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null | the simulation of varied military weapons and munitions is necessary for the proper training of troops . these simulated weapons must be realistic in providing a loud bang or report that would normally accompany their discharge , and also an accompanying smoke and / or dust cloud . at the same time the devices must be safe , not just in use , but when stored and transported by untrained recruits . for safety reasons , the devices described in this disclosure are powered by compressed gas , supplied in tanks or cartridges of various sizes . it is to be understood however , that the invention is not limited to this means of power , and the devices could be adapted to be powered by combustible materials and be within the ambit of the invention . although this invention is directed at producing simulated military devices , some preferred embodiments of the invention can be used for entertainment , in place of pyrotechnics . other preferred embodiments of the invention can also be used to project materials , such as confetti , where an accompanying loud sonic report is required . it should also be appreciated that although the preferred embodiments produce a loud sonic report and the transport of a payload , some preferred embodiments may do only one or the other . the invention and its many embodiments describe a method of separating the sonic report from the transport of payload . in this patent , payload can refer to any material that is transported out of the device , and can include particulate matter such as aggregate , baby powder , talc , or paper such as confetti or a liquid , aerosol , or gas . as described above , the creation of the sonic report is due mainly to propagation of a shock wave caused by the bursting of a burst disk . the use of a burst disk is the most practical and inexpensive method of ensuring a rapid release of compressed gas that is substantially instantaneous , that collides with the ambient air , thus creating a loud bang . to create a loud report , the escaping gas need only travel a short distance , but do so at high velocity . the requirement that it be at the highest possible velocity , means that it must be unencumbered by foreign material , such as parts of the payload . that is , it must not have been slowed down by entraining foreign materials , and accelerating them . the resonant frequency of the gas volume that powers the sonic stroke , immediately after the bursting of the burst disk is of importance , as the energy should be compressed into a relatively short pulse . also of importance is that the sonic report propagates in all directions , and that which returns back into the device , must be redirected back out of the barrel . as mentioned above , the transport of the payload requires a completely different energy regime . transport of the payload requires a long duration , steady flow of gas out of the device , and for this reason , the invention separate these two regimes . the invention can best be described by referring to the drawings that accompany this patent . fig1 incorporates many aspects of the invention . the device illustrated on fig1 can take many shapes and guises , and can for example have rocket fins and nosecones attached . the device illustrated in fig1 is comprised of a chamber or barrel 7 that contains the payload , in this case particular matter 3 , such as baby powder . the bottom portion of the device , referred to as the igniter , and identified as 1 a on fig1 , projects a vented lance 9 a , that either opens a valve 6 b attached to a compressed gas cartridge 6 , or pierces a seal that allows the compressed gas to exit the tank at relatively high volume . fig1 illustrates the igniter that is about to pierce the seal . the igniter in this embodiment of the invention includes a piston 10 that travels up and down , a cylinder 9 in response to a force 11 b that acts on the bottom of the piston 10 . this force 11 b can be supplied by a simple mechanical rod or be in the form of a gas or liquid volume , traveling up and down the tube 11 a , in the base 11 . fig1 illustrates the force 11 b acting in an upward direction that forces the piston 10 and the attached vented lance 9 a . fig1 also illustrates an optional spring 10 c , which compresses and resets the device upon recovery , after the upward force 11 b is relaxed . to prevent the escape of gas , β o β rings are employed at certain connections , where gas might otherwise escape and two such β o β rings are illustrated 10 a , 10 b . fig1 illustrates a gas relief valve 10 d , which allows the piston to travel up the cylinder , without compressing the gas above . the vented lance 9 a , that is suitable for piercing seal type gas cartridges 6 , is illustrated in more detail on fig4 . the vented lance 9 a has attached a rim 9 c that deflects the escaping gas into the waiting port and passage 8 a on fig1 . this rim 9 c prevents condensate , caused from the cool escaping gas , to enter between the piston 10 and cylinder 9 , which might otherwise seize them . the vented lance 9 a pierces the seal 6 a and allows the compressed gas to escape through the lance vents 9 b and exits as a stream 2 e . the compressed gas is then directed by rim 9 c to ports and passages 8 a in gas distributor 8 . fig1 shows two such ports 8 a , but many preferred embodiments can have any number of such means of transporting the gas . to prevent the fouling of the passages , an β o β ring 8 b is placed around the gas distributor in such a manner that when the gas is passing through the passage 8 a with sufficient force , it will radially expand the otherwise sealing β o β ring 8 b and unseat it allowing for the passage of gas around it , and into the chamber or barrel 7 . when the gas drops below a certain pressure , the β o β ring 8 b will reseal the passage and thereby prevent any particulate matter remaining in the chamber 7 from back flowing into the passage 8 a and beyond . some preferred embodiments include a retaining rim or pegs 8 c or other such restraining means , to ensure that the β o β ring 8 b does not roll up or down the gas distributor 8 , with it is in its expanded state . the gas passing out of the passage 8 will rapidly fluidize the material that has been placed in the canister 7 . the fluidizing of this material will greatly assist in later projecting it out of the gas projector 1 . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 includes a gas cartridge 6 that is contained within a holder 5 , but can of course be secured by many other convenient means . fig1 has attached to it or incorporated into it a dish shaped platform sa that is a sound and pressure reflector and that is referred to herein as a sonic energy concentrator . this dish or horn shaped form sa is meant to be illustrative of a large class of forms that focus or reflect sonic energy , including horns , bells to name just a few . other preferred embodiments may however utilize forms that are flat or convex ; to disperse the sound and make it more omni directional as it exits the chamber . the other purpose of the sonic energy concentrator sa is to establish a secondary resonant cavity between the said sonic energy concentrator and the burst disk 2 a it faces . since the gas pulse that gives rise to the shock front need only be short in length and duration , but high in velocity , it is advantageous to have a relatively short resonant cavity . it is to be understood that fig1 is only illustrative of one aspect of the invention , and that the size , shape and location , relative to the bottom surface of the burst disk 2 a will vary depending upon many factors , such as the size of the primary resonant cavity , the distance beneath the sonic energy concentrator sa , the pressures at which the system operates and the gas that is used as an energy source , to name a few . at the top of the cavity is located a burst hat 2 , that includes a burst disk 2 a , which is snapped into place over a small ledge sd , as illustrated on fig1 , or by other convenient means well known to the art . the burst hat 2 is shaped to seal with burst hat seal 4 , when the pressure in cavity 7 increases above the pressure outside the cavity . while fig1 illustrates a hat shaped burst disk , this is merely illustrative of a class of burst disks that can for example be simple wafer like disks sealed at their perimeters , by means well known to the art . the purpose of the burst disk is to contain the increasing pressure within the chamber as the compressed gas cartridge empties ; and then at some predetermined pressure , to fail suddenly , allowing the gas to escape out through the orifice 4 a . this burst disk serves as an inexpensive high speed valve , which of course some preferred embodiments might substitute . as described above , when the burst disk 2 a or substituted high speed valve opens , the high pressure gas accelerates quickly in the preferred embodiment , as there is no payload to impede it . this acceleration is aided by the tapered burst hat 2 that forms a venturi and the sonic energy concentrator with relatively short pulse resonance . a shock front is created when this high velocity gas meats the relatively slow moving ambient air , immediately adjacent to the boundary of the disk , when it breaks . the result is a shock front , shock wave and resulting sonic report . fig5 illustrates the system at the point that the piston 10 has moved up the cylinder 9 in response to upward force 11 b , causing the gas to escape from the breached seal 6 a , and the gas to pass into the chamber 7 , as above described . fig5 illustrates the burst seal having burst 2 c , the payload material 3 a starting to exit the chamber 7 . also illustrated between the sonic energy concentrator 5 a and the just burst disk , is the secondary resonant cavity , that quickly upon the bursting of the burst disk 2 a , assumes the role of a sound bell or horn , directing the sound of the shock wave produced , outward , away from the chamber 7 and accelerating the shock front formation . just after the burst disk 2 a fails 2 c and generally following the sonic report , the payload , in this example , particulate matter , having been already fluidized , is entrained by the large volume of slower moving , lower pressure gas , that then exits the chamber 7 , through the orifice 4 a . while the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 and fig5 illustrate a conic - cylindrical hat 2 that incorporates the burst disk 2 a , the hat can also contain part or the entire payload . while the preferred embodiment of the invention , has the escaping gas acting on the burst disk first , to create a loud report , as described above ; there may be circumstances where one may wish to project the material with higher or in a more clustered form , in which case it may be advantageous to fill the burst hat 2 with such material and contain it with a cover to form a burst hat container 2 j , such as a peal top 2 b , well known to the art . in such preferred embodiments , some or all of the other features of the invention may be utilized and therefore still be within the ambit of the invention . one embodiment of the invention is to convert the burst hat 2 into a burst hat container 2 j for the material 3 to be projected by the gas projector 1 by adding a peal top 2 b or other top that can be removed or pierced . in most cases the burst hat container 2 j is filled with the precise amount that will give a particular effect , for a particular device . these burst containers 2 j , can then be provided already packed in handy portions , and in most cases the user will simply empty the ideal portion into the chamber 7 , and then place the empty burst hat container 2 in the burst hat seal , as illustrated in fig1 . fig8 illustrates the packaging of the material in a way consistent with one of the preferred embodiments that is to ensure that the initial gas pulse that bursts the disk is unimpeded with payload . the burst hat container 2 j illustrated in fig8 has a partly or wholly vacant channel 2 h running from the peal top 2 b to the burst disk 2 a . the channel can be created by inserting a tube preferably made of material that will maintain its integrity only briefly to allow the initial pulse of gas to break the burst disk 2 a and create the shock front . the tube or member of other suitable shape can for example be made of paper or friable material such as ceramic or may simply be formed by pressing or adding a binder to the particular matter that forms the payload . for example , if the payload is talc , a tube might be pressed into the talk , after it is poured into the burst hat container 2 j , and then the surface of the tube so formed could be sprayed or imparted into it by other well know means , a binder , that would stabilize the tube , and yet , after providing a channel for the initial pulse of gas , collapse or partly collapse , so the material might better be transported out of the orifice in a uniform spray . the hole adjacent to the peal top 2 i shown in fig8 can extend through the top or can be broken open by simply pushing the inverted burst hat onto the shock tube 5 b . some embodiments of the invention include a shock tube 5 b as shown on fig6 , most of which include some means , such as a port 5 c for the gas to enter the lumen of the shock tube 5 b and gain access to the bottom of the shock disk 2 a . in the example illustrated on fig6 , this point of entry is a hole 5 c just above the sonic shock concentrator 5 a . other embodiments of the invention have no shock tube and rely instead on the channel 2 h as shown of fig8 , and simply have a whole 2 i precut or that can be easily removed prior to insertion . other embodiments have points of weakness around the hole that allow the cover of the hole 2 i to fail when the pressure begins to rise in the chamber . other embodiments utilize other methods well known to the art of packaging . as mentioned above , some embodiments of the invention rely on a high volume valve to control the emptying of the compressed gas cartridge 6 , rather than a pierce disk , as illustrated on fig1 . fig9 illustrates the system with such a valve 6 b , in this example connected directly to the said compressed gas cartridge 6 . fig9 includes an extension 6 c which is acted upon by the lance 9 a to open the flow of gas to the gas distributor , and in this example channel 8 a . the high volume valves are generally used for larger gas cartridges and the pierce disks for the smaller ones . fig9 also illustrates another embodiment of one aspect of the invention , being the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . in this embodiment , the device has a base which fits over the compressed gas cartridge 6 . these ease of installation means that various shaped sonic energy concentrators 5 a can be used to address particular performance requirements , such as the shape and intensity of the sound field generated by the device . for example , for some applications , a very narrowly focused , high intensity field will be required , necessitating a sonic energy concentrator with a deeper dish at the top of the unit . other applications would require a flatter or even convex surface to vary the shape and intensity of the sonic field . the design specifications of all these embodiments of the invention will depend upon the particular circumstances of the device dimensions , gas pressures used , type of energy inputs , to name just a few . fig1 is view of the principal components of a typical gas projection system . they are : the igniter unit , 1 a ; the gas delivery system , including the gas distributor , 1 b ; and the pressure release unit , 1 c . fig1 illustrates the typical igniter unit 1 a . in this example , illustrated in fig1 , the piston 10 movement is controlled by a fluid or gas entering the channel 11 a , via a tube or conduit 12 b . the controller 12 controls the delivery of this controlling gas or fluid and its design is well known to the art of fluid and gas controllers . in some embodiments , this controller can in turn be controlled by a more remote wireless , or wired device 12 a . although this example of the embodiment illustrated on fig1 utilizes a gas or fluid media to push up the piston 10 , other embodiments would utilize other means well known to the art to control the motion of the lance 9 a , and these might be wholly electric or such other means well known to the art . fig1 is meant to illustrate one embodiment of the invention that includes a redirecting means for the sonic energy and subsequently the matter that is ejected out of the chamber 7 of the gas projector 1 . in this example an auxiliary cap 13 is screwed onto the top of the pressure release unit , in this case the burst hat seal 4 , with treaded top . the flow of compressed gas 2 e passes the burst disk 2 c and then is redirected at 90 degrees , in approximately a 180 degree field by an approximately inverted conic section 13 b , and thence through ports of various sizes and locations , 13 a . fig1 also illustrates the use of a sonic energy concentrator 5 a of the type illustrated in fig9 , that fits over the compressed gas cartridge 6 . this example illustrates the many shapes the basic gas projector 1 can assume . in this case the base 11 is shaped like the head of an artillery shell . this preferred embodiment might be used to simulate a road - side bomb made from an artillery shell . this unit might be used to train soldiers on how to locate , avoid and disarm such devices . in this example , the embodiment illustrated includes a remote control device 12 and 12 a for igniting the unit , as earlier described . it is important to note that this example of a preferred embodiment of the invention uses the same burst hat 2 as in fig1 , and is retained by the same snap in ledge 5 d . fig1 illustrates an auxiliary cap 13 that has a more focused redirector . in this case a redirecting member 13 b turns the gas flow 2 e , at approximately right angles and redirects the flow out a port 13 a . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the invention that allows for redirection of the gas flow 2 e and various means of attaching the burst disk . in this embodiment of the invention the standard gas projector 1 is fitted with a high volume valve 6 c , with remote controller 12 and 12 a , with a base 11 shaped like an artillery shell . the burst hat seal 4 can accommodate a burst hat 2 , being retained by ledge 5 d ; or the wafer burst disk 2 g can alternatively clamped in by retainer ring 4 c . fig1 also illustrates a sonic energy concentrator that is meant to work most efficiently in the mode where the wafer like burst disk 2 g is located at the retention ring 4 c . for this preferred embodiment the sonic energy concentrator 5 a creates a very efficient secondary resonant cavity , and also acts as a broadcast horn to project the sound in the desired direction . fig1 also includes a redirecting member 13 b , which is in this case blended into the sonic energy concentrator . as can be readily appreciated , from the forgoing examples , the sonic energy concentrator can take many forms , but still be within the ambit of the invention . if the burst hat 2 is located in the burst hat seal 4 ; burst disk 4 c , is not normally used . however , for some applications a staged burst sequence might for certain applications be desired , especially where very high energy sonic booms are required . for these applications the secondary resonant chamber might be pumped by utilizing an intermittent pulse created by first pulsing the valve 6 c , and then using a high speed valve in place of the burst disk 2 a or alternatively , the burst disk 2 a might be of the split type , well known to the art , and disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 831 , 475 by richard i . daniel , that would permit intermittent opening and closing of the seal as the pressure in vessel 7 increased and then was relived by the temporary opening of the split seal , and as the pressure dropped with its release , the split seal would reseal , and the pressure would rebuild for another cycle . if a high speed electronically controlled valve is used in place of the burst disk 2 at the burst hat seal 4 and a electronically controlled high speed valve is used at 6 c , and perhaps a high speed valve is used in place of the burst disk 2 g , and the opening and closing of the valves are coordinated , to maximize resonance in the secondary resonant chamber , pumped by harmonic resonance in the primary resonant chamber 7 , then very intense sonic pulses can be created . the pulse finally exiting the orifice at 4 c , can also be transformed into a vortex , by attaching a vortex generator ring 4 b , described below . fig1 illustrates how a vortex ring might be attached or incorporated into the pressure release unit , in this case the burst hat seal 4 , with standard orifice 4 a , which has added a thin ring 4 b that is designed to slow the periphery of the gas flow 2 e as it exits the unit . as it does so , the centre of the gas flow speeds up relative to the flow on the periphery . if the flow of the gas 2 e , takes the form of short pulses , vortexes will be formed at each pulse . a vortex is very stable and can entrain particulate matter and carry it for distances far greater than a simple stream of gas , which quickly diffuses . this feature allows the invention to produce much more realistic mushroom clouds that occur with conventional explosions . the vortex also will impart a percussive impact which can be felt by a person its path . it is a feature of this invention that makes the device much more realistic in safely simulating the sounds , smoke and with this feature the percussive impact of an exploding device . the actual dimensions of the rings , to create such an effect for the many conditions that will arise for the various embodiments of the invention are well known to the art of vortex generation . suffice it to say , that these various implementations are all within the ambit of this invention . in fig1 a simple arrangement might be to have a burst hat 2 at burst hat seal 4 , and a vortex ring generator located at ring retainer 4 c . this arrangement would deliver a pulse to the vortex ring generator , with sonic concentration and horn amplification by the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . if a split type of burse disk is substituted for the burst seal 2 a in the burst hat 2 , and is located in burst hat seal 4 , the controller can direct the valve 6 c to release an intermittent pulse , which results in a series of reports . if a vortex generator is added at 4 c , these pulses can be converted in vortexes . fig1 illustrates how an auxiliary redirector 13 can incorporate vortex ring generators as well as simple ports . in this example the inside edges of the port are as thin as possible , and a tube 13 c is formed around the port , having an inside diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the port 13 a . as mentioned above these relative sizes will vary depending upon the conditions that prevail , and these design parameters are well known to the engineering art of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering . a nosecone 14 has been attached to the embodiment illustrated on fig1 . while only one vortex 4 b generator is shown on fig1 , any number can be utilized . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the invention . this is a simple , modular system in which the compressed gas cartridge 6 is pushed by a piston 10 , in response to an input at 11 a of force 11 b , which moves the piston 10 forward and the compressed gas cartridge 6 , into a vented lance 9 a , well known to the art . this embodiment used a gas cartridge with a seal type valve , but it is apparent that other embodiments could just as easily use another type of valve , well known to the art , including a high volume valve instead . fig1 includes an optional spring 10 c to reset the tank and piston at the completion of the desired release of gas from the tank . in this example the spring is a belleville washer 10 c , but a coil spring , or other spring might just as easily be used . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 also includes a simple valve 8 d , which could be a flapper valve or other type well known to the art to prevent particulate matter from back flowing into the lance 9 a and cartridge 6 or piston 10 . fig1 includes a sonic energy concentrator 5 a , which is suspended from the walls forming the chamber 7 , by one or more supports , around which the gas flow 2 e is free to pass . this embodiment of the invention can accommodate a burst hat 2 as illustrated , or a wafer burst disk at 4 c , or both . fig1 illustrates the pressure release unit including a burst hat 2 and a vortex generator 4 b which can screw into or be attached by other means to a gas projector 1 , such as that illustrated on fig1 . although the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 shows only one retainer ring 4 c , that accommodates a simple burst disk , it should be noted that any number of retainer rings 4 c , could be stacked on top of each other , with appropriate connecting threads , or other means , to produce the desired effects . for example , a simple wafer type burst disk 2 g might be in the bottom retainer rings 4 c , and an additional retainer ring , immediately above it , might retain a vortex ring generator 4 b . fig2 illustrates a side - firing pressure release unit with redirecting vane 13 b that provides redirecting means to the top of the gas projector 1 , illustrated on fig1 . this particular accessory is side firing , with deflector vane 13 b redirecting the flow 2 e at 90 degrees , through port 13 a . it should be noted that these preferred embodiments are meant to be only illustrative of the principal of redirecting the flow , and other embodiments of the invention can project the flow in various directions , and be within the ambit of the invention . fig2 illustrates a further way in which the air projector illustrated on fig1 can be modified to project the sonic report and payload , if any , in any particular direction . in the example illustrated in fig2 , this is 90 degrees , but other embodiments could direct them in any particular direction and be within the ambit of the invention . the embodiment illustrated in fig2 is similar to that illustrated in fig1 , and has a similar redirection vane 13 b and sonic energy concentrator 5 a . in this example of the invention , the burst disk 2 a has burst 2 c , sending a pulse of gas 2 e past the vortex ring generator 4 b , to produce a vortex 2 f . fig2 , and fig2 illustrate how the gas projectors can be daisy - chained together to ignite at approximately the same time . in these examples of the preferred embodiment a number of gas projectors 1 are placed in a vest that is meant to simulate a suicide vest , for training security personnel . in this example of the preferred embodiment , the gas projectors 1 are secured to a belt 15 , which is cinched around part of a person &# 39 ; s body . the canister 16 , containing a fluid or gas can be motivated by the operator to travel down the tube 12 b and cause the gas to be released from gas cartridge 6 , by such means as described in the forgoing examples . fig2 illustrates gas projectors 1 , that are similar to those illustrated on fig1 , but any gas projectors can be used and come within the ambit of the invention . the tubes 12 b can be connected to the gas projectors at ha and cause all the pistons 10 to move in direction 11 b all at approximately the same time . this will result in the gas being released at approximately the same time , and then a loud report and projection of the payload , in a manner described above . fig2 illustrates how the gas projectors can be individually connected to controlling means similar to that described in fig1 . in this example the controlling means direct the fluid or gas down tubes 12 b individually , so that the gas projectors 1 can be made to ignite in any sequence desired . the controller might be equipped with a wired or wireless remote control to control part or all of the functions of the controller itself . as mentioned above , the invention can take many forms . the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated on fig2 a , 25 b and 25 c is in the form of a mortar . it however has the principal elements of the invention , as will be appreciated in its detailed description . the mortar tube 19 is simply a tube with a closed end at one end , the base , and an open end at the other . the gas projector 1 is similar to that illustrated in fig1 , but with the addition of a tail fin 18 , a streamlined cartridge holder 5 and burst hat seal 4 , as well as a payload tube 7 a , nosecone 17 ( the mortar projectile ) and additional gas ports 8 d . fig2 a illustrates the mortar round ( the gas projector 1 ) being dropped 11 c into the mortar tube 19 , at that point just before the rod 19 a makes contact with piston 10 . at this point the compressed gas cartridge 6 is not discharging any gas . fig2 b illustrates the mortar round ( the gas projector 1 ) being dropped 11 c into the mortar tube 19 , at that point just as the rod 19 a has made contact with piston 10 and moved it and the abutting gas cartridge 6 in direction 11 b ; causing the lance 9 a to break the seal in said gas cartridge 6 . the released gas 2 e then moves through passage 8 a into the bottom of the payload tube 7 a . simultaneously the released gas 2 e passes around and up the space between the payload tube 7 a and the walls of the barrel or chamber 7 , through ports 8 d , ( the ports 8 d being the only passage available to the top of the nosecone ) and into the space between nose cone or plug 17 and the burst disk 2 a . at this point the nosecone 17 does not move vertically , as the gas pressure is the same at the bottom as the top ; and also the nosecone 17 may be restrained by some of its upper surface coming into contact with the bottom of the burst disk 2 . the β o β rings 10 e maintain a sliding , gas tight seal , between the nosecone 17 and the payload tube 7 a . as the gas pressure in the barrel 7 rises , the burst disk bulges , as illustrated on fig2 b . at some point the gas pressure in the barrel 7 rises to the point that the burst disk 2 a bursts 2 c . fig2 c , illustrates what happens at after this point . after the burst disk fails 2 c , the gas pressure at the top of the nosecone suddenly drops relative to the gas pressure at the bottom of the nosecone . this causes the nosecone to move up the tube thereby covering the ports 8 a and cutting off further movement of gas through these ports 8 a . all the gas that continues to be released 2 e then acts just on the bottom surface of the nosecone 17 , projecting it upward 17 a . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the nosecone contains a sonic energy concentrator 5 a . this can be in any shape , as mentioned earlier , however , in most applications it will be a concave shape in the top of the nosecone , which creates a secondary resonant chamber , concentrating and promoting the sonic shock front , and also acting as a bell or horn , projecting the sound forward . it is important to note that this embodiment of the invention is consistent with the separation of the gas , that drives the shock front and causes the report , from the gas the later projects the payload . that is , the gas that drives the shock front is unencumbered by payload . in fig2 a , 25 b and 25 c , the payload is the nosecone 17 and the particulate matter 3 and 3 a . note also that when the gas enters port 8 a , the gas fluidizes the particulate matter as the nosecone is elevated on member 7 b , creating a space above the particulate matter 3 and bellow the bottom of the nosecone 17 . fig2 a and 26 b illustrates a further embodiment of the invention that incorporates the principal features that comprise the invention in a form that resembles a foot depression mine . as one can readily appreciate , the embodiment illustrated in fig2 a , 26 b , 27 a and 27 b all resemble the gas projector illustrated in fig1 and fig5 , except that in the former group of embodiments , the piston 10 pushes the compressed gas cartridge 6 into the lance 9 a , rather than the other way around . also the piston 10 and gas cartridge 6 are separated by the burst disk 2 a , which is somewhat flexible and allows sufficient movement of both , without bursting . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig2 a and 26 b include a sonic energy concentrator 5 a that can take many shapes , but most are in the form of a concave surface that creates a secondary resonant chamber that , as mentioned above , enhances the force of the shock front and the consequent volume of the report , while also acting like a bell or horn , projecting the sound forward and away from the device . after the piston 10 is depressed , sliding through a bushing 20 , located in the burst hat seal 4 , as illustrated in fig2 b , the gas is released from the compressed gas cartridge 6 and advances 2 e up the chamber 7 , thence around the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . when the pressure is sufficiently high to burst the burst disk 2 c , it advances through ports 4 a and beyond . it is important to note that in this embodiment , the sonic energy concentrator , provides some further means of separating the first blast of air that breaks the burst disk 2 , 2 c from the payload 3 , in this example , particulate matter 3 , even when the air blast , floats the material somewhat , readying it for transport , as the pressure drops and the air begins to stream 2 e entraining the payload . fig2 a , 26 b , 27 a and 27 b all have β o β rings 8 b and restraining means 8 c that prevent any particulate matter or other debris from back flowing into the valve . this novel use of an β o β ring that transforms it into a valve by radial expansion and compression is an important feature of the invention , and is found on many implementations of the invention . fig2 a and 27 b illustrate a tripwire type of mine and is identical to the compression mine , illustrated in fig2 a and 26 b , except that the spring 10 c is preloaded by pulling the piston 10 up and temporarily latching it in that position . for example , fig2 a and 27 b illustrate a cotter pin 21 that has been inserted into a hole 21 a , in the piston 10 , while the spring has been put into compression . in fig2 a and 27 b , a tripwire 22 has been connected to the pin . when the tripwire is pulled , the spring 10 c recovers , drawing the piston down into the chamber 7 , and pressing the compressed gas cartridge 6 into the lance 9 a , causing the chamber 7 to pressurize , and the burst disk 2 to burst 2 c . the tripwire mine illustrated on 27 a and 27 b both have sonic energy concentrators 5 a and β o β rings , which serve the same purposes as they do on the other embodiments of the invention herein . it should be noted that while the reference has been made herein to gas cartridges , it should be understood that the any gas supply would suffice , whether inside the device or partly or completely outside it . it should also be noted that there are many methods of controlling the flow of the gas , will known to the art , including electronic , electrical , pneumatic , hydraulic types , to name just a few example . it should be understood that embodiments that contain any of these methods , which are well known to the art , are within the ambit of this invention . it should also be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples given in this disclosure , but are examples of a larger class of sound and material projection devices , or both . while the burst hat 2 and the burst hat seal have a complementary conic - cylindrical shape , it is to be understood that they may be any shape , provided they present the seal disk 2 a to the air flow or pressure 2 e to effect the purpose of causing the seal disk 2 a to burst 2 c . while the embodiments of the invention are described mostly in the context of using a burst disk to cause a sudden venting of the compressed gas flow , sufficient to cause a loud report , as herein described , it is to be understood that this is only an example of high - speed methods of tuning on the flow of gas , and can utilize other high speed valves , of whatever types . while the preferred embodiment of the invention locates the sonic shock concentrator inside the exit port of the gas projector , the exit port being the last orifice on the device , in the gas stream 2 e , it is to understood that some embodiments of the invention , can locate the sonic shock concentrator 5 a outside the said exit port , in the exiting gas stream 2 e . while the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrates various means of actuating the valve 6 c or breaking the seal 6 a of the compressed gas cartridge , it should be understood that these are merely illustrative of many means well known to the art . for example the gas projector could be made in the form of a gun and the lance 9 a could just as easily be actuated by a finger trigger that would cause the lance 9 a to move forward , releasing the compressed gas , whether in a canister or supplied externally to the device . while many features of the invention have been illustrated in forms that resemble explosive devices and munitions , it is to be understood that the gas projectors can take many forms , such as firecrackers , confetti guns , to name just a few . it should also be noted that certain embodiment can have any combination of features that comprise the embodiments of the invention and still be within the ambit of the invention herein disclosed . while the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand . such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the inventions and appended claims . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | 0.25 | b54415f40a24e90a975daba07ec86abdfe402f9c7fda9aeb5ab75293e8010247 | 0.08252 | 0.146484 | 0.01001 | 0.314453 | 0.163086 | 0.157227 |
null | the simulation of varied military weapons and munitions is necessary for the proper training of troops . these simulated weapons must be realistic in providing a loud bang or report that would normally accompany their discharge , and also an accompanying smoke and / or dust cloud . at the same time the devices must be safe , not just in use , but when stored and transported by untrained recruits . for safety reasons , the devices described in this disclosure are powered by compressed gas , supplied in tanks or cartridges of various sizes . it is to be understood however , that the invention is not limited to this means of power , and the devices could be adapted to be powered by combustible materials and be within the ambit of the invention . although this invention is directed at producing simulated military devices , some preferred embodiments of the invention can be used for entertainment , in place of pyrotechnics . other preferred embodiments of the invention can also be used to project materials , such as confetti , where an accompanying loud sonic report is required . it should also be appreciated that although the preferred embodiments produce a loud sonic report and the transport of a payload , some preferred embodiments may do only one or the other . the invention and its many embodiments describe a method of separating the sonic report from the transport of payload . in this patent , payload can refer to any material that is transported out of the device , and can include particulate matter such as aggregate , baby powder , talc , or paper such as confetti or a liquid , aerosol , or gas . as described above , the creation of the sonic report is due mainly to propagation of a shock wave caused by the bursting of a burst disk . the use of a burst disk is the most practical and inexpensive method of ensuring a rapid release of compressed gas that is substantially instantaneous , that collides with the ambient air , thus creating a loud bang . to create a loud report , the escaping gas need only travel a short distance , but do so at high velocity . the requirement that it be at the highest possible velocity , means that it must be unencumbered by foreign material , such as parts of the payload . that is , it must not have been slowed down by entraining foreign materials , and accelerating them . the resonant frequency of the gas volume that powers the sonic stroke , immediately after the bursting of the burst disk is of importance , as the energy should be compressed into a relatively short pulse . also of importance is that the sonic report propagates in all directions , and that which returns back into the device , must be redirected back out of the barrel . as mentioned above , the transport of the payload requires a completely different energy regime . transport of the payload requires a long duration , steady flow of gas out of the device , and for this reason , the invention separate these two regimes . the invention can best be described by referring to the drawings that accompany this patent . fig1 incorporates many aspects of the invention . the device illustrated on fig1 can take many shapes and guises , and can for example have rocket fins and nosecones attached . the device illustrated in fig1 is comprised of a chamber or barrel 7 that contains the payload , in this case particular matter 3 , such as baby powder . the bottom portion of the device , referred to as the igniter , and identified as 1 a on fig1 , projects a vented lance 9 a , that either opens a valve 6 b attached to a compressed gas cartridge 6 , or pierces a seal that allows the compressed gas to exit the tank at relatively high volume . fig1 illustrates the igniter that is about to pierce the seal . the igniter in this embodiment of the invention includes a piston 10 that travels up and down , a cylinder 9 in response to a force 11 b that acts on the bottom of the piston 10 . this force 11 b can be supplied by a simple mechanical rod or be in the form of a gas or liquid volume , traveling up and down the tube 11 a , in the base 11 . fig1 illustrates the force 11 b acting in an upward direction that forces the piston 10 and the attached vented lance 9 a . fig1 also illustrates an optional spring 10 c , which compresses and resets the device upon recovery , after the upward force 11 b is relaxed . to prevent the escape of gas , β o β rings are employed at certain connections , where gas might otherwise escape and two such β o β rings are illustrated 10 a , 10 b . fig1 illustrates a gas relief valve 10 d , which allows the piston to travel up the cylinder , without compressing the gas above . the vented lance 9 a , that is suitable for piercing seal type gas cartridges 6 , is illustrated in more detail on fig4 . the vented lance 9 a has attached a rim 9 c that deflects the escaping gas into the waiting port and passage 8 a on fig1 . this rim 9 c prevents condensate , caused from the cool escaping gas , to enter between the piston 10 and cylinder 9 , which might otherwise seize them . the vented lance 9 a pierces the seal 6 a and allows the compressed gas to escape through the lance vents 9 b and exits as a stream 2 e . the compressed gas is then directed by rim 9 c to ports and passages 8 a in gas distributor 8 . fig1 shows two such ports 8 a , but many preferred embodiments can have any number of such means of transporting the gas . to prevent the fouling of the passages , an β o β ring 8 b is placed around the gas distributor in such a manner that when the gas is passing through the passage 8 a with sufficient force , it will radially expand the otherwise sealing β o β ring 8 b and unseat it allowing for the passage of gas around it , and into the chamber or barrel 7 . when the gas drops below a certain pressure , the β o β ring 8 b will reseal the passage and thereby prevent any particulate matter remaining in the chamber 7 from back flowing into the passage 8 a and beyond . some preferred embodiments include a retaining rim or pegs 8 c or other such restraining means , to ensure that the β o β ring 8 b does not roll up or down the gas distributor 8 , with it is in its expanded state . the gas passing out of the passage 8 will rapidly fluidize the material that has been placed in the canister 7 . the fluidizing of this material will greatly assist in later projecting it out of the gas projector 1 . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 includes a gas cartridge 6 that is contained within a holder 5 , but can of course be secured by many other convenient means . fig1 has attached to it or incorporated into it a dish shaped platform sa that is a sound and pressure reflector and that is referred to herein as a sonic energy concentrator . this dish or horn shaped form sa is meant to be illustrative of a large class of forms that focus or reflect sonic energy , including horns , bells to name just a few . other preferred embodiments may however utilize forms that are flat or convex ; to disperse the sound and make it more omni directional as it exits the chamber . the other purpose of the sonic energy concentrator sa is to establish a secondary resonant cavity between the said sonic energy concentrator and the burst disk 2 a it faces . since the gas pulse that gives rise to the shock front need only be short in length and duration , but high in velocity , it is advantageous to have a relatively short resonant cavity . it is to be understood that fig1 is only illustrative of one aspect of the invention , and that the size , shape and location , relative to the bottom surface of the burst disk 2 a will vary depending upon many factors , such as the size of the primary resonant cavity , the distance beneath the sonic energy concentrator sa , the pressures at which the system operates and the gas that is used as an energy source , to name a few . at the top of the cavity is located a burst hat 2 , that includes a burst disk 2 a , which is snapped into place over a small ledge sd , as illustrated on fig1 , or by other convenient means well known to the art . the burst hat 2 is shaped to seal with burst hat seal 4 , when the pressure in cavity 7 increases above the pressure outside the cavity . while fig1 illustrates a hat shaped burst disk , this is merely illustrative of a class of burst disks that can for example be simple wafer like disks sealed at their perimeters , by means well known to the art . the purpose of the burst disk is to contain the increasing pressure within the chamber as the compressed gas cartridge empties ; and then at some predetermined pressure , to fail suddenly , allowing the gas to escape out through the orifice 4 a . this burst disk serves as an inexpensive high speed valve , which of course some preferred embodiments might substitute . as described above , when the burst disk 2 a or substituted high speed valve opens , the high pressure gas accelerates quickly in the preferred embodiment , as there is no payload to impede it . this acceleration is aided by the tapered burst hat 2 that forms a venturi and the sonic energy concentrator with relatively short pulse resonance . a shock front is created when this high velocity gas meats the relatively slow moving ambient air , immediately adjacent to the boundary of the disk , when it breaks . the result is a shock front , shock wave and resulting sonic report . fig5 illustrates the system at the point that the piston 10 has moved up the cylinder 9 in response to upward force 11 b , causing the gas to escape from the breached seal 6 a , and the gas to pass into the chamber 7 , as above described . fig5 illustrates the burst seal having burst 2 c , the payload material 3 a starting to exit the chamber 7 . also illustrated between the sonic energy concentrator 5 a and the just burst disk , is the secondary resonant cavity , that quickly upon the bursting of the burst disk 2 a , assumes the role of a sound bell or horn , directing the sound of the shock wave produced , outward , away from the chamber 7 and accelerating the shock front formation . just after the burst disk 2 a fails 2 c and generally following the sonic report , the payload , in this example , particulate matter , having been already fluidized , is entrained by the large volume of slower moving , lower pressure gas , that then exits the chamber 7 , through the orifice 4 a . while the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 and fig5 illustrate a conic - cylindrical hat 2 that incorporates the burst disk 2 a , the hat can also contain part or the entire payload . while the preferred embodiment of the invention , has the escaping gas acting on the burst disk first , to create a loud report , as described above ; there may be circumstances where one may wish to project the material with higher or in a more clustered form , in which case it may be advantageous to fill the burst hat 2 with such material and contain it with a cover to form a burst hat container 2 j , such as a peal top 2 b , well known to the art . in such preferred embodiments , some or all of the other features of the invention may be utilized and therefore still be within the ambit of the invention . one embodiment of the invention is to convert the burst hat 2 into a burst hat container 2 j for the material 3 to be projected by the gas projector 1 by adding a peal top 2 b or other top that can be removed or pierced . in most cases the burst hat container 2 j is filled with the precise amount that will give a particular effect , for a particular device . these burst containers 2 j , can then be provided already packed in handy portions , and in most cases the user will simply empty the ideal portion into the chamber 7 , and then place the empty burst hat container 2 in the burst hat seal , as illustrated in fig1 . fig8 illustrates the packaging of the material in a way consistent with one of the preferred embodiments that is to ensure that the initial gas pulse that bursts the disk is unimpeded with payload . the burst hat container 2 j illustrated in fig8 has a partly or wholly vacant channel 2 h running from the peal top 2 b to the burst disk 2 a . the channel can be created by inserting a tube preferably made of material that will maintain its integrity only briefly to allow the initial pulse of gas to break the burst disk 2 a and create the shock front . the tube or member of other suitable shape can for example be made of paper or friable material such as ceramic or may simply be formed by pressing or adding a binder to the particular matter that forms the payload . for example , if the payload is talc , a tube might be pressed into the talk , after it is poured into the burst hat container 2 j , and then the surface of the tube so formed could be sprayed or imparted into it by other well know means , a binder , that would stabilize the tube , and yet , after providing a channel for the initial pulse of gas , collapse or partly collapse , so the material might better be transported out of the orifice in a uniform spray . the hole adjacent to the peal top 2 i shown in fig8 can extend through the top or can be broken open by simply pushing the inverted burst hat onto the shock tube 5 b . some embodiments of the invention include a shock tube 5 b as shown on fig6 , most of which include some means , such as a port 5 c for the gas to enter the lumen of the shock tube 5 b and gain access to the bottom of the shock disk 2 a . in the example illustrated on fig6 , this point of entry is a hole 5 c just above the sonic shock concentrator 5 a . other embodiments of the invention have no shock tube and rely instead on the channel 2 h as shown of fig8 , and simply have a whole 2 i precut or that can be easily removed prior to insertion . other embodiments have points of weakness around the hole that allow the cover of the hole 2 i to fail when the pressure begins to rise in the chamber . other embodiments utilize other methods well known to the art of packaging . as mentioned above , some embodiments of the invention rely on a high volume valve to control the emptying of the compressed gas cartridge 6 , rather than a pierce disk , as illustrated on fig1 . fig9 illustrates the system with such a valve 6 b , in this example connected directly to the said compressed gas cartridge 6 . fig9 includes an extension 6 c which is acted upon by the lance 9 a to open the flow of gas to the gas distributor , and in this example channel 8 a . the high volume valves are generally used for larger gas cartridges and the pierce disks for the smaller ones . fig9 also illustrates another embodiment of one aspect of the invention , being the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . in this embodiment , the device has a base which fits over the compressed gas cartridge 6 . these ease of installation means that various shaped sonic energy concentrators 5 a can be used to address particular performance requirements , such as the shape and intensity of the sound field generated by the device . for example , for some applications , a very narrowly focused , high intensity field will be required , necessitating a sonic energy concentrator with a deeper dish at the top of the unit . other applications would require a flatter or even convex surface to vary the shape and intensity of the sonic field . the design specifications of all these embodiments of the invention will depend upon the particular circumstances of the device dimensions , gas pressures used , type of energy inputs , to name just a few . fig1 is view of the principal components of a typical gas projection system . they are : the igniter unit , 1 a ; the gas delivery system , including the gas distributor , 1 b ; and the pressure release unit , 1 c . fig1 illustrates the typical igniter unit 1 a . in this example , illustrated in fig1 , the piston 10 movement is controlled by a fluid or gas entering the channel 11 a , via a tube or conduit 12 b . the controller 12 controls the delivery of this controlling gas or fluid and its design is well known to the art of fluid and gas controllers . in some embodiments , this controller can in turn be controlled by a more remote wireless , or wired device 12 a . although this example of the embodiment illustrated on fig1 utilizes a gas or fluid media to push up the piston 10 , other embodiments would utilize other means well known to the art to control the motion of the lance 9 a , and these might be wholly electric or such other means well known to the art . fig1 is meant to illustrate one embodiment of the invention that includes a redirecting means for the sonic energy and subsequently the matter that is ejected out of the chamber 7 of the gas projector 1 . in this example an auxiliary cap 13 is screwed onto the top of the pressure release unit , in this case the burst hat seal 4 , with treaded top . the flow of compressed gas 2 e passes the burst disk 2 c and then is redirected at 90 degrees , in approximately a 180 degree field by an approximately inverted conic section 13 b , and thence through ports of various sizes and locations , 13 a . fig1 also illustrates the use of a sonic energy concentrator 5 a of the type illustrated in fig9 , that fits over the compressed gas cartridge 6 . this example illustrates the many shapes the basic gas projector 1 can assume . in this case the base 11 is shaped like the head of an artillery shell . this preferred embodiment might be used to simulate a road - side bomb made from an artillery shell . this unit might be used to train soldiers on how to locate , avoid and disarm such devices . in this example , the embodiment illustrated includes a remote control device 12 and 12 a for igniting the unit , as earlier described . it is important to note that this example of a preferred embodiment of the invention uses the same burst hat 2 as in fig1 , and is retained by the same snap in ledge 5 d . fig1 illustrates an auxiliary cap 13 that has a more focused redirector . in this case a redirecting member 13 b turns the gas flow 2 e , at approximately right angles and redirects the flow out a port 13 a . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the invention that allows for redirection of the gas flow 2 e and various means of attaching the burst disk . in this embodiment of the invention the standard gas projector 1 is fitted with a high volume valve 6 c , with remote controller 12 and 12 a , with a base 11 shaped like an artillery shell . the burst hat seal 4 can accommodate a burst hat 2 , being retained by ledge 5 d ; or the wafer burst disk 2 g can alternatively clamped in by retainer ring 4 c . fig1 also illustrates a sonic energy concentrator that is meant to work most efficiently in the mode where the wafer like burst disk 2 g is located at the retention ring 4 c . for this preferred embodiment the sonic energy concentrator 5 a creates a very efficient secondary resonant cavity , and also acts as a broadcast horn to project the sound in the desired direction . fig1 also includes a redirecting member 13 b , which is in this case blended into the sonic energy concentrator . as can be readily appreciated , from the forgoing examples , the sonic energy concentrator can take many forms , but still be within the ambit of the invention . if the burst hat 2 is located in the burst hat seal 4 ; burst disk 4 c , is not normally used . however , for some applications a staged burst sequence might for certain applications be desired , especially where very high energy sonic booms are required . for these applications the secondary resonant chamber might be pumped by utilizing an intermittent pulse created by first pulsing the valve 6 c , and then using a high speed valve in place of the burst disk 2 a or alternatively , the burst disk 2 a might be of the split type , well known to the art , and disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 831 , 475 by richard i . daniel , that would permit intermittent opening and closing of the seal as the pressure in vessel 7 increased and then was relived by the temporary opening of the split seal , and as the pressure dropped with its release , the split seal would reseal , and the pressure would rebuild for another cycle . if a high speed electronically controlled valve is used in place of the burst disk 2 at the burst hat seal 4 and a electronically controlled high speed valve is used at 6 c , and perhaps a high speed valve is used in place of the burst disk 2 g , and the opening and closing of the valves are coordinated , to maximize resonance in the secondary resonant chamber , pumped by harmonic resonance in the primary resonant chamber 7 , then very intense sonic pulses can be created . the pulse finally exiting the orifice at 4 c , can also be transformed into a vortex , by attaching a vortex generator ring 4 b , described below . fig1 illustrates how a vortex ring might be attached or incorporated into the pressure release unit , in this case the burst hat seal 4 , with standard orifice 4 a , which has added a thin ring 4 b that is designed to slow the periphery of the gas flow 2 e as it exits the unit . as it does so , the centre of the gas flow speeds up relative to the flow on the periphery . if the flow of the gas 2 e , takes the form of short pulses , vortexes will be formed at each pulse . a vortex is very stable and can entrain particulate matter and carry it for distances far greater than a simple stream of gas , which quickly diffuses . this feature allows the invention to produce much more realistic mushroom clouds that occur with conventional explosions . the vortex also will impart a percussive impact which can be felt by a person its path . it is a feature of this invention that makes the device much more realistic in safely simulating the sounds , smoke and with this feature the percussive impact of an exploding device . the actual dimensions of the rings , to create such an effect for the many conditions that will arise for the various embodiments of the invention are well known to the art of vortex generation . suffice it to say , that these various implementations are all within the ambit of this invention . in fig1 a simple arrangement might be to have a burst hat 2 at burst hat seal 4 , and a vortex ring generator located at ring retainer 4 c . this arrangement would deliver a pulse to the vortex ring generator , with sonic concentration and horn amplification by the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . if a split type of burse disk is substituted for the burst seal 2 a in the burst hat 2 , and is located in burst hat seal 4 , the controller can direct the valve 6 c to release an intermittent pulse , which results in a series of reports . if a vortex generator is added at 4 c , these pulses can be converted in vortexes . fig1 illustrates how an auxiliary redirector 13 can incorporate vortex ring generators as well as simple ports . in this example the inside edges of the port are as thin as possible , and a tube 13 c is formed around the port , having an inside diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the port 13 a . as mentioned above these relative sizes will vary depending upon the conditions that prevail , and these design parameters are well known to the engineering art of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering . a nosecone 14 has been attached to the embodiment illustrated on fig1 . while only one vortex 4 b generator is shown on fig1 , any number can be utilized . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the invention . this is a simple , modular system in which the compressed gas cartridge 6 is pushed by a piston 10 , in response to an input at 11 a of force 11 b , which moves the piston 10 forward and the compressed gas cartridge 6 , into a vented lance 9 a , well known to the art . this embodiment used a gas cartridge with a seal type valve , but it is apparent that other embodiments could just as easily use another type of valve , well known to the art , including a high volume valve instead . fig1 includes an optional spring 10 c to reset the tank and piston at the completion of the desired release of gas from the tank . in this example the spring is a belleville washer 10 c , but a coil spring , or other spring might just as easily be used . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 also includes a simple valve 8 d , which could be a flapper valve or other type well known to the art to prevent particulate matter from back flowing into the lance 9 a and cartridge 6 or piston 10 . fig1 includes a sonic energy concentrator 5 a , which is suspended from the walls forming the chamber 7 , by one or more supports , around which the gas flow 2 e is free to pass . this embodiment of the invention can accommodate a burst hat 2 as illustrated , or a wafer burst disk at 4 c , or both . fig1 illustrates the pressure release unit including a burst hat 2 and a vortex generator 4 b which can screw into or be attached by other means to a gas projector 1 , such as that illustrated on fig1 . although the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 shows only one retainer ring 4 c , that accommodates a simple burst disk , it should be noted that any number of retainer rings 4 c , could be stacked on top of each other , with appropriate connecting threads , or other means , to produce the desired effects . for example , a simple wafer type burst disk 2 g might be in the bottom retainer rings 4 c , and an additional retainer ring , immediately above it , might retain a vortex ring generator 4 b . fig2 illustrates a side - firing pressure release unit with redirecting vane 13 b that provides redirecting means to the top of the gas projector 1 , illustrated on fig1 . this particular accessory is side firing , with deflector vane 13 b redirecting the flow 2 e at 90 degrees , through port 13 a . it should be noted that these preferred embodiments are meant to be only illustrative of the principal of redirecting the flow , and other embodiments of the invention can project the flow in various directions , and be within the ambit of the invention . fig2 illustrates a further way in which the air projector illustrated on fig1 can be modified to project the sonic report and payload , if any , in any particular direction . in the example illustrated in fig2 , this is 90 degrees , but other embodiments could direct them in any particular direction and be within the ambit of the invention . the embodiment illustrated in fig2 is similar to that illustrated in fig1 , and has a similar redirection vane 13 b and sonic energy concentrator 5 a . in this example of the invention , the burst disk 2 a has burst 2 c , sending a pulse of gas 2 e past the vortex ring generator 4 b , to produce a vortex 2 f . fig2 , and fig2 illustrate how the gas projectors can be daisy - chained together to ignite at approximately the same time . in these examples of the preferred embodiment a number of gas projectors 1 are placed in a vest that is meant to simulate a suicide vest , for training security personnel . in this example of the preferred embodiment , the gas projectors 1 are secured to a belt 15 , which is cinched around part of a person &# 39 ; s body . the canister 16 , containing a fluid or gas can be motivated by the operator to travel down the tube 12 b and cause the gas to be released from gas cartridge 6 , by such means as described in the forgoing examples . fig2 illustrates gas projectors 1 , that are similar to those illustrated on fig1 , but any gas projectors can be used and come within the ambit of the invention . the tubes 12 b can be connected to the gas projectors at ha and cause all the pistons 10 to move in direction 11 b all at approximately the same time . this will result in the gas being released at approximately the same time , and then a loud report and projection of the payload , in a manner described above . fig2 illustrates how the gas projectors can be individually connected to controlling means similar to that described in fig1 . in this example the controlling means direct the fluid or gas down tubes 12 b individually , so that the gas projectors 1 can be made to ignite in any sequence desired . the controller might be equipped with a wired or wireless remote control to control part or all of the functions of the controller itself . as mentioned above , the invention can take many forms . the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated on fig2 a , 25 b and 25 c is in the form of a mortar . it however has the principal elements of the invention , as will be appreciated in its detailed description . the mortar tube 19 is simply a tube with a closed end at one end , the base , and an open end at the other . the gas projector 1 is similar to that illustrated in fig1 , but with the addition of a tail fin 18 , a streamlined cartridge holder 5 and burst hat seal 4 , as well as a payload tube 7 a , nosecone 17 ( the mortar projectile ) and additional gas ports 8 d . fig2 a illustrates the mortar round ( the gas projector 1 ) being dropped 11 c into the mortar tube 19 , at that point just before the rod 19 a makes contact with piston 10 . at this point the compressed gas cartridge 6 is not discharging any gas . fig2 b illustrates the mortar round ( the gas projector 1 ) being dropped 11 c into the mortar tube 19 , at that point just as the rod 19 a has made contact with piston 10 and moved it and the abutting gas cartridge 6 in direction 11 b ; causing the lance 9 a to break the seal in said gas cartridge 6 . the released gas 2 e then moves through passage 8 a into the bottom of the payload tube 7 a . simultaneously the released gas 2 e passes around and up the space between the payload tube 7 a and the walls of the barrel or chamber 7 , through ports 8 d , ( the ports 8 d being the only passage available to the top of the nosecone ) and into the space between nose cone or plug 17 and the burst disk 2 a . at this point the nosecone 17 does not move vertically , as the gas pressure is the same at the bottom as the top ; and also the nosecone 17 may be restrained by some of its upper surface coming into contact with the bottom of the burst disk 2 . the β o β rings 10 e maintain a sliding , gas tight seal , between the nosecone 17 and the payload tube 7 a . as the gas pressure in the barrel 7 rises , the burst disk bulges , as illustrated on fig2 b . at some point the gas pressure in the barrel 7 rises to the point that the burst disk 2 a bursts 2 c . fig2 c , illustrates what happens at after this point . after the burst disk fails 2 c , the gas pressure at the top of the nosecone suddenly drops relative to the gas pressure at the bottom of the nosecone . this causes the nosecone to move up the tube thereby covering the ports 8 a and cutting off further movement of gas through these ports 8 a . all the gas that continues to be released 2 e then acts just on the bottom surface of the nosecone 17 , projecting it upward 17 a . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the nosecone contains a sonic energy concentrator 5 a . this can be in any shape , as mentioned earlier , however , in most applications it will be a concave shape in the top of the nosecone , which creates a secondary resonant chamber , concentrating and promoting the sonic shock front , and also acting as a bell or horn , projecting the sound forward . it is important to note that this embodiment of the invention is consistent with the separation of the gas , that drives the shock front and causes the report , from the gas the later projects the payload . that is , the gas that drives the shock front is unencumbered by payload . in fig2 a , 25 b and 25 c , the payload is the nosecone 17 and the particulate matter 3 and 3 a . note also that when the gas enters port 8 a , the gas fluidizes the particulate matter as the nosecone is elevated on member 7 b , creating a space above the particulate matter 3 and bellow the bottom of the nosecone 17 . fig2 a and 26 b illustrates a further embodiment of the invention that incorporates the principal features that comprise the invention in a form that resembles a foot depression mine . as one can readily appreciate , the embodiment illustrated in fig2 a , 26 b , 27 a and 27 b all resemble the gas projector illustrated in fig1 and fig5 , except that in the former group of embodiments , the piston 10 pushes the compressed gas cartridge 6 into the lance 9 a , rather than the other way around . also the piston 10 and gas cartridge 6 are separated by the burst disk 2 a , which is somewhat flexible and allows sufficient movement of both , without bursting . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig2 a and 26 b include a sonic energy concentrator 5 a that can take many shapes , but most are in the form of a concave surface that creates a secondary resonant chamber that , as mentioned above , enhances the force of the shock front and the consequent volume of the report , while also acting like a bell or horn , projecting the sound forward and away from the device . after the piston 10 is depressed , sliding through a bushing 20 , located in the burst hat seal 4 , as illustrated in fig2 b , the gas is released from the compressed gas cartridge 6 and advances 2 e up the chamber 7 , thence around the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . when the pressure is sufficiently high to burst the burst disk 2 c , it advances through ports 4 a and beyond . it is important to note that in this embodiment , the sonic energy concentrator , provides some further means of separating the first blast of air that breaks the burst disk 2 , 2 c from the payload 3 , in this example , particulate matter 3 , even when the air blast , floats the material somewhat , readying it for transport , as the pressure drops and the air begins to stream 2 e entraining the payload . fig2 a , 26 b , 27 a and 27 b all have β o β rings 8 b and restraining means 8 c that prevent any particulate matter or other debris from back flowing into the valve . this novel use of an β o β ring that transforms it into a valve by radial expansion and compression is an important feature of the invention , and is found on many implementations of the invention . fig2 a and 27 b illustrate a tripwire type of mine and is identical to the compression mine , illustrated in fig2 a and 26 b , except that the spring 10 c is preloaded by pulling the piston 10 up and temporarily latching it in that position . for example , fig2 a and 27 b illustrate a cotter pin 21 that has been inserted into a hole 21 a , in the piston 10 , while the spring has been put into compression . in fig2 a and 27 b , a tripwire 22 has been connected to the pin . when the tripwire is pulled , the spring 10 c recovers , drawing the piston down into the chamber 7 , and pressing the compressed gas cartridge 6 into the lance 9 a , causing the chamber 7 to pressurize , and the burst disk 2 to burst 2 c . the tripwire mine illustrated on 27 a and 27 b both have sonic energy concentrators 5 a and β o β rings , which serve the same purposes as they do on the other embodiments of the invention herein . it should be noted that while the reference has been made herein to gas cartridges , it should be understood that the any gas supply would suffice , whether inside the device or partly or completely outside it . it should also be noted that there are many methods of controlling the flow of the gas , will known to the art , including electronic , electrical , pneumatic , hydraulic types , to name just a few example . it should be understood that embodiments that contain any of these methods , which are well known to the art , are within the ambit of this invention . it should also be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples given in this disclosure , but are examples of a larger class of sound and material projection devices , or both . while the burst hat 2 and the burst hat seal have a complementary conic - cylindrical shape , it is to be understood that they may be any shape , provided they present the seal disk 2 a to the air flow or pressure 2 e to effect the purpose of causing the seal disk 2 a to burst 2 c . while the embodiments of the invention are described mostly in the context of using a burst disk to cause a sudden venting of the compressed gas flow , sufficient to cause a loud report , as herein described , it is to be understood that this is only an example of high - speed methods of tuning on the flow of gas , and can utilize other high speed valves , of whatever types . while the preferred embodiment of the invention locates the sonic shock concentrator inside the exit port of the gas projector , the exit port being the last orifice on the device , in the gas stream 2 e , it is to understood that some embodiments of the invention , can locate the sonic shock concentrator 5 a outside the said exit port , in the exiting gas stream 2 e . while the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrates various means of actuating the valve 6 c or breaking the seal 6 a of the compressed gas cartridge , it should be understood that these are merely illustrative of many means well known to the art . for example the gas projector could be made in the form of a gun and the lance 9 a could just as easily be actuated by a finger trigger that would cause the lance 9 a to move forward , releasing the compressed gas , whether in a canister or supplied externally to the device . while many features of the invention have been illustrated in forms that resemble explosive devices and munitions , it is to be understood that the gas projectors can take many forms , such as firecrackers , confetti guns , to name just a few . it should also be noted that certain embodiment can have any combination of features that comprise the embodiments of the invention and still be within the ambit of the invention herein disclosed . while the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand . such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the inventions and appended claims . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Physics'? | 0.25 | b54415f40a24e90a975daba07ec86abdfe402f9c7fda9aeb5ab75293e8010247 | 0.08252 | 0.230469 | 0.01001 | 0.049561 | 0.163086 | 0.287109 |
null | the simulation of varied military weapons and munitions is necessary for the proper training of troops . these simulated weapons must be realistic in providing a loud bang or report that would normally accompany their discharge , and also an accompanying smoke and / or dust cloud . at the same time the devices must be safe , not just in use , but when stored and transported by untrained recruits . for safety reasons , the devices described in this disclosure are powered by compressed gas , supplied in tanks or cartridges of various sizes . it is to be understood however , that the invention is not limited to this means of power , and the devices could be adapted to be powered by combustible materials and be within the ambit of the invention . although this invention is directed at producing simulated military devices , some preferred embodiments of the invention can be used for entertainment , in place of pyrotechnics . other preferred embodiments of the invention can also be used to project materials , such as confetti , where an accompanying loud sonic report is required . it should also be appreciated that although the preferred embodiments produce a loud sonic report and the transport of a payload , some preferred embodiments may do only one or the other . the invention and its many embodiments describe a method of separating the sonic report from the transport of payload . in this patent , payload can refer to any material that is transported out of the device , and can include particulate matter such as aggregate , baby powder , talc , or paper such as confetti or a liquid , aerosol , or gas . as described above , the creation of the sonic report is due mainly to propagation of a shock wave caused by the bursting of a burst disk . the use of a burst disk is the most practical and inexpensive method of ensuring a rapid release of compressed gas that is substantially instantaneous , that collides with the ambient air , thus creating a loud bang . to create a loud report , the escaping gas need only travel a short distance , but do so at high velocity . the requirement that it be at the highest possible velocity , means that it must be unencumbered by foreign material , such as parts of the payload . that is , it must not have been slowed down by entraining foreign materials , and accelerating them . the resonant frequency of the gas volume that powers the sonic stroke , immediately after the bursting of the burst disk is of importance , as the energy should be compressed into a relatively short pulse . also of importance is that the sonic report propagates in all directions , and that which returns back into the device , must be redirected back out of the barrel . as mentioned above , the transport of the payload requires a completely different energy regime . transport of the payload requires a long duration , steady flow of gas out of the device , and for this reason , the invention separate these two regimes . the invention can best be described by referring to the drawings that accompany this patent . fig1 incorporates many aspects of the invention . the device illustrated on fig1 can take many shapes and guises , and can for example have rocket fins and nosecones attached . the device illustrated in fig1 is comprised of a chamber or barrel 7 that contains the payload , in this case particular matter 3 , such as baby powder . the bottom portion of the device , referred to as the igniter , and identified as 1 a on fig1 , projects a vented lance 9 a , that either opens a valve 6 b attached to a compressed gas cartridge 6 , or pierces a seal that allows the compressed gas to exit the tank at relatively high volume . fig1 illustrates the igniter that is about to pierce the seal . the igniter in this embodiment of the invention includes a piston 10 that travels up and down , a cylinder 9 in response to a force 11 b that acts on the bottom of the piston 10 . this force 11 b can be supplied by a simple mechanical rod or be in the form of a gas or liquid volume , traveling up and down the tube 11 a , in the base 11 . fig1 illustrates the force 11 b acting in an upward direction that forces the piston 10 and the attached vented lance 9 a . fig1 also illustrates an optional spring 10 c , which compresses and resets the device upon recovery , after the upward force 11 b is relaxed . to prevent the escape of gas , β o β rings are employed at certain connections , where gas might otherwise escape and two such β o β rings are illustrated 10 a , 10 b . fig1 illustrates a gas relief valve 10 d , which allows the piston to travel up the cylinder , without compressing the gas above . the vented lance 9 a , that is suitable for piercing seal type gas cartridges 6 , is illustrated in more detail on fig4 . the vented lance 9 a has attached a rim 9 c that deflects the escaping gas into the waiting port and passage 8 a on fig1 . this rim 9 c prevents condensate , caused from the cool escaping gas , to enter between the piston 10 and cylinder 9 , which might otherwise seize them . the vented lance 9 a pierces the seal 6 a and allows the compressed gas to escape through the lance vents 9 b and exits as a stream 2 e . the compressed gas is then directed by rim 9 c to ports and passages 8 a in gas distributor 8 . fig1 shows two such ports 8 a , but many preferred embodiments can have any number of such means of transporting the gas . to prevent the fouling of the passages , an β o β ring 8 b is placed around the gas distributor in such a manner that when the gas is passing through the passage 8 a with sufficient force , it will radially expand the otherwise sealing β o β ring 8 b and unseat it allowing for the passage of gas around it , and into the chamber or barrel 7 . when the gas drops below a certain pressure , the β o β ring 8 b will reseal the passage and thereby prevent any particulate matter remaining in the chamber 7 from back flowing into the passage 8 a and beyond . some preferred embodiments include a retaining rim or pegs 8 c or other such restraining means , to ensure that the β o β ring 8 b does not roll up or down the gas distributor 8 , with it is in its expanded state . the gas passing out of the passage 8 will rapidly fluidize the material that has been placed in the canister 7 . the fluidizing of this material will greatly assist in later projecting it out of the gas projector 1 . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 includes a gas cartridge 6 that is contained within a holder 5 , but can of course be secured by many other convenient means . fig1 has attached to it or incorporated into it a dish shaped platform sa that is a sound and pressure reflector and that is referred to herein as a sonic energy concentrator . this dish or horn shaped form sa is meant to be illustrative of a large class of forms that focus or reflect sonic energy , including horns , bells to name just a few . other preferred embodiments may however utilize forms that are flat or convex ; to disperse the sound and make it more omni directional as it exits the chamber . the other purpose of the sonic energy concentrator sa is to establish a secondary resonant cavity between the said sonic energy concentrator and the burst disk 2 a it faces . since the gas pulse that gives rise to the shock front need only be short in length and duration , but high in velocity , it is advantageous to have a relatively short resonant cavity . it is to be understood that fig1 is only illustrative of one aspect of the invention , and that the size , shape and location , relative to the bottom surface of the burst disk 2 a will vary depending upon many factors , such as the size of the primary resonant cavity , the distance beneath the sonic energy concentrator sa , the pressures at which the system operates and the gas that is used as an energy source , to name a few . at the top of the cavity is located a burst hat 2 , that includes a burst disk 2 a , which is snapped into place over a small ledge sd , as illustrated on fig1 , or by other convenient means well known to the art . the burst hat 2 is shaped to seal with burst hat seal 4 , when the pressure in cavity 7 increases above the pressure outside the cavity . while fig1 illustrates a hat shaped burst disk , this is merely illustrative of a class of burst disks that can for example be simple wafer like disks sealed at their perimeters , by means well known to the art . the purpose of the burst disk is to contain the increasing pressure within the chamber as the compressed gas cartridge empties ; and then at some predetermined pressure , to fail suddenly , allowing the gas to escape out through the orifice 4 a . this burst disk serves as an inexpensive high speed valve , which of course some preferred embodiments might substitute . as described above , when the burst disk 2 a or substituted high speed valve opens , the high pressure gas accelerates quickly in the preferred embodiment , as there is no payload to impede it . this acceleration is aided by the tapered burst hat 2 that forms a venturi and the sonic energy concentrator with relatively short pulse resonance . a shock front is created when this high velocity gas meats the relatively slow moving ambient air , immediately adjacent to the boundary of the disk , when it breaks . the result is a shock front , shock wave and resulting sonic report . fig5 illustrates the system at the point that the piston 10 has moved up the cylinder 9 in response to upward force 11 b , causing the gas to escape from the breached seal 6 a , and the gas to pass into the chamber 7 , as above described . fig5 illustrates the burst seal having burst 2 c , the payload material 3 a starting to exit the chamber 7 . also illustrated between the sonic energy concentrator 5 a and the just burst disk , is the secondary resonant cavity , that quickly upon the bursting of the burst disk 2 a , assumes the role of a sound bell or horn , directing the sound of the shock wave produced , outward , away from the chamber 7 and accelerating the shock front formation . just after the burst disk 2 a fails 2 c and generally following the sonic report , the payload , in this example , particulate matter , having been already fluidized , is entrained by the large volume of slower moving , lower pressure gas , that then exits the chamber 7 , through the orifice 4 a . while the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 and fig5 illustrate a conic - cylindrical hat 2 that incorporates the burst disk 2 a , the hat can also contain part or the entire payload . while the preferred embodiment of the invention , has the escaping gas acting on the burst disk first , to create a loud report , as described above ; there may be circumstances where one may wish to project the material with higher or in a more clustered form , in which case it may be advantageous to fill the burst hat 2 with such material and contain it with a cover to form a burst hat container 2 j , such as a peal top 2 b , well known to the art . in such preferred embodiments , some or all of the other features of the invention may be utilized and therefore still be within the ambit of the invention . one embodiment of the invention is to convert the burst hat 2 into a burst hat container 2 j for the material 3 to be projected by the gas projector 1 by adding a peal top 2 b or other top that can be removed or pierced . in most cases the burst hat container 2 j is filled with the precise amount that will give a particular effect , for a particular device . these burst containers 2 j , can then be provided already packed in handy portions , and in most cases the user will simply empty the ideal portion into the chamber 7 , and then place the empty burst hat container 2 in the burst hat seal , as illustrated in fig1 . fig8 illustrates the packaging of the material in a way consistent with one of the preferred embodiments that is to ensure that the initial gas pulse that bursts the disk is unimpeded with payload . the burst hat container 2 j illustrated in fig8 has a partly or wholly vacant channel 2 h running from the peal top 2 b to the burst disk 2 a . the channel can be created by inserting a tube preferably made of material that will maintain its integrity only briefly to allow the initial pulse of gas to break the burst disk 2 a and create the shock front . the tube or member of other suitable shape can for example be made of paper or friable material such as ceramic or may simply be formed by pressing or adding a binder to the particular matter that forms the payload . for example , if the payload is talc , a tube might be pressed into the talk , after it is poured into the burst hat container 2 j , and then the surface of the tube so formed could be sprayed or imparted into it by other well know means , a binder , that would stabilize the tube , and yet , after providing a channel for the initial pulse of gas , collapse or partly collapse , so the material might better be transported out of the orifice in a uniform spray . the hole adjacent to the peal top 2 i shown in fig8 can extend through the top or can be broken open by simply pushing the inverted burst hat onto the shock tube 5 b . some embodiments of the invention include a shock tube 5 b as shown on fig6 , most of which include some means , such as a port 5 c for the gas to enter the lumen of the shock tube 5 b and gain access to the bottom of the shock disk 2 a . in the example illustrated on fig6 , this point of entry is a hole 5 c just above the sonic shock concentrator 5 a . other embodiments of the invention have no shock tube and rely instead on the channel 2 h as shown of fig8 , and simply have a whole 2 i precut or that can be easily removed prior to insertion . other embodiments have points of weakness around the hole that allow the cover of the hole 2 i to fail when the pressure begins to rise in the chamber . other embodiments utilize other methods well known to the art of packaging . as mentioned above , some embodiments of the invention rely on a high volume valve to control the emptying of the compressed gas cartridge 6 , rather than a pierce disk , as illustrated on fig1 . fig9 illustrates the system with such a valve 6 b , in this example connected directly to the said compressed gas cartridge 6 . fig9 includes an extension 6 c which is acted upon by the lance 9 a to open the flow of gas to the gas distributor , and in this example channel 8 a . the high volume valves are generally used for larger gas cartridges and the pierce disks for the smaller ones . fig9 also illustrates another embodiment of one aspect of the invention , being the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . in this embodiment , the device has a base which fits over the compressed gas cartridge 6 . these ease of installation means that various shaped sonic energy concentrators 5 a can be used to address particular performance requirements , such as the shape and intensity of the sound field generated by the device . for example , for some applications , a very narrowly focused , high intensity field will be required , necessitating a sonic energy concentrator with a deeper dish at the top of the unit . other applications would require a flatter or even convex surface to vary the shape and intensity of the sonic field . the design specifications of all these embodiments of the invention will depend upon the particular circumstances of the device dimensions , gas pressures used , type of energy inputs , to name just a few . fig1 is view of the principal components of a typical gas projection system . they are : the igniter unit , 1 a ; the gas delivery system , including the gas distributor , 1 b ; and the pressure release unit , 1 c . fig1 illustrates the typical igniter unit 1 a . in this example , illustrated in fig1 , the piston 10 movement is controlled by a fluid or gas entering the channel 11 a , via a tube or conduit 12 b . the controller 12 controls the delivery of this controlling gas or fluid and its design is well known to the art of fluid and gas controllers . in some embodiments , this controller can in turn be controlled by a more remote wireless , or wired device 12 a . although this example of the embodiment illustrated on fig1 utilizes a gas or fluid media to push up the piston 10 , other embodiments would utilize other means well known to the art to control the motion of the lance 9 a , and these might be wholly electric or such other means well known to the art . fig1 is meant to illustrate one embodiment of the invention that includes a redirecting means for the sonic energy and subsequently the matter that is ejected out of the chamber 7 of the gas projector 1 . in this example an auxiliary cap 13 is screwed onto the top of the pressure release unit , in this case the burst hat seal 4 , with treaded top . the flow of compressed gas 2 e passes the burst disk 2 c and then is redirected at 90 degrees , in approximately a 180 degree field by an approximately inverted conic section 13 b , and thence through ports of various sizes and locations , 13 a . fig1 also illustrates the use of a sonic energy concentrator 5 a of the type illustrated in fig9 , that fits over the compressed gas cartridge 6 . this example illustrates the many shapes the basic gas projector 1 can assume . in this case the base 11 is shaped like the head of an artillery shell . this preferred embodiment might be used to simulate a road - side bomb made from an artillery shell . this unit might be used to train soldiers on how to locate , avoid and disarm such devices . in this example , the embodiment illustrated includes a remote control device 12 and 12 a for igniting the unit , as earlier described . it is important to note that this example of a preferred embodiment of the invention uses the same burst hat 2 as in fig1 , and is retained by the same snap in ledge 5 d . fig1 illustrates an auxiliary cap 13 that has a more focused redirector . in this case a redirecting member 13 b turns the gas flow 2 e , at approximately right angles and redirects the flow out a port 13 a . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the invention that allows for redirection of the gas flow 2 e and various means of attaching the burst disk . in this embodiment of the invention the standard gas projector 1 is fitted with a high volume valve 6 c , with remote controller 12 and 12 a , with a base 11 shaped like an artillery shell . the burst hat seal 4 can accommodate a burst hat 2 , being retained by ledge 5 d ; or the wafer burst disk 2 g can alternatively clamped in by retainer ring 4 c . fig1 also illustrates a sonic energy concentrator that is meant to work most efficiently in the mode where the wafer like burst disk 2 g is located at the retention ring 4 c . for this preferred embodiment the sonic energy concentrator 5 a creates a very efficient secondary resonant cavity , and also acts as a broadcast horn to project the sound in the desired direction . fig1 also includes a redirecting member 13 b , which is in this case blended into the sonic energy concentrator . as can be readily appreciated , from the forgoing examples , the sonic energy concentrator can take many forms , but still be within the ambit of the invention . if the burst hat 2 is located in the burst hat seal 4 ; burst disk 4 c , is not normally used . however , for some applications a staged burst sequence might for certain applications be desired , especially where very high energy sonic booms are required . for these applications the secondary resonant chamber might be pumped by utilizing an intermittent pulse created by first pulsing the valve 6 c , and then using a high speed valve in place of the burst disk 2 a or alternatively , the burst disk 2 a might be of the split type , well known to the art , and disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 831 , 475 by richard i . daniel , that would permit intermittent opening and closing of the seal as the pressure in vessel 7 increased and then was relived by the temporary opening of the split seal , and as the pressure dropped with its release , the split seal would reseal , and the pressure would rebuild for another cycle . if a high speed electronically controlled valve is used in place of the burst disk 2 at the burst hat seal 4 and a electronically controlled high speed valve is used at 6 c , and perhaps a high speed valve is used in place of the burst disk 2 g , and the opening and closing of the valves are coordinated , to maximize resonance in the secondary resonant chamber , pumped by harmonic resonance in the primary resonant chamber 7 , then very intense sonic pulses can be created . the pulse finally exiting the orifice at 4 c , can also be transformed into a vortex , by attaching a vortex generator ring 4 b , described below . fig1 illustrates how a vortex ring might be attached or incorporated into the pressure release unit , in this case the burst hat seal 4 , with standard orifice 4 a , which has added a thin ring 4 b that is designed to slow the periphery of the gas flow 2 e as it exits the unit . as it does so , the centre of the gas flow speeds up relative to the flow on the periphery . if the flow of the gas 2 e , takes the form of short pulses , vortexes will be formed at each pulse . a vortex is very stable and can entrain particulate matter and carry it for distances far greater than a simple stream of gas , which quickly diffuses . this feature allows the invention to produce much more realistic mushroom clouds that occur with conventional explosions . the vortex also will impart a percussive impact which can be felt by a person its path . it is a feature of this invention that makes the device much more realistic in safely simulating the sounds , smoke and with this feature the percussive impact of an exploding device . the actual dimensions of the rings , to create such an effect for the many conditions that will arise for the various embodiments of the invention are well known to the art of vortex generation . suffice it to say , that these various implementations are all within the ambit of this invention . in fig1 a simple arrangement might be to have a burst hat 2 at burst hat seal 4 , and a vortex ring generator located at ring retainer 4 c . this arrangement would deliver a pulse to the vortex ring generator , with sonic concentration and horn amplification by the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . if a split type of burse disk is substituted for the burst seal 2 a in the burst hat 2 , and is located in burst hat seal 4 , the controller can direct the valve 6 c to release an intermittent pulse , which results in a series of reports . if a vortex generator is added at 4 c , these pulses can be converted in vortexes . fig1 illustrates how an auxiliary redirector 13 can incorporate vortex ring generators as well as simple ports . in this example the inside edges of the port are as thin as possible , and a tube 13 c is formed around the port , having an inside diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the port 13 a . as mentioned above these relative sizes will vary depending upon the conditions that prevail , and these design parameters are well known to the engineering art of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering . a nosecone 14 has been attached to the embodiment illustrated on fig1 . while only one vortex 4 b generator is shown on fig1 , any number can be utilized . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the invention . this is a simple , modular system in which the compressed gas cartridge 6 is pushed by a piston 10 , in response to an input at 11 a of force 11 b , which moves the piston 10 forward and the compressed gas cartridge 6 , into a vented lance 9 a , well known to the art . this embodiment used a gas cartridge with a seal type valve , but it is apparent that other embodiments could just as easily use another type of valve , well known to the art , including a high volume valve instead . fig1 includes an optional spring 10 c to reset the tank and piston at the completion of the desired release of gas from the tank . in this example the spring is a belleville washer 10 c , but a coil spring , or other spring might just as easily be used . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 also includes a simple valve 8 d , which could be a flapper valve or other type well known to the art to prevent particulate matter from back flowing into the lance 9 a and cartridge 6 or piston 10 . fig1 includes a sonic energy concentrator 5 a , which is suspended from the walls forming the chamber 7 , by one or more supports , around which the gas flow 2 e is free to pass . this embodiment of the invention can accommodate a burst hat 2 as illustrated , or a wafer burst disk at 4 c , or both . fig1 illustrates the pressure release unit including a burst hat 2 and a vortex generator 4 b which can screw into or be attached by other means to a gas projector 1 , such as that illustrated on fig1 . although the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 shows only one retainer ring 4 c , that accommodates a simple burst disk , it should be noted that any number of retainer rings 4 c , could be stacked on top of each other , with appropriate connecting threads , or other means , to produce the desired effects . for example , a simple wafer type burst disk 2 g might be in the bottom retainer rings 4 c , and an additional retainer ring , immediately above it , might retain a vortex ring generator 4 b . fig2 illustrates a side - firing pressure release unit with redirecting vane 13 b that provides redirecting means to the top of the gas projector 1 , illustrated on fig1 . this particular accessory is side firing , with deflector vane 13 b redirecting the flow 2 e at 90 degrees , through port 13 a . it should be noted that these preferred embodiments are meant to be only illustrative of the principal of redirecting the flow , and other embodiments of the invention can project the flow in various directions , and be within the ambit of the invention . fig2 illustrates a further way in which the air projector illustrated on fig1 can be modified to project the sonic report and payload , if any , in any particular direction . in the example illustrated in fig2 , this is 90 degrees , but other embodiments could direct them in any particular direction and be within the ambit of the invention . the embodiment illustrated in fig2 is similar to that illustrated in fig1 , and has a similar redirection vane 13 b and sonic energy concentrator 5 a . in this example of the invention , the burst disk 2 a has burst 2 c , sending a pulse of gas 2 e past the vortex ring generator 4 b , to produce a vortex 2 f . fig2 , and fig2 illustrate how the gas projectors can be daisy - chained together to ignite at approximately the same time . in these examples of the preferred embodiment a number of gas projectors 1 are placed in a vest that is meant to simulate a suicide vest , for training security personnel . in this example of the preferred embodiment , the gas projectors 1 are secured to a belt 15 , which is cinched around part of a person &# 39 ; s body . the canister 16 , containing a fluid or gas can be motivated by the operator to travel down the tube 12 b and cause the gas to be released from gas cartridge 6 , by such means as described in the forgoing examples . fig2 illustrates gas projectors 1 , that are similar to those illustrated on fig1 , but any gas projectors can be used and come within the ambit of the invention . the tubes 12 b can be connected to the gas projectors at ha and cause all the pistons 10 to move in direction 11 b all at approximately the same time . this will result in the gas being released at approximately the same time , and then a loud report and projection of the payload , in a manner described above . fig2 illustrates how the gas projectors can be individually connected to controlling means similar to that described in fig1 . in this example the controlling means direct the fluid or gas down tubes 12 b individually , so that the gas projectors 1 can be made to ignite in any sequence desired . the controller might be equipped with a wired or wireless remote control to control part or all of the functions of the controller itself . as mentioned above , the invention can take many forms . the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated on fig2 a , 25 b and 25 c is in the form of a mortar . it however has the principal elements of the invention , as will be appreciated in its detailed description . the mortar tube 19 is simply a tube with a closed end at one end , the base , and an open end at the other . the gas projector 1 is similar to that illustrated in fig1 , but with the addition of a tail fin 18 , a streamlined cartridge holder 5 and burst hat seal 4 , as well as a payload tube 7 a , nosecone 17 ( the mortar projectile ) and additional gas ports 8 d . fig2 a illustrates the mortar round ( the gas projector 1 ) being dropped 11 c into the mortar tube 19 , at that point just before the rod 19 a makes contact with piston 10 . at this point the compressed gas cartridge 6 is not discharging any gas . fig2 b illustrates the mortar round ( the gas projector 1 ) being dropped 11 c into the mortar tube 19 , at that point just as the rod 19 a has made contact with piston 10 and moved it and the abutting gas cartridge 6 in direction 11 b ; causing the lance 9 a to break the seal in said gas cartridge 6 . the released gas 2 e then moves through passage 8 a into the bottom of the payload tube 7 a . simultaneously the released gas 2 e passes around and up the space between the payload tube 7 a and the walls of the barrel or chamber 7 , through ports 8 d , ( the ports 8 d being the only passage available to the top of the nosecone ) and into the space between nose cone or plug 17 and the burst disk 2 a . at this point the nosecone 17 does not move vertically , as the gas pressure is the same at the bottom as the top ; and also the nosecone 17 may be restrained by some of its upper surface coming into contact with the bottom of the burst disk 2 . the β o β rings 10 e maintain a sliding , gas tight seal , between the nosecone 17 and the payload tube 7 a . as the gas pressure in the barrel 7 rises , the burst disk bulges , as illustrated on fig2 b . at some point the gas pressure in the barrel 7 rises to the point that the burst disk 2 a bursts 2 c . fig2 c , illustrates what happens at after this point . after the burst disk fails 2 c , the gas pressure at the top of the nosecone suddenly drops relative to the gas pressure at the bottom of the nosecone . this causes the nosecone to move up the tube thereby covering the ports 8 a and cutting off further movement of gas through these ports 8 a . all the gas that continues to be released 2 e then acts just on the bottom surface of the nosecone 17 , projecting it upward 17 a . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the nosecone contains a sonic energy concentrator 5 a . this can be in any shape , as mentioned earlier , however , in most applications it will be a concave shape in the top of the nosecone , which creates a secondary resonant chamber , concentrating and promoting the sonic shock front , and also acting as a bell or horn , projecting the sound forward . it is important to note that this embodiment of the invention is consistent with the separation of the gas , that drives the shock front and causes the report , from the gas the later projects the payload . that is , the gas that drives the shock front is unencumbered by payload . in fig2 a , 25 b and 25 c , the payload is the nosecone 17 and the particulate matter 3 and 3 a . note also that when the gas enters port 8 a , the gas fluidizes the particulate matter as the nosecone is elevated on member 7 b , creating a space above the particulate matter 3 and bellow the bottom of the nosecone 17 . fig2 a and 26 b illustrates a further embodiment of the invention that incorporates the principal features that comprise the invention in a form that resembles a foot depression mine . as one can readily appreciate , the embodiment illustrated in fig2 a , 26 b , 27 a and 27 b all resemble the gas projector illustrated in fig1 and fig5 , except that in the former group of embodiments , the piston 10 pushes the compressed gas cartridge 6 into the lance 9 a , rather than the other way around . also the piston 10 and gas cartridge 6 are separated by the burst disk 2 a , which is somewhat flexible and allows sufficient movement of both , without bursting . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig2 a and 26 b include a sonic energy concentrator 5 a that can take many shapes , but most are in the form of a concave surface that creates a secondary resonant chamber that , as mentioned above , enhances the force of the shock front and the consequent volume of the report , while also acting like a bell or horn , projecting the sound forward and away from the device . after the piston 10 is depressed , sliding through a bushing 20 , located in the burst hat seal 4 , as illustrated in fig2 b , the gas is released from the compressed gas cartridge 6 and advances 2 e up the chamber 7 , thence around the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . when the pressure is sufficiently high to burst the burst disk 2 c , it advances through ports 4 a and beyond . it is important to note that in this embodiment , the sonic energy concentrator , provides some further means of separating the first blast of air that breaks the burst disk 2 , 2 c from the payload 3 , in this example , particulate matter 3 , even when the air blast , floats the material somewhat , readying it for transport , as the pressure drops and the air begins to stream 2 e entraining the payload . fig2 a , 26 b , 27 a and 27 b all have β o β rings 8 b and restraining means 8 c that prevent any particulate matter or other debris from back flowing into the valve . this novel use of an β o β ring that transforms it into a valve by radial expansion and compression is an important feature of the invention , and is found on many implementations of the invention . fig2 a and 27 b illustrate a tripwire type of mine and is identical to the compression mine , illustrated in fig2 a and 26 b , except that the spring 10 c is preloaded by pulling the piston 10 up and temporarily latching it in that position . for example , fig2 a and 27 b illustrate a cotter pin 21 that has been inserted into a hole 21 a , in the piston 10 , while the spring has been put into compression . in fig2 a and 27 b , a tripwire 22 has been connected to the pin . when the tripwire is pulled , the spring 10 c recovers , drawing the piston down into the chamber 7 , and pressing the compressed gas cartridge 6 into the lance 9 a , causing the chamber 7 to pressurize , and the burst disk 2 to burst 2 c . the tripwire mine illustrated on 27 a and 27 b both have sonic energy concentrators 5 a and β o β rings , which serve the same purposes as they do on the other embodiments of the invention herein . it should be noted that while the reference has been made herein to gas cartridges , it should be understood that the any gas supply would suffice , whether inside the device or partly or completely outside it . it should also be noted that there are many methods of controlling the flow of the gas , will known to the art , including electronic , electrical , pneumatic , hydraulic types , to name just a few example . it should be understood that embodiments that contain any of these methods , which are well known to the art , are within the ambit of this invention . it should also be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples given in this disclosure , but are examples of a larger class of sound and material projection devices , or both . while the burst hat 2 and the burst hat seal have a complementary conic - cylindrical shape , it is to be understood that they may be any shape , provided they present the seal disk 2 a to the air flow or pressure 2 e to effect the purpose of causing the seal disk 2 a to burst 2 c . while the embodiments of the invention are described mostly in the context of using a burst disk to cause a sudden venting of the compressed gas flow , sufficient to cause a loud report , as herein described , it is to be understood that this is only an example of high - speed methods of tuning on the flow of gas , and can utilize other high speed valves , of whatever types . while the preferred embodiment of the invention locates the sonic shock concentrator inside the exit port of the gas projector , the exit port being the last orifice on the device , in the gas stream 2 e , it is to understood that some embodiments of the invention , can locate the sonic shock concentrator 5 a outside the said exit port , in the exiting gas stream 2 e . while the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrates various means of actuating the valve 6 c or breaking the seal 6 a of the compressed gas cartridge , it should be understood that these are merely illustrative of many means well known to the art . for example the gas projector could be made in the form of a gun and the lance 9 a could just as easily be actuated by a finger trigger that would cause the lance 9 a to move forward , releasing the compressed gas , whether in a canister or supplied externally to the device . while many features of the invention have been illustrated in forms that resemble explosive devices and munitions , it is to be understood that the gas projectors can take many forms , such as firecrackers , confetti guns , to name just a few . it should also be noted that certain embodiment can have any combination of features that comprise the embodiments of the invention and still be within the ambit of the invention herein disclosed . while the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand . such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the inventions and appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Electricity'? | 0.25 | b54415f40a24e90a975daba07ec86abdfe402f9c7fda9aeb5ab75293e8010247 | 0.084961 | 0.014526 | 0.011658 | 0.000149 | 0.219727 | 0.001068 |
null | the simulation of varied military weapons and munitions is necessary for the proper training of troops . these simulated weapons must be realistic in providing a loud bang or report that would normally accompany their discharge , and also an accompanying smoke and / or dust cloud . at the same time the devices must be safe , not just in use , but when stored and transported by untrained recruits . for safety reasons , the devices described in this disclosure are powered by compressed gas , supplied in tanks or cartridges of various sizes . it is to be understood however , that the invention is not limited to this means of power , and the devices could be adapted to be powered by combustible materials and be within the ambit of the invention . although this invention is directed at producing simulated military devices , some preferred embodiments of the invention can be used for entertainment , in place of pyrotechnics . other preferred embodiments of the invention can also be used to project materials , such as confetti , where an accompanying loud sonic report is required . it should also be appreciated that although the preferred embodiments produce a loud sonic report and the transport of a payload , some preferred embodiments may do only one or the other . the invention and its many embodiments describe a method of separating the sonic report from the transport of payload . in this patent , payload can refer to any material that is transported out of the device , and can include particulate matter such as aggregate , baby powder , talc , or paper such as confetti or a liquid , aerosol , or gas . as described above , the creation of the sonic report is due mainly to propagation of a shock wave caused by the bursting of a burst disk . the use of a burst disk is the most practical and inexpensive method of ensuring a rapid release of compressed gas that is substantially instantaneous , that collides with the ambient air , thus creating a loud bang . to create a loud report , the escaping gas need only travel a short distance , but do so at high velocity . the requirement that it be at the highest possible velocity , means that it must be unencumbered by foreign material , such as parts of the payload . that is , it must not have been slowed down by entraining foreign materials , and accelerating them . the resonant frequency of the gas volume that powers the sonic stroke , immediately after the bursting of the burst disk is of importance , as the energy should be compressed into a relatively short pulse . also of importance is that the sonic report propagates in all directions , and that which returns back into the device , must be redirected back out of the barrel . as mentioned above , the transport of the payload requires a completely different energy regime . transport of the payload requires a long duration , steady flow of gas out of the device , and for this reason , the invention separate these two regimes . the invention can best be described by referring to the drawings that accompany this patent . fig1 incorporates many aspects of the invention . the device illustrated on fig1 can take many shapes and guises , and can for example have rocket fins and nosecones attached . the device illustrated in fig1 is comprised of a chamber or barrel 7 that contains the payload , in this case particular matter 3 , such as baby powder . the bottom portion of the device , referred to as the igniter , and identified as 1 a on fig1 , projects a vented lance 9 a , that either opens a valve 6 b attached to a compressed gas cartridge 6 , or pierces a seal that allows the compressed gas to exit the tank at relatively high volume . fig1 illustrates the igniter that is about to pierce the seal . the igniter in this embodiment of the invention includes a piston 10 that travels up and down , a cylinder 9 in response to a force 11 b that acts on the bottom of the piston 10 . this force 11 b can be supplied by a simple mechanical rod or be in the form of a gas or liquid volume , traveling up and down the tube 11 a , in the base 11 . fig1 illustrates the force 11 b acting in an upward direction that forces the piston 10 and the attached vented lance 9 a . fig1 also illustrates an optional spring 10 c , which compresses and resets the device upon recovery , after the upward force 11 b is relaxed . to prevent the escape of gas , β o β rings are employed at certain connections , where gas might otherwise escape and two such β o β rings are illustrated 10 a , 10 b . fig1 illustrates a gas relief valve 10 d , which allows the piston to travel up the cylinder , without compressing the gas above . the vented lance 9 a , that is suitable for piercing seal type gas cartridges 6 , is illustrated in more detail on fig4 . the vented lance 9 a has attached a rim 9 c that deflects the escaping gas into the waiting port and passage 8 a on fig1 . this rim 9 c prevents condensate , caused from the cool escaping gas , to enter between the piston 10 and cylinder 9 , which might otherwise seize them . the vented lance 9 a pierces the seal 6 a and allows the compressed gas to escape through the lance vents 9 b and exits as a stream 2 e . the compressed gas is then directed by rim 9 c to ports and passages 8 a in gas distributor 8 . fig1 shows two such ports 8 a , but many preferred embodiments can have any number of such means of transporting the gas . to prevent the fouling of the passages , an β o β ring 8 b is placed around the gas distributor in such a manner that when the gas is passing through the passage 8 a with sufficient force , it will radially expand the otherwise sealing β o β ring 8 b and unseat it allowing for the passage of gas around it , and into the chamber or barrel 7 . when the gas drops below a certain pressure , the β o β ring 8 b will reseal the passage and thereby prevent any particulate matter remaining in the chamber 7 from back flowing into the passage 8 a and beyond . some preferred embodiments include a retaining rim or pegs 8 c or other such restraining means , to ensure that the β o β ring 8 b does not roll up or down the gas distributor 8 , with it is in its expanded state . the gas passing out of the passage 8 will rapidly fluidize the material that has been placed in the canister 7 . the fluidizing of this material will greatly assist in later projecting it out of the gas projector 1 . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 includes a gas cartridge 6 that is contained within a holder 5 , but can of course be secured by many other convenient means . fig1 has attached to it or incorporated into it a dish shaped platform sa that is a sound and pressure reflector and that is referred to herein as a sonic energy concentrator . this dish or horn shaped form sa is meant to be illustrative of a large class of forms that focus or reflect sonic energy , including horns , bells to name just a few . other preferred embodiments may however utilize forms that are flat or convex ; to disperse the sound and make it more omni directional as it exits the chamber . the other purpose of the sonic energy concentrator sa is to establish a secondary resonant cavity between the said sonic energy concentrator and the burst disk 2 a it faces . since the gas pulse that gives rise to the shock front need only be short in length and duration , but high in velocity , it is advantageous to have a relatively short resonant cavity . it is to be understood that fig1 is only illustrative of one aspect of the invention , and that the size , shape and location , relative to the bottom surface of the burst disk 2 a will vary depending upon many factors , such as the size of the primary resonant cavity , the distance beneath the sonic energy concentrator sa , the pressures at which the system operates and the gas that is used as an energy source , to name a few . at the top of the cavity is located a burst hat 2 , that includes a burst disk 2 a , which is snapped into place over a small ledge sd , as illustrated on fig1 , or by other convenient means well known to the art . the burst hat 2 is shaped to seal with burst hat seal 4 , when the pressure in cavity 7 increases above the pressure outside the cavity . while fig1 illustrates a hat shaped burst disk , this is merely illustrative of a class of burst disks that can for example be simple wafer like disks sealed at their perimeters , by means well known to the art . the purpose of the burst disk is to contain the increasing pressure within the chamber as the compressed gas cartridge empties ; and then at some predetermined pressure , to fail suddenly , allowing the gas to escape out through the orifice 4 a . this burst disk serves as an inexpensive high speed valve , which of course some preferred embodiments might substitute . as described above , when the burst disk 2 a or substituted high speed valve opens , the high pressure gas accelerates quickly in the preferred embodiment , as there is no payload to impede it . this acceleration is aided by the tapered burst hat 2 that forms a venturi and the sonic energy concentrator with relatively short pulse resonance . a shock front is created when this high velocity gas meats the relatively slow moving ambient air , immediately adjacent to the boundary of the disk , when it breaks . the result is a shock front , shock wave and resulting sonic report . fig5 illustrates the system at the point that the piston 10 has moved up the cylinder 9 in response to upward force 11 b , causing the gas to escape from the breached seal 6 a , and the gas to pass into the chamber 7 , as above described . fig5 illustrates the burst seal having burst 2 c , the payload material 3 a starting to exit the chamber 7 . also illustrated between the sonic energy concentrator 5 a and the just burst disk , is the secondary resonant cavity , that quickly upon the bursting of the burst disk 2 a , assumes the role of a sound bell or horn , directing the sound of the shock wave produced , outward , away from the chamber 7 and accelerating the shock front formation . just after the burst disk 2 a fails 2 c and generally following the sonic report , the payload , in this example , particulate matter , having been already fluidized , is entrained by the large volume of slower moving , lower pressure gas , that then exits the chamber 7 , through the orifice 4 a . while the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 and fig5 illustrate a conic - cylindrical hat 2 that incorporates the burst disk 2 a , the hat can also contain part or the entire payload . while the preferred embodiment of the invention , has the escaping gas acting on the burst disk first , to create a loud report , as described above ; there may be circumstances where one may wish to project the material with higher or in a more clustered form , in which case it may be advantageous to fill the burst hat 2 with such material and contain it with a cover to form a burst hat container 2 j , such as a peal top 2 b , well known to the art . in such preferred embodiments , some or all of the other features of the invention may be utilized and therefore still be within the ambit of the invention . one embodiment of the invention is to convert the burst hat 2 into a burst hat container 2 j for the material 3 to be projected by the gas projector 1 by adding a peal top 2 b or other top that can be removed or pierced . in most cases the burst hat container 2 j is filled with the precise amount that will give a particular effect , for a particular device . these burst containers 2 j , can then be provided already packed in handy portions , and in most cases the user will simply empty the ideal portion into the chamber 7 , and then place the empty burst hat container 2 in the burst hat seal , as illustrated in fig1 . fig8 illustrates the packaging of the material in a way consistent with one of the preferred embodiments that is to ensure that the initial gas pulse that bursts the disk is unimpeded with payload . the burst hat container 2 j illustrated in fig8 has a partly or wholly vacant channel 2 h running from the peal top 2 b to the burst disk 2 a . the channel can be created by inserting a tube preferably made of material that will maintain its integrity only briefly to allow the initial pulse of gas to break the burst disk 2 a and create the shock front . the tube or member of other suitable shape can for example be made of paper or friable material such as ceramic or may simply be formed by pressing or adding a binder to the particular matter that forms the payload . for example , if the payload is talc , a tube might be pressed into the talk , after it is poured into the burst hat container 2 j , and then the surface of the tube so formed could be sprayed or imparted into it by other well know means , a binder , that would stabilize the tube , and yet , after providing a channel for the initial pulse of gas , collapse or partly collapse , so the material might better be transported out of the orifice in a uniform spray . the hole adjacent to the peal top 2 i shown in fig8 can extend through the top or can be broken open by simply pushing the inverted burst hat onto the shock tube 5 b . some embodiments of the invention include a shock tube 5 b as shown on fig6 , most of which include some means , such as a port 5 c for the gas to enter the lumen of the shock tube 5 b and gain access to the bottom of the shock disk 2 a . in the example illustrated on fig6 , this point of entry is a hole 5 c just above the sonic shock concentrator 5 a . other embodiments of the invention have no shock tube and rely instead on the channel 2 h as shown of fig8 , and simply have a whole 2 i precut or that can be easily removed prior to insertion . other embodiments have points of weakness around the hole that allow the cover of the hole 2 i to fail when the pressure begins to rise in the chamber . other embodiments utilize other methods well known to the art of packaging . as mentioned above , some embodiments of the invention rely on a high volume valve to control the emptying of the compressed gas cartridge 6 , rather than a pierce disk , as illustrated on fig1 . fig9 illustrates the system with such a valve 6 b , in this example connected directly to the said compressed gas cartridge 6 . fig9 includes an extension 6 c which is acted upon by the lance 9 a to open the flow of gas to the gas distributor , and in this example channel 8 a . the high volume valves are generally used for larger gas cartridges and the pierce disks for the smaller ones . fig9 also illustrates another embodiment of one aspect of the invention , being the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . in this embodiment , the device has a base which fits over the compressed gas cartridge 6 . these ease of installation means that various shaped sonic energy concentrators 5 a can be used to address particular performance requirements , such as the shape and intensity of the sound field generated by the device . for example , for some applications , a very narrowly focused , high intensity field will be required , necessitating a sonic energy concentrator with a deeper dish at the top of the unit . other applications would require a flatter or even convex surface to vary the shape and intensity of the sonic field . the design specifications of all these embodiments of the invention will depend upon the particular circumstances of the device dimensions , gas pressures used , type of energy inputs , to name just a few . fig1 is view of the principal components of a typical gas projection system . they are : the igniter unit , 1 a ; the gas delivery system , including the gas distributor , 1 b ; and the pressure release unit , 1 c . fig1 illustrates the typical igniter unit 1 a . in this example , illustrated in fig1 , the piston 10 movement is controlled by a fluid or gas entering the channel 11 a , via a tube or conduit 12 b . the controller 12 controls the delivery of this controlling gas or fluid and its design is well known to the art of fluid and gas controllers . in some embodiments , this controller can in turn be controlled by a more remote wireless , or wired device 12 a . although this example of the embodiment illustrated on fig1 utilizes a gas or fluid media to push up the piston 10 , other embodiments would utilize other means well known to the art to control the motion of the lance 9 a , and these might be wholly electric or such other means well known to the art . fig1 is meant to illustrate one embodiment of the invention that includes a redirecting means for the sonic energy and subsequently the matter that is ejected out of the chamber 7 of the gas projector 1 . in this example an auxiliary cap 13 is screwed onto the top of the pressure release unit , in this case the burst hat seal 4 , with treaded top . the flow of compressed gas 2 e passes the burst disk 2 c and then is redirected at 90 degrees , in approximately a 180 degree field by an approximately inverted conic section 13 b , and thence through ports of various sizes and locations , 13 a . fig1 also illustrates the use of a sonic energy concentrator 5 a of the type illustrated in fig9 , that fits over the compressed gas cartridge 6 . this example illustrates the many shapes the basic gas projector 1 can assume . in this case the base 11 is shaped like the head of an artillery shell . this preferred embodiment might be used to simulate a road - side bomb made from an artillery shell . this unit might be used to train soldiers on how to locate , avoid and disarm such devices . in this example , the embodiment illustrated includes a remote control device 12 and 12 a for igniting the unit , as earlier described . it is important to note that this example of a preferred embodiment of the invention uses the same burst hat 2 as in fig1 , and is retained by the same snap in ledge 5 d . fig1 illustrates an auxiliary cap 13 that has a more focused redirector . in this case a redirecting member 13 b turns the gas flow 2 e , at approximately right angles and redirects the flow out a port 13 a . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the invention that allows for redirection of the gas flow 2 e and various means of attaching the burst disk . in this embodiment of the invention the standard gas projector 1 is fitted with a high volume valve 6 c , with remote controller 12 and 12 a , with a base 11 shaped like an artillery shell . the burst hat seal 4 can accommodate a burst hat 2 , being retained by ledge 5 d ; or the wafer burst disk 2 g can alternatively clamped in by retainer ring 4 c . fig1 also illustrates a sonic energy concentrator that is meant to work most efficiently in the mode where the wafer like burst disk 2 g is located at the retention ring 4 c . for this preferred embodiment the sonic energy concentrator 5 a creates a very efficient secondary resonant cavity , and also acts as a broadcast horn to project the sound in the desired direction . fig1 also includes a redirecting member 13 b , which is in this case blended into the sonic energy concentrator . as can be readily appreciated , from the forgoing examples , the sonic energy concentrator can take many forms , but still be within the ambit of the invention . if the burst hat 2 is located in the burst hat seal 4 ; burst disk 4 c , is not normally used . however , for some applications a staged burst sequence might for certain applications be desired , especially where very high energy sonic booms are required . for these applications the secondary resonant chamber might be pumped by utilizing an intermittent pulse created by first pulsing the valve 6 c , and then using a high speed valve in place of the burst disk 2 a or alternatively , the burst disk 2 a might be of the split type , well known to the art , and disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 831 , 475 by richard i . daniel , that would permit intermittent opening and closing of the seal as the pressure in vessel 7 increased and then was relived by the temporary opening of the split seal , and as the pressure dropped with its release , the split seal would reseal , and the pressure would rebuild for another cycle . if a high speed electronically controlled valve is used in place of the burst disk 2 at the burst hat seal 4 and a electronically controlled high speed valve is used at 6 c , and perhaps a high speed valve is used in place of the burst disk 2 g , and the opening and closing of the valves are coordinated , to maximize resonance in the secondary resonant chamber , pumped by harmonic resonance in the primary resonant chamber 7 , then very intense sonic pulses can be created . the pulse finally exiting the orifice at 4 c , can also be transformed into a vortex , by attaching a vortex generator ring 4 b , described below . fig1 illustrates how a vortex ring might be attached or incorporated into the pressure release unit , in this case the burst hat seal 4 , with standard orifice 4 a , which has added a thin ring 4 b that is designed to slow the periphery of the gas flow 2 e as it exits the unit . as it does so , the centre of the gas flow speeds up relative to the flow on the periphery . if the flow of the gas 2 e , takes the form of short pulses , vortexes will be formed at each pulse . a vortex is very stable and can entrain particulate matter and carry it for distances far greater than a simple stream of gas , which quickly diffuses . this feature allows the invention to produce much more realistic mushroom clouds that occur with conventional explosions . the vortex also will impart a percussive impact which can be felt by a person its path . it is a feature of this invention that makes the device much more realistic in safely simulating the sounds , smoke and with this feature the percussive impact of an exploding device . the actual dimensions of the rings , to create such an effect for the many conditions that will arise for the various embodiments of the invention are well known to the art of vortex generation . suffice it to say , that these various implementations are all within the ambit of this invention . in fig1 a simple arrangement might be to have a burst hat 2 at burst hat seal 4 , and a vortex ring generator located at ring retainer 4 c . this arrangement would deliver a pulse to the vortex ring generator , with sonic concentration and horn amplification by the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . if a split type of burse disk is substituted for the burst seal 2 a in the burst hat 2 , and is located in burst hat seal 4 , the controller can direct the valve 6 c to release an intermittent pulse , which results in a series of reports . if a vortex generator is added at 4 c , these pulses can be converted in vortexes . fig1 illustrates how an auxiliary redirector 13 can incorporate vortex ring generators as well as simple ports . in this example the inside edges of the port are as thin as possible , and a tube 13 c is formed around the port , having an inside diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the port 13 a . as mentioned above these relative sizes will vary depending upon the conditions that prevail , and these design parameters are well known to the engineering art of fluid dynamics and mechanical engineering . a nosecone 14 has been attached to the embodiment illustrated on fig1 . while only one vortex 4 b generator is shown on fig1 , any number can be utilized . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the invention . this is a simple , modular system in which the compressed gas cartridge 6 is pushed by a piston 10 , in response to an input at 11 a of force 11 b , which moves the piston 10 forward and the compressed gas cartridge 6 , into a vented lance 9 a , well known to the art . this embodiment used a gas cartridge with a seal type valve , but it is apparent that other embodiments could just as easily use another type of valve , well known to the art , including a high volume valve instead . fig1 includes an optional spring 10 c to reset the tank and piston at the completion of the desired release of gas from the tank . in this example the spring is a belleville washer 10 c , but a coil spring , or other spring might just as easily be used . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig1 also includes a simple valve 8 d , which could be a flapper valve or other type well known to the art to prevent particulate matter from back flowing into the lance 9 a and cartridge 6 or piston 10 . fig1 includes a sonic energy concentrator 5 a , which is suspended from the walls forming the chamber 7 , by one or more supports , around which the gas flow 2 e is free to pass . this embodiment of the invention can accommodate a burst hat 2 as illustrated , or a wafer burst disk at 4 c , or both . fig1 illustrates the pressure release unit including a burst hat 2 and a vortex generator 4 b which can screw into or be attached by other means to a gas projector 1 , such as that illustrated on fig1 . although the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 shows only one retainer ring 4 c , that accommodates a simple burst disk , it should be noted that any number of retainer rings 4 c , could be stacked on top of each other , with appropriate connecting threads , or other means , to produce the desired effects . for example , a simple wafer type burst disk 2 g might be in the bottom retainer rings 4 c , and an additional retainer ring , immediately above it , might retain a vortex ring generator 4 b . fig2 illustrates a side - firing pressure release unit with redirecting vane 13 b that provides redirecting means to the top of the gas projector 1 , illustrated on fig1 . this particular accessory is side firing , with deflector vane 13 b redirecting the flow 2 e at 90 degrees , through port 13 a . it should be noted that these preferred embodiments are meant to be only illustrative of the principal of redirecting the flow , and other embodiments of the invention can project the flow in various directions , and be within the ambit of the invention . fig2 illustrates a further way in which the air projector illustrated on fig1 can be modified to project the sonic report and payload , if any , in any particular direction . in the example illustrated in fig2 , this is 90 degrees , but other embodiments could direct them in any particular direction and be within the ambit of the invention . the embodiment illustrated in fig2 is similar to that illustrated in fig1 , and has a similar redirection vane 13 b and sonic energy concentrator 5 a . in this example of the invention , the burst disk 2 a has burst 2 c , sending a pulse of gas 2 e past the vortex ring generator 4 b , to produce a vortex 2 f . fig2 , and fig2 illustrate how the gas projectors can be daisy - chained together to ignite at approximately the same time . in these examples of the preferred embodiment a number of gas projectors 1 are placed in a vest that is meant to simulate a suicide vest , for training security personnel . in this example of the preferred embodiment , the gas projectors 1 are secured to a belt 15 , which is cinched around part of a person &# 39 ; s body . the canister 16 , containing a fluid or gas can be motivated by the operator to travel down the tube 12 b and cause the gas to be released from gas cartridge 6 , by such means as described in the forgoing examples . fig2 illustrates gas projectors 1 , that are similar to those illustrated on fig1 , but any gas projectors can be used and come within the ambit of the invention . the tubes 12 b can be connected to the gas projectors at ha and cause all the pistons 10 to move in direction 11 b all at approximately the same time . this will result in the gas being released at approximately the same time , and then a loud report and projection of the payload , in a manner described above . fig2 illustrates how the gas projectors can be individually connected to controlling means similar to that described in fig1 . in this example the controlling means direct the fluid or gas down tubes 12 b individually , so that the gas projectors 1 can be made to ignite in any sequence desired . the controller might be equipped with a wired or wireless remote control to control part or all of the functions of the controller itself . as mentioned above , the invention can take many forms . the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated on fig2 a , 25 b and 25 c is in the form of a mortar . it however has the principal elements of the invention , as will be appreciated in its detailed description . the mortar tube 19 is simply a tube with a closed end at one end , the base , and an open end at the other . the gas projector 1 is similar to that illustrated in fig1 , but with the addition of a tail fin 18 , a streamlined cartridge holder 5 and burst hat seal 4 , as well as a payload tube 7 a , nosecone 17 ( the mortar projectile ) and additional gas ports 8 d . fig2 a illustrates the mortar round ( the gas projector 1 ) being dropped 11 c into the mortar tube 19 , at that point just before the rod 19 a makes contact with piston 10 . at this point the compressed gas cartridge 6 is not discharging any gas . fig2 b illustrates the mortar round ( the gas projector 1 ) being dropped 11 c into the mortar tube 19 , at that point just as the rod 19 a has made contact with piston 10 and moved it and the abutting gas cartridge 6 in direction 11 b ; causing the lance 9 a to break the seal in said gas cartridge 6 . the released gas 2 e then moves through passage 8 a into the bottom of the payload tube 7 a . simultaneously the released gas 2 e passes around and up the space between the payload tube 7 a and the walls of the barrel or chamber 7 , through ports 8 d , ( the ports 8 d being the only passage available to the top of the nosecone ) and into the space between nose cone or plug 17 and the burst disk 2 a . at this point the nosecone 17 does not move vertically , as the gas pressure is the same at the bottom as the top ; and also the nosecone 17 may be restrained by some of its upper surface coming into contact with the bottom of the burst disk 2 . the β o β rings 10 e maintain a sliding , gas tight seal , between the nosecone 17 and the payload tube 7 a . as the gas pressure in the barrel 7 rises , the burst disk bulges , as illustrated on fig2 b . at some point the gas pressure in the barrel 7 rises to the point that the burst disk 2 a bursts 2 c . fig2 c , illustrates what happens at after this point . after the burst disk fails 2 c , the gas pressure at the top of the nosecone suddenly drops relative to the gas pressure at the bottom of the nosecone . this causes the nosecone to move up the tube thereby covering the ports 8 a and cutting off further movement of gas through these ports 8 a . all the gas that continues to be released 2 e then acts just on the bottom surface of the nosecone 17 , projecting it upward 17 a . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the nosecone contains a sonic energy concentrator 5 a . this can be in any shape , as mentioned earlier , however , in most applications it will be a concave shape in the top of the nosecone , which creates a secondary resonant chamber , concentrating and promoting the sonic shock front , and also acting as a bell or horn , projecting the sound forward . it is important to note that this embodiment of the invention is consistent with the separation of the gas , that drives the shock front and causes the report , from the gas the later projects the payload . that is , the gas that drives the shock front is unencumbered by payload . in fig2 a , 25 b and 25 c , the payload is the nosecone 17 and the particulate matter 3 and 3 a . note also that when the gas enters port 8 a , the gas fluidizes the particulate matter as the nosecone is elevated on member 7 b , creating a space above the particulate matter 3 and bellow the bottom of the nosecone 17 . fig2 a and 26 b illustrates a further embodiment of the invention that incorporates the principal features that comprise the invention in a form that resembles a foot depression mine . as one can readily appreciate , the embodiment illustrated in fig2 a , 26 b , 27 a and 27 b all resemble the gas projector illustrated in fig1 and fig5 , except that in the former group of embodiments , the piston 10 pushes the compressed gas cartridge 6 into the lance 9 a , rather than the other way around . also the piston 10 and gas cartridge 6 are separated by the burst disk 2 a , which is somewhat flexible and allows sufficient movement of both , without bursting . the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig2 a and 26 b include a sonic energy concentrator 5 a that can take many shapes , but most are in the form of a concave surface that creates a secondary resonant chamber that , as mentioned above , enhances the force of the shock front and the consequent volume of the report , while also acting like a bell or horn , projecting the sound forward and away from the device . after the piston 10 is depressed , sliding through a bushing 20 , located in the burst hat seal 4 , as illustrated in fig2 b , the gas is released from the compressed gas cartridge 6 and advances 2 e up the chamber 7 , thence around the sonic energy concentrator 5 a . when the pressure is sufficiently high to burst the burst disk 2 c , it advances through ports 4 a and beyond . it is important to note that in this embodiment , the sonic energy concentrator , provides some further means of separating the first blast of air that breaks the burst disk 2 , 2 c from the payload 3 , in this example , particulate matter 3 , even when the air blast , floats the material somewhat , readying it for transport , as the pressure drops and the air begins to stream 2 e entraining the payload . fig2 a , 26 b , 27 a and 27 b all have β o β rings 8 b and restraining means 8 c that prevent any particulate matter or other debris from back flowing into the valve . this novel use of an β o β ring that transforms it into a valve by radial expansion and compression is an important feature of the invention , and is found on many implementations of the invention . fig2 a and 27 b illustrate a tripwire type of mine and is identical to the compression mine , illustrated in fig2 a and 26 b , except that the spring 10 c is preloaded by pulling the piston 10 up and temporarily latching it in that position . for example , fig2 a and 27 b illustrate a cotter pin 21 that has been inserted into a hole 21 a , in the piston 10 , while the spring has been put into compression . in fig2 a and 27 b , a tripwire 22 has been connected to the pin . when the tripwire is pulled , the spring 10 c recovers , drawing the piston down into the chamber 7 , and pressing the compressed gas cartridge 6 into the lance 9 a , causing the chamber 7 to pressurize , and the burst disk 2 to burst 2 c . the tripwire mine illustrated on 27 a and 27 b both have sonic energy concentrators 5 a and β o β rings , which serve the same purposes as they do on the other embodiments of the invention herein . it should be noted that while the reference has been made herein to gas cartridges , it should be understood that the any gas supply would suffice , whether inside the device or partly or completely outside it . it should also be noted that there are many methods of controlling the flow of the gas , will known to the art , including electronic , electrical , pneumatic , hydraulic types , to name just a few example . it should be understood that embodiments that contain any of these methods , which are well known to the art , are within the ambit of this invention . it should also be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples given in this disclosure , but are examples of a larger class of sound and material projection devices , or both . while the burst hat 2 and the burst hat seal have a complementary conic - cylindrical shape , it is to be understood that they may be any shape , provided they present the seal disk 2 a to the air flow or pressure 2 e to effect the purpose of causing the seal disk 2 a to burst 2 c . while the embodiments of the invention are described mostly in the context of using a burst disk to cause a sudden venting of the compressed gas flow , sufficient to cause a loud report , as herein described , it is to be understood that this is only an example of high - speed methods of tuning on the flow of gas , and can utilize other high speed valves , of whatever types . while the preferred embodiment of the invention locates the sonic shock concentrator inside the exit port of the gas projector , the exit port being the last orifice on the device , in the gas stream 2 e , it is to understood that some embodiments of the invention , can locate the sonic shock concentrator 5 a outside the said exit port , in the exiting gas stream 2 e . while the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrates various means of actuating the valve 6 c or breaking the seal 6 a of the compressed gas cartridge , it should be understood that these are merely illustrative of many means well known to the art . for example the gas projector could be made in the form of a gun and the lance 9 a could just as easily be actuated by a finger trigger that would cause the lance 9 a to move forward , releasing the compressed gas , whether in a canister or supplied externally to the device . while many features of the invention have been illustrated in forms that resemble explosive devices and munitions , it is to be understood that the gas projectors can take many forms , such as firecrackers , confetti guns , to name just a few . it should also be noted that certain embodiment can have any combination of features that comprise the embodiments of the invention and still be within the ambit of the invention herein disclosed . while the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand . such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the inventions and appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | 0.25 | b54415f40a24e90a975daba07ec86abdfe402f9c7fda9aeb5ab75293e8010247 | 0.084961 | 0.298828 | 0.011658 | 0.204102 | 0.21875 | 0.208984 |
