15 and 16 . in this imm implementation , the values of range ( r ) and covariance of range ( σ r ) are a function of the range and covariance , respectively , of all kalman filters of the system that provide range and covariance information to circuitry 32 and 34 , respectively . referring to fig2 a block diagram of a passive ranging system in accordance with the present invention is shown . the passive ranging system includes a plurality of kalman , or extended kalman , filters 54a through 54n , a corresponding plurality of likelihood circuitry 62a through 62n , model probability update circuitry 68 , having a respective input connected to an output of respective likelihood circuitry 62 and interaction or mixing circuitry 52 . each kalman filter 54 receives a signal z k representative of an actual measurement of a target parameter or set of parameters and provides state and covariance update signals to interaction circuitry 52 . for one application of the system of fig2 only the angular relationship , or azimuth and elevation , between a target and ownship , which may be considered the reference , is received . the components shown in fig2 may be identical in composition and function to like components shown in fig1 . it is noted that combination circuitry 32 and 34 ( fig1 ) are neither used nor required in the configuration of fig2 . thus , corresponding computer processing and other elements represented by circuitry 32 and 34 are neither used nor required for practicing the present invention . each filter 54a - 54n is initialized or seeded with a different combination of values for a set of predetermined potential target values . for example , potential target range and velocity may be seeded for each filter 54a - 54n . this portion of the invention is discussed in more detail in conjunction with fig4 and 5 below . in explaining the present invention , it will be assumed throughout this discussion that it is desired to determine an estimate of the range r and velocity v of a target , with the only actual target information z k available being angular , such as may be obtained from a passive ir system , relating to azimuth and elevation of the target with respect to ownship . further , it is assumed that ownship does not maneuver so that it maintains a constant heading , constant altitude flight path , although maneuvering by ownship does not affect the validity or practice of the present invention . that is , the current invention is not limited solely to situations where ownship does not maneuver . available at the output of circuitry 68 is a model probability signal for each model whose value indicates the probability that the current state of the model represented by a corresponding filter 54a - 54n signifies the actual condition of the target . although represented by a single line , it is to be understood that the model probability for a filter 54a - 54n may be provided from one of a plurality of outputs from circuitry 68 , or may be synchronized such that the probability signal associated with a corresponding filter may be properly associated therewith . referring to fig3 a flow diagram of the passive ranging system of fig2 is shown . for purposes of this discussion , solid lines in fig3 between functions or steps represent and provide a single scan or iteration flow path whereas broken lines represent and provide information flow from a scan or iteration i to a next scan or iteration i + 1 , wherein i is an index for identifying a predetermined scan . further , the functions of steps of the flow diagram of fig3 may be programmed for execution by a general purpose computer as is known in the art . execution of step 100 computes or calculates values for the extrapolated measurement updated state vectors x o1 ( k - 1 | k - 1 ) through x on ( k - 1 | k - 1 ) and the extrapolated measurement updated error covariance vectors p o1 ( k - 1 | k - 1 ) through p on ( k - 1 | k - 1 ) in accordance with equations ( 1 ) and ( 3 ) below , respectively . the second superscript n or t of x and p identifies the particular model to which the corresponding value of x and p is assigned . the highest value of t will be r , the total number of models or kalman filters 54a - 54n ( fig2 ) in the system . the notation ( k - 1 | k - 1 ) refers to the state of the associated variable at time k - 1 given that information relating to the variable is known and used at time k - 1 . for the first pass through the flow diagram of fig3 time ( k - 1 ) represents the initiation time whereas time k represents the later current time . for succeeding passes , time ( k - 1 ) represents the immediately preceding or last time at which the steps were executed and time k represents the current time of execution of the steps in the cycle . ## equ1 ## the variable μ s ( k - 1 ) represents the individual model probability at time k - 1 , which may be initially set to be equal to ( 1 / r ) so that all model probabilities are initially equally likely to be the &# 34 ; winning &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; correct &# 34 ; one . of course , all model probabilities need not be initially equal , and appropriate weighting factors may be applied to determine the initial probability to be assigned to a model based on the designer &# 39 ; s or operator &# 39 ; s determination that such a model is more or less likely to be the correct one . the only constraint is that the sum of all model probabilities at any predetermined time , including initialization must equal one . the function p st is an assumed markov model transition or switching probability function whose value provides the probability of jumping or changing from model at time k - 1 to model t at time k . the values of the model transition probabilities are determined as part of the overall system design , analogously to the choice of values for the initial values of the predetermined model parameters . for determining p ot the following equation may be used : ## equ2 ## wherein superscripted t indicates the transpose of a matrix . after completing step 100 , the values of x o1 ( k - 1 | k - 1 ) through x on ( k - 1 | k - 1 ) and p o1 ( k - 1 | k - 1 ) through p on ( k - 1 | k - 1 ) are supplied as corresponding inputs for steps 102a through 102n , respectively . each of steps 102a - 102n also receives measurement values z k that may be represented by a column matrix or vector and which for one embodiment of the present invention includes target azimuth and target elevation with respect to ownship . execution of step 102a - 102n performs five ( 5 ) conventional kalman filter computations which may be represented as : superscripted (- 1 ) indicates the inverse of the matrix . for the example being carried throughout this discussion , the value of m is 2 ( azimuth and elevation ). the variables in parentheses at the end of the definitions above represent the size of the matrix in the form of ( uxv ), wherein u is the number of rows and v is the number of columns . it is noted that for all functions designated as a vector , the number of columns is one . in short , equations ( a )-( e ) may be referred to as the state extrapolation , error covariance extrapolation , kalman gain calculation , error covariance update and state update equation , respectively . after completion of steps 102a - 102n the program proceeds to execute steps 104a through 104n with each step 104 receiving appropriate inputs ( signal values ) from correspondingly subscripted step 102 for determining the likelihood function λ ( k ). each step 104 performs the following calculation : ## equ3 ## wherein z k represents the actual measured values of predetermined parameters ( incoming measurement vector ), z k t represents the kalman filter ( step 102 ) estimate of the predetermined parameters ( estimated measurement vector ), s =( hph t + r ) as noted above ( measurement residual covariance matrix ), and upon completion of steps 104a - 104n the program proceeds to execute steps 106a through 106n with each step 106 receiving an appropriate input signal value for likelihood λ ( k ) whose subscript corresponds to that of step 106 for updating model probabilities . each step 106 performs the following computation : ## equ4 ## wherein the value of μ t ( k ) is the probability that model t is the correct or winning model at time x . each probability value μ t ( k ) for corresponding models is supplied as an input for operation of step 108 . performance of step 108 selects the highest probability after a predetermined , or to be designated ( tbd ), number of scans or passes through steps 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 . that is , execution of the cycle of steps 100 , 102 , 104 and 106 may be repeated in the order recited a predetermined number of times or until a predetermined time from the initial performance of step 100 , or the entire cycle , has expired or been exceeded during execution . the model or filter 54a - 54n ( fig2 ) corresponding to the highest probability is determined the correct or winning model . execution of step 110 extracts or selects the values of predetermined parameters of the winning model from the x and p functions that exist at the time k that the winning model is determined by performance of step 108 . in other words , values of predetermined parameters of one model are selected by performance of step 110 . this differs from the system of fig1 wherein the parameter range r obtained from circuitry 32 was a composite of the corresponding parameters from all models or filters . another difference noted between the systems of fig1 and fig2 is that for the system of fig1 a parameter like range , which is desired to be estimated , is seeded with the same value for all filters 32 , whereas in accordance with the present invention , different seeding values for the same parameter may be used in different filters 54 . for the example that has been used herein , the values of range r and velocity v may be obtained from step 100 once a winning model is determined by performance of step 108 . the values of range r and velocity v of the winning model may be provided from step 110 to additional circuitry or systems , such as fire control , for processing as is known in the art . in addition , the values of range r and velocity v from the winning model may be used to refine the estimation of the same parameters . for example , if range values of 25 , 50 , 75 and 100 km were initially seeded in respective filters 54 and the winning model was determined to be the third model having a range value r of 60 km at time of winner selection , then the process of fig3 may be restarted with new range seeding values chosen to be , for example , 40 , 50 , 60 and 70 km respectively , a difference of only 10 km between the next closest range seeding , whereas the original scheme used 25 km between the next closest range seeding . a similar refinement may be practiced with the values of velocity seeding based on the winning model , as well as for any other parameters that are desired to be determined and have been initially seeded . referring to fig4 a schematic representation of a scenario which may be analyzed with the present invention is shown . the scenario of fig4 represents a mid - range flyby . the actual value of the significant parameters are : six filters 54a - 54f were assigned which each receiving only angle measurements ( azimuth , elevation ). the assumed range r and velocity v values used are shown in table 1 . the filter seeding is shown in table 2 . referring to fig5 a graphical representation of the scenario of fig4 based on values assigned from tables 1 , 2 and 3 in accordance with the present invention is shown . the curves of fig5 are labelled a through f , which correspond to models or filters 54a - 54f , respectively . it is noted that within a very short time , say less than 10 seconds , models a , c , d and f have been effectively eliminated as indicated by a precipitous drop in their corresponding model probabilities . ( remember that all models are generally initially seeded with the same model probability in order not to prejudice or bias any particular model ). within that same time frame models b and e still appear to be in contention . after 30 seconds it appears that model b has the highest probability and by 45 seconds it is clear that model b is the winner . the time at which a winning model is chosen will depend upon competing criteria . generally , the longer the time interval over which the models are updated , the more accurate ( less actual error ) the estimated value of the parameters will be . however , in a hostile environment , it is typically desirable to act as quickly as possible , which generally permits the estimated target parameter value to be within a certain error window with respect to the actual target parameter value . in addition , an early decision may be desirable after a relatively short time , say after 5 or 10 seconds for the scenario of fig4 wherein models a , c , d and f may be quickly eliminated from further consideration , for freeing their filters and associated circuitry for more relevant processing based on appropriate seeding values as determined from observation of models b and e . that is , the values of the pertinent target parameters from model b ( the winner ) may be used to determine reseeding and refinement of the same parameters for models of filters 54a , 54c , 54d and 54f , so that the reseeded values more nearly approximate those of filter 54b at the time of winner determination . the number of filters 54 , and therefore number of models available for processing , that may be used , and the update rate , or time to perform steps 100 - 106 in accordance with the present invention may be limited by computing and computational capabilities of ownship equipment . preferably , all outputs from step 100 are determined in parallel , as well as for steps 102 , 104 and 106 which desirably are each respectively performed in parallel . measurements z k must be provided once each update cycle or scan . however , with current sampling and settling techniques , it will usually not be a problem seasonably to supply analog , or preferably digital , values for measured parameters to be available so that filter step 102 may be beneficially performed . the overall scan or cycle iteration rate should be selected to be fast enough to detect and process rapid changes in target parameters without unduly overloading available computing capacity or sensor capability . typically , target capabilities may be bounded by apriori knowledge of the type and character of targets to be expected so that computing resources may be directed to regions where practical target performance and operation is anticipated . while only certain preferred features of the invention have been shown by way of illustration , many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art . it is to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .

