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Memory interleaving

Memory interleaving includes providing a non-power of two number of channels in a computing system and interleaving memory access among the channels.

1. A method comprising: receiving an address corresponding to a memory having a non-power of two number, X, of associated channels to the memory; determining one or more of the channels to use in accessing the memory, the determining comprising applying a modulo-X based reduction to the address; and indexing the address for a determined channel. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a first address and a count, the method further comprising calculating a second address from the first address and the count, and the determining comprises applying the modulo-X based reduction to the first and second addresses to map the first and second addresses to the channels, wherein a single one of the channels is determined to be used in accessing the memory in response to receiving the first address if both the first and second addresses map to the single one of the channels. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the modulo-X based reduction to the address comprises including a channel number as input to the modulo-X based reduction. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indexing comprises: determining a longest string of consecutive bits having a value of one in the address; dropping the longest string from the address; justifying remaining bits in the address; and filling vacated bits in the address with ones to create a remapped address for the determined channel. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determined channel has a non-power of two number of corresponding memory locations, and the filling comprises filling the vacated bits in the address based on one or more lookup tables including constants that indicate start addresses for address filling. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory has an additional number, Y, of associated channels to the memory, wherein X+Y is a non-power of two. 7. An apparatus comprising: a non-power of two number, X, of channels to a memory; and a control device configured to receive an address corresponding to the memory and determine one or more of the channels to use in accessing the memory by applying a modulo-X based reduction to the address. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the address comprises a first address, the control device configured to receive the first address and a count, calculate a second address from the first address and the count, and determine the one or more of the channels by applying the modulo-X based reduction to the first and second addresses to map the first and second addresses to the channels, wherein a single one of the channels is determined to be used in accessing the memory in response to receipt of the first address if both the first and second addresses map to the single one of the channels. 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the applying the modulo-X based reduction to the address comprises including a channel number as input to the modulo-X based reduction. 10. The apparatus of claim 7, the control device configured to determine a longest string of consecutive bits having a value of one in the address, drop the longest string from the address, justify remaining bits in the address, and fill vacated bits in the address with ones to create a remapped address for the determined channel. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the determined channel has a non-power of two number of corresponding memory locations, and the control device configured to fill the vacated bits in the address based on one or more lookup tables including constants that indicate start addresses for address filling. 12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an additional number, Y, of channels to the memory, wherein X+Y is a non-power of two. 13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control device comprises X channel controllers, each of the channel controllers configured to receive the address corresponding to the memory and determine whether an associated channel is to be used in accessing the memory by applying the modulo-X based reduction to the address. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the address comprises a first address, each of the channel controllers comprises a match detect mechanism and a count remapping mechanism, the match detect mechanism configured to receive the first address and a count, calculate a second address from the first address and the count, and determine whether the associated channel is to be used in accessing the memory by applying the modulo-X based reduction to the first and second addresses, and the count remapping mechanism configured to receive the first address and the count and to remap the count. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, the count remapping mechanism further configured to index a third address within the associated channel. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, the count remapping mechanism configured to determine a longest string of consecutive bits having a value of one in the third address, drop the longest string from the third address, justify remaining bits in the third address, and fill vacated bits in the third address with ones to create a remapped address within the associated channel. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the associated channel has a non-power of two number of corresponding memory locations, and the count remapping mechanism configured to fill the vacated bits in the third address based on one or more lookup tables including constants that indicate start addresses for address filling. 18. A system comprising: a read-write memory; a non-power of two number, X, of channels to the read-write memory; and a control device configured to receive an address corresponding to the read-write memory and determine one or more of the channels to use in accessing the read-write memory by applying a modulo-X based reduction to the address. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the read-write memory comprises a random access memory. 20. The system of claim 18, further comprising multiple additional devices configured to access the read-write memory using the control device. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the multiple additional devices comprise multiple processors.

<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>A channel generally refers to a pathway between a computer system and other computing systems and/or other devices. Each of a computing system's channels is an independent unit that can transfer data at the same time as other channels. Each channel is typically assigned a segment of memory address space and can transfer data corresponding to its assigned memory address space. In this way, the computing system's processor may access different segments of memory via different channels without idling while the memory completes an access to one segment before beginning another memory access. This type of memory access is generally called interleaving.

Compounds

1-{4-[(1-Cyclobutyl-4-piperidinyl)oxy]phenyl}-4-{[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]carbonyl}piperazine or a derivative thereof.

1. 1-{4-[(1-Cyclobutyl-4-piperidinyl)oxy]phenyl}-4-{[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]carbonyl}piperazine or a derivative thereof. 2. Compound according to claim 1 or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof. 3. Compound according to claim 1 wherein the derivative is a salt. 4. A process for the preparation of a compound of formula (I) or a derivative thereof, the process comprising reacting a compound of formula (II) or a derivative thereof, with 4-(methylsulfonyl)-benzoic acid. 5. A pharmaceutical composition which comprises a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof optionally with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or excipients. 6. A pharmaceutical composition according to claim 5 which further comprises an H1 receptor antagonist. 7. A pharmaceutical combination comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof and a H1 receptor antagonist. 8. A method for the treatment or prophylaxis of inflammatory and/or allergic diseases which comprises administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof. 9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the disease is allergic rhinitis.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Allergic rhinitis, pulmonary inflammation and congestion are medical conditions that are often associated with other conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis. In general these conditions are mediated, at least in part, by inflammation associated with the release of histamine from various cells, in particular mast cells. Allergic rhinitis, also known as ‘hay fever’ affects a large proportion of the population worldwide. There are two types of allergic rhinitis, seasonal and perennial. The clinical symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis, typically include nasal itching and irritation, sneezing and watery rhinorrhea which is often accompanied by nasal congestion. The clinical symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis are similar except that nasal blockage may be more pronounced. Either type of allergic rhinitis may also cause other symptoms such as itching of the throat and/or eyes, epiphora and oedema around the eyes. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis may vary in intensity from the nuisance level to debilitating. Allergic rhinitis and other allergic conditions are associated with the release of histamine from various cell types but particularly mast cells. The physiological effects of histamine are classically mediated by three receptor subtypes, termed H1, H2 and H3. H1 receptors are widely distributed throughout the CNS and periphery, and are involved in wakefulness and acute inflammation. H2 receptors mediate gastric acid secretion in response to histamine. H3 receptors are present on the nerve endings in both the CNS and periphery and mediate inhibition of neurotransmitter release [Hill et al, Pharmacol. Rev. 49:253-278 (1997)]. Recently a fourth member of the histamine receptor family has been identified, termed the H4 receptor [Hough, Mol. Pharmacol. 59: 415-419, (2001)]. Whilst the distribution of the H4 receptor appears to be restricted to cells of the immune and inflammatory systems, a physiological role for this receptor remains to be identified. The activation of H1 receptors in blood vessels and nerve endings are responsible for many of the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, which include itching, sneezing, and the production of watery rhinorrhea. Antihistamine compounds, i.e. drugs which are selective H1 receptor antagonists such as chlorphenyramine and cetirizine, are effective in treating the itching, sneezing and rhinorrhea associated with allergic rhinitis, but are not effective against the nasal congestion symptoms [Aaronson, Ann. Allergy, 67:541-547, (1991)]. Histamine H3 receptors are expressed widely on both CNS and peripheral nerve endings and mediate the inhibition of neurotransmitter release. In vitro electrical stimulation of peripheral sympathetic nerves in isolated human saphenous vein results in an increase in noradrenaline release and smooth muscle contraction, which can be inhibited by histamine H3 receptor agonists [Molderings et al, Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol., 346: 46-50, (1992); Valentine et al,. Eur. J. Pharmacol., 366: 73-78, (1999)]. H3 receptor agonists also inhibit the effect of sympathetic nerve activation on vascular tone in porcine nasal mucosa [Varty & Hey. Eur. J. Pharmacol., 452:339-345, (2002)]. In vivo, H3 receptor agonists inhibit the decrease in nasal airway resistance produced by sympathetic nerve activation [Hey et al, Arzneim-Forsch Drug Res., 48:881-888 (1998)]. Activation of histamine H3 receptors in human nasal mucosa inhibits sympathetic vasoconstriction [Varty et al. Eur. J. Pharmacol., 484:83-89, (2004)]. Furthermore, H3 receptor antagonists in combination with histamine H1 receptor antagonists have been shown to reverse the effects of mast cell activation on nasal airway resistance and nasal cavity volume, an index of nasal congestion [Mcleod et al, Am. J. Rhinol., 13:391-399, (1999)], and further evidence for the contribution of H3 receptors to histamine-induced nasal blockage is provided by histamine nasal challenge studies performed on normal human subjects [Taylor-Clark et al. British J. Pharmacol., 1-8 (2005)]. The present invention relates to a compound (or derivative thereof) that is a histamine H3 receptor antagonist and/or inverse agonist. This compound may be useful in the treatment of various diseases in particular inflammatory and/or allergic diseases, such as inflammatory and/or allergic diseases of the respiratory tract, for example allergic rhinitis, that are associated with the release of histamine from cells such as mast cells. Further, the compound (or derivative thereof) of the invention may show an improved profile over known H3 antagonists/inverse agonists in that it may possess one or more of the following properties: (i) potent H3 antagonist/inverse agonist activity with a pKi of greater than about 9.5; (ii) approximately 10,000 fold selective for the H3 receptor over the H1 receptor; (iii) low CNS penetration; (iv) improved bioavailability; and (v) lower clearance and/or longer half-life in blood. Compounds having such a profile may be orally effective, and/or capable of once daily administration and/or further may have an improved side effect profile compared with other existing therapies.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Thus the present invention provides, in a first aspect, the compound 1{4-[(1-cyclobutyl-4-piperidinyl)oxy]phenyl}-4-{[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]carbonyl}piperazine or a derivative thereof, such as a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative. It is to be further understood that the present invention covers the compound of formula (I) as the free base and as a derivative thereof e.g. a salt, such as a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative e.g. a pharmaceutically acceptable salt. As used herein, the term “pharmaceutically acceptable derivative”, means any pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate of a compound of the invention, which upon administration to the recipient is capable of providing (directly or indirectly) a compound of the invention, or an active metabolite or residue thereof. Such derivatives are recognizable to those skilled in the art, without undue experimentation. Nevertheless, reference is made to the teaching of Burger's Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery, 5 th Edition, Vol 1: Principles and Practice, which is incorporated herein by reference to the extent of teaching such derivatives. Representative pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives are salts and solvates particularly. It will be appreciated that many organic compounds can form complexes with solvents in which they are reacted or from which they are precipitated or crystallized. These complexes are known as “solvates”. For example, a complex with water is known as a “hydrate”. Solvates of the compound of the invention are within the scope of the invention. The compounds of the present invention may be in the form of and/or may be administered as a pharmaceutically acceptable salt. For a review on suitable salts see Berge et al., J. Pharm. Sci., 1977, 66, 1-19. Typically, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt may be readily prepared by using a desired acid as appropriate. The salt may precipitate from solution and be collected by filtration or may be recovered by evaporation of the solvent. A pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt can be formed by reaction of a compound of formula (I) with a suitable inorganic or organic acid (such as hydrobromic, hydrochloric, formic, sulfuric, nitric, phosphoric, succinic, maleic, acetic, fumaric, citric, tartaric, benzoic, p-toluenesulfonic, methanesulfonic or naphthalenesulfonic acid), optionally in a suitable solvent such as an organic solvent, to give the salt which is usually isolated for example by crystallisation and filtration. Thus, a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt of a compound of formula (I) can be for example a hydrobromide, hydrochloride, formate, sulfate, nitrate, phosphate, succinate, maleate, acetate, fumarate, citrate, tartrate, benzoate, p-toluenesulfonate, methanesulfonate or naphthalenesulfonate salt. Other non-pharmaceutically acceptable salts, eg. oxalates or trifluoroacetates, may be used, for example in the isolation of compounds of the invention, and are included within the scope of this invention. The invention includes within its scope all possible stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric forms of the salts of the compounds of formula (I). Included within the scope of the invention are all solvates, hydrates, complexes and polymorphic forms of the compound of the invention and derivatives (e.g. salts) thereof. The present invention also provides a process for the preparation of a compound of formula (I) or a derivative thereof. Thus a compound of formula (I) may be prepared by reacting a compound of formula (II) or a derivative thereof such as a salt, for example an acid addition salt, with 4-(methylsulfonyl)benzoic acid, optionally in the presence of a suitable base such as triethylamine and a suitable coupling agent such as O-(benzotriazol-1-yl)-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyluronium tetrafluoroborate (TBTU), in an appropriate solvent such as dichloromethane. Alternatively acylation can be achieved using 4-(methylsulfonyl)benzoyl chloride optionally in the presence of a suitable base such as triethylamine, in an appropriate solvent such as dichloromethane. Compounds of formula (II) may be prepared in accordance with the following reaction scheme: a) di-tert-butyl dicarbonate, dimethylformamide; b) di-tert-butyl azodicarboxylate, triphenyl phosphine, benzyl 4-hydroxy-1-piperidinecarboxylate, dichloromethane; c) H 2 , 10% palladium on carbon, ethanol; d) sodium triacetoxyborohydride, cyclobutanone, dichloromethane; e) 4M HCl/dioxane, dichloromethane. A compound of formula (VII) [56621-48-8] is available from Acros, Avocado and Lancaster and 4-(methylsulfonyl)-benzoic acid [4052-30-6] is available from Aldrich and Acros. A compound of formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof may also be synthesised by the methods described in WO 2004/035556 (see Example 292, step 4 thereof which is a compound of formula (II).) Examples of protecting groups that may be employed in the synthetic routes descrbied and the means for their removal can be found in T. W. Greene ‘Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis’ (3rd edition, J. Wiley and Sons, 1999). Suitable amine protecting groups include sulphonyl (e.g. tosyl), acyl (e.g. acetyl, 2′,2′,2′-trichloroethoxycarbonyl, benzyloxycarbonyl or t-butoxycarbonyl) and arylalkyl (e.g. benzyl), which may be removed by hydrolysis (e.g. using an acid such as hydrogen chloride in dioxan or trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane) or reductively (e.g. hydrogenolysis of a benzyl group or reductive removal of a 2′,2′,2′-trichloroethoxycarbonyl group using zinc in acetic acid) as appropriate. Other suitable amine protecting groups include trifluoroacetyl (—COCF 3 ) which may be removed by base catalysed hydrolysis or a solid phase resin bound benzyl group, such as a Merrifield resin bound 2,6-dimethoxybenzyl group (ElIman linker), which may be removed by acid catalysed hydrolysis, for example with trifluoroacetic acid. Examples of disease states in which a compound of formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof may have potentially beneficial anti-inflammatory and/or anti-allergic effects include diseases of the respiratory tract such as bronchitis (including chronic bronchitis), asthma (including allergen-induced asthmatic reactions), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, sinusitis and allergic rhinitis (seasonal and perennial). Other disease states include diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as intestinal inflammatory diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (e.g. Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) and intestinal inflammatory diseases secondary to radiation exposure or allergen exposure. Furthermore, compounds of the invention may be of use in the treatment of nephritis, skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, allergic dermatitis and hypersensitivity reactions. Compounds of the invention may also be of use in the treatment of nasal polyposis, conjunctivitis or pruritis. Further diseases include inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as inflammatory bowel disease. A disease of particular interest is allergic rhinitis. Compounds that are antagonists and/or inverse agonists of the H3 receptor may also be of use in other diseases in which activation of the H3 receptor may be implicated. Such diseases may include non-allergic rhinitis. References above to a compound and/or compounds of the invention are intended to include all derivatives thereof, particularly pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives such as pharmaceutically acceptable salts. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that references herein to treatment or therapy extend to prophylaxis as well as the treatment of established conditions. As mentioned above, compounds of formula (I) are useful as therapeutic agents. There is thus provided, as a further aspect of the invention, a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof for use in therapy. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided the use of a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of any of the above diseases. In a further or alternative aspect there is provided a method for the treatment of any of the above diseases, in a human or animal subject in need thereof, which method comprises administering an effective amount of a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof. When used in therapy, the compounds of formula (I) are usually formulated in a suitable pharmaceutical composition. Such compositions can be prepared using standard procedures. Thus, the present invention further provides a pharmaceutical composition which comprises a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof optionally with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or excipients. A pharmaceutical composition of the invention, which may be prepared by admixture, suitably at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, is usually adapted for oral, parenteral or rectal administration and, as such, may be in the form of tablets, capsules, oral liquid preparations, powders, granules, lozenges, reconstitutable powders, injectable or infusible solutions or suspensions or suppositories. Orally administrable compositions are generally preferred. Tablets and capsules for oral administration may be in unit dose form, and may contain conventional excipients, such as binding agents, fillers, tabletting lubricants, disintegrants and acceptable wetting agents. The tablets may be coated according to methods well known in normal pharmaceutical practice. Oral liquid preparations may be in the form of, for example, aqueous or oily suspension, solutions, emulsions, syrups or elixirs, or may be in the form of a dry product for reconstitution with water or other suitable vehicle before use. Such liquid preparations may contain conventional additives such as suspending agents, emulsifying agents, non-aqueous vehicles (which may include edible oils), preservatives, and, if desired, conventional flavourings or colorants. For parenteral administration, fluid unit dosage forms are prepared utilising a compound of the invention or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a sterile vehicle. The compound, depending on the vehicle and concentration used, can be either suspended or dissolved in the vehicle. In preparing solutions, the compound can be dissolved for injection and filter sterilised before filling into a suitable vial or ampoule and sealing. Advantageously, adjuvants such as a local anaesthetic, preservatives and buffering agents are dissolved in the vehicle. To enhance the stability, the composition can be frozen after filling into the vial and the water removed under vacuum. Parenteral suspensions are prepared in substantially the same manner, except that the compound is suspended in the vehicle instead of being dissolved, and sterilisation cannot be accomplished by filtration. The compound can be sterilised by exposure to ethylene oxide before suspension in a sterile vehicle. A surfactant or wetting agent may be included in the composition to facilitate uniform distribution of the compound. The composition may contain from about 0.1% to 99% by weight, such as from about 10 to 60% by weight, of the active material, depending on the method of administration. The dose of the compound used in the treatment of the aforementioned disorders will vary in the usual way with the seriousness of the disorders, the weight of the sufferer, and other similar factors. However, as a general guide suitable unit doses may be about 0.05 to 1000 mg, more suitably about 1.0 to 200 mg, and such unit doses may be administered more than once a day, for example two or three a day. Such therapy may extend for a number of weeks or months. In one embodiment compounds and pharmaceutical composition according to the invention are suitable for oral administration and/or are capable of once daily administration. The compound and pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention may be used in combination with or include one or more other therapeutic agents, for example selected from anti-inflammatory agents, anticholinergic agents (particularly an M 1 /M 2 /M 3 receptor antagonist), β 2 -adrenoreceptor agonists, antiinfective agents such as antibiotics or antivirals, or other antihistamines. The invention thus provides, in a further aspect, a combination comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof such as a salt or solvate together with one or more other therapeutically active agents, for example selected from an anti-inflammatory agent such as a corticosteroid or an NSAID, an anticholinergic agent, a β 2 -adrenoreceptor agonist, an antiinfective agent such as an antibiotic or an antiviral, or another antihistamine. Combinations comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or derivative thereof together with a corticosteroid and/or another antihistamine form yet another aspect of the present invention. The combinations of the invention may optionally include one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or excipients as desired. Of particular interest is a combination comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof together with an H1 antagonist. Suitable H1 antagonists include without limitation astemizole, azatadine, azelastine, acrivastine, brompheniramine, cetirizine, levocetirizine, efletirizine, chlorpheniramine, clemastine, cyclizine, carebastine, cyproheptadine, carbinoxamine, descarboethoxyloratadine, doxylamine, dimethindene, ebastine, epinastine, efletirizine, fexofenadine, hydroxyzine, ketotifen, loratadine, levocabastine, mizolastine, mequitazine, mianserin, noberastine, meclizine, norastemizole, picumast, pyrilamine, promethazine, terfenadine, tripelennamine, temelastine, trimeprazine and triprolidine, particularly cetirizine, levocetirizine, efletirizine and fexofenadine. Examples of β 2 -adrenoreceptor agonists include salmeterol (which may be a racemate or a single enantiomer, such as the R-enantiomer), salbutamol, formoterol, salmefamol, fenoterol or terbutaline and salts thereof, for example the xinafoate salt of salmeterol, the sulphate salt or free base of salbutamol or the fumarate salt of formoterol. Long-acting β2-adrenoreceptor agonists, especially those having a therapeutic effect over a 24 hour period, such as salmeterol or formoterol may be preferred. Exemplary long acting β 2 -adrenoreceptor agonists include those described in WO02/66422A, WO02/270490, WO02/076933, WO03/024439 and WO03/072539. Anti-inflammatory agents include corticosteroids. Corticosteroids which may be used in combination with the compounds of the invention are those oral and inhaled corticosteroids and their pro-drugs which have anti-inflammatory activity. Examples include methyl prednisolone, prednisolone, dexamethasone, fluticasone propionate, 6α,9α-difluoro-17α-[(2-furanylcarbonyl)oxy]-11β-hydroxy-16α-methyl-3-oxo-androsta-1,4-diene-17β-carbothioic acid S-fluoromethyl ester, 6α,9α-difluoro-11β-hydroxy-16α-methyl-3-oxo-17α-propionyloxy-androsta-1,4-diene-17β-carbothioic acid S-(2-oxo-tetrahydro-furan-3S-yl) ester, 6α,9α-difluoro-11β-hydroxy-16α-methyl-17α-(1-methylcylopropylcarbonyl)oxy-3-oxo-androsta-1,4-diene-17β-carbothioic acid S-fluoromethyl ester, 6α,9α-difluoro-11β-hydroxy-16α-methyl-3-oxo-17α-(2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropylcarbonyl)oxy-androsta-1,4-diene-17β-carboxylic acid cyanomethyl ester, beclomethasone esters (such as the 17-propionate ester or the 17,21-dipropionate ester), budesonide, flunisolide, mometasone esters (such as the furoate ester), triamcinolone acetonide, rofleponide, ciclesonide, (16α, 17-[[(R)-cyclohexylmethylene]bis(oxy)]-11β,21-dihydroxy-pregna-1,4-diene-3,20-dione), butixocort propionate, RPR-106541, and ST-126. Preferred corticosteroids include fluticasone propionate, 6α,9α-difluoro-11β-hydroxy-16α-methyl-17α-[(4-methyl-1,3-thiazole-5-carbonyl)oxy]-3-oxo-androsta-1,4-diene-17β-carbothioic acid S-fluoromethyl ester and 6α,9α-difluoro-17α-[(2-furanylcarbonyl)oxy]-11β-hydroxy-16α-methyl-3-oxo-androsta-1,4-diene-17β-carbothioic acid S-fluoromethyl ester, more preferably 6α,9α-difluoro-17α-[(2-furanylcarbonyl)oxy]-11β-hydroxy-16α-methyl-3-oxo-androsta-1,4-diene-17β-carbothioic acid S-fluoromethyl ester. Non-steroidal compounds having glucocorticoid agonism that may possess selectivity for transrepression over transactivation and that may be useful in combination therapy include those covered in the following patents: WO03/082827, WO01/10143, WO98/54159, WO04/005229, WO04/009016, WO04/009017, WO04/018429, WO03/104195, WO03/082787, WO03/082280, WO03/059899, WO03/101932, WO02/02565, WO01/16128, WO00/66590, WO03/086294, WO04/026248, WO03/061651, WO03/08277. Anti-inflammatory agents include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's). NSAID's include sodium cromoglycate, nedocromil sodium, phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors (e.g. theophylline, PDE4 inhibitors or mixed PDE3/PDE4 inhibitors), leukotriene antagonists, inhibitors of leukotriene synthesis (eg. montelukast), iNOS inhibitors, tryptase and elastase inhibitors, beta-2 integrin antagonists and adenosine receptor agonists or antagonists (e.g. adenosine 2a agonists), cytokine antagonists (e.g. chemokine antagonists, such as a CCR3 antagonist) or inhibitors of cytokine synthesis, or 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors. An iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) is preferably for oral administration. iNOS inhibitors include those disclosed in WO93/13055, WO98/30537, WO02/50021, WO95/34534 and WO99/62875. Suitable CCR3 inhibitors include those disclosed in WO02/26722. PDE4-specific inhibitors that may be useful in this aspect of the invention include any compound that is known to inhibit the PDE4 enzyme or which is discovered to act as a PDE4 inhibitor, and which are only PDE4 inhibitors, not compounds which inhibit other members of the PDE family, such as PDE3 and PDE5, as well as PDE4. Compounds of potential interest include cis-4-cyano-4-(3-cyclopentyloxy-4-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexan-1-carboxylic acid, 2-carbomethoxy-4-cyano-4-(3-cyclopropylmethoxy-4-difluoromethoxyphenyl)cyclohexan-1-one and cis-[4-cyano-4-(3-cyclopropylmethoxy-4-difluoromethoxyphenyl)cyclohexan-1-ol]. Also, cis-4-cyano-4-[3-(cyclopentyloxy)-4-methoxyphenyl]cyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid (also known as cilomilast) and its salts, esters, pro-drugs or physical forms, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,438 issued 03 Sep., 1996; this patent and the compounds it discloses are incorporated herein in full by reference. AWD-12-281 from Elbion (Hofgen, N. et al. 15th EFMC Int Symp Med Chem (Sep. 6-10, Edinburgh) 1998, Abst P.98; CAS reference No. 247584020-9); a 9-benzyladenine derivative nominated NCS-613 (INSERM); D-4418 from Chiroscience and Schering-Plough; a benzodiazepine PDE4 inhibitor identified as Cl-1018 (PD-168787) and attributed to Pfizer; a benzodioxole derivative disclosed by Kyowa Hakko in WO99/16766; K-34 from Kyowa Hakko; V-11294A from Napp (Landells, L. J. et al. Eur Resp J [Annu Cong Eur Resp Soc (Sep. 19-23, Geneva) 1998] 1998, 12 (Suppl. 28): Abst P2393); roflumilast (CAS reference No 162401-32-3) and a pthalazinone (WO99/47505, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference) from Byk-Gulden; Pumafentrine, (-)-p-[(4aR*,10bS*)-9-ethoxy-1,2,3,4,4a,10b-hexahydro-8-methoxy-2-methylbenzo[c][1,6]naphthyridin-6-yl]-N,N-diisopropylbenzamide which is a mixed PDE3/PDE4 inhibitor which has been prepared and published on by Byk-Gulden, now Altana; arofylline under development by Almirall-Prodesfarma; VM554/UM565 from Vernalis; or T440 (Tanabe Seiyaku; Fuji, K. et al. J Pharmacol Exp Ther,1998, 284(1): 162), and T2585. Further compounds of interest are disclosed in the published international patent application WO04/024728 (Glaxo Group Ltd), PCT/EP2003/014867 (Glaxo Group Ltd) and PCT/EP2004/005494 (Glaxo Group Ltd). Anticholinergic agents are those compounds that act as antagonists at the muscarinic receptors, in particular those compounds which are antagonists of the M 1 or M 3 receptors, dual antagonists of the M 1 /M 3 or M 2 /M 3 , receptors or pan-antagonists of the M 1 /M 2 /M 3 receptors. Exemplary compounds for administration via inhalation include ipratropium (for example, as the bromide, CAS 22254-24-6, sold under the name Atrovent), oxitropium (for example, as the bromide, CAS 30286-75-0) and tiotropium (for example, as the bromide, CAS 136310-93-5, sold under the name Spiriva). Also of interest are revatropate (for example, as the hydrobromide, CAS 262586-79-8) and LAS-34273 which is disclosed in WO01/04118. Exemplary compounds for oral administration include pirenzepine (for example, CAS 28797-61-7), darifenacin (for example, CAS 133099-04-4, or CAS 133099-07-7 for the hydrobromide sold under the name Enablex), oxybutynin (for example, CAS 5633-20-5, sold under the name Ditropan), terodiline (for example, CAS 1579340-5), tolterodine (for example, CAS 124937-51-5, or CAS 124937-52-6 for the tartrate, sold under the name Detrol), otilonium (for example, as the bromide, CAS 26095-59-0, sold under the name Spasmomen), trospium chloride (for example, CAS 10405-O 2 -4) and solifenacin (for example, CAS 242478-37-1, or CAS 242478-38-2, or the succinate also known as YM-905 and sold under the name Vesicare). Other anticholinergic agents include compounds of formula (XXI), which are disclosed in U.S. patent application 60/487,981: in which the preferred orientation of the alkyl chain attached to the tropane ring is endo; R 31 and R 32 are, independently, selected from the group consisting of straight or branched chain lower alkyl groups having preferably from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups having from 5 to 6 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl-alkyl having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, 2-thienyl, 2-pyridyl, phenyl, phenyl substituted with an alkyl group having not in excess of 4 carbon atoms and phenyl substituted with an alkoxy group having not in excess of 4 carbon atoms; X − represents an anion associated with the positive charge of the N atom. X − may be but is not limited to chloride, bromide, iodide, sulfate, benzene sulfonate, and toluene sulfonate, including, for example: (3-endo)-3-(2,2-di-2-thienylethenyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1]octane bromide; (3-endo)-3-(2,2-diphenylethenyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1]octane bromide; (3-endo)-3-(2,2-diphenylethenyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1]octane 4-methylbenzenesulfonate; (3-endo)-8,8-dimethyl-3-[2-phenyl-2-(2-thienyl)ethenyl]-8-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1]octane bromide; and/or (3-endo)-8,8-dimethyl-3-[2-phenyl-2-(2-pyridinyl)ethenyl]-8-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1]octane bromide. Further anticholinergic agents include compounds of formula (XXII) or (XXIII), which are disclosed in U.S. patent application 60/511,009: wherein: the H atom indicated is in the exo position; R 41− represents an anion associated with the positive charge of the N atom. R 1− may be but is not limited to chloride, bromide, iodide, sulfate, benzene sulfonate and toluene sulfonate; R 42 and R 43 are independently selected from the group consisting of straight or branched chain lower alkyl groups (having preferably from 1 to 6 carbon atoms), cycloalkyl groups (having from 5 to 6 carbon atoms), cycloalkyl-alkyl (having 6 to 10 carbon atoms), heterocycloalkyl (having 5 to 6 carbon atoms) and N or O as the heteroatom, heterocycloalkyl-alkyl (having 6 to 10 carbon atoms) and N or O as the heteroatom, aryl, optionally substituted aryl, heteroaryl, and optionally substituted heteroaryl; R 44 is selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 3 -C 12 )cycloalkyl, (C 3 -C 7 )heterocycloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl(C 3 -C 12 )cycloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl(C 3 -C 7 )heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl-aryl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl-heteroaryl, —OR 45 , —CH 2 OR 45 , —CH 2 OH, —CN, —CF 3 , —CH 2 O(CO)R 46 , —CO 2 R 47 , —CH 2 NH 2 , —CH 2 N(R 47 )SO 2 R 45 , —SO 2 N(R 47 )(R 48 ), —CON(R 47 )(R 48 ), —CH 2 N(R 48 )CO(R 46 ), —CH 2 N(R 48 )SO 2 (R 46 ), —CH 2 N(R 48 )CO 2 (R 45 ), —CH 2 N(R 48 )CONH(R 47 ); R 45 is selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl(C 3 -C 12 )cycloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl(C 3 -C 7 )heterocycloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl-aryl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl-heteroaryl; R 46 is selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 3 -C 12 )cycloalkyl, (C 3 -C 7 )heterocycloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl(C 3 -C 12 )cycloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl(C 3 -C 7 )heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl-aryl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl-heteroaryl; R 47 and R 48 are, independently, selected from the group consisting of H, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl, (C 3 -C 12 )cycloalkyl, (C 3 -C 7 )heterocycloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl(C 3 -C 12 )cycloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl(C 3 -C 7 )heterocycloalkyl, (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl-aryl, and (C 1 -C 6 )alkyl-heteroaryl, including, for example: (Endo)-3-(2-methoxy-2,2-di-thiophen-2-yl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane iodide; 3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propionitrile; (Endo)-8-methyl-3-(2,2,2-triphenyl-ethyl)-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane; 3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propionamide; 3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propionic acid; (Endo)-3-(2-cyano-2,2-diphenyl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane iodide; (Endo)-3-(2-cyano-2,2-diphenyl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane bromide; 3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propan-1-ol; N-Benzyl-3-((endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propionamide; (Endo)-3-(2-carbamoyl-2,2-diphenyl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane iodide; 1-Benzyl-3-[3-((endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propyl]-urea; 1-Ethyl-3-[3-((endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propyl]-urea; N-[3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propyl]-acetamide; N-[3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propyl]-benzamide; 3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-di-thiophen-2-yl-propionitrile; (Endo)-3-(2-cyano-2,2-di-thiophen-2-yl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane iodide; N-[3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propyl]-benzenesulfonamide; [3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propyl]-urea; N-[3-((Endo)-8-methyl-8-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl)-2,2-diphenyl-propyl]-methanesulfonamide; and/or (Endo)-3-{2,2-diphenyl-3-[(1-phenyl-methanoyl)-amino]-propyl}-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane bromide. More preferred compounds thast may be useful in the present invention include: (Endo)-3-(2-methoxy-2,2-di-thiophen-2-yl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane iodide; (Endo)-3-(2-cyano-2,2-diphenyl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane iodide; (Endo)-3-(2-cyano-2,2-diphenyl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane bromide; (Endo)-3-(2-carbamoyl-2,2-diphenyl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane iodide; (Endo)-3-(2-cyano-2,2-di-thiophen-2-yl-ethyl)-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane iodide; and/or (Endo)-3-{2,2-diphenyl-3-[(1-phenyl-methanoyl)-amino]-propyl}-8,8-dimethyl-8-azonia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane bromide. Preferred combinations are those comprising one or two other therapeutic agents in addition to the compound of the invention. The invention thus provides, in a further aspect, a combination comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof such as a salt, together with a PDE4 inhibitor. The invention thus provides, in a further aspect, a combination comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof such as a salt, together with a β 2 -adrenoreceptor agonist. The invention thus provides, in a further aspect, a combination comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof such as a salt, together with an anticholinergic. The invention thus provides, in a further aspect, a combination comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof such as a salt, together with a H1 receptor antagonist. The invention thus provides, in a further aspect, a combination comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof such as a salt, together with a corticosteroid. The invention thus provides, in a further aspect, a combination comprising a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof such as a salt, together with a A2a receptor agonist. The combinations referred to above may conveniently be presented for use in the form of a pharmaceutical composition and thus pharmaceutical compositions comprising a combination as defined above together with a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent or carrier represent a further aspect of the invention. The individual compounds of such combinations may be administered either sequentially or simultaneously in separate or combined pharmaceutical compositions. Suitably, the individual compounds will be administered simultaneously in a combined pharmaceutical composition. Appropriate doses of known therapeutic agents will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that, where appropriate, the other therapeutic ingredient(s) may be used in the form of salts, for example as alkali metal or amine salts or as acid addition salts, or prodrugs, or as esters, for example lower alkyl esters, or as solvates, for example hydrates, to optimise the activity and/or stability and/or physical characteristics, such as solubility, of the therapeutic ingredient. It will be clear also that, where appropriate, the therapeutic ingredients may be used in optically pure form. The following Descriptions and Examples illustrate the preparation of compounds of the invention. The Examples are not to be considered as limiting the scope of the invention in any way. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