null | all references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law . to the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein , it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art . in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . referring now to fig1 of the drawings an umbrella lighting system 10 is shown . umbrella lighting system 10 has a solar power system 12 supported by a fixing device 14 . solar power system 12 is in electrical communication with a conductive connection 16 that is in turn in electrical communication with a lighting system 18 . as is clearly shown in this view , fixing device 14 is connected to a lower end of umbrella rib 20 that is in turn supported by center pole 22 , as is typical in patio umbrellas generally . lighting system 18 includes brackets 40 attached to ribs 20 at intervals to support light bulbs 50 along ribs 20 . wires 42 are shown running along a top side of ribs 20 to connect light bulbs 50 to power system 12 . fig2 is a detail of the power system and fixing device of the umbrella lighting system shown in fig1 . power system 12 includes a solar panel 24 and battery 26 . solar panel 24 charges battery 26 during daylight hours and battery 26 powers lighting system 18 when illumination is desired . a switch 28 may be included on power system 12 to control the power going form battery 26 to lighting system 18 . also , a photo resistor 30 may be used to detect ambient lighting and allow power to go from battery 26 to lighting system 18 after dusk . continuing with fig2 fixing device 14 is comprised of an arm 32 and a sleeve 34 . sleeve 34 is placed over the lower end of umbrella rib 20 and secured to umbrella rib 20 by a threaded housing pin 36 attached to a movable hold - down plate 38 . movable hold - down plate 38 allows sleeve 34 to be secured to a variety of different sizes of rib 20 . arm 32 is shaped to position power system 12 above umbrella rib 20 for exposure to sunlight . power system 12 is pivotally attached to arm 32 to allow solar panel 24 to be adjusted for maximum exposure to sunlight . the primary advantage of fixing device 14 is that it may be slid over rib 20 . in a typical arrangement , the umbrella cover may be removed from the tip of a single rib without further disassembly of the umbrella , allowing fixing device 14 to be slid over rib 20 and secured to rib 20 by plate 38 and pin 36 . fig3 is view of another umbrella lighting system 10 having decorative globe light fixtures 44 hanging from the tips of ribs 20 . hooks 48 secure globe light fixtures to ribs 20 . light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 and provide for wires 42 to run between light bulb 50 and power system 12 . in the embodiment shown wires 42 run along the tops of ribs 20 . further , in the embodiment shown two power systems 12 are used on ribs 20 . the use of multiple power systems 12 provides for additional power and for improved distribution of weight , since batteries 26 may be heavy depending on the amount of light output desired from bulbs 50 . fig4 is a view of another umbrella lighting system having decorative lantern light fixtures 44 . as above , light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 . additionally , wire 42 is shown running from rib 20 to rib 20 from tip to tip along a support wire 46 . in this case wire 42 may be a coiled wire , as shown , to be used on different length ribs 20 . the primary advantage of the present invention is that the system may be adapted to fit a wide variety of umbrellas or may be built for one specific umbrella design . the lighting system can be used with solid pole patio umbrellas without requiring external wiring on the pole because the power system and associated controls are accessible to the user at the lower end of the umbrella rib , yet unobtrusive . further , the power system maybe easily removed for storage or maintenance without disassembling the umbrella . additionally , the lighting system may be offered as a separate add - on for a line of umbrellas with optional lighting designs , thereby allowing the customer to choose an umbrella and lighting combination that meets the customers needs without having to anticipate and provide every possible combination . it should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided . while the invention is shown in only a few of its forms , it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Human Necessities'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Performing Operations; Transporting'? | 0.25 | 27d4bf2e666c8f1c4c3e87d82e789fb7c8c6eaebd37098bbe1f3afbee0b770d8 | 0.004059 | 0.012451 | 0.000357 | 0.001984 | 0.003479 | 0.009399 |
null | all references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law . to the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein , it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art . in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . referring now to fig1 of the drawings an umbrella lighting system 10 is shown . umbrella lighting system 10 has a solar power system 12 supported by a fixing device 14 . solar power system 12 is in electrical communication with a conductive connection 16 that is in turn in electrical communication with a lighting system 18 . as is clearly shown in this view , fixing device 14 is connected to a lower end of umbrella rib 20 that is in turn supported by center pole 22 , as is typical in patio umbrellas generally . lighting system 18 includes brackets 40 attached to ribs 20 at intervals to support light bulbs 50 along ribs 20 . wires 42 are shown running along a top side of ribs 20 to connect light bulbs 50 to power system 12 . fig2 is a detail of the power system and fixing device of the umbrella lighting system shown in fig1 . power system 12 includes a solar panel 24 and battery 26 . solar panel 24 charges battery 26 during daylight hours and battery 26 powers lighting system 18 when illumination is desired . a switch 28 may be included on power system 12 to control the power going form battery 26 to lighting system 18 . also , a photo resistor 30 may be used to detect ambient lighting and allow power to go from battery 26 to lighting system 18 after dusk . continuing with fig2 fixing device 14 is comprised of an arm 32 and a sleeve 34 . sleeve 34 is placed over the lower end of umbrella rib 20 and secured to umbrella rib 20 by a threaded housing pin 36 attached to a movable hold - down plate 38 . movable hold - down plate 38 allows sleeve 34 to be secured to a variety of different sizes of rib 20 . arm 32 is shaped to position power system 12 above umbrella rib 20 for exposure to sunlight . power system 12 is pivotally attached to arm 32 to allow solar panel 24 to be adjusted for maximum exposure to sunlight . the primary advantage of fixing device 14 is that it may be slid over rib 20 . in a typical arrangement , the umbrella cover may be removed from the tip of a single rib without further disassembly of the umbrella , allowing fixing device 14 to be slid over rib 20 and secured to rib 20 by plate 38 and pin 36 . fig3 is view of another umbrella lighting system 10 having decorative globe light fixtures 44 hanging from the tips of ribs 20 . hooks 48 secure globe light fixtures to ribs 20 . light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 and provide for wires 42 to run between light bulb 50 and power system 12 . in the embodiment shown wires 42 run along the tops of ribs 20 . further , in the embodiment shown two power systems 12 are used on ribs 20 . the use of multiple power systems 12 provides for additional power and for improved distribution of weight , since batteries 26 may be heavy depending on the amount of light output desired from bulbs 50 . fig4 is a view of another umbrella lighting system having decorative lantern light fixtures 44 . as above , light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 . additionally , wire 42 is shown running from rib 20 to rib 20 from tip to tip along a support wire 46 . in this case wire 42 may be a coiled wire , as shown , to be used on different length ribs 20 . the primary advantage of the present invention is that the system may be adapted to fit a wide variety of umbrellas or may be built for one specific umbrella design . the lighting system can be used with solid pole patio umbrellas without requiring external wiring on the pole because the power system and associated controls are accessible to the user at the lower end of the umbrella rib , yet unobtrusive . further , the power system maybe easily removed for storage or maintenance without disassembling the umbrella . additionally , the lighting system may be offered as a separate add - on for a line of umbrellas with optional lighting designs , thereby allowing the customer to choose an umbrella and lighting combination that meets the customers needs without having to anticipate and provide every possible combination . it should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided . while the invention is shown in only a few of its forms , it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Human Necessities'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | 27d4bf2e666c8f1c4c3e87d82e789fb7c8c6eaebd37098bbe1f3afbee0b770d8 | 0.004059 | 0.000261 | 0.000357 | 0.000026 | 0.003479 | 0.000805 |
null | all references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law . to the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein , it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art . in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . referring now to fig1 of the drawings an umbrella lighting system 10 is shown . umbrella lighting system 10 has a solar power system 12 supported by a fixing device 14 . solar power system 12 is in electrical communication with a conductive connection 16 that is in turn in electrical communication with a lighting system 18 . as is clearly shown in this view , fixing device 14 is connected to a lower end of umbrella rib 20 that is in turn supported by center pole 22 , as is typical in patio umbrellas generally . lighting system 18 includes brackets 40 attached to ribs 20 at intervals to support light bulbs 50 along ribs 20 . wires 42 are shown running along a top side of ribs 20 to connect light bulbs 50 to power system 12 . fig2 is a detail of the power system and fixing device of the umbrella lighting system shown in fig1 . power system 12 includes a solar panel 24 and battery 26 . solar panel 24 charges battery 26 during daylight hours and battery 26 powers lighting system 18 when illumination is desired . a switch 28 may be included on power system 12 to control the power going form battery 26 to lighting system 18 . also , a photo resistor 30 may be used to detect ambient lighting and allow power to go from battery 26 to lighting system 18 after dusk . continuing with fig2 fixing device 14 is comprised of an arm 32 and a sleeve 34 . sleeve 34 is placed over the lower end of umbrella rib 20 and secured to umbrella rib 20 by a threaded housing pin 36 attached to a movable hold - down plate 38 . movable hold - down plate 38 allows sleeve 34 to be secured to a variety of different sizes of rib 20 . arm 32 is shaped to position power system 12 above umbrella rib 20 for exposure to sunlight . power system 12 is pivotally attached to arm 32 to allow solar panel 24 to be adjusted for maximum exposure to sunlight . the primary advantage of fixing device 14 is that it may be slid over rib 20 . in a typical arrangement , the umbrella cover may be removed from the tip of a single rib without further disassembly of the umbrella , allowing fixing device 14 to be slid over rib 20 and secured to rib 20 by plate 38 and pin 36 . fig3 is view of another umbrella lighting system 10 having decorative globe light fixtures 44 hanging from the tips of ribs 20 . hooks 48 secure globe light fixtures to ribs 20 . light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 and provide for wires 42 to run between light bulb 50 and power system 12 . in the embodiment shown wires 42 run along the tops of ribs 20 . further , in the embodiment shown two power systems 12 are used on ribs 20 . the use of multiple power systems 12 provides for additional power and for improved distribution of weight , since batteries 26 may be heavy depending on the amount of light output desired from bulbs 50 . fig4 is a view of another umbrella lighting system having decorative lantern light fixtures 44 . as above , light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 . additionally , wire 42 is shown running from rib 20 to rib 20 from tip to tip along a support wire 46 . in this case wire 42 may be a coiled wire , as shown , to be used on different length ribs 20 . the primary advantage of the present invention is that the system may be adapted to fit a wide variety of umbrellas or may be built for one specific umbrella design . the lighting system can be used with solid pole patio umbrellas without requiring external wiring on the pole because the power system and associated controls are accessible to the user at the lower end of the umbrella rib , yet unobtrusive . further , the power system maybe easily removed for storage or maintenance without disassembling the umbrella . additionally , the lighting system may be offered as a separate add - on for a line of umbrellas with optional lighting designs , thereby allowing the customer to choose an umbrella and lighting combination that meets the customers needs without having to anticipate and provide every possible combination . it should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided . while the invention is shown in only a few of its forms , it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . | Is 'Human Necessities' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is 'Textiles; Paper' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 27d4bf2e666c8f1c4c3e87d82e789fb7c8c6eaebd37098bbe1f3afbee0b770d8 | 0.001549 | 0.000149 | 0.000123 | 0.000024 | 0.001366 | 0.000607 |
null | all references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law . to the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein , it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art . in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . referring now to fig1 of the drawings an umbrella lighting system 10 is shown . umbrella lighting system 10 has a solar power system 12 supported by a fixing device 14 . solar power system 12 is in electrical communication with a conductive connection 16 that is in turn in electrical communication with a lighting system 18 . as is clearly shown in this view , fixing device 14 is connected to a lower end of umbrella rib 20 that is in turn supported by center pole 22 , as is typical in patio umbrellas generally . lighting system 18 includes brackets 40 attached to ribs 20 at intervals to support light bulbs 50 along ribs 20 . wires 42 are shown running along a top side of ribs 20 to connect light bulbs 50 to power system 12 . fig2 is a detail of the power system and fixing device of the umbrella lighting system shown in fig1 . power system 12 includes a solar panel 24 and battery 26 . solar panel 24 charges battery 26 during daylight hours and battery 26 powers lighting system 18 when illumination is desired . a switch 28 may be included on power system 12 to control the power going form battery 26 to lighting system 18 . also , a photo resistor 30 may be used to detect ambient lighting and allow power to go from battery 26 to lighting system 18 after dusk . continuing with fig2 fixing device 14 is comprised of an arm 32 and a sleeve 34 . sleeve 34 is placed over the lower end of umbrella rib 20 and secured to umbrella rib 20 by a threaded housing pin 36 attached to a movable hold - down plate 38 . movable hold - down plate 38 allows sleeve 34 to be secured to a variety of different sizes of rib 20 . arm 32 is shaped to position power system 12 above umbrella rib 20 for exposure to sunlight . power system 12 is pivotally attached to arm 32 to allow solar panel 24 to be adjusted for maximum exposure to sunlight . the primary advantage of fixing device 14 is that it may be slid over rib 20 . in a typical arrangement , the umbrella cover may be removed from the tip of a single rib without further disassembly of the umbrella , allowing fixing device 14 to be slid over rib 20 and secured to rib 20 by plate 38 and pin 36 . fig3 is view of another umbrella lighting system 10 having decorative globe light fixtures 44 hanging from the tips of ribs 20 . hooks 48 secure globe light fixtures to ribs 20 . light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 and provide for wires 42 to run between light bulb 50 and power system 12 . in the embodiment shown wires 42 run along the tops of ribs 20 . further , in the embodiment shown two power systems 12 are used on ribs 20 . the use of multiple power systems 12 provides for additional power and for improved distribution of weight , since batteries 26 may be heavy depending on the amount of light output desired from bulbs 50 . fig4 is a view of another umbrella lighting system having decorative lantern light fixtures 44 . as above , light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 . additionally , wire 42 is shown running from rib 20 to rib 20 from tip to tip along a support wire 46 . in this case wire 42 may be a coiled wire , as shown , to be used on different length ribs 20 . the primary advantage of the present invention is that the system may be adapted to fit a wide variety of umbrellas or may be built for one specific umbrella design . the lighting system can be used with solid pole patio umbrellas without requiring external wiring on the pole because the power system and associated controls are accessible to the user at the lower end of the umbrella rib , yet unobtrusive . further , the power system maybe easily removed for storage or maintenance without disassembling the umbrella . additionally , the lighting system may be offered as a separate add - on for a line of umbrellas with optional lighting designs , thereby allowing the customer to choose an umbrella and lighting combination that meets the customers needs without having to anticipate and provide every possible combination . it should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided . while the invention is shown in only a few of its forms , it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Human Necessities'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | 0.25 | 27d4bf2e666c8f1c4c3e87d82e789fb7c8c6eaebd37098bbe1f3afbee0b770d8 | 0.003281 | 0.064453 | 0.000066 | 0.016357 | 0.009155 | 0.055908 |
null | all references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law . to the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein , it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art . in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . referring now to fig1 of the drawings an umbrella lighting system 10 is shown . umbrella lighting system 10 has a solar power system 12 supported by a fixing device 14 . solar power system 12 is in electrical communication with a conductive connection 16 that is in turn in electrical communication with a lighting system 18 . as is clearly shown in this view , fixing device 14 is connected to a lower end of umbrella rib 20 that is in turn supported by center pole 22 , as is typical in patio umbrellas generally . lighting system 18 includes brackets 40 attached to ribs 20 at intervals to support light bulbs 50 along ribs 20 . wires 42 are shown running along a top side of ribs 20 to connect light bulbs 50 to power system 12 . fig2 is a detail of the power system and fixing device of the umbrella lighting system shown in fig1 . power system 12 includes a solar panel 24 and battery 26 . solar panel 24 charges battery 26 during daylight hours and battery 26 powers lighting system 18 when illumination is desired . a switch 28 may be included on power system 12 to control the power going form battery 26 to lighting system 18 . also , a photo resistor 30 may be used to detect ambient lighting and allow power to go from battery 26 to lighting system 18 after dusk . continuing with fig2 fixing device 14 is comprised of an arm 32 and a sleeve 34 . sleeve 34 is placed over the lower end of umbrella rib 20 and secured to umbrella rib 20 by a threaded housing pin 36 attached to a movable hold - down plate 38 . movable hold - down plate 38 allows sleeve 34 to be secured to a variety of different sizes of rib 20 . arm 32 is shaped to position power system 12 above umbrella rib 20 for exposure to sunlight . power system 12 is pivotally attached to arm 32 to allow solar panel 24 to be adjusted for maximum exposure to sunlight . the primary advantage of fixing device 14 is that it may be slid over rib 20 . in a typical arrangement , the umbrella cover may be removed from the tip of a single rib without further disassembly of the umbrella , allowing fixing device 14 to be slid over rib 20 and secured to rib 20 by plate 38 and pin 36 . fig3 is view of another umbrella lighting system 10 having decorative globe light fixtures 44 hanging from the tips of ribs 20 . hooks 48 secure globe light fixtures to ribs 20 . light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 and provide for wires 42 to run between light bulb 50 and power system 12 . in the embodiment shown wires 42 run along the tops of ribs 20 . further , in the embodiment shown two power systems 12 are used on ribs 20 . the use of multiple power systems 12 provides for additional power and for improved distribution of weight , since batteries 26 may be heavy depending on the amount of light output desired from bulbs 50 . fig4 is a view of another umbrella lighting system having decorative lantern light fixtures 44 . as above , light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 . additionally , wire 42 is shown running from rib 20 to rib 20 from tip to tip along a support wire 46 . in this case wire 42 may be a coiled wire , as shown , to be used on different length ribs 20 . the primary advantage of the present invention is that the system may be adapted to fit a wide variety of umbrellas or may be built for one specific umbrella design . the lighting system can be used with solid pole patio umbrellas without requiring external wiring on the pole because the power system and associated controls are accessible to the user at the lower end of the umbrella rib , yet unobtrusive . further , the power system maybe easily removed for storage or maintenance without disassembling the umbrella . additionally , the lighting system may be offered as a separate add - on for a line of umbrellas with optional lighting designs , thereby allowing the customer to choose an umbrella and lighting combination that meets the customers needs without having to anticipate and provide every possible combination . it should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided . while the invention is shown in only a few of its forms , it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . | Is 'Human Necessities' the correct technical category for the patent? | Should this patent be classified under 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | 0.25 | 27d4bf2e666c8f1c4c3e87d82e789fb7c8c6eaebd37098bbe1f3afbee0b770d8 | 0.001549 | 0.005371 | 0.000123 | 0.003174 | 0.001366 | 0.059326 |
null | all references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law . to the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein , it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art . in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . referring now to fig1 of the drawings an umbrella lighting system 10 is shown . umbrella lighting system 10 has a solar power system 12 supported by a fixing device 14 . solar power system 12 is in electrical communication with a conductive connection 16 that is in turn in electrical communication with a lighting system 18 . as is clearly shown in this view , fixing device 14 is connected to a lower end of umbrella rib 20 that is in turn supported by center pole 22 , as is typical in patio umbrellas generally . lighting system 18 includes brackets 40 attached to ribs 20 at intervals to support light bulbs 50 along ribs 20 . wires 42 are shown running along a top side of ribs 20 to connect light bulbs 50 to power system 12 . fig2 is a detail of the power system and fixing device of the umbrella lighting system shown in fig1 . power system 12 includes a solar panel 24 and battery 26 . solar panel 24 charges battery 26 during daylight hours and battery 26 powers lighting system 18 when illumination is desired . a switch 28 may be included on power system 12 to control the power going form battery 26 to lighting system 18 . also , a photo resistor 30 may be used to detect ambient lighting and allow power to go from battery 26 to lighting system 18 after dusk . continuing with fig2 fixing device 14 is comprised of an arm 32 and a sleeve 34 . sleeve 34 is placed over the lower end of umbrella rib 20 and secured to umbrella rib 20 by a threaded housing pin 36 attached to a movable hold - down plate 38 . movable hold - down plate 38 allows sleeve 34 to be secured to a variety of different sizes of rib 20 . arm 32 is shaped to position power system 12 above umbrella rib 20 for exposure to sunlight . power system 12 is pivotally attached to arm 32 to allow solar panel 24 to be adjusted for maximum exposure to sunlight . the primary advantage of fixing device 14 is that it may be slid over rib 20 . in a typical arrangement , the umbrella cover may be removed from the tip of a single rib without further disassembly of the umbrella , allowing fixing device 14 to be slid over rib 20 and secured to rib 20 by plate 38 and pin 36 . fig3 is view of another umbrella lighting system 10 having decorative globe light fixtures 44 hanging from the tips of ribs 20 . hooks 48 secure globe light fixtures to ribs 20 . light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 and provide for wires 42 to run between light bulb 50 and power system 12 . in the embodiment shown wires 42 run along the tops of ribs 20 . further , in the embodiment shown two power systems 12 are used on ribs 20 . the use of multiple power systems 12 provides for additional power and for improved distribution of weight , since batteries 26 may be heavy depending on the amount of light output desired from bulbs 50 . fig4 is a view of another umbrella lighting system having decorative lantern light fixtures 44 . as above , light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 . additionally , wire 42 is shown running from rib 20 to rib 20 from tip to tip along a support wire 46 . in this case wire 42 may be a coiled wire , as shown , to be used on different length ribs 20 . the primary advantage of the present invention is that the system may be adapted to fit a wide variety of umbrellas or may be built for one specific umbrella design . the lighting system can be used with solid pole patio umbrellas without requiring external wiring on the pole because the power system and associated controls are accessible to the user at the lower end of the umbrella rib , yet unobtrusive . further , the power system maybe easily removed for storage or maintenance without disassembling the umbrella . additionally , the lighting system may be offered as a separate add - on for a line of umbrellas with optional lighting designs , thereby allowing the customer to choose an umbrella and lighting combination that meets the customers needs without having to anticipate and provide every possible combination . it should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided . while the invention is shown in only a few of its forms , it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . | Should this patent be classified under 'Human Necessities'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Physics'? | 0.25 | 27d4bf2e666c8f1c4c3e87d82e789fb7c8c6eaebd37098bbe1f3afbee0b770d8 | 0.002319 | 0.031738 | 0.000085 | 0.002884 | 0.001808 | 0.02478 |
null | all references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law . to the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein , it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art . in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . referring now to fig1 of the drawings an umbrella lighting system 10 is shown . umbrella lighting system 10 has a solar power system 12 supported by a fixing device 14 . solar power system 12 is in electrical communication with a conductive connection 16 that is in turn in electrical communication with a lighting system 18 . as is clearly shown in this view , fixing device 14 is connected to a lower end of umbrella rib 20 that is in turn supported by center pole 22 , as is typical in patio umbrellas generally . lighting system 18 includes brackets 40 attached to ribs 20 at intervals to support light bulbs 50 along ribs 20 . wires 42 are shown running along a top side of ribs 20 to connect light bulbs 50 to power system 12 . fig2 is a detail of the power system and fixing device of the umbrella lighting system shown in fig1 . power system 12 includes a solar panel 24 and battery 26 . solar panel 24 charges battery 26 during daylight hours and battery 26 powers lighting system 18 when illumination is desired . a switch 28 may be included on power system 12 to control the power going form battery 26 to lighting system 18 . also , a photo resistor 30 may be used to detect ambient lighting and allow power to go from battery 26 to lighting system 18 after dusk . continuing with fig2 fixing device 14 is comprised of an arm 32 and a sleeve 34 . sleeve 34 is placed over the lower end of umbrella rib 20 and secured to umbrella rib 20 by a threaded housing pin 36 attached to a movable hold - down plate 38 . movable hold - down plate 38 allows sleeve 34 to be secured to a variety of different sizes of rib 20 . arm 32 is shaped to position power system 12 above umbrella rib 20 for exposure to sunlight . power system 12 is pivotally attached to arm 32 to allow solar panel 24 to be adjusted for maximum exposure to sunlight . the primary advantage of fixing device 14 is that it may be slid over rib 20 . in a typical arrangement , the umbrella cover may be removed from the tip of a single rib without further disassembly of the umbrella , allowing fixing device 14 to be slid over rib 20 and secured to rib 20 by plate 38 and pin 36 . fig3 is view of another umbrella lighting system 10 having decorative globe light fixtures 44 hanging from the tips of ribs 20 . hooks 48 secure globe light fixtures to ribs 20 . light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 and provide for wires 42 to run between light bulb 50 and power system 12 . in the embodiment shown wires 42 run along the tops of ribs 20 . further , in the embodiment shown two power systems 12 are used on ribs 20 . the use of multiple power systems 12 provides for additional power and for improved distribution of weight , since batteries 26 may be heavy depending on the amount of light output desired from bulbs 50 . fig4 is a view of another umbrella lighting system having decorative lantern light fixtures 44 . as above , light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 . additionally , wire 42 is shown running from rib 20 to rib 20 from tip to tip along a support wire 46 . in this case wire 42 may be a coiled wire , as shown , to be used on different length ribs 20 . the primary advantage of the present invention is that the system may be adapted to fit a wide variety of umbrellas or may be built for one specific umbrella design . the lighting system can be used with solid pole patio umbrellas without requiring external wiring on the pole because the power system and associated controls are accessible to the user at the lower end of the umbrella rib , yet unobtrusive . further , the power system maybe easily removed for storage or maintenance without disassembling the umbrella . additionally , the lighting system may be offered as a separate add - on for a line of umbrellas with optional lighting designs , thereby allowing the customer to choose an umbrella and lighting combination that meets the customers needs without having to anticipate and provide every possible combination . it should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided . while the invention is shown in only a few of its forms , it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . | Is 'Human Necessities' the correct technical category for the patent? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Electricity'? | 0.25 | 27d4bf2e666c8f1c4c3e87d82e789fb7c8c6eaebd37098bbe1f3afbee0b770d8 | 0.001549 | 0.380859 | 0.000123 | 0.335938 | 0.001366 | 0.07373 |
null | all references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law . to the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein , it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art . in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . referring now to fig1 of the drawings an umbrella lighting system 10 is shown . umbrella lighting system 10 has a solar power system 12 supported by a fixing device 14 . solar power system 12 is in electrical communication with a conductive connection 16 that is in turn in electrical communication with a lighting system 18 . as is clearly shown in this view , fixing device 14 is connected to a lower end of umbrella rib 20 that is in turn supported by center pole 22 , as is typical in patio umbrellas generally . lighting system 18 includes brackets 40 attached to ribs 20 at intervals to support light bulbs 50 along ribs 20 . wires 42 are shown running along a top side of ribs 20 to connect light bulbs 50 to power system 12 . fig2 is a detail of the power system and fixing device of the umbrella lighting system shown in fig1 . power system 12 includes a solar panel 24 and battery 26 . solar panel 24 charges battery 26 during daylight hours and battery 26 powers lighting system 18 when illumination is desired . a switch 28 may be included on power system 12 to control the power going form battery 26 to lighting system 18 . also , a photo resistor 30 may be used to detect ambient lighting and allow power to go from battery 26 to lighting system 18 after dusk . continuing with fig2 fixing device 14 is comprised of an arm 32 and a sleeve 34 . sleeve 34 is placed over the lower end of umbrella rib 20 and secured to umbrella rib 20 by a threaded housing pin 36 attached to a movable hold - down plate 38 . movable hold - down plate 38 allows sleeve 34 to be secured to a variety of different sizes of rib 20 . arm 32 is shaped to position power system 12 above umbrella rib 20 for exposure to sunlight . power system 12 is pivotally attached to arm 32 to allow solar panel 24 to be adjusted for maximum exposure to sunlight . the primary advantage of fixing device 14 is that it may be slid over rib 20 . in a typical arrangement , the umbrella cover may be removed from the tip of a single rib without further disassembly of the umbrella , allowing fixing device 14 to be slid over rib 20 and secured to rib 20 by plate 38 and pin 36 . fig3 is view of another umbrella lighting system 10 having decorative globe light fixtures 44 hanging from the tips of ribs 20 . hooks 48 secure globe light fixtures to ribs 20 . light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 and provide for wires 42 to run between light bulb 50 and power system 12 . in the embodiment shown wires 42 run along the tops of ribs 20 . further , in the embodiment shown two power systems 12 are used on ribs 20 . the use of multiple power systems 12 provides for additional power and for improved distribution of weight , since batteries 26 may be heavy depending on the amount of light output desired from bulbs 50 . fig4 is a view of another umbrella lighting system having decorative lantern light fixtures 44 . as above , light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 . additionally , wire 42 is shown running from rib 20 to rib 20 from tip to tip along a support wire 46 . in this case wire 42 may be a coiled wire , as shown , to be used on different length ribs 20 . the primary advantage of the present invention is that the system may be adapted to fit a wide variety of umbrellas or may be built for one specific umbrella design . the lighting system can be used with solid pole patio umbrellas without requiring external wiring on the pole because the power system and associated controls are accessible to the user at the lower end of the umbrella rib , yet unobtrusive . further , the power system maybe easily removed for storage or maintenance without disassembling the umbrella . additionally , the lighting system may be offered as a separate add - on for a line of umbrellas with optional lighting designs , thereby allowing the customer to choose an umbrella and lighting combination that meets the customers needs without having to anticipate and provide every possible combination . it should be apparent from the foregoing that an invention having significant advantages has been provided . while the invention is shown in only a few of its forms , it is not just limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof . | Is 'Human Necessities' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | 0.25 | 27d4bf2e666c8f1c4c3e87d82e789fb7c8c6eaebd37098bbe1f3afbee0b770d8 | 0.001549 | 0.063477 | 0.000123 | 0.057373 | 0.001366 | 0.059326 |
null | the present invention may be performed in any of a variety of known computing environments . the environment of fig1 comprises a representative conventional computer 100 , such as a desktop or laptop computer , including a plurality of related peripheral devices ( not depicted ). the computer 100 includes a microprocessor 105 and a bus 110 employed to connect and enable communication between the microprocessor 105 and a plurality of components of the computer 100 in accordance with known techniques . the computer 100 typically includes a user interface adapter 115 , which connects the microprocessor 105 via the bus 110 to one or more interface devices , such as a keyboard 120 , mouse 125 , and / or other interface devices 130 , which can be any user interface device , such as a touch sensitive screen , digitized pen entry pad , etc . the bus 110 also connects a display device 135 , such as an lcd screen or monitor , to the microprocessor 105 via a display adapter 140 . the bus 110 also connects the microprocessor 105 to memory 145 , which can include rom , ram , etc . the computer 100 communicates via a communications channel 150 with other computers or networks of computers . the computer 100 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or it can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . software programming code that embodies the present invention is typically stored in a memory 145 of the computer 100 . in the client / server arrangement , such software programming code may be stored with memory associated with a server . the software programming code may also be embodied on any of a variety of non - volatile data storage device , such as a hard - drive , a diskette or a cd - rom . the code may be distributed on such media , or may be distributed to users from the memory of one computer system over a network of some type to other computer systems for use by users of such other systems . the techniques and methods for embodying software program code on physical media and / or distributing software code via networks are well known and will not be further discussed herein . the preferred embodiment is practiced using a machinery corner function for creating a parametric corner between adjacent geometries , e . g . two flanged geometries , with a variety of different parameters , where those parameters can be bend angles , bend radii , corner angle , and bend direction , for example . turning now to the figures , wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , the machinery corner function will be described using the steps from fig2 a - 2 d and illustrated by fig3 through fig1 , where the plain figure number illustrates both sides formed , the figure number with a single prime illustrates one side formed and one side unformed , and the figure number with a double prime illustrates both sides unformed . beginning with fig3 , where two flanges of different radius are both bent down at ninety degrees and the designer intends to create a machinery corner , the function starts associating the geometries by creating a butt - joint geometry 300 with a gap equal to one modeling tolerance ( step 200 ). butt - joints are commonly understood in the sheet metal industry and will not be explained further . the difference in height between the flanges that meet at the butt - joints is not illustrated in fig3 β² and fig3 β³, but the higher flange butt - joint is located on an associate flange 302 , and the lower flange butt - joint is located on a parent flange 304 . at this point , the machinery corner , i . e . tool body , is not united to a target body 308 , and will not be united until the completion of the process step . to complete the geometry association , the function next operates to trim the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 to the same height ( step 205 ), or also referred to as trimming an extrude 306 , where the extrude 306 is the higher portion of the butt - joint geometry 300 , the result of which is indicated by the presence of a prior height mark 400 on the associate flange 302 . next the function calculates an intersection point 500 from a normal to an associate bend tangent line 506 and a parent bend tangent line 508 , where the bend tangent lines are extended from the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 , respectively ( step 210 ), as illustrated in fig5 and fig5 β². a top point 502 and a bottom point 504 connect the parent flange 304 and the associate flange 302 and are calculated in the unformed state . lines that start with the intersection point 500 and are parallel to the bend tangent lines ( or cylindrical axis ) intersect the side edges of both ends . the two lines that connect the top point 502 and bottom point 504 create a parent mapped bend line 600 and an associate mapped bend line 602 , as illustrated in fig6 , fig6 β², and fig6 β³, that subdivides the parent and associate faces ( step 215 ), respectively . create a plane 800 through a first point 700 a second point 701 and a common - edge vertex 802 , where the common - edge vertex 802 is the intersection of the extended butt - joint surfaces ( step 220 ). then create a bottom b - curve 702 , where the bottom b - curve 702 subdivides the parametric surface into two surface portions , a first surface portion and a second surface portion . the bottom b - curve 702 is tangentially constrained to the parent bend tangent line at the parent mapped bend line 600 and the associate bend tangent line at the associate mapped bend line 602 ( step 225 ). next intersect the plane 800 and the bottom b - curve 702 , and then split the bottom b - curve 702 ( creating a first half b - curve 702 a and a second half b - curve 702 b ) at an intersection point 804 ( step 230 ). through the bottom b - curve 702 create a mesh b - surface 704 on the first surface portion . the mesh b - surface 704 creation is composed of a primary curve and a cross curve . the primary curves consists of an associate bend side curve 806 and the second half b - curve 702 b . and the cross curves consist of a parent bend side curve 808 and the opposite portion of the first half b - curve 702 a , while using tangency to constrain the two adjacent faces ( step 235 ). to form additional b - surfaces on a second surface portion of the parametric surface ( step 240 ) with intersecting the plane 800 ( illustrated in fig9 β²) having the mesh b - surface 704 created ( step 235 ), the function then creates an associate b - curve 902 and a parent b - curve 900 between the associate bend tangent line 506 and the parent bend tangent line 508 and two intersection curves , where the intersection curves are the first half b - curve 702 a and the second half b - curve 702 b , respectively ( step 245 ). the function creates a mesh b - surface 1000 using the first half b - curve 702 a and the associate bend tangent line 506 for the primary curve , and the associate b - curve 902 , and a first associate side curve 906 and a second associate side curve 908 as the cross curve , while using tangency constrains to the three adjacent faces ( step 250 ). to complete the second surface portion of the machinery corner with the function disclosed , repeat step 250 to form another b - surface on the other side , shown at 1100 , ( step 255 ) for the result shown in fig1 - 11 β³. repeat step 220 through step 255 to create the remaining b - surfaces for a top side 1200 as shown in fig1 - 12 β³ ( step 260 ). after all top and bottom parametric surfaces are created , the function creates lofted surfaces 1302 a , 1302 b , 1302 c , 1302 d , and 1302 e ( step 265 ) connecting multiple edges of the parametric surfaces , and sews all faces into a solid tool body 1300 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 β³. finally , the solid tool body 1300 is united to the target body 308 ( step 270 ). with the improved method disclosed herein , 3d cad systems are able to create machinery corners as illustrated in fig1 - 16 , where both corners are formed , both corners are unformed , or one corner is formed while the other is unformed . further , the preferred embodiment can create machinery corners where one of the bend angles are more than ninety degrees , as seen in fig1 . it is important to note that an additional benefit of the disclosed method for creating machinery corners is the consistent parameterization among all states , so there is no central rail edge to separate two bending forms , as illustrated in fig1 & amp ; 19 , which are isoparametric views of fig1 and fig1 β², respectively . this concludes the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention . the following describes some alternative embodiments for accomplishing the present invention . for example , the invention may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations thereof . an apparatus of the invention may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor ; and method steps of the invention may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . the application program may be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language may be a compiled or interpreted language . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing may be supplemented by , or incorporated in , specially - designed asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations in the disclosed embodiment may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts . therefore , it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by all variations and modifications as may fall within the spirit and the scope of the claims appended hereto . | Is 'Physics' the correct technical category for the patent? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Human Necessities'? | 0.25 | 12b2271c03ef55f2b031d1286985b80bb82bb4d17241bd411eb88f1eb5406673 | 0.067383 | 0.006897 | 0.027588 | 0.000116 | 0.112793 | 0.014038 |
null | the present invention may be performed in any of a variety of known computing environments . the environment of fig1 comprises a representative conventional computer 100 , such as a desktop or laptop computer , including a plurality of related peripheral devices ( not depicted ). the computer 100 includes a microprocessor 105 and a bus 110 employed to connect and enable communication between the microprocessor 105 and a plurality of components of the computer 100 in accordance with known techniques . the computer 100 typically includes a user interface adapter 115 , which connects the microprocessor 105 via the bus 110 to one or more interface devices , such as a keyboard 120 , mouse 125 , and / or other interface devices 130 , which can be any user interface device , such as a touch sensitive screen , digitized pen entry pad , etc . the bus 110 also connects a display device 135 , such as an lcd screen or monitor , to the microprocessor 105 via a display adapter 140 . the bus 110 also connects the microprocessor 105 to memory 145 , which can include rom , ram , etc . the computer 100 communicates via a communications channel 150 with other computers or networks of computers . the computer 100 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or it can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . software programming code that embodies the present invention is typically stored in a memory 145 of the computer 100 . in the client / server arrangement , such software programming code may be stored with memory associated with a server . the software programming code may also be embodied on any of a variety of non - volatile data storage device , such as a hard - drive , a diskette or a cd - rom . the code may be distributed on such media , or may be distributed to users from the memory of one computer system over a network of some type to other computer systems for use by users of such other systems . the techniques and methods for embodying software program code on physical media and / or distributing software code via networks are well known and will not be further discussed herein . the preferred embodiment is practiced using a machinery corner function for creating a parametric corner between adjacent geometries , e . g . two flanged geometries , with a variety of different parameters , where those parameters can be bend angles , bend radii , corner angle , and bend direction , for example . turning now to the figures , wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , the machinery corner function will be described using the steps from fig2 a - 2 d and illustrated by fig3 through fig1 , where the plain figure number illustrates both sides formed , the figure number with a single prime illustrates one side formed and one side unformed , and the figure number with a double prime illustrates both sides unformed . beginning with fig3 , where two flanges of different radius are both bent down at ninety degrees and the designer intends to create a machinery corner , the function starts associating the geometries by creating a butt - joint geometry 300 with a gap equal to one modeling tolerance ( step 200 ). butt - joints are commonly understood in the sheet metal industry and will not be explained further . the difference in height between the flanges that meet at the butt - joints is not illustrated in fig3 β² and fig3 β³, but the higher flange butt - joint is located on an associate flange 302 , and the lower flange butt - joint is located on a parent flange 304 . at this point , the machinery corner , i . e . tool body , is not united to a target body 308 , and will not be united until the completion of the process step . to complete the geometry association , the function next operates to trim the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 to the same height ( step 205 ), or also referred to as trimming an extrude 306 , where the extrude 306 is the higher portion of the butt - joint geometry 300 , the result of which is indicated by the presence of a prior height mark 400 on the associate flange 302 . next the function calculates an intersection point 500 from a normal to an associate bend tangent line 506 and a parent bend tangent line 508 , where the bend tangent lines are extended from the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 , respectively ( step 210 ), as illustrated in fig5 and fig5 β². a top point 502 and a bottom point 504 connect the parent flange 304 and the associate flange 302 and are calculated in the unformed state . lines that start with the intersection point 500 and are parallel to the bend tangent lines ( or cylindrical axis ) intersect the side edges of both ends . the two lines that connect the top point 502 and bottom point 504 create a parent mapped bend line 600 and an associate mapped bend line 602 , as illustrated in fig6 , fig6 β², and fig6 β³, that subdivides the parent and associate faces ( step 215 ), respectively . create a plane 800 through a first point 700 a second point 701 and a common - edge vertex 802 , where the common - edge vertex 802 is the intersection of the extended butt - joint surfaces ( step 220 ). then create a bottom b - curve 702 , where the bottom b - curve 702 subdivides the parametric surface into two surface portions , a first surface portion and a second surface portion . the bottom b - curve 702 is tangentially constrained to the parent bend tangent line at the parent mapped bend line 600 and the associate bend tangent line at the associate mapped bend line 602 ( step 225 ). next intersect the plane 800 and the bottom b - curve 702 , and then split the bottom b - curve 702 ( creating a first half b - curve 702 a and a second half b - curve 702 b ) at an intersection point 804 ( step 230 ). through the bottom b - curve 702 create a mesh b - surface 704 on the first surface portion . the mesh b - surface 704 creation is composed of a primary curve and a cross curve . the primary curves consists of an associate bend side curve 806 and the second half b - curve 702 b . and the cross curves consist of a parent bend side curve 808 and the opposite portion of the first half b - curve 702 a , while using tangency to constrain the two adjacent faces ( step 235 ). to form additional b - surfaces on a second surface portion of the parametric surface ( step 240 ) with intersecting the plane 800 ( illustrated in fig9 β²) having the mesh b - surface 704 created ( step 235 ), the function then creates an associate b - curve 902 and a parent b - curve 900 between the associate bend tangent line 506 and the parent bend tangent line 508 and two intersection curves , where the intersection curves are the first half b - curve 702 a and the second half b - curve 702 b , respectively ( step 245 ). the function creates a mesh b - surface 1000 using the first half b - curve 702 a and the associate bend tangent line 506 for the primary curve , and the associate b - curve 902 , and a first associate side curve 906 and a second associate side curve 908 as the cross curve , while using tangency constrains to the three adjacent faces ( step 250 ). to complete the second surface portion of the machinery corner with the function disclosed , repeat step 250 to form another b - surface on the other side , shown at 1100 , ( step 255 ) for the result shown in fig1 - 11 β³. repeat step 220 through step 255 to create the remaining b - surfaces for a top side 1200 as shown in fig1 - 12 β³ ( step 260 ). after all top and bottom parametric surfaces are created , the function creates lofted surfaces 1302 a , 1302 b , 1302 c , 1302 d , and 1302 e ( step 265 ) connecting multiple edges of the parametric surfaces , and sews all faces into a solid tool body 1300 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 β³. finally , the solid tool body 1300 is united to the target body 308 ( step 270 ). with the improved method disclosed herein , 3d cad systems are able to create machinery corners as illustrated in fig1 - 16 , where both corners are formed , both corners are unformed , or one corner is formed while the other is unformed . further , the preferred embodiment can create machinery corners where one of the bend angles are more than ninety degrees , as seen in fig1 . it is important to note that an additional benefit of the disclosed method for creating machinery corners is the consistent parameterization among all states , so there is no central rail edge to separate two bending forms , as illustrated in fig1 & amp ; 19 , which are isoparametric views of fig1 and fig1 β², respectively . this concludes the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention . the following describes some alternative embodiments for accomplishing the present invention . for example , the invention may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations thereof . an apparatus of the invention may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor ; and method steps of the invention may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . the application program may be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language may be a compiled or interpreted language . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing may be supplemented by , or incorporated in , specially - designed asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations in the disclosed embodiment may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts . therefore , it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by all variations and modifications as may fall within the spirit and the scope of the claims appended hereto . | Should this patent be classified under 'Physics'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Performing Operations; Transporting'? | 0.25 | 12b2271c03ef55f2b031d1286985b80bb82bb4d17241bd411eb88f1eb5406673 | 0.115723 | 0.021973 | 0.061035 | 0.006897 | 0.119141 | 0.055908 |
null | the present invention may be performed in any of a variety of known computing environments . the environment of fig1 comprises a representative conventional computer 100 , such as a desktop or laptop computer , including a plurality of related peripheral devices ( not depicted ). the computer 100 includes a microprocessor 105 and a bus 110 employed to connect and enable communication between the microprocessor 105 and a plurality of components of the computer 100 in accordance with known techniques . the computer 100 typically includes a user interface adapter 115 , which connects the microprocessor 105 via the bus 110 to one or more interface devices , such as a keyboard 120 , mouse 125 , and / or other interface devices 130 , which can be any user interface device , such as a touch sensitive screen , digitized pen entry pad , etc . the bus 110 also connects a display device 135 , such as an lcd screen or monitor , to the microprocessor 105 via a display adapter 140 . the bus 110 also connects the microprocessor 105 to memory 145 , which can include rom , ram , etc . the computer 100 communicates via a communications channel 150 with other computers or networks of computers . the computer 100 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or it can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . software programming code that embodies the present invention is typically stored in a memory 145 of the computer 100 . in the client / server arrangement , such software programming code may be stored with memory associated with a server . the software programming code may also be embodied on any of a variety of non - volatile data storage device , such as a hard - drive , a diskette or a cd - rom . the code may be distributed on such media , or may be distributed to users from the memory of one computer system over a network of some type to other computer systems for use by users of such other systems . the techniques and methods for embodying software program code on physical media and / or distributing software code via networks are well known and will not be further discussed herein . the preferred embodiment is practiced using a machinery corner function for creating a parametric corner between adjacent geometries , e . g . two flanged geometries , with a variety of different parameters , where those parameters can be bend angles , bend radii , corner angle , and bend direction , for example . turning now to the figures , wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , the machinery corner function will be described using the steps from fig2 a - 2 d and illustrated by fig3 through fig1 , where the plain figure number illustrates both sides formed , the figure number with a single prime illustrates one side formed and one side unformed , and the figure number with a double prime illustrates both sides unformed . beginning with fig3 , where two flanges of different radius are both bent down at ninety degrees and the designer intends to create a machinery corner , the function starts associating the geometries by creating a butt - joint geometry 300 with a gap equal to one modeling tolerance ( step 200 ). butt - joints are commonly understood in the sheet metal industry and will not be explained further . the difference in height between the flanges that meet at the butt - joints is not illustrated in fig3 β² and fig3 β³, but the higher flange butt - joint is located on an associate flange 302 , and the lower flange butt - joint is located on a parent flange 304 . at this point , the machinery corner , i . e . tool body , is not united to a target body 308 , and will not be united until the completion of the process step . to complete the geometry association , the function next operates to trim the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 to the same height ( step 205 ), or also referred to as trimming an extrude 306 , where the extrude 306 is the higher portion of the butt - joint geometry 300 , the result of which is indicated by the presence of a prior height mark 400 on the associate flange 302 . next the function calculates an intersection point 500 from a normal to an associate bend tangent line 506 and a parent bend tangent line 508 , where the bend tangent lines are extended from the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 , respectively ( step 210 ), as illustrated in fig5 and fig5 β². a top point 502 and a bottom point 504 connect the parent flange 304 and the associate flange 302 and are calculated in the unformed state . lines that start with the intersection point 500 and are parallel to the bend tangent lines ( or cylindrical axis ) intersect the side edges of both ends . the two lines that connect the top point 502 and bottom point 504 create a parent mapped bend line 600 and an associate mapped bend line 602 , as illustrated in fig6 , fig6 β², and fig6 β³, that subdivides the parent and associate faces ( step 215 ), respectively . create a plane 800 through a first point 700 a second point 701 and a common - edge vertex 802 , where the common - edge vertex 802 is the intersection of the extended butt - joint surfaces ( step 220 ). then create a bottom b - curve 702 , where the bottom b - curve 702 subdivides the parametric surface into two surface portions , a first surface portion and a second surface portion . the bottom b - curve 702 is tangentially constrained to the parent bend tangent line at the parent mapped bend line 600 and the associate bend tangent line at the associate mapped bend line 602 ( step 225 ). next intersect the plane 800 and the bottom b - curve 702 , and then split the bottom b - curve 702 ( creating a first half b - curve 702 a and a second half b - curve 702 b ) at an intersection point 804 ( step 230 ). through the bottom b - curve 702 create a mesh b - surface 704 on the first surface portion . the mesh b - surface 704 creation is composed of a primary curve and a cross curve . the primary curves consists of an associate bend side curve 806 and the second half b - curve 702 b . and the cross curves consist of a parent bend side curve 808 and the opposite portion of the first half b - curve 702 a , while using tangency to constrain the two adjacent faces ( step 235 ). to form additional b - surfaces on a second surface portion of the parametric surface ( step 240 ) with intersecting the plane 800 ( illustrated in fig9 β²) having the mesh b - surface 704 created ( step 235 ), the function then creates an associate b - curve 902 and a parent b - curve 900 between the associate bend tangent line 506 and the parent bend tangent line 508 and two intersection curves , where the intersection curves are the first half b - curve 702 a and the second half b - curve 702 b , respectively ( step 245 ). the function creates a mesh b - surface 1000 using the first half b - curve 702 a and the associate bend tangent line 506 for the primary curve , and the associate b - curve 902 , and a first associate side curve 906 and a second associate side curve 908 as the cross curve , while using tangency constrains to the three adjacent faces ( step 250 ). to complete the second surface portion of the machinery corner with the function disclosed , repeat step 250 to form another b - surface on the other side , shown at 1100 , ( step 255 ) for the result shown in fig1 - 11 β³. repeat step 220 through step 255 to create the remaining b - surfaces for a top side 1200 as shown in fig1 - 12 β³ ( step 260 ). after all top and bottom parametric surfaces are created , the function creates lofted surfaces 1302 a , 1302 b , 1302 c , 1302 d , and 1302 e ( step 265 ) connecting multiple edges of the parametric surfaces , and sews all faces into a solid tool body 1300 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 β³. finally , the solid tool body 1300 is united to the target body 308 ( step 270 ). with the improved method disclosed herein , 3d cad systems are able to create machinery corners as illustrated in fig1 - 16 , where both corners are formed , both corners are unformed , or one corner is formed while the other is unformed . further , the preferred embodiment can create machinery corners where one of the bend angles are more than ninety degrees , as seen in fig1 . it is important to note that an additional benefit of the disclosed method for creating machinery corners is the consistent parameterization among all states , so there is no central rail edge to separate two bending forms , as illustrated in fig1 & amp ; 19 , which are isoparametric views of fig1 and fig1 β², respectively . this concludes the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention . the following describes some alternative embodiments for accomplishing the present invention . for example , the invention may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations thereof . an apparatus of the invention may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor ; and method steps of the invention may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . the application program may be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language may be a compiled or interpreted language . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing may be supplemented by , or incorporated in , specially - designed asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations in the disclosed embodiment may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts . therefore , it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by all variations and modifications as may fall within the spirit and the scope of the claims appended hereto . | Should this patent be classified under 'Physics'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | 12b2271c03ef55f2b031d1286985b80bb82bb4d17241bd411eb88f1eb5406673 | 0.119141 | 0.000123 | 0.061035 | 0.000048 | 0.120117 | 0.002472 |
null | the present invention may be performed in any of a variety of known computing environments . the environment of fig1 comprises a representative conventional computer 100 , such as a desktop or laptop computer , including a plurality of related peripheral devices ( not depicted ). the computer 100 includes a microprocessor 105 and a bus 110 employed to connect and enable communication between the microprocessor 105 and a plurality of components of the computer 100 in accordance with known techniques . the computer 100 typically includes a user interface adapter 115 , which connects the microprocessor 105 via the bus 110 to one or more interface devices , such as a keyboard 120 , mouse 125 , and / or other interface devices 130 , which can be any user interface device , such as a touch sensitive screen , digitized pen entry pad , etc . the bus 110 also connects a display device 135 , such as an lcd screen or monitor , to the microprocessor 105 via a display adapter 140 . the bus 110 also connects the microprocessor 105 to memory 145 , which can include rom , ram , etc . the computer 100 communicates via a communications channel 150 with other computers or networks of computers . the computer 100 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or it can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . software programming code that embodies the present invention is typically stored in a memory 145 of the computer 100 . in the client / server arrangement , such software programming code may be stored with memory associated with a server . the software programming code may also be embodied on any of a variety of non - volatile data storage device , such as a hard - drive , a diskette or a cd - rom . the code may be distributed on such media , or may be distributed to users from the memory of one computer system over a network of some type to other computer systems for use by users of such other systems . the techniques and methods for embodying software program code on physical media and / or distributing software code via networks are well known and will not be further discussed herein . the preferred embodiment is practiced using a machinery corner function for creating a parametric corner between adjacent geometries , e . g . two flanged geometries , with a variety of different parameters , where those parameters can be bend angles , bend radii , corner angle , and bend direction , for example . turning now to the figures , wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , the machinery corner function will be described using the steps from fig2 a - 2 d and illustrated by fig3 through fig1 , where the plain figure number illustrates both sides formed , the figure number with a single prime illustrates one side formed and one side unformed , and the figure number with a double prime illustrates both sides unformed . beginning with fig3 , where two flanges of different radius are both bent down at ninety degrees and the designer intends to create a machinery corner , the function starts associating the geometries by creating a butt - joint geometry 300 with a gap equal to one modeling tolerance ( step 200 ). butt - joints are commonly understood in the sheet metal industry and will not be explained further . the difference in height between the flanges that meet at the butt - joints is not illustrated in fig3 β² and fig3 β³, but the higher flange butt - joint is located on an associate flange 302 , and the lower flange butt - joint is located on a parent flange 304 . at this point , the machinery corner , i . e . tool body , is not united to a target body 308 , and will not be united until the completion of the process step . to complete the geometry association , the function next operates to trim the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 to the same height ( step 205 ), or also referred to as trimming an extrude 306 , where the extrude 306 is the higher portion of the butt - joint geometry 300 , the result of which is indicated by the presence of a prior height mark 400 on the associate flange 302 . next the function calculates an intersection point 500 from a normal to an associate bend tangent line 506 and a parent bend tangent line 508 , where the bend tangent lines are extended from the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 , respectively ( step 210 ), as illustrated in fig5 and fig5 β². a top point 502 and a bottom point 504 connect the parent flange 304 and the associate flange 302 and are calculated in the unformed state . lines that start with the intersection point 500 and are parallel to the bend tangent lines ( or cylindrical axis ) intersect the side edges of both ends . the two lines that connect the top point 502 and bottom point 504 create a parent mapped bend line 600 and an associate mapped bend line 602 , as illustrated in fig6 , fig6 β², and fig6 β³, that subdivides the parent and associate faces ( step 215 ), respectively . create a plane 800 through a first point 700 a second point 701 and a common - edge vertex 802 , where the common - edge vertex 802 is the intersection of the extended butt - joint surfaces ( step 220 ). then create a bottom b - curve 702 , where the bottom b - curve 702 subdivides the parametric surface into two surface portions , a first surface portion and a second surface portion . the bottom b - curve 702 is tangentially constrained to the parent bend tangent line at the parent mapped bend line 600 and the associate bend tangent line at the associate mapped bend line 602 ( step 225 ). next intersect the plane 800 and the bottom b - curve 702 , and then split the bottom b - curve 702 ( creating a first half b - curve 702 a and a second half b - curve 702 b ) at an intersection point 804 ( step 230 ). through the bottom b - curve 702 create a mesh b - surface 704 on the first surface portion . the mesh b - surface 704 creation is composed of a primary curve and a cross curve . the primary curves consists of an associate bend side curve 806 and the second half b - curve 702 b . and the cross curves consist of a parent bend side curve 808 and the opposite portion of the first half b - curve 702 a , while using tangency to constrain the two adjacent faces ( step 235 ). to form additional b - surfaces on a second surface portion of the parametric surface ( step 240 ) with intersecting the plane 800 ( illustrated in fig9 β²) having the mesh b - surface 704 created ( step 235 ), the function then creates an associate b - curve 902 and a parent b - curve 900 between the associate bend tangent line 506 and the parent bend tangent line 508 and two intersection curves , where the intersection curves are the first half b - curve 702 a and the second half b - curve 702 b , respectively ( step 245 ). the function creates a mesh b - surface 1000 using the first half b - curve 702 a and the associate bend tangent line 506 for the primary curve , and the associate b - curve 902 , and a first associate side curve 906 and a second associate side curve 908 as the cross curve , while using tangency constrains to the three adjacent faces ( step 250 ). to complete the second surface portion of the machinery corner with the function disclosed , repeat step 250 to form another b - surface on the other side , shown at 1100 , ( step 255 ) for the result shown in fig1 - 11 β³. repeat step 220 through step 255 to create the remaining b - surfaces for a top side 1200 as shown in fig1 - 12 β³ ( step 260 ). after all top and bottom parametric surfaces are created , the function creates lofted surfaces 1302 a , 1302 b , 1302 c , 1302 d , and 1302 e ( step 265 ) connecting multiple edges of the parametric surfaces , and sews all faces into a solid tool body 1300 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 β³. finally , the solid tool body 1300 is united to the target body 308 ( step 270 ). with the improved method disclosed herein , 3d cad systems are able to create machinery corners as illustrated in fig1 - 16 , where both corners are formed , both corners are unformed , or one corner is formed while the other is unformed . further , the preferred embodiment can create machinery corners where one of the bend angles are more than ninety degrees , as seen in fig1 . it is important to note that an additional benefit of the disclosed method for creating machinery corners is the consistent parameterization among all states , so there is no central rail edge to separate two bending forms , as illustrated in fig1 & amp ; 19 , which are isoparametric views of fig1 and fig1 β², respectively . this concludes the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention . the following describes some alternative embodiments for accomplishing the present invention . for example , the invention may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations thereof . an apparatus of the invention may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor ; and method steps of the invention may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . the application program may be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language may be a compiled or interpreted language . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing may be supplemented by , or incorporated in , specially - designed asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations in the disclosed embodiment may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts . therefore , it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by all variations and modifications as may fall within the spirit and the scope of the claims appended hereto . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Physics'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Textiles; Paper'? | 0.25 | 12b2271c03ef55f2b031d1286985b80bb82bb4d17241bd411eb88f1eb5406673 | 0.145508 | 0.000024 | 0.167969 | 0.000003 | 0.206055 | 0.000418 |
null | the present invention may be performed in any of a variety of known computing environments . the environment of fig1 comprises a representative conventional computer 100 , such as a desktop or laptop computer , including a plurality of related peripheral devices ( not depicted ). the computer 100 includes a microprocessor 105 and a bus 110 employed to connect and enable communication between the microprocessor 105 and a plurality of components of the computer 100 in accordance with known techniques . the computer 100 typically includes a user interface adapter 115 , which connects the microprocessor 105 via the bus 110 to one or more interface devices , such as a keyboard 120 , mouse 125 , and / or other interface devices 130 , which can be any user interface device , such as a touch sensitive screen , digitized pen entry pad , etc . the bus 110 also connects a display device 135 , such as an lcd screen or monitor , to the microprocessor 105 via a display adapter 140 . the bus 110 also connects the microprocessor 105 to memory 145 , which can include rom , ram , etc . the computer 100 communicates via a communications channel 150 with other computers or networks of computers . the computer 100 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or it can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . software programming code that embodies the present invention is typically stored in a memory 145 of the computer 100 . in the client / server arrangement , such software programming code may be stored with memory associated with a server . the software programming code may also be embodied on any of a variety of non - volatile data storage device , such as a hard - drive , a diskette or a cd - rom . the code may be distributed on such media , or may be distributed to users from the memory of one computer system over a network of some type to other computer systems for use by users of such other systems . the techniques and methods for embodying software program code on physical media and / or distributing software code via networks are well known and will not be further discussed herein . the preferred embodiment is practiced using a machinery corner function for creating a parametric corner between adjacent geometries , e . g . two flanged geometries , with a variety of different parameters , where those parameters can be bend angles , bend radii , corner angle , and bend direction , for example . turning now to the figures , wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , the machinery corner function will be described using the steps from fig2 a - 2 d and illustrated by fig3 through fig1 , where the plain figure number illustrates both sides formed , the figure number with a single prime illustrates one side formed and one side unformed , and the figure number with a double prime illustrates both sides unformed . beginning with fig3 , where two flanges of different radius are both bent down at ninety degrees and the designer intends to create a machinery corner , the function starts associating the geometries by creating a butt - joint geometry 300 with a gap equal to one modeling tolerance ( step 200 ). butt - joints are commonly understood in the sheet metal industry and will not be explained further . the difference in height between the flanges that meet at the butt - joints is not illustrated in fig3 β² and fig3 β³, but the higher flange butt - joint is located on an associate flange 302 , and the lower flange butt - joint is located on a parent flange 304 . at this point , the machinery corner , i . e . tool body , is not united to a target body 308 , and will not be united until the completion of the process step . to complete the geometry association , the function next operates to trim the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 to the same height ( step 205 ), or also referred to as trimming an extrude 306 , where the extrude 306 is the higher portion of the butt - joint geometry 300 , the result of which is indicated by the presence of a prior height mark 400 on the associate flange 302 . next the function calculates an intersection point 500 from a normal to an associate bend tangent line 506 and a parent bend tangent line 508 , where the bend tangent lines are extended from the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 , respectively ( step 210 ), as illustrated in fig5 and fig5 β². a top point 502 and a bottom point 504 connect the parent flange 304 and the associate flange 302 and are calculated in the unformed state . lines that start with the intersection point 500 and are parallel to the bend tangent lines ( or cylindrical axis ) intersect the side edges of both ends . the two lines that connect the top point 502 and bottom point 504 create a parent mapped bend line 600 and an associate mapped bend line 602 , as illustrated in fig6 , fig6 β², and fig6 β³, that subdivides the parent and associate faces ( step 215 ), respectively . create a plane 800 through a first point 700 a second point 701 and a common - edge vertex 802 , where the common - edge vertex 802 is the intersection of the extended butt - joint surfaces ( step 220 ). then create a bottom b - curve 702 , where the bottom b - curve 702 subdivides the parametric surface into two surface portions , a first surface portion and a second surface portion . the bottom b - curve 702 is tangentially constrained to the parent bend tangent line at the parent mapped bend line 600 and the associate bend tangent line at the associate mapped bend line 602 ( step 225 ). next intersect the plane 800 and the bottom b - curve 702 , and then split the bottom b - curve 702 ( creating a first half b - curve 702 a and a second half b - curve 702 b ) at an intersection point 804 ( step 230 ). through the bottom b - curve 702 create a mesh b - surface 704 on the first surface portion . the mesh b - surface 704 creation is composed of a primary curve and a cross curve . the primary curves consists of an associate bend side curve 806 and the second half b - curve 702 b . and the cross curves consist of a parent bend side curve 808 and the opposite portion of the first half b - curve 702 a , while using tangency to constrain the two adjacent faces ( step 235 ). to form additional b - surfaces on a second surface portion of the parametric surface ( step 240 ) with intersecting the plane 800 ( illustrated in fig9 β²) having the mesh b - surface 704 created ( step 235 ), the function then creates an associate b - curve 902 and a parent b - curve 900 between the associate bend tangent line 506 and the parent bend tangent line 508 and two intersection curves , where the intersection curves are the first half b - curve 702 a and the second half b - curve 702 b , respectively ( step 245 ). the function creates a mesh b - surface 1000 using the first half b - curve 702 a and the associate bend tangent line 506 for the primary curve , and the associate b - curve 902 , and a first associate side curve 906 and a second associate side curve 908 as the cross curve , while using tangency constrains to the three adjacent faces ( step 250 ). to complete the second surface portion of the machinery corner with the function disclosed , repeat step 250 to form another b - surface on the other side , shown at 1100 , ( step 255 ) for the result shown in fig1 - 11 β³. repeat step 220 through step 255 to create the remaining b - surfaces for a top side 1200 as shown in fig1 - 12 β³ ( step 260 ). after all top and bottom parametric surfaces are created , the function creates lofted surfaces 1302 a , 1302 b , 1302 c , 1302 d , and 1302 e ( step 265 ) connecting multiple edges of the parametric surfaces , and sews all faces into a solid tool body 1300 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 β³. finally , the solid tool body 1300 is united to the target body 308 ( step 270 ). with the improved method disclosed herein , 3d cad systems are able to create machinery corners as illustrated in fig1 - 16 , where both corners are formed , both corners are unformed , or one corner is formed while the other is unformed . further , the preferred embodiment can create machinery corners where one of the bend angles are more than ninety degrees , as seen in fig1 . it is important to note that an additional benefit of the disclosed method for creating machinery corners is the consistent parameterization among all states , so there is no central rail edge to separate two bending forms , as illustrated in fig1 & amp ; 19 , which are isoparametric views of fig1 and fig1 β², respectively . this concludes the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention . the following describes some alternative embodiments for accomplishing the present invention . for example , the invention may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations thereof . an apparatus of the invention may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor ; and method steps of the invention may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . the application program may be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language may be a compiled or interpreted language . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing may be supplemented by , or incorporated in , specially - designed asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations in the disclosed embodiment may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts . therefore , it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by all variations and modifications as may fall within the spirit and the scope of the claims appended hereto . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Physics'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Fixed Constructions'? | 0.25 | 12b2271c03ef55f2b031d1286985b80bb82bb4d17241bd411eb88f1eb5406673 | 0.171875 | 0.004333 | 0.051025 | 0.000881 | 0.248047 | 0.007355 |
null | the present invention may be performed in any of a variety of known computing environments . the environment of fig1 comprises a representative conventional computer 100 , such as a desktop or laptop computer , including a plurality of related peripheral devices ( not depicted ). the computer 100 includes a microprocessor 105 and a bus 110 employed to connect and enable communication between the microprocessor 105 and a plurality of components of the computer 100 in accordance with known techniques . the computer 100 typically includes a user interface adapter 115 , which connects the microprocessor 105 via the bus 110 to one or more interface devices , such as a keyboard 120 , mouse 125 , and / or other interface devices 130 , which can be any user interface device , such as a touch sensitive screen , digitized pen entry pad , etc . the bus 110 also connects a display device 135 , such as an lcd screen or monitor , to the microprocessor 105 via a display adapter 140 . the bus 110 also connects the microprocessor 105 to memory 145 , which can include rom , ram , etc . the computer 100 communicates via a communications channel 150 with other computers or networks of computers . the computer 100 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or it can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . software programming code that embodies the present invention is typically stored in a memory 145 of the computer 100 . in the client / server arrangement , such software programming code may be stored with memory associated with a server . the software programming code may also be embodied on any of a variety of non - volatile data storage device , such as a hard - drive , a diskette or a cd - rom . the code may be distributed on such media , or may be distributed to users from the memory of one computer system over a network of some type to other computer systems for use by users of such other systems . the techniques and methods for embodying software program code on physical media and / or distributing software code via networks are well known and will not be further discussed herein . the preferred embodiment is practiced using a machinery corner function for creating a parametric corner between adjacent geometries , e . g . two flanged geometries , with a variety of different parameters , where those parameters can be bend angles , bend radii , corner angle , and bend direction , for example . turning now to the figures , wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , the machinery corner function will be described using the steps from fig2 a - 2 d and illustrated by fig3 through fig1 , where the plain figure number illustrates both sides formed , the figure number with a single prime illustrates one side formed and one side unformed , and the figure number with a double prime illustrates both sides unformed . beginning with fig3 , where two flanges of different radius are both bent down at ninety degrees and the designer intends to create a machinery corner , the function starts associating the geometries by creating a butt - joint geometry 300 with a gap equal to one modeling tolerance ( step 200 ). butt - joints are commonly understood in the sheet metal industry and will not be explained further . the difference in height between the flanges that meet at the butt - joints is not illustrated in fig3 β² and fig3 β³, but the higher flange butt - joint is located on an associate flange 302 , and the lower flange butt - joint is located on a parent flange 304 . at this point , the machinery corner , i . e . tool body , is not united to a target body 308 , and will not be united until the completion of the process step . to complete the geometry association , the function next operates to trim the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 to the same height ( step 205 ), or also referred to as trimming an extrude 306 , where the extrude 306 is the higher portion of the butt - joint geometry 300 , the result of which is indicated by the presence of a prior height mark 400 on the associate flange 302 . next the function calculates an intersection point 500 from a normal to an associate bend tangent line 506 and a parent bend tangent line 508 , where the bend tangent lines are extended from the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 , respectively ( step 210 ), as illustrated in fig5 and fig5 β². a top point 502 and a bottom point 504 connect the parent flange 304 and the associate flange 302 and are calculated in the unformed state . lines that start with the intersection point 500 and are parallel to the bend tangent lines ( or cylindrical axis ) intersect the side edges of both ends . the two lines that connect the top point 502 and bottom point 504 create a parent mapped bend line 600 and an associate mapped bend line 602 , as illustrated in fig6 , fig6 β², and fig6 β³, that subdivides the parent and associate faces ( step 215 ), respectively . create a plane 800 through a first point 700 a second point 701 and a common - edge vertex 802 , where the common - edge vertex 802 is the intersection of the extended butt - joint surfaces ( step 220 ). then create a bottom b - curve 702 , where the bottom b - curve 702 subdivides the parametric surface into two surface portions , a first surface portion and a second surface portion . the bottom b - curve 702 is tangentially constrained to the parent bend tangent line at the parent mapped bend line 600 and the associate bend tangent line at the associate mapped bend line 602 ( step 225 ). next intersect the plane 800 and the bottom b - curve 702 , and then split the bottom b - curve 702 ( creating a first half b - curve 702 a and a second half b - curve 702 b ) at an intersection point 804 ( step 230 ). through the bottom b - curve 702 create a mesh b - surface 704 on the first surface portion . the mesh b - surface 704 creation is composed of a primary curve and a cross curve . the primary curves consists of an associate bend side curve 806 and the second half b - curve 702 b . and the cross curves consist of a parent bend side curve 808 and the opposite portion of the first half b - curve 702 a , while using tangency to constrain the two adjacent faces ( step 235 ). to form additional b - surfaces on a second surface portion of the parametric surface ( step 240 ) with intersecting the plane 800 ( illustrated in fig9 β²) having the mesh b - surface 704 created ( step 235 ), the function then creates an associate b - curve 902 and a parent b - curve 900 between the associate bend tangent line 506 and the parent bend tangent line 508 and two intersection curves , where the intersection curves are the first half b - curve 702 a and the second half b - curve 702 b , respectively ( step 245 ). the function creates a mesh b - surface 1000 using the first half b - curve 702 a and the associate bend tangent line 506 for the primary curve , and the associate b - curve 902 , and a first associate side curve 906 and a second associate side curve 908 as the cross curve , while using tangency constrains to the three adjacent faces ( step 250 ). to complete the second surface portion of the machinery corner with the function disclosed , repeat step 250 to form another b - surface on the other side , shown at 1100 , ( step 255 ) for the result shown in fig1 - 11 β³. repeat step 220 through step 255 to create the remaining b - surfaces for a top side 1200 as shown in fig1 - 12 β³ ( step 260 ). after all top and bottom parametric surfaces are created , the function creates lofted surfaces 1302 a , 1302 b , 1302 c , 1302 d , and 1302 e ( step 265 ) connecting multiple edges of the parametric surfaces , and sews all faces into a solid tool body 1300 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 β³. finally , the solid tool body 1300 is united to the target body 308 ( step 270 ). with the improved method disclosed herein , 3d cad systems are able to create machinery corners as illustrated in fig1 - 16 , where both corners are formed , both corners are unformed , or one corner is formed while the other is unformed . further , the preferred embodiment can create machinery corners where one of the bend angles are more than ninety degrees , as seen in fig1 . it is important to note that an additional benefit of the disclosed method for creating machinery corners is the consistent parameterization among all states , so there is no central rail edge to separate two bending forms , as illustrated in fig1 & amp ; 19 , which are isoparametric views of fig1 and fig1 β², respectively . this concludes the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention . the following describes some alternative embodiments for accomplishing the present invention . for example , the invention may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations thereof . an apparatus of the invention may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor ; and method steps of the invention may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . the application program may be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language may be a compiled or interpreted language . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing may be supplemented by , or incorporated in , specially - designed asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations in the disclosed embodiment may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts . therefore , it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by all variations and modifications as may fall within the spirit and the scope of the claims appended hereto . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Physics'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | 0.25 | 12b2271c03ef55f2b031d1286985b80bb82bb4d17241bd411eb88f1eb5406673 | 0.145508 | 0.000687 | 0.167969 | 0.000473 | 0.200195 | 0.003082 |
null | the present invention may be performed in any of a variety of known computing environments . the environment of fig1 comprises a representative conventional computer 100 , such as a desktop or laptop computer , including a plurality of related peripheral devices ( not depicted ). the computer 100 includes a microprocessor 105 and a bus 110 employed to connect and enable communication between the microprocessor 105 and a plurality of components of the computer 100 in accordance with known techniques . the computer 100 typically includes a user interface adapter 115 , which connects the microprocessor 105 via the bus 110 to one or more interface devices , such as a keyboard 120 , mouse 125 , and / or other interface devices 130 , which can be any user interface device , such as a touch sensitive screen , digitized pen entry pad , etc . the bus 110 also connects a display device 135 , such as an lcd screen or monitor , to the microprocessor 105 via a display adapter 140 . the bus 110 also connects the microprocessor 105 to memory 145 , which can include rom , ram , etc . the computer 100 communicates via a communications channel 150 with other computers or networks of computers . the computer 100 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or it can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . software programming code that embodies the present invention is typically stored in a memory 145 of the computer 100 . in the client / server arrangement , such software programming code may be stored with memory associated with a server . the software programming code may also be embodied on any of a variety of non - volatile data storage device , such as a hard - drive , a diskette or a cd - rom . the code may be distributed on such media , or may be distributed to users from the memory of one computer system over a network of some type to other computer systems for use by users of such other systems . the techniques and methods for embodying software program code on physical media and / or distributing software code via networks are well known and will not be further discussed herein . the preferred embodiment is practiced using a machinery corner function for creating a parametric corner between adjacent geometries , e . g . two flanged geometries , with a variety of different parameters , where those parameters can be bend angles , bend radii , corner angle , and bend direction , for example . turning now to the figures , wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , the machinery corner function will be described using the steps from fig2 a - 2 d and illustrated by fig3 through fig1 , where the plain figure number illustrates both sides formed , the figure number with a single prime illustrates one side formed and one side unformed , and the figure number with a double prime illustrates both sides unformed . beginning with fig3 , where two flanges of different radius are both bent down at ninety degrees and the designer intends to create a machinery corner , the function starts associating the geometries by creating a butt - joint geometry 300 with a gap equal to one modeling tolerance ( step 200 ). butt - joints are commonly understood in the sheet metal industry and will not be explained further . the difference in height between the flanges that meet at the butt - joints is not illustrated in fig3 β² and fig3 β³, but the higher flange butt - joint is located on an associate flange 302 , and the lower flange butt - joint is located on a parent flange 304 . at this point , the machinery corner , i . e . tool body , is not united to a target body 308 , and will not be united until the completion of the process step . to complete the geometry association , the function next operates to trim the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 to the same height ( step 205 ), or also referred to as trimming an extrude 306 , where the extrude 306 is the higher portion of the butt - joint geometry 300 , the result of which is indicated by the presence of a prior height mark 400 on the associate flange 302 . next the function calculates an intersection point 500 from a normal to an associate bend tangent line 506 and a parent bend tangent line 508 , where the bend tangent lines are extended from the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 , respectively ( step 210 ), as illustrated in fig5 and fig5 β². a top point 502 and a bottom point 504 connect the parent flange 304 and the associate flange 302 and are calculated in the unformed state . lines that start with the intersection point 500 and are parallel to the bend tangent lines ( or cylindrical axis ) intersect the side edges of both ends . the two lines that connect the top point 502 and bottom point 504 create a parent mapped bend line 600 and an associate mapped bend line 602 , as illustrated in fig6 , fig6 β², and fig6 β³, that subdivides the parent and associate faces ( step 215 ), respectively . create a plane 800 through a first point 700 a second point 701 and a common - edge vertex 802 , where the common - edge vertex 802 is the intersection of the extended butt - joint surfaces ( step 220 ). then create a bottom b - curve 702 , where the bottom b - curve 702 subdivides the parametric surface into two surface portions , a first surface portion and a second surface portion . the bottom b - curve 702 is tangentially constrained to the parent bend tangent line at the parent mapped bend line 600 and the associate bend tangent line at the associate mapped bend line 602 ( step 225 ). next intersect the plane 800 and the bottom b - curve 702 , and then split the bottom b - curve 702 ( creating a first half b - curve 702 a and a second half b - curve 702 b ) at an intersection point 804 ( step 230 ). through the bottom b - curve 702 create a mesh b - surface 704 on the first surface portion . the mesh b - surface 704 creation is composed of a primary curve and a cross curve . the primary curves consists of an associate bend side curve 806 and the second half b - curve 702 b . and the cross curves consist of a parent bend side curve 808 and the opposite portion of the first half b - curve 702 a , while using tangency to constrain the two adjacent faces ( step 235 ). to form additional b - surfaces on a second surface portion of the parametric surface ( step 240 ) with intersecting the plane 800 ( illustrated in fig9 β²) having the mesh b - surface 704 created ( step 235 ), the function then creates an associate b - curve 902 and a parent b - curve 900 between the associate bend tangent line 506 and the parent bend tangent line 508 and two intersection curves , where the intersection curves are the first half b - curve 702 a and the second half b - curve 702 b , respectively ( step 245 ). the function creates a mesh b - surface 1000 using the first half b - curve 702 a and the associate bend tangent line 506 for the primary curve , and the associate b - curve 902 , and a first associate side curve 906 and a second associate side curve 908 as the cross curve , while using tangency constrains to the three adjacent faces ( step 250 ). to complete the second surface portion of the machinery corner with the function disclosed , repeat step 250 to form another b - surface on the other side , shown at 1100 , ( step 255 ) for the result shown in fig1 - 11 β³. repeat step 220 through step 255 to create the remaining b - surfaces for a top side 1200 as shown in fig1 - 12 β³ ( step 260 ). after all top and bottom parametric surfaces are created , the function creates lofted surfaces 1302 a , 1302 b , 1302 c , 1302 d , and 1302 e ( step 265 ) connecting multiple edges of the parametric surfaces , and sews all faces into a solid tool body 1300 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 β³. finally , the solid tool body 1300 is united to the target body 308 ( step 270 ). with the improved method disclosed herein , 3d cad systems are able to create machinery corners as illustrated in fig1 - 16 , where both corners are formed , both corners are unformed , or one corner is formed while the other is unformed . further , the preferred embodiment can create machinery corners where one of the bend angles are more than ninety degrees , as seen in fig1 . it is important to note that an additional benefit of the disclosed method for creating machinery corners is the consistent parameterization among all states , so there is no central rail edge to separate two bending forms , as illustrated in fig1 & amp ; 19 , which are isoparametric views of fig1 and fig1 β², respectively . this concludes the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention . the following describes some alternative embodiments for accomplishing the present invention . for example , the invention may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations thereof . an apparatus of the invention may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor ; and method steps of the invention may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . the application program may be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language may be a compiled or interpreted language . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing may be supplemented by , or incorporated in , specially - designed asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations in the disclosed embodiment may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts . therefore , it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by all variations and modifications as may fall within the spirit and the scope of the claims appended hereto . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Physics'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | 0.25 | 12b2271c03ef55f2b031d1286985b80bb82bb4d17241bd411eb88f1eb5406673 | 0.145508 | 0.000607 | 0.167969 | 0.000261 | 0.200195 | 0.000296 |
null | the present invention may be performed in any of a variety of known computing environments . the environment of fig1 comprises a representative conventional computer 100 , such as a desktop or laptop computer , including a plurality of related peripheral devices ( not depicted ). the computer 100 includes a microprocessor 105 and a bus 110 employed to connect and enable communication between the microprocessor 105 and a plurality of components of the computer 100 in accordance with known techniques . the computer 100 typically includes a user interface adapter 115 , which connects the microprocessor 105 via the bus 110 to one or more interface devices , such as a keyboard 120 , mouse 125 , and / or other interface devices 130 , which can be any user interface device , such as a touch sensitive screen , digitized pen entry pad , etc . the bus 110 also connects a display device 135 , such as an lcd screen or monitor , to the microprocessor 105 via a display adapter 140 . the bus 110 also connects the microprocessor 105 to memory 145 , which can include rom , ram , etc . the computer 100 communicates via a communications channel 150 with other computers or networks of computers . the computer 100 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or it can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . software programming code that embodies the present invention is typically stored in a memory 145 of the computer 100 . in the client / server arrangement , such software programming code may be stored with memory associated with a server . the software programming code may also be embodied on any of a variety of non - volatile data storage device , such as a hard - drive , a diskette or a cd - rom . the code may be distributed on such media , or may be distributed to users from the memory of one computer system over a network of some type to other computer systems for use by users of such other systems . the techniques and methods for embodying software program code on physical media and / or distributing software code via networks are well known and will not be further discussed herein . the preferred embodiment is practiced using a machinery corner function for creating a parametric corner between adjacent geometries , e . g . two flanged geometries , with a variety of different parameters , where those parameters can be bend angles , bend radii , corner angle , and bend direction , for example . turning now to the figures , wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , the machinery corner function will be described using the steps from fig2 a - 2 d and illustrated by fig3 through fig1 , where the plain figure number illustrates both sides formed , the figure number with a single prime illustrates one side formed and one side unformed , and the figure number with a double prime illustrates both sides unformed . beginning with fig3 , where two flanges of different radius are both bent down at ninety degrees and the designer intends to create a machinery corner , the function starts associating the geometries by creating a butt - joint geometry 300 with a gap equal to one modeling tolerance ( step 200 ). butt - joints are commonly understood in the sheet metal industry and will not be explained further . the difference in height between the flanges that meet at the butt - joints is not illustrated in fig3 β² and fig3 β³, but the higher flange butt - joint is located on an associate flange 302 , and the lower flange butt - joint is located on a parent flange 304 . at this point , the machinery corner , i . e . tool body , is not united to a target body 308 , and will not be united until the completion of the process step . to complete the geometry association , the function next operates to trim the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 to the same height ( step 205 ), or also referred to as trimming an extrude 306 , where the extrude 306 is the higher portion of the butt - joint geometry 300 , the result of which is indicated by the presence of a prior height mark 400 on the associate flange 302 . next the function calculates an intersection point 500 from a normal to an associate bend tangent line 506 and a parent bend tangent line 508 , where the bend tangent lines are extended from the associate flange 302 and the parent flange 304 , respectively ( step 210 ), as illustrated in fig5 and fig5 β². a top point 502 and a bottom point 504 connect the parent flange 304 and the associate flange 302 and are calculated in the unformed state . lines that start with the intersection point 500 and are parallel to the bend tangent lines ( or cylindrical axis ) intersect the side edges of both ends . the two lines that connect the top point 502 and bottom point 504 create a parent mapped bend line 600 and an associate mapped bend line 602 , as illustrated in fig6 , fig6 β², and fig6 β³, that subdivides the parent and associate faces ( step 215 ), respectively . create a plane 800 through a first point 700 a second point 701 and a common - edge vertex 802 , where the common - edge vertex 802 is the intersection of the extended butt - joint surfaces ( step 220 ). then create a bottom b - curve 702 , where the bottom b - curve 702 subdivides the parametric surface into two surface portions , a first surface portion and a second surface portion . the bottom b - curve 702 is tangentially constrained to the parent bend tangent line at the parent mapped bend line 600 and the associate bend tangent line at the associate mapped bend line 602 ( step 225 ). next intersect the plane 800 and the bottom b - curve 702 , and then split the bottom b - curve 702 ( creating a first half b - curve 702 a and a second half b - curve 702 b ) at an intersection point 804 ( step 230 ). through the bottom b - curve 702 create a mesh b - surface 704 on the first surface portion . the mesh b - surface 704 creation is composed of a primary curve and a cross curve . the primary curves consists of an associate bend side curve 806 and the second half b - curve 702 b . and the cross curves consist of a parent bend side curve 808 and the opposite portion of the first half b - curve 702 a , while using tangency to constrain the two adjacent faces ( step 235 ). to form additional b - surfaces on a second surface portion of the parametric surface ( step 240 ) with intersecting the plane 800 ( illustrated in fig9 β²) having the mesh b - surface 704 created ( step 235 ), the function then creates an associate b - curve 902 and a parent b - curve 900 between the associate bend tangent line 506 and the parent bend tangent line 508 and two intersection curves , where the intersection curves are the first half b - curve 702 a and the second half b - curve 702 b , respectively ( step 245 ). the function creates a mesh b - surface 1000 using the first half b - curve 702 a and the associate bend tangent line 506 for the primary curve , and the associate b - curve 902 , and a first associate side curve 906 and a second associate side curve 908 as the cross curve , while using tangency constrains to the three adjacent faces ( step 250 ). to complete the second surface portion of the machinery corner with the function disclosed , repeat step 250 to form another b - surface on the other side , shown at 1100 , ( step 255 ) for the result shown in fig1 - 11 β³. repeat step 220 through step 255 to create the remaining b - surfaces for a top side 1200 as shown in fig1 - 12 β³ ( step 260 ). after all top and bottom parametric surfaces are created , the function creates lofted surfaces 1302 a , 1302 b , 1302 c , 1302 d , and 1302 e ( step 265 ) connecting multiple edges of the parametric surfaces , and sews all faces into a solid tool body 1300 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 β³. finally , the solid tool body 1300 is united to the target body 308 ( step 270 ). with the improved method disclosed herein , 3d cad systems are able to create machinery corners as illustrated in fig1 - 16 , where both corners are formed , both corners are unformed , or one corner is formed while the other is unformed . further , the preferred embodiment can create machinery corners where one of the bend angles are more than ninety degrees , as seen in fig1 . it is important to note that an additional benefit of the disclosed method for creating machinery corners is the consistent parameterization among all states , so there is no central rail edge to separate two bending forms , as illustrated in fig1 & amp ; 19 , which are isoparametric views of fig1 and fig1 β², respectively . this concludes the description of the preferred embodiment of the invention . the following describes some alternative embodiments for accomplishing the present invention . for example , the invention may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer hardware , firmware , software , or in combinations thereof . an apparatus of the invention may be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor ; and method steps of the invention may be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention may advantageously be implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . the application program may be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language may be a compiled or interpreted language . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing may be supplemented by , or incorporated in , specially - designed asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations in the disclosed embodiment may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts . therefore , it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by all variations and modifications as may fall within the spirit and the scope of the claims appended hereto . | Is 'Physics' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 12b2271c03ef55f2b031d1286985b80bb82bb4d17241bd411eb88f1eb5406673 | 0.067383 | 0.036133 | 0.027222 | 0.052734 | 0.112793 | 0.091309 |
null | referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the process and apparatus in accordance with the present invention for inerting solid or molten metals . fig1 illustrates a bulk liquid cryogen storage tank , where the cryogen is preferably n 2 , ar , co 2 . the liquid cryogen is preferably in a saturated liquid state , where the saturated liquid is in equilibrium with vapor phase at an elevated pressure . liquid bulk storage tank 2 feeds liquid cryogen via a shut - off valve 4 through distribution piping 8 , where distribution pipe 8 preferably includes a safety pressure relief valve 6 to relieve in case of overpressure . distribution piping 8 is generally outdoors , originates at ground level , and generally and preferably is routed to an elevated header inside of a melt shop or other building , and then has individual β drop legs β as explained herein . the drop legs are typically flex hoses which are routed to each furnace or pair of furnaces . the distribution piping can have one or more drop legs from each header . the system in fig1 preferably includes a shut - off valve 10 which connects the distribution piping to a gas liquid separation device 12 , which preferably includes a chamber with an internal float connected to an internal upper gas vent valve . a safety pressure relief valve 14 can also be included as shown . liquid cryogen flows through piping 11 through a flex hose 18 , liquid shut - off valve 20 , a metering orifice 21 , and piping connection 24 , and eventually exits through a diffuser 26 which is located inside cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . preferably , the piping connection 24 is a double wall lance pipe as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 848 , 751 , incorporated herein by reference . gas liquid separation device 12 could be also a simple pipe β tee ,β ( preferably larger than piping 11 in diameter ), installed at or near the highest point , with a gas vent pointing vertically . following the gas flow through the system illustrated in fig1 a pressure regulator or in - line pressure relief valve 16 is preferably provided . pressure regulator 16 maintains the desired back pressure to the gas liquid separation device 12 , and to distribution piping 8 , rather than allowing the gas vent 12 to discharge to atmosphere , which can reduce system pressure . a flex hose 34 connects with a gas adjusting valve 36 , piping connection 31 , and nozzle 33 for allowing gaseous cryogen to be routed toward the molten or solid metal 1 , being held in container 32 . preferably , an adjusting valve or orifice can be provided as indicated at 38 , to allow additional gas purged from the liquid line 18 and 24 into the gas line 31 . valve 38 preferably includes a check valve ( one - way valve ) to allow gas to flow into the gas system , but not to allow gas to flow back into the liquid piping system 18 and 24 . valve connection 38 may also include a pressure regulator or in - line relief valve , to maintain pressure in liquid lines 11 , 18 , and 24 . also indicated in fig1 is a connection 40 for routing liquid cryogen to another furnace , and a connection 42 for routing gaseous cryogen to another container . distribution pipe 8 can be a header pipe to distribute cryogen to multiple furnace containers 32 . cryogen can be supplied to each furnace via its own nozzles 28 , 31 and 33 , and diffuser 26 . hence , items 10 - 38 can be replicated as needed for multiple furnaces . referring now to fig2 illustrated is another embodiment of a method and apparatus suitable for practicing the invention . the system illustrated in fig2 differs only from that illustrated in fig1 in the construction of cryogen inerting nozzle 28 , which has also a gas providing connection 35 taking feed from gaseous cryogen conduit 31 . this version of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 is better viewed with reference to fig3 and 4 . fig3 is a side elevation cross - sectional view of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 , illustrating certain dimensions . liquid cryogen enters at 27 , while gaseous cryogen enters at 29 . the internal diameter of liquid cryogen nozzle 28 , denoted as d , preferably ranges from about 2 cm up to about 10 cm , more preferably ranging from about 2 cm to about 5 cm , depending on the amount of cryogen desired . the exit end of nozzle 28 has a larger diameter d β², than the internal diameter d of nozzle 28 . this slight flaring of the exit of the nozzle provides certain advantages , for example , the liquid may have a better drip characteristic , and the gaseous cryogen may spread to a wider area of the molten or solid metal in container 32 . the ratio of a diameter d divided by d β² typically and preferably ranges from about 0 . 5 to 1 , up to 1 to 1 . fig3 also illustrates diameter d of diffuser 26 , with diameter d ranging from about 5 % up to about 90 % of the diameter d . it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that diffuser 26 need not be cylindrical or round in construction but could be rectangular or any other shape including a t - shaped element . a distance l from terminal tip of diffuser 26 to the entrance of connection 35 typically ranges from about 0 to about 3 diameters equal to d , the diameter of diffuser 26 . lengths denoted as l d and l n are also illustrated in fig3 . the dimension l d corresponds to the axial length of diffuser 26 , while the length denoted l n denotes the distance from the end of diffuser 26 to the exit of nozzle 28 . preferably , the distance l d ranges from about 0 . 5 to about 3 times the diameter d , while the length dimension l n is preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 5 times the length dimension l d . [ 0042 ] fig4 illustrates the end view along the view a - a denoted in fig3 illustrating that diffuser 26 is substantially centered within a cylindrical cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . it should be noted that this is preferred only and that diffuser 26 could be located in a non - central location in reference to the axial center line of nozzle 28 . also as illustrated in fig4 gaseous cryogen connection 35 is indicated as being connected non - tangentially to nozzle 28 , however , connection 35 could be tangentially connected as indicated in fig4 a . fig4 a shows an alternate embodiment where gas connection 35 is tangentially connected to cryogen delivery nozzle 28 . the embodiment of fig4 a would tend to give a swirling motion to the gaseous cryogen as it exits nozzle 28 . it can also be envisioned to install swirling elements on an internal surface of nozzle 28 to create more swirl for gaseous cryogen . with either fig4 or 4 a , it can also be envisioned to utilize a substantially larger diameter d of the nozzle 28 , to provide broader gas coverage in the furnace 32 . [ 0043 ] fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment 50 of a nozzle useful for delivering liquid and gaseous cryogen for the purposes of the invention . a nozzle 28 as in previous embodiments is fitted with an annular section 52 basically surrounding the nozzle 28 , and creating an annular space for gaseous cryogen to enter through a piping connection 54 . thus , only liquid would exit through the nozzle 28 via diffuser 26 , whereas , gaseous cryogen would exit the annular region formed between nozzle 28 and annular section 52 . annular section 52 may be connected to nozzle 28 such as by welds 56 and 58 . piping connection 54 may be non - tangentially connected to annular connection 52 or it may be tangentially connected to provide a swirling flow of cryogen . at initial startup of liquid cryogen flow ( such as after a weekend shutdown or the like ), valves 4 , 10 , 20 , and 21 are fully opened . since the piping ( 8 , 11 , etc .) is initially warm ( room temperature ), liquid cryogen will be vaporized as it travels through the pipe . typically , several minutes are required in order to cool the piping system to cryogenic temperatures , and attain steady state flow conditions . hence valve 21 is kept full open , initially , while 100 % gas discharges through the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 . as liquid begins to appear out the nozzle 28 , this is an indication that the piping is beginning to cool , and valve 21 is gradually closed in order to maintain the desired ( small ) liquid flow rate . at steady state conditions , when the piping system has fully cooled to its ultimate steady state temperature , ideally valve 21 will be fully closed , and the desired liquid flowrate is maintained through the fixed metering orifice hole in valve 21 . valve 36 ( gas vent line ) is opened at some point during this cool down process ( either at beginning or after some time ). once the system has reached steady state with respect to piping cool down , then valve 36 and / or regulator 16 can be adjusted , along with valve 21 , in order to provide optimum performance ( consistent , stable liquid flow , without surging or sputtering , at minimum flowrate ). without the gas vent line 34 and / or gas vent device 12 , in many cases , total cryogen flow is increased unnecessarily ( by opening valve 21 ) in order to maintain consistent , stable liquid flow without surging . by opening and adjusting the ( optional ) one - way valve 38 , further fine - tuning can be accomplished , by creating an additional β gas escape path β for vapor generated in the piping in close proximity to the hot furnace , i . e . pipe 24 . in one experimental setup , at steady state flow conditions , when valve 36 ( gas vent valve ) was closed , it was observed that valve 21 had to be opened wider in order to maintain stable , consistent liquid flow without surging . when valve 36 was opened , creating an escape path for gas generated in the piping , then stable liquid flow ( no surging ) could be maintained with valve 21 in a more closed position . this suggests that by segregating the liquid and gas flow in this manner , the required overall flowrate of cryogen for a given system potentially can be reduced . or , at minimum , the consistency and quality of liquid cryogen delivered to the furnace is improved , thereby increasing inerting effectiveness . and with the novel technique of utilizing the vented gas in the furnace ( via nozzle 33 or connection 35 ), as opposed to wasting it by venting to atmosphere , efficient utilization of cryogen is further improved . recognizing that in the absence of a gas vent line 34 or a gas vent device 12 , a certain percentage of the cryogen discharging from the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 will always be gas , the novelty is that , first , the gas and liquid flow is segregated , in order to provide greater uniformity , stability and consistency of liquid flow ( with potentially reduced overall flow requirement ), and second , the vented gas is now routed back to the furnace in order to utilize its inerting value , rather than wasting it by venting to atmosphere , which further contributes to increased efficiency of cryogen utilization . this apparatus and method , therefore , can provide greater economy ( reduced overall cryogen consumption ) with improved inerting effectiveness ( through more consistent , stable liquid flow ) while improving operator safety ( minimized liquid flowrate reduces risk of explosion from liquid β pooling β on molten metal surface ). preferred processes for practicing the present invention have been described . it will be understood and readily apparent to the artisan that many changes and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . the foregoing is illustrative only and that other embodiments of the integrated process can be employed without departing from the true scope of the invention defined in the following claims | Is 'Chemistry; Metallurgy' the correct technical category for the patent? | Should this patent be classified under 'Human Necessities'? | 0.25 | ff5b261144c434d7715b24416da0b680490ff52c7ab3139e83643b46d7bf42c0 | 0.033203 | 0.002716 | 0.014038 | 0.000028 | 0.056641 | 0.002319 |
null | referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the process and apparatus in accordance with the present invention for inerting solid or molten metals . fig1 illustrates a bulk liquid cryogen storage tank , where the cryogen is preferably n 2 , ar , co 2 . the liquid cryogen is preferably in a saturated liquid state , where the saturated liquid is in equilibrium with vapor phase at an elevated pressure . liquid bulk storage tank 2 feeds liquid cryogen via a shut - off valve 4 through distribution piping 8 , where distribution pipe 8 preferably includes a safety pressure relief valve 6 to relieve in case of overpressure . distribution piping 8 is generally outdoors , originates at ground level , and generally and preferably is routed to an elevated header inside of a melt shop or other building , and then has individual β drop legs β as explained herein . the drop legs are typically flex hoses which are routed to each furnace or pair of furnaces . the distribution piping can have one or more drop legs from each header . the system in fig1 preferably includes a shut - off valve 10 which connects the distribution piping to a gas liquid separation device 12 , which preferably includes a chamber with an internal float connected to an internal upper gas vent valve . a safety pressure relief valve 14 can also be included as shown . liquid cryogen flows through piping 11 through a flex hose 18 , liquid shut - off valve 20 , a metering orifice 21 , and piping connection 24 , and eventually exits through a diffuser 26 which is located inside cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . preferably , the piping connection 24 is a double wall lance pipe as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 848 , 751 , incorporated herein by reference . gas liquid separation device 12 could be also a simple pipe β tee ,β ( preferably larger than piping 11 in diameter ), installed at or near the highest point , with a gas vent pointing vertically . following the gas flow through the system illustrated in fig1 a pressure regulator or in - line pressure relief valve 16 is preferably provided . pressure regulator 16 maintains the desired back pressure to the gas liquid separation device 12 , and to distribution piping 8 , rather than allowing the gas vent 12 to discharge to atmosphere , which can reduce system pressure . a flex hose 34 connects with a gas adjusting valve 36 , piping connection 31 , and nozzle 33 for allowing gaseous cryogen to be routed toward the molten or solid metal 1 , being held in container 32 . preferably , an adjusting valve or orifice can be provided as indicated at 38 , to allow additional gas purged from the liquid line 18 and 24 into the gas line 31 . valve 38 preferably includes a check valve ( one - way valve ) to allow gas to flow into the gas system , but not to allow gas to flow back into the liquid piping system 18 and 24 . valve connection 38 may also include a pressure regulator or in - line relief valve , to maintain pressure in liquid lines 11 , 18 , and 24 . also indicated in fig1 is a connection 40 for routing liquid cryogen to another furnace , and a connection 42 for routing gaseous cryogen to another container . distribution pipe 8 can be a header pipe to distribute cryogen to multiple furnace containers 32 . cryogen can be supplied to each furnace via its own nozzles 28 , 31 and 33 , and diffuser 26 . hence , items 10 - 38 can be replicated as needed for multiple furnaces . referring now to fig2 illustrated is another embodiment of a method and apparatus suitable for practicing the invention . the system illustrated in fig2 differs only from that illustrated in fig1 in the construction of cryogen inerting nozzle 28 , which has also a gas providing connection 35 taking feed from gaseous cryogen conduit 31 . this version of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 is better viewed with reference to fig3 and 4 . fig3 is a side elevation cross - sectional view of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 , illustrating certain dimensions . liquid cryogen enters at 27 , while gaseous cryogen enters at 29 . the internal diameter of liquid cryogen nozzle 28 , denoted as d , preferably ranges from about 2 cm up to about 10 cm , more preferably ranging from about 2 cm to about 5 cm , depending on the amount of cryogen desired . the exit end of nozzle 28 has a larger diameter d β², than the internal diameter d of nozzle 28 . this slight flaring of the exit of the nozzle provides certain advantages , for example , the liquid may have a better drip characteristic , and the gaseous cryogen may spread to a wider area of the molten or solid metal in container 32 . the ratio of a diameter d divided by d β² typically and preferably ranges from about 0 . 5 to 1 , up to 1 to 1 . fig3 also illustrates diameter d of diffuser 26 , with diameter d ranging from about 5 % up to about 90 % of the diameter d . it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that diffuser 26 need not be cylindrical or round in construction but could be rectangular or any other shape including a t - shaped element . a distance l from terminal tip of diffuser 26 to the entrance of connection 35 typically ranges from about 0 to about 3 diameters equal to d , the diameter of diffuser 26 . lengths denoted as l d and l n are also illustrated in fig3 . the dimension l d corresponds to the axial length of diffuser 26 , while the length denoted l n denotes the distance from the end of diffuser 26 to the exit of nozzle 28 . preferably , the distance l d ranges from about 0 . 5 to about 3 times the diameter d , while the length dimension l n is preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 5 times the length dimension l d . [ 0042 ] fig4 illustrates the end view along the view a - a denoted in fig3 illustrating that diffuser 26 is substantially centered within a cylindrical cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . it should be noted that this is preferred only and that diffuser 26 could be located in a non - central location in reference to the axial center line of nozzle 28 . also as illustrated in fig4 gaseous cryogen connection 35 is indicated as being connected non - tangentially to nozzle 28 , however , connection 35 could be tangentially connected as indicated in fig4 a . fig4 a shows an alternate embodiment where gas connection 35 is tangentially connected to cryogen delivery nozzle 28 . the embodiment of fig4 a would tend to give a swirling motion to the gaseous cryogen as it exits nozzle 28 . it can also be envisioned to install swirling elements on an internal surface of nozzle 28 to create more swirl for gaseous cryogen . with either fig4 or 4 a , it can also be envisioned to utilize a substantially larger diameter d of the nozzle 28 , to provide broader gas coverage in the furnace 32 . [ 0043 ] fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment 50 of a nozzle useful for delivering liquid and gaseous cryogen for the purposes of the invention . a nozzle 28 as in previous embodiments is fitted with an annular section 52 basically surrounding the nozzle 28 , and creating an annular space for gaseous cryogen to enter through a piping connection 54 . thus , only liquid would exit through the nozzle 28 via diffuser 26 , whereas , gaseous cryogen would exit the annular region formed between nozzle 28 and annular section 52 . annular section 52 may be connected to nozzle 28 such as by welds 56 and 58 . piping connection 54 may be non - tangentially connected to annular connection 52 or it may be tangentially connected to provide a swirling flow of cryogen . at initial startup of liquid cryogen flow ( such as after a weekend shutdown or the like ), valves 4 , 10 , 20 , and 21 are fully opened . since the piping ( 8 , 11 , etc .) is initially warm ( room temperature ), liquid cryogen will be vaporized as it travels through the pipe . typically , several minutes are required in order to cool the piping system to cryogenic temperatures , and attain steady state flow conditions . hence valve 21 is kept full open , initially , while 100 % gas discharges through the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 . as liquid begins to appear out the nozzle 28 , this is an indication that the piping is beginning to cool , and valve 21 is gradually closed in order to maintain the desired ( small ) liquid flow rate . at steady state conditions , when the piping system has fully cooled to its ultimate steady state temperature , ideally valve 21 will be fully closed , and the desired liquid flowrate is maintained through the fixed metering orifice hole in valve 21 . valve 36 ( gas vent line ) is opened at some point during this cool down process ( either at beginning or after some time ). once the system has reached steady state with respect to piping cool down , then valve 36 and / or regulator 16 can be adjusted , along with valve 21 , in order to provide optimum performance ( consistent , stable liquid flow , without surging or sputtering , at minimum flowrate ). without the gas vent line 34 and / or gas vent device 12 , in many cases , total cryogen flow is increased unnecessarily ( by opening valve 21 ) in order to maintain consistent , stable liquid flow without surging . by opening and adjusting the ( optional ) one - way valve 38 , further fine - tuning can be accomplished , by creating an additional β gas escape path β for vapor generated in the piping in close proximity to the hot furnace , i . e . pipe 24 . in one experimental setup , at steady state flow conditions , when valve 36 ( gas vent valve ) was closed , it was observed that valve 21 had to be opened wider in order to maintain stable , consistent liquid flow without surging . when valve 36 was opened , creating an escape path for gas generated in the piping , then stable liquid flow ( no surging ) could be maintained with valve 21 in a more closed position . this suggests that by segregating the liquid and gas flow in this manner , the required overall flowrate of cryogen for a given system potentially can be reduced . or , at minimum , the consistency and quality of liquid cryogen delivered to the furnace is improved , thereby increasing inerting effectiveness . and with the novel technique of utilizing the vented gas in the furnace ( via nozzle 33 or connection 35 ), as opposed to wasting it by venting to atmosphere , efficient utilization of cryogen is further improved . recognizing that in the absence of a gas vent line 34 or a gas vent device 12 , a certain percentage of the cryogen discharging from the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 will always be gas , the novelty is that , first , the gas and liquid flow is segregated , in order to provide greater uniformity , stability and consistency of liquid flow ( with potentially reduced overall flow requirement ), and second , the vented gas is now routed back to the furnace in order to utilize its inerting value , rather than wasting it by venting to atmosphere , which further contributes to increased efficiency of cryogen utilization . this apparatus and method , therefore , can provide greater economy ( reduced overall cryogen consumption ) with improved inerting effectiveness ( through more consistent , stable liquid flow ) while improving operator safety ( minimized liquid flowrate reduces risk of explosion from liquid β pooling β on molten metal surface ). preferred processes for practicing the present invention have been described . it will be understood and readily apparent to the artisan that many changes and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . the foregoing is illustrative only and that other embodiments of the integrated process can be employed without departing from the true scope of the invention defined in the following claims | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Performing Operations; Transporting'? | 0.25 | ff5b261144c434d7715b24416da0b680490ff52c7ab3139e83643b46d7bf42c0 | 0.06543 | 0.027954 | 0.034668 | 0.003708 | 0.078125 | 0.015869 |
null | referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the process and apparatus in accordance with the present invention for inerting solid or molten metals . fig1 illustrates a bulk liquid cryogen storage tank , where the cryogen is preferably n 2 , ar , co 2 . the liquid cryogen is preferably in a saturated liquid state , where the saturated liquid is in equilibrium with vapor phase at an elevated pressure . liquid bulk storage tank 2 feeds liquid cryogen via a shut - off valve 4 through distribution piping 8 , where distribution pipe 8 preferably includes a safety pressure relief valve 6 to relieve in case of overpressure . distribution piping 8 is generally outdoors , originates at ground level , and generally and preferably is routed to an elevated header inside of a melt shop or other building , and then has individual β drop legs β as explained herein . the drop legs are typically flex hoses which are routed to each furnace or pair of furnaces . the distribution piping can have one or more drop legs from each header . the system in fig1 preferably includes a shut - off valve 10 which connects the distribution piping to a gas liquid separation device 12 , which preferably includes a chamber with an internal float connected to an internal upper gas vent valve . a safety pressure relief valve 14 can also be included as shown . liquid cryogen flows through piping 11 through a flex hose 18 , liquid shut - off valve 20 , a metering orifice 21 , and piping connection 24 , and eventually exits through a diffuser 26 which is located inside cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . preferably , the piping connection 24 is a double wall lance pipe as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 848 , 751 , incorporated herein by reference . gas liquid separation device 12 could be also a simple pipe β tee ,β ( preferably larger than piping 11 in diameter ), installed at or near the highest point , with a gas vent pointing vertically . following the gas flow through the system illustrated in fig1 a pressure regulator or in - line pressure relief valve 16 is preferably provided . pressure regulator 16 maintains the desired back pressure to the gas liquid separation device 12 , and to distribution piping 8 , rather than allowing the gas vent 12 to discharge to atmosphere , which can reduce system pressure . a flex hose 34 connects with a gas adjusting valve 36 , piping connection 31 , and nozzle 33 for allowing gaseous cryogen to be routed toward the molten or solid metal 1 , being held in container 32 . preferably , an adjusting valve or orifice can be provided as indicated at 38 , to allow additional gas purged from the liquid line 18 and 24 into the gas line 31 . valve 38 preferably includes a check valve ( one - way valve ) to allow gas to flow into the gas system , but not to allow gas to flow back into the liquid piping system 18 and 24 . valve connection 38 may also include a pressure regulator or in - line relief valve , to maintain pressure in liquid lines 11 , 18 , and 24 . also indicated in fig1 is a connection 40 for routing liquid cryogen to another furnace , and a connection 42 for routing gaseous cryogen to another container . distribution pipe 8 can be a header pipe to distribute cryogen to multiple furnace containers 32 . cryogen can be supplied to each furnace via its own nozzles 28 , 31 and 33 , and diffuser 26 . hence , items 10 - 38 can be replicated as needed for multiple furnaces . referring now to fig2 illustrated is another embodiment of a method and apparatus suitable for practicing the invention . the system illustrated in fig2 differs only from that illustrated in fig1 in the construction of cryogen inerting nozzle 28 , which has also a gas providing connection 35 taking feed from gaseous cryogen conduit 31 . this version of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 is better viewed with reference to fig3 and 4 . fig3 is a side elevation cross - sectional view of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 , illustrating certain dimensions . liquid cryogen enters at 27 , while gaseous cryogen enters at 29 . the internal diameter of liquid cryogen nozzle 28 , denoted as d , preferably ranges from about 2 cm up to about 10 cm , more preferably ranging from about 2 cm to about 5 cm , depending on the amount of cryogen desired . the exit end of nozzle 28 has a larger diameter d β², than the internal diameter d of nozzle 28 . this slight flaring of the exit of the nozzle provides certain advantages , for example , the liquid may have a better drip characteristic , and the gaseous cryogen may spread to a wider area of the molten or solid metal in container 32 . the ratio of a diameter d divided by d β² typically and preferably ranges from about 0 . 5 to 1 , up to 1 to 1 . fig3 also illustrates diameter d of diffuser 26 , with diameter d ranging from about 5 % up to about 90 % of the diameter d . it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that diffuser 26 need not be cylindrical or round in construction but could be rectangular or any other shape including a t - shaped element . a distance l from terminal tip of diffuser 26 to the entrance of connection 35 typically ranges from about 0 to about 3 diameters equal to d , the diameter of diffuser 26 . lengths denoted as l d and l n are also illustrated in fig3 . the dimension l d corresponds to the axial length of diffuser 26 , while the length denoted l n denotes the distance from the end of diffuser 26 to the exit of nozzle 28 . preferably , the distance l d ranges from about 0 . 5 to about 3 times the diameter d , while the length dimension l n is preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 5 times the length dimension l d . [ 0042 ] fig4 illustrates the end view along the view a - a denoted in fig3 illustrating that diffuser 26 is substantially centered within a cylindrical cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . it should be noted that this is preferred only and that diffuser 26 could be located in a non - central location in reference to the axial center line of nozzle 28 . also as illustrated in fig4 gaseous cryogen connection 35 is indicated as being connected non - tangentially to nozzle 28 , however , connection 35 could be tangentially connected as indicated in fig4 a . fig4 a shows an alternate embodiment where gas connection 35 is tangentially connected to cryogen delivery nozzle 28 . the embodiment of fig4 a would tend to give a swirling motion to the gaseous cryogen as it exits nozzle 28 . it can also be envisioned to install swirling elements on an internal surface of nozzle 28 to create more swirl for gaseous cryogen . with either fig4 or 4 a , it can also be envisioned to utilize a substantially larger diameter d of the nozzle 28 , to provide broader gas coverage in the furnace 32 . [ 0043 ] fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment 50 of a nozzle useful for delivering liquid and gaseous cryogen for the purposes of the invention . a nozzle 28 as in previous embodiments is fitted with an annular section 52 basically surrounding the nozzle 28 , and creating an annular space for gaseous cryogen to enter through a piping connection 54 . thus , only liquid would exit through the nozzle 28 via diffuser 26 , whereas , gaseous cryogen would exit the annular region formed between nozzle 28 and annular section 52 . annular section 52 may be connected to nozzle 28 such as by welds 56 and 58 . piping connection 54 may be non - tangentially connected to annular connection 52 or it may be tangentially connected to provide a swirling flow of cryogen . at initial startup of liquid cryogen flow ( such as after a weekend shutdown or the like ), valves 4 , 10 , 20 , and 21 are fully opened . since the piping ( 8 , 11 , etc .) is initially warm ( room temperature ), liquid cryogen will be vaporized as it travels through the pipe . typically , several minutes are required in order to cool the piping system to cryogenic temperatures , and attain steady state flow conditions . hence valve 21 is kept full open , initially , while 100 % gas discharges through the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 . as liquid begins to appear out the nozzle 28 , this is an indication that the piping is beginning to cool , and valve 21 is gradually closed in order to maintain the desired ( small ) liquid flow rate . at steady state conditions , when the piping system has fully cooled to its ultimate steady state temperature , ideally valve 21 will be fully closed , and the desired liquid flowrate is maintained through the fixed metering orifice hole in valve 21 . valve 36 ( gas vent line ) is opened at some point during this cool down process ( either at beginning or after some time ). once the system has reached steady state with respect to piping cool down , then valve 36 and / or regulator 16 can be adjusted , along with valve 21 , in order to provide optimum performance ( consistent , stable liquid flow , without surging or sputtering , at minimum flowrate ). without the gas vent line 34 and / or gas vent device 12 , in many cases , total cryogen flow is increased unnecessarily ( by opening valve 21 ) in order to maintain consistent , stable liquid flow without surging . by opening and adjusting the ( optional ) one - way valve 38 , further fine - tuning can be accomplished , by creating an additional β gas escape path β for vapor generated in the piping in close proximity to the hot furnace , i . e . pipe 24 . in one experimental setup , at steady state flow conditions , when valve 36 ( gas vent valve ) was closed , it was observed that valve 21 had to be opened wider in order to maintain stable , consistent liquid flow without surging . when valve 36 was opened , creating an escape path for gas generated in the piping , then stable liquid flow ( no surging ) could be maintained with valve 21 in a more closed position . this suggests that by segregating the liquid and gas flow in this manner , the required overall flowrate of cryogen for a given system potentially can be reduced . or , at minimum , the consistency and quality of liquid cryogen delivered to the furnace is improved , thereby increasing inerting effectiveness . and with the novel technique of utilizing the vented gas in the furnace ( via nozzle 33 or connection 35 ), as opposed to wasting it by venting to atmosphere , efficient utilization of cryogen is further improved . recognizing that in the absence of a gas vent line 34 or a gas vent device 12 , a certain percentage of the cryogen discharging from the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 will always be gas , the novelty is that , first , the gas and liquid flow is segregated , in order to provide greater uniformity , stability and consistency of liquid flow ( with potentially reduced overall flow requirement ), and second , the vented gas is now routed back to the furnace in order to utilize its inerting value , rather than wasting it by venting to atmosphere , which further contributes to increased efficiency of cryogen utilization . this apparatus and method , therefore , can provide greater economy ( reduced overall cryogen consumption ) with improved inerting effectiveness ( through more consistent , stable liquid flow ) while improving operator safety ( minimized liquid flowrate reduces risk of explosion from liquid β pooling β on molten metal surface ). preferred processes for practicing the present invention have been described . it will be understood and readily apparent to the artisan that many changes and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . the foregoing is illustrative only and that other embodiments of the integrated process can be employed without departing from the true scope of the invention defined in the following claims | Is 'Chemistry; Metallurgy' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is 'Textiles; Paper' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | ff5b261144c434d7715b24416da0b680490ff52c7ab3139e83643b46d7bf42c0 | 0.036133 | 0.001099 | 0.014038 | 0.000026 | 0.054932 | 0.004456 |
null | referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the process and apparatus in accordance with the present invention for inerting solid or molten metals . fig1 illustrates a bulk liquid cryogen storage tank , where the cryogen is preferably n 2 , ar , co 2 . the liquid cryogen is preferably in a saturated liquid state , where the saturated liquid is in equilibrium with vapor phase at an elevated pressure . liquid bulk storage tank 2 feeds liquid cryogen via a shut - off valve 4 through distribution piping 8 , where distribution pipe 8 preferably includes a safety pressure relief valve 6 to relieve in case of overpressure . distribution piping 8 is generally outdoors , originates at ground level , and generally and preferably is routed to an elevated header inside of a melt shop or other building , and then has individual β drop legs β as explained herein . the drop legs are typically flex hoses which are routed to each furnace or pair of furnaces . the distribution piping can have one or more drop legs from each header . the system in fig1 preferably includes a shut - off valve 10 which connects the distribution piping to a gas liquid separation device 12 , which preferably includes a chamber with an internal float connected to an internal upper gas vent valve . a safety pressure relief valve 14 can also be included as shown . liquid cryogen flows through piping 11 through a flex hose 18 , liquid shut - off valve 20 , a metering orifice 21 , and piping connection 24 , and eventually exits through a diffuser 26 which is located inside cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . preferably , the piping connection 24 is a double wall lance pipe as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 848 , 751 , incorporated herein by reference . gas liquid separation device 12 could be also a simple pipe β tee ,β ( preferably larger than piping 11 in diameter ), installed at or near the highest point , with a gas vent pointing vertically . following the gas flow through the system illustrated in fig1 a pressure regulator or in - line pressure relief valve 16 is preferably provided . pressure regulator 16 maintains the desired back pressure to the gas liquid separation device 12 , and to distribution piping 8 , rather than allowing the gas vent 12 to discharge to atmosphere , which can reduce system pressure . a flex hose 34 connects with a gas adjusting valve 36 , piping connection 31 , and nozzle 33 for allowing gaseous cryogen to be routed toward the molten or solid metal 1 , being held in container 32 . preferably , an adjusting valve or orifice can be provided as indicated at 38 , to allow additional gas purged from the liquid line 18 and 24 into the gas line 31 . valve 38 preferably includes a check valve ( one - way valve ) to allow gas to flow into the gas system , but not to allow gas to flow back into the liquid piping system 18 and 24 . valve connection 38 may also include a pressure regulator or in - line relief valve , to maintain pressure in liquid lines 11 , 18 , and 24 . also indicated in fig1 is a connection 40 for routing liquid cryogen to another furnace , and a connection 42 for routing gaseous cryogen to another container . distribution pipe 8 can be a header pipe to distribute cryogen to multiple furnace containers 32 . cryogen can be supplied to each furnace via its own nozzles 28 , 31 and 33 , and diffuser 26 . hence , items 10 - 38 can be replicated as needed for multiple furnaces . referring now to fig2 illustrated is another embodiment of a method and apparatus suitable for practicing the invention . the system illustrated in fig2 differs only from that illustrated in fig1 in the construction of cryogen inerting nozzle 28 , which has also a gas providing connection 35 taking feed from gaseous cryogen conduit 31 . this version of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 is better viewed with reference to fig3 and 4 . fig3 is a side elevation cross - sectional view of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 , illustrating certain dimensions . liquid cryogen enters at 27 , while gaseous cryogen enters at 29 . the internal diameter of liquid cryogen nozzle 28 , denoted as d , preferably ranges from about 2 cm up to about 10 cm , more preferably ranging from about 2 cm to about 5 cm , depending on the amount of cryogen desired . the exit end of nozzle 28 has a larger diameter d β², than the internal diameter d of nozzle 28 . this slight flaring of the exit of the nozzle provides certain advantages , for example , the liquid may have a better drip characteristic , and the gaseous cryogen may spread to a wider area of the molten or solid metal in container 32 . the ratio of a diameter d divided by d β² typically and preferably ranges from about 0 . 5 to 1 , up to 1 to 1 . fig3 also illustrates diameter d of diffuser 26 , with diameter d ranging from about 5 % up to about 90 % of the diameter d . it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that diffuser 26 need not be cylindrical or round in construction but could be rectangular or any other shape including a t - shaped element . a distance l from terminal tip of diffuser 26 to the entrance of connection 35 typically ranges from about 0 to about 3 diameters equal to d , the diameter of diffuser 26 . lengths denoted as l d and l n are also illustrated in fig3 . the dimension l d corresponds to the axial length of diffuser 26 , while the length denoted l n denotes the distance from the end of diffuser 26 to the exit of nozzle 28 . preferably , the distance l d ranges from about 0 . 5 to about 3 times the diameter d , while the length dimension l n is preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 5 times the length dimension l d . [ 0042 ] fig4 illustrates the end view along the view a - a denoted in fig3 illustrating that diffuser 26 is substantially centered within a cylindrical cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . it should be noted that this is preferred only and that diffuser 26 could be located in a non - central location in reference to the axial center line of nozzle 28 . also as illustrated in fig4 gaseous cryogen connection 35 is indicated as being connected non - tangentially to nozzle 28 , however , connection 35 could be tangentially connected as indicated in fig4 a . fig4 a shows an alternate embodiment where gas connection 35 is tangentially connected to cryogen delivery nozzle 28 . the embodiment of fig4 a would tend to give a swirling motion to the gaseous cryogen as it exits nozzle 28 . it can also be envisioned to install swirling elements on an internal surface of nozzle 28 to create more swirl for gaseous cryogen . with either fig4 or 4 a , it can also be envisioned to utilize a substantially larger diameter d of the nozzle 28 , to provide broader gas coverage in the furnace 32 . [ 0043 ] fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment 50 of a nozzle useful for delivering liquid and gaseous cryogen for the purposes of the invention . a nozzle 28 as in previous embodiments is fitted with an annular section 52 basically surrounding the nozzle 28 , and creating an annular space for gaseous cryogen to enter through a piping connection 54 . thus , only liquid would exit through the nozzle 28 via diffuser 26 , whereas , gaseous cryogen would exit the annular region formed between nozzle 28 and annular section 52 . annular section 52 may be connected to nozzle 28 such as by welds 56 and 58 . piping connection 54 may be non - tangentially connected to annular connection 52 or it may be tangentially connected to provide a swirling flow of cryogen . at initial startup of liquid cryogen flow ( such as after a weekend shutdown or the like ), valves 4 , 10 , 20 , and 21 are fully opened . since the piping ( 8 , 11 , etc .) is initially warm ( room temperature ), liquid cryogen will be vaporized as it travels through the pipe . typically , several minutes are required in order to cool the piping system to cryogenic temperatures , and attain steady state flow conditions . hence valve 21 is kept full open , initially , while 100 % gas discharges through the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 . as liquid begins to appear out the nozzle 28 , this is an indication that the piping is beginning to cool , and valve 21 is gradually closed in order to maintain the desired ( small ) liquid flow rate . at steady state conditions , when the piping system has fully cooled to its ultimate steady state temperature , ideally valve 21 will be fully closed , and the desired liquid flowrate is maintained through the fixed metering orifice hole in valve 21 . valve 36 ( gas vent line ) is opened at some point during this cool down process ( either at beginning or after some time ). once the system has reached steady state with respect to piping cool down , then valve 36 and / or regulator 16 can be adjusted , along with valve 21 , in order to provide optimum performance ( consistent , stable liquid flow , without surging or sputtering , at minimum flowrate ). without the gas vent line 34 and / or gas vent device 12 , in many cases , total cryogen flow is increased unnecessarily ( by opening valve 21 ) in order to maintain consistent , stable liquid flow without surging . by opening and adjusting the ( optional ) one - way valve 38 , further fine - tuning can be accomplished , by creating an additional β gas escape path β for vapor generated in the piping in close proximity to the hot furnace , i . e . pipe 24 . in one experimental setup , at steady state flow conditions , when valve 36 ( gas vent valve ) was closed , it was observed that valve 21 had to be opened wider in order to maintain stable , consistent liquid flow without surging . when valve 36 was opened , creating an escape path for gas generated in the piping , then stable liquid flow ( no surging ) could be maintained with valve 21 in a more closed position . this suggests that by segregating the liquid and gas flow in this manner , the required overall flowrate of cryogen for a given system potentially can be reduced . or , at minimum , the consistency and quality of liquid cryogen delivered to the furnace is improved , thereby increasing inerting effectiveness . and with the novel technique of utilizing the vented gas in the furnace ( via nozzle 33 or connection 35 ), as opposed to wasting it by venting to atmosphere , efficient utilization of cryogen is further improved . recognizing that in the absence of a gas vent line 34 or a gas vent device 12 , a certain percentage of the cryogen discharging from the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 will always be gas , the novelty is that , first , the gas and liquid flow is segregated , in order to provide greater uniformity , stability and consistency of liquid flow ( with potentially reduced overall flow requirement ), and second , the vented gas is now routed back to the furnace in order to utilize its inerting value , rather than wasting it by venting to atmosphere , which further contributes to increased efficiency of cryogen utilization . this apparatus and method , therefore , can provide greater economy ( reduced overall cryogen consumption ) with improved inerting effectiveness ( through more consistent , stable liquid flow ) while improving operator safety ( minimized liquid flowrate reduces risk of explosion from liquid β pooling β on molten metal surface ). preferred processes for practicing the present invention have been described . it will be understood and readily apparent to the artisan that many changes and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . the foregoing is illustrative only and that other embodiments of the integrated process can be employed without departing from the true scope of the invention defined in the following claims | Should this patent be classified under 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | Is 'Fixed Constructions' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | ff5b261144c434d7715b24416da0b680490ff52c7ab3139e83643b46d7bf42c0 | 0.039063 | 0.022583 | 0.019165 | 0.019165 | 0.040283 | 0.048828 |
null | referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the process and apparatus in accordance with the present invention for inerting solid or molten metals . fig1 illustrates a bulk liquid cryogen storage tank , where the cryogen is preferably n 2 , ar , co 2 . the liquid cryogen is preferably in a saturated liquid state , where the saturated liquid is in equilibrium with vapor phase at an elevated pressure . liquid bulk storage tank 2 feeds liquid cryogen via a shut - off valve 4 through distribution piping 8 , where distribution pipe 8 preferably includes a safety pressure relief valve 6 to relieve in case of overpressure . distribution piping 8 is generally outdoors , originates at ground level , and generally and preferably is routed to an elevated header inside of a melt shop or other building , and then has individual β drop legs β as explained herein . the drop legs are typically flex hoses which are routed to each furnace or pair of furnaces . the distribution piping can have one or more drop legs from each header . the system in fig1 preferably includes a shut - off valve 10 which connects the distribution piping to a gas liquid separation device 12 , which preferably includes a chamber with an internal float connected to an internal upper gas vent valve . a safety pressure relief valve 14 can also be included as shown . liquid cryogen flows through piping 11 through a flex hose 18 , liquid shut - off valve 20 , a metering orifice 21 , and piping connection 24 , and eventually exits through a diffuser 26 which is located inside cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . preferably , the piping connection 24 is a double wall lance pipe as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 848 , 751 , incorporated herein by reference . gas liquid separation device 12 could be also a simple pipe β tee ,β ( preferably larger than piping 11 in diameter ), installed at or near the highest point , with a gas vent pointing vertically . following the gas flow through the system illustrated in fig1 a pressure regulator or in - line pressure relief valve 16 is preferably provided . pressure regulator 16 maintains the desired back pressure to the gas liquid separation device 12 , and to distribution piping 8 , rather than allowing the gas vent 12 to discharge to atmosphere , which can reduce system pressure . a flex hose 34 connects with a gas adjusting valve 36 , piping connection 31 , and nozzle 33 for allowing gaseous cryogen to be routed toward the molten or solid metal 1 , being held in container 32 . preferably , an adjusting valve or orifice can be provided as indicated at 38 , to allow additional gas purged from the liquid line 18 and 24 into the gas line 31 . valve 38 preferably includes a check valve ( one - way valve ) to allow gas to flow into the gas system , but not to allow gas to flow back into the liquid piping system 18 and 24 . valve connection 38 may also include a pressure regulator or in - line relief valve , to maintain pressure in liquid lines 11 , 18 , and 24 . also indicated in fig1 is a connection 40 for routing liquid cryogen to another furnace , and a connection 42 for routing gaseous cryogen to another container . distribution pipe 8 can be a header pipe to distribute cryogen to multiple furnace containers 32 . cryogen can be supplied to each furnace via its own nozzles 28 , 31 and 33 , and diffuser 26 . hence , items 10 - 38 can be replicated as needed for multiple furnaces . referring now to fig2 illustrated is another embodiment of a method and apparatus suitable for practicing the invention . the system illustrated in fig2 differs only from that illustrated in fig1 in the construction of cryogen inerting nozzle 28 , which has also a gas providing connection 35 taking feed from gaseous cryogen conduit 31 . this version of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 is better viewed with reference to fig3 and 4 . fig3 is a side elevation cross - sectional view of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 , illustrating certain dimensions . liquid cryogen enters at 27 , while gaseous cryogen enters at 29 . the internal diameter of liquid cryogen nozzle 28 , denoted as d , preferably ranges from about 2 cm up to about 10 cm , more preferably ranging from about 2 cm to about 5 cm , depending on the amount of cryogen desired . the exit end of nozzle 28 has a larger diameter d β², than the internal diameter d of nozzle 28 . this slight flaring of the exit of the nozzle provides certain advantages , for example , the liquid may have a better drip characteristic , and the gaseous cryogen may spread to a wider area of the molten or solid metal in container 32 . the ratio of a diameter d divided by d β² typically and preferably ranges from about 0 . 5 to 1 , up to 1 to 1 . fig3 also illustrates diameter d of diffuser 26 , with diameter d ranging from about 5 % up to about 90 % of the diameter d . it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that diffuser 26 need not be cylindrical or round in construction but could be rectangular or any other shape including a t - shaped element . a distance l from terminal tip of diffuser 26 to the entrance of connection 35 typically ranges from about 0 to about 3 diameters equal to d , the diameter of diffuser 26 . lengths denoted as l d and l n are also illustrated in fig3 . the dimension l d corresponds to the axial length of diffuser 26 , while the length denoted l n denotes the distance from the end of diffuser 26 to the exit of nozzle 28 . preferably , the distance l d ranges from about 0 . 5 to about 3 times the diameter d , while the length dimension l n is preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 5 times the length dimension l d . [ 0042 ] fig4 illustrates the end view along the view a - a denoted in fig3 illustrating that diffuser 26 is substantially centered within a cylindrical cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . it should be noted that this is preferred only and that diffuser 26 could be located in a non - central location in reference to the axial center line of nozzle 28 . also as illustrated in fig4 gaseous cryogen connection 35 is indicated as being connected non - tangentially to nozzle 28 , however , connection 35 could be tangentially connected as indicated in fig4 a . fig4 a shows an alternate embodiment where gas connection 35 is tangentially connected to cryogen delivery nozzle 28 . the embodiment of fig4 a would tend to give a swirling motion to the gaseous cryogen as it exits nozzle 28 . it can also be envisioned to install swirling elements on an internal surface of nozzle 28 to create more swirl for gaseous cryogen . with either fig4 or 4 a , it can also be envisioned to utilize a substantially larger diameter d of the nozzle 28 , to provide broader gas coverage in the furnace 32 . [ 0043 ] fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment 50 of a nozzle useful for delivering liquid and gaseous cryogen for the purposes of the invention . a nozzle 28 as in previous embodiments is fitted with an annular section 52 basically surrounding the nozzle 28 , and creating an annular space for gaseous cryogen to enter through a piping connection 54 . thus , only liquid would exit through the nozzle 28 via diffuser 26 , whereas , gaseous cryogen would exit the annular region formed between nozzle 28 and annular section 52 . annular section 52 may be connected to nozzle 28 such as by welds 56 and 58 . piping connection 54 may be non - tangentially connected to annular connection 52 or it may be tangentially connected to provide a swirling flow of cryogen . at initial startup of liquid cryogen flow ( such as after a weekend shutdown or the like ), valves 4 , 10 , 20 , and 21 are fully opened . since the piping ( 8 , 11 , etc .) is initially warm ( room temperature ), liquid cryogen will be vaporized as it travels through the pipe . typically , several minutes are required in order to cool the piping system to cryogenic temperatures , and attain steady state flow conditions . hence valve 21 is kept full open , initially , while 100 % gas discharges through the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 . as liquid begins to appear out the nozzle 28 , this is an indication that the piping is beginning to cool , and valve 21 is gradually closed in order to maintain the desired ( small ) liquid flow rate . at steady state conditions , when the piping system has fully cooled to its ultimate steady state temperature , ideally valve 21 will be fully closed , and the desired liquid flowrate is maintained through the fixed metering orifice hole in valve 21 . valve 36 ( gas vent line ) is opened at some point during this cool down process ( either at beginning or after some time ). once the system has reached steady state with respect to piping cool down , then valve 36 and / or regulator 16 can be adjusted , along with valve 21 , in order to provide optimum performance ( consistent , stable liquid flow , without surging or sputtering , at minimum flowrate ). without the gas vent line 34 and / or gas vent device 12 , in many cases , total cryogen flow is increased unnecessarily ( by opening valve 21 ) in order to maintain consistent , stable liquid flow without surging . by opening and adjusting the ( optional ) one - way valve 38 , further fine - tuning can be accomplished , by creating an additional β gas escape path β for vapor generated in the piping in close proximity to the hot furnace , i . e . pipe 24 . in one experimental setup , at steady state flow conditions , when valve 36 ( gas vent valve ) was closed , it was observed that valve 21 had to be opened wider in order to maintain stable , consistent liquid flow without surging . when valve 36 was opened , creating an escape path for gas generated in the piping , then stable liquid flow ( no surging ) could be maintained with valve 21 in a more closed position . this suggests that by segregating the liquid and gas flow in this manner , the required overall flowrate of cryogen for a given system potentially can be reduced . or , at minimum , the consistency and quality of liquid cryogen delivered to the furnace is improved , thereby increasing inerting effectiveness . and with the novel technique of utilizing the vented gas in the furnace ( via nozzle 33 or connection 35 ), as opposed to wasting it by venting to atmosphere , efficient utilization of cryogen is further improved . recognizing that in the absence of a gas vent line 34 or a gas vent device 12 , a certain percentage of the cryogen discharging from the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 will always be gas , the novelty is that , first , the gas and liquid flow is segregated , in order to provide greater uniformity , stability and consistency of liquid flow ( with potentially reduced overall flow requirement ), and second , the vented gas is now routed back to the furnace in order to utilize its inerting value , rather than wasting it by venting to atmosphere , which further contributes to increased efficiency of cryogen utilization . this apparatus and method , therefore , can provide greater economy ( reduced overall cryogen consumption ) with improved inerting effectiveness ( through more consistent , stable liquid flow ) while improving operator safety ( minimized liquid flowrate reduces risk of explosion from liquid β pooling β on molten metal surface ). preferred processes for practicing the present invention have been described . it will be understood and readily apparent to the artisan that many changes and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . the foregoing is illustrative only and that other embodiments of the integrated process can be employed without departing from the true scope of the invention defined in the following claims | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | 0.25 | ff5b261144c434d7715b24416da0b680490ff52c7ab3139e83643b46d7bf42c0 | 0.036133 | 0.001068 | 0.016968 | 0.000035 | 0.052734 | 0.004608 |
null | referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the process and apparatus in accordance with the present invention for inerting solid or molten metals . fig1 illustrates a bulk liquid cryogen storage tank , where the cryogen is preferably n 2 , ar , co 2 . the liquid cryogen is preferably in a saturated liquid state , where the saturated liquid is in equilibrium with vapor phase at an elevated pressure . liquid bulk storage tank 2 feeds liquid cryogen via a shut - off valve 4 through distribution piping 8 , where distribution pipe 8 preferably includes a safety pressure relief valve 6 to relieve in case of overpressure . distribution piping 8 is generally outdoors , originates at ground level , and generally and preferably is routed to an elevated header inside of a melt shop or other building , and then has individual β drop legs β as explained herein . the drop legs are typically flex hoses which are routed to each furnace or pair of furnaces . the distribution piping can have one or more drop legs from each header . the system in fig1 preferably includes a shut - off valve 10 which connects the distribution piping to a gas liquid separation device 12 , which preferably includes a chamber with an internal float connected to an internal upper gas vent valve . a safety pressure relief valve 14 can also be included as shown . liquid cryogen flows through piping 11 through a flex hose 18 , liquid shut - off valve 20 , a metering orifice 21 , and piping connection 24 , and eventually exits through a diffuser 26 which is located inside cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . preferably , the piping connection 24 is a double wall lance pipe as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 848 , 751 , incorporated herein by reference . gas liquid separation device 12 could be also a simple pipe β tee ,β ( preferably larger than piping 11 in diameter ), installed at or near the highest point , with a gas vent pointing vertically . following the gas flow through the system illustrated in fig1 a pressure regulator or in - line pressure relief valve 16 is preferably provided . pressure regulator 16 maintains the desired back pressure to the gas liquid separation device 12 , and to distribution piping 8 , rather than allowing the gas vent 12 to discharge to atmosphere , which can reduce system pressure . a flex hose 34 connects with a gas adjusting valve 36 , piping connection 31 , and nozzle 33 for allowing gaseous cryogen to be routed toward the molten or solid metal 1 , being held in container 32 . preferably , an adjusting valve or orifice can be provided as indicated at 38 , to allow additional gas purged from the liquid line 18 and 24 into the gas line 31 . valve 38 preferably includes a check valve ( one - way valve ) to allow gas to flow into the gas system , but not to allow gas to flow back into the liquid piping system 18 and 24 . valve connection 38 may also include a pressure regulator or in - line relief valve , to maintain pressure in liquid lines 11 , 18 , and 24 . also indicated in fig1 is a connection 40 for routing liquid cryogen to another furnace , and a connection 42 for routing gaseous cryogen to another container . distribution pipe 8 can be a header pipe to distribute cryogen to multiple furnace containers 32 . cryogen can be supplied to each furnace via its own nozzles 28 , 31 and 33 , and diffuser 26 . hence , items 10 - 38 can be replicated as needed for multiple furnaces . referring now to fig2 illustrated is another embodiment of a method and apparatus suitable for practicing the invention . the system illustrated in fig2 differs only from that illustrated in fig1 in the construction of cryogen inerting nozzle 28 , which has also a gas providing connection 35 taking feed from gaseous cryogen conduit 31 . this version of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 is better viewed with reference to fig3 and 4 . fig3 is a side elevation cross - sectional view of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 , illustrating certain dimensions . liquid cryogen enters at 27 , while gaseous cryogen enters at 29 . the internal diameter of liquid cryogen nozzle 28 , denoted as d , preferably ranges from about 2 cm up to about 10 cm , more preferably ranging from about 2 cm to about 5 cm , depending on the amount of cryogen desired . the exit end of nozzle 28 has a larger diameter d β², than the internal diameter d of nozzle 28 . this slight flaring of the exit of the nozzle provides certain advantages , for example , the liquid may have a better drip characteristic , and the gaseous cryogen may spread to a wider area of the molten or solid metal in container 32 . the ratio of a diameter d divided by d β² typically and preferably ranges from about 0 . 5 to 1 , up to 1 to 1 . fig3 also illustrates diameter d of diffuser 26 , with diameter d ranging from about 5 % up to about 90 % of the diameter d . it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that diffuser 26 need not be cylindrical or round in construction but could be rectangular or any other shape including a t - shaped element . a distance l from terminal tip of diffuser 26 to the entrance of connection 35 typically ranges from about 0 to about 3 diameters equal to d , the diameter of diffuser 26 . lengths denoted as l d and l n are also illustrated in fig3 . the dimension l d corresponds to the axial length of diffuser 26 , while the length denoted l n denotes the distance from the end of diffuser 26 to the exit of nozzle 28 . preferably , the distance l d ranges from about 0 . 5 to about 3 times the diameter d , while the length dimension l n is preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 5 times the length dimension l d . [ 0042 ] fig4 illustrates the end view along the view a - a denoted in fig3 illustrating that diffuser 26 is substantially centered within a cylindrical cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . it should be noted that this is preferred only and that diffuser 26 could be located in a non - central location in reference to the axial center line of nozzle 28 . also as illustrated in fig4 gaseous cryogen connection 35 is indicated as being connected non - tangentially to nozzle 28 , however , connection 35 could be tangentially connected as indicated in fig4 a . fig4 a shows an alternate embodiment where gas connection 35 is tangentially connected to cryogen delivery nozzle 28 . the embodiment of fig4 a would tend to give a swirling motion to the gaseous cryogen as it exits nozzle 28 . it can also be envisioned to install swirling elements on an internal surface of nozzle 28 to create more swirl for gaseous cryogen . with either fig4 or 4 a , it can also be envisioned to utilize a substantially larger diameter d of the nozzle 28 , to provide broader gas coverage in the furnace 32 . [ 0043 ] fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment 50 of a nozzle useful for delivering liquid and gaseous cryogen for the purposes of the invention . a nozzle 28 as in previous embodiments is fitted with an annular section 52 basically surrounding the nozzle 28 , and creating an annular space for gaseous cryogen to enter through a piping connection 54 . thus , only liquid would exit through the nozzle 28 via diffuser 26 , whereas , gaseous cryogen would exit the annular region formed between nozzle 28 and annular section 52 . annular section 52 may be connected to nozzle 28 such as by welds 56 and 58 . piping connection 54 may be non - tangentially connected to annular connection 52 or it may be tangentially connected to provide a swirling flow of cryogen . at initial startup of liquid cryogen flow ( such as after a weekend shutdown or the like ), valves 4 , 10 , 20 , and 21 are fully opened . since the piping ( 8 , 11 , etc .) is initially warm ( room temperature ), liquid cryogen will be vaporized as it travels through the pipe . typically , several minutes are required in order to cool the piping system to cryogenic temperatures , and attain steady state flow conditions . hence valve 21 is kept full open , initially , while 100 % gas discharges through the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 . as liquid begins to appear out the nozzle 28 , this is an indication that the piping is beginning to cool , and valve 21 is gradually closed in order to maintain the desired ( small ) liquid flow rate . at steady state conditions , when the piping system has fully cooled to its ultimate steady state temperature , ideally valve 21 will be fully closed , and the desired liquid flowrate is maintained through the fixed metering orifice hole in valve 21 . valve 36 ( gas vent line ) is opened at some point during this cool down process ( either at beginning or after some time ). once the system has reached steady state with respect to piping cool down , then valve 36 and / or regulator 16 can be adjusted , along with valve 21 , in order to provide optimum performance ( consistent , stable liquid flow , without surging or sputtering , at minimum flowrate ). without the gas vent line 34 and / or gas vent device 12 , in many cases , total cryogen flow is increased unnecessarily ( by opening valve 21 ) in order to maintain consistent , stable liquid flow without surging . by opening and adjusting the ( optional ) one - way valve 38 , further fine - tuning can be accomplished , by creating an additional β gas escape path β for vapor generated in the piping in close proximity to the hot furnace , i . e . pipe 24 . in one experimental setup , at steady state flow conditions , when valve 36 ( gas vent valve ) was closed , it was observed that valve 21 had to be opened wider in order to maintain stable , consistent liquid flow without surging . when valve 36 was opened , creating an escape path for gas generated in the piping , then stable liquid flow ( no surging ) could be maintained with valve 21 in a more closed position . this suggests that by segregating the liquid and gas flow in this manner , the required overall flowrate of cryogen for a given system potentially can be reduced . or , at minimum , the consistency and quality of liquid cryogen delivered to the furnace is improved , thereby increasing inerting effectiveness . and with the novel technique of utilizing the vented gas in the furnace ( via nozzle 33 or connection 35 ), as opposed to wasting it by venting to atmosphere , efficient utilization of cryogen is further improved . recognizing that in the absence of a gas vent line 34 or a gas vent device 12 , a certain percentage of the cryogen discharging from the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 will always be gas , the novelty is that , first , the gas and liquid flow is segregated , in order to provide greater uniformity , stability and consistency of liquid flow ( with potentially reduced overall flow requirement ), and second , the vented gas is now routed back to the furnace in order to utilize its inerting value , rather than wasting it by venting to atmosphere , which further contributes to increased efficiency of cryogen utilization . this apparatus and method , therefore , can provide greater economy ( reduced overall cryogen consumption ) with improved inerting effectiveness ( through more consistent , stable liquid flow ) while improving operator safety ( minimized liquid flowrate reduces risk of explosion from liquid β pooling β on molten metal surface ). preferred processes for practicing the present invention have been described . it will be understood and readily apparent to the artisan that many changes and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . the foregoing is illustrative only and that other embodiments of the integrated process can be employed without departing from the true scope of the invention defined in the following claims | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | Is 'Physics' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | ff5b261144c434d7715b24416da0b680490ff52c7ab3139e83643b46d7bf42c0 | 0.06543 | 0.054932 | 0.034668 | 0.018555 | 0.078125 | 0.054932 |
null | referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the process and apparatus in accordance with the present invention for inerting solid or molten metals . fig1 illustrates a bulk liquid cryogen storage tank , where the cryogen is preferably n 2 , ar , co 2 . the liquid cryogen is preferably in a saturated liquid state , where the saturated liquid is in equilibrium with vapor phase at an elevated pressure . liquid bulk storage tank 2 feeds liquid cryogen via a shut - off valve 4 through distribution piping 8 , where distribution pipe 8 preferably includes a safety pressure relief valve 6 to relieve in case of overpressure . distribution piping 8 is generally outdoors , originates at ground level , and generally and preferably is routed to an elevated header inside of a melt shop or other building , and then has individual β drop legs β as explained herein . the drop legs are typically flex hoses which are routed to each furnace or pair of furnaces . the distribution piping can have one or more drop legs from each header . the system in fig1 preferably includes a shut - off valve 10 which connects the distribution piping to a gas liquid separation device 12 , which preferably includes a chamber with an internal float connected to an internal upper gas vent valve . a safety pressure relief valve 14 can also be included as shown . liquid cryogen flows through piping 11 through a flex hose 18 , liquid shut - off valve 20 , a metering orifice 21 , and piping connection 24 , and eventually exits through a diffuser 26 which is located inside cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . preferably , the piping connection 24 is a double wall lance pipe as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 848 , 751 , incorporated herein by reference . gas liquid separation device 12 could be also a simple pipe β tee ,β ( preferably larger than piping 11 in diameter ), installed at or near the highest point , with a gas vent pointing vertically . following the gas flow through the system illustrated in fig1 a pressure regulator or in - line pressure relief valve 16 is preferably provided . pressure regulator 16 maintains the desired back pressure to the gas liquid separation device 12 , and to distribution piping 8 , rather than allowing the gas vent 12 to discharge to atmosphere , which can reduce system pressure . a flex hose 34 connects with a gas adjusting valve 36 , piping connection 31 , and nozzle 33 for allowing gaseous cryogen to be routed toward the molten or solid metal 1 , being held in container 32 . preferably , an adjusting valve or orifice can be provided as indicated at 38 , to allow additional gas purged from the liquid line 18 and 24 into the gas line 31 . valve 38 preferably includes a check valve ( one - way valve ) to allow gas to flow into the gas system , but not to allow gas to flow back into the liquid piping system 18 and 24 . valve connection 38 may also include a pressure regulator or in - line relief valve , to maintain pressure in liquid lines 11 , 18 , and 24 . also indicated in fig1 is a connection 40 for routing liquid cryogen to another furnace , and a connection 42 for routing gaseous cryogen to another container . distribution pipe 8 can be a header pipe to distribute cryogen to multiple furnace containers 32 . cryogen can be supplied to each furnace via its own nozzles 28 , 31 and 33 , and diffuser 26 . hence , items 10 - 38 can be replicated as needed for multiple furnaces . referring now to fig2 illustrated is another embodiment of a method and apparatus suitable for practicing the invention . the system illustrated in fig2 differs only from that illustrated in fig1 in the construction of cryogen inerting nozzle 28 , which has also a gas providing connection 35 taking feed from gaseous cryogen conduit 31 . this version of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 is better viewed with reference to fig3 and 4 . fig3 is a side elevation cross - sectional view of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 , illustrating certain dimensions . liquid cryogen enters at 27 , while gaseous cryogen enters at 29 . the internal diameter of liquid cryogen nozzle 28 , denoted as d , preferably ranges from about 2 cm up to about 10 cm , more preferably ranging from about 2 cm to about 5 cm , depending on the amount of cryogen desired . the exit end of nozzle 28 has a larger diameter d β², than the internal diameter d of nozzle 28 . this slight flaring of the exit of the nozzle provides certain advantages , for example , the liquid may have a better drip characteristic , and the gaseous cryogen may spread to a wider area of the molten or solid metal in container 32 . the ratio of a diameter d divided by d β² typically and preferably ranges from about 0 . 5 to 1 , up to 1 to 1 . fig3 also illustrates diameter d of diffuser 26 , with diameter d ranging from about 5 % up to about 90 % of the diameter d . it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that diffuser 26 need not be cylindrical or round in construction but could be rectangular or any other shape including a t - shaped element . a distance l from terminal tip of diffuser 26 to the entrance of connection 35 typically ranges from about 0 to about 3 diameters equal to d , the diameter of diffuser 26 . lengths denoted as l d and l n are also illustrated in fig3 . the dimension l d corresponds to the axial length of diffuser 26 , while the length denoted l n denotes the distance from the end of diffuser 26 to the exit of nozzle 28 . preferably , the distance l d ranges from about 0 . 5 to about 3 times the diameter d , while the length dimension l n is preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 5 times the length dimension l d . [ 0042 ] fig4 illustrates the end view along the view a - a denoted in fig3 illustrating that diffuser 26 is substantially centered within a cylindrical cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . it should be noted that this is preferred only and that diffuser 26 could be located in a non - central location in reference to the axial center line of nozzle 28 . also as illustrated in fig4 gaseous cryogen connection 35 is indicated as being connected non - tangentially to nozzle 28 , however , connection 35 could be tangentially connected as indicated in fig4 a . fig4 a shows an alternate embodiment where gas connection 35 is tangentially connected to cryogen delivery nozzle 28 . the embodiment of fig4 a would tend to give a swirling motion to the gaseous cryogen as it exits nozzle 28 . it can also be envisioned to install swirling elements on an internal surface of nozzle 28 to create more swirl for gaseous cryogen . with either fig4 or 4 a , it can also be envisioned to utilize a substantially larger diameter d of the nozzle 28 , to provide broader gas coverage in the furnace 32 . [ 0043 ] fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment 50 of a nozzle useful for delivering liquid and gaseous cryogen for the purposes of the invention . a nozzle 28 as in previous embodiments is fitted with an annular section 52 basically surrounding the nozzle 28 , and creating an annular space for gaseous cryogen to enter through a piping connection 54 . thus , only liquid would exit through the nozzle 28 via diffuser 26 , whereas , gaseous cryogen would exit the annular region formed between nozzle 28 and annular section 52 . annular section 52 may be connected to nozzle 28 such as by welds 56 and 58 . piping connection 54 may be non - tangentially connected to annular connection 52 or it may be tangentially connected to provide a swirling flow of cryogen . at initial startup of liquid cryogen flow ( such as after a weekend shutdown or the like ), valves 4 , 10 , 20 , and 21 are fully opened . since the piping ( 8 , 11 , etc .) is initially warm ( room temperature ), liquid cryogen will be vaporized as it travels through the pipe . typically , several minutes are required in order to cool the piping system to cryogenic temperatures , and attain steady state flow conditions . hence valve 21 is kept full open , initially , while 100 % gas discharges through the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 . as liquid begins to appear out the nozzle 28 , this is an indication that the piping is beginning to cool , and valve 21 is gradually closed in order to maintain the desired ( small ) liquid flow rate . at steady state conditions , when the piping system has fully cooled to its ultimate steady state temperature , ideally valve 21 will be fully closed , and the desired liquid flowrate is maintained through the fixed metering orifice hole in valve 21 . valve 36 ( gas vent line ) is opened at some point during this cool down process ( either at beginning or after some time ). once the system has reached steady state with respect to piping cool down , then valve 36 and / or regulator 16 can be adjusted , along with valve 21 , in order to provide optimum performance ( consistent , stable liquid flow , without surging or sputtering , at minimum flowrate ). without the gas vent line 34 and / or gas vent device 12 , in many cases , total cryogen flow is increased unnecessarily ( by opening valve 21 ) in order to maintain consistent , stable liquid flow without surging . by opening and adjusting the ( optional ) one - way valve 38 , further fine - tuning can be accomplished , by creating an additional β gas escape path β for vapor generated in the piping in close proximity to the hot furnace , i . e . pipe 24 . in one experimental setup , at steady state flow conditions , when valve 36 ( gas vent valve ) was closed , it was observed that valve 21 had to be opened wider in order to maintain stable , consistent liquid flow without surging . when valve 36 was opened , creating an escape path for gas generated in the piping , then stable liquid flow ( no surging ) could be maintained with valve 21 in a more closed position . this suggests that by segregating the liquid and gas flow in this manner , the required overall flowrate of cryogen for a given system potentially can be reduced . or , at minimum , the consistency and quality of liquid cryogen delivered to the furnace is improved , thereby increasing inerting effectiveness . and with the novel technique of utilizing the vented gas in the furnace ( via nozzle 33 or connection 35 ), as opposed to wasting it by venting to atmosphere , efficient utilization of cryogen is further improved . recognizing that in the absence of a gas vent line 34 or a gas vent device 12 , a certain percentage of the cryogen discharging from the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 will always be gas , the novelty is that , first , the gas and liquid flow is segregated , in order to provide greater uniformity , stability and consistency of liquid flow ( with potentially reduced overall flow requirement ), and second , the vented gas is now routed back to the furnace in order to utilize its inerting value , rather than wasting it by venting to atmosphere , which further contributes to increased efficiency of cryogen utilization . this apparatus and method , therefore , can provide greater economy ( reduced overall cryogen consumption ) with improved inerting effectiveness ( through more consistent , stable liquid flow ) while improving operator safety ( minimized liquid flowrate reduces risk of explosion from liquid β pooling β on molten metal surface ). preferred processes for practicing the present invention have been described . it will be understood and readily apparent to the artisan that many changes and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . the foregoing is illustrative only and that other embodiments of the integrated process can be employed without departing from the true scope of the invention defined in the following claims | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | 0.25 | ff5b261144c434d7715b24416da0b680490ff52c7ab3139e83643b46d7bf42c0 | 0.06543 | 0.001328 | 0.034668 | 0.000028 | 0.078125 | 0.000191 |
null | referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 illustrates schematically one embodiment of the process and apparatus in accordance with the present invention for inerting solid or molten metals . fig1 illustrates a bulk liquid cryogen storage tank , where the cryogen is preferably n 2 , ar , co 2 . the liquid cryogen is preferably in a saturated liquid state , where the saturated liquid is in equilibrium with vapor phase at an elevated pressure . liquid bulk storage tank 2 feeds liquid cryogen via a shut - off valve 4 through distribution piping 8 , where distribution pipe 8 preferably includes a safety pressure relief valve 6 to relieve in case of overpressure . distribution piping 8 is generally outdoors , originates at ground level , and generally and preferably is routed to an elevated header inside of a melt shop or other building , and then has individual β drop legs β as explained herein . the drop legs are typically flex hoses which are routed to each furnace or pair of furnaces . the distribution piping can have one or more drop legs from each header . the system in fig1 preferably includes a shut - off valve 10 which connects the distribution piping to a gas liquid separation device 12 , which preferably includes a chamber with an internal float connected to an internal upper gas vent valve . a safety pressure relief valve 14 can also be included as shown . liquid cryogen flows through piping 11 through a flex hose 18 , liquid shut - off valve 20 , a metering orifice 21 , and piping connection 24 , and eventually exits through a diffuser 26 which is located inside cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . preferably , the piping connection 24 is a double wall lance pipe as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 848 , 751 , incorporated herein by reference . gas liquid separation device 12 could be also a simple pipe β tee ,β ( preferably larger than piping 11 in diameter ), installed at or near the highest point , with a gas vent pointing vertically . following the gas flow through the system illustrated in fig1 a pressure regulator or in - line pressure relief valve 16 is preferably provided . pressure regulator 16 maintains the desired back pressure to the gas liquid separation device 12 , and to distribution piping 8 , rather than allowing the gas vent 12 to discharge to atmosphere , which can reduce system pressure . a flex hose 34 connects with a gas adjusting valve 36 , piping connection 31 , and nozzle 33 for allowing gaseous cryogen to be routed toward the molten or solid metal 1 , being held in container 32 . preferably , an adjusting valve or orifice can be provided as indicated at 38 , to allow additional gas purged from the liquid line 18 and 24 into the gas line 31 . valve 38 preferably includes a check valve ( one - way valve ) to allow gas to flow into the gas system , but not to allow gas to flow back into the liquid piping system 18 and 24 . valve connection 38 may also include a pressure regulator or in - line relief valve , to maintain pressure in liquid lines 11 , 18 , and 24 . also indicated in fig1 is a connection 40 for routing liquid cryogen to another furnace , and a connection 42 for routing gaseous cryogen to another container . distribution pipe 8 can be a header pipe to distribute cryogen to multiple furnace containers 32 . cryogen can be supplied to each furnace via its own nozzles 28 , 31 and 33 , and diffuser 26 . hence , items 10 - 38 can be replicated as needed for multiple furnaces . referring now to fig2 illustrated is another embodiment of a method and apparatus suitable for practicing the invention . the system illustrated in fig2 differs only from that illustrated in fig1 in the construction of cryogen inerting nozzle 28 , which has also a gas providing connection 35 taking feed from gaseous cryogen conduit 31 . this version of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 is better viewed with reference to fig3 and 4 . fig3 is a side elevation cross - sectional view of the nozzle 28 and connection 35 , illustrating certain dimensions . liquid cryogen enters at 27 , while gaseous cryogen enters at 29 . the internal diameter of liquid cryogen nozzle 28 , denoted as d , preferably ranges from about 2 cm up to about 10 cm , more preferably ranging from about 2 cm to about 5 cm , depending on the amount of cryogen desired . the exit end of nozzle 28 has a larger diameter d β², than the internal diameter d of nozzle 28 . this slight flaring of the exit of the nozzle provides certain advantages , for example , the liquid may have a better drip characteristic , and the gaseous cryogen may spread to a wider area of the molten or solid metal in container 32 . the ratio of a diameter d divided by d β² typically and preferably ranges from about 0 . 5 to 1 , up to 1 to 1 . fig3 also illustrates diameter d of diffuser 26 , with diameter d ranging from about 5 % up to about 90 % of the diameter d . it should be recognized by those skilled in the art that diffuser 26 need not be cylindrical or round in construction but could be rectangular or any other shape including a t - shaped element . a distance l from terminal tip of diffuser 26 to the entrance of connection 35 typically ranges from about 0 to about 3 diameters equal to d , the diameter of diffuser 26 . lengths denoted as l d and l n are also illustrated in fig3 . the dimension l d corresponds to the axial length of diffuser 26 , while the length denoted l n denotes the distance from the end of diffuser 26 to the exit of nozzle 28 . preferably , the distance l d ranges from about 0 . 5 to about 3 times the diameter d , while the length dimension l n is preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 5 times the length dimension l d . [ 0042 ] fig4 illustrates the end view along the view a - a denoted in fig3 illustrating that diffuser 26 is substantially centered within a cylindrical cryogen inerting nozzle 28 . it should be noted that this is preferred only and that diffuser 26 could be located in a non - central location in reference to the axial center line of nozzle 28 . also as illustrated in fig4 gaseous cryogen connection 35 is indicated as being connected non - tangentially to nozzle 28 , however , connection 35 could be tangentially connected as indicated in fig4 a . fig4 a shows an alternate embodiment where gas connection 35 is tangentially connected to cryogen delivery nozzle 28 . the embodiment of fig4 a would tend to give a swirling motion to the gaseous cryogen as it exits nozzle 28 . it can also be envisioned to install swirling elements on an internal surface of nozzle 28 to create more swirl for gaseous cryogen . with either fig4 or 4 a , it can also be envisioned to utilize a substantially larger diameter d of the nozzle 28 , to provide broader gas coverage in the furnace 32 . [ 0043 ] fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment 50 of a nozzle useful for delivering liquid and gaseous cryogen for the purposes of the invention . a nozzle 28 as in previous embodiments is fitted with an annular section 52 basically surrounding the nozzle 28 , and creating an annular space for gaseous cryogen to enter through a piping connection 54 . thus , only liquid would exit through the nozzle 28 via diffuser 26 , whereas , gaseous cryogen would exit the annular region formed between nozzle 28 and annular section 52 . annular section 52 may be connected to nozzle 28 such as by welds 56 and 58 . piping connection 54 may be non - tangentially connected to annular connection 52 or it may be tangentially connected to provide a swirling flow of cryogen . at initial startup of liquid cryogen flow ( such as after a weekend shutdown or the like ), valves 4 , 10 , 20 , and 21 are fully opened . since the piping ( 8 , 11 , etc .) is initially warm ( room temperature ), liquid cryogen will be vaporized as it travels through the pipe . typically , several minutes are required in order to cool the piping system to cryogenic temperatures , and attain steady state flow conditions . hence valve 21 is kept full open , initially , while 100 % gas discharges through the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 . as liquid begins to appear out the nozzle 28 , this is an indication that the piping is beginning to cool , and valve 21 is gradually closed in order to maintain the desired ( small ) liquid flow rate . at steady state conditions , when the piping system has fully cooled to its ultimate steady state temperature , ideally valve 21 will be fully closed , and the desired liquid flowrate is maintained through the fixed metering orifice hole in valve 21 . valve 36 ( gas vent line ) is opened at some point during this cool down process ( either at beginning or after some time ). once the system has reached steady state with respect to piping cool down , then valve 36 and / or regulator 16 can be adjusted , along with valve 21 , in order to provide optimum performance ( consistent , stable liquid flow , without surging or sputtering , at minimum flowrate ). without the gas vent line 34 and / or gas vent device 12 , in many cases , total cryogen flow is increased unnecessarily ( by opening valve 21 ) in order to maintain consistent , stable liquid flow without surging . by opening and adjusting the ( optional ) one - way valve 38 , further fine - tuning can be accomplished , by creating an additional β gas escape path β for vapor generated in the piping in close proximity to the hot furnace , i . e . pipe 24 . in one experimental setup , at steady state flow conditions , when valve 36 ( gas vent valve ) was closed , it was observed that valve 21 had to be opened wider in order to maintain stable , consistent liquid flow without surging . when valve 36 was opened , creating an escape path for gas generated in the piping , then stable liquid flow ( no surging ) could be maintained with valve 21 in a more closed position . this suggests that by segregating the liquid and gas flow in this manner , the required overall flowrate of cryogen for a given system potentially can be reduced . or , at minimum , the consistency and quality of liquid cryogen delivered to the furnace is improved , thereby increasing inerting effectiveness . and with the novel technique of utilizing the vented gas in the furnace ( via nozzle 33 or connection 35 ), as opposed to wasting it by venting to atmosphere , efficient utilization of cryogen is further improved . recognizing that in the absence of a gas vent line 34 or a gas vent device 12 , a certain percentage of the cryogen discharging from the diffuser 26 and nozzle 28 will always be gas , the novelty is that , first , the gas and liquid flow is segregated , in order to provide greater uniformity , stability and consistency of liquid flow ( with potentially reduced overall flow requirement ), and second , the vented gas is now routed back to the furnace in order to utilize its inerting value , rather than wasting it by venting to atmosphere , which further contributes to increased efficiency of cryogen utilization . this apparatus and method , therefore , can provide greater economy ( reduced overall cryogen consumption ) with improved inerting effectiveness ( through more consistent , stable liquid flow ) while improving operator safety ( minimized liquid flowrate reduces risk of explosion from liquid β pooling β on molten metal surface ). preferred processes for practicing the present invention have been described . it will be understood and readily apparent to the artisan that many changes and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention . the foregoing is illustrative only and that other embodiments of the integrated process can be employed without departing from the true scope of the invention defined in the following claims | Should this patent be classified under 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | Is 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | ff5b261144c434d7715b24416da0b680490ff52c7ab3139e83643b46d7bf42c0 | 0.039063 | 0.158203 | 0.019165 | 0.219727 | 0.037842 | 0.172852 |
null | in the following descriptions , parts of the power module of the present invention which are similar to corresponding parts of the power module shown in fig5 have been given corresponding reference numerals and need not be further redescribed . in a first example of the present invention , aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of a furnace 9 , and a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 below the crucible . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually , to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the value of the proof stress was measured along jis z2241 a test piece of jis z2201 . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 was taken out from the furnace 9 in order to form a circuit portion on the ceramic substrate board 2 . a desired pattern of a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight ( not shown ) was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , an electroless nickel plating layer 8 was formed on the metal layer 3 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through the plating layer 8 and a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate 7 was change from 5 mm to 1 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 10 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 30 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 was changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 95 . 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 4 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 95 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 is changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 320 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the ceramic substrate board 2 is changed from aluminum nitride to silicone nitride . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that fins were provided on the base plate 7 in order to improve the heat radiation . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 of aluminum nitride , an actuated metal brazing material consisting of ag in an amount of 90 % by weight , ti in an amount of 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 5 % by weight was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . a cupper rolled plate was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 800 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace , so that the metal layer 3 was bonded on the ceramic substrate board 2 . then , an etching resist was printed on the cupper portion by using the screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired pattern 14 . the ceramic substrate boards 2 with the metal layers 3 were placed on an inside bottom portion of a furnace 9 with a bottom surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward as shown in fig3 . aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 9 , and the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the bight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 9 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were bonded on a base plate 7 of aluminum under the same conditions as in the example 1 . as shown in fig4 , a furnace 15 is used and aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 15 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride bonded on the base plate 7 were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 15 below the crucible with the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward . a mold 18 having a mortise of a desired circuit pattern was placed on each ceramic substrate board 2 . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 15 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 15 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 16 and narrow conduits 17 a , 17 b and 17 c connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the molds 18 . a heat sink 19 was arranged at under side of the base plate 7 in order to cool and protect the base plate 7 . the pushed out molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate board 2 in the mold 18 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form a metal layer 3 on the ceramic substrate board 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 15 . a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 by using a screen printer to form a desired pattern , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed on the brazing material . the same brazing material was printed entirely on a lower surface of the ceramic substrate board , an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed thereon , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , the ceramic substrate board was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 % which was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . a semiconductor tip was fixed on the aluminum layer formed on the ceramic substrate board to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 1000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a power module as shown in fig5 was formed under the similar manner as in the comparative example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum to a cupper molybdenum alloy of 5 mm in thickness . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a molten aluminum as shown in the example 1 was contacted directly to both surfaces of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , cooled and solidified to form aluminum layers . then , in order to form a circuit portion on one of the both surfaces of the ceramic substrate board , an etching resist was printed on the one surface by using a screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired circuit pattern . the ceramic substrate board with the circuit pattern was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate subjected to an electroless nickel plating and having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 %. further , a semiconductor tip was provided on each of the substrate boards to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to bond three sheets of ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride on one surface of a base plate of 99 . 99 % in purity having a thickness of 5 mm , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the base plate by using a screen printer and dried at 80 Β° c . a ceramic substrate board was placed on the brazing material and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . it was examined to form a circuit on the other side of the base plate by a brazing method similar to the above , however all of the ceramic substrate boards were cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 0 . 5 mm . however , the base plate deformed easily because of the lack of proof stress . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum of 99 , 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 88 % by weight , cu in an amount of 2 % by weight , mg in an amount of 3 % by weight and zn in an amount of 7 % by weight . the base plate had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 540 mpa . however , all of the ceramic substrate boards are cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . ( 1 ) the reliability of the metal - ceramic circuit board when the cooling and heating are repeated , can be elevated remarkably , because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple . specifically , aluminum or aluminum alloy is used as the material of the base plate and bonded directly on the ceramic substrate board , so that any irregularity in thermal expansion and contraction of the base plate when it is heated and cooled is eliminated , and the crack is prevented from being occurred in the contact portion of the ceramic substrate board by the softness of aluminum . ( 2 ) a high heat conductivity can be obtained because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , and the brazing material layer of low in heat conductivity can be omitted . ( 3 ) the cost can be reduced because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , so that any brazing for bonding the both can be omitted , and that any surface treatment such as plating or the brazing can be omitted . ( 4 ) cupper used conventionary as a base plate is cheap . however , the thermal expansion coefficient is larger than that of the ceramics , so that the reliability is low because a crack is formed easily on the bonding surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate when the heating and cooling are repeated . copper molybdenum alloy or aluminum silicon carbide composite material is low in heat conductivity and high in cost . on the contrary , aluminum is cheap and very small in proof stress , though the thermal expansion cofficient is high , so that the crack is hardly formed on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate even if the heating and cooling are repeated and that high reliability can be obtained . ( 5 ) it is considered such a manufacturing method that a circuit substrate board is manufactured by bonding a base plate of aluminum , aluminum alloy , cupper , cupper molybdenum alloy , or aluminum silicon carbide composite material on a ceramic substrate board by using brazing material . however , the ceramic substrate board is deformed to a large extent and cracks are formed easily in the ceramic substrate board due to the difference in thermal expansion and reduction between the bonded base plate and the ceramic substrate board , because the thickness of the base plate is larger than the thickness of the ceramic substrate board , the bonding layer of brazing material low in flexibility is formed between the base plate and the ceramic substrate board . on the contrary , in the present invention , the above defects can be obviated , because the base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy of less than 320 ( mpa ) in proof stress and more than 1 mm in thickness is bonded directly to the ceramic substrate board so as to have a bonding portion very high in flexibility . ( 6 ) the substrate board for the power module according to the present invention is suitable especially to control a large electric current of electric automobiles , electric cars , tooling machines or the like , because the reliability , and the yield are high and the cost is low . ( 7 ) the heat treatment is carried out in the inert gas , so that the oxidization of the material is prevented and the good bonding can be achived . further , the temperature in the furnace may be set to 550 Β° c .Λ 850 Β° c . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Human Necessities'? | 0.25 | 9650d05b623cd2ec2209983b8786af7135707093dbfc9ba8ebbe82c4f1664edf | 0.40625 | 0.009399 | 0.3125 | 0.000336 | 0.550781 | 0.006897 |
null | in the following descriptions , parts of the power module of the present invention which are similar to corresponding parts of the power module shown in fig5 have been given corresponding reference numerals and need not be further redescribed . in a first example of the present invention , aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of a furnace 9 , and a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 below the crucible . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually , to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the value of the proof stress was measured along jis z2241 a test piece of jis z2201 . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 was taken out from the furnace 9 in order to form a circuit portion on the ceramic substrate board 2 . a desired pattern of a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight ( not shown ) was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , an electroless nickel plating layer 8 was formed on the metal layer 3 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through the plating layer 8 and a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate 7 was change from 5 mm to 1 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 10 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 30 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 was changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 95 . 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 4 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 95 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 is changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 320 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the ceramic substrate board 2 is changed from aluminum nitride to silicone nitride . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that fins were provided on the base plate 7 in order to improve the heat radiation . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 of aluminum nitride , an actuated metal brazing material consisting of ag in an amount of 90 % by weight , ti in an amount of 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 5 % by weight was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . a cupper rolled plate was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 800 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace , so that the metal layer 3 was bonded on the ceramic substrate board 2 . then , an etching resist was printed on the cupper portion by using the screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired pattern 14 . the ceramic substrate boards 2 with the metal layers 3 were placed on an inside bottom portion of a furnace 9 with a bottom surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward as shown in fig3 . aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 9 , and the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the bight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 9 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were bonded on a base plate 7 of aluminum under the same conditions as in the example 1 . as shown in fig4 , a furnace 15 is used and aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 15 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride bonded on the base plate 7 were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 15 below the crucible with the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward . a mold 18 having a mortise of a desired circuit pattern was placed on each ceramic substrate board 2 . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 15 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 15 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 16 and narrow conduits 17 a , 17 b and 17 c connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the molds 18 . a heat sink 19 was arranged at under side of the base plate 7 in order to cool and protect the base plate 7 . the pushed out molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate board 2 in the mold 18 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form a metal layer 3 on the ceramic substrate board 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 15 . a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 by using a screen printer to form a desired pattern , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed on the brazing material . the same brazing material was printed entirely on a lower surface of the ceramic substrate board , an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed thereon , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , the ceramic substrate board was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 % which was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . a semiconductor tip was fixed on the aluminum layer formed on the ceramic substrate board to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 1000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a power module as shown in fig5 was formed under the similar manner as in the comparative example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum to a cupper molybdenum alloy of 5 mm in thickness . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a molten aluminum as shown in the example 1 was contacted directly to both surfaces of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , cooled and solidified to form aluminum layers . then , in order to form a circuit portion on one of the both surfaces of the ceramic substrate board , an etching resist was printed on the one surface by using a screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired circuit pattern . the ceramic substrate board with the circuit pattern was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate subjected to an electroless nickel plating and having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 %. further , a semiconductor tip was provided on each of the substrate boards to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to bond three sheets of ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride on one surface of a base plate of 99 . 99 % in purity having a thickness of 5 mm , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the base plate by using a screen printer and dried at 80 Β° c . a ceramic substrate board was placed on the brazing material and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . it was examined to form a circuit on the other side of the base plate by a brazing method similar to the above , however all of the ceramic substrate boards were cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 0 . 5 mm . however , the base plate deformed easily because of the lack of proof stress . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum of 99 , 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 88 % by weight , cu in an amount of 2 % by weight , mg in an amount of 3 % by weight and zn in an amount of 7 % by weight . the base plate had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 540 mpa . however , all of the ceramic substrate boards are cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . ( 1 ) the reliability of the metal - ceramic circuit board when the cooling and heating are repeated , can be elevated remarkably , because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple . specifically , aluminum or aluminum alloy is used as the material of the base plate and bonded directly on the ceramic substrate board , so that any irregularity in thermal expansion and contraction of the base plate when it is heated and cooled is eliminated , and the crack is prevented from being occurred in the contact portion of the ceramic substrate board by the softness of aluminum . ( 2 ) a high heat conductivity can be obtained because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , and the brazing material layer of low in heat conductivity can be omitted . ( 3 ) the cost can be reduced because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , so that any brazing for bonding the both can be omitted , and that any surface treatment such as plating or the brazing can be omitted . ( 4 ) cupper used conventionary as a base plate is cheap . however , the thermal expansion coefficient is larger than that of the ceramics , so that the reliability is low because a crack is formed easily on the bonding surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate when the heating and cooling are repeated . copper molybdenum alloy or aluminum silicon carbide composite material is low in heat conductivity and high in cost . on the contrary , aluminum is cheap and very small in proof stress , though the thermal expansion cofficient is high , so that the crack is hardly formed on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate even if the heating and cooling are repeated and that high reliability can be obtained . ( 5 ) it is considered such a manufacturing method that a circuit substrate board is manufactured by bonding a base plate of aluminum , aluminum alloy , cupper , cupper molybdenum alloy , or aluminum silicon carbide composite material on a ceramic substrate board by using brazing material . however , the ceramic substrate board is deformed to a large extent and cracks are formed easily in the ceramic substrate board due to the difference in thermal expansion and reduction between the bonded base plate and the ceramic substrate board , because the thickness of the base plate is larger than the thickness of the ceramic substrate board , the bonding layer of brazing material low in flexibility is formed between the base plate and the ceramic substrate board . on the contrary , in the present invention , the above defects can be obviated , because the base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy of less than 320 ( mpa ) in proof stress and more than 1 mm in thickness is bonded directly to the ceramic substrate board so as to have a bonding portion very high in flexibility . ( 6 ) the substrate board for the power module according to the present invention is suitable especially to control a large electric current of electric automobiles , electric cars , tooling machines or the like , because the reliability , and the yield are high and the cost is low . ( 7 ) the heat treatment is carried out in the inert gas , so that the oxidization of the material is prevented and the good bonding can be achived . further , the temperature in the furnace may be set to 550 Β° c .Λ 850 Β° c . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | Is 'Electricity' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Performing Operations; Transporting'? | 0.25 | 9650d05b623cd2ec2209983b8786af7135707093dbfc9ba8ebbe82c4f1664edf | 0.394531 | 0.031738 | 0.320313 | 0.010986 | 0.443359 | 0.121582 |
null | in the following descriptions , parts of the power module of the present invention which are similar to corresponding parts of the power module shown in fig5 have been given corresponding reference numerals and need not be further redescribed . in a first example of the present invention , aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of a furnace 9 , and a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 below the crucible . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually , to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the value of the proof stress was measured along jis z2241 a test piece of jis z2201 . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 was taken out from the furnace 9 in order to form a circuit portion on the ceramic substrate board 2 . a desired pattern of a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight ( not shown ) was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , an electroless nickel plating layer 8 was formed on the metal layer 3 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through the plating layer 8 and a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate 7 was change from 5 mm to 1 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 10 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 30 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 was changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 95 . 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 4 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 95 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 is changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 320 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the ceramic substrate board 2 is changed from aluminum nitride to silicone nitride . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that fins were provided on the base plate 7 in order to improve the heat radiation . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 of aluminum nitride , an actuated metal brazing material consisting of ag in an amount of 90 % by weight , ti in an amount of 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 5 % by weight was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . a cupper rolled plate was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 800 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace , so that the metal layer 3 was bonded on the ceramic substrate board 2 . then , an etching resist was printed on the cupper portion by using the screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired pattern 14 . the ceramic substrate boards 2 with the metal layers 3 were placed on an inside bottom portion of a furnace 9 with a bottom surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward as shown in fig3 . aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 9 , and the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the bight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 9 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were bonded on a base plate 7 of aluminum under the same conditions as in the example 1 . as shown in fig4 , a furnace 15 is used and aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 15 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride bonded on the base plate 7 were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 15 below the crucible with the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward . a mold 18 having a mortise of a desired circuit pattern was placed on each ceramic substrate board 2 . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 15 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 15 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 16 and narrow conduits 17 a , 17 b and 17 c connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the molds 18 . a heat sink 19 was arranged at under side of the base plate 7 in order to cool and protect the base plate 7 . the pushed out molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate board 2 in the mold 18 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form a metal layer 3 on the ceramic substrate board 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 15 . a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 by using a screen printer to form a desired pattern , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed on the brazing material . the same brazing material was printed entirely on a lower surface of the ceramic substrate board , an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed thereon , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , the ceramic substrate board was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 % which was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . a semiconductor tip was fixed on the aluminum layer formed on the ceramic substrate board to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 1000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a power module as shown in fig5 was formed under the similar manner as in the comparative example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum to a cupper molybdenum alloy of 5 mm in thickness . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a molten aluminum as shown in the example 1 was contacted directly to both surfaces of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , cooled and solidified to form aluminum layers . then , in order to form a circuit portion on one of the both surfaces of the ceramic substrate board , an etching resist was printed on the one surface by using a screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired circuit pattern . the ceramic substrate board with the circuit pattern was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate subjected to an electroless nickel plating and having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 %. further , a semiconductor tip was provided on each of the substrate boards to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to bond three sheets of ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride on one surface of a base plate of 99 . 99 % in purity having a thickness of 5 mm , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the base plate by using a screen printer and dried at 80 Β° c . a ceramic substrate board was placed on the brazing material and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . it was examined to form a circuit on the other side of the base plate by a brazing method similar to the above , however all of the ceramic substrate boards were cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 0 . 5 mm . however , the base plate deformed easily because of the lack of proof stress . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum of 99 , 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 88 % by weight , cu in an amount of 2 % by weight , mg in an amount of 3 % by weight and zn in an amount of 7 % by weight . the base plate had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 540 mpa . however , all of the ceramic substrate boards are cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . ( 1 ) the reliability of the metal - ceramic circuit board when the cooling and heating are repeated , can be elevated remarkably , because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple . specifically , aluminum or aluminum alloy is used as the material of the base plate and bonded directly on the ceramic substrate board , so that any irregularity in thermal expansion and contraction of the base plate when it is heated and cooled is eliminated , and the crack is prevented from being occurred in the contact portion of the ceramic substrate board by the softness of aluminum . ( 2 ) a high heat conductivity can be obtained because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , and the brazing material layer of low in heat conductivity can be omitted . ( 3 ) the cost can be reduced because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , so that any brazing for bonding the both can be omitted , and that any surface treatment such as plating or the brazing can be omitted . ( 4 ) cupper used conventionary as a base plate is cheap . however , the thermal expansion coefficient is larger than that of the ceramics , so that the reliability is low because a crack is formed easily on the bonding surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate when the heating and cooling are repeated . copper molybdenum alloy or aluminum silicon carbide composite material is low in heat conductivity and high in cost . on the contrary , aluminum is cheap and very small in proof stress , though the thermal expansion cofficient is high , so that the crack is hardly formed on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate even if the heating and cooling are repeated and that high reliability can be obtained . ( 5 ) it is considered such a manufacturing method that a circuit substrate board is manufactured by bonding a base plate of aluminum , aluminum alloy , cupper , cupper molybdenum alloy , or aluminum silicon carbide composite material on a ceramic substrate board by using brazing material . however , the ceramic substrate board is deformed to a large extent and cracks are formed easily in the ceramic substrate board due to the difference in thermal expansion and reduction between the bonded base plate and the ceramic substrate board , because the thickness of the base plate is larger than the thickness of the ceramic substrate board , the bonding layer of brazing material low in flexibility is formed between the base plate and the ceramic substrate board . on the contrary , in the present invention , the above defects can be obviated , because the base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy of less than 320 ( mpa ) in proof stress and more than 1 mm in thickness is bonded directly to the ceramic substrate board so as to have a bonding portion very high in flexibility . ( 6 ) the substrate board for the power module according to the present invention is suitable especially to control a large electric current of electric automobiles , electric cars , tooling machines or the like , because the reliability , and the yield are high and the cost is low . ( 7 ) the heat treatment is carried out in the inert gas , so that the oxidization of the material is prevented and the good bonding can be achived . further , the temperature in the furnace may be set to 550 Β° c .Λ 850 Β° c . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | Should this patent be classified under 'Electricity'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | 9650d05b623cd2ec2209983b8786af7135707093dbfc9ba8ebbe82c4f1664edf | 0.423828 | 0.017944 | 0.451172 | 0.010681 | 0.503906 | 0.016357 |
null | in the following descriptions , parts of the power module of the present invention which are similar to corresponding parts of the power module shown in fig5 have been given corresponding reference numerals and need not be further redescribed . in a first example of the present invention , aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of a furnace 9 , and a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 below the crucible . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually , to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the value of the proof stress was measured along jis z2241 a test piece of jis z2201 . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 was taken out from the furnace 9 in order to form a circuit portion on the ceramic substrate board 2 . a desired pattern of a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight ( not shown ) was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , an electroless nickel plating layer 8 was formed on the metal layer 3 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through the plating layer 8 and a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate 7 was change from 5 mm to 1 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 10 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 30 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 was changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 95 . 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 4 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 95 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 is changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 320 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the ceramic substrate board 2 is changed from aluminum nitride to silicone nitride . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that fins were provided on the base plate 7 in order to improve the heat radiation . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 of aluminum nitride , an actuated metal brazing material consisting of ag in an amount of 90 % by weight , ti in an amount of 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 5 % by weight was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . a cupper rolled plate was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 800 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace , so that the metal layer 3 was bonded on the ceramic substrate board 2 . then , an etching resist was printed on the cupper portion by using the screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired pattern 14 . the ceramic substrate boards 2 with the metal layers 3 were placed on an inside bottom portion of a furnace 9 with a bottom surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward as shown in fig3 . aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 9 , and the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the bight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 9 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were bonded on a base plate 7 of aluminum under the same conditions as in the example 1 . as shown in fig4 , a furnace 15 is used and aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 15 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride bonded on the base plate 7 were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 15 below the crucible with the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward . a mold 18 having a mortise of a desired circuit pattern was placed on each ceramic substrate board 2 . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 15 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 15 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 16 and narrow conduits 17 a , 17 b and 17 c connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the molds 18 . a heat sink 19 was arranged at under side of the base plate 7 in order to cool and protect the base plate 7 . the pushed out molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate board 2 in the mold 18 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form a metal layer 3 on the ceramic substrate board 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 15 . a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 by using a screen printer to form a desired pattern , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed on the brazing material . the same brazing material was printed entirely on a lower surface of the ceramic substrate board , an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed thereon , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , the ceramic substrate board was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 % which was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . a semiconductor tip was fixed on the aluminum layer formed on the ceramic substrate board to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 1000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a power module as shown in fig5 was formed under the similar manner as in the comparative example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum to a cupper molybdenum alloy of 5 mm in thickness . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a molten aluminum as shown in the example 1 was contacted directly to both surfaces of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , cooled and solidified to form aluminum layers . then , in order to form a circuit portion on one of the both surfaces of the ceramic substrate board , an etching resist was printed on the one surface by using a screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired circuit pattern . the ceramic substrate board with the circuit pattern was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate subjected to an electroless nickel plating and having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 %. further , a semiconductor tip was provided on each of the substrate boards to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to bond three sheets of ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride on one surface of a base plate of 99 . 99 % in purity having a thickness of 5 mm , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the base plate by using a screen printer and dried at 80 Β° c . a ceramic substrate board was placed on the brazing material and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . it was examined to form a circuit on the other side of the base plate by a brazing method similar to the above , however all of the ceramic substrate boards were cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 0 . 5 mm . however , the base plate deformed easily because of the lack of proof stress . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum of 99 , 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 88 % by weight , cu in an amount of 2 % by weight , mg in an amount of 3 % by weight and zn in an amount of 7 % by weight . the base plate had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 540 mpa . however , all of the ceramic substrate boards are cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . ( 1 ) the reliability of the metal - ceramic circuit board when the cooling and heating are repeated , can be elevated remarkably , because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple . specifically , aluminum or aluminum alloy is used as the material of the base plate and bonded directly on the ceramic substrate board , so that any irregularity in thermal expansion and contraction of the base plate when it is heated and cooled is eliminated , and the crack is prevented from being occurred in the contact portion of the ceramic substrate board by the softness of aluminum . ( 2 ) a high heat conductivity can be obtained because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , and the brazing material layer of low in heat conductivity can be omitted . ( 3 ) the cost can be reduced because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , so that any brazing for bonding the both can be omitted , and that any surface treatment such as plating or the brazing can be omitted . ( 4 ) cupper used conventionary as a base plate is cheap . however , the thermal expansion coefficient is larger than that of the ceramics , so that the reliability is low because a crack is formed easily on the bonding surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate when the heating and cooling are repeated . copper molybdenum alloy or aluminum silicon carbide composite material is low in heat conductivity and high in cost . on the contrary , aluminum is cheap and very small in proof stress , though the thermal expansion cofficient is high , so that the crack is hardly formed on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate even if the heating and cooling are repeated and that high reliability can be obtained . ( 5 ) it is considered such a manufacturing method that a circuit substrate board is manufactured by bonding a base plate of aluminum , aluminum alloy , cupper , cupper molybdenum alloy , or aluminum silicon carbide composite material on a ceramic substrate board by using brazing material . however , the ceramic substrate board is deformed to a large extent and cracks are formed easily in the ceramic substrate board due to the difference in thermal expansion and reduction between the bonded base plate and the ceramic substrate board , because the thickness of the base plate is larger than the thickness of the ceramic substrate board , the bonding layer of brazing material low in flexibility is formed between the base plate and the ceramic substrate board . on the contrary , in the present invention , the above defects can be obviated , because the base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy of less than 320 ( mpa ) in proof stress and more than 1 mm in thickness is bonded directly to the ceramic substrate board so as to have a bonding portion very high in flexibility . ( 6 ) the substrate board for the power module according to the present invention is suitable especially to control a large electric current of electric automobiles , electric cars , tooling machines or the like , because the reliability , and the yield are high and the cost is low . ( 7 ) the heat treatment is carried out in the inert gas , so that the oxidization of the material is prevented and the good bonding can be achived . further , the temperature in the furnace may be set to 550 Β° c .Λ 850 Β° c . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Is 'Textiles; Paper' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 9650d05b623cd2ec2209983b8786af7135707093dbfc9ba8ebbe82c4f1664edf | 0.40625 | 0.006683 | 0.3125 | 0.001648 | 0.558594 | 0.066406 |