6Physics

referring to figs . l ( a ) and ( b ) which show a first embodiment of the invention in the same manner as is shown in fig2 ( a ) and ( b ) a film of ito of a thickness of 700 å is deposited on a transparent glass plate 1 which is employed as a substrate . the attached film is then patterned by photoetching to form individual square electrodes 3 with a relatively large size of 100 μm × 100 μm as well as individual elongated narrower leads 4 . subsequently , films of chromium and nickel are deposited to thicknesses of 1000 å and 5000 å , respectively , in that order , and a plated film of gold of 2000 å thickness is deposited thereover . these layers of metals are then patterned by photoetching such as to form individual wires 2 , one for each lead 4 , as best seen in fig . l ( b ), for making an electrical connection to the free ends of the leads . subsequently , a film of intrinsic a - si 5 of a micron thickness is deposited by the known plasma chemical vapor deposition process from silane gas which is diluted with hydrogen . the a - si film 5 is formed through an appropriate mask in such a manner that it covers and overlaps the individual electrodes 3 . then , a negative type photosensitive polyimide resin is applied to a thickness of 50 μm by employing a spin coater , is pre - baked for 90 minutes at a temperature of 80 ° c ., is exposed to the light through a photomask and developed , and is post - baked for 30 minutes at a temperature of 180 ° c . the photomask being used represents a linear pattern of 120 μm width . the photomask is positioned so that it overlies and slightly overlaps , the individual electrodes 3 though spaced by the a - si film , before exposure . in consequence , a pattern of insulating film 7 is formed such that it covers the a - si film 5 , except along a linearly - shaped window 8 , over the individual electrodes 3 . finally , a layer of aluminum of 1000 å thickness and a layer of titanium of 3000 å thickness are selectively deposited in turn through a mask having a pattern which allows the entire window 8 to be covered by the metals , thereby to form the common electrode 6 to the film 5 . in the thus - manufactured image sensor , since the a - si film does not contact an acid etchant during the manufacture , the characteristics of the film are not deteriorated . as a consequence , i have realized line scanners in which the variability of current between individual sensors was no greater than ± 10 % under typical operating conditions . fig3 ( a ) and ( b ) show a second embodiment of the present invention , in which like reference numerals designate the parts which correspond to those of fig1 ( a ) and ( b ). in this embodiment , the image sensor has the individual electrodes 3 and the leads 4 which are patterned from an ito film on the transparent glass substrate 1 in the same manner as in the first embodiment . the substrate and the patterned film are then masked by a masking tape , and films of nickel and gold are coated thereon to thicknesses of 5000 å and 2000 å , respectively , by electroless plating . the nickel and gold which were attached on the glass substrate 1 are then scribed by a scriber to form the wires 2 . as seen in fig3 ( b ), each wire 2 includes an elongated narrow strip and an enlarged contact pad end region and each makes electrical contact with an individual lead 4 to an individual electrode 3 , as in the previous embodiment . the enlarged ends facilitate connection of the scanner into the measuring circuits . after the masking tape is peeled off and the surface of the patterned ito film cleaned , the a - si film 5 is formed in such a manner that it covers and overlaps the electrodes 3 and portions of leads 4 . subsequently , the photosensitive polyimide resin film is formed to a thickness of 30 μm by screen process printing , is pre - baked for 120 minutes at a temperature of 80 ° c ., is exposed and developed through a linear mask having a pattern of 120 μm width , and is post - baked for 60 minutes at a temperature of 180 ° c . such as to form the insulating film 7 having the linearly - shaped window 8 , as in the first embodiment . finally , an epoxy conductive resin including fine particles of carbon and silver is deposited to a thickness of 50 μm by means of screen process printing in such a manner that it covers the window 8 formed in the polyimide resin film 7 to form the common electrode 6 contacting the a - si film 5 . moreover , as seen in fig3 ( a ), this electrode 6 extends over the narrow elongated portions of the wires 2 leaving essentially exposed only the enlarged end pads . the image sensor manufactured in the second embodiment is highly reliable , showing results in terms of the photoelectric outputs of the elements and in the variability among these outputs , which were similar in excellence to those obtained with the sensor manufactured according to the first embodiment . moreover , the image sensor of this type remained undeteriorated after 1000 hours of moisture resistance testing conducted under conditions of 50 ° c . and 95 % relative humidity . since the conducting resin constituting the common electrode 6 extends over the wires 2 which are insulated by the insulating film 7 , it is also possible effectively to shield the wires from electromagnetic waves . the electrolessly plated film of ni has the characteristic that it attaches readily to the ito but not to the glass . this characteristic is utilized by this method of image sensor manufacture , in which the films of ni and au are electrolessly plated after the individual electrodes 3 and the leads 4 have been integrally formed from ito , and the ni and au which have been coated on the glass substrate are then scribed . in consequence , the number of photoetching processes employed during deposition can be reduced compared with the first embodiment , thereby reducing the production cost . in the two embodiments described , the light irradiated from a document to be read enters the sensor through the glass substrate . the present invention , however , may also be applied to an image sensor in which the light enters the sensor from the side thereof which is opposite to the substrate . in this better case , the individual electrodes 3 and the leads 4 which are formed from light - transmissive ito in the first describe embodiments , for example , are formed from a film of cr , while the common electrode 6 on the a - si film and insulating film 7 is formed from light - transmissive ito . in the above - described embodiments , the insulating film 7 on the photoelectric conversion semiconductor film 5 is formed by patterning a photosensitive polyimide film . a polymeric film , such as non - photosensitive polyimide film , may alternatively be formed to the desired pattern by known photolithography techniques . in that case , the exposed polymeric film is removed by a solvent , and therefore the quality of the insulating film is not deteriorated . it will be appreciated that various other modifications may be devised in the specific embodiments which were described as examples of the invention . basically , in an image sensor according to the present invention , an insulating film having a window of a predetermined dimension is interposed between the common electrode formed over the photoelectric conversion semiconductor film and the semiconductor film . in consequence , the area of each light - receiving element which is effective for photoelectric conversion of the received light is determine by the dimensional accuracy of an insulating film which is patterned by means of photo processing which does not deteriorate the quality of the semiconductor film . therefore , it is possible to better maintain the uniformity of the effective area , and thereby the photoelectric output of each element .