System and method for providing cooling systems with heat exchangers

A cooling system is provided with a heat exchanger that has a thermally conductive tube over-molded with a plurality of thermally conductive fins. To form the heat exchanger, a thermally conductive tube is provided. Insert molding, over molding or injection molding is utilized to incorporate thermally conductive fins with the thermally conductive tubes. The molding process may also simultaneously create any required features, such as mounting features and fittings for tubing to be connected to the heat exchanger.

1. A method for providing a heat exchanger, the method comprising: providing a thermally conductive tube; incorporating a plurality of thermally conductive fins with the thermally conductive tube, wherein at least one of insert molding, over molding and injection molding process is utilized to incorporate the thermally conductive fins with the thermally conductive tube. 2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising incorporating a feature with the thermally conductive fins, the feature being molded during the process of molding the thermally conductive plastic fins. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the feature is a mounting feature for incorporating a fan. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising incorporating a fan with the heat exchanger, wherein the fan provides force convection. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the feature is a mounting feature for incorporating a chassis 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising incorporating a chassis with the heat exchanger. 7. The method for claim 1, the method further comprising incorporating a feature with the thermally conductive tube, the feature being molded during the process of molding the thermally conductive plastic fins. 8. The method for claim 7, wherein the feature is a tubing fitting 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive tube is a liquid carrying metal tube. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive tube is a liquid carrying plastic tube. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive fins are made of plastic. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein intimate surface contact is achieved between the thermally conductive fins and the thermally conductive fins through the molding process. 13. A heat exchanger, comprising: a thermally conductive tube; a plurality of thermally conductive fins incorporated with the thermally conductive tube, wherein at least one of insert molding, over molding and injection molding process is utilized to incorporate the thermally conductive fins with the thermally conductive tube. 14. The heat exchanger of claim 13, further comprising at least one feature incorporated with the thermally conductive fins, the feature being molded during the process of molding the thermally conductive plastic fins. 15. The heat exchanger of claim 14, wherein the feature is a mounting feature for incorporating a fan. 16. The heat exchanger of claim 15, further comprising a fan that provides force convection. 17. The heat exchanger of claim 14, wherein the feature is a mounting feature for incorporating a chassis 18. The heat exchanger of claim 17, further comprising a chassis. 19. The heat exchanger of claim 13, further comprising at least one feature incorporated with the thermally conductive tube, the feature being molded during the process of molding the thermally conductive plastic fins. 20. The heat exchanger of claim 19, wherein the feature is a tubing fitting 21. The heat exchanger of claim 14, wherein the thermally conductive tube is a liquid carrying metal tube. 22. The heat exchanger of claim 14, wherein the thermally conductive fins are made of plastic. 23. The heat exchanger of claim 14, wherein the thermally conductive fins has a straight pattern. 24. The heat exchanger of claim 14, wherein the thermally conductive fins has a radial pattern. 25. A cooling system, comprising: a surface to be cooled; a conductive block that is in close proximity to the surface to be cooled, the conductive block acting to remove heat from the surface; a heat exchanger including a thermally conductive tube and a plurality of thermally conductive fins, the plurality of thermally conductive fins being molded over the thermally conductive tube by at least one of insert molding, over molding and injection molding; a fan that creates force convection to remove heat from the heat exchanger; and a tubing that circulates coolant between the conductive block and the heat exchanger, wherein the coolant is heated at the conductive block and cooled at the heat exchanger. 26. The cooling system of claim 25, wherein the heat exchanger further comprises at least one feature incorporated with the thermally conductive fins, the feature being molded during the process of molding the thermally conductive plastic fins. 27. The cooling system of claim 26, wherein the feature is a mounting feature for incorporating a fan. 28. The cooling system of claim 26, wherein the feature is a mounting feature for incorporating a chassis. 29. The cooling system of claim 25, further comprising at least one feature incorporated with the thermally conductive tube, the feature being molded during the process of molding the thermally conductive plastic fins. 30. The cooling system of claim 29, wherein the feature is a tubing fitting

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to cooling systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing cooling systems with heat exchangers, wherein the cooling system is preferably a liquid cooling system that lowers the temperature of an integrated circuit package or surfaces of semiconductor devices. 2. Discussion of the Related Art In recent years, electronic devices and systems have been made to operate with faster and faster speed. Rapid development in high power integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as high-end processors or processors for high power systems, are made to meet the increasing demands on fast performance and decrease size of electronic systems. The demands have led to a decrease in the size and weight of chips, while at the same time the number of elements on the chips has grown considerably. This leads to increase in heat generation. Generally, there are two categories of cooling mechanisms for an electronic system: air cooling and liquid cooling. Air cooling has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive and easy to incorporate into most system designs. Air cooling is implemented for most of the low to medium power electronic systems, and it is further divided into natural convection cooling and forced convention cooling. Natural convection cooling is usually implemented for extremely low power systems, where thermal density variations caused by heating of the systems induce air movement sufficient to carry away excess heat. On the other hand, for systems with higher power levels, forced convection cooling is utilized with a fan or blower that creates air flow, which enhances heat transfer coefficients and increases the amount of heat dissipation. As the performance of the IC chips become faster and the elements on the IC chips become denser, power dissipation and heat generation by the IC chips increases. While air cooling is sufficient for most low to medium power electronic systems, the increase in heat generation in high power electronic systems and high-end processors is driving a requirement for liquid cooling solutions. Two types of liquid cooling are generally implemented: direct liquid cooling and indirect liquid cooling. In direct liquid cooling, the chips come in direct contact with the coolant, whereas in indirect liquid cooling, heat transfer is accomplished via an indirect manner and the chips do not come in contact with the coolant. Instead, a heat exchanger may be implemented to remove heat from the liquid, indirectly removing heat from the chips. Of the two types of liquid cooling mechanisms, direct liquid cooling is by far the most effective, but it runs into the problems of selecting an electrically nonconductive coolant and degradation of coolant because of chemical reactions. On the other hand, the current method of implementing an indirect liquid cooling involves complicated and time-consuming manufacturing processes, making it expensive for mainstream applications to adapt liquid cooling solutions as means of dissipating heat. One of the complicated and time-consuming manufacturing processes is associated with the making of a heat exchanger that is specifically adapted for a liquid cooling system. A heat exchanger serves to radiate heat from the liquid flowing therethrough. FIG. 1 shows a top view of a prior art design of a heat exchanger 9 in a liquid cooling system. The prior art heat exchanger 9 is made of metal, and it comprises vertical metal fins 5 , metal base tubes 3 and tube elbows 7 . The prior art heat exchanger 9 is connected to tubing 1 , which carries hot liquid generated from one portion of the liquid cooling system into the metal base tubes 3 . The tube elbows 7 connect neighboring metal base tubes 3 with one another, allowing hot liquid to flow readily through all the metal base tubes 3 of the prior art heat exchanger 9 . The vertical metal fins 5 run through the metal base tubes 3 , serving to more efficiently radiate heat from the hot liquid as it flows through the metal base tubes 3 . Thus, the metal base tubes 3 conducts hot liquid through an array of the horizontal metal fins 5 through a series of bends 7 . A metal frame 8 is also assembled over the metal fins 5 to provide additional strength and mounting features. FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the prior art heat exchanger 9 with horizontal metal fins 5 . To form the prior art heat exchanger 9 , the metal fins 5 need to be first formed and then assemble onto the metal base tubes 3 . The manufacturing and assembly require a number of steps to be performed. For example, stamping is needed to form thin metal fins. Additionally, holes 4 need to be introduced in the metal fins 5 to allow tube insertion of the metal base tubes 3 through the metal fins 5 . To provide proper seal, the metal fins 5 are then either pressed fit or brazed to the metal base tubes 3 . Sometimes, the metal base tubes 3 are required to be inserted through the metal fins 5 prior to the tube elbows 7 being soldered into place, which further complicates the assembly process. Furthermore, mounting features, such as brackets and screw holes, need to be assembled onto the subassembly as a final step. These manufacturing and assembly processes are complicated and time-consuming, making the prior art heat exchanger 9 expensive to make and labor intensive and not scalable to high volume manufacturing (HVM). Therefore, there is a need for a new system and method of providing liquid cooling system that is less complicated to construct, which would be less expensive by being machine intensive instead of labor intensive in high volume manufacturing.