null | in the following descriptions , parts of the power module of the present invention which are similar to corresponding parts of the power module shown in fig5 have been given corresponding reference numerals and need not be further redescribed . in a first example of the present invention , aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of a furnace 9 , and a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 below the crucible . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually , to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the value of the proof stress was measured along jis z2241 a test piece of jis z2201 . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 was taken out from the furnace 9 in order to form a circuit portion on the ceramic substrate board 2 . a desired pattern of a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight ( not shown ) was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , an electroless nickel plating layer 8 was formed on the metal layer 3 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through the plating layer 8 and a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate 7 was change from 5 mm to 1 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 10 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 30 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 was changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 95 . 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 4 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 95 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 is changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 320 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the ceramic substrate board 2 is changed from aluminum nitride to silicone nitride . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that fins were provided on the base plate 7 in order to improve the heat radiation . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 of aluminum nitride , an actuated metal brazing material consisting of ag in an amount of 90 % by weight , ti in an amount of 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 5 % by weight was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . a cupper rolled plate was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 800 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace , so that the metal layer 3 was bonded on the ceramic substrate board 2 . then , an etching resist was printed on the cupper portion by using the screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired pattern 14 . the ceramic substrate boards 2 with the metal layers 3 were placed on an inside bottom portion of a furnace 9 with a bottom surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward as shown in fig3 . aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 9 , and the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the bight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 9 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were bonded on a base plate 7 of aluminum under the same conditions as in the example 1 . as shown in fig4 , a furnace 15 is used and aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 15 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride bonded on the base plate 7 were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 15 below the crucible with the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward . a mold 18 having a mortise of a desired circuit pattern was placed on each ceramic substrate board 2 . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 15 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 15 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 16 and narrow conduits 17 a , 17 b and 17 c connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the molds 18 . a heat sink 19 was arranged at under side of the base plate 7 in order to cool and protect the base plate 7 . the pushed out molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate board 2 in the mold 18 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form a metal layer 3 on the ceramic substrate board 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 15 . a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 by using a screen printer to form a desired pattern , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed on the brazing material . the same brazing material was printed entirely on a lower surface of the ceramic substrate board , an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed thereon , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , the ceramic substrate board was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 % which was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . a semiconductor tip was fixed on the aluminum layer formed on the ceramic substrate board to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 1000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a power module as shown in fig5 was formed under the similar manner as in the comparative example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum to a cupper molybdenum alloy of 5 mm in thickness . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a molten aluminum as shown in the example 1 was contacted directly to both surfaces of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , cooled and solidified to form aluminum layers . then , in order to form a circuit portion on one of the both surfaces of the ceramic substrate board , an etching resist was printed on the one surface by using a screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired circuit pattern . the ceramic substrate board with the circuit pattern was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate subjected to an electroless nickel plating and having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 %. further , a semiconductor tip was provided on each of the substrate boards to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to bond three sheets of ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride on one surface of a base plate of 99 . 99 % in purity having a thickness of 5 mm , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the base plate by using a screen printer and dried at 80 Β° c . a ceramic substrate board was placed on the brazing material and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . it was examined to form a circuit on the other side of the base plate by a brazing method similar to the above , however all of the ceramic substrate boards were cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 0 . 5 mm . however , the base plate deformed easily because of the lack of proof stress . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum of 99 , 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 88 % by weight , cu in an amount of 2 % by weight , mg in an amount of 3 % by weight and zn in an amount of 7 % by weight . the base plate had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 540 mpa . however , all of the ceramic substrate boards are cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . ( 1 ) the reliability of the metal - ceramic circuit board when the cooling and heating are repeated , can be elevated remarkably , because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple . specifically , aluminum or aluminum alloy is used as the material of the base plate and bonded directly on the ceramic substrate board , so that any irregularity in thermal expansion and contraction of the base plate when it is heated and cooled is eliminated , and the crack is prevented from being occurred in the contact portion of the ceramic substrate board by the softness of aluminum . ( 2 ) a high heat conductivity can be obtained because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , and the brazing material layer of low in heat conductivity can be omitted . ( 3 ) the cost can be reduced because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , so that any brazing for bonding the both can be omitted , and that any surface treatment such as plating or the brazing can be omitted . ( 4 ) cupper used conventionary as a base plate is cheap . however , the thermal expansion coefficient is larger than that of the ceramics , so that the reliability is low because a crack is formed easily on the bonding surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate when the heating and cooling are repeated . copper molybdenum alloy or aluminum silicon carbide composite material is low in heat conductivity and high in cost . on the contrary , aluminum is cheap and very small in proof stress , though the thermal expansion cofficient is high , so that the crack is hardly formed on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate even if the heating and cooling are repeated and that high reliability can be obtained . ( 5 ) it is considered such a manufacturing method that a circuit substrate board is manufactured by bonding a base plate of aluminum , aluminum alloy , cupper , cupper molybdenum alloy , or aluminum silicon carbide composite material on a ceramic substrate board by using brazing material . however , the ceramic substrate board is deformed to a large extent and cracks are formed easily in the ceramic substrate board due to the difference in thermal expansion and reduction between the bonded base plate and the ceramic substrate board , because the thickness of the base plate is larger than the thickness of the ceramic substrate board , the bonding layer of brazing material low in flexibility is formed between the base plate and the ceramic substrate board . on the contrary , in the present invention , the above defects can be obviated , because the base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy of less than 320 ( mpa ) in proof stress and more than 1 mm in thickness is bonded directly to the ceramic substrate board so as to have a bonding portion very high in flexibility . ( 6 ) the substrate board for the power module according to the present invention is suitable especially to control a large electric current of electric automobiles , electric cars , tooling machines or the like , because the reliability , and the yield are high and the cost is low . ( 7 ) the heat treatment is carried out in the inert gas , so that the oxidization of the material is prevented and the good bonding can be achived . further , the temperature in the furnace may be set to 550 Β° c .Λ 850 Β° c . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | Is 'Electricity' the correct technical category for the patent? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | 0.25 | 9650d05b623cd2ec2209983b8786af7135707093dbfc9ba8ebbe82c4f1664edf | 0.394531 | 0.162109 | 0.320313 | 0.609375 | 0.412109 | 0.273438 |
null | in the following descriptions , parts of the power module of the present invention which are similar to corresponding parts of the power module shown in fig5 have been given corresponding reference numerals and need not be further redescribed . in a first example of the present invention , aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of a furnace 9 , and a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 below the crucible . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually , to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the value of the proof stress was measured along jis z2241 a test piece of jis z2201 . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 was taken out from the furnace 9 in order to form a circuit portion on the ceramic substrate board 2 . a desired pattern of a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight ( not shown ) was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , an electroless nickel plating layer 8 was formed on the metal layer 3 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through the plating layer 8 and a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate 7 was change from 5 mm to 1 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 10 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 30 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 was changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 95 . 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 4 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 95 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 is changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 320 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the ceramic substrate board 2 is changed from aluminum nitride to silicone nitride . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that fins were provided on the base plate 7 in order to improve the heat radiation . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 of aluminum nitride , an actuated metal brazing material consisting of ag in an amount of 90 % by weight , ti in an amount of 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 5 % by weight was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . a cupper rolled plate was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 800 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace , so that the metal layer 3 was bonded on the ceramic substrate board 2 . then , an etching resist was printed on the cupper portion by using the screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired pattern 14 . the ceramic substrate boards 2 with the metal layers 3 were placed on an inside bottom portion of a furnace 9 with a bottom surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward as shown in fig3 . aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 9 , and the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the bight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 9 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were bonded on a base plate 7 of aluminum under the same conditions as in the example 1 . as shown in fig4 , a furnace 15 is used and aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 15 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride bonded on the base plate 7 were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 15 below the crucible with the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward . a mold 18 having a mortise of a desired circuit pattern was placed on each ceramic substrate board 2 . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 15 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 15 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 16 and narrow conduits 17 a , 17 b and 17 c connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the molds 18 . a heat sink 19 was arranged at under side of the base plate 7 in order to cool and protect the base plate 7 . the pushed out molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate board 2 in the mold 18 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form a metal layer 3 on the ceramic substrate board 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 15 . a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 by using a screen printer to form a desired pattern , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed on the brazing material . the same brazing material was printed entirely on a lower surface of the ceramic substrate board , an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed thereon , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , the ceramic substrate board was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 % which was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . a semiconductor tip was fixed on the aluminum layer formed on the ceramic substrate board to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 1000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a power module as shown in fig5 was formed under the similar manner as in the comparative example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum to a cupper molybdenum alloy of 5 mm in thickness . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a molten aluminum as shown in the example 1 was contacted directly to both surfaces of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , cooled and solidified to form aluminum layers . then , in order to form a circuit portion on one of the both surfaces of the ceramic substrate board , an etching resist was printed on the one surface by using a screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired circuit pattern . the ceramic substrate board with the circuit pattern was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate subjected to an electroless nickel plating and having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 %. further , a semiconductor tip was provided on each of the substrate boards to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to bond three sheets of ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride on one surface of a base plate of 99 . 99 % in purity having a thickness of 5 mm , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the base plate by using a screen printer and dried at 80 Β° c . a ceramic substrate board was placed on the brazing material and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . it was examined to form a circuit on the other side of the base plate by a brazing method similar to the above , however all of the ceramic substrate boards were cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 0 . 5 mm . however , the base plate deformed easily because of the lack of proof stress . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum of 99 , 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 88 % by weight , cu in an amount of 2 % by weight , mg in an amount of 3 % by weight and zn in an amount of 7 % by weight . the base plate had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 540 mpa . however , all of the ceramic substrate boards are cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . ( 1 ) the reliability of the metal - ceramic circuit board when the cooling and heating are repeated , can be elevated remarkably , because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple . specifically , aluminum or aluminum alloy is used as the material of the base plate and bonded directly on the ceramic substrate board , so that any irregularity in thermal expansion and contraction of the base plate when it is heated and cooled is eliminated , and the crack is prevented from being occurred in the contact portion of the ceramic substrate board by the softness of aluminum . ( 2 ) a high heat conductivity can be obtained because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , and the brazing material layer of low in heat conductivity can be omitted . ( 3 ) the cost can be reduced because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , so that any brazing for bonding the both can be omitted , and that any surface treatment such as plating or the brazing can be omitted . ( 4 ) cupper used conventionary as a base plate is cheap . however , the thermal expansion coefficient is larger than that of the ceramics , so that the reliability is low because a crack is formed easily on the bonding surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate when the heating and cooling are repeated . copper molybdenum alloy or aluminum silicon carbide composite material is low in heat conductivity and high in cost . on the contrary , aluminum is cheap and very small in proof stress , though the thermal expansion cofficient is high , so that the crack is hardly formed on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate even if the heating and cooling are repeated and that high reliability can be obtained . ( 5 ) it is considered such a manufacturing method that a circuit substrate board is manufactured by bonding a base plate of aluminum , aluminum alloy , cupper , cupper molybdenum alloy , or aluminum silicon carbide composite material on a ceramic substrate board by using brazing material . however , the ceramic substrate board is deformed to a large extent and cracks are formed easily in the ceramic substrate board due to the difference in thermal expansion and reduction between the bonded base plate and the ceramic substrate board , because the thickness of the base plate is larger than the thickness of the ceramic substrate board , the bonding layer of brazing material low in flexibility is formed between the base plate and the ceramic substrate board . on the contrary , in the present invention , the above defects can be obviated , because the base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy of less than 320 ( mpa ) in proof stress and more than 1 mm in thickness is bonded directly to the ceramic substrate board so as to have a bonding portion very high in flexibility . ( 6 ) the substrate board for the power module according to the present invention is suitable especially to control a large electric current of electric automobiles , electric cars , tooling machines or the like , because the reliability , and the yield are high and the cost is low . ( 7 ) the heat treatment is carried out in the inert gas , so that the oxidization of the material is prevented and the good bonding can be achived . further , the temperature in the furnace may be set to 550 Β° c .Λ 850 Β° c . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Is 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 9650d05b623cd2ec2209983b8786af7135707093dbfc9ba8ebbe82c4f1664edf | 0.40625 | 0.07373 | 0.3125 | 0.007813 | 0.558594 | 0.115723 |
null | in the following descriptions , parts of the power module of the present invention which are similar to corresponding parts of the power module shown in fig5 have been given corresponding reference numerals and need not be further redescribed . in a first example of the present invention , aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of a furnace 9 , and a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 below the crucible . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually , to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the value of the proof stress was measured along jis z2241 a test piece of jis z2201 . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 was taken out from the furnace 9 in order to form a circuit portion on the ceramic substrate board 2 . a desired pattern of a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight ( not shown ) was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , an electroless nickel plating layer 8 was formed on the metal layer 3 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through the plating layer 8 and a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate 7 was change from 5 mm to 1 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 10 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 30 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 was changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 95 . 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 4 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 95 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 is changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 320 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the ceramic substrate board 2 is changed from aluminum nitride to silicone nitride . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that fins were provided on the base plate 7 in order to improve the heat radiation . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 of aluminum nitride , an actuated metal brazing material consisting of ag in an amount of 90 % by weight , ti in an amount of 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 5 % by weight was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . a cupper rolled plate was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 800 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace , so that the metal layer 3 was bonded on the ceramic substrate board 2 . then , an etching resist was printed on the cupper portion by using the screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired pattern 14 . the ceramic substrate boards 2 with the metal layers 3 were placed on an inside bottom portion of a furnace 9 with a bottom surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward as shown in fig3 . aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 9 , and the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the bight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 9 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were bonded on a base plate 7 of aluminum under the same conditions as in the example 1 . as shown in fig4 , a furnace 15 is used and aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 15 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride bonded on the base plate 7 were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 15 below the crucible with the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward . a mold 18 having a mortise of a desired circuit pattern was placed on each ceramic substrate board 2 . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 15 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 15 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 16 and narrow conduits 17 a , 17 b and 17 c connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the molds 18 . a heat sink 19 was arranged at under side of the base plate 7 in order to cool and protect the base plate 7 . the pushed out molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate board 2 in the mold 18 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form a metal layer 3 on the ceramic substrate board 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 15 . a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 by using a screen printer to form a desired pattern , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed on the brazing material . the same brazing material was printed entirely on a lower surface of the ceramic substrate board , an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed thereon , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , the ceramic substrate board was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 % which was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . a semiconductor tip was fixed on the aluminum layer formed on the ceramic substrate board to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 1000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a power module as shown in fig5 was formed under the similar manner as in the comparative example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum to a cupper molybdenum alloy of 5 mm in thickness . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a molten aluminum as shown in the example 1 was contacted directly to both surfaces of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , cooled and solidified to form aluminum layers . then , in order to form a circuit portion on one of the both surfaces of the ceramic substrate board , an etching resist was printed on the one surface by using a screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired circuit pattern . the ceramic substrate board with the circuit pattern was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate subjected to an electroless nickel plating and having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 %. further , a semiconductor tip was provided on each of the substrate boards to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to bond three sheets of ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride on one surface of a base plate of 99 . 99 % in purity having a thickness of 5 mm , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the base plate by using a screen printer and dried at 80 Β° c . a ceramic substrate board was placed on the brazing material and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . it was examined to form a circuit on the other side of the base plate by a brazing method similar to the above , however all of the ceramic substrate boards were cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 0 . 5 mm . however , the base plate deformed easily because of the lack of proof stress . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum of 99 , 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 88 % by weight , cu in an amount of 2 % by weight , mg in an amount of 3 % by weight and zn in an amount of 7 % by weight . the base plate had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 540 mpa . however , all of the ceramic substrate boards are cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . ( 1 ) the reliability of the metal - ceramic circuit board when the cooling and heating are repeated , can be elevated remarkably , because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple . specifically , aluminum or aluminum alloy is used as the material of the base plate and bonded directly on the ceramic substrate board , so that any irregularity in thermal expansion and contraction of the base plate when it is heated and cooled is eliminated , and the crack is prevented from being occurred in the contact portion of the ceramic substrate board by the softness of aluminum . ( 2 ) a high heat conductivity can be obtained because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , and the brazing material layer of low in heat conductivity can be omitted . ( 3 ) the cost can be reduced because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , so that any brazing for bonding the both can be omitted , and that any surface treatment such as plating or the brazing can be omitted . ( 4 ) cupper used conventionary as a base plate is cheap . however , the thermal expansion coefficient is larger than that of the ceramics , so that the reliability is low because a crack is formed easily on the bonding surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate when the heating and cooling are repeated . copper molybdenum alloy or aluminum silicon carbide composite material is low in heat conductivity and high in cost . on the contrary , aluminum is cheap and very small in proof stress , though the thermal expansion cofficient is high , so that the crack is hardly formed on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate even if the heating and cooling are repeated and that high reliability can be obtained . ( 5 ) it is considered such a manufacturing method that a circuit substrate board is manufactured by bonding a base plate of aluminum , aluminum alloy , cupper , cupper molybdenum alloy , or aluminum silicon carbide composite material on a ceramic substrate board by using brazing material . however , the ceramic substrate board is deformed to a large extent and cracks are formed easily in the ceramic substrate board due to the difference in thermal expansion and reduction between the bonded base plate and the ceramic substrate board , because the thickness of the base plate is larger than the thickness of the ceramic substrate board , the bonding layer of brazing material low in flexibility is formed between the base plate and the ceramic substrate board . on the contrary , in the present invention , the above defects can be obviated , because the base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy of less than 320 ( mpa ) in proof stress and more than 1 mm in thickness is bonded directly to the ceramic substrate board so as to have a bonding portion very high in flexibility . ( 6 ) the substrate board for the power module according to the present invention is suitable especially to control a large electric current of electric automobiles , electric cars , tooling machines or the like , because the reliability , and the yield are high and the cost is low . ( 7 ) the heat treatment is carried out in the inert gas , so that the oxidization of the material is prevented and the good bonding can be achived . further , the temperature in the furnace may be set to 550 Β° c .Λ 850 Β° c . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Is 'Physics' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 9650d05b623cd2ec2209983b8786af7135707093dbfc9ba8ebbe82c4f1664edf | 0.40625 | 0.071777 | 0.3125 | 0.026001 | 0.558594 | 0.077148 |
null | in the following descriptions , parts of the power module of the present invention which are similar to corresponding parts of the power module shown in fig5 have been given corresponding reference numerals and need not be further redescribed . in a first example of the present invention , aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of a furnace 9 , and a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 below the crucible . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually , to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the value of the proof stress was measured along jis z2241 a test piece of jis z2201 . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 was taken out from the furnace 9 in order to form a circuit portion on the ceramic substrate board 2 . a desired pattern of a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight ( not shown ) was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , an electroless nickel plating layer 8 was formed on the metal layer 3 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through the plating layer 8 and a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate 7 was change from 5 mm to 1 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 10 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 30 mm . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 was changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 95 . 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 4 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 95 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate 7 is changed from aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight . the base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 320 mpa . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 3 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the ceramic substrate board 2 is changed from aluminum nitride to silicone nitride . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 was formed under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that fins were provided on the base plate 7 in order to improve the heat radiation . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 of aluminum nitride , an actuated metal brazing material consisting of ag in an amount of 90 % by weight , ti in an amount of 5 % by weight and cu in an amount of 5 % by weight was printed by using a screen printer , and dried at 80 Β° c . a cupper rolled plate was placed as a metal layer 3 on the dried brazing material , and heated at 800 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace , so that the metal layer 3 was bonded on the ceramic substrate board 2 . then , an etching resist was printed on the cupper portion by using the screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired pattern 14 . the ceramic substrate boards 2 with the metal layers 3 were placed on an inside bottom portion of a furnace 9 with a bottom surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward as shown in fig3 . aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 9 , and the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 9 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 9 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 12 connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the inside bottom portion of the furnace 9 , so that the molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate boards 2 until the bight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate boards 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form an aluminum base plate 7 bonded directly on the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate boards 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . then , the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 9 and a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride were bonded on a base plate 7 of aluminum under the same conditions as in the example 1 . as shown in fig4 , a furnace 15 is used and aluminum of 99 . 99 % in purity was set in a crucible formed at an upper portion of the furnace 15 . a plurality of ceramic substrate boards 2 of aluminum nitride bonded on the base plate 7 were set on an inside bottom portion of the furnace 15 below the crucible with the ceramic substrate board 2 facing upward . a mold 18 having a mortise of a desired circuit pattern was placed on each ceramic substrate board 2 . the crucible was closed by a piston 10 and the furnace 15 was filled with nitrogen gas . then , the furnace 15 was heated at 750 Β° c . by a heater 11 to melt the aluminum in the crucible . the molten aluminum 13 was pushed out by the piston 10 through a narrow conduit 16 and narrow conduits 17 a , 17 b and 17 c connecting between a center bottom portion of the crucible and the molds 18 . a heat sink 19 was arranged at under side of the base plate 7 in order to cool and protect the base plate 7 . the pushed out molten aluminum 13 was poured on the ceramic substrate board 2 in the mold 18 until the hight of the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 reached a predetermined value . then , the molten aluminum 13 on the ceramic substrate board 2 was cooled and solidified gradually to form a metal layer 3 on the ceramic substrate board 2 . thus obtained aluminum base plate 7 had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 40 mpa . the base plate 7 with the ceramic substrate boards 2 and the metal layers 3 was taken out from the furnace 15 . a semiconductor tip 1 was fixed on the metal layer 3 through a brazing material layer 4 to form a power module as shown in fig2 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module . after the thermal cycle of 4000 times , no change was recognized on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 similar to the example 1 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to form a circuit portion on an upper surface of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the upper surface of the ceramic substrate board 2 by using a screen printer to form a desired pattern , and dried at 80 Β° c . an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed on the brazing material . the same brazing material was printed entirely on a lower surface of the ceramic substrate board , an aluminum rolled plate of a desired pattern was placed thereon , and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . then , the ceramic substrate board was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 % which was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . a semiconductor tip was fixed on the aluminum layer formed on the ceramic substrate board to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 1000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a power module as shown in fig5 was formed under the similar manner as in the comparative example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum to a cupper molybdenum alloy of 5 mm in thickness . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate layer 2 and the base plate 7 . a following sample was prepared for comparison . a molten aluminum as shown in the example 1 was contacted directly to both surfaces of a ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride , cooled and solidified to form aluminum layers . then , in order to form a circuit portion on one of the both surfaces of the ceramic substrate board , an etching resist was printed on the one surface by using a screen printer , uv dried and subjected to etching using a ferric chloride solution to form a desired circuit pattern . the ceramic substrate board with the circuit pattern was subjected to an electroless nickel plating . three sheets of the ceramic substrate board thus obtained were fixed by brazing on an aluminum base plate subjected to an electroless nickel plating and having a thickness of 5 mm and a purity of 99 . 99 %. further , a semiconductor tip was provided on each of the substrate boards to form a power module as shown in fig5 . a thermal cycle test was performed to evaluate the power module , as like as the examples . after the thermal cycle of 3000 times , cracks were recognized in the brazing material layer on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . in order to bond three sheets of ceramic substrate board of aluminum nitride on one surface of a base plate of 99 . 99 % in purity having a thickness of 5 mm , a brazing material consisting of al in an amount of 87 . 5 % by weight and si in an amount of 12 . 5 % by weight was printed on the base plate by using a screen printer and dried at 80 Β° c . a ceramic substrate board was placed on the brazing material and heated at 575 Β° c . in a vacuum furnace . it was examined to form a circuit on the other side of the base plate by a brazing method similar to the above , however all of the ceramic substrate boards were cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the thickness of the aluminum base plate was change from 5 mm to 0 . 5 mm . however , the base plate deformed easily because of the lack of proof stress . a following sample was prepared for comparison . it was examined to form a power module having a metal - ceramic circuit substrate board as shown in fig2 under the same conditions as in the example 1 except that the material of the base plate was changed from aluminum of 99 , 99 % in purity to aluminum alloy consisting of al in an amount of 88 % by weight , cu in an amount of 2 % by weight , mg in an amount of 3 % by weight and zn in an amount of 7 % by weight . the base plate had a thickness of 5 mm and a proof stress of 540 mpa . however , all of the ceramic substrate boards are cracked when the ceramic substrate boards were bonded on the base plate . ( 1 ) the reliability of the metal - ceramic circuit board when the cooling and heating are repeated , can be elevated remarkably , because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple . specifically , aluminum or aluminum alloy is used as the material of the base plate and bonded directly on the ceramic substrate board , so that any irregularity in thermal expansion and contraction of the base plate when it is heated and cooled is eliminated , and the crack is prevented from being occurred in the contact portion of the ceramic substrate board by the softness of aluminum . ( 2 ) a high heat conductivity can be obtained because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , and the brazing material layer of low in heat conductivity can be omitted . ( 3 ) the cost can be reduced because the structure between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate is simple , so that any brazing for bonding the both can be omitted , and that any surface treatment such as plating or the brazing can be omitted . ( 4 ) cupper used conventionary as a base plate is cheap . however , the thermal expansion coefficient is larger than that of the ceramics , so that the reliability is low because a crack is formed easily on the bonding surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate when the heating and cooling are repeated . copper molybdenum alloy or aluminum silicon carbide composite material is low in heat conductivity and high in cost . on the contrary , aluminum is cheap and very small in proof stress , though the thermal expansion cofficient is high , so that the crack is hardly formed on the boundary surface between the ceramic substrate board and the base plate even if the heating and cooling are repeated and that high reliability can be obtained . ( 5 ) it is considered such a manufacturing method that a circuit substrate board is manufactured by bonding a base plate of aluminum , aluminum alloy , cupper , cupper molybdenum alloy , or aluminum silicon carbide composite material on a ceramic substrate board by using brazing material . however , the ceramic substrate board is deformed to a large extent and cracks are formed easily in the ceramic substrate board due to the difference in thermal expansion and reduction between the bonded base plate and the ceramic substrate board , because the thickness of the base plate is larger than the thickness of the ceramic substrate board , the bonding layer of brazing material low in flexibility is formed between the base plate and the ceramic substrate board . on the contrary , in the present invention , the above defects can be obviated , because the base plate of aluminum or aluminum alloy of less than 320 ( mpa ) in proof stress and more than 1 mm in thickness is bonded directly to the ceramic substrate board so as to have a bonding portion very high in flexibility . ( 6 ) the substrate board for the power module according to the present invention is suitable especially to control a large electric current of electric automobiles , electric cars , tooling machines or the like , because the reliability , and the yield are high and the cost is low . ( 7 ) the heat treatment is carried out in the inert gas , so that the oxidization of the material is prevented and the good bonding can be achived . further , the temperature in the furnace may be set to 550 Β° c .Λ 850 Β° c . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | 0.25 | 9650d05b623cd2ec2209983b8786af7135707093dbfc9ba8ebbe82c4f1664edf | 0.40625 | 0.098145 | 0.3125 | 0.316406 | 0.558594 | 0.146484 |
null | turning now to fig1 indicated generally at 10 is a drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is an integrated bit core and shank , referred to herein collectively as a shank 12 , and an outer shell 14 . shank 12 includes a threaded upper portion 16 for connecting drill bit 10 to a drill string ( not shown ). a bevel 20 separates upper portion 16 from a cylindrical portion 18 . similarly , a bevel 22 separates cylindrical portion 18 from a cylindrical disk 24 . it should be appreciated that threaded portion 16 , bevel 20 , cylindrical portion 18 , bevel 22 and cylindrical disk 24 are , in the present embodiment of the invention , integrally formed from a single piece of steel . other techniques for forming shank 12 , such as casting , are also within the scope of the present invention . a cylindrical bore 26 communicates with a lower surface of cylindrical disk 24 , as is viewable in fig1 and extends axially therefrom through the bit with an opening at the upper end of threaded upper portion 16 . thus , fluid pumped down the drill string flows downwardly out of bore 26 as will later be more fully described in connection with a description of the operation of the drill bit . a plurality of ridges or blades ;, like blades 28 , 29 , 30 extend downwardly from the underside of disk 24 and radially outwardly from a central longitudinal axis of the drill bit . shell 14 includes an external surface 34 which may have pockets ( not shown ) formed therein suitable for mounting cutting elements ( also not shown ) thereon . shell 14 is manufactured utilizing matrix powder packed into a mold body which is thereafter infiltrated in a manner which is hereinafter described . the shell can also be manufactured by infiltrating around a ductile form , as , described hereinafter with reference to fig6 or by machining . natural or artificial diamond cutters , or surface set diamonds , may be cast in to the shell during infiltration instead of or in addition to cutting elements mounted after infiltration is complete . the embodiment of fig1 provides a one - piece mandrel , unlike prior art bits as described in hereinafter in connection with fig1 - 20 . the combination of a blank , around which a prior art infiltrated bit is formed , and a shank , which is welded to the blank for providing a threaded connection to a drill string , is referred to in the art as a mandrel . a one - piece mandrel reduces manufacturing time and expense while providing a mandrel with increased integrity . also , the internal cavity defined between the mandrel and shell 14 provides for better fluid distribution than in prior art bits which improves fluid cooling of the bit and reduces fluid erosion on the bit crown interior . such a mandrel provides structural integrity with less weight than prior art mandrels and in a more open configuration . throughout this description , similar structure is identified with a corresponding number in the various embodiments of the invention . in fig2 a , shank 12 includes a substantially solid core which is received into shell 14 . shell 14 is defined by a shell wall 36 having a substantially constant thickness . the shell is connected to shank 12 via a weld 37 about the circumference of the shank and shell . braze alloys , adhesives or other suitable techniques may be used to connect the shank and shell together . to form shell 14 , a mold body is provided having a cavity therein which includes features conforming to those on the external surface of shell 14 . nozzles , like nozzle 44 , are placed inside the mold body in selected positions . this eliminates the need for interior porting extending from the nozzle to the axial cylindrical bore which communicates with the drill pipe . a bore 52 is formed in shank 12 and communicates with bore 26 . an external plenum , i . e ., one which is formed adjacent the interior surface of the shell , is formed between a radially inner surface 38 of shell 14 and shank 12 . at least one bore , like bore 52 , communicate between the plenum and bore 26 . this permits fluid to circulate within and adjacent the shell . shell internal surface 38 may include a plurality of grooves , like grooves 42 , into which a corresponding blade formed on shank 12 is received when the shank is inserted into shell 14 . these interlocking ridges and grooves accept torsion when the bit is drilling and relieve stress on weld 37 . in fig2 b , grooves 40 also receive ridges or blades formed on the shank to accomplish a similar stress relieving function in the bit of fig2 b . the bit of fig2 b has an internal plenum , i . e ., one formed internally of shank 12 . in fig2 b the internal plenum comprises the lowermost portion of bore 26 . during infiltration of the bit of fig2 b , forms are placed to provide cylindrical openings , like opening 46 , into which a nozzle 48 , is inserted after the matrix is infiltrated and cooled to provide fluid communication between bore 26 and the exterior of the bit . nozzle 48 is illustrated in fig3 . in the present embodiment of the invention nozzle 48 is made from tungsten carbide and extends into a central cavity in the bit as shown . the nozzle therefore protects mandrel 12 from wear caused by the high pressures and flow rates of drilling fluid therethrough . a threaded connection 50 is formed between nozzle 48 and a bore formed in blade 28 . nozzle 48 can be changed by unthreading if replacement is required . in using a drill bit like that shown in fig1 a or 2b , threaded connection 16 is engaged with the lower end of a drill string which is then lowered into a well bore . during drilling , drilling fluid is pumped down the drill string and into bore 26 . the fluid passes through the bores , like bore 52 , into plenum 38 and subsequently into nozzle 44 ( and other nozzles not visible ) and thereafter upwardly in the well bore in the annulus between the drill string and the radially inner surface of the well bore . similarly , fluid flows from bore 26 into nozzle 48 ( and other nozzles ) and up the annulus . turning now to fig4 indicated generally at 58 is a shank and integrated body core constructed in accordance with the present invention . shank 58 is substantially identical to shank 12 in all respects except for the geometry of the blades , like blade 28 - 30 in fig1 . shank 58 includes three blades , 60 , 62 , 64 which might be configured to be received into a shell having an interior shaped to include grooves for receiving the blades . such a shell has a construction similar to that described above in connection with shell 14 . shank 58 is welded about the circumference thereof in a manner similar to that of shank 12 in fig2 a . the shank and integrated bit core of fig4 is easy to machine and is illustrative , along with the other embodiments of the variety of shapes which can be utilized with the present invention . turning now to fig5 and 8 , indicated generally at 66 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a threaded upper portion 68 for connecting the drill bit to a drill string . threaded portion 68 is mounted on an integrated shank and bit core , collectively referred to as a shank 70 . shank 70 is received in a shell 72 which may be infiltrated in similar fashion to shell 14 , or through another casting process , or may be machined from steel . shank 70 is received within shell 72 and welded thereto about the circumference of each via a weld 74 which is viewable in both fig5 and 8 . shank 70 includes a concave portion or junk slot 76 formed thereon . shell 72 includes a plurality of cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 mounted thereon . the cutters are mounted adjacent an opening in shell 72 defined by opposing edges 82 , 84 . the opening communicates with an interior cavity . a similar opening ( not visible ), which also communicates with the cavity , is adjacent a row of cutters including cutters 86 , 88 . drill bit 66 is constructed generally in accordance with the design disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 883 , 132 to tibbitts , which is incorporated herein by reference , for a drag bit for drilling in plastic formation having maximum chip clearance and hydraulic for direct chip impingement except that the gauge and bottom portions of the drilling surface are formed on shell 72 which in turn is welded to shank 70 as described above . bit 66 includes a nozzle ( not visible ) formed on a lower portion of shank 70 within the cavity defined between the shell and shank . the nozzle is aimed at the cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 and flushes cuttings therefrom during drilling as described in the &# 39 ; 132 patent to tibbitts . in fig8 drill bit 66 is shown in a somewhat schematic sectional view . a torque lug 96 extends downwardly from the lower end of a center column 97 which is coaxial with the axis of bit 66 . the torque lug extends into a slot formed in shell 72 . this arrangement provides torsional stiffening to center column 97 during drilling . as can be seen , fluid passageways in shank 70 permit drill fluid to circulate down the string and into shell 72 where the fluid is forced from nozzles ( not shown in fig8 ) contained in shank 70 into the cavities , like cavity 85 , and to the top of the well in which the bit is drilling . the nozzles , cavities and flow passages for the bit of fig5 and 8 are illustrated in the above - referenced tibbitts patent . turning now to fig6 indicated generally at 90 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention which is similar in construction to the embodiments of fig1 - 4 . visible in fig6 is a facing material 92 which is packed into the mold body before the interior mold portion is positioned and the remaining matrix powders packed between the mold body and inner mold portion . nozzle 44 does not need interior porting to connect it to the fluid in bore 26 . as in fig2 a , the nozzle communicates directly with fluid inside shell 14 . this eliminates the need for integrating complicated nozzle porting into the matrix when the shell is formed . if one of the shank blades , like blade 29 , interferes with fluid distribution to nozzle 44 , a corresponding notch 93 in blade 29 immediately above nozzle 44 provides fluid circulation between the flutes formed on the shank between the blades to the nozzle inside the shell . hydraulic fitting may be used to connect the shank to the shell in lieu of or in addition to welding . with reference to fig7 a , an o - ring 93 is disposed between shank 12 and shell 14 about the circumference thereof . fluid is pumped into shell 14 via bore 26 thus expanding the shell . the expansion is sufficient to permit the shank to be pressed down a tapered portion 95 of the shell into a cylindrical collar portion 97 . once the pressure is released , the shell and shank are locked together . turning now to fig9 indicated generally at 98 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a shank and integrated bit body , collectively referred to as a shank 100 , and a shell 102 . in drill bit 98 there is a threaded connection 104 between a radially inner surface of shell 102 and a radially outer surface of the lower portion of shank 100 . shank 100 includes a downwardly directed shoulder 105 which seats against an internal surface of shell 102 when threads 104 are fully engaged . thereafter , a weld 106 is formed about the circumference of the shank ( or portions thereof ) and shell in order to secure the two together . drill bit 108 comprises another embodiment of the present invention in which similar structure corresponding to that illustrated in fig9 is identified with the same numeral in fig1 . the invention contemplates use of either a weld or threads or both together as illustrated in fig9 and 10 . another drill bit 110 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 , is similar to the embodiments of fig9 and 10 . drill bit 110 in fig1 - 13 , as are the bits in fig1 and 15 , is assembled using heat shrink fitting . in this process , shell 102 is heated and shank 100 , which is at room temperature , is engaged with matrix shell 102 as shown in fig1 by a buttress connection 109 . as shown in fig1 and 13 , connection 109 includes a plurality of upward facing shoulders , like shoulder 111 , on one side thereof and a plurality of downward facing shoulders , like shoulder 113 on the other side of the connection . the shoulders form continuous annular surfaces which are parallel with one another as opposed to a single helical surface as in a screw thread . with the matrix shell 102 hot and shank 100 at room temperature , connection 104 is configured as shown in fig1 . as the shell cools , it contracts in size thus drawing the shoulders together as shown in the view of fig1 . this has the effect of securely locking the shank to the shell . alternately , shell 102 may be allowed to cool after it is formed . prior to connecting the shell to the shank , the shell is heated in a known fashion to braze the cutters thereto . such heating expands the shell which may then be fitted to the shank and thereafter cooled to accomplish the heat shrink fit . the shoulders illustrated in fig1 and 13 may be inverted , i . e ., the shoulders are oriented to resist tension between the bit and drill string to which it is attached . alternatively , drill bit 110 may be assembled using the previously described hydraulic fitting technique . in fig1 drill bit 112 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , includes a generally cylindrical opening 116 formed in shell 102 with shank 104 having a generally cylindrical lower portion . the two are sized so that matrix shell 102 can receive the lower end of shank 104 , as shown in fig1 , while the matrix shell is heated . when the same cools it contracts thus providing a firm interference fit between the shell and the shank . in drill bit 114 in fig1 , a tapered opening 118 is provided in shell 102 . the taper corresponds generally to a tapered radially outer portion of the lower end of shank 104 . shank 104 can be received in opening 118 as shown in fig1 while matrix shell 102 is heated . as the shell contracts during cooling a strong connection between shell 102 and shank 104 is formed . the bits of fig1 and 15 can also be assembled using the hydraulic fitting technique described herein or by using a threaded connection . indicated generally at 120 in fig1 is an assembly fixture for assembling a shank and a shell constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a cooling jacket 122 having an input line 124 and a return line 126 through which coolant flows . the coolant circulates within jacket 122 thereby cooling a shank 128 received therein which is constructed in accordance with the present invention . a concentric clamp 130 positions a hot shell 132 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , coaxially with shank 128 . with the shank and shell positioned as shown in fig1 , the shank is lowered into the shell . coolant in jacket 122 maintains the shank relatively cool even in the presence of the heat generated by shell 132 . this both prevents the shank from expanding and prevents the drill collar connective thread of the shank from becoming heated above the &# 34 ; knee of transformation &# 34 ; which would cause it to become brittle . after the shank is positioned within the shell , the shell is left to cool and thus contract and engage the shank as described in the embodiments of fig1 - 15 . in fig1 and 18 , a typical prior art matrix drill bit , indicated generally at 134 , is illustrated to provide a comparison between such a bit and the bit of the present invention . bit 134 includes a central longitudinal axis 138 and a coaxial bore 140 . bore 140 is also coaxial with a generally cylindrical blank 142 which includes an upper portion or shank 144 . the shank includes threads 145 at the upper portion thereof for connecting the drill bit to a string of drill pipe ( not shown ). blank 142 is comprised of a relatively ductile steel which has a coating of matrix material 146 bonded thereto . bore 140 is formed in part through the matrix material . this type of bit can utilize cutters , like cutters 147 , 149 , integrally secured to the matrix during the infiltration process or cutters which are mounted on the hardened matrix after infiltration . turning now to fig1 a conventional furnace 150 includes a chamber 152 having a furnace floor 154 . a mold 156 is supported on floor 154 . the mold supports a funnel 158 which is engaged with a connection 160 with an upper portion of mold 156 . binder material 162 is received on top of matrix powder 146 which is packed in and around blank 142 as shown . cutters can be placed in the mold body for integrating the cutters into the bit during the infiltration process . alternatively , cutters can be brazed to the matrix surface after the bit is removed from the mold . after the mold and the contents thereof are positioned as shown in fig1 , chamber 152 is heated thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 in a known manner . after the bit is so formed the mold is removed from the furnace and after sufficient cooling the bit is removed from the mold . thereafter , a steel shank , like shank 144 in fig1 and 18 , having threads formed thereon is welded to blank 142 . turning now to fig2 , an alternative form of infiltrating the matrix powder in mold 156 is illustrated . included in fig2 is an induction coil heater 164 which heats the mold and the contents thereof thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 . the drill bit of fig1 and 18 can be manufactured using either of the techniques illustrated in fig1 and 20 . turning now to fig2 illustrated therein is a mold constructed in accordance with the present invention . as can be seen , matrix powder 146 is formed into a shell shaped by virtue of a mold shell 166 , such being also referred to herein as an upper mold body . the mold shell includes a hollow cavity 168 . the surface of mold shell 166 which is adjacent matrix powder 146 defines the inner surface of the outer shell of the bit . the features of this mold shell surface define grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 in fig2 a and 2b , in which the blades of shank 12 are received . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , instead of mold shell 166 , a similarly shaped steel shell is positioned in the same position as mold shell 166 and forms a finished part of the shell as described in connection with the embodiment of fig6 . the steel portion can be ductile relative to the infiltrated material which forms the exterior portion of the shell . in such case , the grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 , are formed on the inner surface of the ductile steel shell . illustrated in fig2 is an alternate method of manufacturing a drill bit in accordance with the present invention . included therein are induction coil heaters 168 , 170 , 172 . heater 170 can be received within cavity 168 as shown and heater 172 within spaces on the underside of mold 156 . with all heaters operating , the matrix powder is uniformly heated which is desirable in forming the infiltrated matrix shell . induction heating in accordance with the prior art method illustrated in fig2 must be done very slowly because stresses arise between the heated portions and the unheated portions . the system of fig2 permits much more rapid infiltration of the matrix powder without the stresses which would result in the configuration of fig2 . reduced mass coupled with increased surface area and internal heat exposure provides for greatly reduced heating time and more uniform products . after the matrix powder is infiltrated responsive to heat provided by , e . g ., a box heater , a furnace as in fig2 or induction coils as in fig2 , the mold is cooled and the bit removed therefrom . in the case where the cutters are not integrated into the matrix body during infiltration , they may be brazed to the shell . brazing requires heating which can be done via a pair of induction coils similar to the configuration of coils 168 , 170 , illustrated in fig2 except that the mold is removed . when the shell is sufficiently heated , the cutters are brazed thereto in a known manner . when assembling bits of the type illustrated in fig1 - 15 , in which the shank is inserted into the shell while the shell is hot , the insertion step can be accomplished immediately after brazing the cutters while the shell is still hot from the induction heating necessary for brazing . thus , the shell can be rapidly heated as a result both of the substantially smaller mass of the matrix material relative to prior art bits and due to use of a second internal induction coil , like coil 170 in fig2 . a separate step for heating the shell in order to expand the same to fit it to the shank as described in connection with the bits of fig1 - 15 is not required . the assembly fixture illustrated in fig1 and described above can be used for a matrix shell which is heated with induction heaters to expand the shell for assembly . having illustrated and described the principles of our invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . we claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Human Necessities'? | 0.25 | c60ad11c868510972084c1844eea0c560c56335e6a48ec3731c0c31d4d50eeda | 0.070801 | 0.033691 | 0.054932 | 0.000179 | 0.177734 | 0.016357 |
null | turning now to fig1 indicated generally at 10 is a drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is an integrated bit core and shank , referred to herein collectively as a shank 12 , and an outer shell 14 . shank 12 includes a threaded upper portion 16 for connecting drill bit 10 to a drill string ( not shown ). a bevel 20 separates upper portion 16 from a cylindrical portion 18 . similarly , a bevel 22 separates cylindrical portion 18 from a cylindrical disk 24 . it should be appreciated that threaded portion 16 , bevel 20 , cylindrical portion 18 , bevel 22 and cylindrical disk 24 are , in the present embodiment of the invention , integrally formed from a single piece of steel . other techniques for forming shank 12 , such as casting , are also within the scope of the present invention . a cylindrical bore 26 communicates with a lower surface of cylindrical disk 24 , as is viewable in fig1 and extends axially therefrom through the bit with an opening at the upper end of threaded upper portion 16 . thus , fluid pumped down the drill string flows downwardly out of bore 26 as will later be more fully described in connection with a description of the operation of the drill bit . a plurality of ridges or blades ;, like blades 28 , 29 , 30 extend downwardly from the underside of disk 24 and radially outwardly from a central longitudinal axis of the drill bit . shell 14 includes an external surface 34 which may have pockets ( not shown ) formed therein suitable for mounting cutting elements ( also not shown ) thereon . shell 14 is manufactured utilizing matrix powder packed into a mold body which is thereafter infiltrated in a manner which is hereinafter described . the shell can also be manufactured by infiltrating around a ductile form , as , described hereinafter with reference to fig6 or by machining . natural or artificial diamond cutters , or surface set diamonds , may be cast in to the shell during infiltration instead of or in addition to cutting elements mounted after infiltration is complete . the embodiment of fig1 provides a one - piece mandrel , unlike prior art bits as described in hereinafter in connection with fig1 - 20 . the combination of a blank , around which a prior art infiltrated bit is formed , and a shank , which is welded to the blank for providing a threaded connection to a drill string , is referred to in the art as a mandrel . a one - piece mandrel reduces manufacturing time and expense while providing a mandrel with increased integrity . also , the internal cavity defined between the mandrel and shell 14 provides for better fluid distribution than in prior art bits which improves fluid cooling of the bit and reduces fluid erosion on the bit crown interior . such a mandrel provides structural integrity with less weight than prior art mandrels and in a more open configuration . throughout this description , similar structure is identified with a corresponding number in the various embodiments of the invention . in fig2 a , shank 12 includes a substantially solid core which is received into shell 14 . shell 14 is defined by a shell wall 36 having a substantially constant thickness . the shell is connected to shank 12 via a weld 37 about the circumference of the shank and shell . braze alloys , adhesives or other suitable techniques may be used to connect the shank and shell together . to form shell 14 , a mold body is provided having a cavity therein which includes features conforming to those on the external surface of shell 14 . nozzles , like nozzle 44 , are placed inside the mold body in selected positions . this eliminates the need for interior porting extending from the nozzle to the axial cylindrical bore which communicates with the drill pipe . a bore 52 is formed in shank 12 and communicates with bore 26 . an external plenum , i . e ., one which is formed adjacent the interior surface of the shell , is formed between a radially inner surface 38 of shell 14 and shank 12 . at least one bore , like bore 52 , communicate between the plenum and bore 26 . this permits fluid to circulate within and adjacent the shell . shell internal surface 38 may include a plurality of grooves , like grooves 42 , into which a corresponding blade formed on shank 12 is received when the shank is inserted into shell 14 . these interlocking ridges and grooves accept torsion when the bit is drilling and relieve stress on weld 37 . in fig2 b , grooves 40 also receive ridges or blades formed on the shank to accomplish a similar stress relieving function in the bit of fig2 b . the bit of fig2 b has an internal plenum , i . e ., one formed internally of shank 12 . in fig2 b the internal plenum comprises the lowermost portion of bore 26 . during infiltration of the bit of fig2 b , forms are placed to provide cylindrical openings , like opening 46 , into which a nozzle 48 , is inserted after the matrix is infiltrated and cooled to provide fluid communication between bore 26 and the exterior of the bit . nozzle 48 is illustrated in fig3 . in the present embodiment of the invention nozzle 48 is made from tungsten carbide and extends into a central cavity in the bit as shown . the nozzle therefore protects mandrel 12 from wear caused by the high pressures and flow rates of drilling fluid therethrough . a threaded connection 50 is formed between nozzle 48 and a bore formed in blade 28 . nozzle 48 can be changed by unthreading if replacement is required . in using a drill bit like that shown in fig1 a or 2b , threaded connection 16 is engaged with the lower end of a drill string which is then lowered into a well bore . during drilling , drilling fluid is pumped down the drill string and into bore 26 . the fluid passes through the bores , like bore 52 , into plenum 38 and subsequently into nozzle 44 ( and other nozzles not visible ) and thereafter upwardly in the well bore in the annulus between the drill string and the radially inner surface of the well bore . similarly , fluid flows from bore 26 into nozzle 48 ( and other nozzles ) and up the annulus . turning now to fig4 indicated generally at 58 is a shank and integrated body core constructed in accordance with the present invention . shank 58 is substantially identical to shank 12 in all respects except for the geometry of the blades , like blade 28 - 30 in fig1 . shank 58 includes three blades , 60 , 62 , 64 which might be configured to be received into a shell having an interior shaped to include grooves for receiving the blades . such a shell has a construction similar to that described above in connection with shell 14 . shank 58 is welded about the circumference thereof in a manner similar to that of shank 12 in fig2 a . the shank and integrated bit core of fig4 is easy to machine and is illustrative , along with the other embodiments of the variety of shapes which can be utilized with the present invention . turning now to fig5 and 8 , indicated generally at 66 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a threaded upper portion 68 for connecting the drill bit to a drill string . threaded portion 68 is mounted on an integrated shank and bit core , collectively referred to as a shank 70 . shank 70 is received in a shell 72 which may be infiltrated in similar fashion to shell 14 , or through another casting process , or may be machined from steel . shank 70 is received within shell 72 and welded thereto about the circumference of each via a weld 74 which is viewable in both fig5 and 8 . shank 70 includes a concave portion or junk slot 76 formed thereon . shell 72 includes a plurality of cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 mounted thereon . the cutters are mounted adjacent an opening in shell 72 defined by opposing edges 82 , 84 . the opening communicates with an interior cavity . a similar opening ( not visible ), which also communicates with the cavity , is adjacent a row of cutters including cutters 86 , 88 . drill bit 66 is constructed generally in accordance with the design disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 883 , 132 to tibbitts , which is incorporated herein by reference , for a drag bit for drilling in plastic formation having maximum chip clearance and hydraulic for direct chip impingement except that the gauge and bottom portions of the drilling surface are formed on shell 72 which in turn is welded to shank 70 as described above . bit 66 includes a nozzle ( not visible ) formed on a lower portion of shank 70 within the cavity defined between the shell and shank . the nozzle is aimed at the cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 and flushes cuttings therefrom during drilling as described in the &# 39 ; 132 patent to tibbitts . in fig8 drill bit 66 is shown in a somewhat schematic sectional view . a torque lug 96 extends downwardly from the lower end of a center column 97 which is coaxial with the axis of bit 66 . the torque lug extends into a slot formed in shell 72 . this arrangement provides torsional stiffening to center column 97 during drilling . as can be seen , fluid passageways in shank 70 permit drill fluid to circulate down the string and into shell 72 where the fluid is forced from nozzles ( not shown in fig8 ) contained in shank 70 into the cavities , like cavity 85 , and to the top of the well in which the bit is drilling . the nozzles , cavities and flow passages for the bit of fig5 and 8 are illustrated in the above - referenced tibbitts patent . turning now to fig6 indicated generally at 90 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention which is similar in construction to the embodiments of fig1 - 4 . visible in fig6 is a facing material 92 which is packed into the mold body before the interior mold portion is positioned and the remaining matrix powders packed between the mold body and inner mold portion . nozzle 44 does not need interior porting to connect it to the fluid in bore 26 . as in fig2 a , the nozzle communicates directly with fluid inside shell 14 . this eliminates the need for integrating complicated nozzle porting into the matrix when the shell is formed . if one of the shank blades , like blade 29 , interferes with fluid distribution to nozzle 44 , a corresponding notch 93 in blade 29 immediately above nozzle 44 provides fluid circulation between the flutes formed on the shank between the blades to the nozzle inside the shell . hydraulic fitting may be used to connect the shank to the shell in lieu of or in addition to welding . with reference to fig7 a , an o - ring 93 is disposed between shank 12 and shell 14 about the circumference thereof . fluid is pumped into shell 14 via bore 26 thus expanding the shell . the expansion is sufficient to permit the shank to be pressed down a tapered portion 95 of the shell into a cylindrical collar portion 97 . once the pressure is released , the shell and shank are locked together . turning now to fig9 indicated generally at 98 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a shank and integrated bit body , collectively referred to as a shank 100 , and a shell 102 . in drill bit 98 there is a threaded connection 104 between a radially inner surface of shell 102 and a radially outer surface of the lower portion of shank 100 . shank 100 includes a downwardly directed shoulder 105 which seats against an internal surface of shell 102 when threads 104 are fully engaged . thereafter , a weld 106 is formed about the circumference of the shank ( or portions thereof ) and shell in order to secure the two together . drill bit 108 comprises another embodiment of the present invention in which similar structure corresponding to that illustrated in fig9 is identified with the same numeral in fig1 . the invention contemplates use of either a weld or threads or both together as illustrated in fig9 and 10 . another drill bit 110 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 , is similar to the embodiments of fig9 and 10 . drill bit 110 in fig1 - 13 , as are the bits in fig1 and 15 , is assembled using heat shrink fitting . in this process , shell 102 is heated and shank 100 , which is at room temperature , is engaged with matrix shell 102 as shown in fig1 by a buttress connection 109 . as shown in fig1 and 13 , connection 109 includes a plurality of upward facing shoulders , like shoulder 111 , on one side thereof and a plurality of downward facing shoulders , like shoulder 113 on the other side of the connection . the shoulders form continuous annular surfaces which are parallel with one another as opposed to a single helical surface as in a screw thread . with the matrix shell 102 hot and shank 100 at room temperature , connection 104 is configured as shown in fig1 . as the shell cools , it contracts in size thus drawing the shoulders together as shown in the view of fig1 . this has the effect of securely locking the shank to the shell . alternately , shell 102 may be allowed to cool after it is formed . prior to connecting the shell to the shank , the shell is heated in a known fashion to braze the cutters thereto . such heating expands the shell which may then be fitted to the shank and thereafter cooled to accomplish the heat shrink fit . the shoulders illustrated in fig1 and 13 may be inverted , i . e ., the shoulders are oriented to resist tension between the bit and drill string to which it is attached . alternatively , drill bit 110 may be assembled using the previously described hydraulic fitting technique . in fig1 drill bit 112 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , includes a generally cylindrical opening 116 formed in shell 102 with shank 104 having a generally cylindrical lower portion . the two are sized so that matrix shell 102 can receive the lower end of shank 104 , as shown in fig1 , while the matrix shell is heated . when the same cools it contracts thus providing a firm interference fit between the shell and the shank . in drill bit 114 in fig1 , a tapered opening 118 is provided in shell 102 . the taper corresponds generally to a tapered radially outer portion of the lower end of shank 104 . shank 104 can be received in opening 118 as shown in fig1 while matrix shell 102 is heated . as the shell contracts during cooling a strong connection between shell 102 and shank 104 is formed . the bits of fig1 and 15 can also be assembled using the hydraulic fitting technique described herein or by using a threaded connection . indicated generally at 120 in fig1 is an assembly fixture for assembling a shank and a shell constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a cooling jacket 122 having an input line 124 and a return line 126 through which coolant flows . the coolant circulates within jacket 122 thereby cooling a shank 128 received therein which is constructed in accordance with the present invention . a concentric clamp 130 positions a hot shell 132 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , coaxially with shank 128 . with the shank and shell positioned as shown in fig1 , the shank is lowered into the shell . coolant in jacket 122 maintains the shank relatively cool even in the presence of the heat generated by shell 132 . this both prevents the shank from expanding and prevents the drill collar connective thread of the shank from becoming heated above the &# 34 ; knee of transformation &# 34 ; which would cause it to become brittle . after the shank is positioned within the shell , the shell is left to cool and thus contract and engage the shank as described in the embodiments of fig1 - 15 . in fig1 and 18 , a typical prior art matrix drill bit , indicated generally at 134 , is illustrated to provide a comparison between such a bit and the bit of the present invention . bit 134 includes a central longitudinal axis 138 and a coaxial bore 140 . bore 140 is also coaxial with a generally cylindrical blank 142 which includes an upper portion or shank 144 . the shank includes threads 145 at the upper portion thereof for connecting the drill bit to a string of drill pipe ( not shown ). blank 142 is comprised of a relatively ductile steel which has a coating of matrix material 146 bonded thereto . bore 140 is formed in part through the matrix material . this type of bit can utilize cutters , like cutters 147 , 149 , integrally secured to the matrix during the infiltration process or cutters which are mounted on the hardened matrix after infiltration . turning now to fig1 a conventional furnace 150 includes a chamber 152 having a furnace floor 154 . a mold 156 is supported on floor 154 . the mold supports a funnel 158 which is engaged with a connection 160 with an upper portion of mold 156 . binder material 162 is received on top of matrix powder 146 which is packed in and around blank 142 as shown . cutters can be placed in the mold body for integrating the cutters into the bit during the infiltration process . alternatively , cutters can be brazed to the matrix surface after the bit is removed from the mold . after the mold and the contents thereof are positioned as shown in fig1 , chamber 152 is heated thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 in a known manner . after the bit is so formed the mold is removed from the furnace and after sufficient cooling the bit is removed from the mold . thereafter , a steel shank , like shank 144 in fig1 and 18 , having threads formed thereon is welded to blank 142 . turning now to fig2 , an alternative form of infiltrating the matrix powder in mold 156 is illustrated . included in fig2 is an induction coil heater 164 which heats the mold and the contents thereof thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 . the drill bit of fig1 and 18 can be manufactured using either of the techniques illustrated in fig1 and 20 . turning now to fig2 illustrated therein is a mold constructed in accordance with the present invention . as can be seen , matrix powder 146 is formed into a shell shaped by virtue of a mold shell 166 , such being also referred to herein as an upper mold body . the mold shell includes a hollow cavity 168 . the surface of mold shell 166 which is adjacent matrix powder 146 defines the inner surface of the outer shell of the bit . the features of this mold shell surface define grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 in fig2 a and 2b , in which the blades of shank 12 are received . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , instead of mold shell 166 , a similarly shaped steel shell is positioned in the same position as mold shell 166 and forms a finished part of the shell as described in connection with the embodiment of fig6 . the steel portion can be ductile relative to the infiltrated material which forms the exterior portion of the shell . in such case , the grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 , are formed on the inner surface of the ductile steel shell . illustrated in fig2 is an alternate method of manufacturing a drill bit in accordance with the present invention . included therein are induction coil heaters 168 , 170 , 172 . heater 170 can be received within cavity 168 as shown and heater 172 within spaces on the underside of mold 156 . with all heaters operating , the matrix powder is uniformly heated which is desirable in forming the infiltrated matrix shell . induction heating in accordance with the prior art method illustrated in fig2 must be done very slowly because stresses arise between the heated portions and the unheated portions . the system of fig2 permits much more rapid infiltration of the matrix powder without the stresses which would result in the configuration of fig2 . reduced mass coupled with increased surface area and internal heat exposure provides for greatly reduced heating time and more uniform products . after the matrix powder is infiltrated responsive to heat provided by , e . g ., a box heater , a furnace as in fig2 or induction coils as in fig2 , the mold is cooled and the bit removed therefrom . in the case where the cutters are not integrated into the matrix body during infiltration , they may be brazed to the shell . brazing requires heating which can be done via a pair of induction coils similar to the configuration of coils 168 , 170 , illustrated in fig2 except that the mold is removed . when the shell is sufficiently heated , the cutters are brazed thereto in a known manner . when assembling bits of the type illustrated in fig1 - 15 , in which the shank is inserted into the shell while the shell is hot , the insertion step can be accomplished immediately after brazing the cutters while the shell is still hot from the induction heating necessary for brazing . thus , the shell can be rapidly heated as a result both of the substantially smaller mass of the matrix material relative to prior art bits and due to use of a second internal induction coil , like coil 170 in fig2 . a separate step for heating the shell in order to expand the same to fit it to the shank as described in connection with the bits of fig1 - 15 is not required . the assembly fixture illustrated in fig1 and described above can be used for a matrix shell which is heated with induction heaters to expand the shell for assembly . having illustrated and described the principles of our invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . we claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims . | Should this patent be classified under 'Fixed Constructions'? | Is 'Performing Operations; Transporting' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | c60ad11c868510972084c1844eea0c560c56335e6a48ec3731c0c31d4d50eeda | 0.023315 | 0.064453 | 0.010315 | 0.033203 | 0.026733 | 0.091309 |
null | turning now to fig1 indicated generally at 10 is a drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is an integrated bit core and shank , referred to herein collectively as a shank 12 , and an outer shell 14 . shank 12 includes a threaded upper portion 16 for connecting drill bit 10 to a drill string ( not shown ). a bevel 20 separates upper portion 16 from a cylindrical portion 18 . similarly , a bevel 22 separates cylindrical portion 18 from a cylindrical disk 24 . it should be appreciated that threaded portion 16 , bevel 20 , cylindrical portion 18 , bevel 22 and cylindrical disk 24 are , in the present embodiment of the invention , integrally formed from a single piece of steel . other techniques for forming shank 12 , such as casting , are also within the scope of the present invention . a cylindrical bore 26 communicates with a lower surface of cylindrical disk 24 , as is viewable in fig1 and extends axially therefrom through the bit with an opening at the upper end of threaded upper portion 16 . thus , fluid pumped down the drill string flows downwardly out of bore 26 as will later be more fully described in connection with a description of the operation of the drill bit . a plurality of ridges or blades ;, like blades 28 , 29 , 30 extend downwardly from the underside of disk 24 and radially outwardly from a central longitudinal axis of the drill bit . shell 14 includes an external surface 34 which may have pockets ( not shown ) formed therein suitable for mounting cutting elements ( also not shown ) thereon . shell 14 is manufactured utilizing matrix powder packed into a mold body which is thereafter infiltrated in a manner which is hereinafter described . the shell can also be manufactured by infiltrating around a ductile form , as , described hereinafter with reference to fig6 or by machining . natural or artificial diamond cutters , or surface set diamonds , may be cast in to the shell during infiltration instead of or in addition to cutting elements mounted after infiltration is complete . the embodiment of fig1 provides a one - piece mandrel , unlike prior art bits as described in hereinafter in connection with fig1 - 20 . the combination of a blank , around which a prior art infiltrated bit is formed , and a shank , which is welded to the blank for providing a threaded connection to a drill string , is referred to in the art as a mandrel . a one - piece mandrel reduces manufacturing time and expense while providing a mandrel with increased integrity . also , the internal cavity defined between the mandrel and shell 14 provides for better fluid distribution than in prior art bits which improves fluid cooling of the bit and reduces fluid erosion on the bit crown interior . such a mandrel provides structural integrity with less weight than prior art mandrels and in a more open configuration . throughout this description , similar structure is identified with a corresponding number in the various embodiments of the invention . in fig2 a , shank 12 includes a substantially solid core which is received into shell 14 . shell 14 is defined by a shell wall 36 having a substantially constant thickness . the shell is connected to shank 12 via a weld 37 about the circumference of the shank and shell . braze alloys , adhesives or other suitable techniques may be used to connect the shank and shell together . to form shell 14 , a mold body is provided having a cavity therein which includes features conforming to those on the external surface of shell 14 . nozzles , like nozzle 44 , are placed inside the mold body in selected positions . this eliminates the need for interior porting extending from the nozzle to the axial cylindrical bore which communicates with the drill pipe . a bore 52 is formed in shank 12 and communicates with bore 26 . an external plenum , i . e ., one which is formed adjacent the interior surface of the shell , is formed between a radially inner surface 38 of shell 14 and shank 12 . at least one bore , like bore 52 , communicate between the plenum and bore 26 . this permits fluid to circulate within and adjacent the shell . shell internal surface 38 may include a plurality of grooves , like grooves 42 , into which a corresponding blade formed on shank 12 is received when the shank is inserted into shell 14 . these interlocking ridges and grooves accept torsion when the bit is drilling and relieve stress on weld 37 . in fig2 b , grooves 40 also receive ridges or blades formed on the shank to accomplish a similar stress relieving function in the bit of fig2 b . the bit of fig2 b has an internal plenum , i . e ., one formed internally of shank 12 . in fig2 b the internal plenum comprises the lowermost portion of bore 26 . during infiltration of the bit of fig2 b , forms are placed to provide cylindrical openings , like opening 46 , into which a nozzle 48 , is inserted after the matrix is infiltrated and cooled to provide fluid communication between bore 26 and the exterior of the bit . nozzle 48 is illustrated in fig3 . in the present embodiment of the invention nozzle 48 is made from tungsten carbide and extends into a central cavity in the bit as shown . the nozzle therefore protects mandrel 12 from wear caused by the high pressures and flow rates of drilling fluid therethrough . a threaded connection 50 is formed between nozzle 48 and a bore formed in blade 28 . nozzle 48 can be changed by unthreading if replacement is required . in using a drill bit like that shown in fig1 a or 2b , threaded connection 16 is engaged with the lower end of a drill string which is then lowered into a well bore . during drilling , drilling fluid is pumped down the drill string and into bore 26 . the fluid passes through the bores , like bore 52 , into plenum 38 and subsequently into nozzle 44 ( and other nozzles not visible ) and thereafter upwardly in the well bore in the annulus between the drill string and the radially inner surface of the well bore . similarly , fluid flows from bore 26 into nozzle 48 ( and other nozzles ) and up the annulus . turning now to fig4 indicated generally at 58 is a shank and integrated body core constructed in accordance with the present invention . shank 58 is substantially identical to shank 12 in all respects except for the geometry of the blades , like blade 28 - 30 in fig1 . shank 58 includes three blades , 60 , 62 , 64 which might be configured to be received into a shell having an interior shaped to include grooves for receiving the blades . such a shell has a construction similar to that described above in connection with shell 14 . shank 58 is welded about the circumference thereof in a manner similar to that of shank 12 in fig2 a . the shank and integrated bit core of fig4 is easy to machine and is illustrative , along with the other embodiments of the variety of shapes which can be utilized with the present invention . turning now to fig5 and 8 , indicated generally at 66 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a threaded upper portion 68 for connecting the drill bit to a drill string . threaded portion 68 is mounted on an integrated shank and bit core , collectively referred to as a shank 70 . shank 70 is received in a shell 72 which may be infiltrated in similar fashion to shell 14 , or through another casting process , or may be machined from steel . shank 70 is received within shell 72 and welded thereto about the circumference of each via a weld 74 which is viewable in both fig5 and 8 . shank 70 includes a concave portion or junk slot 76 formed thereon . shell 72 includes a plurality of cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 mounted thereon . the cutters are mounted adjacent an opening in shell 72 defined by opposing edges 82 , 84 . the opening communicates with an interior cavity . a similar opening ( not visible ), which also communicates with the cavity , is adjacent a row of cutters including cutters 86 , 88 . drill bit 66 is constructed generally in accordance with the design disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 883 , 132 to tibbitts , which is incorporated herein by reference , for a drag bit for drilling in plastic formation having maximum chip clearance and hydraulic for direct chip impingement except that the gauge and bottom portions of the drilling surface are formed on shell 72 which in turn is welded to shank 70 as described above . bit 66 includes a nozzle ( not visible ) formed on a lower portion of shank 70 within the cavity defined between the shell and shank . the nozzle is aimed at the cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 and flushes cuttings therefrom during drilling as described in the &# 39 ; 132 patent to tibbitts . in fig8 drill bit 66 is shown in a somewhat schematic sectional view . a torque lug 96 extends downwardly from the lower end of a center column 97 which is coaxial with the axis of bit 66 . the torque lug extends into a slot formed in shell 72 . this arrangement provides torsional stiffening to center column 97 during drilling . as can be seen , fluid passageways in shank 70 permit drill fluid to circulate down the string and into shell 72 where the fluid is forced from nozzles ( not shown in fig8 ) contained in shank 70 into the cavities , like cavity 85 , and to the top of the well in which the bit is drilling . the nozzles , cavities and flow passages for the bit of fig5 and 8 are illustrated in the above - referenced tibbitts patent . turning now to fig6 indicated generally at 90 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention which is similar in construction to the embodiments of fig1 - 4 . visible in fig6 is a facing material 92 which is packed into the mold body before the interior mold portion is positioned and the remaining matrix powders packed between the mold body and inner mold portion . nozzle 44 does not need interior porting to connect it to the fluid in bore 26 . as in fig2 a , the nozzle communicates directly with fluid inside shell 14 . this eliminates the need for integrating complicated nozzle porting into the matrix when the shell is formed . if one of the shank blades , like blade 29 , interferes with fluid distribution to nozzle 44 , a corresponding notch 93 in blade 29 immediately above nozzle 44 provides fluid circulation between the flutes formed on the shank between the blades to the nozzle inside the shell . hydraulic fitting may be used to connect the shank to the shell in lieu of or in addition to welding . with reference to fig7 a , an o - ring 93 is disposed between shank 12 and shell 14 about the circumference thereof . fluid is pumped into shell 14 via bore 26 thus expanding the shell . the expansion is sufficient to permit the shank to be pressed down a tapered portion 95 of the shell into a cylindrical collar portion 97 . once the pressure is released , the shell and shank are locked together . turning now to fig9 indicated generally at 98 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a shank and integrated bit body , collectively referred to as a shank 100 , and a shell 102 . in drill bit 98 there is a threaded connection 104 between a radially inner surface of shell 102 and a radially outer surface of the lower portion of shank 100 . shank 100 includes a downwardly directed shoulder 105 which seats against an internal surface of shell 102 when threads 104 are fully engaged . thereafter , a weld 106 is formed about the circumference of the shank ( or portions thereof ) and shell in order to secure the two together . drill bit 108 comprises another embodiment of the present invention in which similar structure corresponding to that illustrated in fig9 is identified with the same numeral in fig1 . the invention contemplates use of either a weld or threads or both together as illustrated in fig9 and 10 . another drill bit 110 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 , is similar to the embodiments of fig9 and 10 . drill bit 110 in fig1 - 13 , as are the bits in fig1 and 15 , is assembled using heat shrink fitting . in this process , shell 102 is heated and shank 100 , which is at room temperature , is engaged with matrix shell 102 as shown in fig1 by a buttress connection 109 . as shown in fig1 and 13 , connection 109 includes a plurality of upward facing shoulders , like shoulder 111 , on one side thereof and a plurality of downward facing shoulders , like shoulder 113 on the other side of the connection . the shoulders form continuous annular surfaces which are parallel with one another as opposed to a single helical surface as in a screw thread . with the matrix shell 102 hot and shank 100 at room temperature , connection 104 is configured as shown in fig1 . as the shell cools , it contracts in size thus drawing the shoulders together as shown in the view of fig1 . this has the effect of securely locking the shank to the shell . alternately , shell 102 may be allowed to cool after it is formed . prior to connecting the shell to the shank , the shell is heated in a known fashion to braze the cutters thereto . such heating expands the shell which may then be fitted to the shank and thereafter cooled to accomplish the heat shrink fit . the shoulders illustrated in fig1 and 13 may be inverted , i . e ., the shoulders are oriented to resist tension between the bit and drill string to which it is attached . alternatively , drill bit 110 may be assembled using the previously described hydraulic fitting technique . in fig1 drill bit 112 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , includes a generally cylindrical opening 116 formed in shell 102 with shank 104 having a generally cylindrical lower portion . the two are sized so that matrix shell 102 can receive the lower end of shank 104 , as shown in fig1 , while the matrix shell is heated . when the same cools it contracts thus providing a firm interference fit between the shell and the shank . in drill bit 114 in fig1 , a tapered opening 118 is provided in shell 102 . the taper corresponds generally to a tapered radially outer portion of the lower end of shank 104 . shank 104 can be received in opening 118 as shown in fig1 while matrix shell 102 is heated . as the shell contracts during cooling a strong connection between shell 102 and shank 104 is formed . the bits of fig1 and 15 can also be assembled using the hydraulic fitting technique described herein or by using a threaded connection . indicated generally at 120 in fig1 is an assembly fixture for assembling a shank and a shell constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a cooling jacket 122 having an input line 124 and a return line 126 through which coolant flows . the coolant circulates within jacket 122 thereby cooling a shank 128 received therein which is constructed in accordance with the present invention . a concentric clamp 130 positions a hot shell 132 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , coaxially with shank 128 . with the shank and shell positioned as shown in fig1 , the shank is lowered into the shell . coolant in jacket 122 maintains the shank relatively cool even in the presence of the heat generated by shell 132 . this both prevents the shank from expanding and prevents the drill collar connective thread of the shank from becoming heated above the &# 34 ; knee of transformation &# 34 ; which would cause it to become brittle . after the shank is positioned within the shell , the shell is left to cool and thus contract and engage the shank as described in the embodiments of fig1 - 15 . in fig1 and 18 , a typical prior art matrix drill bit , indicated generally at 134 , is illustrated to provide a comparison between such a bit and the bit of the present invention . bit 134 includes a central longitudinal axis 138 and a coaxial bore 140 . bore 140 is also coaxial with a generally cylindrical blank 142 which includes an upper portion or shank 144 . the shank includes threads 145 at the upper portion thereof for connecting the drill bit to a string of drill pipe ( not shown ). blank 142 is comprised of a relatively ductile steel which has a coating of matrix material 146 bonded thereto . bore 140 is formed in part through the matrix material . this type of bit can utilize cutters , like cutters 147 , 149 , integrally secured to the matrix during the infiltration process or cutters which are mounted on the hardened matrix after infiltration . turning now to fig1 a conventional furnace 150 includes a chamber 152 having a furnace floor 154 . a mold 156 is supported on floor 154 . the mold supports a funnel 158 which is engaged with a connection 160 with an upper portion of mold 156 . binder material 162 is received on top of matrix powder 146 which is packed in and around blank 142 as shown . cutters can be placed in the mold body for integrating the cutters into the bit during the infiltration process . alternatively , cutters can be brazed to the matrix surface after the bit is removed from the mold . after the mold and the contents thereof are positioned as shown in fig1 , chamber 152 is heated thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 in a known manner . after the bit is so formed the mold is removed from the furnace and after sufficient cooling the bit is removed from the mold . thereafter , a steel shank , like shank 144 in fig1 and 18 , having threads formed thereon is welded to blank 142 . turning now to fig2 , an alternative form of infiltrating the matrix powder in mold 156 is illustrated . included in fig2 is an induction coil heater 164 which heats the mold and the contents thereof thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 . the drill bit of fig1 and 18 can be manufactured using either of the techniques illustrated in fig1 and 20 . turning now to fig2 illustrated therein is a mold constructed in accordance with the present invention . as can be seen , matrix powder 146 is formed into a shell shaped by virtue of a mold shell 166 , such being also referred to herein as an upper mold body . the mold shell includes a hollow cavity 168 . the surface of mold shell 166 which is adjacent matrix powder 146 defines the inner surface of the outer shell of the bit . the features of this mold shell surface define grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 in fig2 a and 2b , in which the blades of shank 12 are received . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , instead of mold shell 166 , a similarly shaped steel shell is positioned in the same position as mold shell 166 and forms a finished part of the shell as described in connection with the embodiment of fig6 . the steel portion can be ductile relative to the infiltrated material which forms the exterior portion of the shell . in such case , the grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 , are formed on the inner surface of the ductile steel shell . illustrated in fig2 is an alternate method of manufacturing a drill bit in accordance with the present invention . included therein are induction coil heaters 168 , 170 , 172 . heater 170 can be received within cavity 168 as shown and heater 172 within spaces on the underside of mold 156 . with all heaters operating , the matrix powder is uniformly heated which is desirable in forming the infiltrated matrix shell . induction heating in accordance with the prior art method illustrated in fig2 must be done very slowly because stresses arise between the heated portions and the unheated portions . the system of fig2 permits much more rapid infiltration of the matrix powder without the stresses which would result in the configuration of fig2 . reduced mass coupled with increased surface area and internal heat exposure provides for greatly reduced heating time and more uniform products . after the matrix powder is infiltrated responsive to heat provided by , e . g ., a box heater , a furnace as in fig2 or induction coils as in fig2 , the mold is cooled and the bit removed therefrom . in the case where the cutters are not integrated into the matrix body during infiltration , they may be brazed to the shell . brazing requires heating which can be done via a pair of induction coils similar to the configuration of coils 168 , 170 , illustrated in fig2 except that the mold is removed . when the shell is sufficiently heated , the cutters are brazed thereto in a known manner . when assembling bits of the type illustrated in fig1 - 15 , in which the shank is inserted into the shell while the shell is hot , the insertion step can be accomplished immediately after brazing the cutters while the shell is still hot from the induction heating necessary for brazing . thus , the shell can be rapidly heated as a result both of the substantially smaller mass of the matrix material relative to prior art bits and due to use of a second internal induction coil , like coil 170 in fig2 . a separate step for heating the shell in order to expand the same to fit it to the shank as described in connection with the bits of fig1 - 15 is not required . the assembly fixture illustrated in fig1 and described above can be used for a matrix shell which is heated with induction heaters to expand the shell for assembly . having illustrated and described the principles of our invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . we claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | c60ad11c868510972084c1844eea0c560c56335e6a48ec3731c0c31d4d50eeda | 0.070801 | 0.017944 | 0.054932 | 0.001328 | 0.182617 | 0.00885 |
null | turning now to fig1 indicated generally at 10 is a drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is an integrated bit core and shank , referred to herein collectively as a shank 12 , and an outer shell 14 . shank 12 includes a threaded upper portion 16 for connecting drill bit 10 to a drill string ( not shown ). a bevel 20 separates upper portion 16 from a cylindrical portion 18 . similarly , a bevel 22 separates cylindrical portion 18 from a cylindrical disk 24 . it should be appreciated that threaded portion 16 , bevel 20 , cylindrical portion 18 , bevel 22 and cylindrical disk 24 are , in the present embodiment of the invention , integrally formed from a single piece of steel . other techniques for forming shank 12 , such as casting , are also within the scope of the present invention . a cylindrical bore 26 communicates with a lower surface of cylindrical disk 24 , as is viewable in fig1 and extends axially therefrom through the bit with an opening at the upper end of threaded upper portion 16 . thus , fluid pumped down the drill string flows downwardly out of bore 26 as will later be more fully described in connection with a description of the operation of the drill bit . a plurality of ridges or blades ;, like blades 28 , 29 , 30 extend downwardly from the underside of disk 24 and radially outwardly from a central longitudinal axis of the drill bit . shell 14 includes an external surface 34 which may have pockets ( not shown ) formed therein suitable for mounting cutting elements ( also not shown ) thereon . shell 14 is manufactured utilizing matrix powder packed into a mold body which is thereafter infiltrated in a manner which is hereinafter described . the shell can also be manufactured by infiltrating around a ductile form , as , described hereinafter with reference to fig6 or by machining . natural or artificial diamond cutters , or surface set diamonds , may be cast in to the shell during infiltration instead of or in addition to cutting elements mounted after infiltration is complete . the embodiment of fig1 provides a one - piece mandrel , unlike prior art bits as described in hereinafter in connection with fig1 - 20 . the combination of a blank , around which a prior art infiltrated bit is formed , and a shank , which is welded to the blank for providing a threaded connection to a drill string , is referred to in the art as a mandrel . a one - piece mandrel reduces manufacturing time and expense while providing a mandrel with increased integrity . also , the internal cavity defined between the mandrel and shell 14 provides for better fluid distribution than in prior art bits which improves fluid cooling of the bit and reduces fluid erosion on the bit crown interior . such a mandrel provides structural integrity with less weight than prior art mandrels and in a more open configuration . throughout this description , similar structure is identified with a corresponding number in the various embodiments of the invention . in fig2 a , shank 12 includes a substantially solid core which is received into shell 14 . shell 14 is defined by a shell wall 36 having a substantially constant thickness . the shell is connected to shank 12 via a weld 37 about the circumference of the shank and shell . braze alloys , adhesives or other suitable techniques may be used to connect the shank and shell together . to form shell 14 , a mold body is provided having a cavity therein which includes features conforming to those on the external surface of shell 14 . nozzles , like nozzle 44 , are placed inside the mold body in selected positions . this eliminates the need for interior porting extending from the nozzle to the axial cylindrical bore which communicates with the drill pipe . a bore 52 is formed in shank 12 and communicates with bore 26 . an external plenum , i . e ., one which is formed adjacent the interior surface of the shell , is formed between a radially inner surface 38 of shell 14 and shank 12 . at least one bore , like bore 52 , communicate between the plenum and bore 26 . this permits fluid to circulate within and adjacent the shell . shell internal surface 38 may include a plurality of grooves , like grooves 42 , into which a corresponding blade formed on shank 12 is received when the shank is inserted into shell 14 . these interlocking ridges and grooves accept torsion when the bit is drilling and relieve stress on weld 37 . in fig2 b , grooves 40 also receive ridges or blades formed on the shank to accomplish a similar stress relieving function in the bit of fig2 b . the bit of fig2 b has an internal plenum , i . e ., one formed internally of shank 12 . in fig2 b the internal plenum comprises the lowermost portion of bore 26 . during infiltration of the bit of fig2 b , forms are placed to provide cylindrical openings , like opening 46 , into which a nozzle 48 , is inserted after the matrix is infiltrated and cooled to provide fluid communication between bore 26 and the exterior of the bit . nozzle 48 is illustrated in fig3 . in the present embodiment of the invention nozzle 48 is made from tungsten carbide and extends into a central cavity in the bit as shown . the nozzle therefore protects mandrel 12 from wear caused by the high pressures and flow rates of drilling fluid therethrough . a threaded connection 50 is formed between nozzle 48 and a bore formed in blade 28 . nozzle 48 can be changed by unthreading if replacement is required . in using a drill bit like that shown in fig1 a or 2b , threaded connection 16 is engaged with the lower end of a drill string which is then lowered into a well bore . during drilling , drilling fluid is pumped down the drill string and into bore 26 . the fluid passes through the bores , like bore 52 , into plenum 38 and subsequently into nozzle 44 ( and other nozzles not visible ) and thereafter upwardly in the well bore in the annulus between the drill string and the radially inner surface of the well bore . similarly , fluid flows from bore 26 into nozzle 48 ( and other nozzles ) and up the annulus . turning now to fig4 indicated generally at 58 is a shank and integrated body core constructed in accordance with the present invention . shank 58 is substantially identical to shank 12 in all respects except for the geometry of the blades , like blade 28 - 30 in fig1 . shank 58 includes three blades , 60 , 62 , 64 which might be configured to be received into a shell having an interior shaped to include grooves for receiving the blades . such a shell has a construction similar to that described above in connection with shell 14 . shank 58 is welded about the circumference thereof in a manner similar to that of shank 12 in fig2 a . the shank and integrated bit core of fig4 is easy to machine and is illustrative , along with the other embodiments of the variety of shapes which can be utilized with the present invention . turning now to fig5 and 8 , indicated generally at 66 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a threaded upper portion 68 for connecting the drill bit to a drill string . threaded portion 68 is mounted on an integrated shank and bit core , collectively referred to as a shank 70 . shank 70 is received in a shell 72 which may be infiltrated in similar fashion to shell 14 , or through another casting process , or may be machined from steel . shank 70 is received within shell 72 and welded thereto about the circumference of each via a weld 74 which is viewable in both fig5 and 8 . shank 70 includes a concave portion or junk slot 76 formed thereon . shell 72 includes a plurality of cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 mounted thereon . the cutters are mounted adjacent an opening in shell 72 defined by opposing edges 82 , 84 . the opening communicates with an interior cavity . a similar opening ( not visible ), which also communicates with the cavity , is adjacent a row of cutters including cutters 86 , 88 . drill bit 66 is constructed generally in accordance with the design disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 883 , 132 to tibbitts , which is incorporated herein by reference , for a drag bit for drilling in plastic formation having maximum chip clearance and hydraulic for direct chip impingement except that the gauge and bottom portions of the drilling surface are formed on shell 72 which in turn is welded to shank 70 as described above . bit 66 includes a nozzle ( not visible ) formed on a lower portion of shank 70 within the cavity defined between the shell and shank . the nozzle is aimed at the cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 and flushes cuttings therefrom during drilling as described in the &# 39 ; 132 patent to tibbitts . in fig8 drill bit 66 is shown in a somewhat schematic sectional view . a torque lug 96 extends downwardly from the lower end of a center column 97 which is coaxial with the axis of bit 66 . the torque lug extends into a slot formed in shell 72 . this arrangement provides torsional stiffening to center column 97 during drilling . as can be seen , fluid passageways in shank 70 permit drill fluid to circulate down the string and into shell 72 where the fluid is forced from nozzles ( not shown in fig8 ) contained in shank 70 into the cavities , like cavity 85 , and to the top of the well in which the bit is drilling . the nozzles , cavities and flow passages for the bit of fig5 and 8 are illustrated in the above - referenced tibbitts patent . turning now to fig6 indicated generally at 90 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention which is similar in construction to the embodiments of fig1 - 4 . visible in fig6 is a facing material 92 which is packed into the mold body before the interior mold portion is positioned and the remaining matrix powders packed between the mold body and inner mold portion . nozzle 44 does not need interior porting to connect it to the fluid in bore 26 . as in fig2 a , the nozzle communicates directly with fluid inside shell 14 . this eliminates the need for integrating complicated nozzle porting into the matrix when the shell is formed . if one of the shank blades , like blade 29 , interferes with fluid distribution to nozzle 44 , a corresponding notch 93 in blade 29 immediately above nozzle 44 provides fluid circulation between the flutes formed on the shank between the blades to the nozzle inside the shell . hydraulic fitting may be used to connect the shank to the shell in lieu of or in addition to welding . with reference to fig7 a , an o - ring 93 is disposed between shank 12 and shell 14 about the circumference thereof . fluid is pumped into shell 14 via bore 26 thus expanding the shell . the expansion is sufficient to permit the shank to be pressed down a tapered portion 95 of the shell into a cylindrical collar portion 97 . once the pressure is released , the shell and shank are locked together . turning now to fig9 indicated generally at 98 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a shank and integrated bit body , collectively referred to as a shank 100 , and a shell 102 . in drill bit 98 there is a threaded connection 104 between a radially inner surface of shell 102 and a radially outer surface of the lower portion of shank 100 . shank 100 includes a downwardly directed shoulder 105 which seats against an internal surface of shell 102 when threads 104 are fully engaged . thereafter , a weld 106 is formed about the circumference of the shank ( or portions thereof ) and shell in order to secure the two together . drill bit 108 comprises another embodiment of the present invention in which similar structure corresponding to that illustrated in fig9 is identified with the same numeral in fig1 . the invention contemplates use of either a weld or threads or both together as illustrated in fig9 and 10 . another drill bit 110 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 , is similar to the embodiments of fig9 and 10 . drill bit 110 in fig1 - 13 , as are the bits in fig1 and 15 , is assembled using heat shrink fitting . in this process , shell 102 is heated and shank 100 , which is at room temperature , is engaged with matrix shell 102 as shown in fig1 by a buttress connection 109 . as shown in fig1 and 13 , connection 109 includes a plurality of upward facing shoulders , like shoulder 111 , on one side thereof and a plurality of downward facing shoulders , like shoulder 113 on the other side of the connection . the shoulders form continuous annular surfaces which are parallel with one another as opposed to a single helical surface as in a screw thread . with the matrix shell 102 hot and shank 100 at room temperature , connection 104 is configured as shown in fig1 . as the shell cools , it contracts in size thus drawing the shoulders together as shown in the view of fig1 . this has the effect of securely locking the shank to the shell . alternately , shell 102 may be allowed to cool after it is formed . prior to connecting the shell to the shank , the shell is heated in a known fashion to braze the cutters thereto . such heating expands the shell which may then be fitted to the shank and thereafter cooled to accomplish the heat shrink fit . the shoulders illustrated in fig1 and 13 may be inverted , i . e ., the shoulders are oriented to resist tension between the bit and drill string to which it is attached . alternatively , drill bit 110 may be assembled using the previously described hydraulic fitting technique . in fig1 drill bit 112 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , includes a generally cylindrical opening 116 formed in shell 102 with shank 104 having a generally cylindrical lower portion . the two are sized so that matrix shell 102 can receive the lower end of shank 104 , as shown in fig1 , while the matrix shell is heated . when the same cools it contracts thus providing a firm interference fit between the shell and the shank . in drill bit 114 in fig1 , a tapered opening 118 is provided in shell 102 . the taper corresponds generally to a tapered radially outer portion of the lower end of shank 104 . shank 104 can be received in opening 118 as shown in fig1 while matrix shell 102 is heated . as the shell contracts during cooling a strong connection between shell 102 and shank 104 is formed . the bits of fig1 and 15 can also be assembled using the hydraulic fitting technique described herein or by using a threaded connection . indicated generally at 120 in fig1 is an assembly fixture for assembling a shank and a shell constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a cooling jacket 122 having an input line 124 and a return line 126 through which coolant flows . the coolant circulates within jacket 122 thereby cooling a shank 128 received therein which is constructed in accordance with the present invention . a concentric clamp 130 positions a hot shell 132 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , coaxially with shank 128 . with the shank and shell positioned as shown in fig1 , the shank is lowered into the shell . coolant in jacket 122 maintains the shank relatively cool even in the presence of the heat generated by shell 132 . this both prevents the shank from expanding and prevents the drill collar connective thread of the shank from becoming heated above the &# 34 ; knee of transformation &# 34 ; which would cause it to become brittle . after the shank is positioned within the shell , the shell is left to cool and thus contract and engage the shank as described in the embodiments of fig1 - 15 . in fig1 and 18 , a typical prior art matrix drill bit , indicated generally at 134 , is illustrated to provide a comparison between such a bit and the bit of the present invention . bit 134 includes a central longitudinal axis 138 and a coaxial bore 140 . bore 140 is also coaxial with a generally cylindrical blank 142 which includes an upper portion or shank 144 . the shank includes threads 145 at the upper portion thereof for connecting the drill bit to a string of drill pipe ( not shown ). blank 142 is comprised of a relatively ductile steel which has a coating of matrix material 146 bonded thereto . bore 140 is formed in part through the matrix material . this type of bit can utilize cutters , like cutters 147 , 149 , integrally secured to the matrix during the infiltration process or cutters which are mounted on the hardened matrix after infiltration . turning now to fig1 a conventional furnace 150 includes a chamber 152 having a furnace floor 154 . a mold 156 is supported on floor 154 . the mold supports a funnel 158 which is engaged with a connection 160 with an upper portion of mold 156 . binder material 162 is received on top of matrix powder 146 which is packed in and around blank 142 as shown . cutters can be placed in the mold body for integrating the cutters into the bit during the infiltration process . alternatively , cutters can be brazed to the matrix surface after the bit is removed from the mold . after the mold and the contents thereof are positioned as shown in fig1 , chamber 152 is heated thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 in a known manner . after the bit is so formed the mold is removed from the furnace and after sufficient cooling the bit is removed from the mold . thereafter , a steel shank , like shank 144 in fig1 and 18 , having threads formed thereon is welded to blank 142 . turning now to fig2 , an alternative form of infiltrating the matrix powder in mold 156 is illustrated . included in fig2 is an induction coil heater 164 which heats the mold and the contents thereof thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 . the drill bit of fig1 and 18 can be manufactured using either of the techniques illustrated in fig1 and 20 . turning now to fig2 illustrated therein is a mold constructed in accordance with the present invention . as can be seen , matrix powder 146 is formed into a shell shaped by virtue of a mold shell 166 , such being also referred to herein as an upper mold body . the mold shell includes a hollow cavity 168 . the surface of mold shell 166 which is adjacent matrix powder 146 defines the inner surface of the outer shell of the bit . the features of this mold shell surface define grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 in fig2 a and 2b , in which the blades of shank 12 are received . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , instead of mold shell 166 , a similarly shaped steel shell is positioned in the same position as mold shell 166 and forms a finished part of the shell as described in connection with the embodiment of fig6 . the steel portion can be ductile relative to the infiltrated material which forms the exterior portion of the shell . in such case , the grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 , are formed on the inner surface of the ductile steel shell . illustrated in fig2 is an alternate method of manufacturing a drill bit in accordance with the present invention . included therein are induction coil heaters 168 , 170 , 172 . heater 170 can be received within cavity 168 as shown and heater 172 within spaces on the underside of mold 156 . with all heaters operating , the matrix powder is uniformly heated which is desirable in forming the infiltrated matrix shell . induction heating in accordance with the prior art method illustrated in fig2 must be done very slowly because stresses arise between the heated portions and the unheated portions . the system of fig2 permits much more rapid infiltration of the matrix powder without the stresses which would result in the configuration of fig2 . reduced mass coupled with increased surface area and internal heat exposure provides for greatly reduced heating time and more uniform products . after the matrix powder is infiltrated responsive to heat provided by , e . g ., a box heater , a furnace as in fig2 or induction coils as in fig2 , the mold is cooled and the bit removed therefrom . in the case where the cutters are not integrated into the matrix body during infiltration , they may be brazed to the shell . brazing requires heating which can be done via a pair of induction coils similar to the configuration of coils 168 , 170 , illustrated in fig2 except that the mold is removed . when the shell is sufficiently heated , the cutters are brazed thereto in a known manner . when assembling bits of the type illustrated in fig1 - 15 , in which the shank is inserted into the shell while the shell is hot , the insertion step can be accomplished immediately after brazing the cutters while the shell is still hot from the induction heating necessary for brazing . thus , the shell can be rapidly heated as a result both of the substantially smaller mass of the matrix material relative to prior art bits and due to use of a second internal induction coil , like coil 170 in fig2 . a separate step for heating the shell in order to expand the same to fit it to the shank as described in connection with the bits of fig1 - 15 is not required . the assembly fixture illustrated in fig1 and described above can be used for a matrix shell which is heated with induction heaters to expand the shell for assembly . having illustrated and described the principles of our invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . we claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims . | Should this patent be classified under 'Fixed Constructions'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Textiles; Paper'? | 0.25 | c60ad11c868510972084c1844eea0c560c56335e6a48ec3731c0c31d4d50eeda | 0.023315 | 0.001984 | 0.010315 | 0.000023 | 0.026733 | 0.010681 |