7Electricity

for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , and alterations and modifications in the illustrated device , and further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein are herein contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . the present disclosure relates to the use of a referring uniform resource locator ( url ), a referring internet protocol ( ip ) address , an email domain , an embedded promotion code , a computer physical location , or other predetermined criteria to recognize and customize the shopping interface for a particular customer or class of customers without the customer entering any information into the interface . the system allows a company to offer product discounts to certain classes of retail customers on a website without alerting other classes of customers ( i . e ., business - to - business or wholesale buyers ) of the special discounts being offered . other customizations may be implemented based on the user profile including , but not limited to , specific model availability , overall interface look and feel , and special terms and conditions related to the sale . no browser cookies or other intrusive measures are required to identify the user &# 39 ; s status for purposes of receiving discounts or customized product offerings . if an unauthorized user is detected , the system will report and track the intrusion , but will go ahead and present a normal shopping interface with non - customized pricing . this prevents unauthorized users from being alerted that they are being shut out of a “ protected ” portion of the system , which might otherwise encourage them to try harder to gain access . the system tracks and reports all authorized and unauthorized access , including the reason that users were denied or allowed access . the disclosed embodiments eliminate the need for ongoing maintenance of data related to individual employees . when an employee leaves a company , there is no need to remove the employee &# 39 ; s name from a database in the online shopping system if the discount for that company is based on employee status . for example , the employee would no longer be accessing the shopping site from his or her work computer and therefore the referring ip address or url would no longer match that of the employer web server . the disclosed system also eliminates the need for payment card industry ( pci ) standards compliance in cases where payment for the purchased items is not made using the user &# 39 ; s own credit card ( e . g ., when the employer is billed directly for the employee user &# 39 ; s purchases ). the system also allows customized pricing to be set up in a hierarchical fashion , with various subsets . for example , the subsets can be based on classes of employees in a company or brands within a store . the manufacturer &# 39 ; s suggested retail price ( msrp ) of a product can be changed , whereby the discounted pricing for all of the various customized interfaces will automatically be updated . fig1 shows a schematic block diagram of a system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure . system 100 includes web server 102 , manufacturing server 103 , network 104 , machine control 105 , client 106 , display 108 , and user input devices such as keyboard 110 and mouse 112 . these devices are coupled to the client 106 to access customized product information from the server computer 102 and display the information for the user on display 108 . the web server 102 and manufacturing server 103 may be implemented on a rack - mountable or blade server , a personal computer , a workstation computer , a laptop computer , a palmtop computer , or the like . it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other computer system architectures may also be employed . in general , each of the web server 102 and manufacturing server 103 comprise a bus for communicating information , a processor 112 coupled with the bus for processing information and a memory 114 coupled to the bus for storing information and instructions for the processor 112 . a mass storage interface for communicating with a data storage device 116 containing digital information may also be included in each of the web server 102 and manufacturing server 103 as well as a network interface for communicating with a the network 104 . the processors 112 may be any of a wide variety of general purpose processors or microprocessors such as the pentium microprocessor manufactured by intel corporation , a power pc manufactured by ibm corporation , a sparc processor manufactured by sun corporation , or the like . it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art , however , that other varieties of processors may also be used in a particular computer system . the memory 114 may include one or more types of solid - state electronic memory , magnetic memory , or optical memory , just to name a few . by way of non - limiting example , memory 114 may include solid - state electronic random access memory ( ram ), sequentially accessible memory ( sam ) ( such as the first - in - first - out ( fifo ) variety or the last - in - first - out ( lifo ) variety ), programmable read only memory ( prom ), electronically programmable read only memory ( eprom ), or electrically erasable programmable read only memory ( eeprom ). also , memory 114 may be volatile , nonvolatile , or a hybrid combination of volatile and nonvolatile varieties . the mass storage interface may allow the processors 112 access to the digital information contained within the digital storage devices 116 via the bus . the mass storage interface may be a universal serial bus ( usb ) interface , an integrated drive electronics ( ide ) interface , a serial advanced technology attachment ( sata ) interface or the like , coupled to the bus for transferring information and instructions . the data storage device 116 may be a conventional hard disk drive , a floppy disk drive , a flash device ( such as a jump drive or sd card ), an optical drive such as a compact disc ( cd ) drive , digital versatile disc ( dvd ) drive , hd dvd drive blu - ray disc drive , or another magnetic , solid state , or optical data storage device , along with the associated medium ( a floppy disk , a cd - rom , a dvd , etc ). it shall be understood that the processors 112 may be comprised of one or more components configured as a single unit . alternatively , when in multi - component form , a processor 112 may have one or more components located remotely relative to the others . one or more components of each processor 112 may be of the electronic variety defining digital circuitry , analog circuitry , or both . client 106 may be implemented using any of the computer architectures described above in relation to web server 102 and manufacturing server 103 . client 106 may further be implemented using a wireless terminal having computing capabilities , such as a mobile phone having a windows ce or palm operating system , an iphone ™ or the like . client 106 may also comprise a processor 112 , memory 114 , mass storage interface , bus , network interface and storage devices 116 as described hereinabove in relation to web server 102 and manufacturing server 103 . the display 108 is coupled to the communication bus of client 106 for displaying information for a user and the input devices 110 , 112 are coupled to the bus for communicating information and command selections to the processor 112 . the display 108 may comprise a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), a cathode ray tube ( crt ), a plasma monitor , an organic light emitting diode ( oled ) display , or other suitable display device . using the display 108 , the user is able to view information regarding various goods for sale with customized pricing for the class of customers to which the user belongs . in general , the processor 112 retrieves processing instructions and data from the data storage device 116 using the mass storage interface and downloads this information into random access memory for execution . the processor 112 then executes an instruction stream from random access memory or read - only memory . command selections and information that is input at input devices 110 , 112 are used to direct the flow of instructions executed by the processor 112 . the results of this processing execution are then displayed on display device 108 . web server 102 , manufacturing server 103 , and client 106 are able to communicate via network 104 . network 104 may comprise a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ), or the internet . manufacturing server 103 may be operatively connected to machine control 105 to enable the automated manufacturing or distribution of particular physical goods . machine control 105 may comprise various types of manufacturing control equipment such as programmable logic controllers ( plcs ), supervisory control and data acquisition ( scada ), remote terminal units ( rtus ), and other machine controls known in the art . machine control 105 is operatively connected to the manufacturing and / or distribution equipment ( not shown ) which physically creates , assembles , or retrieves the customized goods in response to orders placed by the user via client 106 . it shall be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that machine control 105 may be implemented as an integral component within the manufacturing server 103 or as a separate unit . fig2 illustrates a process for customizing an on - line shopping interface according to one embodiment of the present disclosure . the process starts at step 202 when the web server 102 receives a request from the client 106 . the request may be sent when the user enters a url link , also known as a “ web address ,” into a web browser program on client 106 . the url link contains the address of a customized webpage with special pricing and product offerings based on a particular class of customers . in certain embodiments , the url link may be provided to the user as a hyperlink within an email or on an intranet website , wherein the user simply clicks on the url link as opposed to manually typing the url link into the web browser address bar . the request is typically in the form of a hyper text transfer protocol ( http ) request , but other types of requests containing an embedded url link are contemplated to be within the scope of the disclosure . once the web server 102 has received the client request , it examines the information contained in the http request headers at step 204 , including the referring internet protocol ( ip ) address and the referring url . the web server 102 executes software to determine whether the user is authorized to view the desired pricing and product information . in one embodiment , the user is authenticated based on the referring ip address contained in the message header . that is , only users whose requests originate from a particular ip address may be allowed access to the content . in other embodiments , the referring url is used to authenticate the user . in still further embodiments , a combination of both the referring ip address and referring url are used to authenticate the user . it shall be understood that other criteria may be used to automatically authenticate the user including , but not limited to , the geolocation of the user client computer 106 or the name or network id of the user . for example , geolocation may be achieved by automatically looking up the referring ip address in a whois database to determine the physical location of the registrant . additionally , the user &# 39 ; s network id or name may be contained in the transmitted http request if the user &# 39 ; s employer or network administrator has granted access to the its internal network identification by exposing its lightweight directory access protocol ( ldap ) library to the web server 102 . still other types of identification may be used to authenticate the user . for example , the email domain of the user may be extracted from the http request headers . the email domain is typically listed in the http “ from ” request header , although the present disclosure contemplates that other request header fields may be used which contain the email domain information . in still other embodiments , an embedded coupon code contained in the http header information may be extracted and used to authenticate the user . for example , the coupon code can be contained within the referring url or other header information to identify which types of discounts or customized product offerings the user is qualified to receive . at step 206 , the web server 102 evaluates the authentication information of the user . if the web server 102 determines that the user is in the class of customers who are authorized to view the customized catalog information , it generates the custom product and pricing content information for the particular customer class at step 208 . as used herein , the term “ generate ” shall be interpreted to include the retrieval of pricing and product content with or without a real - time computation or determination of the prices and products to be displayed . the product information is then displayed for the user on display 108 in an html web page or other appropriate format . in this way , the user is able to view customized products and / or special pricing without having to first enter a username and / or password . for example , if all of the employees who work for a certain company are to be given a particular discount on products , the ip address of the company &# 39 ; s main internet router may be registered with the vendor offering the discount . whenever an employee accesses a designated vendor web page using a computer on the employer &# 39 ; s internal network ( with the employee &# 39 ; s computer sending a request to the vendor web server 102 ), the employee will have the instant ability to view the customized products and / or pricing without having to enter a login name or password . at the same time , the vendor is protected from unauthorized users gaining access to the restricted pricing and product information . in addition to price and model , the offered products may contain further customizations based on the received user ip address , referring url , email domain or embedded coupon code . certain products , such as computers or other electronics , may be built to the customer &# 39 ; s specifications based on a previous arrangement between the employer company and the product vendor . for example , a desktop computer manufacturer may agree to use parts from a certain supplier whenever employees of the supplier order computers from that manufacturer . other products , such as clothing , may be manufactured with a specific company logo for any employee of that company who placed an order for the clothing . in addition , the terms and conditions for sale , including return policies or shipping and handling methods , may be customized based on the identity or class profile of the user . the overall look and feel of the shopping interface screens presented to the user may also be customized based on the user profile . for example , if the products being offered are automotive parts , the background colors and on - screen controls may be tailored to appeal to automotive enthusiasts . as another example , a company logo may be displayed on the shopping interface . the above - mentioned customizations may be implemented as a hierarchy , with different levels and sublevels based on the user profile . for example , a first level of customization may be implemented for all employees of a certain employer , with further customizations implemented depending on the department or seniority level of each employee . in other embodiments , a certain level of discount may be offered for all products being offered through the online shopping interface , with separate additional discounts applied to various products depending on the manufacturer of each product . if the web server 102 determines that the user does not have permission to access the custom product offerings at step 206 , the process proceeds to step 210 where non - custom catalog content is generated , routed to the client 106 , and displayed to the user with standard pricing and product offerings . because the unauthorized user sees a seemingly normal shopping screen with standard pricing , as opposed to a warning or other rejection screen , they will believe they have successfully penetrated the security measures and will likely stop trying to gain further access . additional screens may be built into the system which will continue to present non - customized content if the unauthorized user attempts to further navigate from the initial non - customized screen . as the unauthorized user continues to be presented with non - customized content pages , the desire to find restricted content is thereby diminished . activity logs may be maintained to determine and track attempts by unauthorized users to access the restricted content . in certain embodiments , a notification can be sent to the system administrator as soon as an unauthorized user attempts to access the system . in other embodiments , the log of unauthorized access attempts for a given time period may be periodically sent to the administrator . at step 212 , the authenticated user is able to place an order for a particular product being displayed . in certain embodiments , the system 100 may be configured to require the user to enter additional security information , such as a username or password , in addition to payment information ( i . e ., credit card numbers ) before actually placing an order . in other embodiments , the user may be allowed to order products without entering any additional information , wherein an invoice for payment may be sent directly to the employer . for example , the employer may have already agreed to provide payment for company shirts or uniforms bearing the company logo when ordered from employer computers . at step 214 , the web server 102 optionally sends a request to the manufacturing server 103 containing the information about the product ordered by customer . the manufacturing server 103 , in conjunction with machine control 105 , initiates the automated production or retrieval of the product . in certain embodiments , the specifications for a particular user may be stored within the manufacturing server 103 prior to receiving the product order . for example , a user &# 39 ; s shirt size , favorite color , or other product preference may be entered in the system to simplify the ordering process for the user and to more fully automate the manufacturing process . in certain embodiments , the manufacturing server 103 operates machine control 105 to manufacture or customize the product in real time ( i . e ., add custom stitched logos on clothing , assemble an electronic device , manufacture a custom length golf club ), thereby reducing inventory requirements . in other embodiments , the manufacturing server 103 and machine control 105 may operate distribution equipment to select a specific pre - manufactured item from a warehouse facility , after which it can be shipped to the customer . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected .

6Physics

while there are many examples of nanostructures that have original properties based on size alone , this disclosure presents an approach wherein the new properties originate not only from the nanostructure &# 39 ; s size , but also from the shape of the nanostructures and their surface properties . nanostructures according to this disclosure may possess anisotropic properties that lead to their ability to exhibit self - assembly under conditions such as , but not limited to , phase boundaries , shear stresses , friction , differences in surface tension , and / or temperature gradients . such self - assembling properties are not typically displayed by bulk materials of the same chemistry . this disclosure describes a three - dimensional object with at least a first dimension less than 100 nanometers , and second and third dimensions substantially greater than 100 nanometers . the object may comprise a first surface and a second surface , the first surface having substantially different properties than the second surface . the different surface properties may be the result of different chemical structures or the same chemical structure with different orientations , crystal structures , defects , substitute dopants or other features that may lead to substantial differences in properties . by way of example and not limitation , the surface properties may include , surface termination , surface energy , hydrophilicity , thermal conductivity , coefficients of thermal expansion , reactivity and conductivity . by employing different features on the first surface and the second surface of the object , the particulate matter comprising the object may be configured to have a combination of different surface properties . in some embodiments , the object may be built using a top - down approach or , in other embodiments , the object may be built using a bottom - up approach . multiple and varied example implementations and embodiments are described below . however , these examples are merely illustrative , and other implementations and embodiments of a nanostructure with functionally different surfaces may be implemented without departing from the scope of the disclosure . the embodiments shown in the figure is presented by way of example . the components shown in the figure may be combined as desired to create a nanostructure with functionally different surfaces having various configurations . the components shown in the figure may be rearranged , modified , duplicated , and / or omitted in some configurations . as illustrated in the figure , some embodiments may use a top - down approach in preparing a nanostructure 100 with different properties on a first side 102 and a second side 104 . a 1 : 1 layered material , such as a member of the phylosillicates group , may be provided . phylosillicate group members may include , but are not limited to , kaolinite , serpentinite , and chlorite . the crystalline structure of this 1 : 1 layered material may comprise structurally different layers . a mechanical grinding technique may be employed to reduce the the particle size of the material . the material may exhibit lamellar dehydration properties . lamellar dehydration may occur at certain temperatures when alternating layers of a hydrated material dehydrate preferentially while the other layers stay hydrated . after initial particle reduction ( e . g ., by the mechanical grinding technique ), layer separation can be achieved by applying ultrasound , heat treatment , shear stress , electromagnetic field or other methods , either separately or combined . in one specific example , serpentine powder of a lizardite variety was dry - ground into a powder with an average particle size of less than 1 micron using a spex sampleprep ® 8000m high energy ball mill . after grinding , the powder was heated to 400 ° c . for eight hours to produce lamellar dehydration . the weight of the sample decreased by three to four percent , while full dehydration leads to thirteen percent weight loss . the resulting powder was then dispersed into ethanol and sonicated using a cole - parmer ® 300w ultrasonic processor for one hour . the resulting flakes were observed to have a distorted magnesium oxide structure on one side and a tetrahedral silica structure on the other side . in some embodiments , the side comprising magnesium oxide may attach to a metals &# 39 ; surface , exposing the silica side on the outside . in a second embodiment , nanostructures with two different sides can be synthesized using a bottom - up approach , such as the direct synthesis of layered nanosheets with subsequent modification of one side of the nanostructure . in one specific example , finely ground forsterite powder was mixed with sodium metasilicate and subjected to microwave hydrothermal synthesis at 250 ° c . in a biotage ® advancer kilobatch microwave pressure reactor for three hours . the resulting powder was dispersed in ethanol using a 300w ultrasonic processor . sedimentation was used to separate synthesized nanosheets from larger host particles of forsterite . other methods may be used to generate nanostructures with a first side having substantially different properties than a second side . some example methods may include lithography , chemical or plasma vapor deposition of a material on one of the first side or the second side of the nanostructure . for example , gold or platinum may be deposited on nanosheets of talc or molybdenum disulphide . although this disclosure uses language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts , it is to be understood that the scope of the disclosure is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described . rather , the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementation .

8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology

a chest seal 10 embodying the invention is comprised of a flange like main body 12 ( hereinafter “ flange body ”) and at least one generally centrally disposed one - way valve 14 . the flange body 12 has a top side 16 and an under side 18 on which a biocompatible adhesive 20 is disposed for securing the flange body to a patient &# 39 ; s skin . suitable adhesives for adhering the flange body to the patient &# 39 ; s skin include hydro gel , acrylic , silicone gel , silicone psa or hydrocolloid . in the illustrated example embodiment , no adhesive is provided on a release tab projection 22 which is grasped to remove the chest seal flange body 12 from the patient &# 39 ; s skin when the chest seal is to be removed . referring to fig1 and 3 , a peel - off backing 24 is disposed to cover the adhesive 20 on the underside of the flange body 12 . the peel - off backing 24 also includes a finger pull 26 , which in the illustrated embodiment corresponds in location to the tab projection of the flange body 12 . while typically the tab 22 will be of the same size and configuration as the finger pull 26 of the flange body , it is to be understood that these parts do not have to correspond in size and shape . the flange body 12 is constructed of a pliable , flexible material so that the chest seal 10 can be applied to adhere to any contour of the patient &# 39 ; s body . in this regard , it is important for the chest seal to conform to the patient &# 39 ; s outer chest wall to effectively seal about the chest wound to block air inflow . in an example embodiment the flange body 12 is formed from 10 mil urethane . other suitable body materials may include other thicknesses or polyurethane , polyethylene , polypropylene , nylon , or polyolefin . these can be in film or foam . in the illustrated example embodiment , the chest seal is generally circular and has a diameter of about 5 to 6 inches , although the shape of the flange body is not critical and a square flange body or flange body of other shape may be provided without departing from the invention . as noted above , at least one one - way valve 14 is operatively coupled to the flange body 12 . in the illustrated example embodiment , at least one opening 28 is defined through the flange body 12 in general alignment with each one - way valve 14 so that when the flange body is adhered to the patient &# 39 ; s outer chest wall , the one - way valve is in flow communication with the patient &# 39 ; s chest wound through the opening ( s ) 28 . in this way air is allowed to escape from the chest wound through the one - way valve , but the one - way valve closes so as to block air in flow into the chest cavity . in the illustrated example embodiment , three one - way valves 14 are symmetrically disposed centrally of the flange body 12 , each aligned with a respective opening 28 through the flange body , to ensure effective venting of the wound even if the flange body is not precisely placed . in the illustrated example embodiment , the one - way valve ( s ) 14 are secured or mounted to the flange body by disposing a sealing membrane 30 to overlie the valve ( s ) 14 and adhere to the top side 16 of the flange body 12 . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , at least one opening 32 is defined through the mounting membrane in general alignment with each one - way valve 14 to complete the air circuit through the chest seal 10 . the valves may be attached using a pressure sensitive adhesive , rf welding and / or heat sealed to the flange body . of course the number of openings 32 in the sealing membrane and size of the membrane will depend upon the number , size and placement of the one - way valves 14 . referring to fig1 and 4 , in an example embodiment , the one - way valve is a pacific bag inc . ( pbi ) one - way degassing valve , which is a very efficient single - part valve . in this regard , the mounting membrane 30 serves as a cap for the valve 14 and a sealing disk 34 for blocking air flow in one direction through the valve is held in place with three projections 36 that are incorporated directly into the valve body 38 instead of in a cap or other auxiliary component . as will be appreciated , the mounting membrane 30 and the integrally formed valve body 38 contribute to the generally low profile of the valve 14 consistent with the objects of the invention . in an example embodiment , the valve body 38 is molded plastic , such as polyethylene , polypropylene or nylon . stainless or aluminum could be used if it is attached via a pressure sensitive adhesive , as one could produce a low profile valve in this configuration made of a metal . the sealing disk 34 is formed from an elastomeric material , such as natural rubber , that can be pushed past the projections 36 during assembly and can resiliently seal against the valve body 38 to block air flow through passage ( s ) 40 into the chest cavity . although the provision of sealing component in the form of a sealing disk 34 is presently preferred , it is to be appreciated that sealing components having other configurations , such as a ball or flap may be disposed in the valve body 38 as an alternative . in the illustrated example , furthermore , a filter membrane 42 is seated between the valve body and the flange body . the filter membrane , also referred to as a scrim , is provided to keep clots or debris from entering the one - way valve . in an example embodiment a polyester filter is provided , but other materials , such as nylon , polyethylene , polypropylene and fiberglass could be used . as mentioned above , the single part design of the pbi valve makes it particularly low profile , which allows it to be readily incorporated in the chest seal of the invention , individually or , as in the illustrated embodiment , with two or more valves together defining a valving system . to use the chest seal 10 of the invention in a non - invasive procedure , the patient &# 39 ; s skin around the wound hole is wiped clean of blood and sweat to ensure appropriate adhesion of the chest seal 10 . the peel off backing 24 is removed by grasping the finger pull 26 and peeling away the backing to expose the adhesive 20 disposed on the under side 18 of the flange body 12 . the chest seal is then positioned over the wound hole so that the one - way valve ( s ) 14 generally overlie the wound hole . the flange body 12 is then pressed against the patient &# 39 ; s skin to ensure that the chest seal has adhered completely to the patient &# 39 ; s skin , so that air released from the wound will exit via the one - way valve ( s ) 14 whereas air inflow will be blocked by the adhesive attachment on the one hand and by the one - way valve ( s ) on the other hand . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment , but on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .

0Human Necessities

in the current state of information retrieval from unstructured sources , most systems resort to processing a document as an atomic ( i . e ., single or complete ) unit of information . information retrieval systems essentially treat the document as a single unit of processing in the entire workflow , associated with the act of extraction , spread over multiple steps in the workflow . embodiments of the present invention recognize that using single , non - decomposable units ( e . g ., a document ) for all processing functions related to the extraction process results in limited parallelism . embodiments of the present invention further recognize that such an approach reduces the overall throughput of the system , as the parallelism achieved is coarse grained — by and large . the software stacks that comprise the extraction are , essentially , single threaded , which , in turn , limits the total amount of potentially outstanding parallelizable , primitive operations that could be achieved by more specialized hardware co - processing . embodiments of the present invention recognize that a solution to the problem of limited parallelism by processing a document as an atomic unit of information is to semantically decompose the document ; together , with a methodology of storage of the extracted state and knowledge of the extraction process , the document unit can be decomposed into a notion of sub - document units that can be processed in parallel based on data dependency knowledge declared to the system . semantically decomposing the document would increase the overall throughput of the system and enable more efficient hardware primitive operations to be exploited . embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures . fig1 depicts a block diagram of computing system 10 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . fig1 provides an illustration of one embodiment and does not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented . in the depicted embodiment , computing system 10 includes server 30 and computing device 40 interconnected over network 20 . network 20 may be a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ) such as the internet , a cellular data network , any combination thereof , or any combination of connections and protocols that will support communications between server 30 and computing device 40 , in accordance with embodiments of the invention . network 20 may include wired , wireless , or fiber optic connections . computing system 10 may include additional computing devices , servers , or other devices not shown . server 30 may be a management server , a web server , or any other electronic device or computing system capable of processing program instructions and receiving and sending data . in some embodiments , server 30 may be a laptop computer , tablet computer , netbook computer , personal computer ( pc ), a desktop computer , or any programmable electronic device capable of communicating with computing device 40 via network 20 . in other embodiments , server 30 may represent a server computing system utilizing multiple computers as a server system , such as in a cloud computing environment . in another embodiment , server 30 represents a computing system utilizing clustered computers and components to act as a single pool of seamless resources . server 30 contains extraction program 110 , extraction database 120 , type system 130 , tokenizer 140 , semantic partitioning agent 150 , and scheduler 160 . server 30 may include components , as depicted and described in further detail with respect to fig3 . computing device 40 may be a desktop computer , laptop computer , netbook computer , or tablet computer . in general , computing device 40 may be any electronic device or computing system capable of processing program instructions , sending and receiving data , and communicating with server 30 via network 20 . computing device 40 contains input resource 170 . computing device 40 may include components , as depicted and described in further detail with respect to fig3 . input resource 170 may be any document that contains text . for example , input resource 170 may be an email , webpage , website , research paper , etc . in some embodiments , input resource 170 may be any web document containing information accessible to other computing devices , such as server 30 , over network 20 . in general , input resource 170 is any document capable of being accessed by extraction program 110 . in the depicted embodiment , input resource resides on computing device 40 . in other embodiments , input resource 170 may reside on another computing device , another server , or server 30 , provided that input resource 170 is accessible to extraction program 110 . extraction program 110 operates to parallelize document processing in an information handling system using natural language processing . in doing so , extraction program 110 retrieves documents , such as medical forms , articles , emails , etc . the information in the documents may be unstructured or semi - structured . extraction program 110 tokenizes the retrieved documents . extraction program 110 annotates each token in the token stream . extraction program 110 semantically partitions the token stream . extraction program 110 processes each sub - document . in the depicted embodiment , extraction program 110 resides on server 30 . in other embodiments , extraction program 110 may reside on another server , computing device , or computing device 40 , provided that extraction program 110 can access extraction database 120 , type system 130 , tokenizer 140 , semantic partitioning agent 150 , scheduler 160 , and input resource 170 . extraction database 120 may be a repository that may be written and / or read by extraction program 110 . in some embodiments , a program ( not shown ) may allow a web developer , administrator , or other user to define partitioning parameters and store to extraction database 120 . partitioning parameters are parameters used to partition a document ( e . g ., by words , paragraphs , sections , etc .). in some embodiments , tokens are stored to extraction database 120 . tokens are pieces of data obtained by breaking up a stream of text into words , phrases , symbols , or other meaningful elements . in other embodiments , extraction database 120 is used to save and reference elements of a data dependency workflow with identifications for sub - elements preserved through the natural language processing pipeline . the word pipeline is defined as a set of data processing elements connected in a series , where the output of one element is the input of the next element . a data dependency is a situation in which a program statement ( instruction ) refers to the data of a preceding statement . in the depicted embodiment , extraction database 120 resides on server 30 . in other embodiments , extraction database 120 may reside on another server , computing device , or computing device 40 , provided that extraction database 120 is accessible to extraction program 