<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention: FIG. 1 shows a top view of a prior art design of a heat exchanger with metal fins in a liquid cooling system; FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a prior art design of a heat exchanger with metal fins in a liquid cooling system; FIG. 3 shows an illustrative example of a liquid cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 shows a heat exchanger with fins in a radial pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 shows a heat exchanger with straight fins according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIGS. 6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) illustrate processes for providing a heat exchanger with molded thermally conductive fins according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 7 shows a heat exchanger with a fan installed according to an embodiment of the present invention. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

Vibration resistant interferometry

Scanning interferometry methods and related systems are described in which scanning interferometry data for a test object is provided. The data typically include intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object. The intensity values for each spatial location typically define an interference signal for the spatial location. The intensity values for a common scan position typically define a data set for that scan position. Scan values are provided for each scan position. In general, scan value increments between various scan values are non-uniform (e.g., different). Information is determined about the test object based on the scanning interferometry data and scan values. Typically, the determination includes transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values.

1. A method comprising: providing scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position; providing a scan value for each scan position, wherein increments between the scan values are non-uniform; transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values; and determining information about the test object based on the transformed interference signals. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values comprises transforming the at least some interference signals over a range of scan positions greater than a coherence length of a light source used to generate the scanning interferometry data. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning interferometry data were acquired using a light source having a center frequency and the light source has a spectral width greater than 2% of the center frequency. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the scan values are determined based on the scanning interferometry data and an initial estimate of values for the scan positions. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning interferometry data are obtained by a method comprising using an optic to receive light reflected from the test object and the determining the scan positions comprises determining the scan positions based on a property of light that has passed through the optic. 6. The method of claim 5, determining the scan positions comprises using an in-line sensor to measure the scan positions. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning interferometry data are obtained by a method comprising using an optic to receive light reflected-from the test object and the determining the scan positions comprises determining the scan positions based on a property of light that has not passed through the optic. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the scan positions comprises using an external displacement sensor to measure the scan positions. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the external displacement sensor comprises a displacement measuring interferometer. 10. A method comprising: providing scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position; determining information about the test object by transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to initial values for the scan positions; and determining, based on the scanning interferometry data and the information about the test object, a scan value for each of at least some of the scan positions. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the scan values are scan value increments between pairs of scan positions. 12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining information about the test object based on the scanning interferometry data and the scan values for the scan positions. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining information about the test object comprises transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein scan value increments between the scan values are non-uniform. 15. The method of claim 10, wherein transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan positions comprises transforming the at least some interference signals over a range of scan positions greater than a coherence length of a light source used to generate the scanning interferometry data. 16. The method of claim 10, wherein the scanning interferometry data were acquired using a light source having a center frequency and the light source has a spectral width greater than 2% of the center frequency. 17. The method of claim 10, wherein increments between the scan values are non-uniform. 18. A system, comprising: an interferometer configured to provide scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position; a processor configured to: transform at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to initial values for the scan positions; and determine, based on at least some of the transformed interference signals, a respective scan value for each of at least some of the scan positions. 19. A system, comprising: an interferometer configured to provide scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position; a processor configured to: transform the interference signals for each of different spatial locations into a spatial frequency domain with respect to scan values, each scan value corresponding to a scan position; wherein: a difference between different scan values is non uniform. 20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a sensor, wherein the processor is configured to determine the second scan values based on data received from the sensor. 21. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to determine the second scan values based on at least some of the intensity values. 22. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to determine information about the test object based on the intensity values transformed with respect to the second scan values.

<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>SWLI is an optical profiling procedure by which a nominally equal path interferometer is illuminated by a broad band source (typically but not limited to white light) while one leg of the interferometer is axially moved (scanned) through the equal path condition (the condition when the optical path length of the two legs of the interferometer are equal). The interference signals are captured by an optical sensor, typically a camera during the scan. Interference fringes only occur in the neighborhood of the equal path condition, providing a signal to compute the relative height of the various image points of the surface illuminated by one leg to the corresponding image point in the other leg. All SWLI methods typically assume a constant scanning motion (i.e. constant velocity). If the scanning motion is not uniform, errors in the measured surface profile occur. Unfortunately, it is often the case that the scanning motion in SWLI is not uniform. This can occur due to nonlinear motions of the scanning mechanism, or through vibrations that act on each interferometer leg differently.

<SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>Methods and systems are disclosed that provide a low-cost way to reduce the sensitivity of surface profile measurements using SWLI to vibration and/or nonlinear scans. They include a generalized Fourier domain SWLI processing technique called GFDA that can handle arbitrary SWLI scan motion provided the scan motion itself is known. In some embodiments, the scan motion is determined using the SWLI data itself by measuring the phase shift increments between camera frames (e.g., data sets) via a spatial carrier fringe technique. In other embodiments, the scan motion is determined by measuring the phase shift increments between camera frames via an additional inline displacement measuring sensor. In further embodiments, the scan motion is determined by measuring the phase shift increments between camera frames via an additional external displacement measuring sensor. In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method including: (i) providing scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data including intensity values at each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object; (ii) providing values for the scan positions; and (iii) determining information about the test object based on the scanning interfometry data at each of the different spatial locations and the scan positions. Embodiments of the method may include any of the following features. Determining the information about the test object may include transforming the scanning interferometry data at each of the different spatial locations into a spatial frequency domain with respect to the values for the scan positions. The scan positions may vary nonlinearly with time. A light source having a coherence length may be used to generate the scanning interferometry data, and the scan positions may span a range larger than the coherence length of the light source. A light source having a center frequency may be used to generate the scanning interferometry data, and the light source may have a spectral width greater than 2% of the center frequency. Providing the values for the scan positions may include determining the scan positions. The scan positions may be determined from the intensity values of the scanning interferometry data over at least some of the multiple spatial locations. For example, determining the scan positions may include transforming the intensity values at the different spatial locations into a spatial frequency domain for each of at least some of the scan positions. Determining the scan positions may include using an inline displacement sensor. Determining the scan positions may include using an external displacement sensor (e.g., a displacement measuring interferometer). In some embodiments, a method includes providing scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position. A scan value is provided for each scan position. Increments between the scan values are non-uniform. At least some of the interference signals are transformed into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values. Information about the test object is determined based on the transformed interference signals. Transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values can include transforming the at least some interference signals over a range of scan positions greater than a coherence length of a light source used to generate the scanning interferometry data. The scanning interferometry data can be acquired using a light source having a center frequency and the light source has a spectral width greater than 2% of the center frequency. In some embodiments, the scan values are determined based on the scanning interferometry data and an initial estimate of values for the scan positions. Determining the scan positions can include determining the scan positions based on a property of light that has passed through an optic used to receive light reflected from the test object. An in-line sensor may be used to measure the scan positions. Determining the scan positions can include determining the scan positions based on a property of light that has not passed through an optic used to receive light reflected from the test object. An external sensor may be used to measure the scan positions. The external sensor may be a displacement measuring interferometer. In some embodiments, a method includes providing scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising an intensity value corresponding to each of different spatial locations of the test object for each of multiple scan positions. Information related to the spatial locations of the test object is determined based on the scanning interferometry data. A scan value is determined for one of the multiple scan positions based on a relationship between the intensities of that scan position and the information related to the spatial locations to which the intensities of that scan position correspond. A scan value may be determined for each of additional ones of the multiple scan positions. The information related to the spatial locations of the test object may be determined on the further basis of an initial scan value for each of the scan positions. The scan position for which the scan value is determined may be a first scan position spaced apart from a second scan position by a scan position increment and determining a scan value for the first scan position can include determining a scan value increment for the scan position increment based on (a) the relationship between the intensities of the first scan position and the information related to the spatial locations to which the intensities of the first scan position correspond and (b) a relationship between the intensities of the second scan position and the information related to the spatial locations to which the intensities of the second scan position correspond. Determining the scan value for the scan position can include transforming the intensities of the scan position into a frequency domain with respect to the information related to the spatial locations to which the intensities of the scan position correspond. The transformation may be a one-dimensional transformation. Determining the scan value for the scan position can include determining a phase of a fundamental frequency of an oscillation of the intensities of the scan position with respect to the information related to the spatial locations to which the intensities of the scan position correspond. Determining the phase of the fundamental frequency can include using information about a phase of a frequency of at least a second oscillation of the intensities of the scan position with respect to the information related to the spatial locations to which the intensities of the scan position correspond. The frequency may be at least 3 times the fundamental frequency. Information from additional, higher frequencies, may also be used. In some embodiments, a method includes providing scanning interferometry data for a test object. The data includes an intensity value corresponding to each of different spatial locations of the test object for each of multiple scan positions. In formation related to the spatial location of the test object is determined based on the scanning interferometry data. A scan value increment between a pair of the scan positions is determined based on (a) a relationship between intensities of a first scan position of the pair and the information related to the spatial locations to which the intensities of the first scan position correspond and (b) a relationship between the intensities of a second scan position of the pair and the information related to the spatial locations to which the intensities of the second scan position correspond. The information about the test object may be determined on the basis of both the scanning interferometry data and initial scan values for the scan positions (e.g., by transforming interference signals of the scanning interferometry data into a frequency domain with respect to the initial scan values). The pair of scan positions may be a first pair of scan positions and the method may further include repeating the determining a scan value increment to determine a scan value increment between other pairs of the scan positions. A scan value increment may be determined between all pairs of successive scan positions. The scan value increments may be non-uniform. The method may include determining information about the test object based on the scanning interferometry data and the scan value increments (e.g., by transformation of interference signals of the scanning interferometry data with respect to the scan value increments). Determining a scan value increment can include fitting a first function to the at least some intensities of the first one of the scan positions and the information related to the spatial locations corresponding to the at least some intensities and fitting a second function to the at least some intensities of the second one of the scan positions and the information related to the spatial locations corresponding to the at least some intensities. The scan value increments can be determined based on fitted parameters of the first and second functions. Determining a scan value increment can include transforming at least some of the intensity values of the first scan position into a frequency domain with respect to the information related to the spatial locations corresponding to the intensity values and transforming at least some of the intensity values of the second scan position into a frequency domain with respect to the information related to the spatial locations corresponding to the intensity values. Determining a scan value increment between a pair of scan positions can include determining an offset between (a) a fundamental frequency of an oscillation of the at least some intensities of the first one of the scan positions with respect to the information related to the spatial locations corresponding to the at least some intensity values of the first one of the scan positions and (b) a fundamental frequency of an oscillation of the at least some intensities of the second one of the scan positions with respect to the information related to the spatial locations corresponding to the intensity values of the second one of the scan positions. Determining the offset can include using information from an oscillation of at least about 3 times the fundamental frequency of the at least some intensities of the first one of the scan positions with respect to the information related to the spatial locations corresponding to the at least some intensity values of the first one of the scan positions and using information from an oscillation of about 3 times the fundamental frequency of the at least some intensities of the first one of the scan positions with respect to the information related to the spatial locations corresponding to the at least some intensity values of the second one of the scan positions. In some embodiments, a method comprises providing scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position. Information about a test object is determined by transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to initial values for the scan positions. Based on the scanning interferometry data and the information about the test object, a scan value is determined for each of at least some of the scan positions. The scan values may be scan value increments between pairs of scan positions. Information about the test object may be determined based on the scanning interferometry data and the scan values for the scan positions. Determining information about the test object can include transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values. Scan value increments between the scan values may be non-uniform. Transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan positions can include transforming the at least some interference signals over a range of scan positions greater than a coherence length of a light source used to generate the scanning interferometry data. The scanning interferometry data can be acquired using a light source having a center frequency and the light source has a spectral width greater than 2% of the center frequency. In another embodiment, a system includes an interferometer configured to provide scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position and a processor configured to transform at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to initial values for the scan positions and determine, based on at least some of the transformed interference signals, a respective scan value for each of at least some of the scan positions. In another embodiment, a system includes an interferometer configured to provide scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position and a processor configured to transform the interference signals for each of different spatial locations into a spatial frequency domain with respect to scan values, each scan value corresponding to a scan position. A difference between different scan values is non-uniform. The system may include a sensor with the processor configured to determine the second scan values based on data received from the sensor. The processor may be configured to determine scan values based on at least some intensity values of the scanning interferometry data and, optionally, initial scan values for the scan positions. The processor may be configured to determine information about the test object based on the intensity values transformed with respect to the second scan values. In some embodiments, a system includes an interferometer configured to provide scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising an intensity value corresponding to each of different spatial locations of the test object for each of multiple scan positions and a processor configured to determine information related to the spatial locations of the test object based on the scanning interferometry data and determine a scan value for a scan position based on a relationship between the intensities of the scan position and the information related to the spatial locations to which the intensities of the scan position correspond. The processor may be configured to determine information about the test object based on information related to the scan value. In some embodiments, a method includes providing scanning interferometry data for a test object. The data include intensity values at each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object. Scan values are provided for the scan positions. Information about the test object is determined based on the scanning interferometry data at each of the different spatial locations and the scan positions. Determining the information about the test object can include transforming the scanning interferometry data at each of the different spatial locations into a spatial frequency domain with respect to the scan values for the scan positions. The scan positions may vary nonlinearly with time. In some embodiments, a light source having a coherence length is used to generate the scanning interferometry data. The scan positions may span a range larger than the coherence length of the light source. In some embodiments, a light source having a center frequency is used to generate the scanning interferometry data. The light source can have a spectral width greater than 2% of the center frequency. Providing the scan values for the scan positions may include determining the scan positions. In some embodiments, the scan positions are determined from the intensity values of the scanning interferometry data over at least some of the multiple spatial locations. For example, determining the scan positions can include transforming the intensity values at the different spatial locations into a spatial frequency domain for each of at least some of the scan positions. In some embodiments, determining the scan positions includes using an inline displacement sensor. In some embodiments, determining the scan positions includes using an external displacement sensor. The external displacement sensor may be a displacement measuring interferometer. In another aspect, the invention features a system including: (i) a scanning interferometer configured to provide scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data including intensity values at each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object; (ii) means for determining the scan positions; and (iii) an electronic controller configured to transform the scanning interferometry data at each of the different spatial locations into a spatial frequency domain with respect to the measured scan positions, and determine information about the test object based on the transformed scanning interfometry data at each of the different spatial locations. In some embodiments, the system includes a scanning interferometer configured to provide scanning interferometry data for a test object. The data include intensity values at each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object. The system also includes means for determining the scan positions and an electronic controller configured to transform the scanning interferometry data at each of the different spatial locations into a spatial frequency domain with respect to the measured scan positions and determine information about the test object based on the transformed scanning interferometry data at each of the different spatial locations. The systems may further include features corresponding to the method described above. 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. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

Three-dimensional contact-sensitive feature for electronic devices

An electronic device is formed at least partially from a deflectable material that generates an electrical signal in response to contact. The first material is integrated with a display module to provide a shaped feature on the exterior surface of the display module. The shaped feature detects contact with an external object on one or more contact points, where contact with the contact points corresponds to a defined input for a processor of the electronic device.

1. An electronic device comprising: a processor; a housing containing the processor; and a three-dimensional contact-sensitive feature that is unitarily combined with the housing, the feature being actuatable to signal an input for the processor. 2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an analog-digital converter to receive the input from the feature in an analog format, and to signal the input to the processor in a digital format. 3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional contact sensitive feature comprises a gel volume. 4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional contact sensitive feature comprises a recess. 5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a display module at least partially formed to be part of the housing.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Typical input mechanisms for electronic devices and computers include button mechanisms and mechanical actuation switches. These input mechanisms can be subject to failure through repeated use. They require multiple components that can move relative to one another, and may require hinges, springs or joints that are subject to fatigue. Another type of input mechanism is a digitizer. The digitizer can detect contact on a surface that is typically incorporated with a display. The digitizer may be a component of small computing devices, such as handheld computers, or personal digital assistants (PDAs). An assembly of the digitizer assigns identifying voltage values for different contact points distributed across the digitizer's surface. This allows the user to distinguish a communication by positioning an external object on a specific position of the digitizer. Inputs such as gestures, taps, and drags are made on the surface of the digitizer through contact. Icons or other visual cues may be employed with the digitizer to give a user an indication that contact with a specific position on the digitizer will cause a processor of the device to perform a specific function. Digitizers are relatively planar, so that contact points on the surface of the digitizer are positions on the same plane. When users enter input through a digitizer, the user selects planar positions on the digitizer's surface for contact with the external object. FIG. 10 is an illustration of a prior art display module 900 . The display module 900 is contact-sensitive to produce electrical signals in response to contact. The electrical signals are subsequently converted to input. The display module 900 includes an exterior layer 910 , a conductive layer 920 , a substrate 930 and a display 940 . The exterior layer 910 is a polyester (PET) film. The conductive layer 920 comprises a first conductive film 922 , an air gap 926 formed by spacers 945 , and a second conductive film 924 . The conductive films 922 , 924 are formed of Indium Tin Oxide material, which has a paste constituency. The spacers 945 are formed from glass or plastic. The substrate 930 is also formed from glass or plastic. The layers formed above display 940 provide a digitizer for the device. The combination of layers for the digitizer is clear to enable viewing of an image created by display 940 . Mechanical buttons are sometimes preferred for certain functions because they provide a better tactile feedback for the function being requested by the input. For example, navigation buttons for scrolling a display of a handheld computer are often mechanical buttons, because they provide a better feel of movement being created when scrolling the display.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>An electronic device is provided that has a contact-sensitive, three-dimensional surface feature for receiving input. The surface feature enables users to enter input with a tactile feel for a corresponding function. In addition, the surface feature has fewer mechanically combined components, making it more resilient than other input mechanisms. The user can enter input easier than with more traditional mechanical buttons. Furthermore, embodiments of the invention are operable with fingers as well as a stylus, and may be made to be responsive to grips rather than only distinct touches.

Pack for holding resuscitation facemask

A pack worn by a rescuer holds an assembled resuscitation facemask. The pack has a pouch and has a flap and belt attached to the pouch. A face portion of the mask fits into an opening in the pouch. Preferably, a cutaway along the edge of the opening accommodates the projecting mouthpiece of the facemask. The flap closes over the mask in the opening, and an edge of the flap fastens to the pouch. The flap defines a cutout for the mouthpiece to project from the flap. Preferably, the cutout in the flap connects with a split defined in an edge of the flap. The split is smaller than the cutout such that first and second portions of the flap fit around the projecting mouthpiece when the flap is closed and fastened to the pouch.

1. A pack for holding a resuscitation facemask for a rescuer, the facemask having a projecting mouthpiece, the pack comprising: a pouch defining an opening, the pouch holding the facemask and allowing the mouthpiece to project from the opening; a first fastener attached to the pouch; a flap attached to the pouch for covering the opening, the flap defining a cutout for the mouthpiece to project from the flap; and a second fastener attached to the flap and attaching to the first fastener on the pouch to substantially hold the flap closed. 2. The pack of claim 1, further comprising a strap attached to the pouch for holding the pouch on the rescuer. 3. The pack of claim 1, wherein the first and second fasteners comprise portions of VELCRO. 4. The pack of claim 1, wherein the cutout defined in the flap connects with a split defined in an edge of the flap. 5. The pack of claim 4, wherein the split defined in the edge is smaller than the cutout such that first and second portions of the flap are capable of fitting around the projecting mouthpiece when the flap is closed. 6. The pack of claim 1, wherein an edge of the opening of the pouch defines a cutaway for the projecting mouthpiece. 7. A system worn by a rescuer for resuscitating a patient, the system comprising: a facemask having a projecting mouthpiece; a pouch defining an opening, the pouch holding the facemask and allowing the mouthpiece to project from the opening; a first fastener attached to the pouch; a flap attached to the pouch for covering the opening, the flap defining a cutout for the mouthpiece to project from the flap; and a second fastener attached to the flap and attaching to the first fastener on the pouch to substantially hold the flap closed. 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a strap attached to the pouch for holding the pouch on the rescuer. 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first and second fasteners comprise portions of VELCRO. 10. The system of claim 7, wherein the cutout defined in the flap connects with a split defined in an edge of the flap. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the split defined in the edge is smaller than the cutout such that first and second portions of the flap are capable of fitting around the projecting mouthpiece when the flap is closed. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein an edge of the opening of the pouch defines a cutaway for the projecting mouthpiece. 13. A system worn by a rescuer for resuscitating a patient, the system comprising: a facemask having a projecting mouthpiece; a pouch defining an opening, the pouch holding the facemask and allowing the mouthpiece to project from the opening; a first fastener attached to the pouch; a flap attached to the pouch for covering the opening, the flap defining a cutout and a split, the cutout allowing the mouthpiece to project from the flap, the split defined in an edge of the flap and connecting with the cutout such that first and second portions of the flap are capable of fitting around the projecting mouthpiece when the flap is closed; and a second fastener attached to the flap and attaching to the first fastener on the pouch to substantially hold the flap closed. 14. The pack of claim 13, further comprising a strap attached to the pouch for holding the pouch on the rescuer. 15. The pack of claim 13, wherein the first and second fasteners comprise portions of VELCRO. 16. The pack of claim 13, wherein an edge of the opening of the pouch defines a cutaway for the projecting mouthpiece.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Resuscitation facemasks are used by rescuers, such as lifeguards, to resuscitate patients. Referring to FIG. 1 , a prior art resuscitation facemask 10 is illustrated. The facemask 10 is similar to the commercially available Seal Easy™ by Respironics, Inc. The facemask 10 has a face portion 12 , which is an inflated cushion made of an elastomeric material. The face portion 12 has an opening 13 through it. A plastic tube 16 projects from the face portion 12 and communicates with the opening 13 . A one-way valve 18 , which is removable, fits into the end of the projecting tube 16 . The projecting tube 16 and valve 18 form a mouthpiece 14 for the rescuer to use when resuscitating a patient. Prior to use, the one-way valve 18 is pushed into the end of the projecting tube 16 to create the assembled facemask. Once assembled, the inflated cushion of the face portion 12 is positioned over a patient's face with the opening 13 in the cushion positioned at the patient's mouth. The cushion of the face portion 12 forms a secure seal on the face of the patient, and the rescuer uses the mouthpiece 14 to direct air into the patient's lungs. The one-way valve 18 directs the patients exhaled gases away from the rescuer and reduces the chances of cross-contamination between rescuer and patient. A rescuer, such as a lifeguard, typically carries the resuscitation facemask 10 in a conventional hip pack 20 of the prior art, which is also shown in FIG. 1 . The prior art hip pack 20 has a pouch 22 , a cover 24 , and a belt 26 . One way of holding the facemask 10 in the pack 20 involves separately placing the disassembled components of the facemask 10 into the pouch 22 . This has the disadvantage of requiring a rescuer to assemble the facemask 10 during a rescue and creates the risk of losing one of the components parts. Another way of holding the facemask 10 in the pack 20 involves pre-assembling the valve 18 on the projecting tube 16 and placing the assembled facemask 10 in the pouch 22 with the mouthpiece 14 projecting out of the zippered opening. Then, the two zippers 25 for the cover 24 can be closed to meet on either side of the projecting mouthpiece 14 . Unfortunately, the zippers 25 cannot properly hold the facemask 10 in the pouch 22 because movement of the mouthpiece 14 can cause the zippers 25 to open. For example, the facemask 10 has the potential of becoming unsecured from the pouch 22 when a lifeguard wearing the hip pack 20 enters the water with the mouthpiece 14 held by the zippers 25 . Yet another way of holding the facemask 10 in the pack 20 involves fitting the assembled facemask 10 within the pouch without the mouthpiece 14 projecting out. The zippers 25 for the cover 24 can then be fully closed. Unfortunately, the facemask 10 must be stored sideways in the pouch 22 , making the pouch 22 bulky. Furthermore, there is greater potential of breaking the facemask 10 or catching the elastomeric material of the face portion 12 in the zippers 25 causing it to rupture. Consequently, a need exists for a device to hold a resuscitation facemask securely while the facemask remains assembled and the device is worn by a rescuer. The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE <EOH>A pack worn by a rescuer holds an assembled resuscitation facemask. The pack has a pouch and has a flap and belt attached to the pouch. A face portion of the mask fits into an opening in the pouch. Preferably, a cutaway along the edge of the opening accommodates the projecting mouthpiece of the facemask. The flap closes over the mask in the opening, and an edge of the flap fastens to the pouch. The flap defines a cutout for the mouthpiece to project from the flap. Preferably, the cutout in the flap connects with a split defined in an edge of the flap. The split is smaller than the cutout such that first and second portions of the flap fit around the projecting mouthpiece when the flap is closed and fastened to the pouch. The foregoing summary is not intended to summarize each potential embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure.