null | turning now to fig1 indicated generally at 10 is a drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is an integrated bit core and shank , referred to herein collectively as a shank 12 , and an outer shell 14 . shank 12 includes a threaded upper portion 16 for connecting drill bit 10 to a drill string ( not shown ). a bevel 20 separates upper portion 16 from a cylindrical portion 18 . similarly , a bevel 22 separates cylindrical portion 18 from a cylindrical disk 24 . it should be appreciated that threaded portion 16 , bevel 20 , cylindrical portion 18 , bevel 22 and cylindrical disk 24 are , in the present embodiment of the invention , integrally formed from a single piece of steel . other techniques for forming shank 12 , such as casting , are also within the scope of the present invention . a cylindrical bore 26 communicates with a lower surface of cylindrical disk 24 , as is viewable in fig1 and extends axially therefrom through the bit with an opening at the upper end of threaded upper portion 16 . thus , fluid pumped down the drill string flows downwardly out of bore 26 as will later be more fully described in connection with a description of the operation of the drill bit . a plurality of ridges or blades ;, like blades 28 , 29 , 30 extend downwardly from the underside of disk 24 and radially outwardly from a central longitudinal axis of the drill bit . shell 14 includes an external surface 34 which may have pockets ( not shown ) formed therein suitable for mounting cutting elements ( also not shown ) thereon . shell 14 is manufactured utilizing matrix powder packed into a mold body which is thereafter infiltrated in a manner which is hereinafter described . the shell can also be manufactured by infiltrating around a ductile form , as , described hereinafter with reference to fig6 or by machining . natural or artificial diamond cutters , or surface set diamonds , may be cast in to the shell during infiltration instead of or in addition to cutting elements mounted after infiltration is complete . the embodiment of fig1 provides a one - piece mandrel , unlike prior art bits as described in hereinafter in connection with fig1 - 20 . the combination of a blank , around which a prior art infiltrated bit is formed , and a shank , which is welded to the blank for providing a threaded connection to a drill string , is referred to in the art as a mandrel . a one - piece mandrel reduces manufacturing time and expense while providing a mandrel with increased integrity . also , the internal cavity defined between the mandrel and shell 14 provides for better fluid distribution than in prior art bits which improves fluid cooling of the bit and reduces fluid erosion on the bit crown interior . such a mandrel provides structural integrity with less weight than prior art mandrels and in a more open configuration . throughout this description , similar structure is identified with a corresponding number in the various embodiments of the invention . in fig2 a , shank 12 includes a substantially solid core which is received into shell 14 . shell 14 is defined by a shell wall 36 having a substantially constant thickness . the shell is connected to shank 12 via a weld 37 about the circumference of the shank and shell . braze alloys , adhesives or other suitable techniques may be used to connect the shank and shell together . to form shell 14 , a mold body is provided having a cavity therein which includes features conforming to those on the external surface of shell 14 . nozzles , like nozzle 44 , are placed inside the mold body in selected positions . this eliminates the need for interior porting extending from the nozzle to the axial cylindrical bore which communicates with the drill pipe . a bore 52 is formed in shank 12 and communicates with bore 26 . an external plenum , i . e ., one which is formed adjacent the interior surface of the shell , is formed between a radially inner surface 38 of shell 14 and shank 12 . at least one bore , like bore 52 , communicate between the plenum and bore 26 . this permits fluid to circulate within and adjacent the shell . shell internal surface 38 may include a plurality of grooves , like grooves 42 , into which a corresponding blade formed on shank 12 is received when the shank is inserted into shell 14 . these interlocking ridges and grooves accept torsion when the bit is drilling and relieve stress on weld 37 . in fig2 b , grooves 40 also receive ridges or blades formed on the shank to accomplish a similar stress relieving function in the bit of fig2 b . the bit of fig2 b has an internal plenum , i . e ., one formed internally of shank 12 . in fig2 b the internal plenum comprises the lowermost portion of bore 26 . during infiltration of the bit of fig2 b , forms are placed to provide cylindrical openings , like opening 46 , into which a nozzle 48 , is inserted after the matrix is infiltrated and cooled to provide fluid communication between bore 26 and the exterior of the bit . nozzle 48 is illustrated in fig3 . in the present embodiment of the invention nozzle 48 is made from tungsten carbide and extends into a central cavity in the bit as shown . the nozzle therefore protects mandrel 12 from wear caused by the high pressures and flow rates of drilling fluid therethrough . a threaded connection 50 is formed between nozzle 48 and a bore formed in blade 28 . nozzle 48 can be changed by unthreading if replacement is required . in using a drill bit like that shown in fig1 a or 2b , threaded connection 16 is engaged with the lower end of a drill string which is then lowered into a well bore . during drilling , drilling fluid is pumped down the drill string and into bore 26 . the fluid passes through the bores , like bore 52 , into plenum 38 and subsequently into nozzle 44 ( and other nozzles not visible ) and thereafter upwardly in the well bore in the annulus between the drill string and the radially inner surface of the well bore . similarly , fluid flows from bore 26 into nozzle 48 ( and other nozzles ) and up the annulus . turning now to fig4 indicated generally at 58 is a shank and integrated body core constructed in accordance with the present invention . shank 58 is substantially identical to shank 12 in all respects except for the geometry of the blades , like blade 28 - 30 in fig1 . shank 58 includes three blades , 60 , 62 , 64 which might be configured to be received into a shell having an interior shaped to include grooves for receiving the blades . such a shell has a construction similar to that described above in connection with shell 14 . shank 58 is welded about the circumference thereof in a manner similar to that of shank 12 in fig2 a . the shank and integrated bit core of fig4 is easy to machine and is illustrative , along with the other embodiments of the variety of shapes which can be utilized with the present invention . turning now to fig5 and 8 , indicated generally at 66 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a threaded upper portion 68 for connecting the drill bit to a drill string . threaded portion 68 is mounted on an integrated shank and bit core , collectively referred to as a shank 70 . shank 70 is received in a shell 72 which may be infiltrated in similar fashion to shell 14 , or through another casting process , or may be machined from steel . shank 70 is received within shell 72 and welded thereto about the circumference of each via a weld 74 which is viewable in both fig5 and 8 . shank 70 includes a concave portion or junk slot 76 formed thereon . shell 72 includes a plurality of cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 mounted thereon . the cutters are mounted adjacent an opening in shell 72 defined by opposing edges 82 , 84 . the opening communicates with an interior cavity . a similar opening ( not visible ), which also communicates with the cavity , is adjacent a row of cutters including cutters 86 , 88 . drill bit 66 is constructed generally in accordance with the design disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 883 , 132 to tibbitts , which is incorporated herein by reference , for a drag bit for drilling in plastic formation having maximum chip clearance and hydraulic for direct chip impingement except that the gauge and bottom portions of the drilling surface are formed on shell 72 which in turn is welded to shank 70 as described above . bit 66 includes a nozzle ( not visible ) formed on a lower portion of shank 70 within the cavity defined between the shell and shank . the nozzle is aimed at the cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 and flushes cuttings therefrom during drilling as described in the &# 39 ; 132 patent to tibbitts . in fig8 drill bit 66 is shown in a somewhat schematic sectional view . a torque lug 96 extends downwardly from the lower end of a center column 97 which is coaxial with the axis of bit 66 . the torque lug extends into a slot formed in shell 72 . this arrangement provides torsional stiffening to center column 97 during drilling . as can be seen , fluid passageways in shank 70 permit drill fluid to circulate down the string and into shell 72 where the fluid is forced from nozzles ( not shown in fig8 ) contained in shank 70 into the cavities , like cavity 85 , and to the top of the well in which the bit is drilling . the nozzles , cavities and flow passages for the bit of fig5 and 8 are illustrated in the above - referenced tibbitts patent . turning now to fig6 indicated generally at 90 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention which is similar in construction to the embodiments of fig1 - 4 . visible in fig6 is a facing material 92 which is packed into the mold body before the interior mold portion is positioned and the remaining matrix powders packed between the mold body and inner mold portion . nozzle 44 does not need interior porting to connect it to the fluid in bore 26 . as in fig2 a , the nozzle communicates directly with fluid inside shell 14 . this eliminates the need for integrating complicated nozzle porting into the matrix when the shell is formed . if one of the shank blades , like blade 29 , interferes with fluid distribution to nozzle 44 , a corresponding notch 93 in blade 29 immediately above nozzle 44 provides fluid circulation between the flutes formed on the shank between the blades to the nozzle inside the shell . hydraulic fitting may be used to connect the shank to the shell in lieu of or in addition to welding . with reference to fig7 a , an o - ring 93 is disposed between shank 12 and shell 14 about the circumference thereof . fluid is pumped into shell 14 via bore 26 thus expanding the shell . the expansion is sufficient to permit the shank to be pressed down a tapered portion 95 of the shell into a cylindrical collar portion 97 . once the pressure is released , the shell and shank are locked together . turning now to fig9 indicated generally at 98 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a shank and integrated bit body , collectively referred to as a shank 100 , and a shell 102 . in drill bit 98 there is a threaded connection 104 between a radially inner surface of shell 102 and a radially outer surface of the lower portion of shank 100 . shank 100 includes a downwardly directed shoulder 105 which seats against an internal surface of shell 102 when threads 104 are fully engaged . thereafter , a weld 106 is formed about the circumference of the shank ( or portions thereof ) and shell in order to secure the two together . drill bit 108 comprises another embodiment of the present invention in which similar structure corresponding to that illustrated in fig9 is identified with the same numeral in fig1 . the invention contemplates use of either a weld or threads or both together as illustrated in fig9 and 10 . another drill bit 110 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 , is similar to the embodiments of fig9 and 10 . drill bit 110 in fig1 - 13 , as are the bits in fig1 and 15 , is assembled using heat shrink fitting . in this process , shell 102 is heated and shank 100 , which is at room temperature , is engaged with matrix shell 102 as shown in fig1 by a buttress connection 109 . as shown in fig1 and 13 , connection 109 includes a plurality of upward facing shoulders , like shoulder 111 , on one side thereof and a plurality of downward facing shoulders , like shoulder 113 on the other side of the connection . the shoulders form continuous annular surfaces which are parallel with one another as opposed to a single helical surface as in a screw thread . with the matrix shell 102 hot and shank 100 at room temperature , connection 104 is configured as shown in fig1 . as the shell cools , it contracts in size thus drawing the shoulders together as shown in the view of fig1 . this has the effect of securely locking the shank to the shell . alternately , shell 102 may be allowed to cool after it is formed . prior to connecting the shell to the shank , the shell is heated in a known fashion to braze the cutters thereto . such heating expands the shell which may then be fitted to the shank and thereafter cooled to accomplish the heat shrink fit . the shoulders illustrated in fig1 and 13 may be inverted , i . e ., the shoulders are oriented to resist tension between the bit and drill string to which it is attached . alternatively , drill bit 110 may be assembled using the previously described hydraulic fitting technique . in fig1 drill bit 112 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , includes a generally cylindrical opening 116 formed in shell 102 with shank 104 having a generally cylindrical lower portion . the two are sized so that matrix shell 102 can receive the lower end of shank 104 , as shown in fig1 , while the matrix shell is heated . when the same cools it contracts thus providing a firm interference fit between the shell and the shank . in drill bit 114 in fig1 , a tapered opening 118 is provided in shell 102 . the taper corresponds generally to a tapered radially outer portion of the lower end of shank 104 . shank 104 can be received in opening 118 as shown in fig1 while matrix shell 102 is heated . as the shell contracts during cooling a strong connection between shell 102 and shank 104 is formed . the bits of fig1 and 15 can also be assembled using the hydraulic fitting technique described herein or by using a threaded connection . indicated generally at 120 in fig1 is an assembly fixture for assembling a shank and a shell constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a cooling jacket 122 having an input line 124 and a return line 126 through which coolant flows . the coolant circulates within jacket 122 thereby cooling a shank 128 received therein which is constructed in accordance with the present invention . a concentric clamp 130 positions a hot shell 132 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , coaxially with shank 128 . with the shank and shell positioned as shown in fig1 , the shank is lowered into the shell . coolant in jacket 122 maintains the shank relatively cool even in the presence of the heat generated by shell 132 . this both prevents the shank from expanding and prevents the drill collar connective thread of the shank from becoming heated above the &# 34 ; knee of transformation &# 34 ; which would cause it to become brittle . after the shank is positioned within the shell , the shell is left to cool and thus contract and engage the shank as described in the embodiments of fig1 - 15 . in fig1 and 18 , a typical prior art matrix drill bit , indicated generally at 134 , is illustrated to provide a comparison between such a bit and the bit of the present invention . bit 134 includes a central longitudinal axis 138 and a coaxial bore 140 . bore 140 is also coaxial with a generally cylindrical blank 142 which includes an upper portion or shank 144 . the shank includes threads 145 at the upper portion thereof for connecting the drill bit to a string of drill pipe ( not shown ). blank 142 is comprised of a relatively ductile steel which has a coating of matrix material 146 bonded thereto . bore 140 is formed in part through the matrix material . this type of bit can utilize cutters , like cutters 147 , 149 , integrally secured to the matrix during the infiltration process or cutters which are mounted on the hardened matrix after infiltration . turning now to fig1 a conventional furnace 150 includes a chamber 152 having a furnace floor 154 . a mold 156 is supported on floor 154 . the mold supports a funnel 158 which is engaged with a connection 160 with an upper portion of mold 156 . binder material 162 is received on top of matrix powder 146 which is packed in and around blank 142 as shown . cutters can be placed in the mold body for integrating the cutters into the bit during the infiltration process . alternatively , cutters can be brazed to the matrix surface after the bit is removed from the mold . after the mold and the contents thereof are positioned as shown in fig1 , chamber 152 is heated thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 in a known manner . after the bit is so formed the mold is removed from the furnace and after sufficient cooling the bit is removed from the mold . thereafter , a steel shank , like shank 144 in fig1 and 18 , having threads formed thereon is welded to blank 142 . turning now to fig2 , an alternative form of infiltrating the matrix powder in mold 156 is illustrated . included in fig2 is an induction coil heater 164 which heats the mold and the contents thereof thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 . the drill bit of fig1 and 18 can be manufactured using either of the techniques illustrated in fig1 and 20 . turning now to fig2 illustrated therein is a mold constructed in accordance with the present invention . as can be seen , matrix powder 146 is formed into a shell shaped by virtue of a mold shell 166 , such being also referred to herein as an upper mold body . the mold shell includes a hollow cavity 168 . the surface of mold shell 166 which is adjacent matrix powder 146 defines the inner surface of the outer shell of the bit . the features of this mold shell surface define grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 in fig2 a and 2b , in which the blades of shank 12 are received . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , instead of mold shell 166 , a similarly shaped steel shell is positioned in the same position as mold shell 166 and forms a finished part of the shell as described in connection with the embodiment of fig6 . the steel portion can be ductile relative to the infiltrated material which forms the exterior portion of the shell . in such case , the grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 , are formed on the inner surface of the ductile steel shell . illustrated in fig2 is an alternate method of manufacturing a drill bit in accordance with the present invention . included therein are induction coil heaters 168 , 170 , 172 . heater 170 can be received within cavity 168 as shown and heater 172 within spaces on the underside of mold 156 . with all heaters operating , the matrix powder is uniformly heated which is desirable in forming the infiltrated matrix shell . induction heating in accordance with the prior art method illustrated in fig2 must be done very slowly because stresses arise between the heated portions and the unheated portions . the system of fig2 permits much more rapid infiltration of the matrix powder without the stresses which would result in the configuration of fig2 . reduced mass coupled with increased surface area and internal heat exposure provides for greatly reduced heating time and more uniform products . after the matrix powder is infiltrated responsive to heat provided by , e . g ., a box heater , a furnace as in fig2 or induction coils as in fig2 , the mold is cooled and the bit removed therefrom . in the case where the cutters are not integrated into the matrix body during infiltration , they may be brazed to the shell . brazing requires heating which can be done via a pair of induction coils similar to the configuration of coils 168 , 170 , illustrated in fig2 except that the mold is removed . when the shell is sufficiently heated , the cutters are brazed thereto in a known manner . when assembling bits of the type illustrated in fig1 - 15 , in which the shank is inserted into the shell while the shell is hot , the insertion step can be accomplished immediately after brazing the cutters while the shell is still hot from the induction heating necessary for brazing . thus , the shell can be rapidly heated as a result both of the substantially smaller mass of the matrix material relative to prior art bits and due to use of a second internal induction coil , like coil 170 in fig2 . a separate step for heating the shell in order to expand the same to fit it to the shank as described in connection with the bits of fig1 - 15 is not required . the assembly fixture illustrated in fig1 and described above can be used for a matrix shell which is heated with induction heaters to expand the shell for assembly . having illustrated and described the principles of our invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . we claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims . | Is 'Fixed Constructions' the correct technical category for the patent? | Should this patent be classified under 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | 0.25 | c60ad11c868510972084c1844eea0c560c56335e6a48ec3731c0c31d4d50eeda | 0.059326 | 0.016968 | 0.040771 | 0.004211 | 0.15918 | 0.033691 |
null | turning now to fig1 indicated generally at 10 is a drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is an integrated bit core and shank , referred to herein collectively as a shank 12 , and an outer shell 14 . shank 12 includes a threaded upper portion 16 for connecting drill bit 10 to a drill string ( not shown ). a bevel 20 separates upper portion 16 from a cylindrical portion 18 . similarly , a bevel 22 separates cylindrical portion 18 from a cylindrical disk 24 . it should be appreciated that threaded portion 16 , bevel 20 , cylindrical portion 18 , bevel 22 and cylindrical disk 24 are , in the present embodiment of the invention , integrally formed from a single piece of steel . other techniques for forming shank 12 , such as casting , are also within the scope of the present invention . a cylindrical bore 26 communicates with a lower surface of cylindrical disk 24 , as is viewable in fig1 and extends axially therefrom through the bit with an opening at the upper end of threaded upper portion 16 . thus , fluid pumped down the drill string flows downwardly out of bore 26 as will later be more fully described in connection with a description of the operation of the drill bit . a plurality of ridges or blades ;, like blades 28 , 29 , 30 extend downwardly from the underside of disk 24 and radially outwardly from a central longitudinal axis of the drill bit . shell 14 includes an external surface 34 which may have pockets ( not shown ) formed therein suitable for mounting cutting elements ( also not shown ) thereon . shell 14 is manufactured utilizing matrix powder packed into a mold body which is thereafter infiltrated in a manner which is hereinafter described . the shell can also be manufactured by infiltrating around a ductile form , as , described hereinafter with reference to fig6 or by machining . natural or artificial diamond cutters , or surface set diamonds , may be cast in to the shell during infiltration instead of or in addition to cutting elements mounted after infiltration is complete . the embodiment of fig1 provides a one - piece mandrel , unlike prior art bits as described in hereinafter in connection with fig1 - 20 . the combination of a blank , around which a prior art infiltrated bit is formed , and a shank , which is welded to the blank for providing a threaded connection to a drill string , is referred to in the art as a mandrel . a one - piece mandrel reduces manufacturing time and expense while providing a mandrel with increased integrity . also , the internal cavity defined between the mandrel and shell 14 provides for better fluid distribution than in prior art bits which improves fluid cooling of the bit and reduces fluid erosion on the bit crown interior . such a mandrel provides structural integrity with less weight than prior art mandrels and in a more open configuration . throughout this description , similar structure is identified with a corresponding number in the various embodiments of the invention . in fig2 a , shank 12 includes a substantially solid core which is received into shell 14 . shell 14 is defined by a shell wall 36 having a substantially constant thickness . the shell is connected to shank 12 via a weld 37 about the circumference of the shank and shell . braze alloys , adhesives or other suitable techniques may be used to connect the shank and shell together . to form shell 14 , a mold body is provided having a cavity therein which includes features conforming to those on the external surface of shell 14 . nozzles , like nozzle 44 , are placed inside the mold body in selected positions . this eliminates the need for interior porting extending from the nozzle to the axial cylindrical bore which communicates with the drill pipe . a bore 52 is formed in shank 12 and communicates with bore 26 . an external plenum , i . e ., one which is formed adjacent the interior surface of the shell , is formed between a radially inner surface 38 of shell 14 and shank 12 . at least one bore , like bore 52 , communicate between the plenum and bore 26 . this permits fluid to circulate within and adjacent the shell . shell internal surface 38 may include a plurality of grooves , like grooves 42 , into which a corresponding blade formed on shank 12 is received when the shank is inserted into shell 14 . these interlocking ridges and grooves accept torsion when the bit is drilling and relieve stress on weld 37 . in fig2 b , grooves 40 also receive ridges or blades formed on the shank to accomplish a similar stress relieving function in the bit of fig2 b . the bit of fig2 b has an internal plenum , i . e ., one formed internally of shank 12 . in fig2 b the internal plenum comprises the lowermost portion of bore 26 . during infiltration of the bit of fig2 b , forms are placed to provide cylindrical openings , like opening 46 , into which a nozzle 48 , is inserted after the matrix is infiltrated and cooled to provide fluid communication between bore 26 and the exterior of the bit . nozzle 48 is illustrated in fig3 . in the present embodiment of the invention nozzle 48 is made from tungsten carbide and extends into a central cavity in the bit as shown . the nozzle therefore protects mandrel 12 from wear caused by the high pressures and flow rates of drilling fluid therethrough . a threaded connection 50 is formed between nozzle 48 and a bore formed in blade 28 . nozzle 48 can be changed by unthreading if replacement is required . in using a drill bit like that shown in fig1 a or 2b , threaded connection 16 is engaged with the lower end of a drill string which is then lowered into a well bore . during drilling , drilling fluid is pumped down the drill string and into bore 26 . the fluid passes through the bores , like bore 52 , into plenum 38 and subsequently into nozzle 44 ( and other nozzles not visible ) and thereafter upwardly in the well bore in the annulus between the drill string and the radially inner surface of the well bore . similarly , fluid flows from bore 26 into nozzle 48 ( and other nozzles ) and up the annulus . turning now to fig4 indicated generally at 58 is a shank and integrated body core constructed in accordance with the present invention . shank 58 is substantially identical to shank 12 in all respects except for the geometry of the blades , like blade 28 - 30 in fig1 . shank 58 includes three blades , 60 , 62 , 64 which might be configured to be received into a shell having an interior shaped to include grooves for receiving the blades . such a shell has a construction similar to that described above in connection with shell 14 . shank 58 is welded about the circumference thereof in a manner similar to that of shank 12 in fig2 a . the shank and integrated bit core of fig4 is easy to machine and is illustrative , along with the other embodiments of the variety of shapes which can be utilized with the present invention . turning now to fig5 and 8 , indicated generally at 66 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a threaded upper portion 68 for connecting the drill bit to a drill string . threaded portion 68 is mounted on an integrated shank and bit core , collectively referred to as a shank 70 . shank 70 is received in a shell 72 which may be infiltrated in similar fashion to shell 14 , or through another casting process , or may be machined from steel . shank 70 is received within shell 72 and welded thereto about the circumference of each via a weld 74 which is viewable in both fig5 and 8 . shank 70 includes a concave portion or junk slot 76 formed thereon . shell 72 includes a plurality of cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 mounted thereon . the cutters are mounted adjacent an opening in shell 72 defined by opposing edges 82 , 84 . the opening communicates with an interior cavity . a similar opening ( not visible ), which also communicates with the cavity , is adjacent a row of cutters including cutters 86 , 88 . drill bit 66 is constructed generally in accordance with the design disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 883 , 132 to tibbitts , which is incorporated herein by reference , for a drag bit for drilling in plastic formation having maximum chip clearance and hydraulic for direct chip impingement except that the gauge and bottom portions of the drilling surface are formed on shell 72 which in turn is welded to shank 70 as described above . bit 66 includes a nozzle ( not visible ) formed on a lower portion of shank 70 within the cavity defined between the shell and shank . the nozzle is aimed at the cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 and flushes cuttings therefrom during drilling as described in the &# 39 ; 132 patent to tibbitts . in fig8 drill bit 66 is shown in a somewhat schematic sectional view . a torque lug 96 extends downwardly from the lower end of a center column 97 which is coaxial with the axis of bit 66 . the torque lug extends into a slot formed in shell 72 . this arrangement provides torsional stiffening to center column 97 during drilling . as can be seen , fluid passageways in shank 70 permit drill fluid to circulate down the string and into shell 72 where the fluid is forced from nozzles ( not shown in fig8 ) contained in shank 70 into the cavities , like cavity 85 , and to the top of the well in which the bit is drilling . the nozzles , cavities and flow passages for the bit of fig5 and 8 are illustrated in the above - referenced tibbitts patent . turning now to fig6 indicated generally at 90 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention which is similar in construction to the embodiments of fig1 - 4 . visible in fig6 is a facing material 92 which is packed into the mold body before the interior mold portion is positioned and the remaining matrix powders packed between the mold body and inner mold portion . nozzle 44 does not need interior porting to connect it to the fluid in bore 26 . as in fig2 a , the nozzle communicates directly with fluid inside shell 14 . this eliminates the need for integrating complicated nozzle porting into the matrix when the shell is formed . if one of the shank blades , like blade 29 , interferes with fluid distribution to nozzle 44 , a corresponding notch 93 in blade 29 immediately above nozzle 44 provides fluid circulation between the flutes formed on the shank between the blades to the nozzle inside the shell . hydraulic fitting may be used to connect the shank to the shell in lieu of or in addition to welding . with reference to fig7 a , an o - ring 93 is disposed between shank 12 and shell 14 about the circumference thereof . fluid is pumped into shell 14 via bore 26 thus expanding the shell . the expansion is sufficient to permit the shank to be pressed down a tapered portion 95 of the shell into a cylindrical collar portion 97 . once the pressure is released , the shell and shank are locked together . turning now to fig9 indicated generally at 98 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a shank and integrated bit body , collectively referred to as a shank 100 , and a shell 102 . in drill bit 98 there is a threaded connection 104 between a radially inner surface of shell 102 and a radially outer surface of the lower portion of shank 100 . shank 100 includes a downwardly directed shoulder 105 which seats against an internal surface of shell 102 when threads 104 are fully engaged . thereafter , a weld 106 is formed about the circumference of the shank ( or portions thereof ) and shell in order to secure the two together . drill bit 108 comprises another embodiment of the present invention in which similar structure corresponding to that illustrated in fig9 is identified with the same numeral in fig1 . the invention contemplates use of either a weld or threads or both together as illustrated in fig9 and 10 . another drill bit 110 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 , is similar to the embodiments of fig9 and 10 . drill bit 110 in fig1 - 13 , as are the bits in fig1 and 15 , is assembled using heat shrink fitting . in this process , shell 102 is heated and shank 100 , which is at room temperature , is engaged with matrix shell 102 as shown in fig1 by a buttress connection 109 . as shown in fig1 and 13 , connection 109 includes a plurality of upward facing shoulders , like shoulder 111 , on one side thereof and a plurality of downward facing shoulders , like shoulder 113 on the other side of the connection . the shoulders form continuous annular surfaces which are parallel with one another as opposed to a single helical surface as in a screw thread . with the matrix shell 102 hot and shank 100 at room temperature , connection 104 is configured as shown in fig1 . as the shell cools , it contracts in size thus drawing the shoulders together as shown in the view of fig1 . this has the effect of securely locking the shank to the shell . alternately , shell 102 may be allowed to cool after it is formed . prior to connecting the shell to the shank , the shell is heated in a known fashion to braze the cutters thereto . such heating expands the shell which may then be fitted to the shank and thereafter cooled to accomplish the heat shrink fit . the shoulders illustrated in fig1 and 13 may be inverted , i . e ., the shoulders are oriented to resist tension between the bit and drill string to which it is attached . alternatively , drill bit 110 may be assembled using the previously described hydraulic fitting technique . in fig1 drill bit 112 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , includes a generally cylindrical opening 116 formed in shell 102 with shank 104 having a generally cylindrical lower portion . the two are sized so that matrix shell 102 can receive the lower end of shank 104 , as shown in fig1 , while the matrix shell is heated . when the same cools it contracts thus providing a firm interference fit between the shell and the shank . in drill bit 114 in fig1 , a tapered opening 118 is provided in shell 102 . the taper corresponds generally to a tapered radially outer portion of the lower end of shank 104 . shank 104 can be received in opening 118 as shown in fig1 while matrix shell 102 is heated . as the shell contracts during cooling a strong connection between shell 102 and shank 104 is formed . the bits of fig1 and 15 can also be assembled using the hydraulic fitting technique described herein or by using a threaded connection . indicated generally at 120 in fig1 is an assembly fixture for assembling a shank and a shell constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a cooling jacket 122 having an input line 124 and a return line 126 through which coolant flows . the coolant circulates within jacket 122 thereby cooling a shank 128 received therein which is constructed in accordance with the present invention . a concentric clamp 130 positions a hot shell 132 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , coaxially with shank 128 . with the shank and shell positioned as shown in fig1 , the shank is lowered into the shell . coolant in jacket 122 maintains the shank relatively cool even in the presence of the heat generated by shell 132 . this both prevents the shank from expanding and prevents the drill collar connective thread of the shank from becoming heated above the &# 34 ; knee of transformation &# 34 ; which would cause it to become brittle . after the shank is positioned within the shell , the shell is left to cool and thus contract and engage the shank as described in the embodiments of fig1 - 15 . in fig1 and 18 , a typical prior art matrix drill bit , indicated generally at 134 , is illustrated to provide a comparison between such a bit and the bit of the present invention . bit 134 includes a central longitudinal axis 138 and a coaxial bore 140 . bore 140 is also coaxial with a generally cylindrical blank 142 which includes an upper portion or shank 144 . the shank includes threads 145 at the upper portion thereof for connecting the drill bit to a string of drill pipe ( not shown ). blank 142 is comprised of a relatively ductile steel which has a coating of matrix material 146 bonded thereto . bore 140 is formed in part through the matrix material . this type of bit can utilize cutters , like cutters 147 , 149 , integrally secured to the matrix during the infiltration process or cutters which are mounted on the hardened matrix after infiltration . turning now to fig1 a conventional furnace 150 includes a chamber 152 having a furnace floor 154 . a mold 156 is supported on floor 154 . the mold supports a funnel 158 which is engaged with a connection 160 with an upper portion of mold 156 . binder material 162 is received on top of matrix powder 146 which is packed in and around blank 142 as shown . cutters can be placed in the mold body for integrating the cutters into the bit during the infiltration process . alternatively , cutters can be brazed to the matrix surface after the bit is removed from the mold . after the mold and the contents thereof are positioned as shown in fig1 , chamber 152 is heated thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 in a known manner . after the bit is so formed the mold is removed from the furnace and after sufficient cooling the bit is removed from the mold . thereafter , a steel shank , like shank 144 in fig1 and 18 , having threads formed thereon is welded to blank 142 . turning now to fig2 , an alternative form of infiltrating the matrix powder in mold 156 is illustrated . included in fig2 is an induction coil heater 164 which heats the mold and the contents thereof thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 . the drill bit of fig1 and 18 can be manufactured using either of the techniques illustrated in fig1 and 20 . turning now to fig2 illustrated therein is a mold constructed in accordance with the present invention . as can be seen , matrix powder 146 is formed into a shell shaped by virtue of a mold shell 166 , such being also referred to herein as an upper mold body . the mold shell includes a hollow cavity 168 . the surface of mold shell 166 which is adjacent matrix powder 146 defines the inner surface of the outer shell of the bit . the features of this mold shell surface define grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 in fig2 a and 2b , in which the blades of shank 12 are received . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , instead of mold shell 166 , a similarly shaped steel shell is positioned in the same position as mold shell 166 and forms a finished part of the shell as described in connection with the embodiment of fig6 . the steel portion can be ductile relative to the infiltrated material which forms the exterior portion of the shell . in such case , the grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 , are formed on the inner surface of the ductile steel shell . illustrated in fig2 is an alternate method of manufacturing a drill bit in accordance with the present invention . included therein are induction coil heaters 168 , 170 , 172 . heater 170 can be received within cavity 168 as shown and heater 172 within spaces on the underside of mold 156 . with all heaters operating , the matrix powder is uniformly heated which is desirable in forming the infiltrated matrix shell . induction heating in accordance with the prior art method illustrated in fig2 must be done very slowly because stresses arise between the heated portions and the unheated portions . the system of fig2 permits much more rapid infiltration of the matrix powder without the stresses which would result in the configuration of fig2 . reduced mass coupled with increased surface area and internal heat exposure provides for greatly reduced heating time and more uniform products . after the matrix powder is infiltrated responsive to heat provided by , e . g ., a box heater , a furnace as in fig2 or induction coils as in fig2 , the mold is cooled and the bit removed therefrom . in the case where the cutters are not integrated into the matrix body during infiltration , they may be brazed to the shell . brazing requires heating which can be done via a pair of induction coils similar to the configuration of coils 168 , 170 , illustrated in fig2 except that the mold is removed . when the shell is sufficiently heated , the cutters are brazed thereto in a known manner . when assembling bits of the type illustrated in fig1 - 15 , in which the shank is inserted into the shell while the shell is hot , the insertion step can be accomplished immediately after brazing the cutters while the shell is still hot from the induction heating necessary for brazing . thus , the shell can be rapidly heated as a result both of the substantially smaller mass of the matrix material relative to prior art bits and due to use of a second internal induction coil , like coil 170 in fig2 . a separate step for heating the shell in order to expand the same to fit it to the shank as described in connection with the bits of fig1 - 15 is not required . the assembly fixture illustrated in fig1 and described above can be used for a matrix shell which is heated with induction heaters to expand the shell for assembly . having illustrated and described the principles of our invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . we claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims . | Should this patent be classified under 'Fixed Constructions'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Physics'? | 0.25 | c60ad11c868510972084c1844eea0c560c56335e6a48ec3731c0c31d4d50eeda | 0.023315 | 0.126953 | 0.010315 | 0.003372 | 0.026733 | 0.124023 |
null | turning now to fig1 indicated generally at 10 is a drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is an integrated bit core and shank , referred to herein collectively as a shank 12 , and an outer shell 14 . shank 12 includes a threaded upper portion 16 for connecting drill bit 10 to a drill string ( not shown ). a bevel 20 separates upper portion 16 from a cylindrical portion 18 . similarly , a bevel 22 separates cylindrical portion 18 from a cylindrical disk 24 . it should be appreciated that threaded portion 16 , bevel 20 , cylindrical portion 18 , bevel 22 and cylindrical disk 24 are , in the present embodiment of the invention , integrally formed from a single piece of steel . other techniques for forming shank 12 , such as casting , are also within the scope of the present invention . a cylindrical bore 26 communicates with a lower surface of cylindrical disk 24 , as is viewable in fig1 and extends axially therefrom through the bit with an opening at the upper end of threaded upper portion 16 . thus , fluid pumped down the drill string flows downwardly out of bore 26 as will later be more fully described in connection with a description of the operation of the drill bit . a plurality of ridges or blades ;, like blades 28 , 29 , 30 extend downwardly from the underside of disk 24 and radially outwardly from a central longitudinal axis of the drill bit . shell 14 includes an external surface 34 which may have pockets ( not shown ) formed therein suitable for mounting cutting elements ( also not shown ) thereon . shell 14 is manufactured utilizing matrix powder packed into a mold body which is thereafter infiltrated in a manner which is hereinafter described . the shell can also be manufactured by infiltrating around a ductile form , as , described hereinafter with reference to fig6 or by machining . natural or artificial diamond cutters , or surface set diamonds , may be cast in to the shell during infiltration instead of or in addition to cutting elements mounted after infiltration is complete . the embodiment of fig1 provides a one - piece mandrel , unlike prior art bits as described in hereinafter in connection with fig1 - 20 . the combination of a blank , around which a prior art infiltrated bit is formed , and a shank , which is welded to the blank for providing a threaded connection to a drill string , is referred to in the art as a mandrel . a one - piece mandrel reduces manufacturing time and expense while providing a mandrel with increased integrity . also , the internal cavity defined between the mandrel and shell 14 provides for better fluid distribution than in prior art bits which improves fluid cooling of the bit and reduces fluid erosion on the bit crown interior . such a mandrel provides structural integrity with less weight than prior art mandrels and in a more open configuration . throughout this description , similar structure is identified with a corresponding number in the various embodiments of the invention . in fig2 a , shank 12 includes a substantially solid core which is received into shell 14 . shell 14 is defined by a shell wall 36 having a substantially constant thickness . the shell is connected to shank 12 via a weld 37 about the circumference of the shank and shell . braze alloys , adhesives or other suitable techniques may be used to connect the shank and shell together . to form shell 14 , a mold body is provided having a cavity therein which includes features conforming to those on the external surface of shell 14 . nozzles , like nozzle 44 , are placed inside the mold body in selected positions . this eliminates the need for interior porting extending from the nozzle to the axial cylindrical bore which communicates with the drill pipe . a bore 52 is formed in shank 12 and communicates with bore 26 . an external plenum , i . e ., one which is formed adjacent the interior surface of the shell , is formed between a radially inner surface 38 of shell 14 and shank 12 . at least one bore , like bore 52 , communicate between the plenum and bore 26 . this permits fluid to circulate within and adjacent the shell . shell internal surface 38 may include a plurality of grooves , like grooves 42 , into which a corresponding blade formed on shank 12 is received when the shank is inserted into shell 14 . these interlocking ridges and grooves accept torsion when the bit is drilling and relieve stress on weld 37 . in fig2 b , grooves 40 also receive ridges or blades formed on the shank to accomplish a similar stress relieving function in the bit of fig2 b . the bit of fig2 b has an internal plenum , i . e ., one formed internally of shank 12 . in fig2 b the internal plenum comprises the lowermost portion of bore 26 . during infiltration of the bit of fig2 b , forms are placed to provide cylindrical openings , like opening 46 , into which a nozzle 48 , is inserted after the matrix is infiltrated and cooled to provide fluid communication between bore 26 and the exterior of the bit . nozzle 48 is illustrated in fig3 . in the present embodiment of the invention nozzle 48 is made from tungsten carbide and extends into a central cavity in the bit as shown . the nozzle therefore protects mandrel 12 from wear caused by the high pressures and flow rates of drilling fluid therethrough . a threaded connection 50 is formed between nozzle 48 and a bore formed in blade 28 . nozzle 48 can be changed by unthreading if replacement is required . in using a drill bit like that shown in fig1 a or 2b , threaded connection 16 is engaged with the lower end of a drill string which is then lowered into a well bore . during drilling , drilling fluid is pumped down the drill string and into bore 26 . the fluid passes through the bores , like bore 52 , into plenum 38 and subsequently into nozzle 44 ( and other nozzles not visible ) and thereafter upwardly in the well bore in the annulus between the drill string and the radially inner surface of the well bore . similarly , fluid flows from bore 26 into nozzle 48 ( and other nozzles ) and up the annulus . turning now to fig4 indicated generally at 58 is a shank and integrated body core constructed in accordance with the present invention . shank 58 is substantially identical to shank 12 in all respects except for the geometry of the blades , like blade 28 - 30 in fig1 . shank 58 includes three blades , 60 , 62 , 64 which might be configured to be received into a shell having an interior shaped to include grooves for receiving the blades . such a shell has a construction similar to that described above in connection with shell 14 . shank 58 is welded about the circumference thereof in a manner similar to that of shank 12 in fig2 a . the shank and integrated bit core of fig4 is easy to machine and is illustrative , along with the other embodiments of the variety of shapes which can be utilized with the present invention . turning now to fig5 and 8 , indicated generally at 66 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a threaded upper portion 68 for connecting the drill bit to a drill string . threaded portion 68 is mounted on an integrated shank and bit core , collectively referred to as a shank 70 . shank 70 is received in a shell 72 which may be infiltrated in similar fashion to shell 14 , or through another casting process , or may be machined from steel . shank 70 is received within shell 72 and welded thereto about the circumference of each via a weld 74 which is viewable in both fig5 and 8 . shank 70 includes a concave portion or junk slot 76 formed thereon . shell 72 includes a plurality of cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 mounted thereon . the cutters are mounted adjacent an opening in shell 72 defined by opposing edges 82 , 84 . the opening communicates with an interior cavity . a similar opening ( not visible ), which also communicates with the cavity , is adjacent a row of cutters including cutters 86 , 88 . drill bit 66 is constructed generally in accordance with the design disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 883 , 132 to tibbitts , which is incorporated herein by reference , for a drag bit for drilling in plastic formation having maximum chip clearance and hydraulic for direct chip impingement except that the gauge and bottom portions of the drilling surface are formed on shell 72 which in turn is welded to shank 70 as described above . bit 66 includes a nozzle ( not visible ) formed on a lower portion of shank 70 within the cavity defined between the shell and shank . the nozzle is aimed at the cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 and flushes cuttings therefrom during drilling as described in the &# 39 ; 132 patent to tibbitts . in fig8 drill bit 66 is shown in a somewhat schematic sectional view . a torque lug 96 extends downwardly from the lower end of a center column 97 which is coaxial with the axis of bit 66 . the torque lug extends into a slot formed in shell 72 . this arrangement provides torsional stiffening to center column 97 during drilling . as can be seen , fluid passageways in shank 70 permit drill fluid to circulate down the string and into shell 72 where the fluid is forced from nozzles ( not shown in fig8 ) contained in shank 70 into the cavities , like cavity 85 , and to the top of the well in which the bit is drilling . the nozzles , cavities and flow passages for the bit of fig5 and 8 are illustrated in the above - referenced tibbitts patent . turning now to fig6 indicated generally at 90 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention which is similar in construction to the embodiments of fig1 - 4 . visible in fig6 is a facing material 92 which is packed into the mold body before the interior mold portion is positioned and the remaining matrix powders packed between the mold body and inner mold portion . nozzle 44 does not need interior porting to connect it to the fluid in bore 26 . as in fig2 a , the nozzle communicates directly with fluid inside shell 14 . this eliminates the need for integrating complicated nozzle porting into the matrix when the shell is formed . if one of the shank blades , like blade 29 , interferes with fluid distribution to nozzle 44 , a corresponding notch 93 in blade 29 immediately above nozzle 44 provides fluid circulation between the flutes formed on the shank between the blades to the nozzle inside the shell . hydraulic fitting may be used to connect the shank to the shell in lieu of or in addition to welding . with reference to fig7 a , an o - ring 93 is disposed between shank 12 and shell 14 about the circumference thereof . fluid is pumped into shell 14 via bore 26 thus expanding the shell . the expansion is sufficient to permit the shank to be pressed down a tapered portion 95 of the shell into a cylindrical collar portion 97 . once the pressure is released , the shell and shank are locked together . turning now to fig9 indicated generally at 98 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a shank and integrated bit body , collectively referred to as a shank 100 , and a shell 102 . in drill bit 98 there is a threaded connection 104 between a radially inner surface of shell 102 and a radially outer surface of the lower portion of shank 100 . shank 100 includes a downwardly directed shoulder 105 which seats against an internal surface of shell 102 when threads 104 are fully engaged . thereafter , a weld 106 is formed about the circumference of the shank ( or portions thereof ) and shell in order to secure the two together . drill bit 108 comprises another embodiment of the present invention in which similar structure corresponding to that illustrated in fig9 is identified with the same numeral in fig1 . the invention contemplates use of either a weld or threads or both together as illustrated in fig9 and 10 . another drill bit 110 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 , is similar to the embodiments of fig9 and 10 . drill bit 110 in fig1 - 13 , as are the bits in fig1 and 15 , is assembled using heat shrink fitting . in this process , shell 102 is heated and shank 100 , which is at room temperature , is engaged with matrix shell 102 as shown in fig1 by a buttress connection 109 . as shown in fig1 and 13 , connection 109 includes a plurality of upward facing shoulders , like shoulder 111 , on one side thereof and a plurality of downward facing shoulders , like shoulder 113 on the other side of the connection . the shoulders form continuous annular surfaces which are parallel with one another as opposed to a single helical surface as in a screw thread . with the matrix shell 102 hot and shank 100 at room temperature , connection 104 is configured as shown in fig1 . as the shell cools , it contracts in size thus drawing the shoulders together as shown in the view of fig1 . this has the effect of securely locking the shank to the shell . alternately , shell 102 may be allowed to cool after it is formed . prior to connecting the shell to the shank , the shell is heated in a known fashion to braze the cutters thereto . such heating expands the shell which may then be fitted to the shank and thereafter cooled to accomplish the heat shrink fit . the shoulders illustrated in fig1 and 13 may be inverted , i . e ., the shoulders are oriented to resist tension between the bit and drill string to which it is attached . alternatively , drill bit 110 may be assembled using the previously described hydraulic fitting technique . in fig1 drill bit 112 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , includes a generally cylindrical opening 116 formed in shell 102 with shank 104 having a generally cylindrical lower portion . the two are sized so that matrix shell 102 can receive the lower end of shank 104 , as shown in fig1 , while the matrix shell is heated . when the same cools it contracts thus providing a firm interference fit between the shell and the shank . in drill bit 114 in fig1 , a tapered opening 118 is provided in shell 102 . the taper corresponds generally to a tapered radially outer portion of the lower end of shank 104 . shank 104 can be received in opening 118 as shown in fig1 while matrix shell 102 is heated . as the shell contracts during cooling a strong connection between shell 102 and shank 104 is formed . the bits of fig1 and 15 can also be assembled using the hydraulic fitting technique described herein or by using a threaded connection . indicated generally at 120 in fig1 is an assembly fixture for assembling a shank and a shell constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a cooling jacket 122 having an input line 124 and a return line 126 through which coolant flows . the coolant circulates within jacket 122 thereby cooling a shank 128 received therein which is constructed in accordance with the present invention . a concentric clamp 130 positions a hot shell 132 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , coaxially with shank 128 . with the shank and shell positioned as shown in fig1 , the shank is lowered into the shell . coolant in jacket 122 maintains the shank relatively cool even in the presence of the heat generated by shell 132 . this both prevents the shank from expanding and prevents the drill collar connective thread of the shank from becoming heated above the &# 34 ; knee of transformation &# 34 ; which would cause it to become brittle . after the shank is positioned within the shell , the shell is left to cool and thus contract and engage the shank as described in the embodiments of fig1 - 15 . in fig1 and 18 , a typical prior art matrix drill bit , indicated generally at 134 , is illustrated to provide a comparison between such a bit and the bit of the present invention . bit 134 includes a central longitudinal axis 138 and a coaxial bore 140 . bore 140 is also coaxial with a generally cylindrical blank 142 which includes an upper portion or shank 144 . the shank includes threads 145 at the upper portion thereof for connecting the drill bit to a string of drill pipe ( not shown ). blank 142 is comprised of a relatively ductile steel which has a coating of matrix material 146 bonded thereto . bore 140 is formed in part through the matrix material . this type of bit can utilize cutters , like cutters 147 , 149 , integrally secured to the matrix during the infiltration process or cutters which are mounted on the hardened matrix after infiltration . turning now to fig1 a conventional furnace 150 includes a chamber 152 having a furnace floor 154 . a mold 156 is supported on floor 154 . the mold supports a funnel 158 which is engaged with a connection 160 with an upper portion of mold 156 . binder material 162 is received on top of matrix powder 146 which is packed in and around blank 142 as shown . cutters can be placed in the mold body for integrating the cutters into the bit during the infiltration process . alternatively , cutters can be brazed to the matrix surface after the bit is removed from the mold . after the mold and the contents thereof are positioned as shown in fig1 , chamber 152 is heated thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 in a known manner . after the bit is so formed the mold is removed from the furnace and after sufficient cooling the bit is removed from the mold . thereafter , a steel shank , like shank 144 in fig1 and 18 , having threads formed thereon is welded to blank 142 . turning now to fig2 , an alternative form of infiltrating the matrix powder in mold 156 is illustrated . included in fig2 is an induction coil heater 164 which heats the mold and the contents thereof thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 . the drill bit of fig1 and 18 can be manufactured using either of the techniques illustrated in fig1 and 20 . turning now to fig2 illustrated therein is a mold constructed in accordance with the present invention . as can be seen , matrix powder 146 is formed into a shell shaped by virtue of a mold shell 166 , such being also referred to herein as an upper mold body . the mold shell includes a hollow cavity 168 . the surface of mold shell 166 which is adjacent matrix powder 146 defines the inner surface of the outer shell of the bit . the features of this mold shell surface define grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 in fig2 a and 2b , in which the blades of shank 12 are received . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , instead of mold shell 166 , a similarly shaped steel shell is positioned in the same position as mold shell 166 and forms a finished part of the shell as described in connection with the embodiment of fig6 . the steel portion can be ductile relative to the infiltrated material which forms the exterior portion of the shell . in such case , the grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 , are formed on the inner surface of the ductile steel shell . illustrated in fig2 is an alternate method of manufacturing a drill bit in accordance with the present invention . included therein are induction coil heaters 168 , 170 , 172 . heater 170 can be received within cavity 168 as shown and heater 172 within spaces on the underside of mold 156 . with all heaters operating , the matrix powder is uniformly heated which is desirable in forming the infiltrated matrix shell . induction heating in accordance with the prior art method illustrated in fig2 must be done very slowly because stresses arise between the heated portions and the unheated portions . the system of fig2 permits much more rapid infiltration of the matrix powder without the stresses which would result in the configuration of fig2 . reduced mass coupled with increased surface area and internal heat exposure provides for greatly reduced heating time and more uniform products . after the matrix powder is infiltrated responsive to heat provided by , e . g ., a box heater , a furnace as in fig2 or induction coils as in fig2 , the mold is cooled and the bit removed therefrom . in the case where the cutters are not integrated into the matrix body during infiltration , they may be brazed to the shell . brazing requires heating which can be done via a pair of induction coils similar to the configuration of coils 168 , 170 , illustrated in fig2 except that the mold is removed . when the shell is sufficiently heated , the cutters are brazed thereto in a known manner . when assembling bits of the type illustrated in fig1 - 15 , in which the shank is inserted into the shell while the shell is hot , the insertion step can be accomplished immediately after brazing the cutters while the shell is still hot from the induction heating necessary for brazing . thus , the shell can be rapidly heated as a result both of the substantially smaller mass of the matrix material relative to prior art bits and due to use of a second internal induction coil , like coil 170 in fig2 . a separate step for heating the shell in order to expand the same to fit it to the shank as described in connection with the bits of fig1 - 15 is not required . the assembly fixture illustrated in fig1 and described above can be used for a matrix shell which is heated with induction heaters to expand the shell for assembly . having illustrated and described the principles of our invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . we claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Fixed Constructions'? | Is 'Electricity' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | c60ad11c868510972084c1844eea0c560c56335e6a48ec3731c0c31d4d50eeda | 0.040771 | 0.003082 | 0.027588 | 0.000755 | 0.091309 | 0.002045 |
null | turning now to fig1 indicated generally at 10 is a drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is an integrated bit core and shank , referred to herein collectively as a shank 12 , and an outer shell 14 . shank 12 includes a threaded upper portion 16 for connecting drill bit 10 to a drill string ( not shown ). a bevel 20 separates upper portion 16 from a cylindrical portion 18 . similarly , a bevel 22 separates cylindrical portion 18 from a cylindrical disk 24 . it should be appreciated that threaded portion 16 , bevel 20 , cylindrical portion 18 , bevel 22 and cylindrical disk 24 are , in the present embodiment of the invention , integrally formed from a single piece of steel . other techniques for forming shank 12 , such as casting , are also within the scope of the present invention . a cylindrical bore 26 communicates with a lower surface of cylindrical disk 24 , as is viewable in fig1 and extends axially therefrom through the bit with an opening at the upper end of threaded upper portion 16 . thus , fluid pumped down the drill string flows downwardly out of bore 26 as will later be more fully described in connection with a description of the operation of the drill bit . a plurality of ridges or blades ;, like blades 28 , 29 , 30 extend downwardly from the underside of disk 24 and radially outwardly from a central longitudinal axis of the drill bit . shell 14 includes an external surface 34 which may have pockets ( not shown ) formed therein suitable for mounting cutting elements ( also not shown ) thereon . shell 14 is manufactured utilizing matrix powder packed into a mold body which is thereafter infiltrated in a manner which is hereinafter described . the shell can also be manufactured by infiltrating around a ductile form , as , described hereinafter with reference to fig6 or by machining . natural or artificial diamond cutters , or surface set diamonds , may be cast in to the shell during infiltration instead of or in addition to cutting elements mounted after infiltration is complete . the embodiment of fig1 provides a one - piece mandrel , unlike prior art bits as described in hereinafter in connection with fig1 - 20 . the combination of a blank , around which a prior art infiltrated bit is formed , and a shank , which is welded to the blank for providing a threaded connection to a drill string , is referred to in the art as a mandrel . a one - piece mandrel reduces manufacturing time and expense while providing a mandrel with increased integrity . also , the internal cavity defined between the mandrel and shell 14 provides for better fluid distribution than in prior art bits which improves fluid cooling of the bit and reduces fluid erosion on the bit crown interior . such a mandrel provides structural integrity with less weight than prior art mandrels and in a more open configuration . throughout this description , similar structure is identified with a corresponding number in the various embodiments of the invention . in fig2 a , shank 12 includes a substantially solid core which is received into shell 14 . shell 14 is defined by a shell wall 36 having a substantially constant thickness . the shell is connected to shank 12 via a weld 37 about the circumference of the shank and shell . braze alloys , adhesives or other suitable techniques may be used to connect the shank and shell together . to form shell 14 , a mold body is provided having a cavity therein which includes features conforming to those on the external surface of shell 14 . nozzles , like nozzle 44 , are placed inside the mold body in selected positions . this eliminates the need for interior porting extending from the nozzle to the axial cylindrical bore which communicates with the drill pipe . a bore 52 is formed in shank 12 and communicates with bore 26 . an external plenum , i . e ., one which is formed adjacent the interior surface of the shell , is formed between a radially inner surface 38 of shell 14 and shank 12 . at least one bore , like bore 52 , communicate between the plenum and bore 26 . this permits fluid to circulate within and adjacent the shell . shell internal surface 38 may include a plurality of grooves , like grooves 42 , into which a corresponding blade formed on shank 12 is received when the shank is inserted into shell 14 . these interlocking ridges and grooves accept torsion when the bit is drilling and relieve stress on weld 37 . in fig2 b , grooves 40 also receive ridges or blades formed on the shank to accomplish a similar stress relieving function in the bit of fig2 b . the bit of fig2 b has an internal plenum , i . e ., one formed internally of shank 12 . in fig2 b the internal plenum comprises the lowermost portion of bore 26 . during infiltration of the bit of fig2 b , forms are placed to provide cylindrical openings , like opening 46 , into which a nozzle 48 , is inserted after the matrix is infiltrated and cooled to provide fluid communication between bore 26 and the exterior of the bit . nozzle 48 is illustrated in fig3 . in the present embodiment of the invention nozzle 48 is made from tungsten carbide and extends into a central cavity in the bit as shown . the nozzle therefore protects mandrel 12 from wear caused by the high pressures and flow rates of drilling fluid therethrough . a threaded connection 50 is formed between nozzle 48 and a bore formed in blade 28 . nozzle 48 can be changed by unthreading if replacement is required . in using a drill bit like that shown in fig1 a or 2b , threaded connection 16 is engaged with the lower end of a drill string which is then lowered into a well bore . during drilling , drilling fluid is pumped down the drill string and into bore 26 . the fluid passes through the bores , like bore 52 , into plenum 38 and subsequently into nozzle 44 ( and other nozzles not visible ) and thereafter upwardly in the well bore in the annulus between the drill string and the radially inner surface of the well bore . similarly , fluid flows from bore 26 into nozzle 48 ( and other nozzles ) and up the annulus . turning now to fig4 indicated generally at 58 is a shank and integrated body core constructed in accordance with the present invention . shank 58 is substantially identical to shank 12 in all respects except for the geometry of the blades , like blade 28 - 30 in fig1 . shank 58 includes three blades , 60 , 62 , 64 which might be configured to be received into a shell having an interior shaped to include grooves for receiving the blades . such a shell has a construction similar to that described above in connection with shell 14 . shank 58 is welded about the circumference thereof in a manner similar to that of shank 12 in fig2 a . the shank and integrated bit core of fig4 is easy to machine and is illustrative , along with the other embodiments of the variety of shapes which can be utilized with the present invention . turning now to fig5 and 8 , indicated generally at 66 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a threaded upper portion 68 for connecting the drill bit to a drill string . threaded portion 68 is mounted on an integrated shank and bit core , collectively referred to as a shank 70 . shank 70 is received in a shell 72 which may be infiltrated in similar fashion to shell 14 , or through another casting process , or may be machined from steel . shank 70 is received within shell 72 and welded thereto about the circumference of each via a weld 74 which is viewable in both fig5 and 8 . shank 70 includes a concave portion or junk slot 76 formed thereon . shell 72 includes a plurality of cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 mounted thereon . the cutters are mounted adjacent an opening in shell 72 defined by opposing edges 82 , 84 . the opening communicates with an interior cavity . a similar opening ( not visible ), which also communicates with the cavity , is adjacent a row of cutters including cutters 86 , 88 . drill bit 66 is constructed generally in accordance with the design disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 883 , 132 to tibbitts , which is incorporated herein by reference , for a drag bit for drilling in plastic formation having maximum chip clearance and hydraulic for direct chip impingement except that the gauge and bottom portions of the drilling surface are formed on shell 72 which in turn is welded to shank 70 as described above . bit 66 includes a nozzle ( not visible ) formed on a lower portion of shank 70 within the cavity defined between the shell and shank . the nozzle is aimed at the cutters , like cutters 78 , 80 and flushes cuttings therefrom during drilling as described in the &# 39 ; 132 patent to tibbitts . in fig8 drill bit 66 is shown in a somewhat schematic sectional view . a torque lug 96 extends downwardly from the lower end of a center column 97 which is coaxial with the axis of bit 66 . the torque lug extends into a slot formed in shell 72 . this arrangement provides torsional stiffening to center column 97 during drilling . as can be seen , fluid passageways in shank 70 permit drill fluid to circulate down the string and into shell 72 where the fluid is forced from nozzles ( not shown in fig8 ) contained in shank 70 into the cavities , like cavity 85 , and to the top of the well in which the bit is drilling . the nozzles , cavities and flow passages for the bit of fig5 and 8 are illustrated in the above - referenced tibbitts patent . turning now to fig6 indicated generally at 90 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention which is similar in construction to the embodiments of fig1 - 4 . visible in fig6 is a facing material 92 which is packed into the mold body before the interior mold portion is positioned and the remaining matrix powders packed between the mold body and inner mold portion . nozzle 44 does not need interior porting to connect it to the fluid in bore 26 . as in fig2 a , the nozzle communicates directly with fluid inside shell 14 . this eliminates the need for integrating complicated nozzle porting into the matrix when the shell is formed . if one of the shank blades , like blade 29 , interferes with fluid distribution to nozzle 44 , a corresponding notch 93 in blade 29 immediately above nozzle 44 provides fluid circulation between the flutes formed on the shank between the blades to the nozzle inside the shell . hydraulic fitting may be used to connect the shank to the shell in lieu of or in addition to welding . with reference to fig7 a , an o - ring 93 is disposed between shank 12 and shell 14 about the circumference thereof . fluid is pumped into shell 14 via bore 26 thus expanding the shell . the expansion is sufficient to permit the shank to be pressed down a tapered portion 95 of the shell into a cylindrical collar portion 97 . once the pressure is released , the shell and shank are locked together . turning now to fig9 indicated generally at 98 is another drill bit constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a shank and integrated bit body , collectively referred to as a shank 100 , and a shell 102 . in drill bit 98 there is a threaded connection 104 between a radially inner surface of shell 102 and a radially outer surface of the lower portion of shank 100 . shank 100 includes a downwardly directed shoulder 105 which seats against an internal surface of shell 102 when threads 104 are fully engaged . thereafter , a weld 106 is formed about the circumference of the shank ( or portions thereof ) and shell in order to secure the two together . drill bit 108 comprises another embodiment of the present invention in which similar structure corresponding to that illustrated in fig9 is identified with the same numeral in fig1 . the invention contemplates use of either a weld or threads or both together as illustrated in fig9 and 10 . another drill bit 110 , illustrated in fig1 - 13 , is similar to the embodiments of fig9 and 10 . drill bit 110 in fig1 - 13 , as are the bits in fig1 and 15 , is assembled using heat shrink fitting . in this process , shell 102 is heated and shank 100 , which is at room temperature , is engaged with matrix shell 102 as shown in fig1 by a buttress connection 109 . as shown in fig1 and 13 , connection 109 includes a plurality of upward facing shoulders , like shoulder 111 , on one side thereof and a plurality of downward facing shoulders , like shoulder 113 on the other side of the connection . the shoulders form continuous annular surfaces which are parallel with one another as opposed to a single helical surface as in a screw thread . with the matrix shell 102 hot and shank 100 at room temperature , connection 104 is configured as shown in fig1 . as the shell cools , it contracts in size thus drawing the shoulders together as shown in the view of fig1 . this has the effect of securely locking the shank to the shell . alternately , shell 102 may be allowed to cool after it is formed . prior to connecting the shell to the shank , the shell is heated in a known fashion to braze the cutters thereto . such heating expands the shell which may then be fitted to the shank and thereafter cooled to accomplish the heat shrink fit . the shoulders illustrated in fig1 and 13 may be inverted , i . e ., the shoulders are oriented to resist tension between the bit and drill string to which it is attached . alternatively , drill bit 110 may be assembled using the previously described hydraulic fitting technique . in fig1 drill bit 112 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , includes a generally cylindrical opening 116 formed in shell 102 with shank 104 having a generally cylindrical lower portion . the two are sized so that matrix shell 102 can receive the lower end of shank 104 , as shown in fig1 , while the matrix shell is heated . when the same cools it contracts thus providing a firm interference fit between the shell and the shank . in drill bit 114 in fig1 , a tapered opening 118 is provided in shell 102 . the taper corresponds generally to a tapered radially outer portion of the lower end of shank 104 . shank 104 can be received in opening 118 as shown in fig1 while matrix shell 102 is heated . as the shell contracts during cooling a strong connection between shell 102 and shank 104 is formed . the bits of fig1 and 15 can also be assembled using the hydraulic fitting technique described herein or by using a threaded connection . indicated generally at 120 in fig1 is an assembly fixture for assembling a shank and a shell constructed in accordance with the present invention . included therein is a cooling jacket 122 having an input line 124 and a return line 126 through which coolant flows . the coolant circulates within jacket 122 thereby cooling a shank 128 received therein which is constructed in accordance with the present invention . a concentric clamp 130 positions a hot shell 132 , also constructed in accordance with the present invention , coaxially with shank 128 . with the shank and shell positioned as shown in fig1 , the shank is lowered into the shell . coolant in jacket 122 maintains the shank relatively cool even in the presence of the heat generated by shell 132 . this both prevents the shank from expanding and prevents the drill collar connective thread of the shank from becoming heated above the &# 34 ; knee of transformation &# 34 ; which would cause it to become brittle . after the shank is positioned within the shell , the shell is left to cool and thus contract and engage the shank as described in the embodiments of fig1 - 15 . in fig1 and 18 , a typical prior art matrix drill bit , indicated generally at 134 , is illustrated to provide a comparison between such a bit and the bit of the present invention . bit 134 includes a central longitudinal axis 138 and a coaxial bore 140 . bore 140 is also coaxial with a generally cylindrical blank 142 which includes an upper portion or shank 144 . the shank includes threads 145 at the upper portion thereof for connecting the drill bit to a string of drill pipe ( not shown ). blank 142 is comprised of a relatively ductile steel which has a coating of matrix material 146 bonded thereto . bore 140 is formed in part through the matrix material . this type of bit can utilize cutters , like cutters 147 , 149 , integrally secured to the matrix during the infiltration process or cutters which are mounted on the hardened matrix after infiltration . turning now to fig1 a conventional furnace 150 includes a chamber 152 having a furnace floor 154 . a mold 156 is supported on floor 154 . the mold supports a funnel 158 which is engaged with a connection 160 with an upper portion of mold 156 . binder material 162 is received on top of matrix powder 146 which is packed in and around blank 142 as shown . cutters can be placed in the mold body for integrating the cutters into the bit during the infiltration process . alternatively , cutters can be brazed to the matrix surface after the bit is removed from the mold . after the mold and the contents thereof are positioned as shown in fig1 , chamber 152 is heated thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 in a known manner . after the bit is so formed the mold is removed from the furnace and after sufficient cooling the bit is removed from the mold . thereafter , a steel shank , like shank 144 in fig1 and 18 , having threads formed thereon is welded to blank 142 . turning now to fig2 , an alternative form of infiltrating the matrix powder in mold 156 is illustrated . included in fig2 is an induction coil heater 164 which heats the mold and the contents thereof thereby infiltrating matrix powder 146 . the drill bit of fig1 and 18 can be manufactured using either of the techniques illustrated in fig1 and 20 . turning now to fig2 illustrated therein is a mold constructed in accordance with the present invention . as can be seen , matrix powder 146 is formed into a shell shaped by virtue of a mold shell 166 , such being also referred to herein as an upper mold body . the mold shell includes a hollow cavity 168 . the surface of mold shell 166 which is adjacent matrix powder 146 defines the inner surface of the outer shell of the bit . the features of this mold shell surface define grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 in fig2 a and 2b , in which the blades of shank 12 are received . in an alternative embodiment of the invention , instead of mold shell 166 , a similarly shaped steel shell is positioned in the same position as mold shell 166 and forms a finished part of the shell as described in connection with the embodiment of fig6 . the steel portion can be ductile relative to the infiltrated material which forms the exterior portion of the shell . in such case , the grooves , like grooves 40 , 42 , are formed on the inner surface of the ductile steel shell . illustrated in fig2 is an alternate method of manufacturing a drill bit in accordance with the present invention . included therein are induction coil heaters 168 , 170 , 172 . heater 170 can be received within cavity 168 as shown and heater 172 within spaces on the underside of mold 156 . with all heaters operating , the matrix powder is uniformly heated which is desirable in forming the infiltrated matrix shell . induction heating in accordance with the prior art method illustrated in fig2 must be done very slowly because stresses arise between the heated portions and the unheated portions . the system of fig2 permits much more rapid infiltration of the matrix powder without the stresses which would result in the configuration of fig2 . reduced mass coupled with increased surface area and internal heat exposure provides for greatly reduced heating time and more uniform products . after the matrix powder is infiltrated responsive to heat provided by , e . g ., a box heater , a furnace as in fig2 or induction coils as in fig2 , the mold is cooled and the bit removed therefrom . in the case where the cutters are not integrated into the matrix body during infiltration , they may be brazed to the shell . brazing requires heating which can be done via a pair of induction coils similar to the configuration of coils 168 , 170 , illustrated in fig2 except that the mold is removed . when the shell is sufficiently heated , the cutters are brazed thereto in a known manner . when assembling bits of the type illustrated in fig1 - 15 , in which the shank is inserted into the shell while the shell is hot , the insertion step can be accomplished immediately after brazing the cutters while the shell is still hot from the induction heating necessary for brazing . thus , the shell can be rapidly heated as a result both of the substantially smaller mass of the matrix material relative to prior art bits and due to use of a second internal induction coil , like coil 170 in fig2 . a separate step for heating the shell in order to expand the same to fit it to the shank as described in connection with the bits of fig1 - 15 is not required . the assembly fixture illustrated in fig1 and described above can be used for a matrix shell which is heated with induction heaters to expand the shell for assembly . having illustrated and described the principles of our invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . we claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims . | Should this patent be classified under 'Fixed Constructions'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | 0.25 | c60ad11c868510972084c1844eea0c560c56335e6a48ec3731c0c31d4d50eeda | 0.023315 | 0.194336 | 0.010315 | 0.013245 | 0.026733 | 0.140625 |
null | turning now to the drawings , a self - contained pipeline heater 20 is illustrated in fig1 and broadly includes a housing 22 , a fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see also , fig7 - 8 ), an infrared heating assembly 26 ( see fig6 and 9 - 10 ), a heat insulating assembly 28 ( see fig4 and 9 ), an air - cooling assembly 30 ( see fig1 ), and a power and control assembly 32 ( see fig6 ). the purpose of heater 20 is to selectively and efficiently heat an incoming fluid ( such as liquid or gaseous petroleum products ) at an appropriate location along the length of a pipeline or the like . the housing 22 generally includes a lower , elongated , substantially rectangular in cross - section primary housing 34 as well as a smaller , upper housing 36 mounted atop the primary housing 34 , and defines an enclosed space therein . although , this configuration presents certain advantages , the scope of the present invention is not limited to this particular design . the overall housing 22 accommodates all of the other assemblies 24 - 32 , as will be described . the primary housing 34 may be constructed using a standard metal shipping container , but this is not essential . in certain embodiments , the primary housing 34 has bottom wall 38 , a pair of laterally spaced apart , upright corrugated sidewalls 40 and 42 , as well as a corrugated top wall 44 having an elongated slot 46 formed therein . the forward end of the primary housing 34 has a pair of double doors 48 and , in like manner , the rearward end thereof has a rear wall 50 and a single , central door 52 . an intermediate upright wall 54 is provided toward the rearward end of the housing and serves to create a rearmost room 56 , which can be accessed via door 52 . the walls 40 - 44 and related structure of the primary housing 34 are supported by conventional frame structure 58 . bottom wall 38 is supported by a series of laterally extending beams 60 . a pair of elongated , laterally spaced apart , somewhat l - shaped rails 62 are affixed to the upper surface of wall 38 and extend from the forward end of the housing 34 to intermediate wall 54 . similarly , a pair of elongated tubular beams 64 are secured to the underside of top wall 44 directly above the rails 62 ( see fig1 ). beams 64 are electrical hazardous location glans and extend through wall 54 . the entire heater 20 is typically mounted above - grade on a series of cylindrical concrete footings 66 . if desired , front and rear concrete entry pads 68 and 70 are provided adjacent the front and rear doors 48 , 52 , as illustrated . the elongated secondary housing 36 is positioned in spanning relationship to the slot 46 of top wall 44 and includes a pair of spaced apart side panels 72 and 74 , insulated top panel 76 , and insulated front and rear end panels 78 and 80 . the front panel 78 has an opening 82 formed therein , whereas top panel 76 has three vent openings 84 . an upright , gabled vent housing 86 is secured to top wall 76 in registry with each vent opening 84 . it will be appreciated that the secondary housing 36 is smaller in volume as compared with primary housing 34 , and has a lesser width , height , and length . advantageously , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in at least one dimension as compared with the primary housing 34 ( e . g ., height ), and preferably in at least two dimensions ( e . g ., height and length or length and width ). most preferably , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in all three dimensions of height , length , and width . the fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see fig7 - 8 ) includes a substantially horizontally oriented fluid inlet conduit or header 88 , a juxtaposed fluid outlet conduit or header 90 , and a depending coil assembly 92 . the headers 88 , 90 include connection flanges 94 , 96 at the forward ends thereof , and are capped by end caps 98 , 100 at their rearward ends . conventional inlet and outlet pipe assemblies 102 , 104 are secured to the headers 88 and 90 by connection to the associated flanges 94 , 96 . the assemblies 102 , 104 are typically capped for transport of the heater 20 to its intended use location by means of caps 106 , 108 , but in use , fluid entry and exit pipelines ( not shown ) are operatively connected to the assemblies 102 , 104 . in this way , the fluid ( s ) to be heated within heater 20 are conveyed to and from the assembly 24 . the coil assembly 92 is made up of a series of separate , elongated , vertically extending coils 110 , each having an inlet pipe 112 coupled with inlet header 88 and a corresponding outlet pipe 114 coupled with outlet header 90 . as illustrated , the piping of each coil 110 has a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the associated headers 88 , 90 , to create a greater surface area for heat transfer . the coils 110 have multiple loops or convolutions 110 a which are oblong in configuration and extend vertically beneath the headers 88 , 90 as separate passes . the assembly 24 is centrally mounted within housing 22 by means of a plurality of support beam 115 ( fig1 ) that span from sidewall 40 to sidewall 42 . moreover , it will be seen that the headers 88 , 90 , and the upper ends of the coil assembly 92 are situated within secondary housing 36 , whereas the main body of the coil assembly 92 is located within the confines of primary housing 34 . the forward ends of the headers 88 and 90 protrude through the opening 82 , as illustrated . the coils 110 may have a number of different configurations , such as those described in u . s . patent publication no . 2015 / 0020918 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the ir heating assembly 26 includes a plurality of vertically stacked , fore - and - aft extending , gas - fired infrared heating elements 118 , which extend the entire length of the coil assembly 92 ; the elements 118 are operable to emit ir energy through the flameless catalytic combustion of natural gas , and to direct such energy toward coils 110 . to this end , the elements 118 are positioned in two separate parallel banks or panels 120 and 122 , which are respectively astride the side margins of the coil assembly 92 and extend from a point adjacent bottom wall 38 into the secondary housing 36 to a point just beneath the headers 88 , 90 ( see fig9 - 10 ). the banks 120 , 122 are supported by a supporting frame 116 and upright frame elements 124 , and a gas line 125 is provided for delivery of natural gas to the elements 118 . the operation of the elements 118 is controlled by appropriate valve and sensor assemblies 126 located adjacent the forward end of housing 22 . exemplary ir heating elements 118 include those available from catalytic industrial group of independence , kansas , and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 557 , 858 and 6 , 003 , 244 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties . it is also within the scope of the present invention to use electrically powered ir heating elements . the heat insulating assembly 28 includes a series of upright heat insulating walls 128 positioned within primary housing 34 on opposite sides of the ir heater banks 120 , 122 . as best illustrated in fig5 , walls 128 are mounted on lower grooved rollers 130 , whereas the upper ends of the walls are held captive by the rectangular beams 64 . accordingly , the individual walls 128 are simply shifted along the lengths of the rails 62 to create essentially solid insulating walls 131 adjacent the outboard faces of the elements 118 making up the banks 120 , 122 . as best seen in fig4 , the walls 131 extend from a point adjacent the forward end of primary housing 34 to the intermediate wall 54 . the spacing between the walls 40 , 42 and the adjacent insulating walls 131 provide open passages or walkways 132 extending from the doors 48 to the intermediate wall 54 ( fig9 ); this allows servicing and repair of the internal components of the heater 20 . the overall assembly 28 further includes insulating structure for the secondary housing 36 , namely side insulating panels 134 located inboard of the side panels 72 , 74 , which extend the full length of the secondary housing . the panels 134 , together with insulated front and rear panels 78 , 80 , thus provide the requisite degree of heat insulation for the secondary housing 36 . the air cooling assembly 30 includes a plurality of lower box - like air inlets 136 which are mounted to the sidewalls 40 , 42 and communicate with the interior of heater 20 through ports 138 ( see fig5 ). the inlets 136 are equipped with shiftable dampers or louvers 140 to facilitate control of air flow to the heater 20 , and thus serve as active air control assemblies . in certain embodiments , inlets 136 serve as the principal air inlet for the space enclosed by housing 22 . in addition , the assembly 30 includes a plurality of upright β mushroom β air outlets 142 secured to top wall 44 along the length of secondary housing 36 . additionally , sidewall vents 144 are provided adjacent the upper ends of the sidewalls 40 , 42 of primary housing 34 . power and control assembly 32 includes a conventional electrical entrance panel 146 located within room 56 and adjacent intermediate wall 54 . thus , the panel 146 may be accessed through door 52 as needed . the assembly also has a junction box 148 mounted adjacent the forward end of heater 20 between the valve / sensor assemblies 126 . the panel 146 houses the control elements and circuitry for the heater 20 , and has one or more programmable digital devices allowing control of the assemblies 24 - 30 during the operation of heater 20 . box 148 can be readily accessed through forward doors 48 . the assembly 32 further has conventional temperature , pressure , and oxygen sensors 143 within the housing 22 , and a resistance temperature detector ( rtd ) 109 coupled with the forward - most coil 110 . in the operation of heater 20 , incoming fluid to be heated is conveyed through pipe assembly 102 to header 88 for passage through the coil inlet pipes 112 and ultimately through the individual coils 110 . to this end , the incoming fluid is delivered to the heater 20 by means of existing line pressure and the flow rate of which is generally uncontrolled . as the fluid passes through the coils 110 , the ir heaters 118 operate to heat the fluid before outward passage thereof from the pipes 114 and header 90 . from this point , the now - heated fluid is delivered to the desired use location for heating of the associated pipeline equipment or the like . also during this heating operation , the air cooling assembly 30 comes into play . that is , operation of the heating elements 118 , which can achieve temperatures well above 500 f , induces air drafts within housing 22 . as best seen in fig1 , such induced air currents 150 are drawn through the inlets 136 and pass upwardly for exit through the vents 86 , mushroom outlets 142 , and side vents 144 . at least a portion of the draft is directed through a passage 145 defined between beams 64 and support frame 147 for insulating panels 134 and into a draft - conducting space 149 formed between heater arrays 120 , 122 and insulated panels 128 . shields 154 are positioned at the upper ends of space 149 to force the air draft to travel downwardly into space 149 . the air moving within space 149 is preheated by heater arrays 120 , 122 prior to entering the heat exchange column 151 in which the coils 110 reside . the lower margin of insulated panels 128 is sealed from walkways 132 outboard of panels 128 causing the induced draft to overcome the natural buoyancy of the warming air in space 149 and pass through passageway 152 into the heat exchange column 151 . in certain embodiments , the air flowing within column 151 and past coils 110 flows in a direction that is opposite to that of the air flowing in draft - conducting space 149 . this air flow can create an environment of convective heat transfer from the fluid flowing through the coils 110 and , if the air flow is too strong , the efficiency of heater 20 is compromised . in order to control the air flow , the louvers 140 , operably coupled with control panel 146 , are adjusted to maintain the proper air flow through the heater 20 . advantageously , the overall control system for the heater 20 comprises , in addition to the controller panel 146 , at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxygen sensor 143 , carbon dioxide sensor , and a pressure transducer installed within the housing 22 and operable to determine a characteristic of the air draft within the housing 22 , in order to open or close the louvers 140 based upon determination of such characteristic ( s ). hence , the heating / cooling operation of heater 20 may be precisely controlled to achieve optimum performance . in certain embodiments , it has been found that the pitch of the convolutions 110 a of the coils 110 can be adjusted in order to further maximize the efficiency of heater 20 . the pitch of these convolutions refers to the lateral spacing between adjacent convolutions . for example , in certain cases , the pitch of the convolutions 110 a is selected to keep all of the convolutions maximally β visible β to the opposed banks 120 , 122 of the elements 118 . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Human Necessities'? | 0.25 | 55cd6a7109142218074876e30cecb2a6cd3b6849c62db72b3f739621a2d9061c | 0.012451 | 0.037842 | 0.001137 | 0.00014 | 0.08252 | 0.00383 |
null | turning now to the drawings , a self - contained pipeline heater 20 is illustrated in fig1 and broadly includes a housing 22 , a fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see also , fig7 - 8 ), an infrared heating assembly 26 ( see fig6 and 9 - 10 ), a heat insulating assembly 28 ( see fig4 and 9 ), an air - cooling assembly 30 ( see fig1 ), and a power and control assembly 32 ( see fig6 ). the purpose of heater 20 is to selectively and efficiently heat an incoming fluid ( such as liquid or gaseous petroleum products ) at an appropriate location along the length of a pipeline or the like . the housing 22 generally includes a lower , elongated , substantially rectangular in cross - section primary housing 34 as well as a smaller , upper housing 36 mounted atop the primary housing 34 , and defines an enclosed space therein . although , this configuration presents certain advantages , the scope of the present invention is not limited to this particular design . the overall housing 22 accommodates all of the other assemblies 24 - 32 , as will be described . the primary housing 34 may be constructed using a standard metal shipping container , but this is not essential . in certain embodiments , the primary housing 34 has bottom wall 38 , a pair of laterally spaced apart , upright corrugated sidewalls 40 and 42 , as well as a corrugated top wall 44 having an elongated slot 46 formed therein . the forward end of the primary housing 34 has a pair of double doors 48 and , in like manner , the rearward end thereof has a rear wall 50 and a single , central door 52 . an intermediate upright wall 54 is provided toward the rearward end of the housing and serves to create a rearmost room 56 , which can be accessed via door 52 . the walls 40 - 44 and related structure of the primary housing 34 are supported by conventional frame structure 58 . bottom wall 38 is supported by a series of laterally extending beams 60 . a pair of elongated , laterally spaced apart , somewhat l - shaped rails 62 are affixed to the upper surface of wall 38 and extend from the forward end of the housing 34 to intermediate wall 54 . similarly , a pair of elongated tubular beams 64 are secured to the underside of top wall 44 directly above the rails 62 ( see fig1 ). beams 64 are electrical hazardous location glans and extend through wall 54 . the entire heater 20 is typically mounted above - grade on a series of cylindrical concrete footings 66 . if desired , front and rear concrete entry pads 68 and 70 are provided adjacent the front and rear doors 48 , 52 , as illustrated . the elongated secondary housing 36 is positioned in spanning relationship to the slot 46 of top wall 44 and includes a pair of spaced apart side panels 72 and 74 , insulated top panel 76 , and insulated front and rear end panels 78 and 80 . the front panel 78 has an opening 82 formed therein , whereas top panel 76 has three vent openings 84 . an upright , gabled vent housing 86 is secured to top wall 76 in registry with each vent opening 84 . it will be appreciated that the secondary housing 36 is smaller in volume as compared with primary housing 34 , and has a lesser width , height , and length . advantageously , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in at least one dimension as compared with the primary housing 34 ( e . g ., height ), and preferably in at least two dimensions ( e . g ., height and length or length and width ). most preferably , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in all three dimensions of height , length , and width . the fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see fig7 - 8 ) includes a substantially horizontally oriented fluid inlet conduit or header 88 , a juxtaposed fluid outlet conduit or header 90 , and a depending coil assembly 92 . the headers 88 , 90 include connection flanges 94 , 96 at the forward ends thereof , and are capped by end caps 98 , 100 at their rearward ends . conventional inlet and outlet pipe assemblies 102 , 104 are secured to the headers 88 and 90 by connection to the associated flanges 94 , 96 . the assemblies 102 , 104 are typically capped for transport of the heater 20 to its intended use location by means of caps 106 , 108 , but in use , fluid entry and exit pipelines ( not shown ) are operatively connected to the assemblies 102 , 104 . in this way , the fluid ( s ) to be heated within heater 20 are conveyed to and from the assembly 24 . the coil assembly 92 is made up of a series of separate , elongated , vertically extending coils 110 , each having an inlet pipe 112 coupled with inlet header 88 and a corresponding outlet pipe 114 coupled with outlet header 90 . as illustrated , the piping of each coil 110 has a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the associated headers 88 , 90 , to create a greater surface area for heat transfer . the coils 110 have multiple loops or convolutions 110 a which are oblong in configuration and extend vertically beneath the headers 88 , 90 as separate passes . the assembly 24 is centrally mounted within housing 22 by means of a plurality of support beam 115 ( fig1 ) that span from sidewall 40 to sidewall 42 . moreover , it will be seen that the headers 88 , 90 , and the upper ends of the coil assembly 92 are situated within secondary housing 36 , whereas the main body of the coil assembly 92 is located within the confines of primary housing 34 . the forward ends of the headers 88 and 90 protrude through the opening 82 , as illustrated . the coils 110 may have a number of different configurations , such as those described in u . s . patent publication no . 2015 / 0020918 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the ir heating assembly 26 includes a plurality of vertically stacked , fore - and - aft extending , gas - fired infrared heating elements 118 , which extend the entire length of the coil assembly 92 ; the elements 118 are operable to emit ir energy through the flameless catalytic combustion of natural gas , and to direct such energy toward coils 110 . to this end , the elements 118 are positioned in two separate parallel banks or panels 120 and 122 , which are respectively astride the side margins of the coil assembly 92 and extend from a point adjacent bottom wall 38 into the secondary housing 36 to a point just beneath the headers 88 , 90 ( see fig9 - 10 ). the banks 120 , 122 are supported by a supporting frame 116 and upright frame elements 124 , and a gas line 125 is provided for delivery of natural gas to the elements 118 . the operation of the elements 118 is controlled by appropriate valve and sensor assemblies 126 located adjacent the forward end of housing 22 . exemplary ir heating elements 118 include those available from catalytic industrial group of independence , kansas , and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 557 , 858 and 6 , 003 , 244 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties . it is also within the scope of the present invention to use electrically powered ir heating elements . the heat insulating assembly 28 includes a series of upright heat insulating walls 128 positioned within primary housing 34 on opposite sides of the ir heater banks 120 , 122 . as best illustrated in fig5 , walls 128 are mounted on lower grooved rollers 130 , whereas the upper ends of the walls are held captive by the rectangular beams 64 . accordingly , the individual walls 128 are simply shifted along the lengths of the rails 62 to create essentially solid insulating walls 131 adjacent the outboard faces of the elements 118 making up the banks 120 , 122 . as best seen in fig4 , the walls 131 extend from a point adjacent the forward end of primary housing 34 to the intermediate wall 54 . the spacing between the walls 40 , 42 and the adjacent insulating walls 131 provide open passages or walkways 132 extending from the doors 48 to the intermediate wall 54 ( fig9 ); this allows servicing and repair of the internal components of the heater 20 . the overall assembly 28 further includes insulating structure for the secondary housing 36 , namely side insulating panels 134 located inboard of the side panels 72 , 74 , which extend the full length of the secondary housing . the panels 134 , together with insulated front and rear panels 78 , 80 , thus provide the requisite degree of heat insulation for the secondary housing 36 . the air cooling assembly 30 includes a plurality of lower box - like air inlets 136 which are mounted to the sidewalls 40 , 42 and communicate with the interior of heater 20 through ports 138 ( see fig5 ). the inlets 136 are equipped with shiftable dampers or louvers 140 to facilitate control of air flow to the heater 20 , and thus serve as active air control assemblies . in certain embodiments , inlets 136 serve as the principal air inlet for the space enclosed by housing 22 . in addition , the assembly 30 includes a plurality of upright β mushroom β air outlets 142 secured to top wall 44 along the length of secondary housing 36 . additionally , sidewall vents 144 are provided adjacent the upper ends of the sidewalls 40 , 42 of primary housing 34 . power and control assembly 32 includes a conventional electrical entrance panel 146 located within room 56 and adjacent intermediate wall 54 . thus , the panel 146 may be accessed through door 52 as needed . the assembly also has a junction box 148 mounted adjacent the forward end of heater 20 between the valve / sensor assemblies 126 . the panel 146 houses the control elements and circuitry for the heater 20 , and has one or more programmable digital devices allowing control of the assemblies 24 - 30 during the operation of heater 20 . box 148 can be readily accessed through forward doors 48 . the assembly 32 further has conventional temperature , pressure , and oxygen sensors 143 within the housing 22 , and a resistance temperature detector ( rtd ) 109 coupled with the forward - most coil 110 . in the operation of heater 20 , incoming fluid to be heated is conveyed through pipe assembly 102 to header 88 for passage through the coil inlet pipes 112 and ultimately through the individual coils 110 . to this end , the incoming fluid is delivered to the heater 20 by means of existing line pressure and the flow rate of which is generally uncontrolled . as the fluid passes through the coils 110 , the ir heaters 118 operate to heat the fluid before outward passage thereof from the pipes 114 and header 90 . from this point , the now - heated fluid is delivered to the desired use location for heating of the associated pipeline equipment or the like . also during this heating operation , the air cooling assembly 30 comes into play . that is , operation of the heating elements 118 , which can achieve temperatures well above 500 f , induces air drafts within housing 22 . as best seen in fig1 , such induced air currents 150 are drawn through the inlets 136 and pass upwardly for exit through the vents 86 , mushroom outlets 142 , and side vents 144 . at least a portion of the draft is directed through a passage 145 defined between beams 64 and support frame 147 for insulating panels 134 and into a draft - conducting space 149 formed between heater arrays 120 , 122 and insulated panels 128 . shields 154 are positioned at the upper ends of space 149 to force the air draft to travel downwardly into space 149 . the air moving within space 149 is preheated by heater arrays 120 , 122 prior to entering the heat exchange column 151 in which the coils 110 reside . the lower margin of insulated panels 128 is sealed from walkways 132 outboard of panels 128 causing the induced draft to overcome the natural buoyancy of the warming air in space 149 and pass through passageway 152 into the heat exchange column 151 . in certain embodiments , the air flowing within column 151 and past coils 110 flows in a direction that is opposite to that of the air flowing in draft - conducting space 149 . this air flow can create an environment of convective heat transfer from the fluid flowing through the coils 110 and , if the air flow is too strong , the efficiency of heater 20 is compromised . in order to control the air flow , the louvers 140 , operably coupled with control panel 146 , are adjusted to maintain the proper air flow through the heater 20 . advantageously , the overall control system for the heater 20 comprises , in addition to the controller panel 146 , at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxygen sensor 143 , carbon dioxide sensor , and a pressure transducer installed within the housing 22 and operable to determine a characteristic of the air draft within the housing 22 , in order to open or close the louvers 140 based upon determination of such characteristic ( s ). hence , the heating / cooling operation of heater 20 may be precisely controlled to achieve optimum performance . in certain embodiments , it has been found that the pitch of the convolutions 110 a of the coils 110 can be adjusted in order to further maximize the efficiency of heater 20 . the pitch of these convolutions refers to the lateral spacing between adjacent convolutions . for example , in certain cases , the pitch of the convolutions 110 a is selected to keep all of the convolutions maximally β visible β to the opposed banks 120 , 122 of the elements 118 . | Should this patent be classified under 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Performing Operations; Transporting'? | 0.25 | 55cd6a7109142218074876e30cecb2a6cd3b6849c62db72b3f739621a2d9061c | 0.004211 | 0.059326 | 0.000315 | 0.005066 | 0.035645 | 0.034668 |
null | turning now to the drawings , a self - contained pipeline heater 20 is illustrated in fig1 and broadly includes a housing 22 , a fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see also , fig7 - 8 ), an infrared heating assembly 26 ( see fig6 and 9 - 10 ), a heat insulating assembly 28 ( see fig4 and 9 ), an air - cooling assembly 30 ( see fig1 ), and a power and control assembly 32 ( see fig6 ). the purpose of heater 20 is to selectively and efficiently heat an incoming fluid ( such as liquid or gaseous petroleum products ) at an appropriate location along the length of a pipeline or the like . the housing 22 generally includes a lower , elongated , substantially rectangular in cross - section primary housing 34 as well as a smaller , upper housing 36 mounted atop the primary housing 34 , and defines an enclosed space therein . although , this configuration presents certain advantages , the scope of the present invention is not limited to this particular design . the overall housing 22 accommodates all of the other assemblies 24 - 32 , as will be described . the primary housing 34 may be constructed using a standard metal shipping container , but this is not essential . in certain embodiments , the primary housing 34 has bottom wall 38 , a pair of laterally spaced apart , upright corrugated sidewalls 40 and 42 , as well as a corrugated top wall 44 having an elongated slot 46 formed therein . the forward end of the primary housing 34 has a pair of double doors 48 and , in like manner , the rearward end thereof has a rear wall 50 and a single , central door 52 . an intermediate upright wall 54 is provided toward the rearward end of the housing and serves to create a rearmost room 56 , which can be accessed via door 52 . the walls 40 - 44 and related structure of the primary housing 34 are supported by conventional frame structure 58 . bottom wall 38 is supported by a series of laterally extending beams 60 . a pair of elongated , laterally spaced apart , somewhat l - shaped rails 62 are affixed to the upper surface of wall 38 and extend from the forward end of the housing 34 to intermediate wall 54 . similarly , a pair of elongated tubular beams 64 are secured to the underside of top wall 44 directly above the rails 62 ( see fig1 ). beams 64 are electrical hazardous location glans and extend through wall 54 . the entire heater 20 is typically mounted above - grade on a series of cylindrical concrete footings 66 . if desired , front and rear concrete entry pads 68 and 70 are provided adjacent the front and rear doors 48 , 52 , as illustrated . the elongated secondary housing 36 is positioned in spanning relationship to the slot 46 of top wall 44 and includes a pair of spaced apart side panels 72 and 74 , insulated top panel 76 , and insulated front and rear end panels 78 and 80 . the front panel 78 has an opening 82 formed therein , whereas top panel 76 has three vent openings 84 . an upright , gabled vent housing 86 is secured to top wall 76 in registry with each vent opening 84 . it will be appreciated that the secondary housing 36 is smaller in volume as compared with primary housing 34 , and has a lesser width , height , and length . advantageously , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in at least one dimension as compared with the primary housing 34 ( e . g ., height ), and preferably in at least two dimensions ( e . g ., height and length or length and width ). most preferably , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in all three dimensions of height , length , and width . the fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see fig7 - 8 ) includes a substantially horizontally oriented fluid inlet conduit or header 88 , a juxtaposed fluid outlet conduit or header 90 , and a depending coil assembly 92 . the headers 88 , 90 include connection flanges 94 , 96 at the forward ends thereof , and are capped by end caps 98 , 100 at their rearward ends . conventional inlet and outlet pipe assemblies 102 , 104 are secured to the headers 88 and 90 by connection to the associated flanges 94 , 96 . the assemblies 102 , 104 are typically capped for transport of the heater 20 to its intended use location by means of caps 106 , 108 , but in use , fluid entry and exit pipelines ( not shown ) are operatively connected to the assemblies 102 , 104 . in this way , the fluid ( s ) to be heated within heater 20 are conveyed to and from the assembly 24 . the coil assembly 92 is made up of a series of separate , elongated , vertically extending coils 110 , each having an inlet pipe 112 coupled with inlet header 88 and a corresponding outlet pipe 114 coupled with outlet header 90 . as illustrated , the piping of each coil 110 has a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the associated headers 88 , 90 , to create a greater surface area for heat transfer . the coils 110 have multiple loops or convolutions 110 a which are oblong in configuration and extend vertically beneath the headers 88 , 90 as separate passes . the assembly 24 is centrally mounted within housing 22 by means of a plurality of support beam 115 ( fig1 ) that span from sidewall 40 to sidewall 42 . moreover , it will be seen that the headers 88 , 90 , and the upper ends of the coil assembly 92 are situated within secondary housing 36 , whereas the main body of the coil assembly 92 is located within the confines of primary housing 34 . the forward ends of the headers 88 and 90 protrude through the opening 82 , as illustrated . the coils 110 may have a number of different configurations , such as those described in u . s . patent publication no . 2015 / 0020918 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the ir heating assembly 26 includes a plurality of vertically stacked , fore - and - aft extending , gas - fired infrared heating elements 118 , which extend the entire length of the coil assembly 92 ; the elements 118 are operable to emit ir energy through the flameless catalytic combustion of natural gas , and to direct such energy toward coils 110 . to this end , the elements 118 are positioned in two separate parallel banks or panels 120 and 122 , which are respectively astride the side margins of the coil assembly 92 and extend from a point adjacent bottom wall 38 into the secondary housing 36 to a point just beneath the headers 88 , 90 ( see fig9 - 10 ). the banks 120 , 122 are supported by a supporting frame 116 and upright frame elements 124 , and a gas line 125 is provided for delivery of natural gas to the elements 118 . the operation of the elements 118 is controlled by appropriate valve and sensor assemblies 126 located adjacent the forward end of housing 22 . exemplary ir heating elements 118 include those available from catalytic industrial group of independence , kansas , and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 557 , 858 and 6 , 003 , 244 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties . it is also within the scope of the present invention to use electrically powered ir heating elements . the heat insulating assembly 28 includes a series of upright heat insulating walls 128 positioned within primary housing 34 on opposite sides of the ir heater banks 120 , 122 . as best illustrated in fig5 , walls 128 are mounted on lower grooved rollers 130 , whereas the upper ends of the walls are held captive by the rectangular beams 64 . accordingly , the individual walls 128 are simply shifted along the lengths of the rails 62 to create essentially solid insulating walls 131 adjacent the outboard faces of the elements 118 making up the banks 120 , 122 . as best seen in fig4 , the walls 131 extend from a point adjacent the forward end of primary housing 34 to the intermediate wall 54 . the spacing between the walls 40 , 42 and the adjacent insulating walls 131 provide open passages or walkways 132 extending from the doors 48 to the intermediate wall 54 ( fig9 ); this allows servicing and repair of the internal components of the heater 20 . the overall assembly 28 further includes insulating structure for the secondary housing 36 , namely side insulating panels 134 located inboard of the side panels 72 , 74 , which extend the full length of the secondary housing . the panels 134 , together with insulated front and rear panels 78 , 80 , thus provide the requisite degree of heat insulation for the secondary housing 36 . the air cooling assembly 30 includes a plurality of lower box - like air inlets 136 which are mounted to the sidewalls 40 , 42 and communicate with the interior of heater 20 through ports 138 ( see fig5 ). the inlets 136 are equipped with shiftable dampers or louvers 140 to facilitate control of air flow to the heater 20 , and thus serve as active air control assemblies . in certain embodiments , inlets 136 serve as the principal air inlet for the space enclosed by housing 22 . in addition , the assembly 30 includes a plurality of upright β mushroom β air outlets 142 secured to top wall 44 along the length of secondary housing 36 . additionally , sidewall vents 144 are provided adjacent the upper ends of the sidewalls 40 , 42 of primary housing 34 . power and control assembly 32 includes a conventional electrical entrance panel 146 located within room 56 and adjacent intermediate wall 54 . thus , the panel 146 may be accessed through door 52 as needed . the assembly also has a junction box 148 mounted adjacent the forward end of heater 20 between the valve / sensor assemblies 126 . the panel 146 houses the control elements and circuitry for the heater 20 , and has one or more programmable digital devices allowing control of the assemblies 24 - 30 during the operation of heater 20 . box 148 can be readily accessed through forward doors 48 . the assembly 32 further has conventional temperature , pressure , and oxygen sensors 143 within the housing 22 , and a resistance temperature detector ( rtd ) 109 coupled with the forward - most coil 110 . in the operation of heater 20 , incoming fluid to be heated is conveyed through pipe assembly 102 to header 88 for passage through the coil inlet pipes 112 and ultimately through the individual coils 110 . to this end , the incoming fluid is delivered to the heater 20 by means of existing line pressure and the flow rate of which is generally uncontrolled . as the fluid passes through the coils 110 , the ir heaters 118 operate to heat the fluid before outward passage thereof from the pipes 114 and header 90 . from this point , the now - heated fluid is delivered to the desired use location for heating of the associated pipeline equipment or the like . also during this heating operation , the air cooling assembly 30 comes into play . that is , operation of the heating elements 118 , which can achieve temperatures well above 500 f , induces air drafts within housing 22 . as best seen in fig1 , such induced air currents 150 are drawn through the inlets 136 and pass upwardly for exit through the vents 86 , mushroom outlets 142 , and side vents 144 . at least a portion of the draft is directed through a passage 145 defined between beams 64 and support frame 147 for insulating panels 134 and into a draft - conducting space 149 formed between heater arrays 120 , 122 and insulated panels 128 . shields 154 are positioned at the upper ends of space 149 to force the air draft to travel downwardly into space 149 . the air moving within space 149 is preheated by heater arrays 120 , 122 prior to entering the heat exchange column 151 in which the coils 110 reside . the lower margin of insulated panels 128 is sealed from walkways 132 outboard of panels 128 causing the induced draft to overcome the natural buoyancy of the warming air in space 149 and pass through passageway 152 into the heat exchange column 151 . in certain embodiments , the air flowing within column 151 and past coils 110 flows in a direction that is opposite to that of the air flowing in draft - conducting space 149 . this air flow can create an environment of convective heat transfer from the fluid flowing through the coils 110 and , if the air flow is too strong , the efficiency of heater 20 is compromised . in order to control the air flow , the louvers 140 , operably coupled with control panel 146 , are adjusted to maintain the proper air flow through the heater 20 . advantageously , the overall control system for the heater 20 comprises , in addition to the controller panel 146 , at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxygen sensor 143 , carbon dioxide sensor , and a pressure transducer installed within the housing 22 and operable to determine a characteristic of the air draft within the housing 22 , in order to open or close the louvers 140 based upon determination of such characteristic ( s ). hence , the heating / cooling operation of heater 20 may be precisely controlled to achieve optimum performance . in certain embodiments , it has been found that the pitch of the convolutions 110 a of the coils 110 can be adjusted in order to further maximize the efficiency of heater 20 . the pitch of these convolutions refers to the lateral spacing between adjacent convolutions . for example , in certain cases , the pitch of the convolutions 110 a is selected to keep all of the convolutions maximally β visible β to the opposed banks 120 , 122 of the elements 118 . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | 55cd6a7109142218074876e30cecb2a6cd3b6849c62db72b3f739621a2d9061c | 0.010986 | 0.00592 | 0.000626 | 0.000278 | 0.068359 | 0.008301 |
null | turning now to the drawings , a self - contained pipeline heater 20 is illustrated in fig1 and broadly includes a housing 22 , a fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see also , fig7 - 8 ), an infrared heating assembly 26 ( see fig6 and 9 - 10 ), a heat insulating assembly 28 ( see fig4 and 9 ), an air - cooling assembly 30 ( see fig1 ), and a power and control assembly 32 ( see fig6 ). the purpose of heater 20 is to selectively and efficiently heat an incoming fluid ( such as liquid or gaseous petroleum products ) at an appropriate location along the length of a pipeline or the like . the housing 22 generally includes a lower , elongated , substantially rectangular in cross - section primary housing 34 as well as a smaller , upper housing 36 mounted atop the primary housing 34 , and defines an enclosed space therein . although , this configuration presents certain advantages , the scope of the present invention is not limited to this particular design . the overall housing 22 accommodates all of the other assemblies 24 - 32 , as will be described . the primary housing 34 may be constructed using a standard metal shipping container , but this is not essential . in certain embodiments , the primary housing 34 has bottom wall 38 , a pair of laterally spaced apart , upright corrugated sidewalls 40 and 42 , as well as a corrugated top wall 44 having an elongated slot 46 formed therein . the forward end of the primary housing 34 has a pair of double doors 48 and , in like manner , the rearward end thereof has a rear wall 50 and a single , central door 52 . an intermediate upright wall 54 is provided toward the rearward end of the housing and serves to create a rearmost room 56 , which can be accessed via door 52 . the walls 40 - 44 and related structure of the primary housing 34 are supported by conventional frame structure 58 . bottom wall 38 is supported by a series of laterally extending beams 60 . a pair of elongated , laterally spaced apart , somewhat l - shaped rails 62 are affixed to the upper surface of wall 38 and extend from the forward end of the housing 34 to intermediate wall 54 . similarly , a pair of elongated tubular beams 64 are secured to the underside of top wall 44 directly above the rails 62 ( see fig1 ). beams 64 are electrical hazardous location glans and extend through wall 54 . the entire heater 20 is typically mounted above - grade on a series of cylindrical concrete footings 66 . if desired , front and rear concrete entry pads 68 and 70 are provided adjacent the front and rear doors 48 , 52 , as illustrated . the elongated secondary housing 36 is positioned in spanning relationship to the slot 46 of top wall 44 and includes a pair of spaced apart side panels 72 and 74 , insulated top panel 76 , and insulated front and rear end panels 78 and 80 . the front panel 78 has an opening 82 formed therein , whereas top panel 76 has three vent openings 84 . an upright , gabled vent housing 86 is secured to top wall 76 in registry with each vent opening 84 . it will be appreciated that the secondary housing 36 is smaller in volume as compared with primary housing 34 , and has a lesser width , height , and length . advantageously , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in at least one dimension as compared with the primary housing 34 ( e . g ., height ), and preferably in at least two dimensions ( e . g ., height and length or length and width ). most preferably , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in all three dimensions of height , length , and width . the fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see fig7 - 8 ) includes a substantially horizontally oriented fluid inlet conduit or header 88 , a juxtaposed fluid outlet conduit or header 90 , and a depending coil assembly 92 . the headers 88 , 90 include connection flanges 94 , 96 at the forward ends thereof , and are capped by end caps 98 , 100 at their rearward ends . conventional inlet and outlet pipe assemblies 102 , 104 are secured to the headers 88 and 90 by connection to the associated flanges 94 , 96 . the assemblies 102 , 104 are typically capped for transport of the heater 20 to its intended use location by means of caps 106 , 108 , but in use , fluid entry and exit pipelines ( not shown ) are operatively connected to the assemblies 102 , 104 . in this way , the fluid ( s ) to be heated within heater 20 are conveyed to and from the assembly 24 . the coil assembly 92 is made up of a series of separate , elongated , vertically extending coils 110 , each having an inlet pipe 112 coupled with inlet header 88 and a corresponding outlet pipe 114 coupled with outlet header 90 . as illustrated , the piping of each coil 110 has a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the associated headers 88 , 90 , to create a greater surface area for heat transfer . the coils 110 have multiple loops or convolutions 110 a which are oblong in configuration and extend vertically beneath the headers 88 , 90 as separate passes . the assembly 24 is centrally mounted within housing 22 by means of a plurality of support beam 115 ( fig1 ) that span from sidewall 40 to sidewall 42 . moreover , it will be seen that the headers 88 , 90 , and the upper ends of the coil assembly 92 are situated within secondary housing 36 , whereas the main body of the coil assembly 92 is located within the confines of primary housing 34 . the forward ends of the headers 88 and 90 protrude through the opening 82 , as illustrated . the coils 110 may have a number of different configurations , such as those described in u . s . patent publication no . 2015 / 0020918 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the ir heating assembly 26 includes a plurality of vertically stacked , fore - and - aft extending , gas - fired infrared heating elements 118 , which extend the entire length of the coil assembly 92 ; the elements 118 are operable to emit ir energy through the flameless catalytic combustion of natural gas , and to direct such energy toward coils 110 . to this end , the elements 118 are positioned in two separate parallel banks or panels 120 and 122 , which are respectively astride the side margins of the coil assembly 92 and extend from a point adjacent bottom wall 38 into the secondary housing 36 to a point just beneath the headers 88 , 90 ( see fig9 - 10 ). the banks 120 , 122 are supported by a supporting frame 116 and upright frame elements 124 , and a gas line 125 is provided for delivery of natural gas to the elements 118 . the operation of the elements 118 is controlled by appropriate valve and sensor assemblies 126 located adjacent the forward end of housing 22 . exemplary ir heating elements 118 include those available from catalytic industrial group of independence , kansas , and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 557 , 858 and 6 , 003 , 244 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties . it is also within the scope of the present invention to use electrically powered ir heating elements . the heat insulating assembly 28 includes a series of upright heat insulating walls 128 positioned within primary housing 34 on opposite sides of the ir heater banks 120 , 122 . as best illustrated in fig5 , walls 128 are mounted on lower grooved rollers 130 , whereas the upper ends of the walls are held captive by the rectangular beams 64 . accordingly , the individual walls 128 are simply shifted along the lengths of the rails 62 to create essentially solid insulating walls 131 adjacent the outboard faces of the elements 118 making up the banks 120 , 122 . as best seen in fig4 , the walls 131 extend from a point adjacent the forward end of primary housing 34 to the intermediate wall 54 . the spacing between the walls 40 , 42 and the adjacent insulating walls 131 provide open passages or walkways 132 extending from the doors 48 to the intermediate wall 54 ( fig9 ); this allows servicing and repair of the internal components of the heater 20 . the overall assembly 28 further includes insulating structure for the secondary housing 36 , namely side insulating panels 134 located inboard of the side panels 72 , 74 , which extend the full length of the secondary housing . the panels 134 , together with insulated front and rear panels 78 , 80 , thus provide the requisite degree of heat insulation for the secondary housing 36 . the air cooling assembly 30 includes a plurality of lower box - like air inlets 136 which are mounted to the sidewalls 40 , 42 and communicate with the interior of heater 20 through ports 138 ( see fig5 ). the inlets 136 are equipped with shiftable dampers or louvers 140 to facilitate control of air flow to the heater 20 , and thus serve as active air control assemblies . in certain embodiments , inlets 136 serve as the principal air inlet for the space enclosed by housing 22 . in addition , the assembly 30 includes a plurality of upright β mushroom β air outlets 142 secured to top wall 44 along the length of secondary housing 36 . additionally , sidewall vents 144 are provided adjacent the upper ends of the sidewalls 40 , 42 of primary housing 34 . power and control assembly 32 includes a conventional electrical entrance panel 146 located within room 56 and adjacent intermediate wall 54 . thus , the panel 146 may be accessed through door 52 as needed . the assembly also has a junction box 148 mounted adjacent the forward end of heater 20 between the valve / sensor assemblies 126 . the panel 146 houses the control elements and circuitry for the heater 20 , and has one or more programmable digital devices allowing control of the assemblies 24 - 30 during the operation of heater 20 . box 148 can be readily accessed through forward doors 48 . the assembly 32 further has conventional temperature , pressure , and oxygen sensors 143 within the housing 22 , and a resistance temperature detector ( rtd ) 109 coupled with the forward - most coil 110 . in the operation of heater 20 , incoming fluid to be heated is conveyed through pipe assembly 102 to header 88 for passage through the coil inlet pipes 112 and ultimately through the individual coils 110 . to this end , the incoming fluid is delivered to the heater 20 by means of existing line pressure and the flow rate of which is generally uncontrolled . as the fluid passes through the coils 110 , the ir heaters 118 operate to heat the fluid before outward passage thereof from the pipes 114 and header 90 . from this point , the now - heated fluid is delivered to the desired use location for heating of the associated pipeline equipment or the like . also during this heating operation , the air cooling assembly 30 comes into play . that is , operation of the heating elements 118 , which can achieve temperatures well above 500 f , induces air drafts within housing 22 . as best seen in fig1 , such induced air currents 150 are drawn through the inlets 136 and pass upwardly for exit through the vents 86 , mushroom outlets 142 , and side vents 144 . at least a portion of the draft is directed through a passage 145 defined between beams 64 and support frame 147 for insulating panels 134 and into a draft - conducting space 149 formed between heater arrays 120 , 122 and insulated panels 128 . shields 154 are positioned at the upper ends of space 149 to force the air draft to travel downwardly into space 149 . the air moving within space 149 is preheated by heater arrays 120 , 122 prior to entering the heat exchange column 151 in which the coils 110 reside . the lower margin of insulated panels 128 is sealed from walkways 132 outboard of panels 128 causing the induced draft to overcome the natural buoyancy of the warming air in space 149 and pass through passageway 152 into the heat exchange column 151 . in certain embodiments , the air flowing within column 151 and past coils 110 flows in a direction that is opposite to that of the air flowing in draft - conducting space 149 . this air flow can create an environment of convective heat transfer from the fluid flowing through the coils 110 and , if the air flow is too strong , the efficiency of heater 20 is compromised . in order to control the air flow , the louvers 140 , operably coupled with control panel 146 , are adjusted to maintain the proper air flow through the heater 20 . advantageously , the overall control system for the heater 20 comprises , in addition to the controller panel 146 , at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxygen sensor 143 , carbon dioxide sensor , and a pressure transducer installed within the housing 22 and operable to determine a characteristic of the air draft within the housing 22 , in order to open or close the louvers 140 based upon determination of such characteristic ( s ). hence , the heating / cooling operation of heater 20 may be precisely controlled to achieve optimum performance . in certain embodiments , it has been found that the pitch of the convolutions 110 a of the coils 110 can be adjusted in order to further maximize the efficiency of heater 20 . the pitch of these convolutions refers to the lateral spacing between adjacent convolutions . for example , in certain cases , the pitch of the convolutions 110 a is selected to keep all of the convolutions maximally β visible β to the opposed banks 120 , 122 of the elements 118 . | Is 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting' the correct technical category for the patent? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Textiles; Paper'? | 0.25 | 55cd6a7109142218074876e30cecb2a6cd3b6849c62db72b3f739621a2d9061c | 0.014954 | 0.001205 | 0.001244 | 0.000008 | 0.072754 | 0.006897 |
null | turning now to the drawings , a self - contained pipeline heater 20 is illustrated in fig1 and broadly includes a housing 22 , a fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see also , fig7 - 8 ), an infrared heating assembly 26 ( see fig6 and 9 - 10 ), a heat insulating assembly 28 ( see fig4 and 9 ), an air - cooling assembly 30 ( see fig1 ), and a power and control assembly 32 ( see fig6 ). the purpose of heater 20 is to selectively and efficiently heat an incoming fluid ( such as liquid or gaseous petroleum products ) at an appropriate location along the length of a pipeline or the like . the housing 22 generally includes a lower , elongated , substantially rectangular in cross - section primary housing 34 as well as a smaller , upper housing 36 mounted atop the primary housing 34 , and defines an enclosed space therein . although , this configuration presents certain advantages , the scope of the present invention is not limited to this particular design . the overall housing 22 accommodates all of the other assemblies 24 - 32 , as will be described . the primary housing 34 may be constructed using a standard metal shipping container , but this is not essential . in certain embodiments , the primary housing 34 has bottom wall 38 , a pair of laterally spaced apart , upright corrugated sidewalls 40 and 42 , as well as a corrugated top wall 44 having an elongated slot 46 formed therein . the forward end of the primary housing 34 has a pair of double doors 48 and , in like manner , the rearward end thereof has a rear wall 50 and a single , central door 52 . an intermediate upright wall 54 is provided toward the rearward end of the housing and serves to create a rearmost room 56 , which can be accessed via door 52 . the walls 40 - 44 and related structure of the primary housing 34 are supported by conventional frame structure 58 . bottom wall 38 is supported by a series of laterally extending beams 60 . a pair of elongated , laterally spaced apart , somewhat l - shaped rails 62 are affixed to the upper surface of wall 38 and extend from the forward end of the housing 34 to intermediate wall 54 . similarly , a pair of elongated tubular beams 64 are secured to the underside of top wall 44 directly above the rails 62 ( see fig1 ). beams 64 are electrical hazardous location glans and extend through wall 54 . the entire heater 20 is typically mounted above - grade on a series of cylindrical concrete footings 66 . if desired , front and rear concrete entry pads 68 and 70 are provided adjacent the front and rear doors 48 , 52 , as illustrated . the elongated secondary housing 36 is positioned in spanning relationship to the slot 46 of top wall 44 and includes a pair of spaced apart side panels 72 and 74 , insulated top panel 76 , and insulated front and rear end panels 78 and 80 . the front panel 78 has an opening 82 formed therein , whereas top panel 76 has three vent openings 84 . an upright , gabled vent housing 86 is secured to top wall 76 in registry with each vent opening 84 . it will be appreciated that the secondary housing 36 is smaller in volume as compared with primary housing 34 , and has a lesser width , height , and length . advantageously , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in at least one dimension as compared with the primary housing 34 ( e . g ., height ), and preferably in at least two dimensions ( e . g ., height and length or length and width ). most preferably , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in all three dimensions of height , length , and width . the fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see fig7 - 8 ) includes a substantially horizontally oriented fluid inlet conduit or header 88 , a juxtaposed fluid outlet conduit or header 90 , and a depending coil assembly 92 . the headers 88 , 90 include connection flanges 94 , 96 at the forward ends thereof , and are capped by end caps 98 , 100 at their rearward ends . conventional inlet and outlet pipe assemblies 102 , 104 are secured to the headers 88 and 90 by connection to the associated flanges 94 , 96 . the assemblies 102 , 104 are typically capped for transport of the heater 20 to its intended use location by means of caps 106 , 108 , but in use , fluid entry and exit pipelines ( not shown ) are operatively connected to the assemblies 102 , 104 . in this way , the fluid ( s ) to be heated within heater 20 are conveyed to and from the assembly 24 . the coil assembly 92 is made up of a series of separate , elongated , vertically extending coils 110 , each having an inlet pipe 112 coupled with inlet header 88 and a corresponding outlet pipe 114 coupled with outlet header 90 . as illustrated , the piping of each coil 110 has a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the associated headers 88 , 90 , to create a greater surface area for heat transfer . the coils 110 have multiple loops or convolutions 110 a which are oblong in configuration and extend vertically beneath the headers 88 , 90 as separate passes . the assembly 24 is centrally mounted within housing 22 by means of a plurality of support beam 115 ( fig1 ) that span from sidewall 40 to sidewall 42 . moreover , it will be seen that the headers 88 , 90 , and the upper ends of the coil assembly 92 are situated within secondary housing 36 , whereas the main body of the coil assembly 92 is located within the confines of primary housing 34 . the forward ends of the headers 88 and 90 protrude through the opening 82 , as illustrated . the coils 110 may have a number of different configurations , such as those described in u . s . patent publication no . 2015 / 0020918 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the ir heating assembly 26 includes a plurality of vertically stacked , fore - and - aft extending , gas - fired infrared heating elements 118 , which extend the entire length of the coil assembly 92 ; the elements 118 are operable to emit ir energy through the flameless catalytic combustion of natural gas , and to direct such energy toward coils 110 . to this end , the elements 118 are positioned in two separate parallel banks or panels 120 and 122 , which are respectively astride the side margins of the coil assembly 92 and extend from a point adjacent bottom wall 38 into the secondary housing 36 to a point just beneath the headers 88 , 90 ( see fig9 - 10 ). the banks 120 , 122 are supported by a supporting frame 116 and upright frame elements 124 , and a gas line 125 is provided for delivery of natural gas to the elements 118 . the operation of the elements 118 is controlled by appropriate valve and sensor assemblies 126 located adjacent the forward end of housing 22 . exemplary ir heating elements 118 include those available from catalytic industrial group of independence , kansas , and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 557 , 858 and 6 , 003 , 244 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties . it is also within the scope of the present invention to use electrically powered ir heating elements . the heat insulating assembly 28 includes a series of upright heat insulating walls 128 positioned within primary housing 34 on opposite sides of the ir heater banks 120 , 122 . as best illustrated in fig5 , walls 128 are mounted on lower grooved rollers 130 , whereas the upper ends of the walls are held captive by the rectangular beams 64 . accordingly , the individual walls 128 are simply shifted along the lengths of the rails 62 to create essentially solid insulating walls 131 adjacent the outboard faces of the elements 118 making up the banks 120 , 122 . as best seen in fig4 , the walls 131 extend from a point adjacent the forward end of primary housing 34 to the intermediate wall 54 . the spacing between the walls 40 , 42 and the adjacent insulating walls 131 provide open passages or walkways 132 extending from the doors 48 to the intermediate wall 54 ( fig9 ); this allows servicing and repair of the internal components of the heater 20 . the overall assembly 28 further includes insulating structure for the secondary housing 36 , namely side insulating panels 134 located inboard of the side panels 72 , 74 , which extend the full length of the secondary housing . the panels 134 , together with insulated front and rear panels 78 , 80 , thus provide the requisite degree of heat insulation for the secondary housing 36 . the air cooling assembly 30 includes a plurality of lower box - like air inlets 136 which are mounted to the sidewalls 40 , 42 and communicate with the interior of heater 20 through ports 138 ( see fig5 ). the inlets 136 are equipped with shiftable dampers or louvers 140 to facilitate control of air flow to the heater 20 , and thus serve as active air control assemblies . in certain embodiments , inlets 136 serve as the principal air inlet for the space enclosed by housing 22 . in addition , the assembly 30 includes a plurality of upright β mushroom β air outlets 142 secured to top wall 44 along the length of secondary housing 36 . additionally , sidewall vents 144 are provided adjacent the upper ends of the sidewalls 40 , 42 of primary housing 34 . power and control assembly 32 includes a conventional electrical entrance panel 146 located within room 56 and adjacent intermediate wall 54 . thus , the panel 146 may be accessed through door 52 as needed . the assembly also has a junction box 148 mounted adjacent the forward end of heater 20 between the valve / sensor assemblies 126 . the panel 146 houses the control elements and circuitry for the heater 20 , and has one or more programmable digital devices allowing control of the assemblies 24 - 30 during the operation of heater 20 . box 148 can be readily accessed through forward doors 48 . the assembly 32 further has conventional temperature , pressure , and oxygen sensors 143 within the housing 22 , and a resistance temperature detector ( rtd ) 109 coupled with the forward - most coil 110 . in the operation of heater 20 , incoming fluid to be heated is conveyed through pipe assembly 102 to header 88 for passage through the coil inlet pipes 112 and ultimately through the individual coils 110 . to this end , the incoming fluid is delivered to the heater 20 by means of existing line pressure and the flow rate of which is generally uncontrolled . as the fluid passes through the coils 110 , the ir heaters 118 operate to heat the fluid before outward passage thereof from the pipes 114 and header 90 . from this point , the now - heated fluid is delivered to the desired use location for heating of the associated pipeline equipment or the like . also during this heating operation , the air cooling assembly 30 comes into play . that is , operation of the heating elements 118 , which can achieve temperatures well above 500 f , induces air drafts within housing 22 . as best seen in fig1 , such induced air currents 150 are drawn through the inlets 136 and pass upwardly for exit through the vents 86 , mushroom outlets 142 , and side vents 144 . at least a portion of the draft is directed through a passage 145 defined between beams 64 and support frame 147 for insulating panels 134 and into a draft - conducting space 149 formed between heater arrays 120 , 122 and insulated panels 128 . shields 154 are positioned at the upper ends of space 149 to force the air draft to travel downwardly into space 149 . the air moving within space 149 is preheated by heater arrays 120 , 122 prior to entering the heat exchange column 151 in which the coils 110 reside . the lower margin of insulated panels 128 is sealed from walkways 132 outboard of panels 128 causing the induced draft to overcome the natural buoyancy of the warming air in space 149 and pass through passageway 152 into the heat exchange column 151 . in certain embodiments , the air flowing within column 151 and past coils 110 flows in a direction that is opposite to that of the air flowing in draft - conducting space 149 . this air flow can create an environment of convective heat transfer from the fluid flowing through the coils 110 and , if the air flow is too strong , the efficiency of heater 20 is compromised . in order to control the air flow , the louvers 140 , operably coupled with control panel 146 , are adjusted to maintain the proper air flow through the heater 20 . advantageously , the overall control system for the heater 20 comprises , in addition to the controller panel 146 , at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxygen sensor 143 , carbon dioxide sensor , and a pressure transducer installed within the housing 22 and operable to determine a characteristic of the air draft within the housing 22 , in order to open or close the louvers 140 based upon determination of such characteristic ( s ). hence , the heating / cooling operation of heater 20 may be precisely controlled to achieve optimum performance . in certain embodiments , it has been found that the pitch of the convolutions 110 a of the coils 110 can be adjusted in order to further maximize the efficiency of heater 20 . the pitch of these convolutions refers to the lateral spacing between adjacent convolutions . for example , in certain cases , the pitch of the convolutions 110 a is selected to keep all of the convolutions maximally β visible β to the opposed banks 120 , 122 of the elements 118 . | Should this patent be classified under 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | 0.25 | 55cd6a7109142218074876e30cecb2a6cd3b6849c62db72b3f739621a2d9061c | 0.004211 | 0.025513 | 0.000315 | 0.014038 | 0.035645 | 0.061768 |