110 . type system 130 , used in conjunction with extraction program 110 , is a collection of rules that assign a type to the various constructs — such as variables , expressions , functions , or modules — that of which a computer program is composed . a type , or data type , is a classification identifying one of various types of data , such as real , integer , or boolean , that determines the possible values for that type , the operations that can be done on values of that type , the meaning of the data , and the way values of that type can be stored . the main purpose of a type system is to reduce bugs in computer programs , such as extraction program 110 , by defining interfaces between different parts of a computer program , and checking that the parts have been connected in a consistent way . checking that the parts have been connected in a consistent way can happen statically ( e . g ., at compile time ), dynamically ( e . g ., at run time ), or as a combination of static and dynamic checking . in some embodiments , type system 130 may be a repository . in other embodiments , type system 130 may be a database that merely stores information . still , in other embodiments , type system 130 may be a knowledge base that is governed by an ontology . a knowledge base is a technology used to store complex structured and unstructured information used by a computer system . a knowledge - based system consists of a knowledge base that represents facts and an inference engine that can reason about those facts and use rules and other forms of logic to deduce facts or highlight inconsistencies . in some embodiments , information stored in a knowledge base may include : function categories ; descriptions ; services ; service functions ; capabilities and configurations ; and wordnet ( a lexical database for the english language ). an ontology is a formal , explicit specification of a shared abstract simplified view of some selected part of the world , containing the objects , concepts , and other entities that are presumed of interest for some particular purpose and the relationships between them . in some embodiments , an ontology may use the information stored in a knowledge base to form and identify the relationships between different data types . type system 130 captures a hierarchy in the extraction process , as in the notion of an ontology . some types are dependent on other types and are only extracted when the types for which the other types depend are available and extracted previously . for example , an extraction and operation dealing with an integer data type can depend on an extraction and operation dealing with a boolean data type that happens before the extraction and operation dealing with the integer data type . the data dependency in the real world is sparse and affords tons of parallelism in the early stages of extraction , allowing many sub - documents to have extractors run on the sub - documents with full parallelization . additionally , type system 130 associates a type with each computed value . by examining the flow of these values , type system 130 attempts to ensure or prove that no type errors can occur . the particular type system in question determines exactly what constitutes a type error , but in general , type system 130 aims to prevent operations expecting a certain kind of value from being used with values for which that operation does not make sense ( logic errors ); memory errors may also be prevented . in the depicted embodiment , type system 130 stands alone and resides on server 30 . in other embodiments , type system 130 may be a function embedded within extraction program 110 . still , in other embodiments , type system 130 may reside on another server , computing device , or computing device 40 , provided that type system 130 is accessible to extraction program 110 . tokenizer 140 breaks down text of a document into individual objects . these objects , called tokens , may be strings , words , or other objects . in one embodiment , tokenizer 140 is a simple tokenizer that splits up text into terms wherever tokenizer 140 encounters whitespace or punctuation . in other embodiments , tokenizer 140 is a primitive tokenizer . a primitive tokenizer uses primitive data types in the breakdown process . primitive data type is either of the following : ( 1 ) a basic type is a data type provided by a programming language as a basic building block ; or ( 2 ) a built - in type is a data type for which the programming language provides built - in support . basic primitive types may , for example , include : character ; integer ; floating - point number ; fixed - point number ; boolean ; and reference . in the depicted embodiment , tokenizer 140 stands alone and resides on server 30 . in other embodiments , tokenizer 140 may be a function embedded within extraction program 110 and reside on server 30 . still , in other embodiments , tokenizer 140 , alone or embedded , may reside on another server , another computing device , or computing device 40 , provided that tokenizer 140 is accessible to extraction program 110 . semantic partitioning agent 150 semantically partitions tokens produced by tokenizer 140 , producing sub - documents for use by extraction program 110 . semantics is the study of meaning and focuses on the relation between signifiers — like words , phrases , signs , and symbols — and what the signifiers stand for , the signifiers &# 39 ; denotation . in the present invention , sub - documents are separate elements of a structure , or document . the sum of all ordered sub - documents can recreate the original document . the document could be , for example , but not limited to , an email , research paper , or legal form . in the depicted embodiment , semantic partitioning agent 150 stands alone and resides on server 30 . in other embodiments , semantic partitioning agent 150 may be a function embedded within extraction program 110 and reside on server 30 . still , in other embodiments , semantic partitioning agent 150 , alone or embedded , may reside on another server , another computing device , or computing device 40 , provided that semantic partitioning agent 150 is accessible to extraction program 110 . scheduler 160 is used to load balance and share system resources effectively or achieve a target quality of service ( overall performance of a computer network ). scheduling is the method by which threads , processes , or data flows are given access to system resources — for example , processor time and / or communications bandwidth . the need for a scheduling algorithm arises from the requirement for most modern systems to perform multitasking ( executing more than one process at a time ) and multiplexing ( transmitting multiple data streams simultaneously across a single physical channel ). the present invention requires at least two concurrently executing threads , wherein the first thread processes the first sub - document and the second thread processes the second sub - document . scheduler 160 is concerned mainly with throughput , latency , granting equal cpu time to each process , and the time each process remains in queue . the previously mentioned concerns often conflict , so scheduler 160 can implement a suitable compromise . the suitable compromise gives preference to any one of the concerns , depending on a user &# 39 ; s needs and objectives . in the depicted embodiment , scheduler 160 resides on server 30 . in other embodiments , scheduler 160 may reside on another server , another computing device , or computing device 40 , provided that scheduler 160 is accessible to extraction program 110 . fig2 depicts a flowchart of the steps of an extraction program , executing within the computing system of fig1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . extraction program 110 operates to parallelize document processing in an information handling system using a natural language processing pipeline , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . an embodiment of the present invention has an annotation structure that contains : document identification ( id ); token id ; sub - document id ( e . g ., sentence id , paragraph id , section id ); annotator id ( for provenance ); annotation type ; and annotation value . in general , stages of execution program 110 tags elements within the pipeline to allow for rapid identification of any piece of data . tagging is helpful for when the original document needs to be reconstructed . extraction program 110 may encounter multiple types of documents . a first type of document is a document containing unstructured data ( information ). unstructured information refers to information that either does not have a pre - defined data model or is not organized in a pre - defined manner . unstructured information is typically text - heavy , but may contain data such as dates , numbers , and facts as well . the mixture of data results in irregularities and ambiguities that make unstructured information more difficult to understand using traditional computer programs as compared to data stored in fielded form in databases or annotated in documents . another type of document is a document containing semi - structured data . semi - structured data is a form of structured data that does not conform with the formal structure of data models associated with relational databases or other forms of data tables , but , nonetheless , contains tags or other markers to separate semantic elements and enforce hierarchies of records and fields within the data . semi - structured data is increasingly occurring since the advent of the internet , where full - text documents and databases are not the only forms of data , and different applications require a medium for exchanging information . yet another type of document is a compound document . a compound document is a document type typically produced using word processing software , and is a regular text document intermingled with non - text elements , such as spreadsheets , pictures , digital videos , digital audio , and other multimedia features . downstream extractors may have data dependency and may need partial or full views of the original document , needing a rapid way to reconstruct the original document while preserving the order of previous extractions . the present invention allows for reconstruction of a sub - document or a full document at points of the parallel processing of said document . in step 210 , extraction program 110 retrieves documents from input resource 170 . the documents may include , for example , emails , insurance forms , research articles , etc . in some embodiments , extraction program 110 retrieves one document from input resource 170 . in other embodiments , extraction program 110 retrieves multiple documents from input resource 170 . still , in other embodiments , extraction program 110 retrieves one document or multiple documents from input resource 170 . in one embodiment , extraction program 110 retrieves documents from input resource 170 in response to a request by a user at server 30 or computing device 40 . in step 220 , extraction program 110 tokenizes documents retrieved from input resource 170 . in some embodiments , extraction program 110 uses tokenizer 140 to tokenize the documents retrieved from input resource 170 . in other embodiments , extraction program 110 may use an internal tokening measure to tokenize the documents retrieved from input resource 170 . extraction program 110 tokenizes the documents into a primitive set of tokens . typically , tokenization occurs at the word level . however , it is sometimes difficult to define what is meant by “ word .” often , a tokenizer relies on simple heuristics , for example : all contiguous strings of alphabetic characters are part of one token ( likewise with numbers ); tokens are separated by whitespace characters , such as a space or line break , or by punctuation characters ; or punctuation and whitespace may or may not be included in the resulting list of tokens . for example , extraction program 110 may use tokenizer 140 to tokenize documents into tokens at the word level . in one embodiment , heuristics are predefined and stored in extraction database 120 . in other embodiments , heuristics are contained within an annotator . still , in some embodiments , heuristics are retrieved from an outside source , such as a source on a different computing device that is accessible by extraction program 120 . in step 230 , extraction program 110 annotates the stream of tokens created . extraction program 110 can determine document domain , document layout , and / or document structural components from the token stream . the output of the annotator provides a document descriptor that assists in furthering extraction program 110 . in some embodiments , there exists a conditional algorithm , such as semantic partitioning agent 150 , which can decide to split the document into parts based on the document domain , document layout , and / or document structural components . in step 240 , extraction program 110 semantically partitions the stream of tokens . in some embodiments , extraction program 110 uses semantic partitioning agent 150 to semantically partition the stream of tokens . semantic partitioning agent 150 partitions the stream of tokens from the original document into multiple sub - documents . in some embodiments , the sub - documents are stored in extraction database 120 . in other embodiments , the sub - documents are stored in memory . when there is fully free running textual unstructured data , language constructs are followed , and hence , there exists some language - based methodologies that encompass language structure as a means of partitioning the document into a multiplicity of sub - documents without the loss of semantics or information contained within . the language - based methodologies are language dependent . in one embodiment , the annotators possess metadata about the