Temperature measurement apparatuses and method utilizing the alexandrite effect

A method and apparatuses for measuring the temperature of a radiating body utilizing the alexandrite effect. The method includes the steps of generating a mathematical relationship between a hue value and temperature for an alexandrite effect filter, receiving radiation from the radiating body, measuring a spectral power distribution of the radiation, calculating the hue value based on the spectral power distribution, and determining the temperature using the mathematical relationship. To implement the method, the apparatuses include an optical probe, a spectral or calorimetric measurement device, and a computer. The apparatuses can measure the temperature of any radiating body with or without spectral lines in the spectral power distribution, and are particularly advantageous to measure high to ultrahigh temperature for radiating bodies with spectral lines, such as plasma, electric arc, and high temperature flames.

1. A method for determining the temperature of a radiating body utilizing the alexandrite effect, the method comprising the steps of: receiving radiation from the radiating body; measuring a spectral power distribution of the radiation; filtering the spectral power distribution with an alexandrite effect filter; calculating a hue value based on the spectral power distribution; and calculating the temperature based on a predetermined mathematical relationship between the hue value and temperature of the alexandrite effect filter. 2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the alexandrite effect refers to a color change of a material under a blackbody radiator at different temperatures. 3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the alexandrite effect further refers to a color change of a material under different types of light sources at different color temperature. 4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the alexandrite effect filter comprises any material that shows the alexandrite effect. 5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined mathematical relationship is generated by the steps of: measuring a spectral transmittance of the alexandrite effect filter along the direction perpendicular to its surface; calculating hue values for the alexandrite effect filter under a blackbody at different temperatures in a selected color space; and determining the mathematical relationship between the hue values and corresponding temperatures in the color space in which the hue values are calculated. 6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the mathematical relationship between the hue value and temperature of the alexandrite effect crystal can be generated in any color space. 7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the color space is selected from the group consisting of CIELAB, CIELUV, and CIE(x, y), the CIELAB color space being typically selected due to its uniformity for color perception. 8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the mathematical relationship between the hue angle and temperature is generated utilizing the following equations in the CIELAB color space: X=∫{overscore (x)}(λ)s(λ)P(λ)dλ Y=∫{overscore (y)}(λ)s(λ)P(λ)dλ Z=∫{overscore (z)}(λ)s(λ)P(λ)dλ where X, Y, and Z are CIE tristimulus values of the alexandrite effect crystal, {overscore (x)}(λ), {overscore (y)}(λ), and {overscore (z)}(λ) are CIE color-matching functions, s(λ) is the spectral power distribution of the radiating body measured, and P(λ) is a spectral transmittance of the alexandrite effect filter used; L*=116(Y/Yn)1/3−16 a*=500[(X/Xn)1/3−(Y/Yn)1/3] b*=200[(Y/Yn)1/3−(Z/Zn)1/3] where L*, a* and b* are coordinates of CIELAB color space, and Xn, Yn, and Zn are the tristimulus values of the measured radiating body; hab=arctan(b*/a*) where h is the hue angle; T=f(h) where T is the temperature, the temperature being a function of the hue angle h selected from the group consisting of a polynomial function, an exponential function, a logarithmic function, a trigonometric function, and mixtures thereof, wherein the following polynomial equation is typically selected: T=a0+a1h+a2h2+ . . . +anhn where a is a parameter in a polynomial function to the nth power of the hue-angle, wherein large values of n correspond to more accuracy of the polynomial function, n being equal to 3 for small temperature ranges, and n being equal to 6 for large temperature ranges. 9. The method according to claim 8 wherein parameters of the polynomial equation are obtained by regression calculations using data of the hue value versus temperature. 10. The method according to claim 8 wherein only a long wavelength component of the {overscore (x)}(λ) function is used to calculate the hue value, the used {overscore (x)}(λ) function having actual values from 510 nm to 760 nm and being zero from 380 nm to 510 nm. 11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the spectral power distribution has a wavelength range from ultraviolet radiation (100 nm) to infrared radiation (5,000 nm). 12-28. (canceled)

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The invention relates in general to temperature measurement of a radiating body. More particularly, this invention relates to apparatuses and a method that utilize the principle of the alexandrite effect to measure temperature of any radiating body, such as, but not limited to, blackbody, graybody, plasma, electric arc, and combustion. The invented apparatuses are particularly advantageous to measure high to ultrahigh temperature of radiating bodies with spectral line emissions, such as plasma and electric arc. 1. Description of the Related Art Pyrometers are known and commercially available for non-contacting temperature measurement of radiating bodies. Pyrometers can be particularly helpful in different contexts. First, they can be used when the target is located in a remote location. Pyrometers can also be helpful when the temperature or environment near the target is too hostile or severe for temperature measurement by other, more conventional, means. Finally, pyrometers are useful when temperature measurement by contact may alter the target temperature. Conventional pyrometry methods include the two-color method, the disappearing filament method, the total radiation method, the photoelectric method, the two-wavelength method and the multi-wavelength method. The two and multi-wavelength methods are usually used to measure temperature by measuring the radiation of a radiating body in the infrared range, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,417 to Cashdollar, U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,314 to Kienitz, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,171 to Ng. U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,323 to Felice extends the multi-wavelength measurement into the visible range. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,783, Chen discloses a pyrometer that measures the temperature in hazardous environments using specially designed probes. Although conventional pyrometers can measure the temperature of blackbody and graybody matter, they cannot measure the temperature of a radiating body with spectral line emission. A spectral line is a bright line found in the spectrum of some radiant source, and occurs when atomic, molecular, or gas excitation exists. Examples of radiating bodies that emit spectral lines include plasmas and electric arcs. The spectral lines in the spectral power distributions of these radiating bodies make conventional methods such as the multi-wavelength method void. Special methods have been implemented to determine the temperature of gas and plasma over 5000° C. The methods include the absolute intensity method, the line ratio method, the relative intensity method, and the Rayleigh scattering method. These methods are inadequate, however. The absolute intensity method is not accurate, with error in the range of 10% to 20%. The line radio method, relative intensity method and the Rayleigh scattering method are expensive to implement, are only reasonably accurate, and are not readily available to consumers. Therefore, the need arises for an apparatus and method capable of measuring radiating bodies of blackbody and graybody matter with continuous spectral power distribution, as well as plasma and electric arcs with spectral line emissions. The apparatus must be accurate, relatively inexpensive, and readily available to consumers.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a temperature measurement apparatus and method that can accurately determine the temperature of blackbody and graybody matter. A second object of the invention is to provide an ultra high temperature measurement apparatus that can accurately determine the temperature of plasma and electric arc matter. A third object of the invention is to provide a temperature measurement apparatus that is readily inexpensive to manufacture and commercially available to consumers. To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides a method and apparatuses for measuring the temperature of a radiating body utilizing the alexandrite effect. The method includes the steps of generating a mathematical relationship between hue value and temperature for an alexandrite effect filter, receiving radiation from the radiating body, measuring a spectral power distribution of the radiation, calculating the hue value based on the spectral power distribution, and determining the temperature using the mathematical relationship. To implement the method, the apparatuses include an optical probe, a spectrometric or calorimetric measurement device, and a computer. The apparatuses can measure the temperature of any radiating body with or without spectral lines in the spectral power distribution and are particularly advantageous to measure high to ultrahigh temperature for radiating bodies with spectral lines, such as plasma, electric arc, and high temperature flames.

Compositions and methods for use in targeting vascular destruction

Treatment of warm-blooded animals having a tumor or non-malignant hypervascularation, by administering a sufficient amount of a cytotoxic agent formulated into a phosphate prodrug form having substrate specificity for microvessel phosphatases, so that microvessels are destroyed preferentially over other normal tissues, because the less cytotoxic prodrug form is converted to the highly cytotoxic dephosphorylated form.

1. A method for inhibiting tubulin polymerization, comprising contacting a cell with an effective amount of the compound of Formula I: wherein each Ra is independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl and phosphate, thereby inhibiting tubulin polymerization. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the compound further comprises enantiomers or racemic mixtures of the compound, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein each Ra is hydroxyl. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein each Ra is phosphate. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the phosphate has the following formula Ia: wherein X is O; Y is O, NH, S, O−, NH−, or S−; Z is O or S; and each of R1 and R2 is an alkyl group, H, a monovalent or divalent cationic salt, or an ammonium cationic salt, and R1 and R2 may be the same of different. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cationic salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium, piperazine, and nicotinamide. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cell is a tumor cell or vascular endothelial cell. 8. A method for inhibiting tubulin polymerization, comprising contacting a cell with an effective amount of the compound of Formula II: thereby inhibiting tubulin polymerization. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cell is a tumor cell or vascular endothelial cell. 10. A method for destroying proliferating vasculature comprising administering to a locality of proliferating vasculature, an effective amount of the compound of Formula I: wherein each Ra is independently selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl or phosphate, or enantiomers or racemic mixtures or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, thereby destroying the proliferating vasculature. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein each Ra is hydroxyl. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein each Ra is phosphate. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the phosphate has the following Formula Ia: wherein X is O; Y is O, NH, S, O−, NH−, or S−; Z is O or S; and each of R1 and R2 is an alkyl group, H, a mono- or divalent cationic salt, or an ammonium cationic salt, and R1 and R2 may be the same of different. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cationic salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium, piperazine, or nicotinamide. 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the proliferating vasculature is malignant. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the malignant proliferating vasculature is a tumor vasculature. 17. The method of claim 10, wherein the locality of proliferating vasculature is located in a mammal afflicted with a malignant vascular proliferative disorder. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the locality of proliferating vasculature associated with a tumor. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the malignant proliferative disorder is selected from the group consisting of Kaposi's sarcoma, leukemia, lymphoma, lung cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. 20. The method of claim 10, where the proliferating vasculature is nonmalignant. 21. The method of claim 10, where the locality of proliferating vasculature is located in a mammal afflicted with a nonmalignant vascular proliferative disorder. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the nonmalignant vascular proliferative disorder is psoriasis, restenosis, or macular degeneration. 23. A method for destroying proliferating vasculature comprising administering to a locality of proliferating vasculature, an effective amount of the compound of Formula II: thereby destroying the proliferating vasculature. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the proliferating vasculature is malignant. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the malignant proliferating vasculature is a tumor vasculature. 26. The method of claim 23, wherein the locality of proliferating vasculature is located in a mammal afflicted with a malignant vascular proliferative disorder. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the locality of proliferating vasculature associated with a tumor. 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the malignant proliferative disorder is selected from the group consisting of Kaposi's sarcoma, leukemia, lymphoma, lung cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. 29. The method of claim 23, where the proliferating vasculature is nonmalignant. 30. The method of claim 23, where the locality of proliferating vasculature is located in a mammal afflicted with a nonmalignant vascular proliferative disorder. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the nonmalignant vascular proliferative disorder is psoriasis, restenosis, or macular degeneration.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>This invention relates to methods of and compositions for effecting targeted vascular destruction in warm-blooded animals, including humans, and to procedures for identifying drugs capable of such use. The importance of vasculature to the growth of tumors is an unquestioned scientific reality. Because one blood vessel nourishes thousands of tumor cells, targeting tumor vasculature as a molecular approach to cancer chemotherapies is becoming one of the highest scientific priorities. Two drug models are emerging, i.e., one that prevents the formation of new blood vessels in the tumor (antiangiogenesis) and one that targets vascular destruction as a means of limiting tumor nourishment and/or the impermeability of the lumenal surface of vessel endothelial cells to cancer drugs such as immunotherapies (New England Journal of Medicine 339:473-474, 1998). The antiangiogenic model is basically a cytostatic approach where angiogenic factors generally produced by tumors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet derived endothelial cell growth factor, are blocked by antiangiogenic compounds such as the natural polypeptides angiostatin and endostatin to prevent new blood vessel growth (The Cancer Journal Scientific American 4(4): 209-216, 1998; Cell 88: 277-285, 1997). On the other hand, the vascular destruction model is a cytotoxic approach where tumor vessels are targeted for cytotoxicity in order to enhance tumor cell cytotoxicity by hypoxia or direct acting chemotherapy. One of the most potent classes of cancer therapeutic drugs is the antimitotic tubulin polymerization inhibitors (Biochem. Molecular Biology Int. 25(6): 1153-1159, 1995; Br. Journal Cancer 71(4): 705-711, 1995; Journal Med. Chem. 34(8): 2579-2588, 1991; Biochemistry 28(17): 6904-6991, 1989). They characteristically have IC 50 in vitro cell cytotoxicities in the nM-μM range, but often show poor specificity for killing tumor over normal tissues in vivo, examples of such drugs including combretastatins, taxol (and other taxanes), vinblastine (and other vinca alkaloids), colchicinoids, dolastatins, podophyllotoxins, steganacins, amphethiniles, flavanoids, rhizoxins, curacins A, epothilones A and B, welwistatins, phenstatins, 2-strylquinazolin-4(3H)-ones, stilbenes, 2-aryl-1,8-naphthyridin-4(1H)-ones, 5,6-dihydroindolo (2,1-a)isoquinolines, 2,3-benzo(b)thiophenes, 2,3-substituted benzo(b)furans and 2,3-substituted indoles (Journal of Med. Chem. 41(16): 3022-3032, 1998; Journal Med. Chem. 34(8): 2579-2588, 1991; Anticancer Drugs 4(1) : 19-25, 1993; Pharm. Res. 8(6) : 776-781, 1991; Experimentia 45(2): 209-211, 1989; Med. Res. Rev. 16: 2067, 1996; Tetrahedron Lett. 34: 1035, 1993; Mol. Pharmacol. 49: 288, 1996; J. Med. Chem. 41: 1688-1695, 1998; J. Med. Chem. 33: 1721, 1990; J. Med. Chem. 34: 2579, 1991; J. Md. Chem. 40: 3049, 1997; J. Med. Chem. 40: 3525, 1997; Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 9: 1081-1086, 1999; International (PCT) application Ser. No. US 98/04380; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/154,639). Although tubulin binding agents in general can mediate effects on tumor blood flow, doses that are effective are often also toxic to other normal tissues and not particularly toxic to tumors (Br. J. Cancer 74(Suppl. 27): 586-88, 1996). Many tubulin binding agents such as the combretastatins and taxol analogs are water insoluble and require formulation before evaluation in the clinic. One approach which has been used successfully to overcome this clinical development problem is the formulation of biolabile water soluble prodrugs, such as the phosphate salt derivatives of combretastatin A4 and taxol, that allow metabolic conversion back into the water insoluble form (Anticancer Drug Des. 13(3): 183-191, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,122; Bioorganic Med. Chem. Lett. 3: 1766, 1993; Bioorganic Med. Chem. Lett. 3: 1357, 1993). A prodrug is a precursor which will undergo metabolic activation in vivo to the active drug. Stated with further reference to the aforementioned phosphate salt derivatives, the concept here is that non-specific phosphatases such as alkaline phosphatases in mammals are capable of dephosphorylating phosphate prodrugs into the original biologically active forms. This prior art teaches how to administer a water insoluble drug to warm blooded animals for therapeutic purposes under conditions of more maximum absorption and bioavailability by formulation into a water soluble biolabile form (Krogsgaard-Larsen, P. and Bundegaard, H., eds., A textbook of Drug Design and Drug Development, Harvard Academic Publishers, p. 148, 1991). When the combretastatin A4 phosphate prodrug was used in in vitro and in vivo cell and animal models, it displayed a remarkable specificity for vascular toxicity (Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 42(4) : 895-903, 1998; Cancer Res. 57(10): 1829-1834, 1997). It was not obvious from this to one skilled in the art that phosphate prodrugs in general, which serve as substrates for alkaline phosphatase, had anything to do whatsoever with vascular targeting. However, the reported data on the combretastatin A4 phosphate prodrug did disclose the principle of preferential vascular toxicity, even though there was no understanding or appreciation of the fact that the prodrug itself was responsible for vascular targeting. In other words, the prior art teaches that A4 and not A4 prodrug was responsible for vascular toxicity by assuming that there was no difference in vascular toxicity between the two forms. The nonobviousness noted above is exemplified by the fact that, although A4 phosphate prodrug and other taxol phosphate prodrugs were promoted as susceptible to phosphatase conversion to the cytotoxic tubulin binding forms, it was never recognized that this enzyme was elevated in microvessels thus targeting them to cytotoxicity.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>An object of the invention is to provide compositions and methods useful in targeting the microvessel destruction model for the treatment, in warm-blooded animals including (but not limited to) humans, of cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, and other, non-malignant vascular proliferative disorders such as macular degeneration, psoriasis and restenosis, and, in general, inflammatory diseases characterized by vascular proliferation. Another object is to provide procedures for identifying drugs that are capable of use in producing such compositions and performing such methods. To these and other ends, the present invention in a first aspect broadly contemplates the provision of a method of treating a warm-blooded animal having a vascular proliferative disorder, comprising administering, to the animal, an amount of a prodrug other than combretastatin A4 disodium phosphate effective to achieve targeted vascular destruction at a locality of proliferating vasculature, wherein the prodrug is substantially noncytotoxic but is convertible to a substantially cytotoxic drug by action of an endothelial enzyme selectively induced at enhanced levels at sites of vascular proliferation. In a second aspect, the invention contemplates the provision of a method of treating a warm-blooded animal having a nonmalignant vascular proliferative disorder, comprising administering, to the animal, an amount of a prodrug effective to achieve targeted vascular destruction at a locality of proliferating vasculature, wherein the prodrug is substantially noncytotoxic but is convertible to a substantially cytotoxic drug by action of an endothelial enzyme selectively induced at enhanced levels at sites of vascular proliferation. In a further aspect, the invention contemplates the provision of compositions for treating a warm-blooded animal having a vascular proliferative disorder to achieve targeted vascular destruction at a locality of proliferating vascularture, comprising a prodrug, other than combretastatin A4, pancratistatin and taxol phosphate prodrugs, which is substantially noncytotoxic but is convertible to a substantially cytotoxic drug by action of an endothelial enzyme selectively induced at enhanced levels at sites of vascular proliferation. In yet another aspect, the invention provides a procedure for identifying prodrugs suitable for use in the above methods and compositions, such procedure comprising the steps of culturing proliferating endothelial cells, and other cells, in the presence of a prodrug other than combretastatin A4 disodium phosphate for a limited time period; comparing the respective cultures thereafter to determine whether the culture of proliferating endothelial cells exhibits a significantly greater cytotoxic effect than the culture of other cells; and, if so, culturing the aforesaid other cells in the presence of the prodrug and an endothelial enzyme selectively induced at enhanced levels at sites of vascular proliferation, enhanced cytotoxic effect with respect to the other cells in the presence of the enzyme as compared to the cytotoxic effect in the initial culture of the other cells indicating suitability of the prodrug for such methods and compositions. Conveniently or preferably, the “other cells” may be nonmalignant fibroblasts, e.g., normal human fibroblasts. In an important specific sense, to which however the invention is in its broadest aspects not limited, the prodrug in the foregoing methods, compositions and procedures may be a phosphate within the class of compounds having the general formula wherein X is O, NH, or S; Y is O, NH, S, O − , NH or S − ; Z is O or S; each of R 2 and R 3 is an alkyl group, H, a mono- or divalent cationic salt, or an ammonium cationic salt, and R 2 and R 3 may be the same or different; and R 1 is defined by the formula R 1 —R a representing a compound that contains at least one group (designated R a ) which is a group, containing X, that can form a phosphate or other salt that serves as a substrate for non-specific vascular endothelial phosphatases, and is thereby converted from a relatively non-cytotoxic phosphate form to a cytotoxic R 1 —R a form. Currently preferred prodrugs for the practice of the invention are those having the following formulas: More particularly, the compound with formula R 1 —R a may be a tubulin binder. In specific aspects it may be selected from the known tubulin binding agents already previously listed such as the combretastatins, taxanes, vinblastine (vinca alkaloids), colchicinoids, dolastatins, podophyllotoxins, steganacins, amphethiniles, flavanoids, rhizoxins, curacins A, epothilones A and B, welwistatins, phenstatins, 2-strylquinazolin-4(3H)-ones, stilbenes, 2-aryl-1,8-naphthyridin-4(1H)-ones, 5,6-dihydroindo-lo(2,1-a)isoquinolines, 2,3-benzo(b)thiophenes, 2,3-substituted benzo(b)furans and 2,3-substituted indoles. In a still more specific sense, this tubulin binder may be a compound selected from the group consisting of combretastatins (other than combretastatin A4), colchicine, and 2-methoxy estradiol. Stated with reference to phosphate prodrugs, for an understanding of the invention it may be explained that vascular endothelial cells have high levels of phosphatase activity because of (i) stress injury response of microvessels due to blood circulation (J. Invest. Dermatol. 109(4): 597-603, 1997) and (ii) the induction of phosphatase in vascular endothelial cells by IL-6 produced by inflammatory cells during wound healing or by invasive tumor cells (FEBS Lett. 350(1): 99-103, 1994; Ann. Surg. Oncol. 5(3): 279-286, 1998). High levels of phosphatases (e.g. alkaline) are a part of the normal physiology of microvessels, because together with the blood clotting mechanism, calcium deposits generated from alkaline phosphatase activity aid in the wound healing process. The present invention embraces the discovery that phosphate or other appropriate prodrug constructs, which become substrates for phosphatases such as alkaline phosphatases, are useful in targeting microvascular toxicity. Examples of phosphatase enzymes suitable for this purpose require an ectoplasmic cellular location because of the poor absorption of phosphorylated molecules through the cytoplasmic membrane. Dephosphorylating enzymes known to have an ectoplasmic location are non-specific alkaline phosphatases, ATPase, ADPase, 5′-nucleotidase, and purine nucleoside phosphorylase. Another property necessary for targeting cytotoxic agents by dephosphorylation via phosphatases is that they could utilize a broad spectrum of phosphate prodrugs as substrates. In this regard, alkaline phosphatase is an attractive target for delivering selective toxicity to vascular endothelial cells. Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description hereinbelow set forth, together with the accompanying drawings.