null | turning now to the drawings , a self - contained pipeline heater 20 is illustrated in fig1 and broadly includes a housing 22 , a fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see also , fig7 - 8 ), an infrared heating assembly 26 ( see fig6 and 9 - 10 ), a heat insulating assembly 28 ( see fig4 and 9 ), an air - cooling assembly 30 ( see fig1 ), and a power and control assembly 32 ( see fig6 ). the purpose of heater 20 is to selectively and efficiently heat an incoming fluid ( such as liquid or gaseous petroleum products ) at an appropriate location along the length of a pipeline or the like . the housing 22 generally includes a lower , elongated , substantially rectangular in cross - section primary housing 34 as well as a smaller , upper housing 36 mounted atop the primary housing 34 , and defines an enclosed space therein . although , this configuration presents certain advantages , the scope of the present invention is not limited to this particular design . the overall housing 22 accommodates all of the other assemblies 24 - 32 , as will be described . the primary housing 34 may be constructed using a standard metal shipping container , but this is not essential . in certain embodiments , the primary housing 34 has bottom wall 38 , a pair of laterally spaced apart , upright corrugated sidewalls 40 and 42 , as well as a corrugated top wall 44 having an elongated slot 46 formed therein . the forward end of the primary housing 34 has a pair of double doors 48 and , in like manner , the rearward end thereof has a rear wall 50 and a single , central door 52 . an intermediate upright wall 54 is provided toward the rearward end of the housing and serves to create a rearmost room 56 , which can be accessed via door 52 . the walls 40 - 44 and related structure of the primary housing 34 are supported by conventional frame structure 58 . bottom wall 38 is supported by a series of laterally extending beams 60 . a pair of elongated , laterally spaced apart , somewhat l - shaped rails 62 are affixed to the upper surface of wall 38 and extend from the forward end of the housing 34 to intermediate wall 54 . similarly , a pair of elongated tubular beams 64 are secured to the underside of top wall 44 directly above the rails 62 ( see fig1 ). beams 64 are electrical hazardous location glans and extend through wall 54 . the entire heater 20 is typically mounted above - grade on a series of cylindrical concrete footings 66 . if desired , front and rear concrete entry pads 68 and 70 are provided adjacent the front and rear doors 48 , 52 , as illustrated . the elongated secondary housing 36 is positioned in spanning relationship to the slot 46 of top wall 44 and includes a pair of spaced apart side panels 72 and 74 , insulated top panel 76 , and insulated front and rear end panels 78 and 80 . the front panel 78 has an opening 82 formed therein , whereas top panel 76 has three vent openings 84 . an upright , gabled vent housing 86 is secured to top wall 76 in registry with each vent opening 84 . it will be appreciated that the secondary housing 36 is smaller in volume as compared with primary housing 34 , and has a lesser width , height , and length . advantageously , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in at least one dimension as compared with the primary housing 34 ( e . g ., height ), and preferably in at least two dimensions ( e . g ., height and length or length and width ). most preferably , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in all three dimensions of height , length , and width . the fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see fig7 - 8 ) includes a substantially horizontally oriented fluid inlet conduit or header 88 , a juxtaposed fluid outlet conduit or header 90 , and a depending coil assembly 92 . the headers 88 , 90 include connection flanges 94 , 96 at the forward ends thereof , and are capped by end caps 98 , 100 at their rearward ends . conventional inlet and outlet pipe assemblies 102 , 104 are secured to the headers 88 and 90 by connection to the associated flanges 94 , 96 . the assemblies 102 , 104 are typically capped for transport of the heater 20 to its intended use location by means of caps 106 , 108 , but in use , fluid entry and exit pipelines ( not shown ) are operatively connected to the assemblies 102 , 104 . in this way , the fluid ( s ) to be heated within heater 20 are conveyed to and from the assembly 24 . the coil assembly 92 is made up of a series of separate , elongated , vertically extending coils 110 , each having an inlet pipe 112 coupled with inlet header 88 and a corresponding outlet pipe 114 coupled with outlet header 90 . as illustrated , the piping of each coil 110 has a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the associated headers 88 , 90 , to create a greater surface area for heat transfer . the coils 110 have multiple loops or convolutions 110 a which are oblong in configuration and extend vertically beneath the headers 88 , 90 as separate passes . the assembly 24 is centrally mounted within housing 22 by means of a plurality of support beam 115 ( fig1 ) that span from sidewall 40 to sidewall 42 . moreover , it will be seen that the headers 88 , 90 , and the upper ends of the coil assembly 92 are situated within secondary housing 36 , whereas the main body of the coil assembly 92 is located within the confines of primary housing 34 . the forward ends of the headers 88 and 90 protrude through the opening 82 , as illustrated . the coils 110 may have a number of different configurations , such as those described in u . s . patent publication no . 2015 / 0020918 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the ir heating assembly 26 includes a plurality of vertically stacked , fore - and - aft extending , gas - fired infrared heating elements 118 , which extend the entire length of the coil assembly 92 ; the elements 118 are operable to emit ir energy through the flameless catalytic combustion of natural gas , and to direct such energy toward coils 110 . to this end , the elements 118 are positioned in two separate parallel banks or panels 120 and 122 , which are respectively astride the side margins of the coil assembly 92 and extend from a point adjacent bottom wall 38 into the secondary housing 36 to a point just beneath the headers 88 , 90 ( see fig9 - 10 ). the banks 120 , 122 are supported by a supporting frame 116 and upright frame elements 124 , and a gas line 125 is provided for delivery of natural gas to the elements 118 . the operation of the elements 118 is controlled by appropriate valve and sensor assemblies 126 located adjacent the forward end of housing 22 . exemplary ir heating elements 118 include those available from catalytic industrial group of independence , kansas , and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 557 , 858 and 6 , 003 , 244 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties . it is also within the scope of the present invention to use electrically powered ir heating elements . the heat insulating assembly 28 includes a series of upright heat insulating walls 128 positioned within primary housing 34 on opposite sides of the ir heater banks 120 , 122 . as best illustrated in fig5 , walls 128 are mounted on lower grooved rollers 130 , whereas the upper ends of the walls are held captive by the rectangular beams 64 . accordingly , the individual walls 128 are simply shifted along the lengths of the rails 62 to create essentially solid insulating walls 131 adjacent the outboard faces of the elements 118 making up the banks 120 , 122 . as best seen in fig4 , the walls 131 extend from a point adjacent the forward end of primary housing 34 to the intermediate wall 54 . the spacing between the walls 40 , 42 and the adjacent insulating walls 131 provide open passages or walkways 132 extending from the doors 48 to the intermediate wall 54 ( fig9 ); this allows servicing and repair of the internal components of the heater 20 . the overall assembly 28 further includes insulating structure for the secondary housing 36 , namely side insulating panels 134 located inboard of the side panels 72 , 74 , which extend the full length of the secondary housing . the panels 134 , together with insulated front and rear panels 78 , 80 , thus provide the requisite degree of heat insulation for the secondary housing 36 . the air cooling assembly 30 includes a plurality of lower box - like air inlets 136 which are mounted to the sidewalls 40 , 42 and communicate with the interior of heater 20 through ports 138 ( see fig5 ). the inlets 136 are equipped with shiftable dampers or louvers 140 to facilitate control of air flow to the heater 20 , and thus serve as active air control assemblies . in certain embodiments , inlets 136 serve as the principal air inlet for the space enclosed by housing 22 . in addition , the assembly 30 includes a plurality of upright β mushroom β air outlets 142 secured to top wall 44 along the length of secondary housing 36 . additionally , sidewall vents 144 are provided adjacent the upper ends of the sidewalls 40 , 42 of primary housing 34 . power and control assembly 32 includes a conventional electrical entrance panel 146 located within room 56 and adjacent intermediate wall 54 . thus , the panel 146 may be accessed through door 52 as needed . the assembly also has a junction box 148 mounted adjacent the forward end of heater 20 between the valve / sensor assemblies 126 . the panel 146 houses the control elements and circuitry for the heater 20 , and has one or more programmable digital devices allowing control of the assemblies 24 - 30 during the operation of heater 20 . box 148 can be readily accessed through forward doors 48 . the assembly 32 further has conventional temperature , pressure , and oxygen sensors 143 within the housing 22 , and a resistance temperature detector ( rtd ) 109 coupled with the forward - most coil 110 . in the operation of heater 20 , incoming fluid to be heated is conveyed through pipe assembly 102 to header 88 for passage through the coil inlet pipes 112 and ultimately through the individual coils 110 . to this end , the incoming fluid is delivered to the heater 20 by means of existing line pressure and the flow rate of which is generally uncontrolled . as the fluid passes through the coils 110 , the ir heaters 118 operate to heat the fluid before outward passage thereof from the pipes 114 and header 90 . from this point , the now - heated fluid is delivered to the desired use location for heating of the associated pipeline equipment or the like . also during this heating operation , the air cooling assembly 30 comes into play . that is , operation of the heating elements 118 , which can achieve temperatures well above 500 f , induces air drafts within housing 22 . as best seen in fig1 , such induced air currents 150 are drawn through the inlets 136 and pass upwardly for exit through the vents 86 , mushroom outlets 142 , and side vents 144 . at least a portion of the draft is directed through a passage 145 defined between beams 64 and support frame 147 for insulating panels 134 and into a draft - conducting space 149 formed between heater arrays 120 , 122 and insulated panels 128 . shields 154 are positioned at the upper ends of space 149 to force the air draft to travel downwardly into space 149 . the air moving within space 149 is preheated by heater arrays 120 , 122 prior to entering the heat exchange column 151 in which the coils 110 reside . the lower margin of insulated panels 128 is sealed from walkways 132 outboard of panels 128 causing the induced draft to overcome the natural buoyancy of the warming air in space 149 and pass through passageway 152 into the heat exchange column 151 . in certain embodiments , the air flowing within column 151 and past coils 110 flows in a direction that is opposite to that of the air flowing in draft - conducting space 149 . this air flow can create an environment of convective heat transfer from the fluid flowing through the coils 110 and , if the air flow is too strong , the efficiency of heater 20 is compromised . in order to control the air flow , the louvers 140 , operably coupled with control panel 146 , are adjusted to maintain the proper air flow through the heater 20 . advantageously , the overall control system for the heater 20 comprises , in addition to the controller panel 146 , at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxygen sensor 143 , carbon dioxide sensor , and a pressure transducer installed within the housing 22 and operable to determine a characteristic of the air draft within the housing 22 , in order to open or close the louvers 140 based upon determination of such characteristic ( s ). hence , the heating / cooling operation of heater 20 may be precisely controlled to achieve optimum performance . in certain embodiments , it has been found that the pitch of the convolutions 110 a of the coils 110 can be adjusted in order to further maximize the efficiency of heater 20 . the pitch of these convolutions refers to the lateral spacing between adjacent convolutions . for example , in certain cases , the pitch of the convolutions 110 a is selected to keep all of the convolutions maximally β visible β to the opposed banks 120 , 122 of the elements 118 . | Should this patent be classified under 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Physics'? | 0.25 | 55cd6a7109142218074876e30cecb2a6cd3b6849c62db72b3f739621a2d9061c | 0.004211 | 0.046631 | 0.000315 | 0.011353 | 0.035645 | 0.049561 |
null | turning now to the drawings , a self - contained pipeline heater 20 is illustrated in fig1 and broadly includes a housing 22 , a fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see also , fig7 - 8 ), an infrared heating assembly 26 ( see fig6 and 9 - 10 ), a heat insulating assembly 28 ( see fig4 and 9 ), an air - cooling assembly 30 ( see fig1 ), and a power and control assembly 32 ( see fig6 ). the purpose of heater 20 is to selectively and efficiently heat an incoming fluid ( such as liquid or gaseous petroleum products ) at an appropriate location along the length of a pipeline or the like . the housing 22 generally includes a lower , elongated , substantially rectangular in cross - section primary housing 34 as well as a smaller , upper housing 36 mounted atop the primary housing 34 , and defines an enclosed space therein . although , this configuration presents certain advantages , the scope of the present invention is not limited to this particular design . the overall housing 22 accommodates all of the other assemblies 24 - 32 , as will be described . the primary housing 34 may be constructed using a standard metal shipping container , but this is not essential . in certain embodiments , the primary housing 34 has bottom wall 38 , a pair of laterally spaced apart , upright corrugated sidewalls 40 and 42 , as well as a corrugated top wall 44 having an elongated slot 46 formed therein . the forward end of the primary housing 34 has a pair of double doors 48 and , in like manner , the rearward end thereof has a rear wall 50 and a single , central door 52 . an intermediate upright wall 54 is provided toward the rearward end of the housing and serves to create a rearmost room 56 , which can be accessed via door 52 . the walls 40 - 44 and related structure of the primary housing 34 are supported by conventional frame structure 58 . bottom wall 38 is supported by a series of laterally extending beams 60 . a pair of elongated , laterally spaced apart , somewhat l - shaped rails 62 are affixed to the upper surface of wall 38 and extend from the forward end of the housing 34 to intermediate wall 54 . similarly , a pair of elongated tubular beams 64 are secured to the underside of top wall 44 directly above the rails 62 ( see fig1 ). beams 64 are electrical hazardous location glans and extend through wall 54 . the entire heater 20 is typically mounted above - grade on a series of cylindrical concrete footings 66 . if desired , front and rear concrete entry pads 68 and 70 are provided adjacent the front and rear doors 48 , 52 , as illustrated . the elongated secondary housing 36 is positioned in spanning relationship to the slot 46 of top wall 44 and includes a pair of spaced apart side panels 72 and 74 , insulated top panel 76 , and insulated front and rear end panels 78 and 80 . the front panel 78 has an opening 82 formed therein , whereas top panel 76 has three vent openings 84 . an upright , gabled vent housing 86 is secured to top wall 76 in registry with each vent opening 84 . it will be appreciated that the secondary housing 36 is smaller in volume as compared with primary housing 34 , and has a lesser width , height , and length . advantageously , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in at least one dimension as compared with the primary housing 34 ( e . g ., height ), and preferably in at least two dimensions ( e . g ., height and length or length and width ). most preferably , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in all three dimensions of height , length , and width . the fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see fig7 - 8 ) includes a substantially horizontally oriented fluid inlet conduit or header 88 , a juxtaposed fluid outlet conduit or header 90 , and a depending coil assembly 92 . the headers 88 , 90 include connection flanges 94 , 96 at the forward ends thereof , and are capped by end caps 98 , 100 at their rearward ends . conventional inlet and outlet pipe assemblies 102 , 104 are secured to the headers 88 and 90 by connection to the associated flanges 94 , 96 . the assemblies 102 , 104 are typically capped for transport of the heater 20 to its intended use location by means of caps 106 , 108 , but in use , fluid entry and exit pipelines ( not shown ) are operatively connected to the assemblies 102 , 104 . in this way , the fluid ( s ) to be heated within heater 20 are conveyed to and from the assembly 24 . the coil assembly 92 is made up of a series of separate , elongated , vertically extending coils 110 , each having an inlet pipe 112 coupled with inlet header 88 and a corresponding outlet pipe 114 coupled with outlet header 90 . as illustrated , the piping of each coil 110 has a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the associated headers 88 , 90 , to create a greater surface area for heat transfer . the coils 110 have multiple loops or convolutions 110 a which are oblong in configuration and extend vertically beneath the headers 88 , 90 as separate passes . the assembly 24 is centrally mounted within housing 22 by means of a plurality of support beam 115 ( fig1 ) that span from sidewall 40 to sidewall 42 . moreover , it will be seen that the headers 88 , 90 , and the upper ends of the coil assembly 92 are situated within secondary housing 36 , whereas the main body of the coil assembly 92 is located within the confines of primary housing 34 . the forward ends of the headers 88 and 90 protrude through the opening 82 , as illustrated . the coils 110 may have a number of different configurations , such as those described in u . s . patent publication no . 2015 / 0020918 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the ir heating assembly 26 includes a plurality of vertically stacked , fore - and - aft extending , gas - fired infrared heating elements 118 , which extend the entire length of the coil assembly 92 ; the elements 118 are operable to emit ir energy through the flameless catalytic combustion of natural gas , and to direct such energy toward coils 110 . to this end , the elements 118 are positioned in two separate parallel banks or panels 120 and 122 , which are respectively astride the side margins of the coil assembly 92 and extend from a point adjacent bottom wall 38 into the secondary housing 36 to a point just beneath the headers 88 , 90 ( see fig9 - 10 ). the banks 120 , 122 are supported by a supporting frame 116 and upright frame elements 124 , and a gas line 125 is provided for delivery of natural gas to the elements 118 . the operation of the elements 118 is controlled by appropriate valve and sensor assemblies 126 located adjacent the forward end of housing 22 . exemplary ir heating elements 118 include those available from catalytic industrial group of independence , kansas , and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 557 , 858 and 6 , 003 , 244 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties . it is also within the scope of the present invention to use electrically powered ir heating elements . the heat insulating assembly 28 includes a series of upright heat insulating walls 128 positioned within primary housing 34 on opposite sides of the ir heater banks 120 , 122 . as best illustrated in fig5 , walls 128 are mounted on lower grooved rollers 130 , whereas the upper ends of the walls are held captive by the rectangular beams 64 . accordingly , the individual walls 128 are simply shifted along the lengths of the rails 62 to create essentially solid insulating walls 131 adjacent the outboard faces of the elements 118 making up the banks 120 , 122 . as best seen in fig4 , the walls 131 extend from a point adjacent the forward end of primary housing 34 to the intermediate wall 54 . the spacing between the walls 40 , 42 and the adjacent insulating walls 131 provide open passages or walkways 132 extending from the doors 48 to the intermediate wall 54 ( fig9 ); this allows servicing and repair of the internal components of the heater 20 . the overall assembly 28 further includes insulating structure for the secondary housing 36 , namely side insulating panels 134 located inboard of the side panels 72 , 74 , which extend the full length of the secondary housing . the panels 134 , together with insulated front and rear panels 78 , 80 , thus provide the requisite degree of heat insulation for the secondary housing 36 . the air cooling assembly 30 includes a plurality of lower box - like air inlets 136 which are mounted to the sidewalls 40 , 42 and communicate with the interior of heater 20 through ports 138 ( see fig5 ). the inlets 136 are equipped with shiftable dampers or louvers 140 to facilitate control of air flow to the heater 20 , and thus serve as active air control assemblies . in certain embodiments , inlets 136 serve as the principal air inlet for the space enclosed by housing 22 . in addition , the assembly 30 includes a plurality of upright β mushroom β air outlets 142 secured to top wall 44 along the length of secondary housing 36 . additionally , sidewall vents 144 are provided adjacent the upper ends of the sidewalls 40 , 42 of primary housing 34 . power and control assembly 32 includes a conventional electrical entrance panel 146 located within room 56 and adjacent intermediate wall 54 . thus , the panel 146 may be accessed through door 52 as needed . the assembly also has a junction box 148 mounted adjacent the forward end of heater 20 between the valve / sensor assemblies 126 . the panel 146 houses the control elements and circuitry for the heater 20 , and has one or more programmable digital devices allowing control of the assemblies 24 - 30 during the operation of heater 20 . box 148 can be readily accessed through forward doors 48 . the assembly 32 further has conventional temperature , pressure , and oxygen sensors 143 within the housing 22 , and a resistance temperature detector ( rtd ) 109 coupled with the forward - most coil 110 . in the operation of heater 20 , incoming fluid to be heated is conveyed through pipe assembly 102 to header 88 for passage through the coil inlet pipes 112 and ultimately through the individual coils 110 . to this end , the incoming fluid is delivered to the heater 20 by means of existing line pressure and the flow rate of which is generally uncontrolled . as the fluid passes through the coils 110 , the ir heaters 118 operate to heat the fluid before outward passage thereof from the pipes 114 and header 90 . from this point , the now - heated fluid is delivered to the desired use location for heating of the associated pipeline equipment or the like . also during this heating operation , the air cooling assembly 30 comes into play . that is , operation of the heating elements 118 , which can achieve temperatures well above 500 f , induces air drafts within housing 22 . as best seen in fig1 , such induced air currents 150 are drawn through the inlets 136 and pass upwardly for exit through the vents 86 , mushroom outlets 142 , and side vents 144 . at least a portion of the draft is directed through a passage 145 defined between beams 64 and support frame 147 for insulating panels 134 and into a draft - conducting space 149 formed between heater arrays 120 , 122 and insulated panels 128 . shields 154 are positioned at the upper ends of space 149 to force the air draft to travel downwardly into space 149 . the air moving within space 149 is preheated by heater arrays 120 , 122 prior to entering the heat exchange column 151 in which the coils 110 reside . the lower margin of insulated panels 128 is sealed from walkways 132 outboard of panels 128 causing the induced draft to overcome the natural buoyancy of the warming air in space 149 and pass through passageway 152 into the heat exchange column 151 . in certain embodiments , the air flowing within column 151 and past coils 110 flows in a direction that is opposite to that of the air flowing in draft - conducting space 149 . this air flow can create an environment of convective heat transfer from the fluid flowing through the coils 110 and , if the air flow is too strong , the efficiency of heater 20 is compromised . in order to control the air flow , the louvers 140 , operably coupled with control panel 146 , are adjusted to maintain the proper air flow through the heater 20 . advantageously , the overall control system for the heater 20 comprises , in addition to the controller panel 146 , at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxygen sensor 143 , carbon dioxide sensor , and a pressure transducer installed within the housing 22 and operable to determine a characteristic of the air draft within the housing 22 , in order to open or close the louvers 140 based upon determination of such characteristic ( s ). hence , the heating / cooling operation of heater 20 may be precisely controlled to achieve optimum performance . in certain embodiments , it has been found that the pitch of the convolutions 110 a of the coils 110 can be adjusted in order to further maximize the efficiency of heater 20 . the pitch of these convolutions refers to the lateral spacing between adjacent convolutions . for example , in certain cases , the pitch of the convolutions 110 a is selected to keep all of the convolutions maximally β visible β to the opposed banks 120 , 122 of the elements 118 . | Is 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting' the correct technical category for the patent? | Should this patent be classified under 'Electricity'? | 0.25 | 55cd6a7109142218074876e30cecb2a6cd3b6849c62db72b3f739621a2d9061c | 0.014954 | 0.007568 | 0.001244 | 0.000278 | 0.072754 | 0.000687 |
null | turning now to the drawings , a self - contained pipeline heater 20 is illustrated in fig1 and broadly includes a housing 22 , a fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see also , fig7 - 8 ), an infrared heating assembly 26 ( see fig6 and 9 - 10 ), a heat insulating assembly 28 ( see fig4 and 9 ), an air - cooling assembly 30 ( see fig1 ), and a power and control assembly 32 ( see fig6 ). the purpose of heater 20 is to selectively and efficiently heat an incoming fluid ( such as liquid or gaseous petroleum products ) at an appropriate location along the length of a pipeline or the like . the housing 22 generally includes a lower , elongated , substantially rectangular in cross - section primary housing 34 as well as a smaller , upper housing 36 mounted atop the primary housing 34 , and defines an enclosed space therein . although , this configuration presents certain advantages , the scope of the present invention is not limited to this particular design . the overall housing 22 accommodates all of the other assemblies 24 - 32 , as will be described . the primary housing 34 may be constructed using a standard metal shipping container , but this is not essential . in certain embodiments , the primary housing 34 has bottom wall 38 , a pair of laterally spaced apart , upright corrugated sidewalls 40 and 42 , as well as a corrugated top wall 44 having an elongated slot 46 formed therein . the forward end of the primary housing 34 has a pair of double doors 48 and , in like manner , the rearward end thereof has a rear wall 50 and a single , central door 52 . an intermediate upright wall 54 is provided toward the rearward end of the housing and serves to create a rearmost room 56 , which can be accessed via door 52 . the walls 40 - 44 and related structure of the primary housing 34 are supported by conventional frame structure 58 . bottom wall 38 is supported by a series of laterally extending beams 60 . a pair of elongated , laterally spaced apart , somewhat l - shaped rails 62 are affixed to the upper surface of wall 38 and extend from the forward end of the housing 34 to intermediate wall 54 . similarly , a pair of elongated tubular beams 64 are secured to the underside of top wall 44 directly above the rails 62 ( see fig1 ). beams 64 are electrical hazardous location glans and extend through wall 54 . the entire heater 20 is typically mounted above - grade on a series of cylindrical concrete footings 66 . if desired , front and rear concrete entry pads 68 and 70 are provided adjacent the front and rear doors 48 , 52 , as illustrated . the elongated secondary housing 36 is positioned in spanning relationship to the slot 46 of top wall 44 and includes a pair of spaced apart side panels 72 and 74 , insulated top panel 76 , and insulated front and rear end panels 78 and 80 . the front panel 78 has an opening 82 formed therein , whereas top panel 76 has three vent openings 84 . an upright , gabled vent housing 86 is secured to top wall 76 in registry with each vent opening 84 . it will be appreciated that the secondary housing 36 is smaller in volume as compared with primary housing 34 , and has a lesser width , height , and length . advantageously , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in at least one dimension as compared with the primary housing 34 ( e . g ., height ), and preferably in at least two dimensions ( e . g ., height and length or length and width ). most preferably , the secondary housing 36 is smaller in all three dimensions of height , length , and width . the fluid - conveying assembly 24 ( see fig7 - 8 ) includes a substantially horizontally oriented fluid inlet conduit or header 88 , a juxtaposed fluid outlet conduit or header 90 , and a depending coil assembly 92 . the headers 88 , 90 include connection flanges 94 , 96 at the forward ends thereof , and are capped by end caps 98 , 100 at their rearward ends . conventional inlet and outlet pipe assemblies 102 , 104 are secured to the headers 88 and 90 by connection to the associated flanges 94 , 96 . the assemblies 102 , 104 are typically capped for transport of the heater 20 to its intended use location by means of caps 106 , 108 , but in use , fluid entry and exit pipelines ( not shown ) are operatively connected to the assemblies 102 , 104 . in this way , the fluid ( s ) to be heated within heater 20 are conveyed to and from the assembly 24 . the coil assembly 92 is made up of a series of separate , elongated , vertically extending coils 110 , each having an inlet pipe 112 coupled with inlet header 88 and a corresponding outlet pipe 114 coupled with outlet header 90 . as illustrated , the piping of each coil 110 has a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the associated headers 88 , 90 , to create a greater surface area for heat transfer . the coils 110 have multiple loops or convolutions 110 a which are oblong in configuration and extend vertically beneath the headers 88 , 90 as separate passes . the assembly 24 is centrally mounted within housing 22 by means of a plurality of support beam 115 ( fig1 ) that span from sidewall 40 to sidewall 42 . moreover , it will be seen that the headers 88 , 90 , and the upper ends of the coil assembly 92 are situated within secondary housing 36 , whereas the main body of the coil assembly 92 is located within the confines of primary housing 34 . the forward ends of the headers 88 and 90 protrude through the opening 82 , as illustrated . the coils 110 may have a number of different configurations , such as those described in u . s . patent publication no . 2015 / 0020918 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . the ir heating assembly 26 includes a plurality of vertically stacked , fore - and - aft extending , gas - fired infrared heating elements 118 , which extend the entire length of the coil assembly 92 ; the elements 118 are operable to emit ir energy through the flameless catalytic combustion of natural gas , and to direct such energy toward coils 110 . to this end , the elements 118 are positioned in two separate parallel banks or panels 120 and 122 , which are respectively astride the side margins of the coil assembly 92 and extend from a point adjacent bottom wall 38 into the secondary housing 36 to a point just beneath the headers 88 , 90 ( see fig9 - 10 ). the banks 120 , 122 are supported by a supporting frame 116 and upright frame elements 124 , and a gas line 125 is provided for delivery of natural gas to the elements 118 . the operation of the elements 118 is controlled by appropriate valve and sensor assemblies 126 located adjacent the forward end of housing 22 . exemplary ir heating elements 118 include those available from catalytic industrial group of independence , kansas , and are described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 557 , 858 and 6 , 003 , 244 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties . it is also within the scope of the present invention to use electrically powered ir heating elements . the heat insulating assembly 28 includes a series of upright heat insulating walls 128 positioned within primary housing 34 on opposite sides of the ir heater banks 120 , 122 . as best illustrated in fig5 , walls 128 are mounted on lower grooved rollers 130 , whereas the upper ends of the walls are held captive by the rectangular beams 64 . accordingly , the individual walls 128 are simply shifted along the lengths of the rails 62 to create essentially solid insulating walls 131 adjacent the outboard faces of the elements 118 making up the banks 120 , 122 . as best seen in fig4 , the walls 131 extend from a point adjacent the forward end of primary housing 34 to the intermediate wall 54 . the spacing between the walls 40 , 42 and the adjacent insulating walls 131 provide open passages or walkways 132 extending from the doors 48 to the intermediate wall 54 ( fig9 ); this allows servicing and repair of the internal components of the heater 20 . the overall assembly 28 further includes insulating structure for the secondary housing 36 , namely side insulating panels 134 located inboard of the side panels 72 , 74 , which extend the full length of the secondary housing . the panels 134 , together with insulated front and rear panels 78 , 80 , thus provide the requisite degree of heat insulation for the secondary housing 36 . the air cooling assembly 30 includes a plurality of lower box - like air inlets 136 which are mounted to the sidewalls 40 , 42 and communicate with the interior of heater 20 through ports 138 ( see fig5 ). the inlets 136 are equipped with shiftable dampers or louvers 140 to facilitate control of air flow to the heater 20 , and thus serve as active air control assemblies . in certain embodiments , inlets 136 serve as the principal air inlet for the space enclosed by housing 22 . in addition , the assembly 30 includes a plurality of upright β mushroom β air outlets 142 secured to top wall 44 along the length of secondary housing 36 . additionally , sidewall vents 144 are provided adjacent the upper ends of the sidewalls 40 , 42 of primary housing 34 . power and control assembly 32 includes a conventional electrical entrance panel 146 located within room 56 and adjacent intermediate wall 54 . thus , the panel 146 may be accessed through door 52 as needed . the assembly also has a junction box 148 mounted adjacent the forward end of heater 20 between the valve / sensor assemblies 126 . the panel 146 houses the control elements and circuitry for the heater 20 , and has one or more programmable digital devices allowing control of the assemblies 24 - 30 during the operation of heater 20 . box 148 can be readily accessed through forward doors 48 . the assembly 32 further has conventional temperature , pressure , and oxygen sensors 143 within the housing 22 , and a resistance temperature detector ( rtd ) 109 coupled with the forward - most coil 110 . in the operation of heater 20 , incoming fluid to be heated is conveyed through pipe assembly 102 to header 88 for passage through the coil inlet pipes 112 and ultimately through the individual coils 110 . to this end , the incoming fluid is delivered to the heater 20 by means of existing line pressure and the flow rate of which is generally uncontrolled . as the fluid passes through the coils 110 , the ir heaters 118 operate to heat the fluid before outward passage thereof from the pipes 114 and header 90 . from this point , the now - heated fluid is delivered to the desired use location for heating of the associated pipeline equipment or the like . also during this heating operation , the air cooling assembly 30 comes into play . that is , operation of the heating elements 118 , which can achieve temperatures well above 500 f , induces air drafts within housing 22 . as best seen in fig1 , such induced air currents 150 are drawn through the inlets 136 and pass upwardly for exit through the vents 86 , mushroom outlets 142 , and side vents 144 . at least a portion of the draft is directed through a passage 145 defined between beams 64 and support frame 147 for insulating panels 134 and into a draft - conducting space 149 formed between heater arrays 120 , 122 and insulated panels 128 . shields 154 are positioned at the upper ends of space 149 to force the air draft to travel downwardly into space 149 . the air moving within space 149 is preheated by heater arrays 120 , 122 prior to entering the heat exchange column 151 in which the coils 110 reside . the lower margin of insulated panels 128 is sealed from walkways 132 outboard of panels 128 causing the induced draft to overcome the natural buoyancy of the warming air in space 149 and pass through passageway 152 into the heat exchange column 151 . in certain embodiments , the air flowing within column 151 and past coils 110 flows in a direction that is opposite to that of the air flowing in draft - conducting space 149 . this air flow can create an environment of convective heat transfer from the fluid flowing through the coils 110 and , if the air flow is too strong , the efficiency of heater 20 is compromised . in order to control the air flow , the louvers 140 , operably coupled with control panel 146 , are adjusted to maintain the proper air flow through the heater 20 . advantageously , the overall control system for the heater 20 comprises , in addition to the controller panel 146 , at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oxygen sensor 143 , carbon dioxide sensor , and a pressure transducer installed within the housing 22 and operable to determine a characteristic of the air draft within the housing 22 , in order to open or close the louvers 140 based upon determination of such characteristic ( s ). hence , the heating / cooling operation of heater 20 may be precisely controlled to achieve optimum performance . in certain embodiments , it has been found that the pitch of the convolutions 110 a of the coils 110 can be adjusted in order to further maximize the efficiency of heater 20 . the pitch of these convolutions refers to the lateral spacing between adjacent convolutions . for example , in certain cases , the pitch of the convolutions 110 a is selected to keep all of the convolutions maximally β visible β to the opposed banks 120 , 122 of the elements 118 . | Should this patent be classified under 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | 0.25 | 55cd6a7109142218074876e30cecb2a6cd3b6849c62db72b3f739621a2d9061c | 0.004211 | 0.163086 | 0.000315 | 0.041992 | 0.035645 | 0.117676 |
null | as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a β circuit ,β β module β or β system .β furthermore , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the medium . any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cdrom ), an optical storage device , a transmission media such as those supporting the internet or an intranet , or a magnetic storage device . note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium , upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer - usable program code embodied therewith , either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . the computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc . computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the β c β programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). the present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the present invention relates to identifying a set of data items based on both relevance and diversity . in embodiments of the invention , these data items are selected based on a graph of a larger set of data items , and embodiments of the invention provide a scalable algorithm ( linear with respect to the size of the graph ) that generates a provably near - optimal top - k ranking list . in embodiments of the invention , this algorithm has a clear optimization formulation , finds a provable near - optimal solution , and enjoys linear scalability . table i lists the main symbols used in this description of the invention . in the description below , we consider the most general case of directed , weighted , irreducible unipartite graphs . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . in practice , we store these matrices using an adjacency list representation , since real graphs are often very sparse . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . following the standard notation , we use bold upper - case for matrices ( e . g ., a ), bold lower - case for vectors ( e . g ., a ), and calligraphic fonts for sets ( e . g ., i ). we denote the transpose with a prime ( i . e ., a β² is the transpose of a ). for a bipartite graph with adjacency matrix w , we can convert it to the equivalent uni - partite graph : we use subscripts to denote the size of matrices / vectors ( e . g ., a n Γ n means a matrix of size n Γ n ). when the sizes of matrices / vectors are clear from the context , we omit such subscripts for brevity . also , we represent the elements in a matrix using a convention similar to matlab , e . g ., a ( i , j ) is the element at the i th row and j th column of the matrix a , and a (:, j ) is the j th column of a , etc . with this notation , we can represent a sub - matrix of a as a ( i , i ), which is a block of matrix a that corresponds to the rows / columns of a indexed by the set i . in the description below , we focus on personalized pagerank since it is one of the most fundamental ranking methods on graphs , and has shown its success in many different application domains in the past decade . formally , it can be defined as follows : where p is an n Γ 1 personalized vector ( p ( i )β§ 0 , Ο i = 1 n p ( i )= 1 ). sometimes , we also refer to p as the query vector , c ( 0 & lt ; c & lt ; 1 ) is a damping factor ; a is the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph ( i . e ., Ο j = 1 n a ( i , j )= 1 ( i = 1 , . . . , n ); and r is the n Γ 1 resulting ranking vector . note that if p ( i )= 1 / n ( i = 1 , . . . , n ), it is reduced to the standard pagerank ; if p ( i )= 1 and p ( j )= 0 ( j β i ), the resulting ranking vector r gives the proximity scores from node i to all the other nodes in the graph . in order to simplify the description of our upcoming method , we also introduce matrix b : where 1 1 Γ n is a 1 Γ n row vector with all elements set to 1s . intuitively , the matrix b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix that is biased towards the query vector p . in turns out that the ranking vector r defined in eq . ( 1 ) satisfies r = br . in other words , the ranking vector r is the right eigenvector of the b matrix with the eigenvalue 1 . it can be verified that b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). by perron - frobenius theorem , it can be shown that 1 is the largest ( in module ) simple eigenvalue of the matrix b ; and the ranking vector r is unique with all non - negative elements since the graph is irreducible . aspects of the invention provide ( 1 ) a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity ; and ( 2 ) given the goodness measure , an optimal or near - optimal or near - optimal algorithm to find a top - k ranking list that maximizes such goodness measure in a scalable way . with the above notations and assumptions , these problems can be formally defined as follows : given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and a subset of k nodes s ; output : a goodness score f ( s ) of the subset of nodes s , which measures ( a ) the relevance of each node in s with respect to the query vector p , and ( v ) the diversity among all the nodes in the subset s . given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and the budget k ; find : a subset of k nodes s that maximizes the goodness measure f ( s ). an aspect of an embodiment of the invention is to define a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity . we first discuss some design objective of such a goodness measure ; and then present a solution followed by some theoretical analysis and discussions . as said before , a good diversified top - k ranking list should balance between the relevance and the diversity . the notion of relevance is clear for personalized pagerank ,β larger value in the ranking vector r means more relevant with respect to the query vector p . on the other hand , the notion of diversity is more challenging . intuitively , a diversified subset of nodes should be dis - similar with each other . take the query β find the top - k conferences for dr . y . from the author - conference network β as an example . dr . y yu is a professor at a university , and his recent major research interest lies in databases and data mining . he also has broad interests in several related domains , including systems , parallel and distributed processing , web applications , and performance modeling , etc . a top - k ranking list for this query would have high relevance if it consists of all the conferences from databases and data mining community ( e . g ., sigmod , vldb , kdd , etc .) since all these conferences are closely related to his major research interest . however , such a list has low diversity since these conferences are too similar with each other ( e . g ., having a large overlap of contributing authors , etc .). therefore , if we replace a few databases and data mining conferences by some representative conferences in his other research domains ( e . g ., icdcs for distributed computing systems , www for web applications , etc . ), it would make the whole ranking list more diverse ( e . g ., the conferences in the list are more dis - similar to each other ). furthermore , if we go through the ranking list from top down , we would like to see the most relevant conferences appear first in the ranking list . for example , a ranking list in the order of β sigmod β, β icdcs β, β www β is better than β icdcs β, β www β, β sigmod β since databases ( sigmod ) is a more relevant research interest for dr . y , compared with distributed computing systems ( icdcs ), or web applications ( www ). in this way , the user can capture dr . y &# 39 ; s main research interest by just inspecting a few top - ranked conferences / nodes . this suggests the so - called diminishing returns property of the goodness measure β it would help the user to know better about dr . y &# 39 ; s whole research interest if we return more conferences / nodes in the ranking list ; but the marginal benefit becomes smaller and smaller as we go down the ranking list . another implicit design objective lies in the algorithmic aspect . the proposed goodness measure should also allow us to develop an effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or at least near - optimal ) top - k ranking list from large graphs . to summarize , for a given top - k ranking list , we aim to provide a single goodness score that ( 1 ) measures the relevance between each individual node in the list and the query vector p ; ( 2 ) measures the similarity ( or dis - similarity ) among all the nodes in the ranking list ; ( 3 ) exhibits some diminishing returns property with respect to the size of the ranking list ; and ( 4 ) enables some effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or near - optimal ) top - k ranking list . let a be the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph , b be the matrix defined in eq ( 2 ), p be the personalized vector and r be the ranking vector . for a given ranking list s ( i . e ., s gives the indices of the nodes in the ranking list ; and | s |= k ), a goodness measure in an embodiment of the invention is formally defined as follows : we can also represent f ( s ) by using the matrix a instead : f β‘ ( s ) = 2 β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( i ) - c β’ β i , j β β’ s β’ β’ a β‘ ( j , i ) β’ r β‘ ( j ) - ( 1 - c ) β’ β j β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( j ) β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ p β‘ ( i ) where c is the damping factor in personalized pagerank , and 1 1 Γ| s | is a row vector of length | s | with all the elements set to 1s . it can be shown that it is equivalent to eq . ( 3 ). notice that the goodness measure in eq . ( 3 ) is independent of the ordering of the different nodes in the subset s . if we simply change the ordering of the nodes for the same subset s , it does not affect the goodness score . however , as discussed below , we can still output an ordered subset based on the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking a diverse top - k ranking list . let us analyze how the proposed goodness measure of eq . ( 3 ) meets the design objective discussed above . there are two terms in eq . ( 3 ), the first term is twice the sum of the ranking scores in the ranking list . for the second term , recall that b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix with respect to the query vector p , where b ( i , j ) indicates the similarity ( i . e ., the strength of the connection ) between nodes i and j . in other words , the second term in eq . ( 3 ) is the sum of all the similarity scores between any two nodes i , j ( i , j β s ) in the ranking list ( weighted by r ( j )). therefore , the proposed goodness measure captures both the relevance and the diversity . the more relevant ( higher r ( i )) each individual node is , the higher the goodness measure f ( s ). at the same time , it encourages the diversity within the ranking list by penalizing the ( weighted ) similarity between any two nodes in s . the measure f ( s ) of eq . ( 3 ) also exhibits the diminishing returns property , which is summarized in theorem 1 below . the intuitions of theorem 1 are as follows : ( 1 ) by p1 , it means that the utility of an empty ranking list is always zero ; ( 2 ) by p2 , if we add more nodes into the ranking list , the overall utility of the ranking list does not decrease ; and ( 3 ) by p3 , the marginal utility of adding new nodes is relatively small if we already have a large ranking list . theorem 1 . diminishing returns property of f ( s ). let Ο be an empty set , i , j , r be three sets s . t ., i β j , and r β© j = Ο . the following facts hold for f ( s ): proof of p1 . it is obviously held by the definition of f ( s ). proof of p2 . let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 3 ) into f ( j )β f ( i ) and canceling the common terms , we have recall that the matrix b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). the first half of eq . ( 4 ) satisfies the last equality in eq . ( 6 ) is due to the fact that r = br , and each element is r is non - negative . putting eq . ( 4 )-( 6 ) together , we have that f ( j )β§ f ( i ), which completes the proof of p2 . proof of p3 . again , let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 4 ) into ( f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i ))β( f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j )) and canceling the common terms , we have therefore , we have that f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i )β§ f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j ), which completes the proof of p3 . in eq . ( 3 ), the coefficient β 2 β balances between the relevance ( the first term ) and the diversity ( the second term ). if we change the coefficient β 2 β to a parameter w , we have the following generalized goodness measure : we have the following corollary for this generalized goodness measure . it says that as long as the weight w β§ 2 , the generalized goodness measure g ( s ) still exhibits the diminishing returns property . this gives our method extra flexibility if the user wants to put more emphasis on relevance for some applications . corollary 2 . generalized goodness measure . let Ο be an empty set : i , j , r be three sets s . t . i β j , and r β© j = Ο . for any w β§ 2 , the following facts hold for g ( s ): p3 : g ( s ) is submodular , i . e ., g ( βͺ )β g ( )β§ g ( βͺ )β g ( ). in this section , we address problem 2 . here , given the initial query vector p and the budget k , we want to find a subset of k nodes that maximizes the goodness measure defined in eq . ( 3 ). we would like to point out that although we focus on eq . ( 3 ) for the sake of simplicity , the proposed algorithm can be easily generalized to eq . ( 7 ) where the user wants to specify the weight w for the relevance . problem 2 is essentially a subset selection problem to find the optimal k nodes that maximize eq . ( 3 ). theorem 1 indicates that it is not easy to find the exact optimal solution of problem 2 β it is np - hard to maximize a monotonic submodular function if the function value is 0 for an empty set . for instance , a straight - forward method would take exponential enumerations to find the exact optimal k nodes , which is not feasible in computation even for a medium size graph ( e . g ., with a few hundred nodes ). we can also formulate problem 2 as a binary indicator vector ( x ( i )= 1 means node i is selected in the subset s , and 0 means it is not selected ). problem 2 can be expressed as the following binary quadratic programming problem : β’ subject β’ β’ to β’ : β’ β’ x β‘ ( i ) β { 0 , 1 } β’ ( i = 1 , β¦ β’ β’ n ) β’ β’ β i = 1 n β’ x β‘ ( i ) = k ( 8 ) where d =( b β 2i n Γ n ) diag ( r ), i n Γ n is an identity matrix of size n Γ n , and diag ( r ) is a diagonal matrix with r ( i , i )( i = 1 , . . . , n ) being the diagonal elements . fig1 ( a ) shows an algorithm used in an embodiment of the invention , and fig1 ( b ) illustrates the operation of this algorithm . with reference to fig1 ( a ), in step 1 of the algorithm , we compute the ranking vector r ( e . g ., by the power method , etc .) then after some initializations ( steps 2 - 5 ), we select k nodes one - by - one as follows . at each time , we compute the score vector s in step 7 . then , we select one node with the highest score in the vector s and add it to the subset s ( steps 8 - 9 ). after that , we use the selected node to update the two reference vectors u and v ( steps 10 - 11 ). note that β{ circle around ( x )}β denotes the element - wise product between two matrices / vectors . intuitively , the score vector s keeps the marginal contribution of each node for the goodness measure given the current selected subset s . from step 7 , it can be seen that at each iteration , the values of such marginal contribution either remain unchanged or decrease . this is consistent with p3 of theorem 1 β as there are more and more nodes in the subset s , the marginal contribution of each node is monotonically non - increasing . it is worth pointing out that we use the original normalized adjacency matrix a , instead of the matrix b in alg . 1 . this is because for many real graphs , the matrix a is often very sparse , whereas the matrix b might not be . to see this , notice that b is a full matrix if p is uniform . in the case b is dense , it is not efficient in either time or space to use b in alg . 1 . in alg . 1 , although we try to optimize a goodness measure that is not affected by the ordering of different nodes in the subset , we can still output an ordered list to the user based on the iteration in which these nodes are selected β earlier selected nodes in alg . 1 are placed at the top of the resulting top - k ranking list . this ordering naturally meets the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking for a diverse top - k ranking list as we analyzed above . in the discussion below , we analyze the optimality as well as the complexity of algorithm 1 . this discussion shows that this algorithm leads to a near - optimal solution , and at the same time it enjoys linear scalability in both time and space . the optimality of algorithm 1 is given in lemma 1 , below . according to this lemma , this algorithm is near - optimal β its solution is within a fixed fraction ( 1 β 1 / e β 0 . 63 ) from the global optimal one . given the hardness of problem 2 , such near - optimality is acceptable in terms of optimization quality . lemma 1 . near - optimality let s be the subset found by alg . 1 : | s |= k ; and s *= argmax | s |= k f ( s ). we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), where e is the base of the natural logarithm . proof . let t be the subset found at the end of the t th ( t = 1 , . . . , k β 1 ) iteration of alg . 1 . at step 7 of the ( t + 1 ) th iteration , for any node i β t , we have that for any node i β t , plugging eq . ( 3 ) into f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ) and canceling the common terms , we have that therefore , we have that s ( i )= f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ). in other words , at step 8 of each iteration of alg . 1 , we always select a node with the highest marginal increase of the goodness measure . by theorem 1 , the goodness measure f ( s ) is a non - decreasing submodular function with f ( Ο )= 0 . according to a . krause and c . guestrin , beyond convexity β submodularity in machine learning , ( in icml , 2008 ), we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), which completes the proof . the time complexity of the proposed dragon is given in lemma 2 . according to lemma 2 , our dragon has linear time complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is scalable to large graphs in terms of computational time . lemma 2 . time complexity . the time complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + nk ). we would like to point out that the alg . 1 can be further sped up . firstly , notice that the o ( m ) term in lemma 2 comes from computing the ranking vector r ( step 1 ) by the most commonly used power method . there are a lot of fast methods for computing r , either by effective approximation or by parallelism . these methods can be naturally plugged in alg . 1 , which might lead to further computational savings . secondly , the o ( nk ) term in lemma 2 comes from the greedy selection step in steps 6 - 12 . thanks to the monotonicity of f ( s ) as we show in theorem 1 , we can use the similar lazy evaluation strategy as j . leskovee , a . krasue , c . guestrin , c . faloutsos , j . m . vanbriesen , and n . s . glace , cost - effective outbreak detection in networks , ( in kdd , pages 420 - 429 , 2007 ), to speed up this process , without sacrificing the optimization quality . the space complexity of alg . 1 is given in lemma 3 . according to lemma 3 , alg . 1 has linear space complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is also scalable to large graphs in terms of space cost . lemma 3 . space complexity . the space complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + n + k ). in the discussion below , we provide empirical evaluations for algorithm 1 . these evaluations mainly focus on ( 1 ) the effectiveness and ( 2 ) the efficiency of algorithm 1 . we use the dblp publication data to construct a co - authorship network , where each node is an author and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers between the two corresponding persons . overall , we have n β 418 , 236 nodes and m = 2 , 753 , 798 edges . we also construct much smaller co - authorship networks , using the authors from only one conference ( e . g ., kdd , sigir , sigmod , etc .). for example , kd is the co - authorship network for the authors in the β kdd β conference . these smaller co - authorship networks typically have a few thousand nodes and up to a few tens of thousands edges . we also construct the co - authorship networks , using the authors from multiple conferences ( e . g ., kdd - sigir ). for these graphs , we denote them as sub ( n , m ), where n and m are the numbers of nodes and edges in the graph , respectively . there is a damping factor c to compute the personalized pagerank , which is set to be c = 0 . 99 . in the discussion herein , we use the power method to compute the pagerank . we adopt the same stopping criteria as [ h . tong , c . faloutsos , and j .- y . pan , fast random walk with restart and its applications . in icdm , pages 613 - 622 , 2006 . ]: either the l 1 difference of the ranking vectors between two consecutive iterations is less than a pre - defined threshold ( 10 β 9 ), or the maximum number of iteration steps ( 80 ) is reached . there are no additional parameters in alg . 1 . for the remaining parameters of those comparative methods , they are set as in their original papers , respectively . for the computational cost and scalability , we report the wall - clock time . all the experiments ran on the same machine with four 2 . 5 ghz amd cpus and 48 gb memory , running linux ( 2 . 6 kernel ). for all the quantitative results , we randomly generate a query vector p and feed it into different methods for a top - k ranking list with the same length . we repeat it 100 times and report the average . there does not appear to be any universally accepted measure for diversity . in [ q . mei , j . guo , and d . r . radev , divrank : the interplay of prestige and diversity in information networks . in kdd , pages 1009 - 1018 , 2010 . ], the authors suggested an intuitive notion based on the density of the induced subgraph from the original graph a by the subset s . the intuition is as follows : the lower the density ( i . e ., the less 1 - step neighbors ) of the induced subgraph , the more diverse the subset s . here , we generalize this notion to the t - step graph in order to also take into account the effect of those in - direct neighbors . let sign (.) be a binary function operated element - wise on a matrix , i . e ., y = sign ( x ), where y is a matrix of the same size as x , y ( i , j )= 1 if x ( i , j )& gt ; 0 , y ( i , j )= 0 otherwise . we define the t - step connectivity matrix c t as c t = sign ( Ο i = 1 t a i ). that is , c t ( i , j )= 1 ( 0 ) means that node i can ( cannot ) reach node j on the graph a within t - steps / hops . with this c t matrix , we define the diversity of a given subset s s eq . ( 12 ). here , the value of div ( t ) is always between 0 . 5 and 1 β higher means more diverse . if all the nodes in s are reachable from each other within t - steps , we say that the subset s is the least diverse ( div ( t )= 0 . 5 ). on the other extreme , if all the nodes in s cannot reach each other within t - steps , the subset s is the most diverse ( div ( t )β 1 ). for the task of top - k ranking , the notion of diversity alone , though important , might not be enough for the information need . for example , if we simply randomly select k nodes as the top - k ranking list , these k nodes might not be connected with each other at all given that the length of the ranking list k is usually much smaller than the number of nodes n in the graph . therefore , it has a high diversity . however , it is unlikely that such a ranking list can well fit the user &# 39 ; s information need since each of them might have very low relevance score . in other words , a diversified top - k ranking list should also have high relevance . that said , we will mainly focus on evaluating how different methods balance between the diversity and the relevance . notice that the relevance score for each individual node is often very small on large graphs ( since the l 1 norm of the ranking vector is 1 ). to make the two quantities ( diversity vs . relevance ) comparable with each other , we need to normalize the relevance scores . let Ε be the top - k ranking list by the original personalized pagerank , we define the normalized relevance score for a given subset s (| s |= k ) s eq . ( 13 ). since the personalized pagerank always gives the k most relevant nodes , the rel defined in eq . ( 13 ) is always between 0 and 1 β higher means more relevant . let us start with an illustrative example to gain some visual intuitions . in fig2 , we show a fictitious co - authorship network 20 , where each node corresponds to an author ( e . g ., john , smith , etc . ), and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers . there are three communities in this network ( e . g ., dm , db and ir ). from fig2 , we can see that node 1 has very strong connections to the dm community . in other words , sm might be his / her major research interest . in addition , s / he also has some connections to the ir and db communities . given the budget k = 3 , personalized pagerank returns all the three nodes ( nodes 2 , 3 and 5 ) form dm community which is consistent with the intuition since personalized pagerank solely focuses on the relevance . in contrast , alg . 1 returns nodes 2 , 6 and 10 , each of which is still relevant enough to the query node 1 . at the same time , they are diversified from each other , covering the whole spectrum of his / her research interest ( dm db , and ir ). we also conduct case studies on real graphs . we construct a co - authorship networks from sigir ( the major conference on information retrieval ) and icml ( the major conference on machine learning ). we issue a query to find the top - 10 co - authors for prof . yy . the results are shown in table iii . we compare it with the original personalized pagerank . yy is a professor , and she has broad interest in information retrieval and machine learning . from fig2 , we have the following observations . firstly , both alg . 1 and personalized pagerank share the same authors for the top - 3 returned authors , indicating that alg . 1 also captures those highly relevant authors with respect to the querying author . secondly , alg . 1 returns a more diverse list of authors . for example , although ex 7 is not a co - author of yy , they share a lot of research interest in information retrieval , and have a lot of indirect connections through other ir people . in contrast , the existence of some authors in the ranking list by personalized pagerank is somehow redundant , in terms of helping the user to understand prof . yy &# 39 ; s whole collaboration network . for example , consider prof . agh . although , he has a lot of co - authored papers with yy , they are also co - authored with rv . therefore , given that jz and rj are already in the ranking list , his existence does not provide much marginal information about yy &# 39 ; s collaboration network . as a quantitative indicator , the average degree of induced subgraph by alg . 1 is only 2 . 8 , which is much lower ( i . e ., more diverse ) than that by personalized pagerank . finally , notice that for some authors , although they show up in both lists , their positions in the ranking list are different . for example , jyn shows at the 4 th and the 8 th positions in the two ranking lists , respectively . this is because jyn makes the top - 4 authors more diverse compared with thp , although its individual relevance score is lower than the latter . we compare alg . 1 with arw and rrw , both of which also aim to improve the diversity of personalized pagerank . we skip the comparison with mmr for brevity since it has been shown that its performance is not as good as rrw for the graph - type data . for rrw , it has two variants based on different approximation methods it actually uses : the one based on the cumulative estimation ( referred to as β rrw - a β) and the other one based on the pointwise estimation ( referred to as β rrw - b β). first , let us compare how different methods balance between the relevance and the diversity . fig3 shows the results on the nips co - authorship network . we test with different budgets ( k = 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 100 ). in fig3 ( a ), div ( 1 ) means that we only consider 1 - step neighbors to measure the diversity ( i . e ., setting t = 1 in eq . ( 12 )). in fig3 ( b ), div ( 2 ) means that we consider both 1 - step and 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., setting t = 2 in eq . ( 12 )). we only present the results by rrw - a since rrw - b gives similar results . from fig3 , we can see that all the three methods are effective to improve the diversity . the alg . 1 achieves a better balance between the relevance and the diversity . for arw , although it gives the highest diversity score , its ( normalized ) relevance score is too low β only about half of the other two methods . this is because in arw , only the first node is selected according to the relevance ; and all the remaining ( k β 1 ) are selected by diversity . as for rrw - a , both its relevance and diversity scores are lower than alg . 1 . it is interesting to notice from fig3 ( b ) that the diversity of rrw - a drops a lot when it is measured by within 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., div ( 2 )). this is consistent with the intuition of rrw . in rrw ( both rrw - a and rrw - b ), it achieves the diversity by encouraging 1 - step neighboring nodes to compete with each other . consequently , the density of its within 1 - step induced subgraph might be low ( i . e ., high diversity ), but it is not necessarily the case for the within t - step ( t β§ 2 ) induced subgraph . in order to test how the overall performance of different methods varies across different data sets , we take the average between relevance and diversity scores . the results are presented in fig4 ( a )- 4 ( d ), using four different co - authorship networks ( sigmod , nips , sigir , siggraph ). for the space limitation , we omit the results when the diversity is measured by within 1 - steps neighbors , which is similar as the results by within 2 - steps neighbors . it can be seen that alg . 1 consistently performs the best . in the discussion below , we evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of algorithm 1 in terms of maximizing the goodness measure f ( s ). we compare it with the exponential enumeration and the binary quadratic programming methods discussed above . we also compare it with two other heuristics . the first method ( referred to as β heuristic1 β) starts with generating a candidate pool ( e . g ., the top 10 Γ k most relevant nodes ), picks one seed node , and then repeatedly adds the most dis - similar ( measured by a ) node into the ranking list from the candidate pool . the second method ( referred to as β heuristic2 β) also starts with generating a candidate pool , puts all the nodes from candidate pool in the list , and then repeatedly drops a most similar ( measured by a ) node from the list . first , let us evaluate how the different methods balance between the optimization quality ( measured by f ( s ) and the speed ( measured by wall - clock time ). fig5 shows the results from the co - authorship network of nips and kdd conferences with the budget k = 20 , where f ( s ) is normalized by the highest one among different methods . it can be seen that alg . 1 is the best β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s )) with the least amount of wall - clock time . notice that the y - axis is in logarithm scale . we also conducted experiments on the co - authorship network constructed from multiple conferences . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) show the results on these data sets with the budget k = 20 . here sub ( n , m ) means a co - authorship network with n nodes and m edges . we stop the program if it takes more than 100 , 000 seconds ( i . e ., more than 1 - days ). in fig6 ( a ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d and 60 e respectively . in fig6 ( b ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 62 a , 62 b , 62 c , 62 d and 62 e respectively . it can be seen from fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) that alg . 1 is consistently best across all the different data sets β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s ) for β lin - qp β is missing for sub ( 24k , 114k ) because it fails to finish within 100 , 000 seconds . this indicates that it is not feasible for large graphs . for the smaller graphs , β lin - qp β leads to slightly lower f ( s ) than alg . 1 ; but it requires 3 - 5 orders of magnitude wall - clock time . for all the other comparative methods , they lead to worse optimization quality with longer wall - clock time . we also evaluate the scalability of alg . 1 . when we evaluate the scalability with respect to the number of the nodes in the graph , we fix the number of edges and vice versa . the results in fig7 ( a ) and 7 ( b ) are consistent with the complexity analysis discussed above β alg . 1 scales linearly with respect to both n and m , which means that it is suitable for large graphs . a computer - based system 100 in which embodiments of the invention may be carried out is depicted in fig8 . the computer - based system 100 includes a processing unit 110 , which houses a processor , memory and other systems components ( not shown expressly in the drawing ) that implement a general purpose processing system , or computer that may execute a computer program product . the computer program product may comprise media , for example a compact storage medium such as a compact disc , which may be read by the processing unit 110 through a disc drive 120 , or by any means known to the skilled artisan for providing the computer program product to the general purpose processing system for execution thereby . the computer program product may comprise all the respective features enabling the implementation of the inventive method described herein , and which β when loaded in a computer system β is able to carry out the method . computer program , software program , program , or software , in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . the computer program product may be stored on hard disk drives within processing unit 110 , as mentioned , or may be located on a remote system such as a server 130 , coupled to processing unit 110 , via a network interface such as an ethernet interface . monitor 140 , mouse 150 and keyboard 160 are coupled to the processing unit 110 , to provide user interaction . scanner 180 and printer 170 are provided for document input and output . printer 170 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 via a network connection , but may be coupled directly to the processing unit . scanner 180 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 directly , but it should be understood that peripherals might be network coupled , or direct coupled without affecting the performance of the processing unit 110 . while it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objectives discussed above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Physics'? | Is 'Human Necessities' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 98872eeca68982e03818c82079349395f13437d02a5c0d26546df533cb0fd7f8 | 0.075684 | 0.043457 | 0.005066 | 0.005219 | 0.117676 | 0.02478 |
null | as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a β circuit ,β β module β or β system .β furthermore , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the medium . any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cdrom ), an optical storage device , a transmission media such as those supporting the internet or an intranet , or a magnetic storage device . note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium , upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer - usable program code embodied therewith , either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . the computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc . computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the β c β programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). the present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the present invention relates to identifying a set of data items based on both relevance and diversity . in embodiments of the invention , these data items are selected based on a graph of a larger set of data items , and embodiments of the invention provide a scalable algorithm ( linear with respect to the size of the graph ) that generates a provably near - optimal top - k ranking list . in embodiments of the invention , this algorithm has a clear optimization formulation , finds a provable near - optimal solution , and enjoys linear scalability . table i lists the main symbols used in this description of the invention . in the description below , we consider the most general case of directed , weighted , irreducible unipartite graphs . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . in practice , we store these matrices using an adjacency list representation , since real graphs are often very sparse . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . following the standard notation , we use bold upper - case for matrices ( e . g ., a ), bold lower - case for vectors ( e . g ., a ), and calligraphic fonts for sets ( e . g ., i ). we denote the transpose with a prime ( i . e ., a β² is the transpose of a ). for a bipartite graph with adjacency matrix w , we can convert it to the equivalent uni - partite graph : we use subscripts to denote the size of matrices / vectors ( e . g ., a n Γ n means a matrix of size n Γ n ). when the sizes of matrices / vectors are clear from the context , we omit such subscripts for brevity . also , we represent the elements in a matrix using a convention similar to matlab , e . g ., a ( i , j ) is the element at the i th row and j th column of the matrix a , and a (:, j ) is the j th column of a , etc . with this notation , we can represent a sub - matrix of a as a ( i , i ), which is a block of matrix a that corresponds to the rows / columns of a indexed by the set i . in the description below , we focus on personalized pagerank since it is one of the most fundamental ranking methods on graphs , and has shown its success in many different application domains in the past decade . formally , it can be defined as follows : where p is an n Γ 1 personalized vector ( p ( i )β§ 0 , Ο i = 1 n p ( i )= 1 ). sometimes , we also refer to p as the query vector , c ( 0 & lt ; c & lt ; 1 ) is a damping factor ; a is the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph ( i . e ., Ο j = 1 n a ( i , j )= 1 ( i = 1 , . . . , n ); and r is the n Γ 1 resulting ranking vector . note that if p ( i )= 1 / n ( i = 1 , . . . , n ), it is reduced to the standard pagerank ; if p ( i )= 1 and p ( j )= 0 ( j β i ), the resulting ranking vector r gives the proximity scores from node i to all the other nodes in the graph . in order to simplify the description of our upcoming method , we also introduce matrix b : where 1 1 Γ n is a 1 Γ n row vector with all elements set to 1s . intuitively , the matrix b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix that is biased towards the query vector p . in turns out that the ranking vector r defined in eq . ( 1 ) satisfies r = br . in other words , the ranking vector r is the right eigenvector of the b matrix with the eigenvalue 1 . it can be verified that b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). by perron - frobenius theorem , it can be shown that 1 is the largest ( in module ) simple eigenvalue of the matrix b ; and the ranking vector r is unique with all non - negative elements since the graph is irreducible . aspects of the invention provide ( 1 ) a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity ; and ( 2 ) given the goodness measure , an optimal or near - optimal or near - optimal algorithm to find a top - k ranking list that maximizes such goodness measure in a scalable way . with the above notations and assumptions , these problems can be formally defined as follows : given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and a subset of k nodes s ; output : a goodness score f ( s ) of the subset of nodes s , which measures ( a ) the relevance of each node in s with respect to the query vector p , and ( v ) the diversity among all the nodes in the subset s . given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and the budget k ; find : a subset of k nodes s that maximizes the goodness measure f ( s ). an aspect of an embodiment of the invention is to define a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity . we first discuss some design objective of such a goodness measure ; and then present a solution followed by some theoretical analysis and discussions . as said before , a good diversified top - k ranking list should balance between the relevance and the diversity . the notion of relevance is clear for personalized pagerank ,β larger value in the ranking vector r means more relevant with respect to the query vector p . on the other hand , the notion of diversity is more challenging . intuitively , a diversified subset of nodes should be dis - similar with each other . take the query β find the top - k conferences for dr . y . from the author - conference network β as an example . dr . y yu is a professor at a university , and his recent major research interest lies in databases and data mining . he also has broad interests in several related domains , including systems , parallel and distributed processing , web applications , and performance modeling , etc . a top - k ranking list for this query would have high relevance if it consists of all the conferences from databases and data mining community ( e . g ., sigmod , vldb , kdd , etc .) since all these conferences are closely related to his major research interest . however , such a list has low diversity since these conferences are too similar with each other ( e . g ., having a large overlap of contributing authors , etc .). therefore , if we replace a few databases and data mining conferences by some representative conferences in his other research domains ( e . g ., icdcs for distributed computing systems , www for web applications , etc . ), it would make the whole ranking list more diverse ( e . g ., the conferences in the list are more dis - similar to each other ). furthermore , if we go through the ranking list from top down , we would like to see the most relevant conferences appear first in the ranking list . for example , a ranking list in the order of β sigmod β, β icdcs β, β www β is better than β icdcs β, β www β, β sigmod β since databases ( sigmod ) is a more relevant research interest for dr . y , compared with distributed computing systems ( icdcs ), or web applications ( www ). in this way , the user can capture dr . y &# 39 ; s main research interest by just inspecting a few top - ranked conferences / nodes . this suggests the so - called diminishing returns property of the goodness measure β it would help the user to know better about dr . y &# 39 ; s whole research interest if we return more conferences / nodes in the ranking list ; but the marginal benefit becomes smaller and smaller as we go down the ranking list . another implicit design objective lies in the algorithmic aspect . the proposed goodness measure should also allow us to develop an effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or at least near - optimal ) top - k ranking list from large graphs . to summarize , for a given top - k ranking list , we aim to provide a single goodness score that ( 1 ) measures the relevance between each individual node in the list and the query vector p ; ( 2 ) measures the similarity ( or dis - similarity ) among all the nodes in the ranking list ; ( 3 ) exhibits some diminishing returns property with respect to the size of the ranking list ; and ( 4 ) enables some effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or near - optimal ) top - k ranking list . let a be the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph , b be the matrix defined in eq ( 2 ), p be the personalized vector and r be the ranking vector . for a given ranking list s ( i . e ., s gives the indices of the nodes in the ranking list ; and | s |= k ), a goodness measure in an embodiment of the invention is formally defined as follows : we can also represent f ( s ) by using the matrix a instead : f β‘ ( s ) = 2 β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( i ) - c β’ β i , j β β’ s β’ β’ a β‘ ( j , i ) β’ r β‘ ( j ) - ( 1 - c ) β’ β j β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( j ) β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ p β‘ ( i ) where c is the damping factor in personalized pagerank , and 1 1 Γ| s | is a row vector of length | s | with all the elements set to 1s . it can be shown that it is equivalent to eq . ( 3 ). notice that the goodness measure in eq . ( 3 ) is independent of the ordering of the different nodes in the subset s . if we simply change the ordering of the nodes for the same subset s , it does not affect the goodness score . however , as discussed below , we can still output an ordered subset based on the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking a diverse top - k ranking list . let us analyze how the proposed goodness measure of eq . ( 3 ) meets the design objective discussed above . there are two terms in eq . ( 3 ), the first term is twice the sum of the ranking scores in the ranking list . for the second term , recall that b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix with respect to the query vector p , where b ( i , j ) indicates the similarity ( i . e ., the strength of the connection ) between nodes i and j . in other words , the second term in eq . ( 3 ) is the sum of all the similarity scores between any two nodes i , j ( i , j β s ) in the ranking list ( weighted by r ( j )). therefore , the proposed goodness measure captures both the relevance and the diversity . the more relevant ( higher r ( i )) each individual node is , the higher the goodness measure f ( s ). at the same time , it encourages the diversity within the ranking list by penalizing the ( weighted ) similarity between any two nodes in s . the measure f ( s ) of eq . ( 3 ) also exhibits the diminishing returns property , which is summarized in theorem 1 below . the intuitions of theorem 1 are as follows : ( 1 ) by p1 , it means that the utility of an empty ranking list is always zero ; ( 2 ) by p2 , if we add more nodes into the ranking list , the overall utility of the ranking list does not decrease ; and ( 3 ) by p3 , the marginal utility of adding new nodes is relatively small if we already have a large ranking list . theorem 1 . diminishing returns property of f ( s ). let Ο be an empty set , i , j , r be three sets s . t ., i β j , and r β© j = Ο . the following facts hold for f ( s ): proof of p1 . it is obviously held by the definition of f ( s ). proof of p2 . let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 3 ) into f ( j )β f ( i ) and canceling the common terms , we have recall that the matrix b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). the first half of eq . ( 4 ) satisfies the last equality in eq . ( 6 ) is due to the fact that r = br , and each element is r is non - negative . putting eq . ( 4 )-( 6 ) together , we have that f ( j )β§ f ( i ), which completes the proof of p2 . proof of p3 . again , let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 4 ) into ( f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i ))β( f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j )) and canceling the common terms , we have therefore , we have that f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i )β§ f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j ), which completes the proof of p3 . in eq . ( 3 ), the coefficient β 2 β balances between the relevance ( the first term ) and the diversity ( the second term ). if we change the coefficient β 2 β to a parameter w , we have the following generalized goodness measure : we have the following corollary for this generalized goodness measure . it says that as long as the weight w β§ 2 , the generalized goodness measure g ( s ) still exhibits the diminishing returns property . this gives our method extra flexibility if the user wants to put more emphasis on relevance for some applications . corollary 2 . generalized goodness measure . let Ο be an empty set : i , j , r be three sets s . t . i β j , and r β© j = Ο . for any w β§ 2 , the following facts hold for g ( s ): p3 : g ( s ) is submodular , i . e ., g ( βͺ )β g ( )β§ g ( βͺ )β g ( ). in this section , we address problem 2 . here , given the initial query vector p and the budget k , we want to find a subset of k nodes that maximizes the goodness measure defined in eq . ( 3 ). we would like to point out that although we focus on eq . ( 3 ) for the sake of simplicity , the proposed algorithm can be easily generalized to eq . ( 7 ) where the user wants to specify the weight w for the relevance . problem 2 is essentially a subset selection problem to find the optimal k nodes that maximize eq . ( 3 ). theorem 1 indicates that it is not easy to find the exact optimal solution of problem 2 β it is np - hard to maximize a monotonic submodular function if the function value is 0 for an empty set . for instance , a straight - forward method would take exponential enumerations to find the exact optimal k nodes , which is not feasible in computation even for a medium size graph ( e . g ., with a few hundred nodes ). we can also formulate problem 2 as a binary indicator vector ( x ( i )= 1 means node i is selected in the subset s , and 0 means it is not selected ). problem 2 can be expressed as the following binary quadratic programming problem : β’ subject β’ β’ to β’ : β’ β’ x β‘ ( i ) β { 0 , 1 } β’ ( i = 1 , β¦ β’ β’ n ) β’ β’ β i = 1 n β’ x β‘ ( i ) = k ( 8 ) where d =( b β 2i n Γ n ) diag ( r ), i n Γ n is an identity matrix of size n Γ n , and diag ( r ) is a diagonal matrix with r ( i , i )( i = 1 , . . . , n ) being the diagonal elements . fig1 ( a ) shows an algorithm used in an embodiment of the invention , and fig1 ( b ) illustrates the operation of this algorithm . with reference to fig1 ( a ), in step 1 of the algorithm , we compute the ranking vector r ( e . g ., by the power method , etc .) then after some initializations ( steps 2 - 5 ), we select k nodes one - by - one as follows . at each time , we compute the score vector s in step 7 . then , we select one node with the highest score in the vector s and add it to the subset s ( steps 8 - 9 ). after that , we use the selected node to update the two reference vectors u and v ( steps 10 - 11 ). note that β{ circle around ( x )}β denotes the element - wise product between two matrices / vectors . intuitively , the score vector s keeps the marginal contribution of each node for the goodness measure given the current selected subset s . from step 7 , it can be seen that at each iteration , the values of such marginal contribution either remain unchanged or decrease . this is consistent with p3 of theorem 1 β as there are more and more nodes in the subset s , the marginal contribution of each node is monotonically non - increasing . it is worth pointing out that we use the original normalized adjacency matrix a , instead of the matrix b in alg . 1 . this is because for many real graphs , the matrix a is often very sparse , whereas the matrix b might not be . to see this , notice that b is a full matrix if p is uniform . in the case b is dense , it is not efficient in either time or space to use b in alg . 1 . in alg . 1 , although we try to optimize a goodness measure that is not affected by the ordering of different nodes in the subset , we can still output an ordered list to the user based on the iteration in which these nodes are selected β earlier selected nodes in alg . 1 are placed at the top of the resulting top - k ranking list . this ordering naturally meets the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking for a diverse top - k ranking list as we analyzed above . in the discussion below , we analyze the optimality as well as the complexity of algorithm 1 . this discussion shows that this algorithm leads to a near - optimal solution , and at the same time it enjoys linear scalability in both time and space . the optimality of algorithm 1 is given in lemma 1 , below . according to this lemma , this algorithm is near - optimal β its solution is within a fixed fraction ( 1 β 1 / e β 0 . 63 ) from the global optimal one . given the hardness of problem 2 , such near - optimality is acceptable in terms of optimization quality . lemma 1 . near - optimality let s be the subset found by alg . 1 : | s |= k ; and s *= argmax | s |= k f ( s ). we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), where e is the base of the natural logarithm . proof . let t be the subset found at the end of the t th ( t = 1 , . . . , k β 1 ) iteration of alg . 1 . at step 7 of the ( t + 1 ) th iteration , for any node i β t , we have that for any node i β t , plugging eq . ( 3 ) into f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ) and canceling the common terms , we have that therefore , we have that s ( i )= f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ). in other words , at step 8 of each iteration of alg . 1 , we always select a node with the highest marginal increase of the goodness measure . by theorem 1 , the goodness measure f ( s ) is a non - decreasing submodular function with f ( Ο )= 0 . according to a . krause and c . guestrin , beyond convexity β submodularity in machine learning , ( in icml , 2008 ), we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), which completes the proof . the time complexity of the proposed dragon is given in lemma 2 . according to lemma 2 , our dragon has linear time complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is scalable to large graphs in terms of computational time . lemma 2 . time complexity . the time complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + nk ). we would like to point out that the alg . 1 can be further sped up . firstly , notice that the o ( m ) term in lemma 2 comes from computing the ranking vector r ( step 1 ) by the most commonly used power method . there are a lot of fast methods for computing r , either by effective approximation or by parallelism . these methods can be naturally plugged in alg . 1 , which might lead to further computational savings . secondly , the o ( nk ) term in lemma 2 comes from the greedy selection step in steps 6 - 12 . thanks to the monotonicity of f ( s ) as we show in theorem 1 , we can use the similar lazy evaluation strategy as j . leskovee , a . krasue , c . guestrin , c . faloutsos , j . m . vanbriesen , and n . s . glace , cost - effective outbreak detection in networks , ( in kdd , pages 420 - 429 , 2007 ), to speed up this process , without sacrificing the optimization quality . the space complexity of alg . 1 is given in lemma 3 . according to lemma 3 , alg . 1 has linear space complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is also scalable to large graphs in terms of space cost . lemma 3 . space complexity . the space complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + n + k ). in the discussion below , we provide empirical evaluations for algorithm 1 . these evaluations mainly focus on ( 1 ) the effectiveness and ( 2 ) the efficiency of algorithm 1 . we use the dblp publication data to construct a co - authorship network , where each node is an author and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers between the two corresponding persons . overall , we have n β 418 , 236 nodes and m = 2 , 753 , 798 edges . we also construct much smaller co - authorship networks , using the authors from only one conference ( e . g ., kdd , sigir , sigmod , etc .). for example , kd is the co - authorship network for the authors in the β kdd β conference . these smaller co - authorship networks typically have a few thousand nodes and up to a few tens of thousands edges . we also construct the co - authorship networks , using the authors from multiple conferences ( e . g ., kdd - sigir ). for these graphs , we denote them as sub ( n , m ), where n and m are the numbers of nodes and edges in the graph , respectively . there is a damping factor c to compute the personalized pagerank , which is set to be c = 0 . 99 . in the discussion herein , we use the power method to compute the pagerank . we adopt the same stopping criteria as [ h . tong , c . faloutsos , and j .- y . pan , fast random walk with restart and its applications . in icdm , pages 613 - 622 , 2006 . ]: either the l 1 difference of the ranking vectors between two consecutive iterations is less than a pre - defined threshold ( 10 β 9 ), or the maximum number of iteration steps ( 80 ) is reached . there are no additional parameters in alg . 1 . for the remaining parameters of those comparative methods , they are set as in their original papers , respectively . for the computational cost and scalability , we report the wall - clock time . all the experiments ran on the same machine with four 2 . 5 ghz amd cpus and 48 gb memory , running linux ( 2 . 6 kernel ). for all the quantitative results , we randomly generate a query vector p and feed it into different methods for a top - k ranking list with the same length . we repeat it 100 times and report the average . there does not appear to be any universally accepted measure for diversity . in [ q . mei , j . guo , and d . r . radev , divrank : the interplay of prestige and diversity in information networks . in kdd , pages 1009 - 1018 , 2010 . ], the authors suggested an intuitive notion based on the density of the induced subgraph from the original graph a by the subset s . the intuition is as follows : the lower the density ( i . e ., the less 1 - step neighbors ) of the induced subgraph , the more diverse the subset s . here , we generalize this notion to the t - step graph in order to also take into account the effect of those in - direct neighbors . let sign (.) be a binary function operated element - wise on a matrix , i . e ., y = sign ( x ), where y is a matrix of the same size as x , y ( i , j )= 1 if x ( i , j )& gt ; 0 , y ( i , j )= 0 otherwise . we define the t - step connectivity matrix c t as c t = sign ( Ο i = 1 t a i ). that is , c t ( i , j )= 1 ( 0 ) means that node i can ( cannot ) reach node j on the graph a within t - steps / hops . with this c t matrix , we define the diversity of a given subset s s eq . ( 12 ). here , the value of div ( t ) is always between 0 . 5 and 1 β higher means more diverse . if all the nodes in s are reachable from each other within t - steps , we say that the subset s is the least diverse ( div ( t )= 0 . 5 ). on the other extreme , if all the nodes in s cannot reach each other within t - steps , the subset s is the most diverse ( div ( t )β 1 ). for the task of top - k ranking , the notion of diversity alone , though important , might not be enough for the information need . for example , if we simply randomly select k nodes as the top - k ranking list , these k nodes might not be connected with each other at all given that the length of the ranking list k is usually much smaller than the number of nodes n in the graph . therefore , it has a high diversity . however , it is unlikely that such a ranking list can well fit the user &# 39 ; s information need since each of them might have very low relevance score . in other words , a diversified top - k ranking list should also have high relevance . that said , we will mainly focus on evaluating how different methods balance between the diversity and the relevance . notice that the relevance score for each individual node is often very small on large graphs ( since the l 1 norm of the ranking vector is 1 ). to make the two quantities ( diversity vs . relevance ) comparable with each other , we need to normalize the relevance scores . let Ε be the top - k ranking list by the original personalized pagerank , we define the normalized relevance score for a given subset s (| s |= k ) s eq . ( 13 ). since the personalized pagerank always gives the k most relevant nodes , the rel defined in eq . ( 13 ) is always between 0 and 1 β higher means more relevant . let us start with an illustrative example to gain some visual intuitions . in fig2 , we show a fictitious co - authorship network 20 , where each node corresponds to an author ( e . g ., john , smith , etc . ), and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers . there are three communities in this network ( e . g ., dm , db and ir ). from fig2 , we can see that node 1 has very strong connections to the dm community . in other words , sm might be his / her major research interest . in addition , s / he also has some connections to the ir and db communities . given the budget k = 3 , personalized pagerank returns all the three nodes ( nodes 2 , 3 and 5 ) form dm community which is consistent with the intuition since personalized pagerank solely focuses on the relevance . in contrast , alg . 1 returns nodes 2 , 6 and 10 , each of which is still relevant enough to the query node 1 . at the same time , they are diversified from each other , covering the whole spectrum of his / her research interest ( dm db , and ir ). we also conduct case studies on real graphs . we construct a co - authorship networks from sigir ( the major conference on information retrieval ) and icml ( the major conference on machine learning ). we issue a query to find the top - 10 co - authors for prof . yy . the results are shown in table iii . we compare it with the original personalized pagerank . yy is a professor , and she has broad interest in information retrieval and machine learning . from fig2 , we have the following observations . firstly , both alg . 1 and personalized pagerank share the same authors for the top - 3 returned authors , indicating that alg . 1 also captures those highly relevant authors with respect to the querying author . secondly , alg . 1 returns a more diverse list of authors . for example , although ex 7 is not a co - author of yy , they share a lot of research interest in information retrieval , and have a lot of indirect connections through other ir people . in contrast , the existence of some authors in the ranking list by personalized pagerank is somehow redundant , in terms of helping the user to understand prof . yy &# 39 ; s whole collaboration network . for example , consider prof . agh . although , he has a lot of co - authored papers with yy , they are also co - authored with rv . therefore , given that jz and rj are already in the ranking list , his existence does not provide much marginal information about yy &# 39 ; s collaboration network . as a quantitative indicator , the average degree of induced subgraph by alg . 1 is only 2 . 8 , which is much lower ( i . e ., more diverse ) than that by personalized pagerank . finally , notice that for some authors , although they show up in both lists , their positions in the ranking list are different . for example , jyn shows at the 4 th and the 8 th positions in the two ranking lists , respectively . this is because jyn makes the top - 4 authors more diverse compared with thp , although its individual relevance score is lower than the latter . we compare alg . 1 with arw and rrw , both of which also aim to improve the diversity of personalized pagerank . we skip the comparison with mmr for brevity since it has been shown that its performance is not as good as rrw for the graph - type data . for rrw , it has two variants based on different approximation methods it actually uses : the one based on the cumulative estimation ( referred to as β rrw - a β) and the other one based on the pointwise estimation ( referred to as β rrw - b β). first , let us compare how different methods balance between the relevance and the diversity . fig3 shows the results on the nips co - authorship network . we test with different budgets ( k = 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 100 ). in fig3 ( a ), div ( 1 ) means that we only consider 1 - step neighbors to measure the diversity ( i . e ., setting t = 1 in eq . ( 12 )). in fig3 ( b ), div ( 2 ) means that we consider both 1 - step and 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., setting t = 2 in eq . ( 12 )). we only present the results by rrw - a since rrw - b gives similar results . from fig3 , we can see that all the three methods are effective to improve the diversity . the alg . 1 achieves a better balance between the relevance and the diversity . for arw , although it gives the highest diversity score , its ( normalized ) relevance score is too low β only about half of the other two methods . this is because in arw , only the first node is selected according to the relevance ; and all the remaining ( k β 1 ) are selected by diversity . as for rrw - a , both its relevance and diversity scores are lower than alg . 1 . it is interesting to notice from fig3 ( b ) that the diversity of rrw - a drops a lot when it is measured by within 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., div ( 2 )). this is consistent with the intuition of rrw . in rrw ( both rrw - a and rrw - b ), it achieves the diversity by encouraging 1 - step neighboring nodes to compete with each other . consequently , the density of its within 1 - step induced subgraph might be low ( i . e ., high diversity ), but it is not necessarily the case for the within t - step ( t β§ 2 ) induced subgraph . in order to test how the overall performance of different methods varies across different data sets , we take the average between relevance and diversity scores . the results are presented in fig4 ( a )- 4 ( d ), using four different co - authorship networks ( sigmod , nips , sigir , siggraph ). for the space limitation , we omit the results when the diversity is measured by within 1 - steps neighbors , which is similar as the results by within 2 - steps neighbors . it can be seen that alg . 1 consistently performs the best . in the discussion below , we evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of algorithm 1 in terms of maximizing the goodness measure f ( s ). we compare it with the exponential enumeration and the binary quadratic programming methods discussed above . we also compare it with two other heuristics . the first method ( referred to as β heuristic1 β) starts with generating a candidate pool ( e . g ., the top 10 Γ k most relevant nodes ), picks one seed node , and then repeatedly adds the most dis - similar ( measured by a ) node into the ranking list from the candidate pool . the second method ( referred to as β heuristic2 β) also starts with generating a candidate pool , puts all the nodes from candidate pool in the list , and then repeatedly drops a most similar ( measured by a ) node from the list . first , let us evaluate how the different methods balance between the optimization quality ( measured by f ( s ) and the speed ( measured by wall - clock time ). fig5 shows the results from the co - authorship network of nips and kdd conferences with the budget k = 20 , where f ( s ) is normalized by the highest one among different methods . it can be seen that alg . 1 is the best β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s )) with the least amount of wall - clock time . notice that the y - axis is in logarithm scale . we also conducted experiments on the co - authorship network constructed from multiple conferences . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) show the results on these data sets with the budget k = 20 . here sub ( n , m ) means a co - authorship network with n nodes and m edges . we stop the program if it takes more than 100 , 000 seconds ( i . e ., more than 1 - days ). in fig6 ( a ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d and 60 e respectively . in fig6 ( b ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 62 a , 62 b , 62 c , 62 d and 62 e respectively . it can be seen from fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) that alg . 1 is consistently best across all the different data sets β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s ) for β lin - qp β is missing for sub ( 24k , 114k ) because it fails to finish within 100 , 000 seconds . this indicates that it is not feasible for large graphs . for the smaller graphs , β lin - qp β leads to slightly lower f ( s ) than alg . 1 ; but it requires 3 - 5 orders of magnitude wall - clock time . for all the other comparative methods , they lead to worse optimization quality with longer wall - clock time . we also evaluate the scalability of alg . 1 . when we evaluate the scalability with respect to the number of the nodes in the graph , we fix the number of edges and vice versa . the results in fig7 ( a ) and 7 ( b ) are consistent with the complexity analysis discussed above β alg . 1 scales linearly with respect to both n and m , which means that it is suitable for large graphs . a computer - based system 100 in which embodiments of the invention may be carried out is depicted in fig8 . the computer - based system 100 includes a processing unit 110 , which houses a processor , memory and other systems components ( not shown expressly in the drawing ) that implement a general purpose processing system , or computer that may execute a computer program product . the computer program product may comprise media , for example a compact storage medium such as a compact disc , which may be read by the processing unit 110 through a disc drive 120 , or by any means known to the skilled artisan for providing the computer program product to the general purpose processing system for execution thereby . the computer program product may comprise all the respective features enabling the implementation of the inventive method described herein , and which β when loaded in a computer system β is able to carry out the method . computer program , software program , program , or software , in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . the computer program product may be stored on hard disk drives within processing unit 110 , as mentioned , or may be located on a remote system such as a server 130 , coupled to processing unit 110 , via a network interface such as an ethernet interface . monitor 140 , mouse 150 and keyboard 160 are coupled to the processing unit 110 , to provide user interaction . scanner 180 and printer 170 are provided for document input and output . printer 170 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 via a network connection , but may be coupled directly to the processing unit . scanner 180 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 directly , but it should be understood that peripherals might be network coupled , or direct coupled without affecting the performance of the processing unit 110 . while it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objectives discussed above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Physics'? | Is 'Performing Operations; Transporting' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 98872eeca68982e03818c82079349395f13437d02a5c0d26546df533cb0fd7f8 | 0.075684 | 0.08252 | 0.005371 | 0.039063 | 0.117676 | 0.091309 |