scope at which the annotators expect data ( sentence , paragraph , section , etc .). extraction program 110 uses the information to determine the sub - document unit granularity . for example , if all current annotators expect sentences or coarser granularity , there is no need to split the document past the sentence granularity . in another embodiment , the knowledge required for semantic partitioning agent 150 to semantically partition the stream of tokens is predefined and received from an outside source , such as extraction database 120 . still , in other embodiments , the knowledge required for semantic partitioning agent 150 to semantically partition the stream of tokens is plugged - in to extraction program 110 . when there is semi - structured data , there would exist non - language constructs , for example , sections , sub - sections , and other forms of contextual scoping that could be used to achieve a semantically safe partitioning of a document into sub - documents . in step 250 , extraction program 110 processes each tokenized semantic partition ( sub - document ). extraction program 110 uses scheduler 160 to drive each sub - document based on a data dependent scheduling knowledge of type system 130 and a type dependency flow graph . as extraction program 110 processes each sub - document , a degree of parallelism results for the non - dependent parts of the flow at each stage . scheduler 160 contains a memory ( data ) barrier to satisfy type dependency and scope dependency . a memory barrier is a type of barrier instruction which causes a central processing unit ( cpu ) or compiler to enforce an ordering constraint on memory operations issued before and after the barrier instruction . typically , operations issued prior to the barrier are guaranteed to be performed before operations issued after the barrier . memory barriers are necessary because most modern cpus employ performance optimizations that can result in out - of - order execution . the reordering of memory operations ( loads and stores ) normally goes unnoticed within a single thread of execution , but the reordering can cause unpredictable behavior in concurrent programs and device drivers unless carefully controlled . the exact nature of an ordering constraint is hardware dependent and defined by the architecture &# 39 ; s memory ordering model . some architectures provide multiple barriers for enforcing different ordering constraints . in the present invention , scheduler 160 can enforce different ordering constraints and produce the in - memory forms of relevant data as needed from extraction database 120 to whatever scope is needed by the current annotator , by way of manipulating the key for retrieval of the right scope of partial results . the type dependency flow graph contains annotator metadata . metadata , or tag , is data about data , and is a non - hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information , such as an internet bookmark , digital image , or computer file . metadata helps to describe an item and allows the item to be found again by browsing or searching . in the present invention , in some embodiments , each annotator has a description of the input types needed and the output types produced . also , each annotator is enhanced with a scope partition indicator for the scope requirement . given the data dependency knowledge , it is possible to compute portions of the workflow to essentially be done in parallel — on a case - by - case basis . in addition to data dependency , scope dependency is also used to allow the most efficient scheduling of annotators . for example , consider the following scenario : “ this is a sentence boundary . but it &# 39 ; s possible to have two of them .” annotator a ( defined with sentence scope ) looks for noun phrases . finds “ sentence boundary ” in the first sentence .” outputs a . annotator b ( defined with sentence scope ) looks for pronouns . finds “ them ” in the second sentence . outputs b . annotator c ( defined with paragraph scope ) looks for type b and tries to determine to what the pronoun refers , and sets that string on a feature . c finds b , then looks at prior sentence in the paragraph and modifies b to include the target of the pronoun , which is in the text of type a . first , a and b run in parallel over each sentence . then , c runs over the “ paragraph ” afterwards due to the type dependency on b . concurrently with c , a and b continue to process further into the document . the sub - documents are keyed and numbered ( annotated ) appropriately to represent the order of occurrence within the document , so that reconstruction to whatever granularity scope can be achieved at any point in the extraction workflow . fig3 depicts a block diagram of components of server 30 and computing device 40 , in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . it should be appreciated that fig3 provides only an illustration of one implementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented . many modifications to the depicted environment may be made . sever 30 and computing device 40 each include communications fabric 302 , which provides communications between computer processor ( s ) 304 , memory 306 , persistent storage 308 , communications unit 310 , and input / output ( i / o ) interface ( s ) 312 . communications fabric 302 can be implemented with any architecture designed for passing data and / or control information between processors ( such as microprocessors , communications and network processors , etc . ), system memory , peripheral devices , and any other hardware components within a system . for example , communications fabric 302 can be implemented with one or more buses . memory 306 and persistent storage 308 are computer readable storage media . in this embodiment , memory 306 includes random access memory ( ram ) 314 and cache memory 316 . in general , memory 306 can include any suitable volatile or non - volatile computer readable storage media . extraction program 110 , extraction database 120 , type system 130 , tokenizer 140 , semantic partitioning agent 150 , and scheduler 160 are stored in persistent storage 308 of server 30 for execution and / or access by one or more of the respective computer processors 304 of server 30 via one or more memories of memory 306 of server 30 . input resource 170 is stored in persistent storage 308 of computing device 40 for execution by one or more of the respective computer processors 304 of computing device 40 via one or more memories of memory 306 of computing device 40 . in this embodiment , persistent storage 308 includes a magnetic hard disk drive . alternatively , or in addition to magnetic hard disk drive , persistent storage 308 can include a solid state hard drive , a semiconductor storage device , read - only memory ( rom ), erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom ), flash memory , or any other computer readable storage media that is capable of storing program instructions or digital information . the media used by persistent storage 308 may also be removable . for example , a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 308 . other examples include optical and magnetic disks , thumb drives , and smart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer onto another computer readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage 308 . communications unit 310 , in these examples , provides for communications with other data processing systems or devices . in these examples , communications unit 310 includes one or more network interface cards . communications unit 310 may provide communications through the use of either or both physical and wireless communications links . extraction program 110 , extraction database 120 , type system 130 , tokenizer 140 , semantic partitioning agent 150 , and scheduler 160 may be downloaded to persistent storage 308 of server 30 through communications unit 310 of server 30 . input resource 170 may be downloaded to persistent storage 308 of computing device 40 through communications unit 310 of computing device 40 . i / o interface ( s ) 312 allows for input and output of data with other devices that may be connected to server 30 or computing device 40 . for example , i / o interface 312 may provide a connection to external device ( s ) 318 , such as keyboard , keypad , a touch screen , and / or some other suitable input device . external device ( s ) 318 can also include portable computer readable storage media ( e . g ., thumb drives , portable optical or magnetic disks , and memory cards ). software and data used to practice embodiments of the present invention , e . g ., extraction program 110 , extraction database 120 , type system 130 , tokenizer 140 , semantic partitioning agent 150 , and scheduler 160 , can be stored on such portable computer readable storage media and can be loaded onto persistent storage 308 of server 30 via i / o interface ( s ) 312 of server 30 . software and data used to practice embodiments of the present invention , e . g ., input resource 170 , can be stored on such portable computer readable storage media and can be loaded onto persistent storage 308 of computing device 40 via i / o interface ( s ) 312 of computing device 40 . i / o interface ( s ) 312 also connect to a display 320 . display 320 provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be , for example , a computer monitor . the programs described herein are identified based upon the application for which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of the invention . however , it should be appreciated that any particular program nomenclature herein is used merely for convenience , and thus the invention should not be limited to use solely in any specific application identified and / or implied by such nomenclature . the present invention may be a system , a method , and / or a computer program product . the computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium ( or media ) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention . the computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device . the computer readable storage medium may be , for example , but is not limited to , an electronic storage device , a magnetic storage device , an optical storage device , an electromagnetic storage device , a semiconductor storage device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . a non - exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following : a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), a static random access memory ( sram ), a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ), a digital versatile disk ( dvd ), a memory stick , a floppy disk , a mechanically encoded device such as punch - cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon , and any suitable combination of the foregoing . a computer readable storage medium , as used herein , is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se , such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves , electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media ( e . g ., light pulses passing through a fiber - optic cable ), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire . computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network , for example , the internet , a local area network , a wide area network and / or a wireless network . the network may comprise copper transmission cables , optical transmission fibers , wireless transmission , routers , firewalls , switches , gateway computers and / or edge servers . a network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device . computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions , instruction - set - architecture ( isa ) instructions , machine instructions , machine dependent instructions , microcode , firmware instructions , state - setting data , or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as smalltalk , c ++ or the like , and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the “ c ” programming language or similar programming languages . the computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). in some embodiments , electronic circuitry including , for example , programmable logic circuitry , field - programmable gate arrays ( fpga ), or programmable logic arrays ( pla ) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry , in order to perform aspects of the present invention . aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer readable program instructions . these computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer , a programmable data processing apparatus , and / or other devices to function in a particular manner , such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer , other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process , such that the instructions which execute on the computer , other programmable apparatus , or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture , functionality , and operation of possible implementations of systems , methods , and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention . in this regard , each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module , segment , or portion of instructions , which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function ( s ). in some alternative implementations , the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures . for example , two blocks shown in succession may , in fact , be executed substantially concurrently , or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality involved . it will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , can be implemented by special purpose hardware - based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions . 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 invention . the terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiment , 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 .