Method of controlling tape processing apparatus, tape processing apparatus, and program

There is provided a method of controlling a tape processing apparatus where braille is embossed at one side in the width direction of a tape with an embossing unit arranged at the one side. The method includes: an embossing-position defining step of defining a braille embossing position in the width direction of the tape; an embossing-data generating step of generating embossing data based on input information and the embossing position; and a braille embossing step of embossing braille on the tape based on the generated embossing data. In the embossing-data generating step, when the embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction on the same side as the embossing unit, the embossing data is generated for forward embossing. While, when the embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction opposite to the embossing unit, the embossing data is generated for reverse embossing.

1. A method of controlling a tape processing apparatus where braille is embossed at one side in the width direction of a tape with an embossing means arranged at the one side while the tape is being fed along a tape traveling path, the method comprising: an embossing-position defining step of defining a braille embossing position in the width direction of the tape; an embossing-data generating step of generating embossing data for embossing the braille, based on input information and the defined braille embossing position; and a braille embossing step of embossing the braille on the tape based on the generated embossing data; wherein, in the embossing-data generating step, when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape on the same side as the embossing means, the embossing data is generated such that braille is forwardly embossed one by one from the front end thereof in the reading direction, and when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction of the tape opposite to the embossing means, the embossing data is generated such that inverted braille is reversely embossed one by one from the rear end thereof in the reading direction. 2. The method of controlling a tape processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tape has printed thereon front-and-rear discriminating information for discriminating the front-and-rear thereof in a feeding direction. 3. The method of controlling a tape processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a front-and-rear detecting step of detecting the front-and-rear of the tape fed into the tape traveling path, based on the front-and-rear discriminating information, wherein, in the braille embossing step, the braille is prevented from being embossed under conditions where, in the embossing-data generating step, the embossing data is generated such that braille is forwardly embossed and in the front-and-rear detecting step, the tape is detected to be fed from the rear end thereof in the reading direction, and in the embossing-data generating step, the embossing data is generated such that braille is reversely embossed, and in the front-and-rear detecting step, the tape is detected to have been fed from the front end thereof in the reading direction. 4. The method of controlling a tape processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a printing-data generating step of generating printing data for printing ink characters on the tape, based on the input information and the defined braille embossing position; and an ink-characters printing step of printing ink characters on the tape with a printing means based on the generated printing data, prior to the braille embossing step, wherein, in the printing-data generating step, when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape on the same side as the embossing means, the printing data is generated such that ink characters are forwardly printed one by one from the front end thereof in the reading direction, and when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction of the tape opposite to the embossing means, the printing data is generated such that inverted ink-characters are reversely printed one by one from the rear end thereof in the reading direction. 5. A tape processing apparatus where braille is embossed at one side in a width direction of a tape while the tape is being fed along a tape traveling path, the apparatus comprising: an embossing means arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape, for embossing braille at the one side; an embossing-position defining means for defining a braille embossing position in the width direction of the tape; an embossing-data generating means for generating embossing data based on input information and the defined braille embossing position; and an embossing controlling means for controlling the embossing means based on the generated embossing data; wherein, with the embossing-data generating means, when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape on the same side as the embossing means, the embossing data is generated such that braille is forwardly embossed one by one from the front end thereof in the reading direction, and when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction of the tape opposite to the embossing means, the embossing data is generated such that inverted braille is reversely embossed one by one from the rear end thereof in the reading direction. 6. The tape processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the tape has printed thereon front-and-rear discriminating information for discriminating the front-and-rear thereof in a feeding direction. 7. The tape processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a front-and-rear detecting means for detecting the front-and-rear of the tape fed into the tape traveling path based on the front-and-rear discriminating information, wherein, with the embossing controlling means, the braille is prevented from being embossed under conditions where the embossing-data generating means generates the embossing data such that braille is forwardly embossed, and the front-and-rear detecting means detects that the tape is fed from the rear end thereof in the reading direction, and the embossing-data generating means generates the braille data such that the braille is reversely embossed, and the front-and-rear detecting means detects that the tape is fed from the front end thereof in the reading direction. 8. The tape processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a printing means for printing ink characters on the tape, prior to braille embossing with the embossing means; a printing-data generating means for generating printing data for printing ink characters, based on the input information and the defined braille embossing position; a printing controlling means for controlling the printing means, based on the generated printing data; wherein, with the printing-data generating means, when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape on the same side as the embossing means, the printing data is generated such that ink characters are forwardly printed one by one from the front end thereof in the reading direction, and when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction of the tape opposite to the embossing means, the printing data is generated such that inverted ink-characters are reversely printed one by one from the rear end thereof in the reading direction. 9. The tape processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the tape traveling path comprises a traveling path for printing along which the tape is fed and printed with ink characters and a traveling path for embossing along which the tape is fed and embossed in braille, and the traveling path for embossing is manually fed with the tape having passed through the traveling path for printing. 10. A program which causes a computer to perform each of the means of the tape processing apparatus as described in any one of claims 5 to 9.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of controlling a tape processing apparatus for embossing on a tape to be processed braille recognizable by visually-impaired people, a tape processing apparatus, and a program. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a tape (display tape) processing apparatus in which ink characters (i.e., characters printed with ink; this term is used in this specification as compared with Braille) are printed on a plane-characters printing region with a plane-characters printing means and braille is printed (braille embossing) on a braille printing region with a braille printing means, while a tape material (i.e., tape) is pitch-fed along a tape traveling path. In the braille printing means, there are provided three braille heads for embossing braille on the tape, which act on a braille plate fixed at a given position of the tape traveling path, thereby forming braille on the tape. In other words, such a tape processing apparatus has a braille embossing region at a given position in the width direction of the tape, which is physically defined according to the relative position between the tape to be fed along the tape traveling path and the braille heads (braille plate). For this reason, the user is not allowed to define the braille embossing region in the width direction of the tape, and a layout of the same is therefore limited.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In view of the above problem, the present invention has an advantage of providing a method of controlling a tape processing apparatus in which the user can arbitrarily define a braille embossing region in the width direction of a tape without limiting the braille layout thereof, a tape processing apparatus, and a program. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a tape processing apparatus where braille is embossed at one side in the width direction of a tape with an embossing means arranged at the one side while the tape is being fed along a tape traveling path, the method comprising: an embossing-position defining step of defining a braille embossing position in the width direction of the tape; an embossing-data generating step of generating embossing data for embossing the braille, based on input information and the defined braille embossing position; and a braille embossing step of embossing the braille on the tape based on the generated embossing data; wherein, in the embossing-data generating step, when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape on the same side as the embossing means, the embossing data is generated such that braille is forwardly embossed one by one from the front end thereof in the reading direction, and when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction of the tape opposite to the embossing means, the embossing data is generated such that inverted braille is reversely embossed one by one from the rear end thereof in the reading direction. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape processing apparatus where braille is embossed at one side in a width direction of a tape while the tape is being fed along a tape traveling path, the apparatus comprising: an embossing means arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape, for embossing braille at the one side; an embossing-position defining means for defining a braille embossing position in the width direction of the tape; an embossing-data generating means for generating embossing data based on input information and the defined braille embossing position; and an embossing controlling means for controlling the embossing means based on the generated embossing data; wherein, with the embossing-data generating means, when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape on the same side as the embossing means, the embossing data is generated such that braille is forwardly embossed one by one from the front end thereof in the reading direction, and when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction of the tape opposite to the embossing means, the embossing data is generated such that inverted braille is reversely embossed one by one from the rear end thereof in the reading direction. According to this configuration, forward embossing and reverse embossing can be switched between them based on the positional relationship between the braille embossing position and the embossing means. Note that reverse embossing can be performed by inverting embossing data for forward embossing. Accordingly, even when the relative position in the width direction of the tape between the tape and the embossing means is physically defined in advance, it is possible to define at least two types of braille layouts in the width direction of the tape. The user is thus allowed to select a braille layout according to his/her intended purpose or preference. Further, when the apparatus employs a configuration in which a braille embossing region is defined at an arbitrary position in the width direction of a tape, forward embossing and reverse embossing can be switched between them based on the positional relationship between the braille embossing region and the embossing means, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the apparatus. In other words, with a configuration where braille can be embossed at only one side in the width direction of the tape, the other side thereof is embossed through reverse embossing where embossing data is inverted, allowing braille to be embossed over the whole width of the tape. Accordingly, when an feeding position in the width direction of the tape is changed relative to the tape traveling path to arbitrarily define a braille embossing region, the width of the tape traveling path in the width direction thereof can be shortened. Further, when the embossing means is caused to move in the width direction of the tape to arbitrarily define a braille embossing region, the moving range of the embossing means may be reduced. Preferably, the tape has printed thereon front-and-rear discriminating information for discriminating the front-and-rear thereof in a feeding direction. According to this configuration, the tape to be embossed in braille has printed thereon the front-and-rear discriminating information for discriminating the front-and-rear of the tape in the feeding direction. Accordingly, when the user manually feeds the tape (with the tape guided by hand) into the braille embossing apparatus, the tape is prevented from being embossed from the wrong side. In addition, when the tape printed with ink characters is used, even if it is found impossible to discriminate ups-and-downs (front-and-rear) of the ink characters (i.e., a sign of arrow or a figure of zero), the front-and-rear discriminating information has been printed on the tape, thereby preventing the user from affixing the same from the wrong side. Preferably, the method of controlling a tape processing apparatus further comprises a front-and-rear detecting step of detecting the front-and-rear of the tape fed into the tape traveling path, based on the front-and-rear discriminating information, wherein, in the braille embossing step, the braille is prevented from being embossed under conditions where, in the embossing-data generating step, the embossing data is generated such that braille is forwardly embossed, and in the front-and-rear detecting step, the tape is detected to have been fed from the rear end thereof in the reading direction, and in the embossing-data generating step, the embossing data is generated such that braille is reversely embossed, and in the front-and-rear detecting step, the tape is detected to have been fed from the front end thereof in the reading direction. Preferably, the tape processing apparatus further comprises a front-and-rear detecting means for detecting the front-and-rear of the tape fed into the tape traveling path based on the front-and-rear discriminating information, wherein, with the embossing controlling means, the braille is prevented from being embossed under conditions where the embossing-data generating means generates the embossing data such that braille is forwardly embossed, and the front-and-rear detecting means detects that the tape is fed from the rear end thereof in the reading direction, and the embossing-data generating means generates the braille data such that braille is reversely embossed, and the front-and-rear detecting means detects that the tape is fed from the front end thereof in the reading direction. According to this configuration, the braille data is embossed in a state of being inverted in cases where the braille embossing region is defined under a basic layout structure and the tape is fed into the tape traveling path from the rear end thereof, or the braille embossing region is defined under one opposite to the basic layout structure and the tape is fed into the tape traveling path from the front end thereof. Accordingly, even if the tape is fed thereinto from the wrong side, braille can be rightly embossed in the defined braille embossing region. Preferably, in the above description, the method of controlling a tape processing apparatus further comprises: a printing-data generating step of generating printing data for printing ink characters on the tape, based on the input information and the defined braille embossing position; and an ink-characters printing step of printing ink characters on the tape with a printing means based on the generated printing data, prior to the braille embossing step, wherein, in the printing-data generating step, when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape on the same side as the embossing means, the printing data is generated such that ink characters are forwardly printed one by one from the front end thereof in the reading direction, and when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction of the tape opposite to the embossing means, the printing data is generated such that inverted ink-characters are reversely printed one by one from the rear end thereof in the reading direction. Preferably, the tape processing apparatus further comprises: a printing means for printing ink characters on the tape, prior to braille embossing with the embossing means; a printing-data generating means for generating printing data for printing ink characters, based on the input information and the defined braille embossing position; a printing controlling means for controlling the printing means, based on the generated printing data; wherein, with the printing-data generating means, when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape on the same side as the embossing means, the printing data is generated such that ink characters are forwardly printed one by one from the front end thereof in the reading direction, and when the defined braille embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction of the tape opposite to the embossing means, the printing data is generated such that inverted ink-characters are reversely printed one by one from the rear end thereof in the reading direction. According to this configuration, when the defined embossing position is arranged at one side in the width direction of the tape on the same side as the embossing means, i.e., when forward embossing is performed, forward printing is caused to be performed. While, when the defined embossing position is arranged at the other side in the width direction of the tape opposite to the embossing means, i.e., when reverse embossing is previously performed, reverse printing is caused to be performed. Accordingly, ink-characters printing and braille embossing can be performed in the same direction, thereby achieving a one-pass system where the tape is printed with ink characters and successively embossed in braille. Further, as to a two-pass system where the tape having printed thereon ink characters is embossed in braille, the tape is once cut off and then embossed in braille in the same direction as the ink-characters printing, which eliminates the need to change the direction of the tape or to reversely feed the same to change the direction of performance. Preferably, the tape traveling path comprises a traveling path for printing along which the tape is fed and printed with ink characters and a traveling path for embossing along which the tape is fed and embossed in braille, and the traveling path for embossing is manually fed with the tape having passed through the traveling path for printing. According to this configuration, since ink-characters printing and braille embossing are performed in the same direction, a manual feeding direction relative to the tape traveling path for braille embossing is the same as that of the ink-characters printing. Accordingly, even when the user manually feeds the tape printed with ink characters into the tape traveling path for braille embossing, he or she will not have any sense of discomfort. According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program which causes a computer to perform each of the means of the tape processing apparatus as described. According to this configuration, even when an embossing means fixed in position in the width direction of the tape traveling path is employed, it is possible to provide a program for materializing a tape processing apparatus in which an embossing position in the width direction of the tape can be selected according to the user's preference.

Device for processing radio transmission data with digital predistortion

A device for processing data which is to be transmitted by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal (DAT1), has a filter unit (301) for pulse shaping and oversampling of the digital baseband signal (DAT1), a predistortion unit (302, 303) for predistortion of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal (DAT2), and a control unit (304, 313) for controlling the predistortion unit (302, 303) as a function of the digital baseband signal (DAT1).

1. A device for processing data which is to be transmitted by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal, comprising: a filter unit for pulse shaping and oversampling of the digital baseband signal, a predistortion unit for predistortion of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal, and a control unit for controlling the predistortion unit as a function of the digital baseband signal. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the predistortion unit has a multiplication unit for multiplication of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal by predistortion coefficients. 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the predistortion unit has a first memory for storage of the predistortion coefficients, and the control unit is designed such that it selects predistortion coefficients from the first memory as a function of the digital baseband signal. 4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit has a second memory, in which magnitudes which correspond to the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal are stored, and in which case the predistortion coefficients can be selected on the basis of these magnitudes. 5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit has addressing logic which is designed such that it selects the approximate magnitudes of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal from the second memory on the basis of the digital baseband signal. 6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the digital baseband signal and the baseband signals which are produced from it are complex signals. 7. The device according to claim 1, comprising a digital/analogue converter unit for digital/analogue conversion of the predistorted baseband signal. 8. The device according to claim 7, comprising a further filter unit for low-pass filtering of the analogue baseband signal. 9. The device according to claim 1, comprising a modulator unit with an oscillator for modulation of a radio-frequency carrier, with the baseband signal, in particular via an intermediate frequency. 10. The device according to claim 9, comprising an amplifier unit for amplification of the modulated radio-frequency signal with, in particular, a variable gain, with the gain being controllable in analogue form or being digitally programmable. 11. The device according to claim 9, comprising a power amplifier for amplification of the modulated radio-frequency signal. 12. The device according to claim 3, comprising a power control unit for controlling the addressing of the first memory and/or for controlling the gain of the amplifier unit, with the power control unit being designed in such a way that it controls the addressing of the first memory as a function of the digital baseband signal and as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier, and that it controls the gain of the amplifier unit as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier. 13. A transmitting device for sending data by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal, having a device for processing of the digital baseband signal according to claim 1. 14. A method for processing of data to be transmitted by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal, comprising the following method steps: (a) filtering and oversampling the digital baseband signal; and (b) predistorting the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal, wherein the predistortion of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal is controlled as a function of the digital baseband signal. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein for predistortion, the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal is multiplied by predistortion coefficients. 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predistortion coefficients are stored in advance in a first memory, and the predistortion coefficients are selected from the first memory for predistortion as a function of the digital baseband signal. 17. The method according to claim 15, wherein magnitudes which correspond to the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal are stored in advance in a second memory, and the predistortion coefficients are selected on the basis of these magnitudes. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the approximate magnitudes of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal are selected from the second memory on the basis of the digital baseband signal. 19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the digital baseband signal and the baseband signals which are produced from it are complex signals. 20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predistorted digital baseband signal is converted to an analogue baseband signal. 21. The method according to claim 14, wherein a radio-frequency carrier is modulated with the baseband signal, in particular via an intermediate frequency. 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the modulated radio-frequency signal is amplified with, in particular, a variable gain, with the gain being controllable in analogue form or being digitally programmable. 23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the modulated radio-frequency signal is amplified by a power amplifier. 24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the addressing of the first memory is controlled as a function of the digital baseband signal and as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier, and/or the gain of the modulated radio-frequency signal is controlled as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier. 25. A method for transmission of data by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal, using a method for processing the digital baseband signal according to claims 14.