null | as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a β circuit ,β β module β or β system .β furthermore , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the medium . any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cdrom ), an optical storage device , a transmission media such as those supporting the internet or an intranet , or a magnetic storage device . note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium , upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer - usable program code embodied therewith , either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . the computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc . computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the β c β programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). the present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the present invention relates to identifying a set of data items based on both relevance and diversity . in embodiments of the invention , these data items are selected based on a graph of a larger set of data items , and embodiments of the invention provide a scalable algorithm ( linear with respect to the size of the graph ) that generates a provably near - optimal top - k ranking list . in embodiments of the invention , this algorithm has a clear optimization formulation , finds a provable near - optimal solution , and enjoys linear scalability . table i lists the main symbols used in this description of the invention . in the description below , we consider the most general case of directed , weighted , irreducible unipartite graphs . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . in practice , we store these matrices using an adjacency list representation , since real graphs are often very sparse . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . following the standard notation , we use bold upper - case for matrices ( e . g ., a ), bold lower - case for vectors ( e . g ., a ), and calligraphic fonts for sets ( e . g ., i ). we denote the transpose with a prime ( i . e ., a β² is the transpose of a ). for a bipartite graph with adjacency matrix w , we can convert it to the equivalent uni - partite graph : we use subscripts to denote the size of matrices / vectors ( e . g ., a n Γ n means a matrix of size n Γ n ). when the sizes of matrices / vectors are clear from the context , we omit such subscripts for brevity . also , we represent the elements in a matrix using a convention similar to matlab , e . g ., a ( i , j ) is the element at the i th row and j th column of the matrix a , and a (:, j ) is the j th column of a , etc . with this notation , we can represent a sub - matrix of a as a ( i , i ), which is a block of matrix a that corresponds to the rows / columns of a indexed by the set i . in the description below , we focus on personalized pagerank since it is one of the most fundamental ranking methods on graphs , and has shown its success in many different application domains in the past decade . formally , it can be defined as follows : where p is an n Γ 1 personalized vector ( p ( i )β§ 0 , Ο i = 1 n p ( i )= 1 ). sometimes , we also refer to p as the query vector , c ( 0 & lt ; c & lt ; 1 ) is a damping factor ; a is the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph ( i . e ., Ο j = 1 n a ( i , j )= 1 ( i = 1 , . . . , n ); and r is the n Γ 1 resulting ranking vector . note that if p ( i )= 1 / n ( i = 1 , . . . , n ), it is reduced to the standard pagerank ; if p ( i )= 1 and p ( j )= 0 ( j β i ), the resulting ranking vector r gives the proximity scores from node i to all the other nodes in the graph . in order to simplify the description of our upcoming method , we also introduce matrix b : where 1 1 Γ n is a 1 Γ n row vector with all elements set to 1s . intuitively , the matrix b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix that is biased towards the query vector p . in turns out that the ranking vector r defined in eq . ( 1 ) satisfies r = br . in other words , the ranking vector r is the right eigenvector of the b matrix with the eigenvalue 1 . it can be verified that b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). by perron - frobenius theorem , it can be shown that 1 is the largest ( in module ) simple eigenvalue of the matrix b ; and the ranking vector r is unique with all non - negative elements since the graph is irreducible . aspects of the invention provide ( 1 ) a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity ; and ( 2 ) given the goodness measure , an optimal or near - optimal or near - optimal algorithm to find a top - k ranking list that maximizes such goodness measure in a scalable way . with the above notations and assumptions , these problems can be formally defined as follows : given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and a subset of k nodes s ; output : a goodness score f ( s ) of the subset of nodes s , which measures ( a ) the relevance of each node in s with respect to the query vector p , and ( v ) the diversity among all the nodes in the subset s . given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and the budget k ; find : a subset of k nodes s that maximizes the goodness measure f ( s ). an aspect of an embodiment of the invention is to define a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity . we first discuss some design objective of such a goodness measure ; and then present a solution followed by some theoretical analysis and discussions . as said before , a good diversified top - k ranking list should balance between the relevance and the diversity . the notion of relevance is clear for personalized pagerank ,β larger value in the ranking vector r means more relevant with respect to the query vector p . on the other hand , the notion of diversity is more challenging . intuitively , a diversified subset of nodes should be dis - similar with each other . take the query β find the top - k conferences for dr . y . from the author - conference network β as an example . dr . y yu is a professor at a university , and his recent major research interest lies in databases and data mining . he also has broad interests in several related domains , including systems , parallel and distributed processing , web applications , and performance modeling , etc . a top - k ranking list for this query would have high relevance if it consists of all the conferences from databases and data mining community ( e . g ., sigmod , vldb , kdd , etc .) since all these conferences are closely related to his major research interest . however , such a list has low diversity since these conferences are too similar with each other ( e . g ., having a large overlap of contributing authors , etc .). therefore , if we replace a few databases and data mining conferences by some representative conferences in his other research domains ( e . g ., icdcs for distributed computing systems , www for web applications , etc . ), it would make the whole ranking list more diverse ( e . g ., the conferences in the list are more dis - similar to each other ). furthermore , if we go through the ranking list from top down , we would like to see the most relevant conferences appear first in the ranking list . for example , a ranking list in the order of β sigmod β, β icdcs β, β www β is better than β icdcs β, β www β, β sigmod β since databases ( sigmod ) is a more relevant research interest for dr . y , compared with distributed computing systems ( icdcs ), or web applications ( www ). in this way , the user can capture dr . y &# 39 ; s main research interest by just inspecting a few top - ranked conferences / nodes . this suggests the so - called diminishing returns property of the goodness measure β it would help the user to know better about dr . y &# 39 ; s whole research interest if we return more conferences / nodes in the ranking list ; but the marginal benefit becomes smaller and smaller as we go down the ranking list . another implicit design objective lies in the algorithmic aspect . the proposed goodness measure should also allow us to develop an effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or at least near - optimal ) top - k ranking list from large graphs . to summarize , for a given top - k ranking list , we aim to provide a single goodness score that ( 1 ) measures the relevance between each individual node in the list and the query vector p ; ( 2 ) measures the similarity ( or dis - similarity ) among all the nodes in the ranking list ; ( 3 ) exhibits some diminishing returns property with respect to the size of the ranking list ; and ( 4 ) enables some effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or near - optimal ) top - k ranking list . let a be the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph , b be the matrix defined in eq ( 2 ), p be the personalized vector and r be the ranking vector . for a given ranking list s ( i . e ., s gives the indices of the nodes in the ranking list ; and | s |= k ), a goodness measure in an embodiment of the invention is formally defined as follows : we can also represent f ( s ) by using the matrix a instead : f β‘ ( s ) = 2 β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( i ) - c β’ β i , j β β’ s β’ β’ a β‘ ( j , i ) β’ r β‘ ( j ) - ( 1 - c ) β’ β j β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( j ) β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ p β‘ ( i ) where c is the damping factor in personalized pagerank , and 1 1 Γ| s | is a row vector of length | s | with all the elements set to 1s . it can be shown that it is equivalent to eq . ( 3 ). notice that the goodness measure in eq . ( 3 ) is independent of the ordering of the different nodes in the subset s . if we simply change the ordering of the nodes for the same subset s , it does not affect the goodness score . however , as discussed below , we can still output an ordered subset based on the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking a diverse top - k ranking list . let us analyze how the proposed goodness measure of eq . ( 3 ) meets the design objective discussed above . there are two terms in eq . ( 3 ), the first term is twice the sum of the ranking scores in the ranking list . for the second term , recall that b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix with respect to the query vector p , where b ( i , j ) indicates the similarity ( i . e ., the strength of the connection ) between nodes i and j . in other words , the second term in eq . ( 3 ) is the sum of all the similarity scores between any two nodes i , j ( i , j β s ) in the ranking list ( weighted by r ( j )). therefore , the proposed goodness measure captures both the relevance and the diversity . the more relevant ( higher r ( i )) each individual node is , the higher the goodness measure f ( s ). at the same time , it encourages the diversity within the ranking list by penalizing the ( weighted ) similarity between any two nodes in s . the measure f ( s ) of eq . ( 3 ) also exhibits the diminishing returns property , which is summarized in theorem 1 below . the intuitions of theorem 1 are as follows : ( 1 ) by p1 , it means that the utility of an empty ranking list is always zero ; ( 2 ) by p2 , if we add more nodes into the ranking list , the overall utility of the ranking list does not decrease ; and ( 3 ) by p3 , the marginal utility of adding new nodes is relatively small if we already have a large ranking list . theorem 1 . diminishing returns property of f ( s ). let Ο be an empty set , i , j , r be three sets s . t ., i β j , and r β© j = Ο . the following facts hold for f ( s ): proof of p1 . it is obviously held by the definition of f ( s ). proof of p2 . let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 3 ) into f ( j )β f ( i ) and canceling the common terms , we have recall that the matrix b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). the first half of eq . ( 4 ) satisfies the last equality in eq . ( 6 ) is due to the fact that r = br , and each element is r is non - negative . putting eq . ( 4 )-( 6 ) together , we have that f ( j )β§ f ( i ), which completes the proof of p2 . proof of p3 . again , let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 4 ) into ( f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i ))β( f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j )) and canceling the common terms , we have therefore , we have that f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i )β§ f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j ), which completes the proof of p3 . in eq . ( 3 ), the coefficient β 2 β balances between the relevance ( the first term ) and the diversity ( the second term ). if we change the coefficient β 2 β to a parameter w , we have the following generalized goodness measure : we have the following corollary for this generalized goodness measure . it says that as long as the weight w β§ 2 , the generalized goodness measure g ( s ) still exhibits the diminishing returns property . this gives our method extra flexibility if the user wants to put more emphasis on relevance for some applications . corollary 2 . generalized goodness measure . let Ο be an empty set : i , j , r be three sets s . t . i β j , and r β© j = Ο . for any w β§ 2 , the following facts hold for g ( s ): p3 : g ( s ) is submodular , i . e ., g ( βͺ )β g ( )β§ g ( βͺ )β g ( ). in this section , we address problem 2 . here , given the initial query vector p and the budget k , we want to find a subset of k nodes that maximizes the goodness measure defined in eq . ( 3 ). we would like to point out that although we focus on eq . ( 3 ) for the sake of simplicity , the proposed algorithm can be easily generalized to eq . ( 7 ) where the user wants to specify the weight w for the relevance . problem 2 is essentially a subset selection problem to find the optimal k nodes that maximize eq . ( 3 ). theorem 1 indicates that it is not easy to find the exact optimal solution of problem 2 β it is np - hard to maximize a monotonic submodular function if the function value is 0 for an empty set . for instance , a straight - forward method would take exponential enumerations to find the exact optimal k nodes , which is not feasible in computation even for a medium size graph ( e . g ., with a few hundred nodes ). we can also formulate problem 2 as a binary indicator vector ( x ( i )= 1 means node i is selected in the subset s , and 0 means it is not selected ). problem 2 can be expressed as the following binary quadratic programming problem : β’ subject β’ β’ to β’ : β’ β’ x β‘ ( i ) β { 0 , 1 } β’ ( i = 1 , β¦ β’ β’ n ) β’ β’ β i = 1 n β’ x β‘ ( i ) = k ( 8 ) where d =( b β 2i n Γ n ) diag ( r ), i n Γ n is an identity matrix of size n Γ n , and diag ( r ) is a diagonal matrix with r ( i , i )( i = 1 , . . . , n ) being the diagonal elements . fig1 ( a ) shows an algorithm used in an embodiment of the invention , and fig1 ( b ) illustrates the operation of this algorithm . with reference to fig1 ( a ), in step 1 of the algorithm , we compute the ranking vector r ( e . g ., by the power method , etc .) then after some initializations ( steps 2 - 5 ), we select k nodes one - by - one as follows . at each time , we compute the score vector s in step 7 . then , we select one node with the highest score in the vector s and add it to the subset s ( steps 8 - 9 ). after that , we use the selected node to update the two reference vectors u and v ( steps 10 - 11 ). note that β{ circle around ( x )}β denotes the element - wise product between two matrices / vectors . intuitively , the score vector s keeps the marginal contribution of each node for the goodness measure given the current selected subset s . from step 7 , it can be seen that at each iteration , the values of such marginal contribution either remain unchanged or decrease . this is consistent with p3 of theorem 1 β as there are more and more nodes in the subset s , the marginal contribution of each node is monotonically non - increasing . it is worth pointing out that we use the original normalized adjacency matrix a , instead of the matrix b in alg . 1 . this is because for many real graphs , the matrix a is often very sparse , whereas the matrix b might not be . to see this , notice that b is a full matrix if p is uniform . in the case b is dense , it is not efficient in either time or space to use b in alg . 1 . in alg . 1 , although we try to optimize a goodness measure that is not affected by the ordering of different nodes in the subset , we can still output an ordered list to the user based on the iteration in which these nodes are selected β earlier selected nodes in alg . 1 are placed at the top of the resulting top - k ranking list . this ordering naturally meets the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking for a diverse top - k ranking list as we analyzed above . in the discussion below , we analyze the optimality as well as the complexity of algorithm 1 . this discussion shows that this algorithm leads to a near - optimal solution , and at the same time it enjoys linear scalability in both time and space . the optimality of algorithm 1 is given in lemma 1 , below . according to this lemma , this algorithm is near - optimal β its solution is within a fixed fraction ( 1 β 1 / e β 0 . 63 ) from the global optimal one . given the hardness of problem 2 , such near - optimality is acceptable in terms of optimization quality . lemma 1 . near - optimality let s be the subset found by alg . 1 : | s |= k ; and s *= argmax | s |= k f ( s ). we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), where e is the base of the natural logarithm . proof . let t be the subset found at the end of the t th ( t = 1 , . . . , k β 1 ) iteration of alg . 1 . at step 7 of the ( t + 1 ) th iteration , for any node i β t , we have that for any node i β t , plugging eq . ( 3 ) into f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ) and canceling the common terms , we have that therefore , we have that s ( i )= f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ). in other words , at step 8 of each iteration of alg . 1 , we always select a node with the highest marginal increase of the goodness measure . by theorem 1 , the goodness measure f ( s ) is a non - decreasing submodular function with f ( Ο )= 0 . according to a . krause and c . guestrin , beyond convexity β submodularity in machine learning , ( in icml , 2008 ), we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), which completes the proof . the time complexity of the proposed dragon is given in lemma 2 . according to lemma 2 , our dragon has linear time complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is scalable to large graphs in terms of computational time . lemma 2 . time complexity . the time complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + nk ). we would like to point out that the alg . 1 can be further sped up . firstly , notice that the o ( m ) term in lemma 2 comes from computing the ranking vector r ( step 1 ) by the most commonly used power method . there are a lot of fast methods for computing r , either by effective approximation or by parallelism . these methods can be naturally plugged in alg . 1 , which might lead to further computational savings . secondly , the o ( nk ) term in lemma 2 comes from the greedy selection step in steps 6 - 12 . thanks to the monotonicity of f ( s ) as we show in theorem 1 , we can use the similar lazy evaluation strategy as j . leskovee , a . krasue , c . guestrin , c . faloutsos , j . m . vanbriesen , and n . s . glace , cost - effective outbreak detection in networks , ( in kdd , pages 420 - 429 , 2007 ), to speed up this process , without sacrificing the optimization quality . the space complexity of alg . 1 is given in lemma 3 . according to lemma 3 , alg . 1 has linear space complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is also scalable to large graphs in terms of space cost . lemma 3 . space complexity . the space complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + n + k ). in the discussion below , we provide empirical evaluations for algorithm 1 . these evaluations mainly focus on ( 1 ) the effectiveness and ( 2 ) the efficiency of algorithm 1 . we use the dblp publication data to construct a co - authorship network , where each node is an author and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers between the two corresponding persons . overall , we have n β 418 , 236 nodes and m = 2 , 753 , 798 edges . we also construct much smaller co - authorship networks , using the authors from only one conference ( e . g ., kdd , sigir , sigmod , etc .). for example , kd is the co - authorship network for the authors in the β kdd β conference . these smaller co - authorship networks typically have a few thousand nodes and up to a few tens of thousands edges . we also construct the co - authorship networks , using the authors from multiple conferences ( e . g ., kdd - sigir ). for these graphs , we denote them as sub ( n , m ), where n and m are the numbers of nodes and edges in the graph , respectively . there is a damping factor c to compute the personalized pagerank , which is set to be c = 0 . 99 . in the discussion herein , we use the power method to compute the pagerank . we adopt the same stopping criteria as [ h . tong , c . faloutsos , and j .- y . pan , fast random walk with restart and its applications . in icdm , pages 613 - 622 , 2006 . ]: either the l 1 difference of the ranking vectors between two consecutive iterations is less than a pre - defined threshold ( 10 β 9 ), or the maximum number of iteration steps ( 80 ) is reached . there are no additional parameters in alg . 1 . for the remaining parameters of those comparative methods , they are set as in their original papers , respectively . for the computational cost and scalability , we report the wall - clock time . all the experiments ran on the same machine with four 2 . 5 ghz amd cpus and 48 gb memory , running linux ( 2 . 6 kernel ). for all the quantitative results , we randomly generate a query vector p and feed it into different methods for a top - k ranking list with the same length . we repeat it 100 times and report the average . there does not appear to be any universally accepted measure for diversity . in [ q . mei , j . guo , and d . r . radev , divrank : the interplay of prestige and diversity in information networks . in kdd , pages 1009 - 1018 , 2010 . ], the authors suggested an intuitive notion based on the density of the induced subgraph from the original graph a by the subset s . the intuition is as follows : the lower the density ( i . e ., the less 1 - step neighbors ) of the induced subgraph , the more diverse the subset s . here , we generalize this notion to the t - step graph in order to also take into account the effect of those in - direct neighbors . let sign (.) be a binary function operated element - wise on a matrix , i . e ., y = sign ( x ), where y is a matrix of the same size as x , y ( i , j )= 1 if x ( i , j )& gt ; 0 , y ( i , j )= 0 otherwise . we define the t - step connectivity matrix c t as c t = sign ( Ο i = 1 t a i ). that is , c t ( i , j )= 1 ( 0 ) means that node i can ( cannot ) reach node j on the graph a within t - steps / hops . with this c t matrix , we define the diversity of a given subset s s eq . ( 12 ). here , the value of div ( t ) is always between 0 . 5 and 1 β higher means more diverse . if all the nodes in s are reachable from each other within t - steps , we say that the subset s is the least diverse ( div ( t )= 0 . 5 ). on the other extreme , if all the nodes in s cannot reach each other within t - steps , the subset s is the most diverse ( div ( t )β 1 ). for the task of top - k ranking , the notion of diversity alone , though important , might not be enough for the information need . for example , if we simply randomly select k nodes as the top - k ranking list , these k nodes might not be connected with each other at all given that the length of the ranking list k is usually much smaller than the number of nodes n in the graph . therefore , it has a high diversity . however , it is unlikely that such a ranking list can well fit the user &# 39 ; s information need since each of them might have very low relevance score . in other words , a diversified top - k ranking list should also have high relevance . that said , we will mainly focus on evaluating how different methods balance between the diversity and the relevance . notice that the relevance score for each individual node is often very small on large graphs ( since the l 1 norm of the ranking vector is 1 ). to make the two quantities ( diversity vs . relevance ) comparable with each other , we need to normalize the relevance scores . let Ε be the top - k ranking list by the original personalized pagerank , we define the normalized relevance score for a given subset s (| s |= k ) s eq . ( 13 ). since the personalized pagerank always gives the k most relevant nodes , the rel defined in eq . ( 13 ) is always between 0 and 1 β higher means more relevant . let us start with an illustrative example to gain some visual intuitions . in fig2 , we show a fictitious co - authorship network 20 , where each node corresponds to an author ( e . g ., john , smith , etc . ), and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers . there are three communities in this network ( e . g ., dm , db and ir ). from fig2 , we can see that node 1 has very strong connections to the dm community . in other words , sm might be his / her major research interest . in addition , s / he also has some connections to the ir and db communities . given the budget k = 3 , personalized pagerank returns all the three nodes ( nodes 2 , 3 and 5 ) form dm community which is consistent with the intuition since personalized pagerank solely focuses on the relevance . in contrast , alg . 1 returns nodes 2 , 6 and 10 , each of which is still relevant enough to the query node 1 . at the same time , they are diversified from each other , covering the whole spectrum of his / her research interest ( dm db , and ir ). we also conduct case studies on real graphs . we construct a co - authorship networks from sigir ( the major conference on information retrieval ) and icml ( the major conference on machine learning ). we issue a query to find the top - 10 co - authors for prof . yy . the results are shown in table iii . we compare it with the original personalized pagerank . yy is a professor , and she has broad interest in information retrieval and machine learning . from fig2 , we have the following observations . firstly , both alg . 1 and personalized pagerank share the same authors for the top - 3 returned authors , indicating that alg . 1 also captures those highly relevant authors with respect to the querying author . secondly , alg . 1 returns a more diverse list of authors . for example , although ex 7 is not a co - author of yy , they share a lot of research interest in information retrieval , and have a lot of indirect connections through other ir people . in contrast , the existence of some authors in the ranking list by personalized pagerank is somehow redundant , in terms of helping the user to understand prof . yy &# 39 ; s whole collaboration network . for example , consider prof . agh . although , he has a lot of co - authored papers with yy , they are also co - authored with rv . therefore , given that jz and rj are already in the ranking list , his existence does not provide much marginal information about yy &# 39 ; s collaboration network . as a quantitative indicator , the average degree of induced subgraph by alg . 1 is only 2 . 8 , which is much lower ( i . e ., more diverse ) than that by personalized pagerank . finally , notice that for some authors , although they show up in both lists , their positions in the ranking list are different . for example , jyn shows at the 4 th and the 8 th positions in the two ranking lists , respectively . this is because jyn makes the top - 4 authors more diverse compared with thp , although its individual relevance score is lower than the latter . we compare alg . 1 with arw and rrw , both of which also aim to improve the diversity of personalized pagerank . we skip the comparison with mmr for brevity since it has been shown that its performance is not as good as rrw for the graph - type data . for rrw , it has two variants based on different approximation methods it actually uses : the one based on the cumulative estimation ( referred to as β rrw - a β) and the other one based on the pointwise estimation ( referred to as β rrw - b β). first , let us compare how different methods balance between the relevance and the diversity . fig3 shows the results on the nips co - authorship network . we test with different budgets ( k = 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 100 ). in fig3 ( a ), div ( 1 ) means that we only consider 1 - step neighbors to measure the diversity ( i . e ., setting t = 1 in eq . ( 12 )). in fig3 ( b ), div ( 2 ) means that we consider both 1 - step and 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., setting t = 2 in eq . ( 12 )). we only present the results by rrw - a since rrw - b gives similar results . from fig3 , we can see that all the three methods are effective to improve the diversity . the alg . 1 achieves a better balance between the relevance and the diversity . for arw , although it gives the highest diversity score , its ( normalized ) relevance score is too low β only about half of the other two methods . this is because in arw , only the first node is selected according to the relevance ; and all the remaining ( k β 1 ) are selected by diversity . as for rrw - a , both its relevance and diversity scores are lower than alg . 1 . it is interesting to notice from fig3 ( b ) that the diversity of rrw - a drops a lot when it is measured by within 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., div ( 2 )). this is consistent with the intuition of rrw . in rrw ( both rrw - a and rrw - b ), it achieves the diversity by encouraging 1 - step neighboring nodes to compete with each other . consequently , the density of its within 1 - step induced subgraph might be low ( i . e ., high diversity ), but it is not necessarily the case for the within t - step ( t β§ 2 ) induced subgraph . in order to test how the overall performance of different methods varies across different data sets , we take the average between relevance and diversity scores . the results are presented in fig4 ( a )- 4 ( d ), using four different co - authorship networks ( sigmod , nips , sigir , siggraph ). for the space limitation , we omit the results when the diversity is measured by within 1 - steps neighbors , which is similar as the results by within 2 - steps neighbors . it can be seen that alg . 1 consistently performs the best . in the discussion below , we evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of algorithm 1 in terms of maximizing the goodness measure f ( s ). we compare it with the exponential enumeration and the binary quadratic programming methods discussed above . we also compare it with two other heuristics . the first method ( referred to as β heuristic1 β) starts with generating a candidate pool ( e . g ., the top 10 Γ k most relevant nodes ), picks one seed node , and then repeatedly adds the most dis - similar ( measured by a ) node into the ranking list from the candidate pool . the second method ( referred to as β heuristic2 β) also starts with generating a candidate pool , puts all the nodes from candidate pool in the list , and then repeatedly drops a most similar ( measured by a ) node from the list . first , let us evaluate how the different methods balance between the optimization quality ( measured by f ( s ) and the speed ( measured by wall - clock time ). fig5 shows the results from the co - authorship network of nips and kdd conferences with the budget k = 20 , where f ( s ) is normalized by the highest one among different methods . it can be seen that alg . 1 is the best β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s )) with the least amount of wall - clock time . notice that the y - axis is in logarithm scale . we also conducted experiments on the co - authorship network constructed from multiple conferences . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) show the results on these data sets with the budget k = 20 . here sub ( n , m ) means a co - authorship network with n nodes and m edges . we stop the program if it takes more than 100 , 000 seconds ( i . e ., more than 1 - days ). in fig6 ( a ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d and 60 e respectively . in fig6 ( b ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 62 a , 62 b , 62 c , 62 d and 62 e respectively . it can be seen from fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) that alg . 1 is consistently best across all the different data sets β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s ) for β lin - qp β is missing for sub ( 24k , 114k ) because it fails to finish within 100 , 000 seconds . this indicates that it is not feasible for large graphs . for the smaller graphs , β lin - qp β leads to slightly lower f ( s ) than alg . 1 ; but it requires 3 - 5 orders of magnitude wall - clock time . for all the other comparative methods , they lead to worse optimization quality with longer wall - clock time . we also evaluate the scalability of alg . 1 . when we evaluate the scalability with respect to the number of the nodes in the graph , we fix the number of edges and vice versa . the results in fig7 ( a ) and 7 ( b ) are consistent with the complexity analysis discussed above β alg . 1 scales linearly with respect to both n and m , which means that it is suitable for large graphs . a computer - based system 100 in which embodiments of the invention may be carried out is depicted in fig8 . the computer - based system 100 includes a processing unit 110 , which houses a processor , memory and other systems components ( not shown expressly in the drawing ) that implement a general purpose processing system , or computer that may execute a computer program product . the computer program product may comprise media , for example a compact storage medium such as a compact disc , which may be read by the processing unit 110 through a disc drive 120 , or by any means known to the skilled artisan for providing the computer program product to the general purpose processing system for execution thereby . the computer program product may comprise all the respective features enabling the implementation of the inventive method described herein , and which β when loaded in a computer system β is able to carry out the method . computer program , software program , program , or software , in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . the computer program product may be stored on hard disk drives within processing unit 110 , as mentioned , or may be located on a remote system such as a server 130 , coupled to processing unit 110 , via a network interface such as an ethernet interface . monitor 140 , mouse 150 and keyboard 160 are coupled to the processing unit 110 , to provide user interaction . scanner 180 and printer 170 are provided for document input and output . printer 170 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 via a network connection , but may be coupled directly to the processing unit . scanner 180 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 directly , but it should be understood that peripherals might be network coupled , or direct coupled without affecting the performance of the processing unit 110 . while it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objectives discussed above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Is 'Physics' the correct technical category for the patent? | Should this patent be classified under 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | 98872eeca68982e03818c82079349395f13437d02a5c0d26546df533cb0fd7f8 | 0.046631 | 0.000999 | 0.008057 | 0.000246 | 0.049561 | 0.002975 |
null | as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a β circuit ,β β module β or β system .β furthermore , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the medium . any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cdrom ), an optical storage device , a transmission media such as those supporting the internet or an intranet , or a magnetic storage device . note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium , upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer - usable program code embodied therewith , either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . the computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc . computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the β c β programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). the present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the present invention relates to identifying a set of data items based on both relevance and diversity . in embodiments of the invention , these data items are selected based on a graph of a larger set of data items , and embodiments of the invention provide a scalable algorithm ( linear with respect to the size of the graph ) that generates a provably near - optimal top - k ranking list . in embodiments of the invention , this algorithm has a clear optimization formulation , finds a provable near - optimal solution , and enjoys linear scalability . table i lists the main symbols used in this description of the invention . in the description below , we consider the most general case of directed , weighted , irreducible unipartite graphs . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . in practice , we store these matrices using an adjacency list representation , since real graphs are often very sparse . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . following the standard notation , we use bold upper - case for matrices ( e . g ., a ), bold lower - case for vectors ( e . g ., a ), and calligraphic fonts for sets ( e . g ., i ). we denote the transpose with a prime ( i . e ., a β² is the transpose of a ). for a bipartite graph with adjacency matrix w , we can convert it to the equivalent uni - partite graph : we use subscripts to denote the size of matrices / vectors ( e . g ., a n Γ n means a matrix of size n Γ n ). when the sizes of matrices / vectors are clear from the context , we omit such subscripts for brevity . also , we represent the elements in a matrix using a convention similar to matlab , e . g ., a ( i , j ) is the element at the i th row and j th column of the matrix a , and a (:, j ) is the j th column of a , etc . with this notation , we can represent a sub - matrix of a as a ( i , i ), which is a block of matrix a that corresponds to the rows / columns of a indexed by the set i . in the description below , we focus on personalized pagerank since it is one of the most fundamental ranking methods on graphs , and has shown its success in many different application domains in the past decade . formally , it can be defined as follows : where p is an n Γ 1 personalized vector ( p ( i )β§ 0 , Ο i = 1 n p ( i )= 1 ). sometimes , we also refer to p as the query vector , c ( 0 & lt ; c & lt ; 1 ) is a damping factor ; a is the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph ( i . e ., Ο j = 1 n a ( i , j )= 1 ( i = 1 , . . . , n ); and r is the n Γ 1 resulting ranking vector . note that if p ( i )= 1 / n ( i = 1 , . . . , n ), it is reduced to the standard pagerank ; if p ( i )= 1 and p ( j )= 0 ( j β i ), the resulting ranking vector r gives the proximity scores from node i to all the other nodes in the graph . in order to simplify the description of our upcoming method , we also introduce matrix b : where 1 1 Γ n is a 1 Γ n row vector with all elements set to 1s . intuitively , the matrix b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix that is biased towards the query vector p . in turns out that the ranking vector r defined in eq . ( 1 ) satisfies r = br . in other words , the ranking vector r is the right eigenvector of the b matrix with the eigenvalue 1 . it can be verified that b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). by perron - frobenius theorem , it can be shown that 1 is the largest ( in module ) simple eigenvalue of the matrix b ; and the ranking vector r is unique with all non - negative elements since the graph is irreducible . aspects of the invention provide ( 1 ) a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity ; and ( 2 ) given the goodness measure , an optimal or near - optimal or near - optimal algorithm to find a top - k ranking list that maximizes such goodness measure in a scalable way . with the above notations and assumptions , these problems can be formally defined as follows : given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and a subset of k nodes s ; output : a goodness score f ( s ) of the subset of nodes s , which measures ( a ) the relevance of each node in s with respect to the query vector p , and ( v ) the diversity among all the nodes in the subset s . given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and the budget k ; find : a subset of k nodes s that maximizes the goodness measure f ( s ). an aspect of an embodiment of the invention is to define a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity . we first discuss some design objective of such a goodness measure ; and then present a solution followed by some theoretical analysis and discussions . as said before , a good diversified top - k ranking list should balance between the relevance and the diversity . the notion of relevance is clear for personalized pagerank ,β larger value in the ranking vector r means more relevant with respect to the query vector p . on the other hand , the notion of diversity is more challenging . intuitively , a diversified subset of nodes should be dis - similar with each other . take the query β find the top - k conferences for dr . y . from the author - conference network β as an example . dr . y yu is a professor at a university , and his recent major research interest lies in databases and data mining . he also has broad interests in several related domains , including systems , parallel and distributed processing , web applications , and performance modeling , etc . a top - k ranking list for this query would have high relevance if it consists of all the conferences from databases and data mining community ( e . g ., sigmod , vldb , kdd , etc .) since all these conferences are closely related to his major research interest . however , such a list has low diversity since these conferences are too similar with each other ( e . g ., having a large overlap of contributing authors , etc .). therefore , if we replace a few databases and data mining conferences by some representative conferences in his other research domains ( e . g ., icdcs for distributed computing systems , www for web applications , etc . ), it would make the whole ranking list more diverse ( e . g ., the conferences in the list are more dis - similar to each other ). furthermore , if we go through the ranking list from top down , we would like to see the most relevant conferences appear first in the ranking list . for example , a ranking list in the order of β sigmod β, β icdcs β, β www β is better than β icdcs β, β www β, β sigmod β since databases ( sigmod ) is a more relevant research interest for dr . y , compared with distributed computing systems ( icdcs ), or web applications ( www ). in this way , the user can capture dr . y &# 39 ; s main research interest by just inspecting a few top - ranked conferences / nodes . this suggests the so - called diminishing returns property of the goodness measure β it would help the user to know better about dr . y &# 39 ; s whole research interest if we return more conferences / nodes in the ranking list ; but the marginal benefit becomes smaller and smaller as we go down the ranking list . another implicit design objective lies in the algorithmic aspect . the proposed goodness measure should also allow us to develop an effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or at least near - optimal ) top - k ranking list from large graphs . to summarize , for a given top - k ranking list , we aim to provide a single goodness score that ( 1 ) measures the relevance between each individual node in the list and the query vector p ; ( 2 ) measures the similarity ( or dis - similarity ) among all the nodes in the ranking list ; ( 3 ) exhibits some diminishing returns property with respect to the size of the ranking list ; and ( 4 ) enables some effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or near - optimal ) top - k ranking list . let a be the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph , b be the matrix defined in eq ( 2 ), p be the personalized vector and r be the ranking vector . for a given ranking list s ( i . e ., s gives the indices of the nodes in the ranking list ; and | s |= k ), a goodness measure in an embodiment of the invention is formally defined as follows : we can also represent f ( s ) by using the matrix a instead : f β‘ ( s ) = 2 β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( i ) - c β’ β i , j β β’ s β’ β’ a β‘ ( j , i ) β’ r β‘ ( j ) - ( 1 - c ) β’ β j β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( j ) β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ p β‘ ( i ) where c is the damping factor in personalized pagerank , and 1 1 Γ| s | is a row vector of length | s | with all the elements set to 1s . it can be shown that it is equivalent to eq . ( 3 ). notice that the goodness measure in eq . ( 3 ) is independent of the ordering of the different nodes in the subset s . if we simply change the ordering of the nodes for the same subset s , it does not affect the goodness score . however , as discussed below , we can still output an ordered subset based on the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking a diverse top - k ranking list . let us analyze how the proposed goodness measure of eq . ( 3 ) meets the design objective discussed above . there are two terms in eq . ( 3 ), the first term is twice the sum of the ranking scores in the ranking list . for the second term , recall that b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix with respect to the query vector p , where b ( i , j ) indicates the similarity ( i . e ., the strength of the connection ) between nodes i and j . in other words , the second term in eq . ( 3 ) is the sum of all the similarity scores between any two nodes i , j ( i , j β s ) in the ranking list ( weighted by r ( j )). therefore , the proposed goodness measure captures both the relevance and the diversity . the more relevant ( higher r ( i )) each individual node is , the higher the goodness measure f ( s ). at the same time , it encourages the diversity within the ranking list by penalizing the ( weighted ) similarity between any two nodes in s . the measure f ( s ) of eq . ( 3 ) also exhibits the diminishing returns property , which is summarized in theorem 1 below . the intuitions of theorem 1 are as follows : ( 1 ) by p1 , it means that the utility of an empty ranking list is always zero ; ( 2 ) by p2 , if we add more nodes into the ranking list , the overall utility of the ranking list does not decrease ; and ( 3 ) by p3 , the marginal utility of adding new nodes is relatively small if we already have a large ranking list . theorem 1 . diminishing returns property of f ( s ). let Ο be an empty set , i , j , r be three sets s . t ., i β j , and r β© j = Ο . the following facts hold for f ( s ): proof of p1 . it is obviously held by the definition of f ( s ). proof of p2 . let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 3 ) into f ( j )β f ( i ) and canceling the common terms , we have recall that the matrix b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). the first half of eq . ( 4 ) satisfies the last equality in eq . ( 6 ) is due to the fact that r = br , and each element is r is non - negative . putting eq . ( 4 )-( 6 ) together , we have that f ( j )β§ f ( i ), which completes the proof of p2 . proof of p3 . again , let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 4 ) into ( f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i ))β( f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j )) and canceling the common terms , we have therefore , we have that f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i )β§ f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j ), which completes the proof of p3 . in eq . ( 3 ), the coefficient β 2 β balances between the relevance ( the first term ) and the diversity ( the second term ). if we change the coefficient β 2 β to a parameter w , we have the following generalized goodness measure : we have the following corollary for this generalized goodness measure . it says that as long as the weight w β§ 2 , the generalized goodness measure g ( s ) still exhibits the diminishing returns property . this gives our method extra flexibility if the user wants to put more emphasis on relevance for some applications . corollary 2 . generalized goodness measure . let Ο be an empty set : i , j , r be three sets s . t . i β j , and r β© j = Ο . for any w β§ 2 , the following facts hold for g ( s ): p3 : g ( s ) is submodular , i . e ., g ( βͺ )β g ( )β§ g ( βͺ )β g ( ). in this section , we address problem 2 . here , given the initial query vector p and the budget k , we want to find a subset of k nodes that maximizes the goodness measure defined in eq . ( 3 ). we would like to point out that although we focus on eq . ( 3 ) for the sake of simplicity , the proposed algorithm can be easily generalized to eq . ( 7 ) where the user wants to specify the weight w for the relevance . problem 2 is essentially a subset selection problem to find the optimal k nodes that maximize eq . ( 3 ). theorem 1 indicates that it is not easy to find the exact optimal solution of problem 2 β it is np - hard to maximize a monotonic submodular function if the function value is 0 for an empty set . for instance , a straight - forward method would take exponential enumerations to find the exact optimal k nodes , which is not feasible in computation even for a medium size graph ( e . g ., with a few hundred nodes ). we can also formulate problem 2 as a binary indicator vector ( x ( i )= 1 means node i is selected in the subset s , and 0 means it is not selected ). problem 2 can be expressed as the following binary quadratic programming problem : β’ subject β’ β’ to β’ : β’ β’ x β‘ ( i ) β { 0 , 1 } β’ ( i = 1 , β¦ β’ β’ n ) β’ β’ β i = 1 n β’ x β‘ ( i ) = k ( 8 ) where d =( b β 2i n Γ n ) diag ( r ), i n Γ n is an identity matrix of size n Γ n , and diag ( r ) is a diagonal matrix with r ( i , i )( i = 1 , . . . , n ) being the diagonal elements . fig1 ( a ) shows an algorithm used in an embodiment of the invention , and fig1 ( b ) illustrates the operation of this algorithm . with reference to fig1 ( a ), in step 1 of the algorithm , we compute the ranking vector r ( e . g ., by the power method , etc .) then after some initializations ( steps 2 - 5 ), we select k nodes one - by - one as follows . at each time , we compute the score vector s in step 7 . then , we select one node with the highest score in the vector s and add it to the subset s ( steps 8 - 9 ). after that , we use the selected node to update the two reference vectors u and v ( steps 10 - 11 ). note that β{ circle around ( x )}β denotes the element - wise product between two matrices / vectors . intuitively , the score vector s keeps the marginal contribution of each node for the goodness measure given the current selected subset s . from step 7 , it can be seen that at each iteration , the values of such marginal contribution either remain unchanged or decrease . this is consistent with p3 of theorem 1 β as there are more and more nodes in the subset s , the marginal contribution of each node is monotonically non - increasing . it is worth pointing out that we use the original normalized adjacency matrix a , instead of the matrix b in alg . 1 . this is because for many real graphs , the matrix a is often very sparse , whereas the matrix b might not be . to see this , notice that b is a full matrix if p is uniform . in the case b is dense , it is not efficient in either time or space to use b in alg . 1 . in alg . 1 , although we try to optimize a goodness measure that is not affected by the ordering of different nodes in the subset , we can still output an ordered list to the user based on the iteration in which these nodes are selected β earlier selected nodes in alg . 1 are placed at the top of the resulting top - k ranking list . this ordering naturally meets the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking for a diverse top - k ranking list as we analyzed above . in the discussion below , we analyze the optimality as well as the complexity of algorithm 1 . this discussion shows that this algorithm leads to a near - optimal solution , and at the same time it enjoys linear scalability in both time and space . the optimality of algorithm 1 is given in lemma 1 , below . according to this lemma , this algorithm is near - optimal β its solution is within a fixed fraction ( 1 β 1 / e β 0 . 63 ) from the global optimal one . given the hardness of problem 2 , such near - optimality is acceptable in terms of optimization quality . lemma 1 . near - optimality let s be the subset found by alg . 1 : | s |= k ; and s *= argmax | s |= k f ( s ). we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), where e is the base of the natural logarithm . proof . let t be the subset found at the end of the t th ( t = 1 , . . . , k β 1 ) iteration of alg . 1 . at step 7 of the ( t + 1 ) th iteration , for any node i β t , we have that for any node i β t , plugging eq . ( 3 ) into f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ) and canceling the common terms , we have that therefore , we have that s ( i )= f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ). in other words , at step 8 of each iteration of alg . 1 , we always select a node with the highest marginal increase of the goodness measure . by theorem 1 , the goodness measure f ( s ) is a non - decreasing submodular function with f ( Ο )= 0 . according to a . krause and c . guestrin , beyond convexity β submodularity in machine learning , ( in icml , 2008 ), we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), which completes the proof . the time complexity of the proposed dragon is given in lemma 2 . according to lemma 2 , our dragon has linear time complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is scalable to large graphs in terms of computational time . lemma 2 . time complexity . the time complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + nk ). we would like to point out that the alg . 1 can be further sped up . firstly , notice that the o ( m ) term in lemma 2 comes from computing the ranking vector r ( step 1 ) by the most commonly used power method . there are a lot of fast methods for computing r , either by effective approximation or by parallelism . these methods can be naturally plugged in alg . 1 , which might lead to further computational savings . secondly , the o ( nk ) term in lemma 2 comes from the greedy selection step in steps 6 - 12 . thanks to the monotonicity of f ( s ) as we show in theorem 1 , we can use the similar lazy evaluation strategy as j . leskovee , a . krasue , c . guestrin , c . faloutsos , j . m . vanbriesen , and n . s . glace , cost - effective outbreak detection in networks , ( in kdd , pages 420 - 429 , 2007 ), to speed up this process , without sacrificing the optimization quality . the space complexity of alg . 1 is given in lemma 3 . according to lemma 3 , alg . 1 has linear space complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is also scalable to large graphs in terms of space cost . lemma 3 . space complexity . the space complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + n + k ). in the discussion below , we provide empirical evaluations for algorithm 1 . these evaluations mainly focus on ( 1 ) the effectiveness and ( 2 ) the efficiency of algorithm 1 . we use the dblp publication data to construct a co - authorship network , where each node is an author and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers between the two corresponding persons . overall , we have n β 418 , 236 nodes and m = 2 , 753 , 798 edges . we also construct much smaller co - authorship networks , using the authors from only one conference ( e . g ., kdd , sigir , sigmod , etc .). for example , kd is the co - authorship network for the authors in the β kdd β conference . these smaller co - authorship networks typically have a few thousand nodes and up to a few tens of thousands edges . we also construct the co - authorship networks , using the authors from multiple conferences ( e . g ., kdd - sigir ). for these graphs , we denote them as sub ( n , m ), where n and m are the numbers of nodes and edges in the graph , respectively . there is a damping factor c to compute the personalized pagerank , which is set to be c = 0 . 99 . in the discussion herein , we use the power method to compute the pagerank . we adopt the same stopping criteria as [ h . tong , c . faloutsos , and j .- y . pan , fast random walk with restart and its applications . in icdm , pages 613 - 622 , 2006 . ]: either the l 1 difference of the ranking vectors between two consecutive iterations is less than a pre - defined threshold ( 10 β 9 ), or the maximum number of iteration steps ( 80 ) is reached . there are no additional parameters in alg . 1 . for the remaining parameters of those comparative methods , they are set as in their original papers , respectively . for the computational cost and scalability , we report the wall - clock time . all the experiments ran on the same machine with four 2 . 5 ghz amd cpus and 48 gb memory , running linux ( 2 . 6 kernel ). for all the quantitative results , we randomly generate a query vector p and feed it into different methods for a top - k ranking list with the same length . we repeat it 100 times and report the average . there does not appear to be any universally accepted measure for diversity . in [ q . mei , j . guo , and d . r . radev , divrank : the interplay of prestige and diversity in information networks . in kdd , pages 1009 - 1018 , 2010 . ], the authors suggested an intuitive notion based on the density of the induced subgraph from the original graph a by the subset s . the intuition is as follows : the lower the density ( i . e ., the less 1 - step neighbors ) of the induced subgraph , the more diverse the subset s . here , we generalize this notion to the t - step graph in order to also take into account the effect of those in - direct neighbors . let sign (.) be a binary function operated element - wise on a matrix , i . e ., y = sign ( x ), where y is a matrix of the same size as x , y ( i , j )= 1 if x ( i , j )& gt ; 0 , y ( i , j )= 0 otherwise . we define the t - step connectivity matrix c t as c t = sign ( Ο i = 1 t a i ). that is , c t ( i , j )= 1 ( 0 ) means that node i can ( cannot ) reach node j on the graph a within t - steps / hops . with this c t matrix , we define the diversity of a given subset s s eq . ( 12 ). here , the value of div ( t ) is always between 0 . 5 and 1 β higher means more diverse . if all the nodes in s are reachable from each other within t - steps , we say that the subset s is the least diverse ( div ( t )= 0 . 5 ). on the other extreme , if all the nodes in s cannot reach each other within t - steps , the subset s is the most diverse ( div ( t )β 1 ). for the task of top - k ranking , the notion of diversity alone , though important , might not be enough for the information need . for example , if we simply randomly select k nodes as the top - k ranking list , these k nodes might not be connected with each other at all given that the length of the ranking list k is usually much smaller than the number of nodes n in the graph . therefore , it has a high diversity . however , it is unlikely that such a ranking list can well fit the user &# 39 ; s information need since each of them might have very low relevance score . in other words , a diversified top - k ranking list should also have high relevance . that said , we will mainly focus on evaluating how different methods balance between the diversity and the relevance . notice that the relevance score for each individual node is often very small on large graphs ( since the l 1 norm of the ranking vector is 1 ). to make the two quantities ( diversity vs . relevance ) comparable with each other , we need to normalize the relevance scores . let Ε be the top - k ranking list by the original personalized pagerank , we define the normalized relevance score for a given subset s (| s |= k ) s eq . ( 13 ). since the personalized pagerank always gives the k most relevant nodes , the rel defined in eq . ( 13 ) is always between 0 and 1 β higher means more relevant . let us start with an illustrative example to gain some visual intuitions . in fig2 , we show a fictitious co - authorship network 20 , where each node corresponds to an author ( e . g ., john , smith , etc . ), and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers . there are three communities in this network ( e . g ., dm , db and ir ). from fig2 , we can see that node 1 has very strong connections to the dm community . in other words , sm might be his / her major research interest . in addition , s / he also has some connections to the ir and db communities . given the budget k = 3 , personalized pagerank returns all the three nodes ( nodes 2 , 3 and 5 ) form dm community which is consistent with the intuition since personalized pagerank solely focuses on the relevance . in contrast , alg . 1 returns nodes 2 , 6 and 10 , each of which is still relevant enough to the query node 1 . at the same time , they are diversified from each other , covering the whole spectrum of his / her research interest ( dm db , and ir ). we also conduct case studies on real graphs . we construct a co - authorship networks from sigir ( the major conference on information retrieval ) and icml ( the major conference on machine learning ). we issue a query to find the top - 10 co - authors for prof . yy . the results are shown in table iii . we compare it with the original personalized pagerank . yy is a professor , and she has broad interest in information retrieval and machine learning . from fig2 , we have the following observations . firstly , both alg . 1 and personalized pagerank share the same authors for the top - 3 returned authors , indicating that alg . 1 also captures those highly relevant authors with respect to the querying author . secondly , alg . 1 returns a more diverse list of authors . for example , although ex 7 is not a co - author of yy , they share a lot of research interest in information retrieval , and have a lot of indirect connections through other ir people . in contrast , the existence of some authors in the ranking list by personalized pagerank is somehow redundant , in terms of helping the user to understand prof . yy &# 39 ; s whole collaboration network . for example , consider prof . agh . although , he has a lot of co - authored papers with yy , they are also co - authored with rv . therefore , given that jz and rj are already in the ranking list , his existence does not provide much marginal information about yy &# 39 ; s collaboration network . as a quantitative indicator , the average degree of induced subgraph by alg . 1 is only 2 . 8 , which is much lower ( i . e ., more diverse ) than that by personalized pagerank . finally , notice that for some authors , although they show up in both lists , their positions in the ranking list are different . for example , jyn shows at the 4 th and the 8 th positions in the two ranking lists , respectively . this is because jyn makes the top - 4 authors more diverse compared with thp , although its individual relevance score is lower than the latter . we compare alg . 1 with arw and rrw , both of which also aim to improve the diversity of personalized pagerank . we skip the comparison with mmr for brevity since it has been shown that its performance is not as good as rrw for the graph - type data . for rrw , it has two variants based on different approximation methods it actually uses : the one based on the cumulative estimation ( referred to as β rrw - a β) and the other one based on the pointwise estimation ( referred to as β rrw - b β). first , let us compare how different methods balance between the relevance and the diversity . fig3 shows the results on the nips co - authorship network . we test with different budgets ( k = 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 100 ). in fig3 ( a ), div ( 1 ) means that we only consider 1 - step neighbors to measure the diversity ( i . e ., setting t = 1 in eq . ( 12 )). in fig3 ( b ), div ( 2 ) means that we consider both 1 - step and 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., setting t = 2 in eq . ( 12 )). we only present the results by rrw - a since rrw - b gives similar results . from fig3 , we can see that all the three methods are effective to improve the diversity . the alg . 1 achieves a better balance between the relevance and the diversity . for arw , although it gives the highest diversity score , its ( normalized ) relevance score is too low β only about half of the other two methods . this is because in arw , only the first node is selected according to the relevance ; and all the remaining ( k β 1 ) are selected by diversity . as for rrw - a , both its relevance and diversity scores are lower than alg . 1 . it is interesting to notice from fig3 ( b ) that the diversity of rrw - a drops a lot when it is measured by within 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., div ( 2 )). this is consistent with the intuition of rrw . in rrw ( both rrw - a and rrw - b ), it achieves the diversity by encouraging 1 - step neighboring nodes to compete with each other . consequently , the density of its within 1 - step induced subgraph might be low ( i . e ., high diversity ), but it is not necessarily the case for the within t - step ( t β§ 2 ) induced subgraph . in order to test how the overall performance of different methods varies across different data sets , we take the average between relevance and diversity scores . the results are presented in fig4 ( a )- 4 ( d ), using four different co - authorship networks ( sigmod , nips , sigir , siggraph ). for the space limitation , we omit the results when the diversity is measured by within 1 - steps neighbors , which is similar as the results by within 2 - steps neighbors . it can be seen that alg . 1 consistently performs the best . in the discussion below , we evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of algorithm 1 in terms of maximizing the goodness measure f ( s ). we compare it with the exponential enumeration and the binary quadratic programming methods discussed above . we also compare it with two other heuristics . the first method ( referred to as β heuristic1 β) starts with generating a candidate pool ( e . g ., the top 10 Γ k most relevant nodes ), picks one seed node , and then repeatedly adds the most dis - similar ( measured by a ) node into the ranking list from the candidate pool . the second method ( referred to as β heuristic2 β) also starts with generating a candidate pool , puts all the nodes from candidate pool in the list , and then repeatedly drops a most similar ( measured by a ) node from the list . first , let us evaluate how the different methods balance between the optimization quality ( measured by f ( s ) and the speed ( measured by wall - clock time ). fig5 shows the results from the co - authorship network of nips and kdd conferences with the budget k = 20 , where f ( s ) is normalized by the highest one among different methods . it can be seen that alg . 1 is the best β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s )) with the least amount of wall - clock time . notice that the y - axis is in logarithm scale . we also conducted experiments on the co - authorship network constructed from multiple conferences . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) show the results on these data sets with the budget k = 20 . here sub ( n , m ) means a co - authorship network with n nodes and m edges . we stop the program if it takes more than 100 , 000 seconds ( i . e ., more than 1 - days ). in fig6 ( a ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d and 60 e respectively . in fig6 ( b ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 62 a , 62 b , 62 c , 62 d and 62 e respectively . it can be seen from fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) that alg . 1 is consistently best across all the different data sets β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s ) for β lin - qp β is missing for sub ( 24k , 114k ) because it fails to finish within 100 , 000 seconds . this indicates that it is not feasible for large graphs . for the smaller graphs , β lin - qp β leads to slightly lower f ( s ) than alg . 1 ; but it requires 3 - 5 orders of magnitude wall - clock time . for all the other comparative methods , they lead to worse optimization quality with longer wall - clock time . we also evaluate the scalability of alg . 1 . when we evaluate the scalability with respect to the number of the nodes in the graph , we fix the number of edges and vice versa . the results in fig7 ( a ) and 7 ( b ) are consistent with the complexity analysis discussed above β alg . 1 scales linearly with respect to both n and m , which means that it is suitable for large graphs . a computer - based system 100 in which embodiments of the invention may be carried out is depicted in fig8 . the computer - based system 100 includes a processing unit 110 , which houses a processor , memory and other systems components ( not shown expressly in the drawing ) that implement a general purpose processing system , or computer that may execute a computer program product . the computer program product may comprise media , for example a compact storage medium such as a compact disc , which may be read by the processing unit 110 through a disc drive 120 , or by any means known to the skilled artisan for providing the computer program product to the general purpose processing system for execution thereby . the computer program product may comprise all the respective features enabling the implementation of the inventive method described herein , and which β when loaded in a computer system β is able to carry out the method . computer program , software program , program , or software , in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . the computer program product may be stored on hard disk drives within processing unit 110 , as mentioned , or may be located on a remote system such as a server 130 , coupled to processing unit 110 , via a network interface such as an ethernet interface . monitor 140 , mouse 150 and keyboard 160 are coupled to the processing unit 110 , to provide user interaction . scanner 180 and printer 170 are provided for document input and output . printer 170 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 via a network connection , but may be coupled directly to the processing unit . scanner 180 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 directly , but it should be understood that peripherals might be network coupled , or direct coupled without affecting the performance of the processing unit 110 . while it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objectives discussed above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Physics'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Textiles; Paper'? | 0.25 | 98872eeca68982e03818c82079349395f13437d02a5c0d26546df533cb0fd7f8 | 0.075684 | 0.009155 | 0.005371 | 0.005066 | 0.117676 | 0.039063 |
null | as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a β circuit ,β β module β or β system .β furthermore , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the medium . any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cdrom ), an optical storage device , a transmission media such as those supporting the internet or an intranet , or a magnetic storage device . note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium , upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer - usable program code embodied therewith , either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . the computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc . computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the β c β programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). the present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the present invention relates to identifying a set of data items based on both relevance and diversity . in embodiments of the invention , these data items are selected based on a graph of a larger set of data items , and embodiments of the invention provide a scalable algorithm ( linear with respect to the size of the graph ) that generates a provably near - optimal top - k ranking list . in embodiments of the invention , this algorithm has a clear optimization formulation , finds a provable near - optimal solution , and enjoys linear scalability . table i lists the main symbols used in this description of the invention . in the description below , we consider the most general case of directed , weighted , irreducible unipartite graphs . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . in practice , we store these matrices using an adjacency list representation , since real graphs are often very sparse . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . following the standard notation , we use bold upper - case for matrices ( e . g ., a ), bold lower - case for vectors ( e . g ., a ), and calligraphic fonts for sets ( e . g ., i ). we denote the transpose with a prime ( i . e ., a β² is the transpose of a ). for a bipartite graph with adjacency matrix w , we can convert it to the equivalent uni - partite graph : we use subscripts to denote the size of matrices / vectors ( e . g ., a n Γ n means a matrix of size n Γ n ). when the sizes of matrices / vectors are clear from the context , we omit such subscripts for brevity . also , we represent the elements in a matrix using a convention similar to matlab , e . g ., a ( i , j ) is the element at the i th row and j th column of the matrix a , and a (:, j ) is the j th column of a , etc . with this notation , we can represent a sub - matrix of a as a ( i , i ), which is a block of matrix a that corresponds to the rows / columns of a indexed by the set i . in the description below , we focus on personalized pagerank since it is one of the most fundamental ranking methods on graphs , and has shown its success in many different application domains in the past decade . formally , it can be defined as follows : where p is an n Γ 1 personalized vector ( p ( i )β§ 0 , Ο i = 1 n p ( i )= 1 ). sometimes , we also refer to p as the query vector , c ( 0 & lt ; c & lt ; 1 ) is a damping factor ; a is the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph ( i . e ., Ο j = 1 n a ( i , j )= 1 ( i = 1 , . . . , n ); and r is the n Γ 1 resulting ranking vector . note that if p ( i )= 1 / n ( i = 1 , . . . , n ), it is reduced to the standard pagerank ; if p ( i )= 1 and p ( j )= 0 ( j β i ), the resulting ranking vector r gives the proximity scores from node i to all the other nodes in the graph . in order to simplify the description of our upcoming method , we also introduce matrix b : where 1 1 Γ n is a 1 Γ n row vector with all elements set to 1s . intuitively , the matrix b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix that is biased towards the query vector p . in turns out that the ranking vector r defined in eq . ( 1 ) satisfies r = br . in other words , the ranking vector r is the right eigenvector of the b matrix with the eigenvalue 1 . it can be verified that b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). by perron - frobenius theorem , it can be shown that 1 is the largest ( in module ) simple eigenvalue of the matrix b ; and the ranking vector r is unique with all non - negative elements since the graph is irreducible . aspects of the invention provide ( 1 ) a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity ; and ( 2 ) given the goodness measure , an optimal or near - optimal or near - optimal algorithm to find a top - k ranking list that maximizes such goodness measure in a scalable way . with the above notations and assumptions , these problems can be formally defined as follows : given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and a subset of k nodes s ; output : a goodness score f ( s ) of the subset of nodes s , which measures ( a ) the relevance of each node in s with respect to the query vector p , and ( v ) the diversity among all the nodes in the subset s . given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and the budget k ; find : a subset of k nodes s that maximizes the goodness measure f ( s ). an aspect of an embodiment of the invention is to define a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity . we first discuss some design objective of such a goodness measure ; and then present a solution followed by some theoretical analysis and discussions . as said before , a good diversified top - k ranking list should balance between the relevance and the diversity . the notion of relevance is clear for personalized pagerank ,β larger value in the ranking vector r means more relevant with respect to the query vector p . on the other hand , the notion of diversity is more challenging . intuitively , a diversified subset of nodes should be dis - similar with each other . take the query β find the top - k conferences for dr . y . from the author - conference network β as an example . dr . y yu is a professor at a university , and his recent major research interest lies in databases and data mining . he also has broad interests in several related domains , including systems , parallel and distributed processing , web applications , and performance modeling , etc . a top - k ranking list for this query would have high relevance if it consists of all the conferences from databases and data mining community ( e . g ., sigmod , vldb , kdd , etc .) since all these conferences are closely related to his major research interest . however , such a list has low diversity since these conferences are too similar with each other ( e . g ., having a large overlap of contributing authors , etc .). therefore , if we replace a few databases and data mining conferences by some representative conferences in his other research domains ( e . g ., icdcs for distributed computing systems , www for web applications , etc . ), it would make the whole ranking list more diverse ( e . g ., the conferences in the list are more dis - similar to each other ). furthermore , if we go through the ranking list from top down , we would like to see the most relevant conferences appear first in the ranking list . for example , a ranking list in the order of β sigmod β, β icdcs β, β www β is better than β icdcs β, β www β, β sigmod β since databases ( sigmod ) is a more relevant research interest for dr . y , compared with distributed computing systems ( icdcs ), or web applications ( www ). in this way , the user can capture dr . y &# 39 ; s main research interest by just inspecting a few top - ranked conferences / nodes . this suggests the so - called diminishing returns property of the goodness measure β it would help the user to know better about dr . y &# 39 ; s whole research interest if we return more conferences / nodes in the ranking list ; but the marginal benefit becomes smaller and smaller as we go down the ranking list . another implicit design objective lies in the algorithmic aspect . the proposed goodness measure should also allow us to develop an effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or at least near - optimal ) top - k ranking list from large graphs . to summarize , for a given top - k ranking list , we aim to provide a single goodness score that ( 1 ) measures the relevance between each individual node in the list and the query vector p ; ( 2 ) measures the similarity ( or dis - similarity ) among all the nodes in the ranking list ; ( 3 ) exhibits some diminishing returns property with respect to the size of the ranking list ; and ( 4 ) enables some effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or near - optimal ) top - k ranking list . let a be the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph , b be the matrix defined in eq ( 2 ), p be the personalized vector and r be the ranking vector . for a given ranking list s ( i . e ., s gives the indices of the nodes in the ranking list ; and | s |= k ), a goodness measure in an embodiment of the invention is formally defined as follows : we can also represent f ( s ) by using the matrix a instead : f β‘ ( s ) = 2 β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( i ) - c β’ β i , j β β’ s β’ β’ a β‘ ( j , i ) β’ r β‘ ( j ) - ( 1 - c ) β’ β j β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( j ) β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ p β‘ ( i ) where c is the damping factor in personalized pagerank , and 1 1 Γ| s | is a row vector of length | s | with all the elements set to 1s . it can be shown that it is equivalent to eq . ( 3 ). notice that the goodness measure in eq . ( 3 ) is independent of the ordering of the different nodes in the subset s . if we simply change the ordering of the nodes for the same subset s , it does not affect the goodness score . however , as discussed below , we can still output an ordered subset based on the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking a diverse top - k ranking list . let us analyze how the proposed goodness measure of eq . ( 3 ) meets the design objective discussed above . there are two terms in eq . ( 3 ), the first term is twice the sum of the ranking scores in the ranking list . for the second term , recall that b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix with respect to the query vector p , where b ( i , j ) indicates the similarity ( i . e ., the strength of the connection ) between nodes i and j . in other words , the second term in eq . ( 3 ) is the sum of all the similarity scores between any two nodes i , j ( i , j β s ) in the ranking list ( weighted by r ( j )). therefore , the proposed goodness measure captures both the relevance and the diversity . the more relevant ( higher r ( i )) each individual node is , the higher the goodness measure f ( s ). at the same time , it encourages the diversity within the ranking list by penalizing the ( weighted ) similarity between any two nodes in s . the measure f ( s ) of eq . ( 3 ) also exhibits the diminishing returns property , which is summarized in theorem 1 below . the intuitions of theorem 1 are as follows : ( 1 ) by p1 , it means that the utility of an empty ranking list is always zero ; ( 2 ) by p2 , if we add more nodes into the ranking list , the overall utility of the ranking list does not decrease ; and ( 3 ) by p3 , the marginal utility of adding new nodes is relatively small if we already have a large ranking list . theorem 1 . diminishing returns property of f ( s ). let Ο be an empty set , i , j , r be three sets s . t ., i β j , and r β© j = Ο . the following facts hold for f ( s ): proof of p1 . it is obviously held by the definition of f ( s ). proof of p2 . let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 3 ) into f ( j )β f ( i ) and canceling the common terms , we have recall that the matrix b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). the first half of eq . ( 4 ) satisfies the last equality in eq . ( 6 ) is due to the fact that r = br , and each element is r is non - negative . putting eq . ( 4 )-( 6 ) together , we have that f ( j )β§ f ( i ), which completes the proof of p2 . proof of p3 . again , let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 4 ) into ( f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i ))β( f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j )) and canceling the common terms , we have therefore , we have that f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i )β§ f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j ), which completes the proof of p3 . in eq . ( 3 ), the coefficient β 2 β balances between the relevance ( the first term ) and the diversity ( the second term ). if we change the coefficient β 2 β to a parameter w , we have the following generalized goodness measure : we have the following corollary for this generalized goodness measure . it says that as long as the weight w β§ 2 , the generalized goodness measure g ( s ) still exhibits the diminishing returns property . this gives our method extra flexibility if the user wants to put more emphasis on relevance for some applications . corollary 2 . generalized goodness measure . let Ο be an empty set : i , j , r be three sets s . t . i β j , and r β© j = Ο . for any w β§ 2 , the following facts hold for g ( s ): p3 : g ( s ) is submodular , i . e ., g ( βͺ )β g ( )β§ g ( βͺ )β g ( ). in this section , we address problem 2 . here , given the initial query vector p and the budget k , we want to find a subset of k nodes that maximizes the goodness measure defined in eq . ( 3 ). we would like to point out that although we focus on eq . ( 3 ) for the sake of simplicity , the proposed algorithm can be easily generalized to eq . ( 7 ) where the user wants to specify the weight w for the relevance . problem 2 is essentially a subset selection problem to find the optimal k nodes that maximize eq . ( 3 ). theorem 1 indicates that it is not easy to find the exact optimal solution of problem 2 β it is np - hard to maximize a monotonic submodular function if the function value is 0 for an empty set . for instance , a straight - forward method would take exponential enumerations to find the exact optimal k nodes , which is not feasible in computation even for a medium size graph ( e . g ., with a few hundred nodes ). we can also formulate problem 2 as a binary indicator vector ( x ( i )= 1 means node i is selected in the subset s , and 0 means it is not selected ). problem 2 can be expressed as the following binary quadratic programming problem : β’ subject β’ β’ to β’ : β’ β’ x β‘ ( i ) β { 0 , 1 } β’ ( i = 1 , β¦ β’ β’ n ) β’ β’ β i = 1 n β’ x β‘ ( i ) = k ( 8 ) where d =( b β 2i n Γ n ) diag ( r ), i n Γ n is an identity matrix of size n Γ n , and diag ( r ) is a diagonal matrix with r ( i , i )( i = 1 , . . . , n ) being the diagonal elements . fig1 ( a ) shows an algorithm used in an embodiment of the invention , and fig1 ( b ) illustrates the operation of this algorithm . with reference to fig1 ( a ), in step 1 of the algorithm , we compute the ranking vector r ( e . g ., by the power method , etc .) then after some initializations ( steps 2 - 5 ), we select k nodes one - by - one as follows . at each time , we compute the score vector s in step 7 . then , we select one node with the highest score in the vector s and add it to the subset s ( steps 8 - 9 ). after that , we use the selected node to update the two reference vectors u and v ( steps 10 - 11 ). note that β{ circle around ( x )}β denotes the element - wise product between two matrices / vectors . intuitively , the score vector s keeps the marginal contribution of each node for the goodness measure given the current selected subset s . from step 7 , it can be seen that at each iteration , the values of such marginal contribution either remain unchanged or decrease . this is consistent with p3 of theorem 1 β as there are more and more nodes in the subset s , the marginal contribution of each node is monotonically non - increasing . it is worth pointing out that we use the original normalized adjacency matrix a , instead of the matrix b in alg . 1 . this is because for many real graphs , the matrix a is often very sparse , whereas the matrix b might not be . to see this , notice that b is a full matrix if p is uniform . in the case b is dense , it is not efficient in either time or space to use b in alg . 1 . in alg . 1 , although we try to optimize a goodness measure that is not affected by the ordering of different nodes in the subset , we can still output an ordered list to the user based on the iteration in which these nodes are selected β earlier selected nodes in alg . 1 are placed at the top of the resulting top - k ranking list . this ordering naturally meets the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking for a diverse top - k ranking list as we analyzed above . in the discussion below , we analyze the optimality as well as the complexity of algorithm 1 . this discussion shows that this algorithm leads to a near - optimal solution , and at the same time it enjoys linear scalability in both time and space . the optimality of algorithm 1 is given in lemma 1 , below . according to this lemma , this algorithm is near - optimal β its solution is within a fixed fraction ( 1 β 1 / e β 0 . 63 ) from the global optimal one . given the hardness of problem 2 , such near - optimality is acceptable in terms of optimization quality . lemma 1 . near - optimality let s be the subset found by alg . 1 : | s |= k ; and s *= argmax | s |= k f ( s ). we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), where e is the base of the natural logarithm . proof . let t be the subset found at the end of the t th ( t = 1 , . . . , k β 1 ) iteration of alg . 1 . at step 7 of the ( t + 1 ) th iteration , for any node i β t , we have that for any node i β t , plugging eq . ( 3 ) into f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ) and canceling the common terms , we have that therefore , we have that s ( i )= f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ). in other words , at step 8 of each iteration of alg . 1 , we always select a node with the highest marginal increase of the goodness measure . by theorem 1 , the goodness measure f ( s ) is a non - decreasing submodular function with f ( Ο )= 0 . according to a . krause and c . guestrin , beyond convexity β submodularity in machine learning , ( in icml , 2008 ), we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), which completes the proof . the time complexity of the proposed dragon is given in lemma 2 . according to lemma 2 , our dragon has linear time complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is scalable to large graphs in terms of computational time . lemma 2 . time complexity . the time complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + nk ). we would like to point out that the alg . 1 can be further sped up . firstly , notice that the o ( m ) term in lemma 2 comes from computing the ranking vector r ( step 1 ) by the most commonly used power method . there are a lot of fast methods for computing r , either by effective approximation or by parallelism . these methods can be naturally plugged in alg . 1 , which might lead to further computational savings . secondly , the o ( nk ) term in lemma 2 comes from the greedy selection step in steps 6 - 12 . thanks to the monotonicity of f ( s ) as we show in theorem 1 , we can use the similar lazy evaluation strategy as j . leskovee , a . krasue , c . guestrin , c . faloutsos , j . m . vanbriesen , and n . s . glace , cost - effective outbreak detection in networks , ( in kdd , pages 420 - 429 , 2007 ), to speed up this process , without sacrificing the optimization quality . the space complexity of alg . 1 is given in lemma 3 . according to lemma 3 , alg . 1 has linear space complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is also scalable to large graphs in terms of space cost . lemma 3 . space complexity . the space complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + n + k ). in the discussion below , we provide empirical evaluations for algorithm 1 . these evaluations mainly focus on ( 1 ) the effectiveness and ( 2 ) the efficiency of algorithm 1 . we use the dblp publication data to construct a co - authorship network , where each node is an author and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers between the two corresponding persons . overall , we have n β 418 , 236 nodes and m = 2 , 753 , 798 edges . we also construct much smaller co - authorship networks , using the authors from only one conference ( e . g ., kdd , sigir , sigmod , etc .). for example , kd is the co - authorship network for the authors in the β kdd β conference . these smaller co - authorship networks typically have a few thousand nodes and up to a few tens of thousands edges . we also construct the co - authorship networks , using the authors from multiple conferences ( e . g ., kdd - sigir ). for these graphs , we denote them as sub ( n , m ), where n and m are the numbers of nodes and edges in the graph , respectively . there is a damping factor c to compute the personalized pagerank , which is set to be c = 0 . 99 . in the discussion herein , we use the power method to compute the pagerank . we adopt the same stopping criteria as [ h . tong , c . faloutsos , and j .- y . pan , fast random walk with restart and its applications . in icdm , pages 613 - 622 , 2006 . ]: either the l 1 difference of the ranking vectors between two consecutive iterations is less than a pre - defined threshold ( 10 β 9 ), or the maximum number of iteration steps ( 80 ) is reached . there are no additional parameters in alg . 1 . for the remaining parameters of those comparative methods , they are set as in their original papers , respectively . for the computational cost and scalability , we report the wall - clock time . all the experiments ran on the same machine with four 2 . 5 ghz amd cpus and 48 gb memory , running linux ( 2 . 6 kernel ). for all the quantitative results , we randomly generate a query vector p and feed it into different methods for a top - k ranking list with the same length . we repeat it 100 times and report the average . there does not appear to be any universally accepted measure for diversity . in [ q . mei , j . guo , and d . r . radev , divrank : the interplay of prestige and diversity in information networks . in kdd , pages 1009 - 1018 , 2010 . ], the authors suggested an intuitive notion based on the density of the induced subgraph from the original graph a by the subset s . the intuition is as follows : the lower the density ( i . e ., the less 1 - step neighbors ) of the induced subgraph , the more diverse the subset s . here , we generalize this notion to the t - step graph in order to also take into account the effect of those in - direct neighbors . let sign (.) be a binary function operated element - wise on a matrix , i . e ., y = sign ( x ), where y is a matrix of the same size as x , y ( i , j )= 1 if x ( i , j )& gt ; 0 , y ( i , j )= 0 otherwise . we define the t - step connectivity matrix c t as c t = sign ( Ο i = 1 t a i ). that is , c t ( i , j )= 1 ( 0 ) means that node i can ( cannot ) reach node j on the graph a within t - steps / hops . with this c t matrix , we define the diversity of a given subset s s eq . ( 12 ). here , the value of div ( t ) is always between 0 . 5 and 1 β higher means more diverse . if all the nodes in s are reachable from each other within t - steps , we say that the subset s is the least diverse ( div ( t )= 0 . 5 ). on the other extreme , if all the nodes in s cannot reach each other within t - steps , the subset s is the most diverse ( div ( t )β 1 ). for the task of top - k ranking , the notion of diversity alone , though important , might not be enough for the information need . for example , if we simply randomly select k nodes as the top - k ranking list , these k nodes might not be connected with each other at all given that the length of the ranking list k is usually much smaller than the number of nodes n in the graph . therefore , it has a high diversity . however , it is unlikely that such a ranking list can well fit the user &# 39 ; s information need since each of them might have very low relevance score . in other words , a diversified top - k ranking list should also have high relevance . that said , we will mainly focus on evaluating how different methods balance between the diversity and the relevance . notice that the relevance score for each individual node is often very small on large graphs ( since the l 1 norm of the ranking vector is 1 ). to make the two quantities ( diversity vs . relevance ) comparable with each other , we need to normalize the relevance scores . let Ε be the top - k ranking list by the original personalized pagerank , we define the normalized relevance score for a given subset s (| s |= k ) s eq . ( 13 ). since the personalized pagerank always gives the k most relevant nodes , the rel defined in eq . ( 13 ) is always between 0 and 1 β higher means more relevant . let us start with an illustrative example to gain some visual intuitions . in fig2 , we show a fictitious co - authorship network 20 , where each node corresponds to an author ( e . g ., john , smith , etc . ), and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers . there are three communities in this network ( e . g ., dm , db and ir ). from fig2 , we can see that node 1 has very strong connections to the dm community . in other words , sm might be his / her major research interest . in addition , s / he also has some connections to the ir and db communities . given the budget k = 3 , personalized pagerank returns all the three nodes ( nodes 2 , 3 and 5 ) form dm community which is consistent with the intuition since personalized pagerank solely focuses on the relevance . in contrast , alg . 1 returns nodes 2 , 6 and 10 , each of which is still relevant enough to the query node 1 . at the same time , they are diversified from each other , covering the whole spectrum of his / her research interest ( dm db , and ir ). we also conduct case studies on real graphs . we construct a co - authorship networks from sigir ( the major conference on information retrieval ) and icml ( the major conference on machine learning ). we issue a query to find the top - 10 co - authors for prof . yy . the results are shown in table iii . we compare it with the original personalized pagerank . yy is a professor , and she has broad interest in information retrieval and machine learning . from fig2 , we have the following observations . firstly , both alg . 1 and personalized pagerank share the same authors for the top - 3 returned authors , indicating that alg . 1 also captures those highly relevant authors with respect to the querying author . secondly , alg . 1 returns a more diverse list of authors . for example , although ex 7 is not a co - author of yy , they share a lot of research interest in information retrieval , and have a lot of indirect connections through other ir people . in contrast , the existence of some authors in the ranking list by personalized pagerank is somehow redundant , in terms of helping the user to understand prof . yy &# 39 ; s whole collaboration network . for example , consider prof . agh . although , he has a lot of co - authored papers with yy , they are also co - authored with rv . therefore , given that jz and rj are already in the ranking list , his existence does not provide much marginal information about yy &# 39 ; s collaboration network . as a quantitative indicator , the average degree of induced subgraph by alg . 1 is only 2 . 8 , which is much lower ( i . e ., more diverse ) than that by personalized pagerank . finally , notice that for some authors , although they show up in both lists , their positions in the ranking list are different . for example , jyn shows at the 4 th and the 8 th positions in the two ranking lists , respectively . this is because jyn makes the top - 4 authors more diverse compared with thp , although its individual relevance score is lower than the latter . we compare alg . 1 with arw and rrw , both of which also aim to improve the diversity of personalized pagerank . we skip the comparison with mmr for brevity since it has been shown that its performance is not as good as rrw for the graph - type data . for rrw , it has two variants based on different approximation methods it actually uses : the one based on the cumulative estimation ( referred to as β rrw - a β) and the other one based on the pointwise estimation ( referred to as β rrw - b β). first , let us compare how different methods balance between the relevance and the diversity . fig3 shows the results on the nips co - authorship network . we test with different budgets ( k = 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 100 ). in fig3 ( a ), div ( 1 ) means that we only consider 1 - step neighbors to measure the diversity ( i . e ., setting t = 1 in eq . ( 12 )). in fig3 ( b ), div ( 2 ) means that we consider both 1 - step and 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., setting t = 2 in eq . ( 12 )). we only present the results by rrw - a since rrw - b gives similar results . from fig3 , we can see that all the three methods are effective to improve the diversity . the alg . 1 achieves a better balance between the relevance and the diversity . for arw , although it gives the highest diversity score , its ( normalized ) relevance score is too low β only about half of the other two methods . this is because in arw , only the first node is selected according to the relevance ; and all the remaining ( k β 1 ) are selected by diversity . as for rrw - a , both its relevance and diversity scores are lower than alg . 1 . it is interesting to notice from fig3 ( b ) that the diversity of rrw - a drops a lot when it is measured by within 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., div ( 2 )). this is consistent with the intuition of rrw . in rrw ( both rrw - a and rrw - b ), it achieves the diversity by encouraging 1 - step neighboring nodes to compete with each other . consequently , the density of its within 1 - step induced subgraph might be low ( i . e ., high diversity ), but it is not necessarily the case for the within t - step ( t β§ 2 ) induced subgraph . in order to test how the overall performance of different methods varies across different data sets , we take the average between relevance and diversity scores . the results are presented in fig4 ( a )- 4 ( d ), using four different co - authorship networks ( sigmod , nips , sigir , siggraph ). for the space limitation , we omit the results when the diversity is measured by within 1 - steps neighbors , which is similar as the results by within 2 - steps neighbors . it can be seen that alg . 1 consistently performs the best . in the discussion below , we evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of algorithm 1 in terms of maximizing the goodness measure f ( s ). we compare it with the exponential enumeration and the binary quadratic programming methods discussed above . we also compare it with two other heuristics . the first method ( referred to as β heuristic1 β) starts with generating a candidate pool ( e . g ., the top 10 Γ k most relevant nodes ), picks one seed node , and then repeatedly adds the most dis - similar ( measured by a ) node into the ranking list from the candidate pool . the second method ( referred to as β heuristic2 β) also starts with generating a candidate pool , puts all the nodes from candidate pool in the list , and then repeatedly drops a most similar ( measured by a ) node from the list . first , let us evaluate how the different methods balance between the optimization quality ( measured by f ( s ) and the speed ( measured by wall - clock time ). fig5 shows the results from the co - authorship network of nips and kdd conferences with the budget k = 20 , where f ( s ) is normalized by the highest one among different methods . it can be seen that alg . 1 is the best β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s )) with the least amount of wall - clock time . notice that the y - axis is in logarithm scale . we also conducted experiments on the co - authorship network constructed from multiple conferences . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) show the results on these data sets with the budget k = 20 . here sub ( n , m ) means a co - authorship network with n nodes and m edges . we stop the program if it takes more than 100 , 000 seconds ( i . e ., more than 1 - days ). in fig6 ( a ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d and 60 e respectively . in fig6 ( b ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 62 a , 62 b , 62 c , 62 d and 62 e respectively . it can be seen from fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) that alg . 1 is consistently best across all the different data sets β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s ) for β lin - qp β is missing for sub ( 24k , 114k ) because it fails to finish within 100 , 000 seconds . this indicates that it is not feasible for large graphs . for the smaller graphs , β lin - qp β leads to slightly lower f ( s ) than alg . 1 ; but it requires 3 - 5 orders of magnitude wall - clock time . for all the other comparative methods , they lead to worse optimization quality with longer wall - clock time . we also evaluate the scalability of alg . 1 . when we evaluate the scalability with respect to the number of the nodes in the graph , we fix the number of edges and vice versa . the results in fig7 ( a ) and 7 ( b ) are consistent with the complexity analysis discussed above β alg . 1 scales linearly with respect to both n and m , which means that it is suitable for large graphs . a computer - based system 100 in which embodiments of the invention may be carried out is depicted in fig8 . the computer - based system 100 includes a processing unit 110 , which houses a processor , memory and other systems components ( not shown expressly in the drawing ) that implement a general purpose processing system , or computer that may execute a computer program product . the computer program product may comprise media , for example a compact storage medium such as a compact disc , which may be read by the processing unit 110 through a disc drive 120 , or by any means known to the skilled artisan for providing the computer program product to the general purpose processing system for execution thereby . the computer program product may comprise all the respective features enabling the implementation of the inventive method described herein , and which β when loaded in a computer system β is able to carry out the method . computer program , software program , program , or software , in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . the computer program product may be stored on hard disk drives within processing unit 110 , as mentioned , or may be located on a remote system such as a server 130 , coupled to processing unit 110 , via a network interface such as an ethernet interface . monitor 140 , mouse 150 and keyboard 160 are coupled to the processing unit 110 , to provide user interaction . scanner 180 and printer 170 are provided for document input and output . printer 170 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 via a network connection , but may be coupled directly to the processing unit . scanner 180 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 directly , but it should be understood that peripherals might be network coupled , or direct coupled without affecting the performance of the processing unit 110 . while it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objectives discussed above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Physics'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | 0.25 | 98872eeca68982e03818c82079349395f13437d02a5c0d26546df533cb0fd7f8 | 0.081543 | 0.049561 | 0.010681 | 0.072754 | 0.083984 | 0.148438 |
null | as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a β circuit ,β β module β or β system .β furthermore , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the medium . any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cdrom ), an optical storage device , a transmission media such as those supporting the internet or an intranet , or a magnetic storage device . note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium , upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer - usable program code embodied therewith , either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . the computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc . computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the β c β programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). the present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the present invention relates to identifying a set of data items based on both relevance and diversity . in embodiments of the invention , these data items are selected based on a graph of a larger set of data items , and embodiments of the invention provide a scalable algorithm ( linear with respect to the size of the graph ) that generates a provably near - optimal top - k ranking list . in embodiments of the invention , this algorithm has a clear optimization formulation , finds a provable near - optimal solution , and enjoys linear scalability . table i lists the main symbols used in this description of the invention . in the description below , we consider the most general case of directed , weighted , irreducible unipartite graphs . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . in practice , we store these matrices using an adjacency list representation , since real graphs are often very sparse . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . following the standard notation , we use bold upper - case for matrices ( e . g ., a ), bold lower - case for vectors ( e . g ., a ), and calligraphic fonts for sets ( e . g ., i ). we denote the transpose with a prime ( i . e ., a β² is the transpose of a ). for a bipartite graph with adjacency matrix w , we can convert it to the equivalent uni - partite graph : we use subscripts to denote the size of matrices / vectors ( e . g ., a n Γ n means a matrix of size n Γ n ). when the sizes of matrices / vectors are clear from the context , we omit such subscripts for brevity . also , we represent the elements in a matrix using a convention similar to matlab , e . g ., a ( i , j ) is the element at the i th row and j th column of the matrix a , and a (:, j ) is the j th column of a , etc . with this notation , we can represent a sub - matrix of a as a ( i , i ), which is a block of matrix a that corresponds to the rows / columns of a indexed by the set i . in the description below , we focus on personalized pagerank since it is one of the most fundamental ranking methods on graphs , and has shown its success in many different application domains in the past decade . formally , it can be defined as follows : where p is an n Γ 1 personalized vector ( p ( i )β§ 0 , Ο i = 1 n p ( i )= 1 ). sometimes , we also refer to p as the query vector , c ( 0 & lt ; c & lt ; 1 ) is a damping factor ; a is the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph ( i . e ., Ο j = 1 n a ( i , j )= 1 ( i = 1 , . . . , n ); and r is the n Γ 1 resulting ranking vector . note that if p ( i )= 1 / n ( i = 1 , . . . , n ), it is reduced to the standard pagerank ; if p ( i )= 1 and p ( j )= 0 ( j β i ), the resulting ranking vector r gives the proximity scores from node i to all the other nodes in the graph . in order to simplify the description of our upcoming method , we also introduce matrix b : where 1 1 Γ n is a 1 Γ n row vector with all elements set to 1s . intuitively , the matrix b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix that is biased towards the query vector p . in turns out that the ranking vector r defined in eq . ( 1 ) satisfies r = br . in other words , the ranking vector r is the right eigenvector of the b matrix with the eigenvalue 1 . it can be verified that b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). by perron - frobenius theorem , it can be shown that 1 is the largest ( in module ) simple eigenvalue of the matrix b ; and the ranking vector r is unique with all non - negative elements since the graph is irreducible . aspects of the invention provide ( 1 ) a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity ; and ( 2 ) given the goodness measure , an optimal or near - optimal or near - optimal algorithm to find a top - k ranking list that maximizes such goodness measure in a scalable way . with the above notations and assumptions , these problems can be formally defined as follows : given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and a subset of k nodes s ; output : a goodness score f ( s ) of the subset of nodes s , which measures ( a ) the relevance of each node in s with respect to the query vector p , and ( v ) the diversity among all the nodes in the subset s . given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and the budget k ; find : a subset of k nodes s that maximizes the goodness measure f ( s ). an aspect of an embodiment of the invention is to define a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity . we first discuss some design objective of such a goodness measure ; and then present a solution followed by some theoretical analysis and discussions . as said before , a good diversified top - k ranking list should balance between the relevance and the diversity . the notion of relevance is clear for personalized pagerank ,β larger value in the ranking vector r means more relevant with respect to the query vector p . on the other hand , the notion of diversity is more challenging . intuitively , a diversified subset of nodes should be dis - similar with each other . take the query β find the top - k conferences for dr . y . from the author - conference network β as an example . dr . y yu is a professor at a university , and his recent major research interest lies in databases and data mining . he also has broad interests in several related domains , including systems , parallel and distributed processing , web applications , and performance modeling , etc . a top - k ranking list for this query would have high relevance if it consists of all the conferences from databases and data mining community ( e . g ., sigmod , vldb , kdd , etc .) since all these conferences are closely related to his major research interest . however , such a list has low diversity since these conferences are too similar with each other ( e . g ., having a large overlap of contributing authors , etc .). therefore , if we replace a few databases and data mining conferences by some representative conferences in his other research domains ( e . g ., icdcs for distributed computing systems , www for web applications , etc . ), it would make the whole ranking list more diverse ( e . g ., the conferences in the list are more dis - similar to each other ). furthermore , if we go through the ranking list from top down , we would like to see the most relevant conferences appear first in the ranking list . for example , a ranking list in the order of β sigmod β, β icdcs β, β www β is better than β icdcs β, β www β, β sigmod β since databases ( sigmod ) is a more relevant research interest for dr . y , compared with distributed computing systems ( icdcs ), or web applications ( www ). in this way , the user can capture dr . y &# 39 ; s main research interest by just inspecting a few top - ranked conferences / nodes . this suggests the so - called diminishing returns property of the goodness measure β it would help the user to know better about dr . y &# 39 ; s whole research interest if we return more conferences / nodes in the ranking list ; but the marginal benefit becomes smaller and smaller as we go down the ranking list . another implicit design objective lies in the algorithmic aspect . the proposed goodness measure should also allow us to develop an effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or at least near - optimal ) top - k ranking list from large graphs . to summarize , for a given top - k ranking list , we aim to provide a single goodness score that ( 1 ) measures the relevance between each individual node in the list and the query vector p ; ( 2 ) measures the similarity ( or dis - similarity ) among all the nodes in the ranking list ; ( 3 ) exhibits some diminishing returns property with respect to the size of the ranking list ; and ( 4 ) enables some effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or near - optimal ) top - k ranking list . let a be the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph , b be the matrix defined in eq ( 2 ), p be the personalized vector and r be the ranking vector . for a given ranking list s ( i . e ., s gives the indices of the nodes in the ranking list ; and | s |= k ), a goodness measure in an embodiment of the invention is formally defined as follows : we can also represent f ( s ) by using the matrix a instead : f β‘ ( s ) = 2 β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( i ) - c β’ β i , j β β’ s β’ β’ a β‘ ( j , i ) β’ r β‘ ( j ) - ( 1 - c ) β’ β j β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( j ) β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ p β‘ ( i ) where c is the damping factor in personalized pagerank , and 1 1 Γ| s | is a row vector of length | s | with all the elements set to 1s . it can be shown that it is equivalent to eq . ( 3 ). notice that the goodness measure in eq . ( 3 ) is independent of the ordering of the different nodes in the subset s . if we simply change the ordering of the nodes for the same subset s , it does not affect the goodness score . however , as discussed below , we can still output an ordered subset based on the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking a diverse top - k ranking list . let us analyze how the proposed goodness measure of eq . ( 3 ) meets the design objective discussed above . there are two terms in eq . ( 3 ), the first term is twice the sum of the ranking scores in the ranking list . for the second term , recall that b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix with respect to the query vector p , where b ( i , j ) indicates the similarity ( i . e ., the strength of the connection ) between nodes i and j . in other words , the second term in eq . ( 3 ) is the sum of all the similarity scores between any two nodes i , j ( i , j β s ) in the ranking list ( weighted by r ( j )). therefore , the proposed goodness measure captures both the relevance and the diversity . the more relevant ( higher r ( i )) each individual node is , the higher the goodness measure f ( s ). at the same time , it encourages the diversity within the ranking list by penalizing the ( weighted ) similarity between any two nodes in s . the measure f ( s ) of eq . ( 3 ) also exhibits the diminishing returns property , which is summarized in theorem 1 below . the intuitions of theorem 1 are as follows : ( 1 ) by p1 , it means that the utility of an empty ranking list is always zero ; ( 2 ) by p2 , if we add more nodes into the ranking list , the overall utility of the ranking list does not decrease ; and ( 3 ) by p3 , the marginal utility of adding new nodes is relatively small if we already have a large ranking list . theorem 1 . diminishing returns property of f ( s ). let Ο be an empty set , i , j , r be three sets s . t ., i β j , and r β© j = Ο . the following facts hold for f ( s ): proof of p1 . it is obviously held by the definition of f ( s ). proof of p2 . let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 3 ) into f ( j )β f ( i ) and canceling the common terms , we have recall that the matrix b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). the first half of eq . ( 4 ) satisfies the last equality in eq . ( 6 ) is due to the fact that r = br , and each element is r is non - negative . putting eq . ( 4 )-( 6 ) together , we have that f ( j )β§ f ( i ), which completes the proof of p2 . proof of p3 . again , let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 4 ) into ( f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i ))β( f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j )) and canceling the common terms , we have therefore , we have that f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i )β§ f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j ), which completes the proof of p3 . in eq . ( 3 ), the coefficient β 2 β balances between the relevance ( the first term ) and the diversity ( the second term ). if we change the coefficient β 2 β to a parameter w , we have the following generalized goodness measure : we have the following corollary for this generalized goodness measure . it says that as long as the weight w β§ 2 , the generalized goodness measure g ( s ) still exhibits the diminishing returns property . this gives our method extra flexibility if the user wants to put more emphasis on relevance for some applications . corollary 2 . generalized goodness measure . let Ο be an empty set : i , j , r be three sets s . t . i β j , and r β© j = Ο . for any w β§ 2 , the following facts hold for g ( s ): p3 : g ( s ) is submodular , i . e ., g ( βͺ )β g ( )β§ g ( βͺ )β g ( ). in this section , we address problem 2 . here , given the initial query vector p and the budget k , we want to find a subset of k nodes that maximizes the goodness measure defined in eq . ( 3 ). we would like to point out that although we focus on eq . ( 3 ) for the sake of simplicity , the proposed algorithm can be easily generalized to eq . ( 7 ) where the user wants to specify the weight w for the relevance . problem 2 is essentially a subset selection problem to find the optimal k nodes that maximize eq . ( 3 ). theorem 1 indicates that it is not easy to find the exact optimal solution of problem 2 β it is np - hard to maximize a monotonic submodular function if the function value is 0 for an empty set . for instance , a straight - forward method would take exponential enumerations to find the exact optimal k nodes , which is not feasible in computation even for a medium size graph ( e . g ., with a few hundred nodes ). we can also formulate problem 2 as a binary indicator vector ( x ( i )= 1 means node i is selected in the subset s , and 0 means it is not selected ). problem 2 can be expressed as the following binary quadratic programming problem : β’ subject β’ β’ to β’ : β’ β’ x β‘ ( i ) β { 0 , 1 } β’ ( i = 1 , β¦ β’ β’ n ) β’ β’ β i = 1 n β’ x β‘ ( i ) = k ( 8 ) where d =( b β 2i n Γ n ) diag ( r ), i n Γ n is an identity matrix of size n Γ n , and diag ( r ) is a diagonal matrix with r ( i , i )( i = 1 , . . . , n ) being the diagonal elements . fig1 ( a ) shows an algorithm used in an embodiment of the invention , and fig1 ( b ) illustrates the operation of this algorithm . with reference to fig1 ( a ), in step 1 of the algorithm , we compute the ranking vector r ( e . g ., by the power method , etc .) then after some initializations ( steps 2 - 5 ), we select k nodes one - by - one as follows . at each time , we compute the score vector s in step 7 . then , we select one node with the highest score in the vector s and add it to the subset s ( steps 8 - 9 ). after that , we use the selected node to update the two reference vectors u and v ( steps 10 - 11 ). note that β{ circle around ( x )}β denotes the element - wise product between two matrices / vectors . intuitively , the score vector s keeps the marginal contribution of each node for the goodness measure given the current selected subset s . from step 7 , it can be seen that at each iteration , the values of such marginal contribution either remain unchanged or decrease . this is consistent with p3 of theorem 1 β as there are more and more nodes in the subset s , the marginal contribution of each node is monotonically non - increasing . it is worth pointing out that we use the original normalized adjacency matrix a , instead of the matrix b in alg . 1 . this is because for many real graphs , the matrix a is often very sparse , whereas the matrix b might not be . to see this , notice that b is a full matrix if p is uniform . in the case b is dense , it is not efficient in either time or space to use b in alg . 1 . in alg . 1 , although we try to optimize a goodness measure that is not affected by the ordering of different nodes in the subset , we can still output an ordered list to the user based on the iteration in which these nodes are selected β earlier selected nodes in alg . 1 are placed at the top of the resulting top - k ranking list . this ordering naturally meets the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking for a diverse top - k ranking list as we analyzed above . in the discussion below , we analyze the optimality as well as the complexity of algorithm 1 . this discussion shows that this algorithm leads to a near - optimal solution , and at the same time it enjoys linear scalability in both time and space . the optimality of algorithm 1 is given in lemma 1 , below . according to this lemma , this algorithm is near - optimal β its solution is within a fixed fraction ( 1 β 1 / e β 0 . 63 ) from the global optimal one . given the hardness of problem 2 , such near - optimality is acceptable in terms of optimization quality . lemma 1 . near - optimality let s be the subset found by alg . 1 : | s |= k ; and s *= argmax | s |= k f ( s ). we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), where e is the base of the natural logarithm . proof . let t be the subset found at the end of the t th ( t = 1 , . . . , k β 1 ) iteration of alg . 1 . at step 7 of the ( t + 1 ) th iteration , for any node i β t , we have that for any node i β t , plugging eq . ( 3 ) into f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ) and canceling the common terms , we have that therefore , we have that s ( i )= f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ). in other words , at step 8 of each iteration of alg . 1 , we always select a node with the highest marginal increase of the goodness measure . by theorem 1 , the goodness measure f ( s ) is a non - decreasing submodular function with f ( Ο )= 0 . according to a . krause and c . guestrin , beyond convexity β submodularity in machine learning , ( in icml , 2008 ), we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), which completes the proof . the time complexity of the proposed dragon is given in lemma 2 . according to lemma 2 , our dragon has linear time complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is scalable to large graphs in terms of computational time . lemma 2 . time complexity . the time complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + nk ). we would like to point out that the alg . 1 can be further sped up . firstly , notice that the o ( m ) term in lemma 2 comes from computing the ranking vector r ( step 1 ) by the most commonly used power method . there are a lot of fast methods for computing r , either by effective approximation or by parallelism . these methods can be naturally plugged in alg . 1 , which might lead to further computational savings . secondly , the o ( nk ) term in lemma 2 comes from the greedy selection step in steps 6 - 12 . thanks to the monotonicity of f ( s ) as we show in theorem 1 , we can use the similar lazy evaluation strategy as j . leskovee , a . krasue , c . guestrin , c . faloutsos , j . m . vanbriesen , and n . s . glace , cost - effective outbreak detection in networks , ( in kdd , pages 420 - 429 , 2007 ), to speed up this process , without sacrificing the optimization quality . the space complexity of alg . 1 is given in lemma 3 . according to lemma 3 , alg . 1 has linear space complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is also scalable to large graphs in terms of space cost . lemma 3 . space complexity . the space complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + n + k ). in the discussion below , we provide empirical evaluations for algorithm 1 . these evaluations mainly focus on ( 1 ) the effectiveness and ( 2 ) the efficiency of algorithm 1 . we use the dblp publication data to construct a co - authorship network , where each node is an author and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers between the two corresponding persons . overall , we have n β 418 , 236 nodes and m = 2 , 753 , 798 edges . we also construct much smaller co - authorship networks , using the authors from only one conference ( e . g ., kdd , sigir , sigmod , etc .). for example , kd is the co - authorship network for the authors in the β kdd β conference . these smaller co - authorship networks typically have a few thousand nodes and up to a few tens of thousands edges . we also construct the co - authorship networks , using the authors from multiple conferences ( e . g ., kdd - sigir ). for these graphs , we denote them as sub ( n , m ), where n and m are the numbers of nodes and edges in the graph , respectively . there is a damping factor c to compute the personalized pagerank , which is set to be c = 0 . 99 . in the discussion herein , we use the power method to compute the pagerank . we adopt the same stopping criteria as [ h . tong , c . faloutsos , and j .- y . pan , fast random walk with restart and its applications . in icdm , pages 613 - 622 , 2006 . ]: either the l 1 difference of the ranking vectors between two consecutive iterations is less than a pre - defined threshold ( 10 β 9 ), or the maximum number of iteration steps ( 80 ) is reached . there are no additional parameters in alg . 1 . for the remaining parameters of those comparative methods , they are set as in their original papers , respectively . for the computational cost and scalability , we report the wall - clock time . all the experiments ran on the same machine with four 2 . 5 ghz amd cpus and 48 gb memory , running linux ( 2 . 6 kernel ). for all the quantitative results , we randomly generate a query vector p and feed it into different methods for a top - k ranking list with the same length . we repeat it 100 times and report the average . there does not appear to be any universally accepted measure for diversity . in [ q . mei , j . guo , and d . r . radev , divrank : the interplay of prestige and diversity in information networks . in kdd , pages 1009 - 1018 , 2010 . ], the authors suggested an intuitive notion based on the density of the induced subgraph from the original graph a by the subset s . the intuition is as follows : the lower the density ( i . e ., the less 1 - step neighbors ) of the induced subgraph , the more diverse the subset s . here , we generalize this notion to the t - step graph in order to also take into account the effect of those in - direct neighbors . let sign (.) be a binary function operated element - wise on a matrix , i . e ., y = sign ( x ), where y is a matrix of the same size as x , y ( i , j )= 1 if x ( i , j )& gt ; 0 , y ( i , j )= 0 otherwise . we define the t - step connectivity matrix c t as c t = sign ( Ο i = 1 t a i ). that is , c t ( i , j )= 1 ( 0 ) means that node i can ( cannot ) reach node j on the graph a within t - steps / hops . with this c t matrix , we define the diversity of a given subset s s eq . ( 12 ). here , the value of div ( t ) is always between 0 . 5 and 1 β higher means more diverse . if all the nodes in s are reachable from each other within t - steps , we say that the subset s is the least diverse ( div ( t )= 0 . 5 ). on the other extreme , if all the nodes in s cannot reach each other within t - steps , the subset s is the most diverse ( div ( t )β 1 ). for the task of top - k ranking , the notion of diversity alone , though important , might not be enough for the information need . for example , if we simply randomly select k nodes as the top - k ranking list , these k nodes might not be connected with each other at all given that the length of the ranking list k is usually much smaller than the number of nodes n in the graph . therefore , it has a high diversity . however , it is unlikely that such a ranking list can well fit the user &# 39 ; s information need since each of them might have very low relevance score . in other words , a diversified top - k ranking list should also have high relevance . that said , we will mainly focus on evaluating how different methods balance between the diversity and the relevance . notice that the relevance score for each individual node is often very small on large graphs ( since the l 1 norm of the ranking vector is 1 ). to make the two quantities ( diversity vs . relevance ) comparable with each other , we need to normalize the relevance scores . let Ε be the top - k ranking list by the original personalized pagerank , we define the normalized relevance score for a given subset s (| s |= k ) s eq . ( 13 ). since the personalized pagerank always gives the k most relevant nodes , the rel defined in eq . ( 13 ) is always between 0 and 1 β higher means more relevant . let us start with an illustrative example to gain some visual intuitions . in fig2 , we show a fictitious co - authorship network 20 , where each node corresponds to an author ( e . g ., john , smith , etc . ), and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers . there are three communities in this network ( e . g ., dm , db and ir ). from fig2 , we can see that node 1 has very strong connections to the dm community . in other words , sm might be his / her major research interest . in addition , s / he also has some connections to the ir and db communities . given the budget k = 3 , personalized pagerank returns all the three nodes ( nodes 2 , 3 and 5 ) form dm community which is consistent with the intuition since personalized pagerank solely focuses on the relevance . in contrast , alg . 1 returns nodes 2 , 6 and 10 , each of which is still relevant enough to the query node 1 . at the same time , they are diversified from each other , covering the whole spectrum of his / her research interest ( dm db , and ir ). we also conduct case studies on real graphs . we construct a co - authorship networks from sigir ( the major conference on information retrieval ) and icml ( the major conference on machine learning ). we issue a query to find the top - 10 co - authors for prof . yy . the results are shown in table iii . we compare it with the original personalized pagerank . yy is a professor , and she has broad interest in information retrieval and machine learning . from fig2 , we have the following observations . firstly , both alg . 1 and personalized pagerank share the same authors for the top - 3 returned authors , indicating that alg . 1 also captures those highly relevant authors with respect to the querying author . secondly , alg . 1 returns a more diverse list of authors . for example , although ex 7 is not a co - author of yy , they share a lot of research interest in information retrieval , and have a lot of indirect connections through other ir people . in contrast , the existence of some authors in the ranking list by personalized pagerank is somehow redundant , in terms of helping the user to understand prof . yy &# 39 ; s whole collaboration network . for example , consider prof . agh . although , he has a lot of co - authored papers with yy , they are also co - authored with rv . therefore , given that jz and rj are already in the ranking list , his existence does not provide much marginal information about yy &# 39 ; s collaboration network . as a quantitative indicator , the average degree of induced subgraph by alg . 1 is only 2 . 8 , which is much lower ( i . e ., more diverse ) than that by personalized pagerank . finally , notice that for some authors , although they show up in both lists , their positions in the ranking list are different . for example , jyn shows at the 4 th and the 8 th positions in the two ranking lists , respectively . this is because jyn makes the top - 4 authors more diverse compared with thp , although its individual relevance score is lower than the latter . we compare alg . 1 with arw and rrw , both of which also aim to improve the diversity of personalized pagerank . we skip the comparison with mmr for brevity since it has been shown that its performance is not as good as rrw for the graph - type data . for rrw , it has two variants based on different approximation methods it actually uses : the one based on the cumulative estimation ( referred to as β rrw - a β) and the other one based on the pointwise estimation ( referred to as β rrw - b β). first , let us compare how different methods balance between the relevance and the diversity . fig3 shows the results on the nips co - authorship network . we test with different budgets ( k = 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 100 ). in fig3 ( a ), div ( 1 ) means that we only consider 1 - step neighbors to measure the diversity ( i . e ., setting t = 1 in eq . ( 12 )). in fig3 ( b ), div ( 2 ) means that we consider both 1 - step and 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., setting t = 2 in eq . ( 12 )). we only present the results by rrw - a since rrw - b gives similar results . from fig3 , we can see that all the three methods are effective to improve the diversity . the alg . 1 achieves a better balance between the relevance and the diversity . for arw , although it gives the highest diversity score , its ( normalized ) relevance score is too low β only about half of the other two methods . this is because in arw , only the first node is selected according to the relevance ; and all the remaining ( k β 1 ) are selected by diversity . as for rrw - a , both its relevance and diversity scores are lower than alg . 1 . it is interesting to notice from fig3 ( b ) that the diversity of rrw - a drops a lot when it is measured by within 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., div ( 2 )). this is consistent with the intuition of rrw . in rrw ( both rrw - a and rrw - b ), it achieves the diversity by encouraging 1 - step neighboring nodes to compete with each other . consequently , the density of its within 1 - step induced subgraph might be low ( i . e ., high diversity ), but it is not necessarily the case for the within t - step ( t β§ 2 ) induced subgraph . in order to test how the overall performance of different methods varies across different data sets , we take the average between relevance and diversity scores . the results are presented in fig4 ( a )- 4 ( d ), using four different co - authorship networks ( sigmod , nips , sigir , siggraph ). for the space limitation , we omit the results when the diversity is measured by within 1 - steps neighbors , which is similar as the results by within 2 - steps neighbors . it can be seen that alg . 1 consistently performs the best . in the discussion below , we evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of algorithm 1 in terms of maximizing the goodness measure f ( s ). we compare it with the exponential enumeration and the binary quadratic programming methods discussed above . we also compare it with two other heuristics . the first method ( referred to as β heuristic1 β) starts with generating a candidate pool ( e . g ., the top 10 Γ k most relevant nodes ), picks one seed node , and then repeatedly adds the most dis - similar ( measured by a ) node into the ranking list from the candidate pool . the second method ( referred to as β heuristic2 β) also starts with generating a candidate pool , puts all the nodes from candidate pool in the list , and then repeatedly drops a most similar ( measured by a ) node from the list . first , let us evaluate how the different methods balance between the optimization quality ( measured by f ( s ) and the speed ( measured by wall - clock time ). fig5 shows the results from the co - authorship network of nips and kdd conferences with the budget k = 20 , where f ( s ) is normalized by the highest one among different methods . it can be seen that alg . 1 is the best β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s )) with the least amount of wall - clock time . notice that the y - axis is in logarithm scale . we also conducted experiments on the co - authorship network constructed from multiple conferences . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) show the results on these data sets with the budget k = 20 . here sub ( n , m ) means a co - authorship network with n nodes and m edges . we stop the program if it takes more than 100 , 000 seconds ( i . e ., more than 1 - days ). in fig6 ( a ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d and 60 e respectively . in fig6 ( b ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 62 a , 62 b , 62 c , 62 d and 62 e respectively . it can be seen from fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) that alg . 1 is consistently best across all the different data sets β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s ) for β lin - qp β is missing for sub ( 24k , 114k ) because it fails to finish within 100 , 000 seconds . this indicates that it is not feasible for large graphs . for the smaller graphs , β lin - qp β leads to slightly lower f ( s ) than alg . 1 ; but it requires 3 - 5 orders of magnitude wall - clock time . for all the other comparative methods , they lead to worse optimization quality with longer wall - clock time . we also evaluate the scalability of alg . 1 . when we evaluate the scalability with respect to the number of the nodes in the graph , we fix the number of edges and vice versa . the results in fig7 ( a ) and 7 ( b ) are consistent with the complexity analysis discussed above β alg . 1 scales linearly with respect to both n and m , which means that it is suitable for large graphs . a computer - based system 100 in which embodiments of the invention may be carried out is depicted in fig8 . the computer - based system 100 includes a processing unit 110 , which houses a processor , memory and other systems components ( not shown expressly in the drawing ) that implement a general purpose processing system , or computer that may execute a computer program product . the computer program product may comprise media , for example a compact storage medium such as a compact disc , which may be read by the processing unit 110 through a disc drive 120 , or by any means known to the skilled artisan for providing the computer program product to the general purpose processing system for execution thereby . the computer program product may comprise all the respective features enabling the implementation of the inventive method described herein , and which β when loaded in a computer system β is able to carry out the method . computer program , software program , program , or software , in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . the computer program product may be stored on hard disk drives within processing unit 110 , as mentioned , or may be located on a remote system such as a server 130 , coupled to processing unit 110 , via a network interface such as an ethernet interface . monitor 140 , mouse 150 and keyboard 160 are coupled to the processing unit 110 , to provide user interaction . scanner 180 and printer 170 are provided for document input and output . printer 170 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 via a network connection , but may be coupled directly to the processing unit . scanner 180 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 directly , but it should be understood that peripherals might be network coupled , or direct coupled without affecting the performance of the processing unit 110 . while it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objectives discussed above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Should this patent be classified under 'Physics'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | 0.25 | 98872eeca68982e03818c82079349395f13437d02a5c0d26546df533cb0fd7f8 | 0.047363 | 0.002716 | 0.004456 | 0.002396 | 0.059326 | 0.034668 |