6Physics

referring to fig1 a cmos - ic chip 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a microprocessor which includes a clock generator / driver ( cd ) 20 , a central processing unit ( cpu ) 30 , a read only memory ( rom ) 40 and an random access memory ( ram ) 50 , all formed in a single semiconductor substrate 1 of one conductivity type ( p - type in this embodiment ). the cpu 30 , rom 40 and ram 50 are interconnected by address / data bus lines ( not shown ). each of the blocks 20 to 50 includes a great number of n - channel and p - channel mos transistors which are interconnected to constiute necessary circuits . the cd 20 includes an oscillation circuit having a quartz crystal ( not shown ) to be externally connected between terminals x 1 and x 2 and generates two system clocks φ 1 and φ 2 having predetermined pulse 20 frequencies . the terminals x 1 and x 2 are connected to the cd 20 via second - level interconnection lines 93 and 94 and first - level interconnection lines 13 and 14 shown in fig2 respectively . a first power voltage of + 5 v is supplied to a first power terminal v - 1 and a second ground terminal g - 1 . the first power voltage is also supplied to second and third power terminals v - 2 and v - 3 and the second power voltage is also supplied to second and third ground terminals g - 2 and g - 3 . the first power terminal v - 1 is connected to cd 20 via a second - level interconnection line 5 to supply the first power voltage to each transistor in the cd 20 . the first ground terminal g - 1 is also connected to the cd 20 via a second - level interconnection line 6 to supply the ground potential thereto . the system clocks φ 1 and φ 2 are supplied to the cpu 30 via first - level interconnection lines 11 and 12 shown in fig2 respectively . the cpu 30 executes a program stored in the rom 40 in response to the system clocks φ 1 and φ 2 . the rom 40 often stores fixed data in addition to the program . the ram 50 stores data to be processed by the cpu 70 and processed results from the cpu 3 . the cd 20 is required to operate at a very high frequency , generate the system clocks φ 1 and φ 2 of a predetermined rate and supply them to the cpu with sufficient driving capability . for this purpose , each of the mos transistors in the cd 20 is formed in a very large size ( several hundred times larger than each mos transistor in the cpu 30 , rom 40 and ram 50 ) to give a large current capacity . therefore , each mos transistor in the cd 20 produces , when subjected to a switching operation a great amount of carriers which are released to the section of the substrate constituting the cd 20 . that substrate section represents a part of the silicon substrate 1 in which n - channel mos transistors are formed with n - well regions in each of which a p - channel mos transistor is formed . the amount of carriers produced in the cd 20 is so large that , a part of them cannot be absorbed in the mos transistors formed in the cd 20 allowing a part of them to be released as excess carriers to cpu 30 , rom 40 and ram 50 ( in this connection , measures for preventing the latch - up caused by the charge transfer between each p - channel and n - channel mos transistor pair formed in the cd 20 , may be taken according to the teaching of the above referenced u . s . pat . no . 3 , 955 , 210 ). as a result , the latch - up phenomenon occurs to the break down the function of the microcomputer chip 100 . in order to solve this problem , guard ring regions 3 and 4 are formed in the substrate 1 in accordance with the present invention . the guard ring region 3 is of the p - type and the guard ring region 4 is of the n - type and they completely surround the cd 20 . in this embodiment , the p - type guard ring region 3 is formed outside the n - type guard ring region , but can be formed inside it , if desired . referring to fig2 first - level aluminum layers 8 , which are provided simultaneously with other first - level interconnection lines , are provided on the p - type guard ring region 3 except on portions thereof over which the first - level interconnection lines 11 to 14 cross via an insulation film , respectively . similarly , first - level aluminum layers 10 are formed on the n - type gurad ring region 4 except on portions thereof over which the interconnection lines 11 to 14 cross via an insulation film , respectively . turning back to fig1 second - level aluminum layers 7 and 9 , which are formed simultaneously with other second - level interconnection lines , are provided directly on the layers 8 and 10 , respectively , except on portions thereof over which the interconnection lines 5 and 6 cross via an insulation film . the second - level layers 7 and 9 are also provided above the first - level interconnection lines 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 to bridge the lacked portions 8 and 10 . the guard ring regions 3 and 4 and the aluminum layers 7 to 10 are shown in more detail in fig3 which is cross sectional view along a line i -- i in fig1 . fig3 also shows one p - channel mos transistor q 1 and one n - channel mos transistor q 2 in the cd 2 . the n - type guard ring region 4 is formed simulataneously with an n - well region 52 operating as the substrate region of the transistor q 1 , and the p - type guard ring region 3 is formed simultaneously with source and drain regions 53 and 54 of the transistor q 1 . the n - type guard ring region 4 has a contact region 4 - 1 which is formed simultaneously with source and drain regions 56 and 57 of the transistor q 2 . the transistors q 1 and q 2 have gates 55 and 58 made of polycrsstalline silicon . the n - well region 52 has a contact region 52 - 1 which is in turn connected to the source region 53 by a first - level interconnection line 60 . a contact region 1 - 1 is formed near the transistor q 2 and connected to the source region 57 thereof via a first - level interconnection line 61 . the drain regions 54 and 56 of the transistors q 1 and q 2 are connected to each other by a first - level interconnection line 59 which is in turn led out to another transistor . a second - level interconnection line 5 - 1 connects the line 60 to the line 5 ( fig1 ) to supply the power voltage thereto . the line 61 is connected via a second - level interconnection line 6 - 1 to the line 6 ( fig1 ) to receive the ground potential . silicon oxide layers 50 embedded in part in the substrate 1 are formed selectively to isolate the respective regions and transistors , and an insulating layer 51 separates the first - level interconnection lines from the second - level interconnection lines . turning back to fig1 the aluminum layer 7 is connected via a second - level interconnection line 16 to the first ground terminal g - 1 , and the aluminum layer 9 is connected to the first power terminal v - 1 via a second - level interconnection line 15 . therefore , the p - type guard ring region 3 is supplied with the ground voltage and the n - type guard ring region 4 receives the power voltage . moreover , the interconnection lines 15 and 16 are formed independently of and separately from the lines 5 and 6 . the transistors in the cd 20 carry out a switching operation at a high speed to generate the system clocks φ 1 and φ 2 , and further currents flowing therethrough are considerably large as mentioned above . for this reason , the potentials on lines 5 and 6 vary due to impedance and / or inductance thereof . if the layers 7 and 9 are respectively connected to the lines 5 and 6 , therefore , the voltages of the guard ring regions 3 and 4 are not stabilized , but changed . since the interconnection lines 15 and 16 are formed independently , however , the voltages of the guard ring regions 3 and 4 are not changed and they are constant . in addition , the first - level aluminum layers 8 and 10 are directly connected to the guard ring regions 3 and 4 , respectively , along almost entire lengths thereof to decrease the resistances of the regions 3 and 4 . therefore , the voltage drops along the lengths of guard ring regions 3 and 4 are suppressed . as discussed hereinbefore , since the transistors in the cd 20 are formed in a large size , the source and drain regions 53 , 54 , 56 and 57 of the transistors q 1 and q 2 shown in fig3 have a large area . for this reason , a great amount of carriers are produced by the switching operations of the transistors q 1 and q 2 and then supplied to the substrate regions thereof . since the contact regions 52 - 1 and 1 - 1 are respectively formed near the transistors q 1 and q 2 , they have a function of absorbing the carriers therefrom . however , the amount of the produced carriers is very large and the voltage of the contact regions 52 - 1 and 1 - 1 change , so that all carriers are not absorbed . thus , the rest of carriers from the transistors q 1 and q 2 are released beyond these transistor q 1 and q 2 and tend to be transferred to other transistors in the cd 20 and to the formation areas of the cpu 30 , rom 40 and ram 50 . however , the guard ring regions 3 and 4 are formed to surround the cd 20 and a constant voltage is supplied to the regions 3 and 4 . accordingly , the guard ring regions absorb undesired carriers which would otherwise move into the substrate 1 . thus , the occurrence of the latch - up phenomenon caused by the carriers from the transistors in the cd 20 is prevented . the microprocessor chip 100 shown in fig1 further has a p - type guard ring region 26 and an n - type guard ring region 21 which are formed along the periphery of the chip 100 to completely surround the cd 20 , cpu 30 , rom 40 and ram 50 . the microprocessor chip 100 is equipped with a plurality of input / output terminals to receive data to be processed and to output processed data . in fig1 only four input / output terminals io1 to io4 are shown . in addition , a plurality of address output terminals are provided ( two terminals a 1 and a 2 are shown in fig1 ). these terminals io1 to io4 , a 1 and a 2 are associated buffer circuits b 1 to b 6 , respectively . since a load capacitance of each of the terminals io1 to io4 , a 1 and a 2 is considerably large , each of the buffer circuits b 1 to b 6 is designed to have large driving ability . that is , large - sized transistors are employed in each buffer circuit b . therefore , the buffer circuits b 1 to b 6 may supply the cd 20 , cpu 30 , rom 40 , ram 50 with carriers causing the latch - up phenomenon . in order to absorb such carriers , the guard ring regions 26 and 21 surround the internal circuit blocks 20 to 50 and intervene between each circuit block and each buffer circuit b . as shown in fig2 and 4 , first - level aluminum layers 23 and 25 are respectively formed on the guard ring resions 26 and 21 except on portions thereof over which first - level interconnection lines 81 to 83 of the buffer circuits b1 to b6 and the first - level interconnection lines 13 and 14 cross via an insulation film , respectively . the guard ring region 21 has a contact region 21 - 1 . referring also to fig1 a second - level aluminum layer 22 connected to the ground terminals g - 1 to g - 3 is formed on the layer 23 except on portions thereof over which the second - level interconnection lines connected to the power terminals v - 1 to v - 3 cross via the insulation film 51 . a second - level aluminum layer 24 connected to the power terminals v - 1 to v - 3 is formed on the layer 25 except on portions thereof over which the second - level interconnection lines connected to the ground terminals g - 1 to g - 3 cross via the insulation film 51 . therefore , the p - type guard ring region 26 is supplied with the ground voltage and the n - type guard ring region 21 is supplied with the power voltage . thus , the carriers from the buffer circuits b1 to b6 are absorbed by the guard ring regions 26 and 21 and are not transferred to the internal blocks 20 , 30 , 40 and 50 . the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment , but may be changed and modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention .

7Electricity