<SOH> DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The trend for modem mobile radios is to use multifunctional mobile communication appliances which have multimedia capabilities and, in addition to multiband operation (0.9/1.8-2/2.5 GHz), are also designed for multistandard operation (GSM/PCN/UMTS/WLAN). This requires the use of bandwidth-efficient linear modulation forms such as 8PSK (phase shift keying), QPSK (quadrature phase shift keying) or QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation). This results in particularly stringent linearity requirements for the transmission path in order to keep transmission errors in the case of output signals at high levels as small as possible. A power amplifier must therefore be arranged at the output of the transmission signal path, with linearity which is as good as possible over a wide range. Since power amplifiers in mobile radios represent a high proportion of the total power consumption, the power amplifier which has been mentioned should also consume little power. High power amplifier efficiency, that is to say a high ratio of the RF power that is produced to the power that is required, is generally achieved in the maximum power area in which the RF transmission characteristic of the power amplifier has severe non-linearities, however. Good linearity of the power amplifier can be achieved only with low efficiency, that is to say with a low output power in comparison to the DC power required by the power amplifier. In the case of mobile radios that are known at the moment, it is impossible without considerable additional complexity to achieve good linearity and a low current consumption, that is to say a long battery operating life, at the same time. In order to solve this problem, it has been proposed that the baseband signals be subjected to predistortion before being fed to the power amplifier. The baseband signals are in this case predistorted in such a way as to compensate for the non-linear output characteristic of the power amplifier, by means of the predistortion. The non-linearities in the transmission path are thus compensated for in a suitable form. This allows a high output power with the power amplifier consuming little power at the same time, without the non-linearities that result from this unacceptedly modifying the output signal. Since the non-linearities in the transmission path depend on the amplitude of the baseband signal, but not on its phase, the amplitude of the baseband signal must be taken into account when determining the predistortion coefficients. The amplitude-dependent predistortion coefficients may, for example, be stored in a memory. An address calculation must be carried out on the basis of the baseband signal in order to select the correct predistortion coefficient from the memory. Conventional methods for address calculation are magnitude addressing and square magnitude addressing. Magnitude addressing generally requires more complexity than square magnitude addressing, but magnitude addressing has the advantage of a uniform amplitude increase. Furthermore, in the case of conventional transmitting devices, the predistortion for the components I and Q in the baseband signal must be carried out in real time, thus resulting in stringent requirements for the rate at which the computation operations are carried out. The computation power required in this case depends on the bandwidth of the signal, on the clock frequency, on the oversampling factor and on the number and complexity of the computation operations which are required in the predistorter. The required chip area and the power consumption of the predistorter increase with the computation complexity. Transmitting devices with adaptive predistortion stages are described in the German Patent Applications with the file references 103 45 517.5 and 103 45 553.1. These applications are hereby included in the disclosure content of the present patent application.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One object of the invention is to provide a device for processing data to be transmitted by radio, which carries out digital predistortion of the baseband signal and in which the complexity associated with the predistortion process is as low as possible. A further aim is to provide a transmitting device for transmission of data by radio, which includes this device. Corresponding methods are likewise intended to be specified. The objective on which the invention is based can be achieved by a device for processing data which is to be transmitted by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal, comprising a filter unit for pulse shaping and oversampling of the digital baseband signal, a predistortion unit for predistortion of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal, and a control unit for controlling the predistortion unit as a function of the digital baseband signal. The predistortion unit may have a multiplication unit for multiplication of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal by predistortion coefficients. The predistortion unit may have a first memory for storage of the predistortion coefficients, and the control unit can be designed such that it selects predistortion coefficients from the first memory as a function of the digital baseband signal. The control unit may have a second memory, in which magnitudes which correspond to the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal are stored, and in which case the predistortion coefficients can be selected on the basis of these magnitudes. The control unit may have addressing logic which is designed such that it selects the approximate magnitudes of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal from the second memory on the basis of the digital baseband signal. The digital baseband signal and the baseband signals which are produced from it can be complex signals. The device may comprise a digital/analogue converter unit for digital/analogue conversion of the predistorted baseband signal. The device may comprise a further filter unit for low-pass filtering of the analogue baseband signal. The device may comprise a modulator unit with an oscillator for modulation of a radio-frequency carrier, with the baseband signal, in particular via an intermediate frequency. The device may comprise an amplifier unit for amplification of the modulated radio-frequency signal with, in particular, a variable gain, with the gain being controllable in analogue form or being digitally programmable. The device may comprise a power amplifier for amplification of the modulated radio-frequency signal. The device may comprise a power control unit for controlling the addressing of the first memory and/or for controlling the gain of the amplifier unit, with the power control unit being designed in such a way that it controls the addressing of the first memory as a function of the digital baseband signal and as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier, and that it controls the gain of the amplifier unit as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier. A transmitting device for sending data by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal, may comprise such a device for processing of the digital baseband signal. The object can furthermore be achieved by a method for processing of data to be transmitted by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal, comprising the following method steps (a) filtering and over-sampling the digital baseband signal; and (b) predistorting the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal, wherein the predistortion of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal is controlled as a function of the digital baseband signal. For predistortion, the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal can be multiplied by predistortion coefficients. The predistortion coefficients can be stored in advance in a first memory, and the predistortion coefficients can be selected from the first memory for predistortion as a function of the digital baseband signal. Magnitudes which correspond to the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal can be stored in advance in a second memory, and the predistortion coefficients can be selected on the basis of these magnitudes. The approximate magnitudes of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal can be selected from the second memory on the basis of the digital baseband signal. The digital baseband signal and the baseband signals which can be produced from it are complex signals. The predistorted digital baseband signal can be converted to an analogue baseband signal. A radio-frequency carrier can be modulated with the baseband signal, in particular via an intermediate frequency. The modulated radio-frequency signal can be amplified with, in particular, a variable gain, with the gain being controllable in analogue form or being digitally programmable. The modulated radio-frequency signal can be amplified by a power amplifier. The addressing of the first memory can be controlled as a function of the digital baseband signal and as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier, and/or the gain of the modulated radio-frequency signal can be controlled as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier. A method for transmission of data by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal, may use such a method for processing the digital baseband signal. The device according to the invention is designed to process data which is intended to be transmitted by radio at a later time. In particular, this processing is intended to be designed for subsequent power amplification of the data to be processed. The data to be processed is in the form of a digital baseband signal in the device according to the invention. In order to carry out the processing of the data, the device according to the invention has a filter unit, a predistortion unit and a control unit. The filter unit carries out pulse shaping and oversampling of the digital baseband signal. In this case, the digital baseband signal is used as it enters the device according to the invention. The predistortion unit carries out predistortion of the digital baseband signal that is emitted from the filter unit. The control unit controls the predistortion unit and in turn uses the digital baseband signal in the way that it is available to the device according to the invention. One major idea of the invention is that the digital baseband signal is used to control the predistortion unit, before it is filtered and oversampled. In the case of conventional devices which have the same purpose as the device according to the invention, the filtered and oversampled baseband signal is, in contrast, used for controlling the predistortion unit. Since the baseband signals which are used according to the invention for controlling the predistortion unit flow at a lower rate than the filtered and oversampled baseband signals, the device according to the invention has the advantage that the speed requirements for the control unit are considerably less than normal. If in contrast, a baseband signal which has been oversampled by an oversampling of 8 were to be used, this would result in the signal processing speed of the control unit being eight times greater. This advantageous characteristic of the control unit results in considerably less circuit complexity in the design of the device according to the invention in comparison to conventional devices which are used for the same purpose. Furthermore, the power consumption of the device according to the invention is also comparatively less. The predistortion unit preferably has a multiplication unit, which multiplies the digital baseband signal, that has been filtered and oversampled by means of the filter unit, by predistortion coefficients. This is a simple and low-complexity measure for carrying out the predistortion process. According to one advantageous refinement of the device according to the invention, the predistortion unit has a first memory in which predistortion coefficients are stored before the predistortion process is carried out. Furthermore, this refinement of the device according to the invention provides for the control unit to select predistortion coefficients from the first memory as a function of the digital baseband signal, and for the selected predistortion coefficients then to be supplied to the multiplication unit for multiplication by the filtered and oversampled baseband signal. The advantage of the refinement of the device according to the invention as described above is that there is no need for a continuously processing calculation unit for calculation of the predistortion coefficients in real time. Rather than a calculation unit such as this with a high computation power requirement, the present refinement of the device according to the invention provides for the predistortion coefficients, which depend on the power amplifier, to be calculated externally in an open-loop arrangement, and to be read to the first memory once. In the case of a closed-loop or adaptive arrangement, the predistortion coefficients are calculated, and are read to the memory, occasionally. During operation of the device according to the invention, the digital baseband signals which enter the device according to the invention determine which predistortion coefficients are selected from the first memory. The control unit preferably has a second memory, in which values are stored in advance which correspond approximately to the magnitudes, that is to say to the amplitudes, of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal. The predistortion coefficients which are stored in particular in the first memory are selected on the basis of the magnitudes stored in the second memory, during operation of the device according to the invention. This measure saves a complex address calculation unit, since, if the filter characteristic of the filter unit is known, the magnitudes of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal can be calculated externally in advance and need be read to the second memory only once. In order to make it possible to select the magnitudes from the second memory using the digital baseband signal, addressing logic is preferably integrated in the device according to the invention. The addressing logic can be provided with considerably less complexity on the basis of the magnitudes, which are already stored in the second memory, of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal, than is required for the production of an address calculation unit which would have to calculate the addresses for the first memory without the assistance of the second memory. The digital baseband signal and the baseband signals, which are produced from it, for the transmission signal path, such as the oversampled digital baseband signal, which has been filtered by the filter unit, or the predistorted digital baseband signal, or the analogue baseband signal which is mentioned further below, preferably exist in the form of complex signals. In this case, by way of example, these signals have an in-phase component and a quadrature component, which are normally referred to as I and Q components, or as I and Q signals. The fact that the baseband signals are in the form of complex, two-component signals means that at least some of the components which are arranged in the transmission signal path are duplicated. For example, in this case, the filter unit comprises two filters, each of which is designed for pulse shaping and oversampling of one component of the digital baseband signal. A digital/analogue converter unit is preferably provided, and converts the predistorted baseband signal to an analogue baseband signal. It is also advantageous to integrate a further filter unit in the transmission signal path, in order to smooth the analogue baseband signal, and to chop off the harmonics, by low-pass filtering. A further advantageous refinement of the device according to the invention provides a modulator unit which uses an oscillator to modulate a radio-frequency signal with the baseband signal. Both direct conversion and conversion by means of an intermediate frequency may be provided. The modulator unit may be integrated in the digital part or in the analogue part of the transmission signal path. One particularly preferred refinement of the device according to the invention is characterized by an amplifier unit for amplification of the modulated radio-frequency signal, in particular with a variable gain. In this case, the gain can either be controlled in an analogue form, or can be programmed digitally. According to one further particularly preferred refinement of the device according to the invention, a power amplifier is connected in the analogue part of the transmission signal path. In particular, the power amplifier is connected downstream from the amplifier unit. Power control can preferably be provided as is described in the German Patent Applications, which have already been mentioned above, with the file references 103 45 517.5 and 103 45 553.1. This may be an adaptive open-loop arrangement or an adaptive closed-loop arrangement. The power control unit is used to control the addressing of the first memory and/or to control the gain of the amplifier unit. The addressing of the first memory is controlled as a function of the digital baseband signal and as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier. The gain of the amplifier unit is controlled as a function of the signal which is desired by the power amplifier. The transmitting device according to the invention which, in particular, may be used in the mobile radio field is used for sending data by radio. In this case, the data which is intended to be transmitted subsequently is passed to the transmitting device according to the invention in the form of a digital baseband signal. The transmitting device according to the invention has a device for processing the digital baseband signal, and having the features described above. Since the device according to the invention is implemented in the transmitting device according to the invention, the transmitting device according to the invention has the same advantages over conventional transmitting devices as the device according to the invention. The method according to the invention is designed for processing data to be transmitted by radio. The data to be transmitted is in the form of a digital baseband signal. The method according to the invention has the following method steps: (a) the digital baseband signal is filtered and oversampled; and (b) the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal is predistorted, with the predistortion of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal being controlled as a function of the digital baseband signal. The method according to the invention has the advantage that the baseband signals which are used to control the predistortion flow at a lower rate than the filtered and oversampled baseband signals, so that the speed requirements for the control process are considerably less stringent than normal.

Method for dynamically determining peak output torque in an electrically variable transmission

A method for determining output torque limits of a powertrain including an electrically variable transmission relies upon a model of the electrically variable transmission. Transmission operating space is defined by combined electric machine torque constraints and engine torque constraints. Output torque limits are determined at the limits of the transmission operating space.

1. Method for determining output torque limits in a vehicular powertrain comprising an engine, an electrically variable transmission including at least one electric motor, and a driveline, said engine operatively coupled to the electrically variable transmission at an input thereof, said driveline operatively coupled to the electrically variable transmission at an output thereof, comprising: determining a feasible motor torque operating space; determining input torque limits within the feasible motor torque operating space; determining motor torque limits at the input torque limits; and determining output torque limits based upon the input torque limits and the motor torque limits. 2. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 1 wherein the feasible motor torque operating space is determined to provide torque capacity reservation in said at least one electric motor. 3. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 1 wherein said input torque limits are determined based upon engine torque limits and motor torque limits of the feasible motor torque operating space. 4. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 1 wherein determined motor torque limits at the input torque limits correspond to the least constrained output torques. 5. Method for determining output torque limits in a vehicular powertrain comprising an engine, an electrically variable transmission including at least one electric motor, and a driveline, said engine operatively coupled to the electrically variable transmission at an input thereof, said driveline operatively coupled to the electrically variable transmission at an output thereof, comprising: determining input torque limits as the most constrained of input torques corresponding to predetermined engine torque limits and predetermined motor torque limits; determining which of the predetermined motor torque limits correspond to the least constrained output torques at the input torque limits; and determining the output torque limits based upon the input torque limits and the predetermined motor torque limits that correspond to the least constrained output torques at the input torque limits. 6. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 5 wherein the engine torque limits are determined in accordance with a set of engine operating parameters. 7. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 6 wherein the engine torque limits are determined from stored data sets in a controller. 8. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 6 wherein the engine torque limits are determined in real-time in a controller. 9. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 5 wherein the motor torque limits are determined in accordance with a set of motor operating parameters. 10. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 9 wherein the motor torque limits are determined from stored data sets in a controller. 11. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 5 wherein the motor torque limits are determined to provide a reservation of torque capacity in said at least one electric motor. 12. Method for determining output torque limits in a vehicular powertrain comprising an engine, an electrically variable transmission including at least one electric motor, and a driveline, said engine operatively coupled to the electrically variable transmission at an input thereof, said driveline operatively coupled to the electrically variable transmission at an output thereof, comprising: determining least constrained motor limited input torques corresponding to predetermined motor torque limits; determining engine limited input torques corresponding to predetermined engine torque limits; selecting input torque limits as the most constrained of the motor limited input torques and the engine limited input torques; and determining output torque limits as the least constrained of output torques corresponding to said input torque limits and said predetermined motor torque limits. 13. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 12 wherein the engine torque limits are determined in accordance with a set of engine operating parameters. 14. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 13 wherein the engine torque limits are determined from stored data sets in a controller. 15. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 13 wherein the engine torque limits are determined in real-time in a controller. 16. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 12 wherein the motor torque limits are determined in accordance with a set of motor operating parameters. 17. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 16 wherein the motor torque limits are determined from stored data sets in a controller. 18. The method for determining output torque limits as claimed in claim 12 wherein the motor torque limits are determined to provide a reservation of torque capacity in said at least one electric motor.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Various hybrid powertrain architectures are known for managing the input and output torques of various prime-movers in hybrid vehicles, most commonly internal combustion engines and electric machines. Series hybrid architectures are generally characterized by an internal combustion engine driving an electric generator which in turn provides electrical power to an electric drivetrain and to a battery pack. The internal combustion engine in a series hybrid is not directly mechanically coupled to the drivetrain. The electric generator may also operate in a motoring mode to provide a starting function to the internal combustion engine, and the electric drivetrain may recapture vehicle braking energy by also operating in a generator mode to recharge the battery pack. Parallel hybrid architectures are generally characterized by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor which both have a direct mechanical coupling to the drivetrain. The drivetrain conventionally includes a shifting transmission to provide the necessary gear ratios for wide range operation. Electrically variable transmissions (EVT) are known which provide for continuously variable speed ratios by combining features from both series and parallel hybrid powertrain architectures. EVTs are operable with a direct mechanical path between an internal combustion engine and a final drive unit thus enabling high transmission efficiency and application of lower cost and less massive motor hardware. EVTs are also operable with engine operation mechanically independent from the final drive or in various mechanical/electrical split contributions thereby enabling high-torque continuously variable speed ratios, electrically dominated launches, regenerative braking, engine off idling, and multi-mode operation. It is known in the art of vehicular powertrain controls to interpret an operator's request for torque into a system torque command to effect an output torque to the vehicle driveline. Such interpretation and command require relatively simple control management dominated by the available engine torque in relation to a vehicle's present set of operating parameters, which relationship is relatively well understood. In electrically variable transmission based hybrid powertrains a number of factors in addition to the available engine torque affect the output torque that can be provided to the vehicle driveline. It is known in such hybrid powertrains to interpret an operator's request for torque into a system torque command and allow individual sub-system limitations to dictate actual output torque. Such limitations include, for example, available engine torque, available electric machine torque and the available electrical energy storage system power. It is preferable to understand the various subsystem individual and interactive constraints affecting available powertrain output torque such that output torque commands are issued consistent with such torque availability and subsystem constraints. Available development tools and modeling may provide some understanding of electrically variable transmission based hybrid powertrain available output torque. But such techniques are generally limited to steady state operation, neglecting the significance of inertia torques upon the powertrain from vehicle dynamic conditions including vehicular and powertrain (engine and electric machine) accelerations. Such techniques are also generally iterative in nature and rely on human intervention is determining what parameters are held constant and what parameters are to be solved for. Such techniques, therefore, are ill equipped for adaptation to real-time, on-vehicle, dynamic, multi-variable solutions for effective control.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>A vehicular powertrain includes an engine, an electrically variable transmission including at least one electric motor and a driveline. The engine is operatively coupled to the electrically variable transmission at an input thereof and the driveline is operatively coupled to the electrically variable transmission at an output thereof. A method for determining output torque limits of the powertrain includes determining the feasible motor torque operating space and determining input torque limits within that operating space. Motor torque limits at the input torque limits are determined. And, output torque limits are determined based upon the input torque limits and the motor torque limits. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, feasible motor torque operating space is conservatively determined to provide torque capacity reservation. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, input torque limits are determined based upon engine torque limits and motor torque limits of the feasible motor torque operating space. In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, motor torque limits at the input torque limits correspond to the least constrained output torques. A method for determining output torque limits of the powertrain includes determining input torque limits as the least constrained of input torques corresponding to predetermined engine torque limits and predetermined motor torque limits. A determination is made as to which of the predetermined motor torque limits correspond to least constrained output torques at the input torque limits. Output torque limits are then determined based upon the input torque limits and the predetermined motor torque limits that correspond to the least constrained output torques at the input torque limits. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the engine torque limits are determined in accordance with a set of engine operating parameters. Engine operating parameters may reference stored engine torque limit data sets in a controller or be used in real-time calculation of engine torque limits in a controller. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the motor torque limits are determined in accordance with a set of motor operating parameters. Motor operating parameters may reference stored motor torque limit data sets in a controller. Preferably, motor torque limits are conservatively determined to provide a reservation of electric motor torque capacity. A method for determining output torque limits of the powertrain includes determining least constrained motor limited input torques corresponding to predetermined motor torque limits and determining engine limited input torques corresponding to predetermined engine torque limits. Input torque limits are selected as the most constrained of the motor limited input torques and engine limited input torques so determined. Output torque limits are then determined as the least constrained output torques corresponding to the input torque limits and the predetermined motor torque limits. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the engine torque limits are determined in accordance with a set of engine operating parameters. Engine operating parameters may reference stored engine torque limit data sets in a controller or be used in real-time calculation of engine torque limits in a controller. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the motor torque limits are determined in accordance with a set of motor operating parameters. Motor operating parameters may reference stored motor torque limit data sets in a controller. Preferably, motor torque limits are conservatively determined to provide a reservation of electric motor torque capacity.

System and method for authenticating at least a portion of an e-mail message

A system and method allows some or all of an e-mail message, such as the sender or its contents, to be authenticated, for example, to identify a message as potential spam.

1. A method of providing an e-mail message, comprising: identifying customization information responsive to a recipient of an e-mail message; signing the customization information with information corresponding to the sender of the message; and sending the customization information and the signed customization information with the e-mail message. 2. A method of receiving an e-mail message, comprising: receiving an e-mail message set, comprising an e-mail message; processing the e-mail message set responsive to: a content and existence of customization information corresponding to the recipient of the message as part of the e-mail message set; and a signature made responsive to the customization information and the sender of the message.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Persons can send e-mail messages to other users, yet the recipient has no way of knowing that the sender or the message is authentic. What is needed is a system and method for authenticating an e-mail message.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF INVENTION <EOH>A system and method places customization information (referred to herein as “passmark information”) into a field of an e-mail header. The passmark can be used to verify the authenticity of the sender, the message, or both.

Wideband attenuator circuits an methods

Embodiments of the present invention include wideband attenuator circuits and methods. In one embodiment the present invention includes a first divider circuit coupled in series with two or more second divider circuits. The divider circuits include resistance and capacitance values that may be set according to particular relationships. In one embodiment, a wideband attenuator may include capacitors that are selectively coupled to each output node.

1. An attenuator comprising: a first divider circuit comprising a first resistance coupled between a first output node and a reference voltage, a first capacitance coupled between the first output node and the reference voltage, a second resistance coupled between a first input node and the first output node, and a second capacitance coupled between the first input node and the first output node; and two or more second divider circuits each comprising a third resistance coupled between a second output node and the reference voltage, a third capacitance coupled between the second output node and the reference voltage, a fourth resistance coupled between a second input node and the second output node, and a fourth capacitance coupled between the second input node and the second output node, wherein each of the two or more second divider circuits are coupled in series and the first divider circuit is coupled to a second output node of the last second divider circuit in the series. 2. The attenuator of claim 1 wherein the value of the second resistance is the same as the value of the fourth resistance, the value of the second capacitance is the same as the value of the fourth capacitance, the value of the first resistance is equal to the third resistance in parallel with the sum of the first resistance and the second resistance. 3. The attenuator of claim 1 wherein the product of the first resistance and first capacitance, the product of the second resistance and second capacitance, and the product of the third resistance and the third capacitance are equal. 4. The attenuator of claim 1 wherein the third capacitance is approximately equal to zero for a second divider circuit having an output node where an input signal is at one-half amplitude. 5. The attenuator of claim 1 wherein the first divider circuit further includes a fifth capacitance and a first switch for selectively coupling the fifth capacitance in parallel with the first resistance, and wherein said two or more second divider circuits further include two or more second switches for selectively coupling the third capacitance in parallel with the third resistance. 6. The attenuator of claim 5 wherein the product of the first resistance and the sum of the first capacitance and fifth capacitance, the product of the second resistance and second capacitance, and the product of the third resistance and third capacitance are equal. 7. The attenuator of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of output switches each having a first terminal coupled to one of said output nodes. 8. The attenuator of claim 7 wherein a first output switch in said plurality of output switches is coupled to the first output node, and when said first output switch is closed, said first switch is open and the two or more second switches are closed. 9. The attenuator of claim 7 wherein a first output switch in said plurality of output switches is coupled to a selected output node of the two or more second output nodes, and when said first output switch is closed, said first switch is closed, a first switch of the two or more second switches that is coupled to the selected output node is open, and the other two or more second switches are closed. 10. The attenuator of claim 1 wherein a buffer is coupled between said attenuator and an amplifier. 11. An attenuator comprising: a first resistor having a first resistance value coupled between a first node and a reference voltage; a first capacitor having a first capacitance value coupled between the first node and the reference voltage; a second resistor having a second resistance value coupled between a second node and the first node; a second capacitor having a second capacitance value coupled between the second node and the first node; a third resistor having a third resistance value coupled between the second node and the reference voltage; a third capacitor having a third capacitance value selectively coupled between the second node and the reference voltage; a fourth resistor having a fourth resistance value approximately equal to the second resistance value coupled between a third node and the second node; a fourth capacitor having a fourth capacitance value approximately equal to the second capacitance value coupled between the third node and the second node; a fifth resistor having a fifth resistance value approximately equal to the third resistance value coupled between the third node and the reference voltage; a fifth capacitor having a fifth capacitance value approximately equal to the third capacitance value selectively coupled between the fourth node and the reference voltage; a sixth resistor having a sixth resistance value approximately equal to the second resistance value coupled between a fourth node and the third node; a sixth capacitor having a sixth capacitance value approximately equal to the second capacitance value coupled between the fourth node and the third node; and a seventh capacitor selectively coupled between the first node and the reference voltage. 12. The attenuator of claim 11 further comprising a first switch coupled to the first node, a second switch coupled to the second node, a third switch coupled to the third node, and a fourth switch coupled to the fourth node. 13. The attenuator of claim 12 wherein when the first switch is closed, the fifth capacitor is coupled to the third node, the third capacitor is coupled to the second node, and the seventh capacitor is decoupled from the first node. 14. The attenuator of claim 11 wherein the product of the first resistance value and the sum of the first and seventh capacitance values, the product of the second resistance value and second capacitance value, and the product of the third resistance value and third capacitance value are equal. 15. An attenuator comprising: a first resistor having a first resistance value coupled between a first node and a reference voltage; a first capacitor having a first capacitance value coupled between the first node and the reference voltage; a second resistor having a second resistance value coupled between a second node and the first node; a second capacitor having a second capacitance value coupled between the second node and the first node; a third resistor having a third resistance value coupled between the second node and the reference voltage; a third capacitor having a third capacitance value coupled between the second node and the reference voltage; a fourth resistor having a fourth resistance value approximately equal to the second resistance value coupled between a third node and the second node; a fourth capacitor having a fourth capacitance value approximately equal to the second capacitance value coupled between the third node and the second node; a fifth resistor having a fifth resistance value approximately equal to the third resistance value coupled between the third node and the reference voltage; a sixth resistor having a sixth resistance value approximately equal to the second resistance value coupled between a fourth node and the third node; and a fifth capacitor having a fifth capacitance value approximately equal to the second capacitance value coupled between the fourth node and the third node. 16. The attenuator of claim 15 further comprising a first switch coupled between the first node and a fifth node; a second switch coupled between the second node and the fifth node; a third switch coupled between the third node and the fifth node; and a fourth switch coupled between the fourth node and the fifth node. 17. The attenuator of claim 15 wherein the product of the first resistance value and first capacitance value, the product of the second resistance value and second capacitance value, and the product of the third resistance value and the third capacitance value are equal. 18. The attenuator of claim 15 wherein the value of the first resistance is equal to the value third resistance in parallel with the sum of the first resistance and the second resistance. 19. A circuit comprising: means for attenuating a signal comprising a plurality of output nodes; means for amplifying; and means for coupling the plurality of output nodes to the means for amplifying. 20. The attenuator of claim 19 further comprising means for buffering.

<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>The present invention relates to attenuators, and in particular, to circuits and methods that may be used in wideband applications. FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art attenuator. Attenuator 100 is known as an R 2 R ladder. In an R 2 R ladder attenuator, a plurality of resistor dividers are configured in series and the output nodes of each divider (i.e., the attenuator “taps”) may be coupled to a subsequent stage through switches 141 - 143 . Each tap provides a different attenuation value. In an R 2 R ladder, resistors 110 , 113 and 115 - 116 have the same value, and resistors 112 and 114 have the same value. Moreover, the value of resistors 112 and 114 is twice the value of the other resistors. Using this configuration, the resistance at each output node to ground is the same. This provides for successive attenuations steps of 6 dB per tap. One problem with existing attenuators such as attenuator 100 is that the resistance values combine with input capacitance of subsequent stages and will cause the circuit to have a limited bandwidth. For example, if the output taps of attenuator 100 are coupled to the input of an amplifier 150 through switches 141 - 143 , the load capacitance from the switches and from the input of the amplifier will limit the band width of the system. Thus, attenuator 100 may not be useful in wideband applications. Thus, there is a need for an improved attenuator, and in particular, for wideband attenuator circuits and methods.

<SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>Embodiments of the present invention include wideband attenuator circuits and methods. In one embodiment the present invention includes a wideband attenuator comprising a first divider circuit comprising a first resistance coupled between a first output node and a reference voltage, a first capacitance coupled between the first output node and the reference voltage, a second resistance coupled between a first input node and the first output node, and a second capacitance coupled between the first input node and the first output node, and two or more second divider circuits each comprising a third resistance coupled between a second output node and the reference voltage, a third capacitance coupled between the second output node and the reference voltage, a fourth resistance coupled between a second input node and the second output node, and a fourth capacitance coupled between the second input node and the second output node, wherein each of the two or more second divider circuits are coupled in series and the first divider circuit is coupled to a second output node of the last second divider circuit in the series. In one embodiment, the value of the second resistance is the same as the value of the fourth resistance, the value of the second capacitance is the same as the value of the fourth capacitance, the value of the first resistance is equal to the third resistance in parallel with the sum of the first resistance and the second resistance. In one embodiment, the product of the first resistance and first capacitance, the product of the second resistance and second capacitance, and the product of the third resistance and the third capacitance are the equal. In one embodiment, the third capacitance is approximately equal to zero for a second divider circuit having an output node where an input signal is at one-half amplitude. In one embodiment, the first divider circuit further includes a fifth capacitance and a first switch for selectively coupling the fifth capacitance in parallel with the first resistance, and wherein said two or more second divider circuits further include two or more second switches for selectively coupling the third capacitance in parallel with the third resistance. In one embodiment, the product of the first resistance and the sum of the first capacitance and fifth capacitance, the product of the second resistance and second capacitance, and the product of the third resistance and third capacitance are the equal. In one embodiment, the present invention further comprises a plurality of output switches each having a first terminal coupled to one of said output nodes. In one embodiment, a first output switch in said plurality of output switches is coupled to the first output node, and when said first output switch is closed, said first switch is open and the two or more second switches are closed. In one embodiment, a first output switch in said plurality of output switches is coupled to a selected output node of the two or more second output nodes, and when said first output switch is closed, said first switch is closed, a first switch of the two or more second switches that is coupled to the selected output node is open, and the other two or more second switches are closed. In one embodiment, a buffer is coupled between said attenuator and an amplifier. The following detailed description and accompanying drawings provide a better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention.

MESFETs integrated with MOSFETs on common substrate and methods of forming the same

An integrated circuit has first and second complementary MOSFETs and first and second complementary MESFETs fabricated on a common substrate. An insulating layer is disposed on the common substrate. The active region uses salicide block oxide layers to align the drain and source regions to the gate. Alternatively, the active region uses poly-silicon separators surrounded by side wall oxide spacers to align the drain and source regions to the gate. The MESFET may have a drift region between the gate terminal and drain region for high voltage applications. A “T”-shaped metal contact to the gate of the MESFETs reduces the gate length of the device

1. A method of forming an integrated circuit, comprising: providing a substrate; forming a first MOSFET device on the substrate; and forming a first MESFET device on the substrate. 2. The method of claim 1, further including forming an insulating layer on the substrate. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the first MESFET includes: forming an active region for the first MESFET; and forming first and second salicide block oxide layers over the active region, wherein the first salicide block oxide layer is formed across a first area to become a boundary between a source region and a gate terminal of the first MESFET and the second salicide block oxide layer is formed across a second area to become a boundary between a drain region and the gate terminal of the first MESFET. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the first MESFET includes: forming an active region for the first MESFET; and forming first and second poly-silicon separators over the active region, wherein the first poly-silicon separator is formed across a first area to become a boundary between a source region and a gate terminal of the first MESFET and the second poly-silicon separator is formed across a second area to become a boundary between a drain region and the gate terminal of the first MESFET. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein forming the first MESFET further includes forming first and second side wall oxide spacers around the poly-silicon separators. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the first MESFET includes: forming a gate terminal; forming a drain region; and forming an extended drift region between the gate terminal and the drain region. 7. The method of claim 1, further including forming a second MESFET on the substrate, wherein the first and second MESFET are complementary devices. 8. The method of claim 1, further including forming a metal contact to a gate of the first MESFET, the metal contact having a “T” shape to reduce a length of the gate of the first MESFET. 9. A method of forming MESFET and MOSFET devices on a common substrate, comprising: forming a first MOSFET device on the common substrate; forming a second MOSFET device on the common substrate, the second MOSFET being of opposite conductivity type as the first MOSFET; forming a first MESFET device on the common substrate; and forming a second MESFET device on the common substrate, the second MESFET being of opposite conductivity type as the first MESFET. 10. The method of claim 9, further including forming an insulating layer on the common substrate. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein forming the first MESFET includes: forming an active region for the first MESFET; and forming first and second salicide block oxide layers over the active region, wherein the first salicide block oxide layer is formed across a first area to become a boundary between a source region and a gate terminal of the first MESFET and the second salicide block oxide layer is formed across a second area to become a boundary between a drain region and the gate terminal of the first MESFET. 12. The method of claim 9, wherein forming the first MESFET includes: forming an active region for the first MESFET; and forming first and second poly-silicon separators over the active region, wherein the first poly-silicon separator is formed across a first area to become a boundary between a source region and a gate terminal of the first MESFET and the second poly-silicon separator is formed across a second area to become a boundary between a drain region and the gate terminal of the first MESFET. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the first MESFET further includes forming first and second side wall oxide spacers around the poly-silicon separators. 14. The method of claim 9, wherein forming the first MESFET includes: forming a gate terminal; forming a drain region; and forming an extended drift region between the gate terminal and the drain region. 15. The method of claim 9, further including forming a metal contact to a gate of the first MESFET, the metal contact having a “T” shape to reduce a length of the gate of the first MESFET. 16. A method of forming MESFET and MOSFET devices on a common substrate, comprising: forming an insulating layer on the common substrate; forming a first MOSFET over the insulating layer; and forming a first MESFET over the insulating layer, the first MESFET having an active region and first and second salicide block oxide layers disposed over the active region, the first salicide block oxide layer is formed across a first area to become a boundary between a source region and a gate terminal of the first MESFET and the second salicide block oxide layer is formed across a second area to become a boundary between a drain region and the gate terminal of the first MESFET. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein forming the first MESFET includes: forming a gate terminal; forming a drain region; and forming an extended drift region between the gate terminal and the drain region. 18. The method of claim 16, further including forming a metal contact to a gate of the first MESFET, the metal contact having a “T” shape to reduce a length of the gate of the first MESFET. 19. A semiconductor device, comprising: a common substrate; a first MOSFET device disposed on the common substrate; a second MOSFET device disposed on the common substrate, the second MOSFET being of opposite conductivity type as the first MOSFET; a first MESFET device disposed on the common substrate; and a second MESFET device disposed on the common substrate, the second MESFET being of opposite conductivity type as the first MESFET. 20. The semiconductor device of claim 19, further including an insulating layer disposed on the common substrate. 21. The semiconductor device of claim 19, wherein the first MESFET further including: an active region disposed over the common substrate; and first and second salicide block oxide layers disposed over the active region, wherein the first salicide block oxide layer is formed across a first area to become a boundary between a source region and a gate terminal of the first MESFET and the second salicide block oxide layer is formed across a second area to become a boundary between a drain region and the gate terminal of the first MESFET. 22. The semiconductor device of claim 19, wherein the first MESFET further includes: an active region disposed over the common substrate; and first and second poly-silicon separators disposed over the active region, wherein the first poly-silicon separator is formed across a first area to become a boundary between a source region and a gate terminal of the first MESFET and the second poly-silicon separator is formed across a second area to become a boundary between a drain region and the gate terminal of the first MESFET. 23. The semiconductor device of claim 19, wherein the first MESFET further includes: a gate terminal; a drain region; and an extended drift region disposed between the gate terminal and the drain region. 24. The semiconductor device of claim 19, further including a metal contact coupled to a gate of the first MESFET, the metal contact having a “T” shape to reduce a length of the gate of the first MESFET.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Electronic devices such as diodes, transistors and the like are commonly used in many items found in homes, offices, vehicles, personal electronics, communications, computers, industrial and aerospace applications, medical devices and elsewhere. Generally speaking, a transistor is a three-terminal device that provides signal routing, amplification, and switching capabilities in analog and digital circuits. Recently, efforts have been focused upon creating transistors that perform various functions with reduced power consumption. The ability to reduce power consumption is particularly desirable in battery powered applications, such as cell phones, laptops, portable audio and video equipment, digital watches, pocket calculators, wireless pagers, and medical implants including pacemakers, artificial cochlea, and the like. Low-power applications are typically implemented using ultra-large-scale-integration (ULSI) circuits, which frequently require low power devices to minimize total power dissipation. Micropower circuits based on sub-threshold transistor operation are widely used in the aforementioned low-power applications. The majority of these micropower circuits have been fabricated using standard CMOS processing. The micropower operation is achieved by ensuring that most of the MOSFETs are biased in the sub-threshold regime, commonly known as weak-inversion. The drain current flowing in a weakly inverted MOSFET is typically in the range 10 −10 to 10 −5 amps per micron of channel width. The low current, combined with the low drain voltage required to achieve current saturation (V d sat >3kT/e˜75 mV) is one reason for the low power consumed by micropower CMOS circuits. Since the cut-off frequency of a weakly inverted MOSFET is very low, micropower CMOS circuits typically operate at frequencies less than 10 MHz.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In one embodiment, the present invention is a method of forming an integrated circuit, comprising providing a substrate, forming a first MOSFET device on the substrate, and forming a first MESFET device on the substrate. In another embodiment, the present invention is a method of forming MESFET and MOSFET devices on a common substrate, comprising forming a first MOSFET device on the common substrate, forming a second MOSFET device on the common substrate, the second MOSFET being of opposite conductivity type as the first MOSFET, forming a first MESFET device on the common substrate, and forming a second MESFET device on the common substrate, the second MESFET being of opposite conductivity type as the first MESFET. In another embodiment, the present invention is a method of forming MESFET and MOSFET devices on a common substrate, comprising forming an insulating layer on the common substrate, forming a first MOSFET over the insulating layer, and forming a first MESFET over the insulating layer. The first MESFET has an active region and first and second salicide block oxide layers disposed over the active region. The first salicide block oxide layer is formed across a first area to become a boundary between a source region and a gate terminal of the first MESFET and the second salicide block oxide layer is formed across a second area to become a boundary between a drain region and the gate terminal of the first MESFET. In another embodiment, the present invention is a semiconductor device, comprising a common substrate. A first MOSFET device is disposed on the common substrate. A second MOSFET device is disposed on the common substrate. The second MOSFET is of opposite conductivity type as the first MOSFET. A first MESFET device is disposed on the common substrate. A second MESFET device is disposed on the common substrate. The second MESFET is of opposite conductivity type as the first MESFET.

Methods and systems for managing data

Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata or indexes for index databases. In one exemplary method, different processing priorities are assigned to different indexing tasks based upon the origin of the task. In another exemplary method, indexing tasks are processed in a first mode when a data processing system is in a first power state and indexing tasks are processed in a second mode when the data processing system is in a second power state.

1. A machine implemented method of processing data, the method comprising: determining a power state of a data processing system; establishing a first set of indexing queues or metadata importation queues if the data processing system is in a first power state; establishing a second set of indexing queues or metadata importation queues if the data processing system is in a second power state. 2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the first set of indexing queues is one queue and the second power state is designed to conserve more power than the first power state and the second set of indexing queues comprises at least two queues. 3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the first set of indexing queues is at least one queue and the second set of indexing queues has more queues than the first set of indexing queues and indexing tasks in the first set of indexing queues have a higher priority than indexing tasks in the second set of indexing queues. 4. A method as in claim 1 wherein the data processing system is in the first power state when it is powered by an alternating current source and is in the second power state when it is powered by a battery. 5. A method as in claim 2 wherein when the data processing system is in the second power state indexing is performed for no more than a predetermined period of time after a last user action in a set of predefined user actions. 6. A method as in claim 5 wherein the set of predefined user actions does not comprise merely cursor movements. 7. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method of processing data, the method comprising: determining a power state of a data processing system; establishing a first set of indexing queues or metadata importation queues if the data processing system is in a first power state; establishing a second set of indexing queues or metadata importation queues if the data processing system is in a second power state. 8. A medium as in claim 7 wherein the first set of indexing queues is one queue and the second power state is designed to conserve more power than the first power state and the second set of indexing queues comprises at least two queues. 9. A medium as in claim 7 wherein the first set of indexing queues is at least one queue and the second set of indexing queues has more queues than the first set of indexing queues and indexing tasks in the first set of indexing queues have a higher priority than indexing tasks in the second set of indexing queues. 10. A medium as in claim 7 wherein the data processing system is in the first power state when it is powered by an alternating current source and is in the second power state when it is powered by a battery. 11. A medium as in claim 8 wherein when the data processing system is in the second power state indexing is performed for no more than a predetermined period of time after a last user action in a set of predefined user actions. 12. A medium as in claim 11 wherein the set of predefined user actions does not comprise merely cursor movements. 13. A data processing system comprising: means for determining a power state of a data processing system; means for establishing a first set of indexing queues or metadata importation queues if the data processing system is in a first power state; means for establishing a second set of indexing queues or metadata importation queues if the data processing system is in a second power state. 14. A system as in claim 13 wherein the first set of indexing queues is one queue and the second power state is designed to conserve more power than the first power state and the second set of indexing queues comprises at least two queues. 15. A system as in claim 13 wherein the first set of indexing queues is at least one queue and the second set of indexing queues has more queues than the first set of indexing queues and indexing tasks in the first set of indexing queues have a higher priority than indexing tasks in the second set of indexing queues. 16. A system as in claim 13 wherein the data processing system is in the first power state when it is powered by an alternating current source and is in the second power state when it is powered by a battery. 17. A system as in claim 14 wherein when the data processing system is in the second power state indexing is performed for no more than a predetermined period of time after a last user action in a set of predefined user actions. 18. A system as in claim 17 wherein the set of predefined user actions does not comprise merely cursor movements. 19. A machine implemented method for processing data, the method comprising: processing requests for indexing of files or importing metadata of the files at a first priority when a data processing system is in a first power consumption state; processing requests for indexing of at least some files or importing metadata of at least some files at a second priority when the data processing system is in a second power consumption state. 20. A method as in claim 19 wherein when the data processing system is in the second power consumption state, requests for indexing certain files are given the first priority and wherein the first power consumption state is designed to consume more power than the second power consumption state. 21. A method as in claim 20 wherein when the data processing system is in the second power consumption state, indexing is performed for no more than a predetermined period of time after a last user action in a set of predefined user actions. 22. A method as in claim 21 wherein the set of predefined user actions does not comprise merely cursor movements. 23. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method for processing data, the method comprising: processing requests for indexing of files or importing metadata of the files at a first priority when a data processing system is in a first power consumption state; processing requests for indexing of at least some files or importing metadata of at least some files at a second priority when the data processing system is in a second power consumption state. 24. A medium as in claim 23 wherein when the data processing system is in the second power consumption state, requests for indexing certain files are given the first priority and wherein the first power consumption state is designed to consume more power than the second power consumption state. 25. A medium as in claim 24 wherein when the data processing system is in the second power consumption state, indexing is performed for no more than a predetermined period of time after a last user action in a set of predefined user actions. 26. A medium as in claim 25 wherein the set of predefined user actions does not comprise merely cursor movements. 27. A data processing system comprising: means for processing requests for indexing of files or importing metadata of the files at a first priority when a data processing system is in a first power consumption state; means for processing requests for indexing of at least some files or importing metadata of at least some files at a second priority when the data processing system is in a second power consumption state. 28. A system as in claim 27 wherein when the data processing system is in the second power consumption state, requests for indexing certain files are given the first priority and wherein the first power consumption state is designed to consume more power than the second power consumption state. 29. A system as in claim 28 wherein when the data processing system is in the second power consumption state, indexing is performed for no more than a predetermined period of time after a last user action in a set of predefined user actions. 30. A system as in claim 29 wherein the set of predefined user actions does not comprise merely cursor movements. 31. A machine implemented method for processing data, the method comprising: determining whether a data processing system is in a low power consumption state; determining whether, if the data processing system is in the low power consumption state, an indexing operation is of a first type or a second type; performing indexing at a first priority if the indexing operation is of the first type; performing indexing at a second priority if the indexing operation is of the second type, wherein the first priority is a higher priority than the second priority. 32. A method as in claim 31 wherein the indexing operation is of the first type when indexing is required as a result of a contemporaneous change by a user to a file and wherein the indexing operation is of the second type when indexing is required as a result of an initial index of a volume or a reindex of a removable volume having files that have been modified since the removable volume was last mounted by the data processing system. 33. A method as in claim 32 wherein the data processing system is in the low power consumption state when it is powered by a battery. 34. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method for processing data, the method comprising: determining whether a data processing system is in a low power consumption state; determining whether, if the data processing system is in the low power consumption state, an indexing operation is of a first type or a second type; performing indexing at a first priority if the indexing operation is of the first type; performing indexing at a second priority if the indexing operation is of the second type, wherein the first priority is a higher priority than the second priority. 35. A medium as in claim 34 wherein the indexing operation is of the first type when indexing is required as a result of a contemporaneous change by a user to a file and wherein the indexing operation is of the second type when indexing is required as a result of an initial index of a volume or a reindex of a removable volume having files that have been modified since the removable volume was last mounted by the data processing system. 36. A medium as in claim 35 wherein the data processing system is in the low power consumption state when it is powered by a battery. 37. A data processing system comprising: means for determining whether a data processing system is in a low power consumption state; means for determining whether, if the data processing system is in the low power consumption state, an indexing operation is of a first type or a second type; means for performing indexing at a first priority if the indexing operation is of the first type; means for performing indexing at a second priority if the indexing operation is of the second type, wherein the first priority is a higher priority than the second priority. 38. A systems as in claim 37 wherein the indexing operation is of the first type when indexing is required as a result of a contemporaneous change by a user to a file and wherein the indexing operation is of the second type when indexing is required as a result of an initial index of a volume or a reindex of a removable volume having files that have been modified since the removable volume was last mounted by the data processing system. 39. A system as in claim 38 wherein the data processing system is in the low power consumption state when it is powered by a battery. 40. A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method for processing data, the method comprising: determining whether a data processing system is in a low power consumption state; determining whether, if the data processing system is in the low power consumption state, an operation to add metadata of a file to a metadata database is of a first type or a second type; performing an adding of metadata at a first priority if the operation is of the first type; performing an adding of metadata at a second priority if the operation is of the second type, wherein the first priority is a higher priority than the second priority. 41. A medium as in claim 40 wherein the operation is of the first type when the adding of metadata is required as a result of a contemporaneous change by a user to a file and wherein the operation is of the second type when the adding of metadata is required as a result of an initial importation or reimportation of a volume. 42. A medium as in claim 41 wherein the data processing system is in the low power consumption state when it is powered by a battery. 43. A machine implemented method of processing data, the method comprising: receiving an indication of a power state of a data processing system; determining how to process indexing tasks in response to the indication. 44. A method as in claim 43 wherein the determining is performed automatically and causes indexing tasks to be processed with a first procedure for a first power state and with a second procedure for a second power state. 45. A method as in claim 43 wherein the indication comprises one or more indicators which specify at least one of: (a) the data processing system is powered by only battery power; (b) a battery charge level; (c) the data processing system is powered by AC power. 46. A method as in claim 43 wherein the determining comprises assigning different priorities to different indexing tasks stored in different indexing queues stored on a non-volatile storage. 47. A method as in claim 43 wherein the determining comprises at least one of determining to coalesce a plurality of notifications and determining whether indexing is required for a mounted storage device. 48. A machine readable medium providing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method of processing data, the method comprising: receiving an indication of a power state of a data processing system; determining how to process indexing tasks in response to the indication. 49. A medium as in claim 48 wherein the determining is performed automatically and causes indexing tasks to be processed with a first procedure for a first power state and with a second procedure for a second power state. 50. A medium as in claim 48 wherein the indication comprises one or more indicators which specify at least one of: (a) the data processing system is powered by only battery power; (b) a battery charge level; (c) the data processing system is powered by AC power. 51. A medium as in claim 48 wherein the determining comprises assigning different priorities to different indexing tasks stored in different indexing queues stored on a non-volatile storage. 52. A medium as in claim 48 wherein the determining comprises at least one of determining to coalesce a plurality of notifications and determining whether indexing is required for a mounted storage device. 53. A data processing system comprising: means for receiving an indication of a power state of a data processing system; means for determining how to process indexing tasks in response to the indication. 54. A data processing system as in claim 53 wherein the determining is performed automatically and causes indexing tasks to be processed with a first procedure for a first power state and with a second procedure for a second power state. 55. A data processing system as in claim 53 wherein the indication comprises one or more indicators which specify at least one of: (a) the data processing system is powered by only battery power; (b) a battery charge level; (c) the data processing system is powered by AC power. 56. A data processing system as in claim 53 wherein the determining comprises assigning different priorities to different indexing tasks stored in different indexing queues stored on a non-volatile storage. 57. A data processing system as in claim 53 wherein the determining comprises at least one of determining to coalesce a plurality of notifications and determining whether indexing is required for a mounted storage device. 58. A machine implemented method of processing data, the method comprising: determining storage locations of files to be indexed, the files being listed in at least one indexing queue; determining a sequence of indexing based on storage locations. 59. A method as in claim 58 wherein the sequence attempts to reduce power consumption of a storage device. 60. A method as in claim 58 wherein the sequence continues to index files on a spinning storage media before starting to spin another storage media. 61. A method as in claim 58 wherein the sequence continues to index files in a partition of a storage volume before starting to index files in another partition of the storage volume. 62. A method as in claim 58 wherein the sequence continues to index files of a first user before starting to index files of another user. 63. A machine readable medium providing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method of processing data, the method comprising: determining storage locations of files to be indexed, the files being listed in at least one indexing queue; determining a sequence of indexing based on storage locations. 64. A medium as in claim 63 wherein the sequence attempts to reduce power consumption of a storage device. 65. A medium as in claim 63 wherein the sequence continues to index files on a spinning storage media before starting to spin another storage media. 66. A medium as in claim 63 wherein the sequence continues to index files in a partition of a storage volume before starting to index files in another partition of the storage volume. 67. A medium as in claim 63 wherein the sequence continues to index files of a first user before starting to index files of another user. 68. A data processing system comprising: means for determining storage locations of files to be indexed, the files being listed in at least one indexing queue; means for determining a sequence of indexing based on storage locations. 69. A data processing system as in claim 68 wherein the sequence attempts to reduce power consumption of a storage device. 70. A data processing system as in claim 68 wherein the sequence continues to index files on a spinning storage media before starting to spin another storage media. 71. A data processing system as in claim 68 wherein the sequence continues to index files in a partition of a storage volume before starting to index files in another partition of the storage volume. 72. A data processing system as in claim 68 wherein the sequence continues to index files of a first user before starting to index files of another user. 73. A machine implemented method of processing data, the method comprising: storing data on a storage device of a data processing system; receiving, through a port coupled to the storage device, at least one command to cause indexing of data stored on the storage device based, at least in part, on a power state of the data processing system. 74. A method as in claim 73 wherein the storage device is a storage volume and wherein the port is to couple to another data processing system which includes another storage device which is another storage volume which is indexed based, at least in part, on a power state of the another data processing system. 75. A method as in claim 74 wherein the data processing system is capable of being powered by only battery power and wherein the another data processing system is powered by AC power. 76. A machine readable medium providing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method of processing data, the method comprising: storing data on a storage device of a data processing system; receiving, through a port coupled to the storage device, at least one command to cause indexing of data stored on the storage device based, at least in part, on a power state of the data processing system. 77. A medium as in claim 76 wherein the storage device is a storage volume and wherein the port is to couple to another data processing system which includes another storage device which is another storage volume which is indexed based, at least in part, on a power state of the another data processing system. 78. A medium as in claim 77 wherein the data processing system is capable of being powered by only battery power and wherein the another data processing system is powered by AC power. 79. A data processing system comprising: means for storing data on a storage device of a data processing system; means for receiving, through a port coupled to the storage device, at least one command to cause indexing of data stored on the storage device based, at least in part, on a power state of the data processing system. 80. A data processing system as in claim 79 wherein the storage device is a storage volume and wherein the port is to couple to another data processing system which includes another storage device which is another storage volume which is indexed based, at least in part, on a power state of the another data processing system. 81. A data processing system as in claim 80 wherein the data processing system is capable of being powered by only battery power and wherein the another data processing system is powered by AC power. 82. An apparatus comprising: a first storage volume of a first data processing system; a port of the first data processing system, the port to couple the first data processing system to a second data processing system which has a second storage volume, the port being coupled to the first storage volume, the port receiving at least one command to cause indexing of data stored on the first storage volume based, at least in part, on a power state of at least one of the first data processing system and the second data processing system.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Modern data processing systems, such as general purpose computer systems, allow the users of such systems to create a variety of different types of data files. For example, a typical user of a data processing system may create text files with a word processing program such as Microsoft Word or may create an image file with an image processing program such as Adobe's PhotoShop. Numerous other types of files are capable of being created or modified, edited, and otherwise used by one or more users for a typical data processing system. The large number of the different types of files that can be created or modified can present a challenge to a typical user who is seeking to find a particular file which has been created. Modern data processing systems often include a file management system which allows a user to place files in various directories or subdirectories (e.g. folders) and allows a user to give the file a name. Further, these file management systems often allow a user to find a file by searching for the file's name, or the date of creation, or the date of modification, or the type of file. An example of such a file management system is the Finder program which operates on Macintosh computers from Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Another example of a file management system program is the Windows Explorer program which operates on the Windows operating system from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. Both the Finder program and the Windows Explorer program include a find command which allows a user to search for files by various criteria including a file name or a date of creation or a date of modification or the type of file. However, this search capability searches through information which is the same for each file, regardless of the type of file. Thus, for example, the searchable data for a Microsoft Word file is the same as the searchable data for an Adobe PhotoShop file, and this data typically includes the file name, the type of file, the date of creation, the date of last modification, the size of the file and certain other parameters which may be maintained for the file by the file management system. Certain presently existing application programs allow a user to maintain data about a particular file. This data about a particular file may be considered metadata because it is data about other data. This metadata for a particular file may include information about the author of a file, a summary of the document, and various other types of information. A program such as Microsoft Word may automatically create some of this data when a user creates a file and the user may add additional data or edit the data by selecting the “property sheet” from a menu selection in Microsoft Word. The property sheets in Microsoft Word allow a user to create metadata for a particular file or document. However, in existing systems, a user is not able to search for metadata across a variety of different applications using one search request from the user. Furthermore, existing systems can perform one search for data files, but this search does not also include searching through metadata for those files. Existing systems have the ability to generate an index database of the full content of files, but the process of generating the index does not, in existing systems, attempt to control the indexing process based upon a power state of the data processing system.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIPTION <EOH>Methods for managing data in a data processing system and systems for managing data described herein. At least some of these methods and systems include the ability to modify how indexing of files (to create an index database) is performed in view of the power state of the systems. These methods and systems may, for example, use different logical queues for indexing tasks that are assigned different priorities, at least when the systems are in certain power states. These various methods and systems may provide for improved power consumption performance while also providing the ability to maintain databases which a user can use to search for data. In one aspect of the invention, an exemplary method includes determining a power state of a data processing system and establishing a first set of indexing queues or importation queues if the data processing system is in a first power state and establishing a second set of indexing queues or importation queues if the data processing system is in a second power state. The second set of queues may comprise at least two queues and the first set of queues is only one queue in certain embodiments. Indexing tasks in the first set of indexing queues have a higher priority than at least some of the indexing tasks in the second set of indexing queues in certain embodiments. Typically, the first power state is a higher power state, such as when the data processing system is powered by an alternating current source, and the second power state is a lowered powered state such as when the system is powered by a battery. In another aspect of the present inventions, an exemplary method includes processing requests for indexing files or importation of files at a first priority when a data processing system is in a first power consumption state, and processing requests for indexing of at least some files or importation of at least some files at a second priority when a data processing system is in a second power consumption state. In another aspect of the inventions described herein, an exemplary method includes determining whether a data processing system is a lower power consumption state, and determining whether, if the data processing system is in a lower power consumption state, an indexing or importation operation is of a first type or a second type, and performing indexing or importation at a first priority if the indexing operation or importation operation is of the first type, and performing indexing or importation at a second priority if the indexing operation or importation operation is of the second type, where in the first priority is a higher priority than the second priority. In one implementation of this exemplary method, the importation or indexing operation is of the first type when importation or indexing is required as a result of a contemporaneous change by a user to a file, and the indexing operation or importation operation is of the second type when indexing or importation is required as a result of an initial index of a volume or a re-index of a removable volume that has files that have been modified since the removable volume was last mounted by the data processing system. In another aspect of the inventions described herein, an exemplary method includes receiving an indication (e.g. one or more indicators) of a power state (e.g. battery powered only or AC powered, etc.) of a data processing system (e.g. a general purpose computer system or an MP3 music player, etc.) and determining how to process indexing tasks in response to the indication. Typically, in this exemplary method, the determining is performed automatically based upon the indication and may include assigning different processing priorities to different indexing tasks (e.g. background indexing or user initiated indexing of files just changed by a user) which may be stored in different indexing queues which are stored in non-volatile memory, such as a hard drive. In another aspect of the inventions, an exemplary method limits power consumption by performing indexing operations (or metadata importing/exporting operations) in a sequence which is determined by storage locations; this exemplary method may include determining storage locations of files to be indexed in indexing queues and determining one or more sequences of indexing operations based on the storage locations. For example, if a first set of files to be indexed is on a first storage device having a first spindle (which rotates the media storing the first set of files) and a second set of files to be indexed is on a second storage device (e.g. another hard drive) having a second spindle (which rotates the media storing the second set of files), then a sequence of indexing operations specifies that if the first spindle is spinning and the second spindle is not spinning, the first set of files is to be indexed before beginning to index the second set of files. As a further example, indexing operations may be organized in a sequence to cause the indexing operations to continue indexing files in the same partition as other files currently being indexed before beginning to index files in another partition. As yet another example, indexing operations may be organized in a sequence to cause the indexing operations to continue indexing files of the same user before beginning to index files of another user. Other aspects of the present inventions include various data processing systems which perform these methods and machine readable media which perform various methods described herein.

Control of induction system hydrocarbon emissions

A method and apparatus for reducing or preventing hydrocarbon emissions from an air induction system of an automotive vehicle directs hydrocarbon from induction system into the crankcase when the vehicle is not in operation.

1. A method for reducing or preventing hydrocarbon emissions from an air induction system of an automotive vehicle, said air induction system connecting to an engine comprising an engine oil crankcase, the method comprising directing hydrocarbon in the air induction system into the crankcase when the vehicle is not in operation. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon is directed through a vent in the air induction system into the crankcase. 3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the vent is located at an underside point of the air induction system. 4. A method according to claim 2, wherein a throttle valve located in the air induction system is closed when the vehicle is not in operation and further wherein the vent in the air induction system is located between the throttle valve and the engine. 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon is directed generally downward from the air induction system into the crankcase. 6. In an automotive vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine having an air induction system and an engine oil crankcase, an apparatus for reducing or eliminating hydrocarbon emissions from the air induction system when the vehicle is not in operation, comprising the air induction system, the engine oil crankcase, and a hollow connector connecting a vent located in an underside portion of the air intake manifold to an orifice into the engine oil crankcase. 7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the orifice is a positive crankcase ventilation orifice. 8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the hollow connector is in a generally downward position leading from vent to orifice. 9. An automotive vehicle comprising the apparatus of claim 6. 10. An induction hydrocarbon emission control system for an internal combustion engine, comprising an air induction system connecting to cylinders of the engine, a fuel injector located in the air induction system, said fuel injector being positioned to inject fuel into an intake port, a crankcase containing engine oil that lubricates a piston in the cylinder, said crankcase having a vent, and a connective pathway between an underside outlet in the air intake manifold and the crankcase vent. 11. An induction hydrocarbon emission control system according to claim 10, further including a throttle valve located in the air induction system, wherein the underside outlet is located between the throttle valve and the cylinder. 12. An induction hydrocarbon emission control system according to claim 10, comprising a positive crankcase ventilation system that comprises the crankcase vent.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The automotive industry has actively sought improved emissions reduction, including reduction in emissions due to gasoline evaporation. Gasoline includes a mixture of hydrocarbons ranging from higher volatility butanes (C 4 ) to lower volatility C 8 to C 10 hydrocarbons. When vapor pressure increases in the fuel tank due to conditions such as higher ambient temperature or displacement of vapor during filling of the tank, fuel vapor may flow through openings in the fuel tank and escape into the atmosphere. To prevent fuel vapor loss into the atmosphere, the fuel tank is vented into a canister called an “evap canister” that contains an adsorbent material such as activated carbon granules. As the fuel vapor enters an inlet of the canister, the fuel vapor diffuses into the carbon granules and is temporarily adsorbed. The size of the canister and the volume of the adsorbent material are selected to accommodate the expected fuel vapor generation. One exemplary evaporative control system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,548 to Reddy, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Evaporative emission control systems have advanced to the point where vehicle induction system or air intake system hydrocarbon emissions account for a significant portion of remaining hydrocarbon emissions. Intake system hydrocarbon emissions may arise from diffusion of a small amount of fuel left in fuel injectors after engine shut down or from liquid fuel wetting the walls of the intake manifold. Hydrocarbon traps containing an adsorbent such as activated carbon may be added to the air intake to absorb such emissions, which may then be desorbed by engine intake air when the engine is operating, but would add cost and complexity to manufacture of the vehicle. A less costly but still effective way to eliminate or reduce the emissions would be desirable.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>In an embodiment of the invention, a method for reducing or preventing hydrocarbon emissions of residual hydrocarbons in an air induction system when an automotive vehicle is not in operation directs residual hydrocarbon (present as vapor, liquid, or both) in the vehicle air induction system into the engine oil crankcase. The crankcase retains the hydrocarbon, and the engine oil may absorb such low amounts of hydrocarbon without detriment. In an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus for reducing or eliminating emissions of residual hydrocarbon present in an automotive vehicle air induction system when the vehicle is not in operation includes a vent or other opening located in an underside portion of the air induction system, an orifice or other opening in an engine oil crankcase, and a hollow connector between the vent and the orifice. The vent and orifice are opened when the vehicle is not in operation to allow any hydrocarbon in the air induction system to be introduced into the crankcase through the connector. In an embodiment of the invention, an induction hydrocarbon emission control system for an internal combustion engine having an air induction system connecting to engine cylinders, fuel injectors located in the air induction system positioned to inject fuel into intake ports, and a crankcase containing engine oil to lubricate a piston in the cylinder, the crankcase having a vent, includes a throttle valve located in the air induction system and a connective pathway from an underside outlet of the air induction system, the outlet being located between the throttle valve and the intake ports, to the crankcase vent. The invention further provides a method for reducing or preventing hydrocarbon emissions of residual hydrocarbons in a portion of an air intake system for an engine having a crankcase containing engine oil, in which, when the engine is not operating, the portion of the air induction system is vented into the crankcase. Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Heat exchanger having a distributer plate

A heat exchanger for a motor vehicle is provided, including top and bottom headers and a core extending therebetween. The top header includes a distributor plate extending along the longitudinal axis thereof to separate the top header into first and second chambers. The distributor plate includes at least one opening to permit effective distribution of the liquid between the respective chambers. One type of effective distribution causes the liquid to be generally equally distributed among each of the plurality of flow tubes.

1. A heat exchanger for a vehicle comprising: a first header extending longitudinally to define a passageway; a second header defining a second passageway; a core having a set of flow tubes extending between the first and second headers; and a distributor plate extending longitudinally within the first header to divide the passageway into first and second chambers; wherein the distributor plate defines a collection area for collecting a liquid and defines an opening that fluidly connects the first and second chambers to each other, the opening defining a boundary of the collection area such that the liquid is substantially prevented from flowing through the opening until reaching the boundary of the collection area. 2. A heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein the distributor plate defines a length extending along the passageway, and wherein the distributor plate is configured such that the liquid collected in the collection area is distributed substantially evenly along the length of the distributor plate. 3. A heat exchanger as in claim 2, wherein the distributor plate is configured such that the liquid collected in the collection area is distributed substantially evenly along the length of the distributor plate when the liquid is flowing at a relatively low flow rate. 4. A heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein the distributor plate defines a plurality of openings that each fluidly connects the first and second chambers, and the plurality of openings cooperate to define the boundary of the collection area. 5. A heat exchanger as in claim 4, wherein the distributor plate is configured to permit the liquid to flow substantially equally through each of the plurality of openings. 6. A heat exchanger as in claim 5, wherein at least two of the plurality of openings define unequal cross-sectional areas. 7. A heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein a wall of the first header cooperates with the distributor plate to define the collection area. 8. A heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein the distributor plate includes a trough portion defining the collection area. 9. A heat exchanger as in claim 8, wherein the trough portion defines a generally arcuate portion. 10. A heat exchanger as in claim 1, wherein the first header includes a divider plate that divides the first header into the passageway and a third passageway. 11. A heat exchanger as in claim 10, wherein the divider plate extends longitudinally along the first header such that the passageway and the third passageway are transversely off-set from each other. 12. A heat exchanger as in claim 11, wherein the first header, the distributor plate, and the divider plate are all formed from a single, unitary component. 13. A heat exchanger as in claim 11, wherein the divider plate extends transversely across the first header such that the passageway and the third passageway are oriented end to end with each other. 14. A heat exchanger as in claim 1, further comprising a second distributor plate longitudinally within the second header to divide the second passageway into first and second chambers. 15. A heat exchanger for a vehicle comprising: a first header extending longitudinally to define a passageway; a second header defining a second passageway; a core having a set of flow tubes extending between the first and second headers along an axis; and a distributor plate extending along a plane within the first header to divide the passageway into first and second chambers, wherein the first header defines an opening that fluidly connects the first and second chambers to each other, and wherein the plane and the axis define an angle with respect to each other that is equal to or greater than 0 degrees and is less than 90 degrees. 16. A heat exchanger as in claim 15, wherein the distributor plate defines a plurality of openings fluidly connecting the first and second chambers and wherein cooperating with each other to define a boundary of a collection area such that a liquid present within the first chamber is substantially prevented from flowing through the opening until reaching the boundary of the collection area. 17. A heat exchanger as in claim 16, wherein the liquid is substantially prevented from flowing through the opening until reaching the boundary of the collection area when the liquid is flowing at a relatively low flow rate. 18. A heat exchanger as in claim 17, wherein the angle is equal to a predetermined value such as to reduce turbulence of the liquid flow through the first header. 19. A heat exchanger as in claim 15, wherein the angle is between 35 and 85 degrees. 20. A heat exchanger as in claim 19, wherein the angle is greater than 45 degrees. 21. A heat exchanger as in claim 20, wherein the angle is between 60 degrees and 70 degrees. 22. A heat exchanger as in claim 15, wherein the collection area extends longitudinally and generally perpendicular to the axis of the flow tubes. 23. A heat exchanger as in claim 15, wherein the first header, the distributor plate, and the divider plate are of a unitary construction. 24. A heat exchanger as in claim 15, further comprising a second distributor plate longitudinally within the second header to divide the second passageway into first and second chambers. 25. A heat exchanger for a vehicle comprising: a first header extending longitudinally to define a passageway, wherein a portion of the first header defines a distributor plate extending longitudinally within the first header to divide the passageway into first and second chambers; a second header defining a second passageway; and a core having a set of flow tubes extending between the first and second headers; wherein the distributor plate and the first header are a single, unitary component, and wherein the distributor plate defines an opening that fluidly connects the first and second chambers to each other. 26. A heat exchanger as in claim 25, wherein the first header includes a divider plate that divides the first header into the passageway and a third passageway. 27. A heat exchanger as in claim 26, wherein the divider plate extends longitudinally along the first header such that the passageway and the third passageway are transversely off-set from each other. 28. A heat exchanger as in claim 26, wherein the first header, the distributor plate, and the divider plate are all formed from a single, unitary component.