null | as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a β circuit ,β β module β or β system .β furthermore , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the medium . any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cdrom ), an optical storage device , a transmission media such as those supporting the internet or an intranet , or a magnetic storage device . note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium , upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer - usable program code embodied therewith , either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . the computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc . computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the β c β programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). the present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the present invention relates to identifying a set of data items based on both relevance and diversity . in embodiments of the invention , these data items are selected based on a graph of a larger set of data items , and embodiments of the invention provide a scalable algorithm ( linear with respect to the size of the graph ) that generates a provably near - optimal top - k ranking list . in embodiments of the invention , this algorithm has a clear optimization formulation , finds a provable near - optimal solution , and enjoys linear scalability . table i lists the main symbols used in this description of the invention . in the description below , we consider the most general case of directed , weighted , irreducible unipartite graphs . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . in practice , we store these matrices using an adjacency list representation , since real graphs are often very sparse . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . following the standard notation , we use bold upper - case for matrices ( e . g ., a ), bold lower - case for vectors ( e . g ., a ), and calligraphic fonts for sets ( e . g ., i ). we denote the transpose with a prime ( i . e ., a β² is the transpose of a ). for a bipartite graph with adjacency matrix w , we can convert it to the equivalent uni - partite graph : we use subscripts to denote the size of matrices / vectors ( e . g ., a n Γ n means a matrix of size n Γ n ). when the sizes of matrices / vectors are clear from the context , we omit such subscripts for brevity . also , we represent the elements in a matrix using a convention similar to matlab , e . g ., a ( i , j ) is the element at the i th row and j th column of the matrix a , and a (:, j ) is the j th column of a , etc . with this notation , we can represent a sub - matrix of a as a ( i , i ), which is a block of matrix a that corresponds to the rows / columns of a indexed by the set i . in the description below , we focus on personalized pagerank since it is one of the most fundamental ranking methods on graphs , and has shown its success in many different application domains in the past decade . formally , it can be defined as follows : where p is an n Γ 1 personalized vector ( p ( i )β§ 0 , Ο i = 1 n p ( i )= 1 ). sometimes , we also refer to p as the query vector , c ( 0 & lt ; c & lt ; 1 ) is a damping factor ; a is the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph ( i . e ., Ο j = 1 n a ( i , j )= 1 ( i = 1 , . . . , n ); and r is the n Γ 1 resulting ranking vector . note that if p ( i )= 1 / n ( i = 1 , . . . , n ), it is reduced to the standard pagerank ; if p ( i )= 1 and p ( j )= 0 ( j β i ), the resulting ranking vector r gives the proximity scores from node i to all the other nodes in the graph . in order to simplify the description of our upcoming method , we also introduce matrix b : where 1 1 Γ n is a 1 Γ n row vector with all elements set to 1s . intuitively , the matrix b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix that is biased towards the query vector p . in turns out that the ranking vector r defined in eq . ( 1 ) satisfies r = br . in other words , the ranking vector r is the right eigenvector of the b matrix with the eigenvalue 1 . it can be verified that b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). by perron - frobenius theorem , it can be shown that 1 is the largest ( in module ) simple eigenvalue of the matrix b ; and the ranking vector r is unique with all non - negative elements since the graph is irreducible . aspects of the invention provide ( 1 ) a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity ; and ( 2 ) given the goodness measure , an optimal or near - optimal or near - optimal algorithm to find a top - k ranking list that maximizes such goodness measure in a scalable way . with the above notations and assumptions , these problems can be formally defined as follows : given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and a subset of k nodes s ; output : a goodness score f ( s ) of the subset of nodes s , which measures ( a ) the relevance of each node in s with respect to the query vector p , and ( v ) the diversity among all the nodes in the subset s . given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and the budget k ; find : a subset of k nodes s that maximizes the goodness measure f ( s ). an aspect of an embodiment of the invention is to define a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity . we first discuss some design objective of such a goodness measure ; and then present a solution followed by some theoretical analysis and discussions . as said before , a good diversified top - k ranking list should balance between the relevance and the diversity . the notion of relevance is clear for personalized pagerank ,β larger value in the ranking vector r means more relevant with respect to the query vector p . on the other hand , the notion of diversity is more challenging . intuitively , a diversified subset of nodes should be dis - similar with each other . take the query β find the top - k conferences for dr . y . from the author - conference network β as an example . dr . y yu is a professor at a university , and his recent major research interest lies in databases and data mining . he also has broad interests in several related domains , including systems , parallel and distributed processing , web applications , and performance modeling , etc . a top - k ranking list for this query would have high relevance if it consists of all the conferences from databases and data mining community ( e . g ., sigmod , vldb , kdd , etc .) since all these conferences are closely related to his major research interest . however , such a list has low diversity since these conferences are too similar with each other ( e . g ., having a large overlap of contributing authors , etc .). therefore , if we replace a few databases and data mining conferences by some representative conferences in his other research domains ( e . g ., icdcs for distributed computing systems , www for web applications , etc . ), it would make the whole ranking list more diverse ( e . g ., the conferences in the list are more dis - similar to each other ). furthermore , if we go through the ranking list from top down , we would like to see the most relevant conferences appear first in the ranking list . for example , a ranking list in the order of β sigmod β, β icdcs β, β www β is better than β icdcs β, β www β, β sigmod β since databases ( sigmod ) is a more relevant research interest for dr . y , compared with distributed computing systems ( icdcs ), or web applications ( www ). in this way , the user can capture dr . y &# 39 ; s main research interest by just inspecting a few top - ranked conferences / nodes . this suggests the so - called diminishing returns property of the goodness measure β it would help the user to know better about dr . y &# 39 ; s whole research interest if we return more conferences / nodes in the ranking list ; but the marginal benefit becomes smaller and smaller as we go down the ranking list . another implicit design objective lies in the algorithmic aspect . the proposed goodness measure should also allow us to develop an effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or at least near - optimal ) top - k ranking list from large graphs . to summarize , for a given top - k ranking list , we aim to provide a single goodness score that ( 1 ) measures the relevance between each individual node in the list and the query vector p ; ( 2 ) measures the similarity ( or dis - similarity ) among all the nodes in the ranking list ; ( 3 ) exhibits some diminishing returns property with respect to the size of the ranking list ; and ( 4 ) enables some effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or near - optimal ) top - k ranking list . let a be the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph , b be the matrix defined in eq ( 2 ), p be the personalized vector and r be the ranking vector . for a given ranking list s ( i . e ., s gives the indices of the nodes in the ranking list ; and | s |= k ), a goodness measure in an embodiment of the invention is formally defined as follows : we can also represent f ( s ) by using the matrix a instead : f β‘ ( s ) = 2 β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( i ) - c β’ β i , j β β’ s β’ β’ a β‘ ( j , i ) β’ r β‘ ( j ) - ( 1 - c ) β’ β j β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( j ) β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ p β‘ ( i ) where c is the damping factor in personalized pagerank , and 1 1 Γ| s | is a row vector of length | s | with all the elements set to 1s . it can be shown that it is equivalent to eq . ( 3 ). notice that the goodness measure in eq . ( 3 ) is independent of the ordering of the different nodes in the subset s . if we simply change the ordering of the nodes for the same subset s , it does not affect the goodness score . however , as discussed below , we can still output an ordered subset based on the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking a diverse top - k ranking list . let us analyze how the proposed goodness measure of eq . ( 3 ) meets the design objective discussed above . there are two terms in eq . ( 3 ), the first term is twice the sum of the ranking scores in the ranking list . for the second term , recall that b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix with respect to the query vector p , where b ( i , j ) indicates the similarity ( i . e ., the strength of the connection ) between nodes i and j . in other words , the second term in eq . ( 3 ) is the sum of all the similarity scores between any two nodes i , j ( i , j β s ) in the ranking list ( weighted by r ( j )). therefore , the proposed goodness measure captures both the relevance and the diversity . the more relevant ( higher r ( i )) each individual node is , the higher the goodness measure f ( s ). at the same time , it encourages the diversity within the ranking list by penalizing the ( weighted ) similarity between any two nodes in s . the measure f ( s ) of eq . ( 3 ) also exhibits the diminishing returns property , which is summarized in theorem 1 below . the intuitions of theorem 1 are as follows : ( 1 ) by p1 , it means that the utility of an empty ranking list is always zero ; ( 2 ) by p2 , if we add more nodes into the ranking list , the overall utility of the ranking list does not decrease ; and ( 3 ) by p3 , the marginal utility of adding new nodes is relatively small if we already have a large ranking list . theorem 1 . diminishing returns property of f ( s ). let Ο be an empty set , i , j , r be three sets s . t ., i β j , and r β© j = Ο . the following facts hold for f ( s ): proof of p1 . it is obviously held by the definition of f ( s ). proof of p2 . let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 3 ) into f ( j )β f ( i ) and canceling the common terms , we have recall that the matrix b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). the first half of eq . ( 4 ) satisfies the last equality in eq . ( 6 ) is due to the fact that r = br , and each element is r is non - negative . putting eq . ( 4 )-( 6 ) together , we have that f ( j )β§ f ( i ), which completes the proof of p2 . proof of p3 . again , let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 4 ) into ( f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i ))β( f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j )) and canceling the common terms , we have therefore , we have that f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i )β§ f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j ), which completes the proof of p3 . in eq . ( 3 ), the coefficient β 2 β balances between the relevance ( the first term ) and the diversity ( the second term ). if we change the coefficient β 2 β to a parameter w , we have the following generalized goodness measure : we have the following corollary for this generalized goodness measure . it says that as long as the weight w β§ 2 , the generalized goodness measure g ( s ) still exhibits the diminishing returns property . this gives our method extra flexibility if the user wants to put more emphasis on relevance for some applications . corollary 2 . generalized goodness measure . let Ο be an empty set : i , j , r be three sets s . t . i β j , and r β© j = Ο . for any w β§ 2 , the following facts hold for g ( s ): p3 : g ( s ) is submodular , i . e ., g ( βͺ )β g ( )β§ g ( βͺ )β g ( ). in this section , we address problem 2 . here , given the initial query vector p and the budget k , we want to find a subset of k nodes that maximizes the goodness measure defined in eq . ( 3 ). we would like to point out that although we focus on eq . ( 3 ) for the sake of simplicity , the proposed algorithm can be easily generalized to eq . ( 7 ) where the user wants to specify the weight w for the relevance . problem 2 is essentially a subset selection problem to find the optimal k nodes that maximize eq . ( 3 ). theorem 1 indicates that it is not easy to find the exact optimal solution of problem 2 β it is np - hard to maximize a monotonic submodular function if the function value is 0 for an empty set . for instance , a straight - forward method would take exponential enumerations to find the exact optimal k nodes , which is not feasible in computation even for a medium size graph ( e . g ., with a few hundred nodes ). we can also formulate problem 2 as a binary indicator vector ( x ( i )= 1 means node i is selected in the subset s , and 0 means it is not selected ). problem 2 can be expressed as the following binary quadratic programming problem : β’ subject β’ β’ to β’ : β’ β’ x β‘ ( i ) β { 0 , 1 } β’ ( i = 1 , β¦ β’ β’ n ) β’ β’ β i = 1 n β’ x β‘ ( i ) = k ( 8 ) where d =( b β 2i n Γ n ) diag ( r ), i n Γ n is an identity matrix of size n Γ n , and diag ( r ) is a diagonal matrix with r ( i , i )( i = 1 , . . . , n ) being the diagonal elements . fig1 ( a ) shows an algorithm used in an embodiment of the invention , and fig1 ( b ) illustrates the operation of this algorithm . with reference to fig1 ( a ), in step 1 of the algorithm , we compute the ranking vector r ( e . g ., by the power method , etc .) then after some initializations ( steps 2 - 5 ), we select k nodes one - by - one as follows . at each time , we compute the score vector s in step 7 . then , we select one node with the highest score in the vector s and add it to the subset s ( steps 8 - 9 ). after that , we use the selected node to update the two reference vectors u and v ( steps 10 - 11 ). note that β{ circle around ( x )}β denotes the element - wise product between two matrices / vectors . intuitively , the score vector s keeps the marginal contribution of each node for the goodness measure given the current selected subset s . from step 7 , it can be seen that at each iteration , the values of such marginal contribution either remain unchanged or decrease . this is consistent with p3 of theorem 1 β as there are more and more nodes in the subset s , the marginal contribution of each node is monotonically non - increasing . it is worth pointing out that we use the original normalized adjacency matrix a , instead of the matrix b in alg . 1 . this is because for many real graphs , the matrix a is often very sparse , whereas the matrix b might not be . to see this , notice that b is a full matrix if p is uniform . in the case b is dense , it is not efficient in either time or space to use b in alg . 1 . in alg . 1 , although we try to optimize a goodness measure that is not affected by the ordering of different nodes in the subset , we can still output an ordered list to the user based on the iteration in which these nodes are selected β earlier selected nodes in alg . 1 are placed at the top of the resulting top - k ranking list . this ordering naturally meets the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking for a diverse top - k ranking list as we analyzed above . in the discussion below , we analyze the optimality as well as the complexity of algorithm 1 . this discussion shows that this algorithm leads to a near - optimal solution , and at the same time it enjoys linear scalability in both time and space . the optimality of algorithm 1 is given in lemma 1 , below . according to this lemma , this algorithm is near - optimal β its solution is within a fixed fraction ( 1 β 1 / e β 0 . 63 ) from the global optimal one . given the hardness of problem 2 , such near - optimality is acceptable in terms of optimization quality . lemma 1 . near - optimality let s be the subset found by alg . 1 : | s |= k ; and s *= argmax | s |= k f ( s ). we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), where e is the base of the natural logarithm . proof . let t be the subset found at the end of the t th ( t = 1 , . . . , k β 1 ) iteration of alg . 1 . at step 7 of the ( t + 1 ) th iteration , for any node i β t , we have that for any node i β t , plugging eq . ( 3 ) into f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ) and canceling the common terms , we have that therefore , we have that s ( i )= f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ). in other words , at step 8 of each iteration of alg . 1 , we always select a node with the highest marginal increase of the goodness measure . by theorem 1 , the goodness measure f ( s ) is a non - decreasing submodular function with f ( Ο )= 0 . according to a . krause and c . guestrin , beyond convexity β submodularity in machine learning , ( in icml , 2008 ), we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), which completes the proof . the time complexity of the proposed dragon is given in lemma 2 . according to lemma 2 , our dragon has linear time complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is scalable to large graphs in terms of computational time . lemma 2 . time complexity . the time complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + nk ). we would like to point out that the alg . 1 can be further sped up . firstly , notice that the o ( m ) term in lemma 2 comes from computing the ranking vector r ( step 1 ) by the most commonly used power method . there are a lot of fast methods for computing r , either by effective approximation or by parallelism . these methods can be naturally plugged in alg . 1 , which might lead to further computational savings . secondly , the o ( nk ) term in lemma 2 comes from the greedy selection step in steps 6 - 12 . thanks to the monotonicity of f ( s ) as we show in theorem 1 , we can use the similar lazy evaluation strategy as j . leskovee , a . krasue , c . guestrin , c . faloutsos , j . m . vanbriesen , and n . s . glace , cost - effective outbreak detection in networks , ( in kdd , pages 420 - 429 , 2007 ), to speed up this process , without sacrificing the optimization quality . the space complexity of alg . 1 is given in lemma 3 . according to lemma 3 , alg . 1 has linear space complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is also scalable to large graphs in terms of space cost . lemma 3 . space complexity . the space complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + n + k ). in the discussion below , we provide empirical evaluations for algorithm 1 . these evaluations mainly focus on ( 1 ) the effectiveness and ( 2 ) the efficiency of algorithm 1 . we use the dblp publication data to construct a co - authorship network , where each node is an author and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers between the two corresponding persons . overall , we have n β 418 , 236 nodes and m = 2 , 753 , 798 edges . we also construct much smaller co - authorship networks , using the authors from only one conference ( e . g ., kdd , sigir , sigmod , etc .). for example , kd is the co - authorship network for the authors in the β kdd β conference . these smaller co - authorship networks typically have a few thousand nodes and up to a few tens of thousands edges . we also construct the co - authorship networks , using the authors from multiple conferences ( e . g ., kdd - sigir ). for these graphs , we denote them as sub ( n , m ), where n and m are the numbers of nodes and edges in the graph , respectively . there is a damping factor c to compute the personalized pagerank , which is set to be c = 0 . 99 . in the discussion herein , we use the power method to compute the pagerank . we adopt the same stopping criteria as [ h . tong , c . faloutsos , and j .- y . pan , fast random walk with restart and its applications . in icdm , pages 613 - 622 , 2006 . ]: either the l 1 difference of the ranking vectors between two consecutive iterations is less than a pre - defined threshold ( 10 β 9 ), or the maximum number of iteration steps ( 80 ) is reached . there are no additional parameters in alg . 1 . for the remaining parameters of those comparative methods , they are set as in their original papers , respectively . for the computational cost and scalability , we report the wall - clock time . all the experiments ran on the same machine with four 2 . 5 ghz amd cpus and 48 gb memory , running linux ( 2 . 6 kernel ). for all the quantitative results , we randomly generate a query vector p and feed it into different methods for a top - k ranking list with the same length . we repeat it 100 times and report the average . there does not appear to be any universally accepted measure for diversity . in [ q . mei , j . guo , and d . r . radev , divrank : the interplay of prestige and diversity in information networks . in kdd , pages 1009 - 1018 , 2010 . ], the authors suggested an intuitive notion based on the density of the induced subgraph from the original graph a by the subset s . the intuition is as follows : the lower the density ( i . e ., the less 1 - step neighbors ) of the induced subgraph , the more diverse the subset s . here , we generalize this notion to the t - step graph in order to also take into account the effect of those in - direct neighbors . let sign (.) be a binary function operated element - wise on a matrix , i . e ., y = sign ( x ), where y is a matrix of the same size as x , y ( i , j )= 1 if x ( i , j )& gt ; 0 , y ( i , j )= 0 otherwise . we define the t - step connectivity matrix c t as c t = sign ( Ο i = 1 t a i ). that is , c t ( i , j )= 1 ( 0 ) means that node i can ( cannot ) reach node j on the graph a within t - steps / hops . with this c t matrix , we define the diversity of a given subset s s eq . ( 12 ). here , the value of div ( t ) is always between 0 . 5 and 1 β higher means more diverse . if all the nodes in s are reachable from each other within t - steps , we say that the subset s is the least diverse ( div ( t )= 0 . 5 ). on the other extreme , if all the nodes in s cannot reach each other within t - steps , the subset s is the most diverse ( div ( t )β 1 ). for the task of top - k ranking , the notion of diversity alone , though important , might not be enough for the information need . for example , if we simply randomly select k nodes as the top - k ranking list , these k nodes might not be connected with each other at all given that the length of the ranking list k is usually much smaller than the number of nodes n in the graph . therefore , it has a high diversity . however , it is unlikely that such a ranking list can well fit the user &# 39 ; s information need since each of them might have very low relevance score . in other words , a diversified top - k ranking list should also have high relevance . that said , we will mainly focus on evaluating how different methods balance between the diversity and the relevance . notice that the relevance score for each individual node is often very small on large graphs ( since the l 1 norm of the ranking vector is 1 ). to make the two quantities ( diversity vs . relevance ) comparable with each other , we need to normalize the relevance scores . let Ε be the top - k ranking list by the original personalized pagerank , we define the normalized relevance score for a given subset s (| s |= k ) s eq . ( 13 ). since the personalized pagerank always gives the k most relevant nodes , the rel defined in eq . ( 13 ) is always between 0 and 1 β higher means more relevant . let us start with an illustrative example to gain some visual intuitions . in fig2 , we show a fictitious co - authorship network 20 , where each node corresponds to an author ( e . g ., john , smith , etc . ), and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers . there are three communities in this network ( e . g ., dm , db and ir ). from fig2 , we can see that node 1 has very strong connections to the dm community . in other words , sm might be his / her major research interest . in addition , s / he also has some connections to the ir and db communities . given the budget k = 3 , personalized pagerank returns all the three nodes ( nodes 2 , 3 and 5 ) form dm community which is consistent with the intuition since personalized pagerank solely focuses on the relevance . in contrast , alg . 1 returns nodes 2 , 6 and 10 , each of which is still relevant enough to the query node 1 . at the same time , they are diversified from each other , covering the whole spectrum of his / her research interest ( dm db , and ir ). we also conduct case studies on real graphs . we construct a co - authorship networks from sigir ( the major conference on information retrieval ) and icml ( the major conference on machine learning ). we issue a query to find the top - 10 co - authors for prof . yy . the results are shown in table iii . we compare it with the original personalized pagerank . yy is a professor , and she has broad interest in information retrieval and machine learning . from fig2 , we have the following observations . firstly , both alg . 1 and personalized pagerank share the same authors for the top - 3 returned authors , indicating that alg . 1 also captures those highly relevant authors with respect to the querying author . secondly , alg . 1 returns a more diverse list of authors . for example , although ex 7 is not a co - author of yy , they share a lot of research interest in information retrieval , and have a lot of indirect connections through other ir people . in contrast , the existence of some authors in the ranking list by personalized pagerank is somehow redundant , in terms of helping the user to understand prof . yy &# 39 ; s whole collaboration network . for example , consider prof . agh . although , he has a lot of co - authored papers with yy , they are also co - authored with rv . therefore , given that jz and rj are already in the ranking list , his existence does not provide much marginal information about yy &# 39 ; s collaboration network . as a quantitative indicator , the average degree of induced subgraph by alg . 1 is only 2 . 8 , which is much lower ( i . e ., more diverse ) than that by personalized pagerank . finally , notice that for some authors , although they show up in both lists , their positions in the ranking list are different . for example , jyn shows at the 4 th and the 8 th positions in the two ranking lists , respectively . this is because jyn makes the top - 4 authors more diverse compared with thp , although its individual relevance score is lower than the latter . we compare alg . 1 with arw and rrw , both of which also aim to improve the diversity of personalized pagerank . we skip the comparison with mmr for brevity since it has been shown that its performance is not as good as rrw for the graph - type data . for rrw , it has two variants based on different approximation methods it actually uses : the one based on the cumulative estimation ( referred to as β rrw - a β) and the other one based on the pointwise estimation ( referred to as β rrw - b β). first , let us compare how different methods balance between the relevance and the diversity . fig3 shows the results on the nips co - authorship network . we test with different budgets ( k = 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 100 ). in fig3 ( a ), div ( 1 ) means that we only consider 1 - step neighbors to measure the diversity ( i . e ., setting t = 1 in eq . ( 12 )). in fig3 ( b ), div ( 2 ) means that we consider both 1 - step and 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., setting t = 2 in eq . ( 12 )). we only present the results by rrw - a since rrw - b gives similar results . from fig3 , we can see that all the three methods are effective to improve the diversity . the alg . 1 achieves a better balance between the relevance and the diversity . for arw , although it gives the highest diversity score , its ( normalized ) relevance score is too low β only about half of the other two methods . this is because in arw , only the first node is selected according to the relevance ; and all the remaining ( k β 1 ) are selected by diversity . as for rrw - a , both its relevance and diversity scores are lower than alg . 1 . it is interesting to notice from fig3 ( b ) that the diversity of rrw - a drops a lot when it is measured by within 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., div ( 2 )). this is consistent with the intuition of rrw . in rrw ( both rrw - a and rrw - b ), it achieves the diversity by encouraging 1 - step neighboring nodes to compete with each other . consequently , the density of its within 1 - step induced subgraph might be low ( i . e ., high diversity ), but it is not necessarily the case for the within t - step ( t β§ 2 ) induced subgraph . in order to test how the overall performance of different methods varies across different data sets , we take the average between relevance and diversity scores . the results are presented in fig4 ( a )- 4 ( d ), using four different co - authorship networks ( sigmod , nips , sigir , siggraph ). for the space limitation , we omit the results when the diversity is measured by within 1 - steps neighbors , which is similar as the results by within 2 - steps neighbors . it can be seen that alg . 1 consistently performs the best . in the discussion below , we evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of algorithm 1 in terms of maximizing the goodness measure f ( s ). we compare it with the exponential enumeration and the binary quadratic programming methods discussed above . we also compare it with two other heuristics . the first method ( referred to as β heuristic1 β) starts with generating a candidate pool ( e . g ., the top 10 Γ k most relevant nodes ), picks one seed node , and then repeatedly adds the most dis - similar ( measured by a ) node into the ranking list from the candidate pool . the second method ( referred to as β heuristic2 β) also starts with generating a candidate pool , puts all the nodes from candidate pool in the list , and then repeatedly drops a most similar ( measured by a ) node from the list . first , let us evaluate how the different methods balance between the optimization quality ( measured by f ( s ) and the speed ( measured by wall - clock time ). fig5 shows the results from the co - authorship network of nips and kdd conferences with the budget k = 20 , where f ( s ) is normalized by the highest one among different methods . it can be seen that alg . 1 is the best β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s )) with the least amount of wall - clock time . notice that the y - axis is in logarithm scale . we also conducted experiments on the co - authorship network constructed from multiple conferences . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) show the results on these data sets with the budget k = 20 . here sub ( n , m ) means a co - authorship network with n nodes and m edges . we stop the program if it takes more than 100 , 000 seconds ( i . e ., more than 1 - days ). in fig6 ( a ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d and 60 e respectively . in fig6 ( b ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 62 a , 62 b , 62 c , 62 d and 62 e respectively . it can be seen from fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) that alg . 1 is consistently best across all the different data sets β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s ) for β lin - qp β is missing for sub ( 24k , 114k ) because it fails to finish within 100 , 000 seconds . this indicates that it is not feasible for large graphs . for the smaller graphs , β lin - qp β leads to slightly lower f ( s ) than alg . 1 ; but it requires 3 - 5 orders of magnitude wall - clock time . for all the other comparative methods , they lead to worse optimization quality with longer wall - clock time . we also evaluate the scalability of alg . 1 . when we evaluate the scalability with respect to the number of the nodes in the graph , we fix the number of edges and vice versa . the results in fig7 ( a ) and 7 ( b ) are consistent with the complexity analysis discussed above β alg . 1 scales linearly with respect to both n and m , which means that it is suitable for large graphs . a computer - based system 100 in which embodiments of the invention may be carried out is depicted in fig8 . the computer - based system 100 includes a processing unit 110 , which houses a processor , memory and other systems components ( not shown expressly in the drawing ) that implement a general purpose processing system , or computer that may execute a computer program product . the computer program product may comprise media , for example a compact storage medium such as a compact disc , which may be read by the processing unit 110 through a disc drive 120 , or by any means known to the skilled artisan for providing the computer program product to the general purpose processing system for execution thereby . the computer program product may comprise all the respective features enabling the implementation of the inventive method described herein , and which β when loaded in a computer system β is able to carry out the method . computer program , software program , program , or software , in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . the computer program product may be stored on hard disk drives within processing unit 110 , as mentioned , or may be located on a remote system such as a server 130 , coupled to processing unit 110 , via a network interface such as an ethernet interface . monitor 140 , mouse 150 and keyboard 160 are coupled to the processing unit 110 , to provide user interaction . scanner 180 and printer 170 are provided for document input and output . printer 170 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 via a network connection , but may be coupled directly to the processing unit . scanner 180 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 directly , but it should be understood that peripherals might be network coupled , or direct coupled without affecting the performance of the processing unit 110 . while it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objectives discussed above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Physics'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | 0.25 | 98872eeca68982e03818c82079349395f13437d02a5c0d26546df533cb0fd7f8 | 0.081543 | 0.016968 | 0.010681 | 0.003937 | 0.083984 | 0.003174 |
null | as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a β circuit ,β β module β or β system .β furthermore , embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in any tangible medium of expression having computer usable program code embodied in the medium . any combination of one or more computer usable or computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be , for example but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cdrom ), an optical storage device , a transmission media such as those supporting the internet or an intranet , or a magnetic storage device . note that the computer - usable or computer - readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium , upon which the program is printed , as the program can be electronically captured , via , for instance , optical scanning of the paper or other medium , then compiled , interpreted , or otherwise processed in a suitable manner , if necessary , and then stored in a computer memory . in the context of this document , a computer - usable or computer - readable medium may be any medium that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer - usable medium may include a propagated data signal with the computer - usable program code embodied therewith , either in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . the computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc . computer program code for carrying out operations of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the β c β programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). the present invention is described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer - readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the present invention relates to identifying a set of data items based on both relevance and diversity . in embodiments of the invention , these data items are selected based on a graph of a larger set of data items , and embodiments of the invention provide a scalable algorithm ( linear with respect to the size of the graph ) that generates a provably near - optimal top - k ranking list . in embodiments of the invention , this algorithm has a clear optimization formulation , finds a provable near - optimal solution , and enjoys linear scalability . table i lists the main symbols used in this description of the invention . in the description below , we consider the most general case of directed , weighted , irreducible unipartite graphs . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . in practice , we store these matrices using an adjacency list representation , since real graphs are often very sparse . we represent a general graph by its adjacency matrix . following the standard notation , we use bold upper - case for matrices ( e . g ., a ), bold lower - case for vectors ( e . g ., a ), and calligraphic fonts for sets ( e . g ., i ). we denote the transpose with a prime ( i . e ., a β² is the transpose of a ). for a bipartite graph with adjacency matrix w , we can convert it to the equivalent uni - partite graph : we use subscripts to denote the size of matrices / vectors ( e . g ., a n Γ n means a matrix of size n Γ n ). when the sizes of matrices / vectors are clear from the context , we omit such subscripts for brevity . also , we represent the elements in a matrix using a convention similar to matlab , e . g ., a ( i , j ) is the element at the i th row and j th column of the matrix a , and a (:, j ) is the j th column of a , etc . with this notation , we can represent a sub - matrix of a as a ( i , i ), which is a block of matrix a that corresponds to the rows / columns of a indexed by the set i . in the description below , we focus on personalized pagerank since it is one of the most fundamental ranking methods on graphs , and has shown its success in many different application domains in the past decade . formally , it can be defined as follows : where p is an n Γ 1 personalized vector ( p ( i )β§ 0 , Ο i = 1 n p ( i )= 1 ). sometimes , we also refer to p as the query vector , c ( 0 & lt ; c & lt ; 1 ) is a damping factor ; a is the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph ( i . e ., Ο j = 1 n a ( i , j )= 1 ( i = 1 , . . . , n ); and r is the n Γ 1 resulting ranking vector . note that if p ( i )= 1 / n ( i = 1 , . . . , n ), it is reduced to the standard pagerank ; if p ( i )= 1 and p ( j )= 0 ( j β i ), the resulting ranking vector r gives the proximity scores from node i to all the other nodes in the graph . in order to simplify the description of our upcoming method , we also introduce matrix b : where 1 1 Γ n is a 1 Γ n row vector with all elements set to 1s . intuitively , the matrix b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix that is biased towards the query vector p . in turns out that the ranking vector r defined in eq . ( 1 ) satisfies r = br . in other words , the ranking vector r is the right eigenvector of the b matrix with the eigenvalue 1 . it can be verified that b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). by perron - frobenius theorem , it can be shown that 1 is the largest ( in module ) simple eigenvalue of the matrix b ; and the ranking vector r is unique with all non - negative elements since the graph is irreducible . aspects of the invention provide ( 1 ) a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity ; and ( 2 ) given the goodness measure , an optimal or near - optimal or near - optimal algorithm to find a top - k ranking list that maximizes such goodness measure in a scalable way . with the above notations and assumptions , these problems can be formally defined as follows : given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and a subset of k nodes s ; output : a goodness score f ( s ) of the subset of nodes s , which measures ( a ) the relevance of each node in s with respect to the query vector p , and ( v ) the diversity among all the nodes in the subset s . given : a large graph a n Γ n , the query vector p , the damping factor c , and the budget k ; find : a subset of k nodes s that maximizes the goodness measure f ( s ). an aspect of an embodiment of the invention is to define a goodness measure to quantify the quality of a given top - k ranking list that captures both the relevance and the diversity . we first discuss some design objective of such a goodness measure ; and then present a solution followed by some theoretical analysis and discussions . as said before , a good diversified top - k ranking list should balance between the relevance and the diversity . the notion of relevance is clear for personalized pagerank ,β larger value in the ranking vector r means more relevant with respect to the query vector p . on the other hand , the notion of diversity is more challenging . intuitively , a diversified subset of nodes should be dis - similar with each other . take the query β find the top - k conferences for dr . y . from the author - conference network β as an example . dr . y yu is a professor at a university , and his recent major research interest lies in databases and data mining . he also has broad interests in several related domains , including systems , parallel and distributed processing , web applications , and performance modeling , etc . a top - k ranking list for this query would have high relevance if it consists of all the conferences from databases and data mining community ( e . g ., sigmod , vldb , kdd , etc .) since all these conferences are closely related to his major research interest . however , such a list has low diversity since these conferences are too similar with each other ( e . g ., having a large overlap of contributing authors , etc .). therefore , if we replace a few databases and data mining conferences by some representative conferences in his other research domains ( e . g ., icdcs for distributed computing systems , www for web applications , etc . ), it would make the whole ranking list more diverse ( e . g ., the conferences in the list are more dis - similar to each other ). furthermore , if we go through the ranking list from top down , we would like to see the most relevant conferences appear first in the ranking list . for example , a ranking list in the order of β sigmod β, β icdcs β, β www β is better than β icdcs β, β www β, β sigmod β since databases ( sigmod ) is a more relevant research interest for dr . y , compared with distributed computing systems ( icdcs ), or web applications ( www ). in this way , the user can capture dr . y &# 39 ; s main research interest by just inspecting a few top - ranked conferences / nodes . this suggests the so - called diminishing returns property of the goodness measure β it would help the user to know better about dr . y &# 39 ; s whole research interest if we return more conferences / nodes in the ranking list ; but the marginal benefit becomes smaller and smaller as we go down the ranking list . another implicit design objective lies in the algorithmic aspect . the proposed goodness measure should also allow us to develop an effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or at least near - optimal ) top - k ranking list from large graphs . to summarize , for a given top - k ranking list , we aim to provide a single goodness score that ( 1 ) measures the relevance between each individual node in the list and the query vector p ; ( 2 ) measures the similarity ( or dis - similarity ) among all the nodes in the ranking list ; ( 3 ) exhibits some diminishing returns property with respect to the size of the ranking list ; and ( 4 ) enables some effective and scalable algorithm to find an optimal ( or near - optimal ) top - k ranking list . let a be the row - normalized adjacency matrix of the graph , b be the matrix defined in eq ( 2 ), p be the personalized vector and r be the ranking vector . for a given ranking list s ( i . e ., s gives the indices of the nodes in the ranking list ; and | s |= k ), a goodness measure in an embodiment of the invention is formally defined as follows : we can also represent f ( s ) by using the matrix a instead : f β‘ ( s ) = 2 β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( i ) - c β’ β i , j β β’ s β’ β’ a β‘ ( j , i ) β’ r β‘ ( j ) - ( 1 - c ) β’ β j β β’ s β’ β’ r β‘ ( j ) β’ β i β β’ s β’ β’ p β‘ ( i ) where c is the damping factor in personalized pagerank , and 1 1 Γ| s | is a row vector of length | s | with all the elements set to 1s . it can be shown that it is equivalent to eq . ( 3 ). notice that the goodness measure in eq . ( 3 ) is independent of the ordering of the different nodes in the subset s . if we simply change the ordering of the nodes for the same subset s , it does not affect the goodness score . however , as discussed below , we can still output an ordered subset based on the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking a diverse top - k ranking list . let us analyze how the proposed goodness measure of eq . ( 3 ) meets the design objective discussed above . there are two terms in eq . ( 3 ), the first term is twice the sum of the ranking scores in the ranking list . for the second term , recall that b can be viewed as the personalized adjacency matrix with respect to the query vector p , where b ( i , j ) indicates the similarity ( i . e ., the strength of the connection ) between nodes i and j . in other words , the second term in eq . ( 3 ) is the sum of all the similarity scores between any two nodes i , j ( i , j β s ) in the ranking list ( weighted by r ( j )). therefore , the proposed goodness measure captures both the relevance and the diversity . the more relevant ( higher r ( i )) each individual node is , the higher the goodness measure f ( s ). at the same time , it encourages the diversity within the ranking list by penalizing the ( weighted ) similarity between any two nodes in s . the measure f ( s ) of eq . ( 3 ) also exhibits the diminishing returns property , which is summarized in theorem 1 below . the intuitions of theorem 1 are as follows : ( 1 ) by p1 , it means that the utility of an empty ranking list is always zero ; ( 2 ) by p2 , if we add more nodes into the ranking list , the overall utility of the ranking list does not decrease ; and ( 3 ) by p3 , the marginal utility of adding new nodes is relatively small if we already have a large ranking list . theorem 1 . diminishing returns property of f ( s ). let Ο be an empty set , i , j , r be three sets s . t ., i β j , and r β© j = Ο . the following facts hold for f ( s ): proof of p1 . it is obviously held by the definition of f ( s ). proof of p2 . let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 3 ) into f ( j )β f ( i ) and canceling the common terms , we have recall that the matrix b is a column - wise stochastic matrix ( i . e ., each column of b sums up to 1 ). the first half of eq . ( 4 ) satisfies the last equality in eq . ( 6 ) is due to the fact that r = br , and each element is r is non - negative . putting eq . ( 4 )-( 6 ) together , we have that f ( j )β§ f ( i ), which completes the proof of p2 . proof of p3 . again , let t = j \ i . substituting eq . ( 4 ) into ( f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i ))β( f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j )) and canceling the common terms , we have therefore , we have that f ( i βͺ r )β f ( i )β§ f ( j βͺ r )β f ( j ), which completes the proof of p3 . in eq . ( 3 ), the coefficient β 2 β balances between the relevance ( the first term ) and the diversity ( the second term ). if we change the coefficient β 2 β to a parameter w , we have the following generalized goodness measure : we have the following corollary for this generalized goodness measure . it says that as long as the weight w β§ 2 , the generalized goodness measure g ( s ) still exhibits the diminishing returns property . this gives our method extra flexibility if the user wants to put more emphasis on relevance for some applications . corollary 2 . generalized goodness measure . let Ο be an empty set : i , j , r be three sets s . t . i β j , and r β© j = Ο . for any w β§ 2 , the following facts hold for g ( s ): p3 : g ( s ) is submodular , i . e ., g ( βͺ )β g ( )β§ g ( βͺ )β g ( ). in this section , we address problem 2 . here , given the initial query vector p and the budget k , we want to find a subset of k nodes that maximizes the goodness measure defined in eq . ( 3 ). we would like to point out that although we focus on eq . ( 3 ) for the sake of simplicity , the proposed algorithm can be easily generalized to eq . ( 7 ) where the user wants to specify the weight w for the relevance . problem 2 is essentially a subset selection problem to find the optimal k nodes that maximize eq . ( 3 ). theorem 1 indicates that it is not easy to find the exact optimal solution of problem 2 β it is np - hard to maximize a monotonic submodular function if the function value is 0 for an empty set . for instance , a straight - forward method would take exponential enumerations to find the exact optimal k nodes , which is not feasible in computation even for a medium size graph ( e . g ., with a few hundred nodes ). we can also formulate problem 2 as a binary indicator vector ( x ( i )= 1 means node i is selected in the subset s , and 0 means it is not selected ). problem 2 can be expressed as the following binary quadratic programming problem : β’ subject β’ β’ to β’ : β’ β’ x β‘ ( i ) β { 0 , 1 } β’ ( i = 1 , β¦ β’ β’ n ) β’ β’ β i = 1 n β’ x β‘ ( i ) = k ( 8 ) where d =( b β 2i n Γ n ) diag ( r ), i n Γ n is an identity matrix of size n Γ n , and diag ( r ) is a diagonal matrix with r ( i , i )( i = 1 , . . . , n ) being the diagonal elements . fig1 ( a ) shows an algorithm used in an embodiment of the invention , and fig1 ( b ) illustrates the operation of this algorithm . with reference to fig1 ( a ), in step 1 of the algorithm , we compute the ranking vector r ( e . g ., by the power method , etc .) then after some initializations ( steps 2 - 5 ), we select k nodes one - by - one as follows . at each time , we compute the score vector s in step 7 . then , we select one node with the highest score in the vector s and add it to the subset s ( steps 8 - 9 ). after that , we use the selected node to update the two reference vectors u and v ( steps 10 - 11 ). note that β{ circle around ( x )}β denotes the element - wise product between two matrices / vectors . intuitively , the score vector s keeps the marginal contribution of each node for the goodness measure given the current selected subset s . from step 7 , it can be seen that at each iteration , the values of such marginal contribution either remain unchanged or decrease . this is consistent with p3 of theorem 1 β as there are more and more nodes in the subset s , the marginal contribution of each node is monotonically non - increasing . it is worth pointing out that we use the original normalized adjacency matrix a , instead of the matrix b in alg . 1 . this is because for many real graphs , the matrix a is often very sparse , whereas the matrix b might not be . to see this , notice that b is a full matrix if p is uniform . in the case b is dense , it is not efficient in either time or space to use b in alg . 1 . in alg . 1 , although we try to optimize a goodness measure that is not affected by the ordering of different nodes in the subset , we can still output an ordered list to the user based on the iteration in which these nodes are selected β earlier selected nodes in alg . 1 are placed at the top of the resulting top - k ranking list . this ordering naturally meets the diminishing returns need when the user is seeking for a diverse top - k ranking list as we analyzed above . in the discussion below , we analyze the optimality as well as the complexity of algorithm 1 . this discussion shows that this algorithm leads to a near - optimal solution , and at the same time it enjoys linear scalability in both time and space . the optimality of algorithm 1 is given in lemma 1 , below . according to this lemma , this algorithm is near - optimal β its solution is within a fixed fraction ( 1 β 1 / e β 0 . 63 ) from the global optimal one . given the hardness of problem 2 , such near - optimality is acceptable in terms of optimization quality . lemma 1 . near - optimality let s be the subset found by alg . 1 : | s |= k ; and s *= argmax | s |= k f ( s ). we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), where e is the base of the natural logarithm . proof . let t be the subset found at the end of the t th ( t = 1 , . . . , k β 1 ) iteration of alg . 1 . at step 7 of the ( t + 1 ) th iteration , for any node i β t , we have that for any node i β t , plugging eq . ( 3 ) into f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ) and canceling the common terms , we have that therefore , we have that s ( i )= f ( t βͺ{ i })β f ( t ). in other words , at step 8 of each iteration of alg . 1 , we always select a node with the highest marginal increase of the goodness measure . by theorem 1 , the goodness measure f ( s ) is a non - decreasing submodular function with f ( Ο )= 0 . according to a . krause and c . guestrin , beyond convexity β submodularity in machine learning , ( in icml , 2008 ), we have that f ( s )β§( 1 β 1 / e ) f ( s *), which completes the proof . the time complexity of the proposed dragon is given in lemma 2 . according to lemma 2 , our dragon has linear time complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is scalable to large graphs in terms of computational time . lemma 2 . time complexity . the time complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + nk ). we would like to point out that the alg . 1 can be further sped up . firstly , notice that the o ( m ) term in lemma 2 comes from computing the ranking vector r ( step 1 ) by the most commonly used power method . there are a lot of fast methods for computing r , either by effective approximation or by parallelism . these methods can be naturally plugged in alg . 1 , which might lead to further computational savings . secondly , the o ( nk ) term in lemma 2 comes from the greedy selection step in steps 6 - 12 . thanks to the monotonicity of f ( s ) as we show in theorem 1 , we can use the similar lazy evaluation strategy as j . leskovee , a . krasue , c . guestrin , c . faloutsos , j . m . vanbriesen , and n . s . glace , cost - effective outbreak detection in networks , ( in kdd , pages 420 - 429 , 2007 ), to speed up this process , without sacrificing the optimization quality . the space complexity of alg . 1 is given in lemma 3 . according to lemma 3 , alg . 1 has linear space complexity with respect to the size of the graph . therefore it is also scalable to large graphs in terms of space cost . lemma 3 . space complexity . the space complexity of alg . 1 is o ( m + n + k ). in the discussion below , we provide empirical evaluations for algorithm 1 . these evaluations mainly focus on ( 1 ) the effectiveness and ( 2 ) the efficiency of algorithm 1 . we use the dblp publication data to construct a co - authorship network , where each node is an author and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers between the two corresponding persons . overall , we have n β 418 , 236 nodes and m = 2 , 753 , 798 edges . we also construct much smaller co - authorship networks , using the authors from only one conference ( e . g ., kdd , sigir , sigmod , etc .). for example , kd is the co - authorship network for the authors in the β kdd β conference . these smaller co - authorship networks typically have a few thousand nodes and up to a few tens of thousands edges . we also construct the co - authorship networks , using the authors from multiple conferences ( e . g ., kdd - sigir ). for these graphs , we denote them as sub ( n , m ), where n and m are the numbers of nodes and edges in the graph , respectively . there is a damping factor c to compute the personalized pagerank , which is set to be c = 0 . 99 . in the discussion herein , we use the power method to compute the pagerank . we adopt the same stopping criteria as [ h . tong , c . faloutsos , and j .- y . pan , fast random walk with restart and its applications . in icdm , pages 613 - 622 , 2006 . ]: either the l 1 difference of the ranking vectors between two consecutive iterations is less than a pre - defined threshold ( 10 β 9 ), or the maximum number of iteration steps ( 80 ) is reached . there are no additional parameters in alg . 1 . for the remaining parameters of those comparative methods , they are set as in their original papers , respectively . for the computational cost and scalability , we report the wall - clock time . all the experiments ran on the same machine with four 2 . 5 ghz amd cpus and 48 gb memory , running linux ( 2 . 6 kernel ). for all the quantitative results , we randomly generate a query vector p and feed it into different methods for a top - k ranking list with the same length . we repeat it 100 times and report the average . there does not appear to be any universally accepted measure for diversity . in [ q . mei , j . guo , and d . r . radev , divrank : the interplay of prestige and diversity in information networks . in kdd , pages 1009 - 1018 , 2010 . ], the authors suggested an intuitive notion based on the density of the induced subgraph from the original graph a by the subset s . the intuition is as follows : the lower the density ( i . e ., the less 1 - step neighbors ) of the induced subgraph , the more diverse the subset s . here , we generalize this notion to the t - step graph in order to also take into account the effect of those in - direct neighbors . let sign (.) be a binary function operated element - wise on a matrix , i . e ., y = sign ( x ), where y is a matrix of the same size as x , y ( i , j )= 1 if x ( i , j )& gt ; 0 , y ( i , j )= 0 otherwise . we define the t - step connectivity matrix c t as c t = sign ( Ο i = 1 t a i ). that is , c t ( i , j )= 1 ( 0 ) means that node i can ( cannot ) reach node j on the graph a within t - steps / hops . with this c t matrix , we define the diversity of a given subset s s eq . ( 12 ). here , the value of div ( t ) is always between 0 . 5 and 1 β higher means more diverse . if all the nodes in s are reachable from each other within t - steps , we say that the subset s is the least diverse ( div ( t )= 0 . 5 ). on the other extreme , if all the nodes in s cannot reach each other within t - steps , the subset s is the most diverse ( div ( t )β 1 ). for the task of top - k ranking , the notion of diversity alone , though important , might not be enough for the information need . for example , if we simply randomly select k nodes as the top - k ranking list , these k nodes might not be connected with each other at all given that the length of the ranking list k is usually much smaller than the number of nodes n in the graph . therefore , it has a high diversity . however , it is unlikely that such a ranking list can well fit the user &# 39 ; s information need since each of them might have very low relevance score . in other words , a diversified top - k ranking list should also have high relevance . that said , we will mainly focus on evaluating how different methods balance between the diversity and the relevance . notice that the relevance score for each individual node is often very small on large graphs ( since the l 1 norm of the ranking vector is 1 ). to make the two quantities ( diversity vs . relevance ) comparable with each other , we need to normalize the relevance scores . let Ε be the top - k ranking list by the original personalized pagerank , we define the normalized relevance score for a given subset s (| s |= k ) s eq . ( 13 ). since the personalized pagerank always gives the k most relevant nodes , the rel defined in eq . ( 13 ) is always between 0 and 1 β higher means more relevant . let us start with an illustrative example to gain some visual intuitions . in fig2 , we show a fictitious co - authorship network 20 , where each node corresponds to an author ( e . g ., john , smith , etc . ), and the edge weight is the number of the co - authored papers . there are three communities in this network ( e . g ., dm , db and ir ). from fig2 , we can see that node 1 has very strong connections to the dm community . in other words , sm might be his / her major research interest . in addition , s / he also has some connections to the ir and db communities . given the budget k = 3 , personalized pagerank returns all the three nodes ( nodes 2 , 3 and 5 ) form dm community which is consistent with the intuition since personalized pagerank solely focuses on the relevance . in contrast , alg . 1 returns nodes 2 , 6 and 10 , each of which is still relevant enough to the query node 1 . at the same time , they are diversified from each other , covering the whole spectrum of his / her research interest ( dm db , and ir ). we also conduct case studies on real graphs . we construct a co - authorship networks from sigir ( the major conference on information retrieval ) and icml ( the major conference on machine learning ). we issue a query to find the top - 10 co - authors for prof . yy . the results are shown in table iii . we compare it with the original personalized pagerank . yy is a professor , and she has broad interest in information retrieval and machine learning . from fig2 , we have the following observations . firstly , both alg . 1 and personalized pagerank share the same authors for the top - 3 returned authors , indicating that alg . 1 also captures those highly relevant authors with respect to the querying author . secondly , alg . 1 returns a more diverse list of authors . for example , although ex 7 is not a co - author of yy , they share a lot of research interest in information retrieval , and have a lot of indirect connections through other ir people . in contrast , the existence of some authors in the ranking list by personalized pagerank is somehow redundant , in terms of helping the user to understand prof . yy &# 39 ; s whole collaboration network . for example , consider prof . agh . although , he has a lot of co - authored papers with yy , they are also co - authored with rv . therefore , given that jz and rj are already in the ranking list , his existence does not provide much marginal information about yy &# 39 ; s collaboration network . as a quantitative indicator , the average degree of induced subgraph by alg . 1 is only 2 . 8 , which is much lower ( i . e ., more diverse ) than that by personalized pagerank . finally , notice that for some authors , although they show up in both lists , their positions in the ranking list are different . for example , jyn shows at the 4 th and the 8 th positions in the two ranking lists , respectively . this is because jyn makes the top - 4 authors more diverse compared with thp , although its individual relevance score is lower than the latter . we compare alg . 1 with arw and rrw , both of which also aim to improve the diversity of personalized pagerank . we skip the comparison with mmr for brevity since it has been shown that its performance is not as good as rrw for the graph - type data . for rrw , it has two variants based on different approximation methods it actually uses : the one based on the cumulative estimation ( referred to as β rrw - a β) and the other one based on the pointwise estimation ( referred to as β rrw - b β). first , let us compare how different methods balance between the relevance and the diversity . fig3 shows the results on the nips co - authorship network . we test with different budgets ( k = 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , 100 ). in fig3 ( a ), div ( 1 ) means that we only consider 1 - step neighbors to measure the diversity ( i . e ., setting t = 1 in eq . ( 12 )). in fig3 ( b ), div ( 2 ) means that we consider both 1 - step and 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., setting t = 2 in eq . ( 12 )). we only present the results by rrw - a since rrw - b gives similar results . from fig3 , we can see that all the three methods are effective to improve the diversity . the alg . 1 achieves a better balance between the relevance and the diversity . for arw , although it gives the highest diversity score , its ( normalized ) relevance score is too low β only about half of the other two methods . this is because in arw , only the first node is selected according to the relevance ; and all the remaining ( k β 1 ) are selected by diversity . as for rrw - a , both its relevance and diversity scores are lower than alg . 1 . it is interesting to notice from fig3 ( b ) that the diversity of rrw - a drops a lot when it is measured by within 2 - step neighbors ( i . e ., div ( 2 )). this is consistent with the intuition of rrw . in rrw ( both rrw - a and rrw - b ), it achieves the diversity by encouraging 1 - step neighboring nodes to compete with each other . consequently , the density of its within 1 - step induced subgraph might be low ( i . e ., high diversity ), but it is not necessarily the case for the within t - step ( t β§ 2 ) induced subgraph . in order to test how the overall performance of different methods varies across different data sets , we take the average between relevance and diversity scores . the results are presented in fig4 ( a )- 4 ( d ), using four different co - authorship networks ( sigmod , nips , sigir , siggraph ). for the space limitation , we omit the results when the diversity is measured by within 1 - steps neighbors , which is similar as the results by within 2 - steps neighbors . it can be seen that alg . 1 consistently performs the best . in the discussion below , we evaluate the effectiveness and the efficiency of algorithm 1 in terms of maximizing the goodness measure f ( s ). we compare it with the exponential enumeration and the binary quadratic programming methods discussed above . we also compare it with two other heuristics . the first method ( referred to as β heuristic1 β) starts with generating a candidate pool ( e . g ., the top 10 Γ k most relevant nodes ), picks one seed node , and then repeatedly adds the most dis - similar ( measured by a ) node into the ranking list from the candidate pool . the second method ( referred to as β heuristic2 β) also starts with generating a candidate pool , puts all the nodes from candidate pool in the list , and then repeatedly drops a most similar ( measured by a ) node from the list . first , let us evaluate how the different methods balance between the optimization quality ( measured by f ( s ) and the speed ( measured by wall - clock time ). fig5 shows the results from the co - authorship network of nips and kdd conferences with the budget k = 20 , where f ( s ) is normalized by the highest one among different methods . it can be seen that alg . 1 is the best β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s )) with the least amount of wall - clock time . notice that the y - axis is in logarithm scale . we also conducted experiments on the co - authorship network constructed from multiple conferences . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) show the results on these data sets with the budget k = 20 . here sub ( n , m ) means a co - authorship network with n nodes and m edges . we stop the program if it takes more than 100 , 000 seconds ( i . e ., more than 1 - days ). in fig6 ( a ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 60 a , 60 b , 60 c , 60 d and 60 e respectively . in fig6 ( b ), the results from using algorithm 1 , heuristic 1 , heuristic 2 , lin - qp and lte - bip are shown at 62 a , 62 b , 62 c , 62 d and 62 e respectively . it can be seen from fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) that alg . 1 is consistently best across all the different data sets β it leads to the highest optimization quality ( i . e ., highest f ( s ) for β lin - qp β is missing for sub ( 24k , 114k ) because it fails to finish within 100 , 000 seconds . this indicates that it is not feasible for large graphs . for the smaller graphs , β lin - qp β leads to slightly lower f ( s ) than alg . 1 ; but it requires 3 - 5 orders of magnitude wall - clock time . for all the other comparative methods , they lead to worse optimization quality with longer wall - clock time . we also evaluate the scalability of alg . 1 . when we evaluate the scalability with respect to the number of the nodes in the graph , we fix the number of edges and vice versa . the results in fig7 ( a ) and 7 ( b ) are consistent with the complexity analysis discussed above β alg . 1 scales linearly with respect to both n and m , which means that it is suitable for large graphs . a computer - based system 100 in which embodiments of the invention may be carried out is depicted in fig8 . the computer - based system 100 includes a processing unit 110 , which houses a processor , memory and other systems components ( not shown expressly in the drawing ) that implement a general purpose processing system , or computer that may execute a computer program product . the computer program product may comprise media , for example a compact storage medium such as a compact disc , which may be read by the processing unit 110 through a disc drive 120 , or by any means known to the skilled artisan for providing the computer program product to the general purpose processing system for execution thereby . the computer program product may comprise all the respective features enabling the implementation of the inventive method described herein , and which β when loaded in a computer system β is able to carry out the method . computer program , software program , program , or software , in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . the computer program product may be stored on hard disk drives within processing unit 110 , as mentioned , or may be located on a remote system such as a server 130 , coupled to processing unit 110 , via a network interface such as an ethernet interface . monitor 140 , mouse 150 and keyboard 160 are coupled to the processing unit 110 , to provide user interaction . scanner 180 and printer 170 are provided for document input and output . printer 170 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 via a network connection , but may be coupled directly to the processing unit . scanner 180 is shown coupled to the processing unit 110 directly , but it should be understood that peripherals might be network coupled , or direct coupled without affecting the performance of the processing unit 110 . while it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objectives discussed above , it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art , and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Physics'? | Is 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 98872eeca68982e03818c82079349395f13437d02a5c0d26546df533cb0fd7f8 | 0.080566 | 0.080566 | 0.010681 | 0.054932 | 0.083984 | 0.300781 |
null | a preferred embodiment of the invention is generally illustrated in fig1 - 3 , with fig1 illustrating use of the invention in connection with automobile data , and fig2 and 3 illustrating use in connection with a spa / pool application . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various components and methods can be of any suitable brand and nature , so long as they provide the desired functionality described herein . in general terms , the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a combination of hardware and software to allow real - time transmission of data being generated by a system ( even one such as the human body ), using a device such as a cellular telephone . the preferred embodiment permits remote viewing and communication / control with the site / application from which the data originates . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular telephone component or device useful in the invention can be provided by programmable cellular telephones ( such as those discussed herein ), but could also be provided by other devices and technologies . wireless pagers as well as other technologies , can provide the preferred cellular networks that cover the vast majority of the planet , thereby making the invention easy to use , without the end - user having to create any communication infrastructure to get to and from the internet . preferably , the cellular telephone or similar device provides an internet communication interface , while connected ( via hardwiring or wirelessly ) to a β live β sensor / controller device in the monitored / controlled system . depending on the application , the sensor / controller device can be any of a wide range of devices , capable of reporting data , controlling the system , or both . also preferably , the invention includes a suite of hardware and software products provided for use on programmable cellular telephones or similar devices , such as the family of nextel / motorola java β’- powered phones ( e . g ., model i85s ). among other things , the invention preferably enables the cellular telephone to interface directly with a wide variety of devices , so that it can function as a service / diagnostic / monitoring device . in the preferred embodiment , the invention turns the phone into a powerful , highly configurable test tool . to enable the desired communication with a sensor / control device , the attached β device β preferably is in communication with the cell phone &# 39 ; s built - in serial port ( using appropriate serial communication parameters β baud rate , stop bits , parity , etc ). if a particular attached β device ( s )β does not support a standard serial interface , an adapter apparatus ( such as a cable , connector , box , etc .) can readily be provided and used to suitably create a suitable β serial β connection between the cell phone and the β device β. ( note that the serial port on the cellular phone is traditionally used for a wired connection to a pc or laptop computer β both for purposes of uploading software applications to the phone , as well as acting as a cellular modem connection to the internet , for the attached computer ). by way of example , in a specific embodiment such as the automotive application discussed herein , an adapter cable and suitable rs232 obd protocol conversion circuitry is required to establish communication between the phone and the vehicle &# 39 ; s industry β standard β j1962 obd connector . among other existing resources available to persons of ordinary skill in the art , the sae ( society of automotive engineers ) provides ample information to understand and construct such an adapter ( similar principles and resources can readily be used in fabricating and providing other adapters / hardware / software for applications other than automobiles obd data ). on a related point , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , as other communication channels ( other than the serial ports now available on current cell phones ) become available , the invention can be readily practiced using those other β non - serial β interface channels from the device to the phone . the cellular telephone preferably also functions as an internet gateway , delivering all or selected available data , in real - time , to a website / server such as the vtti erm ( embedded resource manager ) server . the data can be permanently and securely stored in an on - line database there , accessed from any web browser by a user having sufficient permissions ( passwords , etc .). the erm viewer , fig3 provides a real - time graphical interface through a suite of java β’ applets , allowing someone at a remote site ( such as a remote computer 10 , fig1 and 2 ) to β see β everything that the on - site service technician is seeing ( at , for example , location 20 , fig1 or location 30 , fig2 ), and , in some cases more ( see discussion elsewhere regarding the β more β that can be seen by a remote viewer , for virtually any application of the invention ). if desired , a cellular telephone can even be left β permanently β connected to the monitored device ( such as at locations 20 or 30 ), saving travel , hookup , and other time and expenses . remote commands preferably are supported through the erm control server delivering the appropriate command information to the remotely connected device through the cellular telephone . plotting applets allow for web - based viewing of all logged data , over any specified time interval , providing great flexibility in analysis . in a preferred configuration for automotive on board diagnostics , fig1 the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with any vehicle through the obd connector , a connector that is required on all vehicles sold in the us since 1996 ( typically , the vehicle &# 39 ; s connector is located under the dashboard , making it fairly simple to connect and use the cell phone in this application , and thereby to even be able to gather data while actually driving somewhere and under varying conditions , as discussed herein ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that many aspects and benefits of the invention can be practiced and realized by custom data connectors / collectors interfacing with the cellular telephone , rather that a β standard β connector such as the obd . even though the telephone &# 39 ; s programming preferably is standard to interface with the obd , that programming can be customized as may be needed / desired in any particular application . as for the preferred hardware to connect to the obd connector on any particular vehicle , there currently are three configurations of obd adapter blocks needed to cover all types of vehicles ( one works on ford vehicles , one on gm , and one for all other vehicles ). as indicated elsewhere , if bluetooth or other short - range wireless communication technology is incorporated into the obd β connection β on board the vehicle , the cellular phone can be configured ( with proper hardware and software ) to receive that wireless signal , rather than use any β adapter block β at all . preferably , the obd viewer software suite uses the obd connector connection to communicate a host of information , including diagnostic trouble codes ( dtc &# 39 ; s ), real - time vehicle performance data , and sensor status . the obdconnect java β’ midlet preferably delivers all the incoming obd data to the cellular telephone user , again , through a series of display forms ( see fig3 ). further support preferably is provided for graphing of selected real - time data ( rpm , vehicle speed , intake temp , ignition time , etc ) through a series of icons on the forms or other suitable user interface . for the remote display , a browser - based java β’ applet preferably provides a custom graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a familiar β gauge cluster β display , along with any current diagnostic trouble codes ( dtcs ), vehicle identification number , and all available contact information for that particular individual . support for remotely controlling parameters within the engine control module ( ecm ) is provided through the erm control suite ( including the ability for a service center to reset dtc &# 39 ; s ). in a preferred pool / spa service tool configuration ( fig2 ), the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with the on - board microprocessor powering the pool / spa control ( preferably in the form of a serial port on the pool / spa control , for which relevant communication specifications are typically available from each individual manufacturer β as mentioned above for the obd data specifications )β supplying detailed operational and diagnostic information . preferably , the spaconnect β’ java β’ midlet delivers all the incoming data to the on - site service technician through a series of display forms shown on the cell phone . control is supported through a series of icons on those forms , representing the different functions found on a pool or spa control ( jets on / off , blower on / off , spa lite on / off , filter settings , etc ). for the remote viewer / display , a browser - based java β’ applet provides a customized graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a clear and concise fashion β with support for many sophisticated command and diagnostic routines . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , among other things , the invention can include real - time downloading of new or updated firmware for the system being controlled / monitored ( in addition to downloads of applications and new software to the phone itself ), via the web β using the cell phone . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred apparatus and methods of the invention can be used in many other applications , systems , and processes . in addition , if desired , a preferred single cellular telephone can simultaneously hold programming so that it is capable of functioning in a plurality of such applications , without further or multiple downloads of programming ( such as java applets ) to the cellular phone . the number of programs / devices with which the cellular phone is capable of interfacing / monitoring / controlling is limited by the memory storage within the cellular phone , but current phones could readily hold 10 - 15 such programs , and future ( increased memory ) phone devices will presumably be able to hold even more . consequently , and by way of example , one telephone preferably could be used ( at the user &# 39 ; s election , and subject to the user &# 39 ; s control ) for ( 1 ) communication with devices at the user &# 39 ; s home ( such as a spa / pool / kitchen equipment / heater / ac / lights ), ( 2 ) to send data to the user &# 39 ; s doctor ( regarding the user &# 39 ; s health and / or vital signs or other diagnostic information ), and ( 3 ) to communicate data about the user &# 39 ; s automobile ( such as to a car dealer or service shop ). thus , a single user could be a pool / spa service technician ( using the phone in connection with onsite service work ), who also is a cardiac rehab patient ( using the phone to provide alerts and data to his health care center ), who also likes keeping an eye on the diagnostic codes are on his or her car ( using the phone as described above to monitor the car &# 39 ; s obd data ). with current operating systems , and serial port limitations , only one such application can be run at any given time , although future operating systems and connectivity mechanisms ( including bluetooth ), may permit multiple systems to be monitored / controlled simultaneously by a single telephone . in addition , for those embodiments using a cellular telephone , there is no need for the user ( such as a field technician ) to buy yet another costly , separate piece of communication equipment ( and to pay monthly service / access fees for the cellular or other communication service ). instead , the user can leverage the investment they have already made in their cellular telephone . further leveraging the internet access provided by the invention , such as through cellular telephones using the nextel network , the invention can deliver a whole host of services ( data logging , remote access , automatic alerts , etc .) that are not possible using other devices or technologies , let alone across such a wide array of applications . thus , the present invention provides numerous advantages over any existing technology of which the inventor is aware . for example , regarding the gecko electronics palm os β’- based spa tool ( pocket - tek ) discussed above , the invention can not only provide all the functionality of the gecko tool , but provides a remote user or users with a real - time remote window into all of the data an onsite user can see , and more . by way of example , if the onsite user is using a currently available cellular telephone with its relatively small display screen ( approximately 100 Γ 85 pixel black / white display ), the β remote engineer / tech support / observer β person ( viewing the data / system on a relatively much larger display such as a pc ) can β see β more than can be displayed in the smaller cell phone display . the β remote β viewing device ( such as a pc ) is therefore capable of more as a user interface device than is the cell phone . for instance , the β remote observer β preferably can access any / all historical data and have it displayed on the β remote viewing device β in the form of a graphical history plot , and can even print it out . as cell phones and similar devices advance , the differences in capability ( between the somewhat β limited β interface of current cell phones versus the more capable interface of current pcs ) may diminish , but other benefits of the invention will continue . similarly , in the arena of automotive scan tools , the invention can provide a service technician ( whether a car dealer , a service center , a gas station , or otherwise ) or even a car owner himself with all the functionality of the existing tools mentioned above , but ( as with the spa tool ) with a suite of internet technology tools to provide a real - time remote window into all the data the on - site person is seeing , and more ( similar to the β more β discussed above ). perhaps more importantly , the invention permits the user , technician , or even the manufacturer to take a β test drive β at any time , with the vehicle continuously transmitting all on - board diagnostic data to any selected destination , such as a secure internet website . the data can be stored there or viewed in real time , and in any case can include a mechanism for β tagging β the data at relevant points in time β for those nasty β only - happens - when - i &# 39 ; m - driving β glitches , noises , and rumbles β so that the service technician can easily see what was going on at the time of the problem . additional applications of the invention in the automobile industry are virtually unlimited . lube shops can use the invention to provide vehicle diagnostic scans with almost no expense on software or hardware infrastructure β hypothetically charging an extra fee for a 27 - point diagnostic scan . likewise , independent service shops can have access to all current manufacturers &# 39 ; data , without the purchase of a separate scantool ( approximately $ 2500 each currently ) from every auto maker , with no need for make - model - specific software . the low cost of equipment ( a nextel - type phone plus an obd adapter ) allows the shop to purchase only one scan tool , or at most , one per auto bay , and to use the tool out in the parking lot , on - site ( if called out to a vehicle that has stopped running ), or the like . the speed , efficiency , and quality of service can be improved , because all manufacturer - specific data can be displayed in their β current β form , as well as permitting the immediate selection and display ( back to the service technician ) of any recalls , warnings , or similar information relevant to the vehicle being tested , all via the erm internet server . in some or many of these situations , the β remote β viewer might actually be right beside the vehicle in the auto bay where it is being serviced , in the form of a pc logged onto the internet server site that is receiving the real - time data from the vehicle . yet another application of the invention regarding automobiles is automobile racing . sports such as nascar can create a revenue stream where one currently does not exist , and provides an off - track β fan β experience , by monitoring and displaying relevant data from various race cars over the internet , to subscribing customers . race car fans can thereby have a much deeper insight and involvement in the race they are watching , or the broadcast of the race may be displayed in an adjacent window in the fan &# 39 ; s browser , etc . automobile dealer service centers can achieve a better quality and more efficient result , as well as a faster turnover rate for their auto bays and equipment . the invention permits the service center access to vehicle diagnostic information / trip data prior to the customer &# 39 ; s arrival , thereby allowing the dealer to get a better handle on the potential problem , check parts availability , etc . loyalty to the dealer can be increased as well , if ( for example ) at the time of new / used vehicle purchase , the buyer is shown a demo of the invention application running on the cellular phone β highlighting the active role the dealer service center can play in the care and maintenance of the buyer &# 39 ; s car . as indicated above , car owners can use the invention to perform diagnostic scans on their cars at any time , saving between $ 50 -$ 150 a pop ( depending on where / when the scan / servicing would otherwise be done ), and also creating accountability for any repairs that are eventually made to the car . car owner end - users of the invention normally will require very minimal integration / support to adopt and use the invention . by way of example , each user can register online ( through either a website such as the nascar site , snap - on , etc . or directly on the invention &# 39 ; s internet server website ), where they will setup an account , and ultimately create their own personal car web page β with live view , and history display . all support to the car owner can be handled through the respective web site β via faq &# 39 ; s , tutorials , and problem report forms . as also mentioned above , historical data can also be archived and retrieved ( such as in an on - line database maintained on the internet or otherwise ) for any of the applications ( automobile or otherwise ) discussed herein . the availability of this information can permit much more effective use of time and resources . in the field of medical / health monitoring / reporting / analysis , again there are many companies providing localized solutions , where the burden of monitoring is put on the enduser ( to monitor , store , and / or upload the relevant vital signs or other data ). among the benefits of the present invention are : ( 1 ) it can provide a real - time , continuous uplink of the monitored data via the patient &# 39 ; s cellular telephone , securely delivering all the encrypted medical monitoring data for viewing by a physician or other medical personnel from any available web browser ; ( 2 ) in that same web browser , the medical personnel may also instantly pull up not only the real - time data that is being generated by the patient , but also a graphical history of the patient &# 39 ; s data ; ( 3 ) support for β alert β or warning / dangerous conditions can also generate a real - time message / alert ( such as an email and / or page ) to the physician or appropriate medical personnel in the event of a serious condition ; and ( 4 ) these and other aspects of the monitoring can be configurable through the web - based interface . by way of example , the telephone can be configured to interface with a commercially available heart rate monitor and temperature sensor for remote monitoring of β discharged β hospital patients ( an example would be a cardiac rehab patient who has recently undergone bypass surgery , and has been discharged by his hmo , but put on a β restricted activity β regimen ). using the invention , the hospital can keep close tabs on the patient , including setting alerts that trigger if the patient &# 39 ; s heart - rate exceeds a predetermined threshold . all data can be permanently logged into an online database , so that the physician is able to retrieve it for immediate analysis from any location ( hospital , home , vacation , office , hotel room , etc . ), thus providing a truly new level of patient care . further regarding benefits of the invention in health / medical applications , in embodiments in which the data is delivered from the patient using a network such as nextel &# 39 ; s , the patient can simply wear their chest strap heart - rate sensor ( or other sensing device ) connected to their cellular telephone , and the data will be continuously transmitted in real time . so long as the telephone is turned on , you do not have to β dial up β or call a number ; the data can find its way to a desired website or location such as the erm / rackspace server ( see fig1 and 2 ). the patient is free to move about ( take a walk , go to the store , return to the clinic for an exam ) all with complete monitoring of their vitals . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , in the preferred embodiment the cellular telephone component of the invention is used as a local / on - site service / diagnostic tool , including using the cellular telephone &# 39 ; s display screen . although other technologies use a cellular telephone as a β modem β or otherwise use wireless modems to transmit data , the inventor is not aware of a cellular telephone previously being used as a local / service / diagnostic tool , especially while also being used as an β internet data pipe β. in addition to the benefits of the cellular telephone device providing an β internet data pipe β and / or a cellular telephone connection to transmit the data / control commands , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular phone of the invention preferably can provide many of the benefits herein even without any such connection from the phone to the internet or to a cellular network . by way of example , even in such a β non - broadcasting β mode , the cellular phone can be used as a programmable , portable local / service / diagnostic tool , providing a user - friendly interface by which a service technician can extract relevant data , issue commands to the controlled / monitored system , etc . under such conditions , the remote viewer would not be receiving data , but the local service technician can benefit from a powerful tool not presently available to him . also under those conditions , the cell phone preferably is capable of storing the data for subsequent transmission ( such as via the internet or the cellular connection ). [ 0065 ] fig5 illustrates a block diagram of a preferred remote monitoring and control system for a network of embedded sensors and control devices . the erm technology provides an end - to - end solution , encompassing everything required for remote monitoring and control β from the erm sensor node , the erm gateway , to the erm server , providing a central gateway for all end - user access . [ 0066 ] fig6 depicts the data - flow of the preferred software architecture for the present invention β from the erm sensor node , the embedded gateway , then central server , and the end - user &# 39 ; s web browser . ( note that all connections to the internet preferably are originated by the remote gateway β thereby thwarting any remote attacks ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the erm server can be suitably practiced on any number of computing platforms . a preferred embodiment is a 750 mhz pentium iii computer , preferably running redhat linux version 7 . 0 or above , with a high - speed internet connection . the preferred software infrastructure can be broken down into four ( 4 ) categories : 1 . ermmonitor β java program , which handles incoming data from erm installations ( tim &# 39 ; s ), alerts , data storage in the database , and all β live β web browser connections . 2 . ermcontrol β java program , which handles β control β connections from web browser applet ( s ), queuing up and serving commands to erm installations ( tini &# 39 ; s ). 3 . webscripts β linux cron jobs , which run periodically to generate dynamic web content including cell phone pages , web statistics , and alert / error logs . 4 . database β a mysql db running on the same linux box , maintaining a central repository for all incoming data . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , all site - specific configuration information is accessed through web pages on the erm server , using cgi / perl scripts , providing end - user access to things like name , address , phone , e - mail , pager , password , as well as access to user - specific / selectable options β cell phone page , alerts , etc . [ 0073 ] fig7 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermmonitor application , which runs on the evcm server β accepting udp datagrams from the remote embedded gateway devices . the udp datagram is processed based on the stored configuration information β individually extracting each remote data block . the ermmonitor application preferably then forwards the latest data to each of three ( 3 ) threads : 1 . log file / database storage ; 2 . alert generation / e - mail notification ; and 3 . browser applet server . [ 0074 ] fig8 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermcontrol application , which runs on the erm server β managing control to and from the remote embedded control devices . tcp socket connections from web browser java applets are accepted β providing a secure mechanism for authentication and authorization , prior to accepting any requested commands . tcp socket connections are also accepted from the remote embedded gateway ( s ), where individual commands are extracted from the controlqueue maintained on the erm server . the apparatus and methods of my invention have been described with some particularity , but the specific designs , constructions and steps disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention . obvious modifications will make themselves apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art , all of which will not depart from the essence of the invention and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Electricity'? | Is 'Human Necessities' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 71388a52c01d9058203e94416d4c00cdebe60bc96c5b2ff2d6c78c0019f0a5e4 | 0.022949 | 0.023315 | 0.001595 | 0.003082 | 0.003372 | 0.011353 |
null | a preferred embodiment of the invention is generally illustrated in fig1 - 3 , with fig1 illustrating use of the invention in connection with automobile data , and fig2 and 3 illustrating use in connection with a spa / pool application . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various components and methods can be of any suitable brand and nature , so long as they provide the desired functionality described herein . in general terms , the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a combination of hardware and software to allow real - time transmission of data being generated by a system ( even one such as the human body ), using a device such as a cellular telephone . the preferred embodiment permits remote viewing and communication / control with the site / application from which the data originates . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular telephone component or device useful in the invention can be provided by programmable cellular telephones ( such as those discussed herein ), but could also be provided by other devices and technologies . wireless pagers as well as other technologies , can provide the preferred cellular networks that cover the vast majority of the planet , thereby making the invention easy to use , without the end - user having to create any communication infrastructure to get to and from the internet . preferably , the cellular telephone or similar device provides an internet communication interface , while connected ( via hardwiring or wirelessly ) to a β live β sensor / controller device in the monitored / controlled system . depending on the application , the sensor / controller device can be any of a wide range of devices , capable of reporting data , controlling the system , or both . also preferably , the invention includes a suite of hardware and software products provided for use on programmable cellular telephones or similar devices , such as the family of nextel / motorola java β’- powered phones ( e . g ., model i85s ). among other things , the invention preferably enables the cellular telephone to interface directly with a wide variety of devices , so that it can function as a service / diagnostic / monitoring device . in the preferred embodiment , the invention turns the phone into a powerful , highly configurable test tool . to enable the desired communication with a sensor / control device , the attached β device β preferably is in communication with the cell phone &# 39 ; s built - in serial port ( using appropriate serial communication parameters β baud rate , stop bits , parity , etc ). if a particular attached β device ( s )β does not support a standard serial interface , an adapter apparatus ( such as a cable , connector , box , etc .) can readily be provided and used to suitably create a suitable β serial β connection between the cell phone and the β device β. ( note that the serial port on the cellular phone is traditionally used for a wired connection to a pc or laptop computer β both for purposes of uploading software applications to the phone , as well as acting as a cellular modem connection to the internet , for the attached computer ). by way of example , in a specific embodiment such as the automotive application discussed herein , an adapter cable and suitable rs232 obd protocol conversion circuitry is required to establish communication between the phone and the vehicle &# 39 ; s industry β standard β j1962 obd connector . among other existing resources available to persons of ordinary skill in the art , the sae ( society of automotive engineers ) provides ample information to understand and construct such an adapter ( similar principles and resources can readily be used in fabricating and providing other adapters / hardware / software for applications other than automobiles obd data ). on a related point , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , as other communication channels ( other than the serial ports now available on current cell phones ) become available , the invention can be readily practiced using those other β non - serial β interface channels from the device to the phone . the cellular telephone preferably also functions as an internet gateway , delivering all or selected available data , in real - time , to a website / server such as the vtti erm ( embedded resource manager ) server . the data can be permanently and securely stored in an on - line database there , accessed from any web browser by a user having sufficient permissions ( passwords , etc .). the erm viewer , fig3 provides a real - time graphical interface through a suite of java β’ applets , allowing someone at a remote site ( such as a remote computer 10 , fig1 and 2 ) to β see β everything that the on - site service technician is seeing ( at , for example , location 20 , fig1 or location 30 , fig2 ), and , in some cases more ( see discussion elsewhere regarding the β more β that can be seen by a remote viewer , for virtually any application of the invention ). if desired , a cellular telephone can even be left β permanently β connected to the monitored device ( such as at locations 20 or 30 ), saving travel , hookup , and other time and expenses . remote commands preferably are supported through the erm control server delivering the appropriate command information to the remotely connected device through the cellular telephone . plotting applets allow for web - based viewing of all logged data , over any specified time interval , providing great flexibility in analysis . in a preferred configuration for automotive on board diagnostics , fig1 the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with any vehicle through the obd connector , a connector that is required on all vehicles sold in the us since 1996 ( typically , the vehicle &# 39 ; s connector is located under the dashboard , making it fairly simple to connect and use the cell phone in this application , and thereby to even be able to gather data while actually driving somewhere and under varying conditions , as discussed herein ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that many aspects and benefits of the invention can be practiced and realized by custom data connectors / collectors interfacing with the cellular telephone , rather that a β standard β connector such as the obd . even though the telephone &# 39 ; s programming preferably is standard to interface with the obd , that programming can be customized as may be needed / desired in any particular application . as for the preferred hardware to connect to the obd connector on any particular vehicle , there currently are three configurations of obd adapter blocks needed to cover all types of vehicles ( one works on ford vehicles , one on gm , and one for all other vehicles ). as indicated elsewhere , if bluetooth or other short - range wireless communication technology is incorporated into the obd β connection β on board the vehicle , the cellular phone can be configured ( with proper hardware and software ) to receive that wireless signal , rather than use any β adapter block β at all . preferably , the obd viewer software suite uses the obd connector connection to communicate a host of information , including diagnostic trouble codes ( dtc &# 39 ; s ), real - time vehicle performance data , and sensor status . the obdconnect java β’ midlet preferably delivers all the incoming obd data to the cellular telephone user , again , through a series of display forms ( see fig3 ). further support preferably is provided for graphing of selected real - time data ( rpm , vehicle speed , intake temp , ignition time , etc ) through a series of icons on the forms or other suitable user interface . for the remote display , a browser - based java β’ applet preferably provides a custom graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a familiar β gauge cluster β display , along with any current diagnostic trouble codes ( dtcs ), vehicle identification number , and all available contact information for that particular individual . support for remotely controlling parameters within the engine control module ( ecm ) is provided through the erm control suite ( including the ability for a service center to reset dtc &# 39 ; s ). in a preferred pool / spa service tool configuration ( fig2 ), the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with the on - board microprocessor powering the pool / spa control ( preferably in the form of a serial port on the pool / spa control , for which relevant communication specifications are typically available from each individual manufacturer β as mentioned above for the obd data specifications )β supplying detailed operational and diagnostic information . preferably , the spaconnect β’ java β’ midlet delivers all the incoming data to the on - site service technician through a series of display forms shown on the cell phone . control is supported through a series of icons on those forms , representing the different functions found on a pool or spa control ( jets on / off , blower on / off , spa lite on / off , filter settings , etc ). for the remote viewer / display , a browser - based java β’ applet provides a customized graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a clear and concise fashion β with support for many sophisticated command and diagnostic routines . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , among other things , the invention can include real - time downloading of new or updated firmware for the system being controlled / monitored ( in addition to downloads of applications and new software to the phone itself ), via the web β using the cell phone . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred apparatus and methods of the invention can be used in many other applications , systems , and processes . in addition , if desired , a preferred single cellular telephone can simultaneously hold programming so that it is capable of functioning in a plurality of such applications , without further or multiple downloads of programming ( such as java applets ) to the cellular phone . the number of programs / devices with which the cellular phone is capable of interfacing / monitoring / controlling is limited by the memory storage within the cellular phone , but current phones could readily hold 10 - 15 such programs , and future ( increased memory ) phone devices will presumably be able to hold even more . consequently , and by way of example , one telephone preferably could be used ( at the user &# 39 ; s election , and subject to the user &# 39 ; s control ) for ( 1 ) communication with devices at the user &# 39 ; s home ( such as a spa / pool / kitchen equipment / heater / ac / lights ), ( 2 ) to send data to the user &# 39 ; s doctor ( regarding the user &# 39 ; s health and / or vital signs or other diagnostic information ), and ( 3 ) to communicate data about the user &# 39 ; s automobile ( such as to a car dealer or service shop ). thus , a single user could be a pool / spa service technician ( using the phone in connection with onsite service work ), who also is a cardiac rehab patient ( using the phone to provide alerts and data to his health care center ), who also likes keeping an eye on the diagnostic codes are on his or her car ( using the phone as described above to monitor the car &# 39 ; s obd data ). with current operating systems , and serial port limitations , only one such application can be run at any given time , although future operating systems and connectivity mechanisms ( including bluetooth ), may permit multiple systems to be monitored / controlled simultaneously by a single telephone . in addition , for those embodiments using a cellular telephone , there is no need for the user ( such as a field technician ) to buy yet another costly , separate piece of communication equipment ( and to pay monthly service / access fees for the cellular or other communication service ). instead , the user can leverage the investment they have already made in their cellular telephone . further leveraging the internet access provided by the invention , such as through cellular telephones using the nextel network , the invention can deliver a whole host of services ( data logging , remote access , automatic alerts , etc .) that are not possible using other devices or technologies , let alone across such a wide array of applications . thus , the present invention provides numerous advantages over any existing technology of which the inventor is aware . for example , regarding the gecko electronics palm os β’- based spa tool ( pocket - tek ) discussed above , the invention can not only provide all the functionality of the gecko tool , but provides a remote user or users with a real - time remote window into all of the data an onsite user can see , and more . by way of example , if the onsite user is using a currently available cellular telephone with its relatively small display screen ( approximately 100 Γ 85 pixel black / white display ), the β remote engineer / tech support / observer β person ( viewing the data / system on a relatively much larger display such as a pc ) can β see β more than can be displayed in the smaller cell phone display . the β remote β viewing device ( such as a pc ) is therefore capable of more as a user interface device than is the cell phone . for instance , the β remote observer β preferably can access any / all historical data and have it displayed on the β remote viewing device β in the form of a graphical history plot , and can even print it out . as cell phones and similar devices advance , the differences in capability ( between the somewhat β limited β interface of current cell phones versus the more capable interface of current pcs ) may diminish , but other benefits of the invention will continue . similarly , in the arena of automotive scan tools , the invention can provide a service technician ( whether a car dealer , a service center , a gas station , or otherwise ) or even a car owner himself with all the functionality of the existing tools mentioned above , but ( as with the spa tool ) with a suite of internet technology tools to provide a real - time remote window into all the data the on - site person is seeing , and more ( similar to the β more β discussed above ). perhaps more importantly , the invention permits the user , technician , or even the manufacturer to take a β test drive β at any time , with the vehicle continuously transmitting all on - board diagnostic data to any selected destination , such as a secure internet website . the data can be stored there or viewed in real time , and in any case can include a mechanism for β tagging β the data at relevant points in time β for those nasty β only - happens - when - i &# 39 ; m - driving β glitches , noises , and rumbles β so that the service technician can easily see what was going on at the time of the problem . additional applications of the invention in the automobile industry are virtually unlimited . lube shops can use the invention to provide vehicle diagnostic scans with almost no expense on software or hardware infrastructure β hypothetically charging an extra fee for a 27 - point diagnostic scan . likewise , independent service shops can have access to all current manufacturers &# 39 ; data , without the purchase of a separate scantool ( approximately $ 2500 each currently ) from every auto maker , with no need for make - model - specific software . the low cost of equipment ( a nextel - type phone plus an obd adapter ) allows the shop to purchase only one scan tool , or at most , one per auto bay , and to use the tool out in the parking lot , on - site ( if called out to a vehicle that has stopped running ), or the like . the speed , efficiency , and quality of service can be improved , because all manufacturer - specific data can be displayed in their β current β form , as well as permitting the immediate selection and display ( back to the service technician ) of any recalls , warnings , or similar information relevant to the vehicle being tested , all via the erm internet server . in some or many of these situations , the β remote β viewer might actually be right beside the vehicle in the auto bay where it is being serviced , in the form of a pc logged onto the internet server site that is receiving the real - time data from the vehicle . yet another application of the invention regarding automobiles is automobile racing . sports such as nascar can create a revenue stream where one currently does not exist , and provides an off - track β fan β experience , by monitoring and displaying relevant data from various race cars over the internet , to subscribing customers . race car fans can thereby have a much deeper insight and involvement in the race they are watching , or the broadcast of the race may be displayed in an adjacent window in the fan &# 39 ; s browser , etc . automobile dealer service centers can achieve a better quality and more efficient result , as well as a faster turnover rate for their auto bays and equipment . the invention permits the service center access to vehicle diagnostic information / trip data prior to the customer &# 39 ; s arrival , thereby allowing the dealer to get a better handle on the potential problem , check parts availability , etc . loyalty to the dealer can be increased as well , if ( for example ) at the time of new / used vehicle purchase , the buyer is shown a demo of the invention application running on the cellular phone β highlighting the active role the dealer service center can play in the care and maintenance of the buyer &# 39 ; s car . as indicated above , car owners can use the invention to perform diagnostic scans on their cars at any time , saving between $ 50 -$ 150 a pop ( depending on where / when the scan / servicing would otherwise be done ), and also creating accountability for any repairs that are eventually made to the car . car owner end - users of the invention normally will require very minimal integration / support to adopt and use the invention . by way of example , each user can register online ( through either a website such as the nascar site , snap - on , etc . or directly on the invention &# 39 ; s internet server website ), where they will setup an account , and ultimately create their own personal car web page β with live view , and history display . all support to the car owner can be handled through the respective web site β via faq &# 39 ; s , tutorials , and problem report forms . as also mentioned above , historical data can also be archived and retrieved ( such as in an on - line database maintained on the internet or otherwise ) for any of the applications ( automobile or otherwise ) discussed herein . the availability of this information can permit much more effective use of time and resources . in the field of medical / health monitoring / reporting / analysis , again there are many companies providing localized solutions , where the burden of monitoring is put on the enduser ( to monitor , store , and / or upload the relevant vital signs or other data ). among the benefits of the present invention are : ( 1 ) it can provide a real - time , continuous uplink of the monitored data via the patient &# 39 ; s cellular telephone , securely delivering all the encrypted medical monitoring data for viewing by a physician or other medical personnel from any available web browser ; ( 2 ) in that same web browser , the medical personnel may also instantly pull up not only the real - time data that is being generated by the patient , but also a graphical history of the patient &# 39 ; s data ; ( 3 ) support for β alert β or warning / dangerous conditions can also generate a real - time message / alert ( such as an email and / or page ) to the physician or appropriate medical personnel in the event of a serious condition ; and ( 4 ) these and other aspects of the monitoring can be configurable through the web - based interface . by way of example , the telephone can be configured to interface with a commercially available heart rate monitor and temperature sensor for remote monitoring of β discharged β hospital patients ( an example would be a cardiac rehab patient who has recently undergone bypass surgery , and has been discharged by his hmo , but put on a β restricted activity β regimen ). using the invention , the hospital can keep close tabs on the patient , including setting alerts that trigger if the patient &# 39 ; s heart - rate exceeds a predetermined threshold . all data can be permanently logged into an online database , so that the physician is able to retrieve it for immediate analysis from any location ( hospital , home , vacation , office , hotel room , etc . ), thus providing a truly new level of patient care . further regarding benefits of the invention in health / medical applications , in embodiments in which the data is delivered from the patient using a network such as nextel &# 39 ; s , the patient can simply wear their chest strap heart - rate sensor ( or other sensing device ) connected to their cellular telephone , and the data will be continuously transmitted in real time . so long as the telephone is turned on , you do not have to β dial up β or call a number ; the data can find its way to a desired website or location such as the erm / rackspace server ( see fig1 and 2 ). the patient is free to move about ( take a walk , go to the store , return to the clinic for an exam ) all with complete monitoring of their vitals . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , in the preferred embodiment the cellular telephone component of the invention is used as a local / on - site service / diagnostic tool , including using the cellular telephone &# 39 ; s display screen . although other technologies use a cellular telephone as a β modem β or otherwise use wireless modems to transmit data , the inventor is not aware of a cellular telephone previously being used as a local / service / diagnostic tool , especially while also being used as an β internet data pipe β. in addition to the benefits of the cellular telephone device providing an β internet data pipe β and / or a cellular telephone connection to transmit the data / control commands , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular phone of the invention preferably can provide many of the benefits herein even without any such connection from the phone to the internet or to a cellular network . by way of example , even in such a β non - broadcasting β mode , the cellular phone can be used as a programmable , portable local / service / diagnostic tool , providing a user - friendly interface by which a service technician can extract relevant data , issue commands to the controlled / monitored system , etc . under such conditions , the remote viewer would not be receiving data , but the local service technician can benefit from a powerful tool not presently available to him . also under those conditions , the cell phone preferably is capable of storing the data for subsequent transmission ( such as via the internet or the cellular connection ). [ 0065 ] fig5 illustrates a block diagram of a preferred remote monitoring and control system for a network of embedded sensors and control devices . the erm technology provides an end - to - end solution , encompassing everything required for remote monitoring and control β from the erm sensor node , the erm gateway , to the erm server , providing a central gateway for all end - user access . [ 0066 ] fig6 depicts the data - flow of the preferred software architecture for the present invention β from the erm sensor node , the embedded gateway , then central server , and the end - user &# 39 ; s web browser . ( note that all connections to the internet preferably are originated by the remote gateway β thereby thwarting any remote attacks ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the erm server can be suitably practiced on any number of computing platforms . a preferred embodiment is a 750 mhz pentium iii computer , preferably running redhat linux version 7 . 0 or above , with a high - speed internet connection . the preferred software infrastructure can be broken down into four ( 4 ) categories : 1 . ermmonitor β java program , which handles incoming data from erm installations ( tim &# 39 ; s ), alerts , data storage in the database , and all β live β web browser connections . 2 . ermcontrol β java program , which handles β control β connections from web browser applet ( s ), queuing up and serving commands to erm installations ( tini &# 39 ; s ). 3 . webscripts β linux cron jobs , which run periodically to generate dynamic web content including cell phone pages , web statistics , and alert / error logs . 4 . database β a mysql db running on the same linux box , maintaining a central repository for all incoming data . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , all site - specific configuration information is accessed through web pages on the erm server , using cgi / perl scripts , providing end - user access to things like name , address , phone , e - mail , pager , password , as well as access to user - specific / selectable options β cell phone page , alerts , etc . [ 0073 ] fig7 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermmonitor application , which runs on the evcm server β accepting udp datagrams from the remote embedded gateway devices . the udp datagram is processed based on the stored configuration information β individually extracting each remote data block . the ermmonitor application preferably then forwards the latest data to each of three ( 3 ) threads : 1 . log file / database storage ; 2 . alert generation / e - mail notification ; and 3 . browser applet server . [ 0074 ] fig8 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermcontrol application , which runs on the erm server β managing control to and from the remote embedded control devices . tcp socket connections from web browser java applets are accepted β providing a secure mechanism for authentication and authorization , prior to accepting any requested commands . tcp socket connections are also accepted from the remote embedded gateway ( s ), where individual commands are extracted from the controlqueue maintained on the erm server . the apparatus and methods of my invention have been described with some particularity , but the specific designs , constructions and steps disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention . obvious modifications will make themselves apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art , all of which will not depart from the essence of the invention and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Performing Operations; Transporting'? | 0.25 | 71388a52c01d9058203e94416d4c00cdebe60bc96c5b2ff2d6c78c0019f0a5e4 | 0.018799 | 0.062988 | 0.002319 | 0.013611 | 0.002045 | 0.027222 |
null | a preferred embodiment of the invention is generally illustrated in fig1 - 3 , with fig1 illustrating use of the invention in connection with automobile data , and fig2 and 3 illustrating use in connection with a spa / pool application . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various components and methods can be of any suitable brand and nature , so long as they provide the desired functionality described herein . in general terms , the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a combination of hardware and software to allow real - time transmission of data being generated by a system ( even one such as the human body ), using a device such as a cellular telephone . the preferred embodiment permits remote viewing and communication / control with the site / application from which the data originates . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular telephone component or device useful in the invention can be provided by programmable cellular telephones ( such as those discussed herein ), but could also be provided by other devices and technologies . wireless pagers as well as other technologies , can provide the preferred cellular networks that cover the vast majority of the planet , thereby making the invention easy to use , without the end - user having to create any communication infrastructure to get to and from the internet . preferably , the cellular telephone or similar device provides an internet communication interface , while connected ( via hardwiring or wirelessly ) to a β live β sensor / controller device in the monitored / controlled system . depending on the application , the sensor / controller device can be any of a wide range of devices , capable of reporting data , controlling the system , or both . also preferably , the invention includes a suite of hardware and software products provided for use on programmable cellular telephones or similar devices , such as the family of nextel / motorola java β’- powered phones ( e . g ., model i85s ). among other things , the invention preferably enables the cellular telephone to interface directly with a wide variety of devices , so that it can function as a service / diagnostic / monitoring device . in the preferred embodiment , the invention turns the phone into a powerful , highly configurable test tool . to enable the desired communication with a sensor / control device , the attached β device β preferably is in communication with the cell phone &# 39 ; s built - in serial port ( using appropriate serial communication parameters β baud rate , stop bits , parity , etc ). if a particular attached β device ( s )β does not support a standard serial interface , an adapter apparatus ( such as a cable , connector , box , etc .) can readily be provided and used to suitably create a suitable β serial β connection between the cell phone and the β device β. ( note that the serial port on the cellular phone is traditionally used for a wired connection to a pc or laptop computer β both for purposes of uploading software applications to the phone , as well as acting as a cellular modem connection to the internet , for the attached computer ). by way of example , in a specific embodiment such as the automotive application discussed herein , an adapter cable and suitable rs232 obd protocol conversion circuitry is required to establish communication between the phone and the vehicle &# 39 ; s industry β standard β j1962 obd connector . among other existing resources available to persons of ordinary skill in the art , the sae ( society of automotive engineers ) provides ample information to understand and construct such an adapter ( similar principles and resources can readily be used in fabricating and providing other adapters / hardware / software for applications other than automobiles obd data ). on a related point , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , as other communication channels ( other than the serial ports now available on current cell phones ) become available , the invention can be readily practiced using those other β non - serial β interface channels from the device to the phone . the cellular telephone preferably also functions as an internet gateway , delivering all or selected available data , in real - time , to a website / server such as the vtti erm ( embedded resource manager ) server . the data can be permanently and securely stored in an on - line database there , accessed from any web browser by a user having sufficient permissions ( passwords , etc .). the erm viewer , fig3 provides a real - time graphical interface through a suite of java β’ applets , allowing someone at a remote site ( such as a remote computer 10 , fig1 and 2 ) to β see β everything that the on - site service technician is seeing ( at , for example , location 20 , fig1 or location 30 , fig2 ), and , in some cases more ( see discussion elsewhere regarding the β more β that can be seen by a remote viewer , for virtually any application of the invention ). if desired , a cellular telephone can even be left β permanently β connected to the monitored device ( such as at locations 20 or 30 ), saving travel , hookup , and other time and expenses . remote commands preferably are supported through the erm control server delivering the appropriate command information to the remotely connected device through the cellular telephone . plotting applets allow for web - based viewing of all logged data , over any specified time interval , providing great flexibility in analysis . in a preferred configuration for automotive on board diagnostics , fig1 the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with any vehicle through the obd connector , a connector that is required on all vehicles sold in the us since 1996 ( typically , the vehicle &# 39 ; s connector is located under the dashboard , making it fairly simple to connect and use the cell phone in this application , and thereby to even be able to gather data while actually driving somewhere and under varying conditions , as discussed herein ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that many aspects and benefits of the invention can be practiced and realized by custom data connectors / collectors interfacing with the cellular telephone , rather that a β standard β connector such as the obd . even though the telephone &# 39 ; s programming preferably is standard to interface with the obd , that programming can be customized as may be needed / desired in any particular application . as for the preferred hardware to connect to the obd connector on any particular vehicle , there currently are three configurations of obd adapter blocks needed to cover all types of vehicles ( one works on ford vehicles , one on gm , and one for all other vehicles ). as indicated elsewhere , if bluetooth or other short - range wireless communication technology is incorporated into the obd β connection β on board the vehicle , the cellular phone can be configured ( with proper hardware and software ) to receive that wireless signal , rather than use any β adapter block β at all . preferably , the obd viewer software suite uses the obd connector connection to communicate a host of information , including diagnostic trouble codes ( dtc &# 39 ; s ), real - time vehicle performance data , and sensor status . the obdconnect java β’ midlet preferably delivers all the incoming obd data to the cellular telephone user , again , through a series of display forms ( see fig3 ). further support preferably is provided for graphing of selected real - time data ( rpm , vehicle speed , intake temp , ignition time , etc ) through a series of icons on the forms or other suitable user interface . for the remote display , a browser - based java β’ applet preferably provides a custom graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a familiar β gauge cluster β display , along with any current diagnostic trouble codes ( dtcs ), vehicle identification number , and all available contact information for that particular individual . support for remotely controlling parameters within the engine control module ( ecm ) is provided through the erm control suite ( including the ability for a service center to reset dtc &# 39 ; s ). in a preferred pool / spa service tool configuration ( fig2 ), the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with the on - board microprocessor powering the pool / spa control ( preferably in the form of a serial port on the pool / spa control , for which relevant communication specifications are typically available from each individual manufacturer β as mentioned above for the obd data specifications )β supplying detailed operational and diagnostic information . preferably , the spaconnect β’ java β’ midlet delivers all the incoming data to the on - site service technician through a series of display forms shown on the cell phone . control is supported through a series of icons on those forms , representing the different functions found on a pool or spa control ( jets on / off , blower on / off , spa lite on / off , filter settings , etc ). for the remote viewer / display , a browser - based java β’ applet provides a customized graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a clear and concise fashion β with support for many sophisticated command and diagnostic routines . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , among other things , the invention can include real - time downloading of new or updated firmware for the system being controlled / monitored ( in addition to downloads of applications and new software to the phone itself ), via the web β using the cell phone . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred apparatus and methods of the invention can be used in many other applications , systems , and processes . in addition , if desired , a preferred single cellular telephone can simultaneously hold programming so that it is capable of functioning in a plurality of such applications , without further or multiple downloads of programming ( such as java applets ) to the cellular phone . the number of programs / devices with which the cellular phone is capable of interfacing / monitoring / controlling is limited by the memory storage within the cellular phone , but current phones could readily hold 10 - 15 such programs , and future ( increased memory ) phone devices will presumably be able to hold even more . consequently , and by way of example , one telephone preferably could be used ( at the user &# 39 ; s election , and subject to the user &# 39 ; s control ) for ( 1 ) communication with devices at the user &# 39 ; s home ( such as a spa / pool / kitchen equipment / heater / ac / lights ), ( 2 ) to send data to the user &# 39 ; s doctor ( regarding the user &# 39 ; s health and / or vital signs or other diagnostic information ), and ( 3 ) to communicate data about the user &# 39 ; s automobile ( such as to a car dealer or service shop ). thus , a single user could be a pool / spa service technician ( using the phone in connection with onsite service work ), who also is a cardiac rehab patient ( using the phone to provide alerts and data to his health care center ), who also likes keeping an eye on the diagnostic codes are on his or her car ( using the phone as described above to monitor the car &# 39 ; s obd data ). with current operating systems , and serial port limitations , only one such application can be run at any given time , although future operating systems and connectivity mechanisms ( including bluetooth ), may permit multiple systems to be monitored / controlled simultaneously by a single telephone . in addition , for those embodiments using a cellular telephone , there is no need for the user ( such as a field technician ) to buy yet another costly , separate piece of communication equipment ( and to pay monthly service / access fees for the cellular or other communication service ). instead , the user can leverage the investment they have already made in their cellular telephone . further leveraging the internet access provided by the invention , such as through cellular telephones using the nextel network , the invention can deliver a whole host of services ( data logging , remote access , automatic alerts , etc .) that are not possible using other devices or technologies , let alone across such a wide array of applications . thus , the present invention provides numerous advantages over any existing technology of which the inventor is aware . for example , regarding the gecko electronics palm os β’- based spa tool ( pocket - tek ) discussed above , the invention can not only provide all the functionality of the gecko tool , but provides a remote user or users with a real - time remote window into all of the data an onsite user can see , and more . by way of example , if the onsite user is using a currently available cellular telephone with its relatively small display screen ( approximately 100 Γ 85 pixel black / white display ), the β remote engineer / tech support / observer β person ( viewing the data / system on a relatively much larger display such as a pc ) can β see β more than can be displayed in the smaller cell phone display . the β remote β viewing device ( such as a pc ) is therefore capable of more as a user interface device than is the cell phone . for instance , the β remote observer β preferably can access any / all historical data and have it displayed on the β remote viewing device β in the form of a graphical history plot , and can even print it out . as cell phones and similar devices advance , the differences in capability ( between the somewhat β limited β interface of current cell phones versus the more capable interface of current pcs ) may diminish , but other benefits of the invention will continue . similarly , in the arena of automotive scan tools , the invention can provide a service technician ( whether a car dealer , a service center , a gas station , or otherwise ) or even a car owner himself with all the functionality of the existing tools mentioned above , but ( as with the spa tool ) with a suite of internet technology tools to provide a real - time remote window into all the data the on - site person is seeing , and more ( similar to the β more β discussed above ). perhaps more importantly , the invention permits the user , technician , or even the manufacturer to take a β test drive β at any time , with the vehicle continuously transmitting all on - board diagnostic data to any selected destination , such as a secure internet website . the data can be stored there or viewed in real time , and in any case can include a mechanism for β tagging β the data at relevant points in time β for those nasty β only - happens - when - i &# 39 ; m - driving β glitches , noises , and rumbles β so that the service technician can easily see what was going on at the time of the problem . additional applications of the invention in the automobile industry are virtually unlimited . lube shops can use the invention to provide vehicle diagnostic scans with almost no expense on software or hardware infrastructure β hypothetically charging an extra fee for a 27 - point diagnostic scan . likewise , independent service shops can have access to all current manufacturers &# 39 ; data , without the purchase of a separate scantool ( approximately $ 2500 each currently ) from every auto maker , with no need for make - model - specific software . the low cost of equipment ( a nextel - type phone plus an obd adapter ) allows the shop to purchase only one scan tool , or at most , one per auto bay , and to use the tool out in the parking lot , on - site ( if called out to a vehicle that has stopped running ), or the like . the speed , efficiency , and quality of service can be improved , because all manufacturer - specific data can be displayed in their β current β form , as well as permitting the immediate selection and display ( back to the service technician ) of any recalls , warnings , or similar information relevant to the vehicle being tested , all via the erm internet server . in some or many of these situations , the β remote β viewer might actually be right beside the vehicle in the auto bay where it is being serviced , in the form of a pc logged onto the internet server site that is receiving the real - time data from the vehicle . yet another application of the invention regarding automobiles is automobile racing . sports such as nascar can create a revenue stream where one currently does not exist , and provides an off - track β fan β experience , by monitoring and displaying relevant data from various race cars over the internet , to subscribing customers . race car fans can thereby have a much deeper insight and involvement in the race they are watching , or the broadcast of the race may be displayed in an adjacent window in the fan &# 39 ; s browser , etc . automobile dealer service centers can achieve a better quality and more efficient result , as well as a faster turnover rate for their auto bays and equipment . the invention permits the service center access to vehicle diagnostic information / trip data prior to the customer &# 39 ; s arrival , thereby allowing the dealer to get a better handle on the potential problem , check parts availability , etc . loyalty to the dealer can be increased as well , if ( for example ) at the time of new / used vehicle purchase , the buyer is shown a demo of the invention application running on the cellular phone β highlighting the active role the dealer service center can play in the care and maintenance of the buyer &# 39 ; s car . as indicated above , car owners can use the invention to perform diagnostic scans on their cars at any time , saving between $ 50 -$ 150 a pop ( depending on where / when the scan / servicing would otherwise be done ), and also creating accountability for any repairs that are eventually made to the car . car owner end - users of the invention normally will require very minimal integration / support to adopt and use the invention . by way of example , each user can register online ( through either a website such as the nascar site , snap - on , etc . or directly on the invention &# 39 ; s internet server website ), where they will setup an account , and ultimately create their own personal car web page β with live view , and history display . all support to the car owner can be handled through the respective web site β via faq &# 39 ; s , tutorials , and problem report forms . as also mentioned above , historical data can also be archived and retrieved ( such as in an on - line database maintained on the internet or otherwise ) for any of the applications ( automobile or otherwise ) discussed herein . the availability of this information can permit much more effective use of time and resources . in the field of medical / health monitoring / reporting / analysis , again there are many companies providing localized solutions , where the burden of monitoring is put on the enduser ( to monitor , store , and / or upload the relevant vital signs or other data ). among the benefits of the present invention are : ( 1 ) it can provide a real - time , continuous uplink of the monitored data via the patient &# 39 ; s cellular telephone , securely delivering all the encrypted medical monitoring data for viewing by a physician or other medical personnel from any available web browser ; ( 2 ) in that same web browser , the medical personnel may also instantly pull up not only the real - time data that is being generated by the patient , but also a graphical history of the patient &# 39 ; s data ; ( 3 ) support for β alert β or warning / dangerous conditions can also generate a real - time message / alert ( such as an email and / or page ) to the physician or appropriate medical personnel in the event of a serious condition ; and ( 4 ) these and other aspects of the monitoring can be configurable through the web - based interface . by way of example , the telephone can be configured to interface with a commercially available heart rate monitor and temperature sensor for remote monitoring of β discharged β hospital patients ( an example would be a cardiac rehab patient who has recently undergone bypass surgery , and has been discharged by his hmo , but put on a β restricted activity β regimen ). using the invention , the hospital can keep close tabs on the patient , including setting alerts that trigger if the patient &# 39 ; s heart - rate exceeds a predetermined threshold . all data can be permanently logged into an online database , so that the physician is able to retrieve it for immediate analysis from any location ( hospital , home , vacation , office , hotel room , etc . ), thus providing a truly new level of patient care . further regarding benefits of the invention in health / medical applications , in embodiments in which the data is delivered from the patient using a network such as nextel &# 39 ; s , the patient can simply wear their chest strap heart - rate sensor ( or other sensing device ) connected to their cellular telephone , and the data will be continuously transmitted in real time . so long as the telephone is turned on , you do not have to β dial up β or call a number ; the data can find its way to a desired website or location such as the erm / rackspace server ( see fig1 and 2 ). the patient is free to move about ( take a walk , go to the store , return to the clinic for an exam ) all with complete monitoring of their vitals . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , in the preferred embodiment the cellular telephone component of the invention is used as a local / on - site service / diagnostic tool , including using the cellular telephone &# 39 ; s display screen . although other technologies use a cellular telephone as a β modem β or otherwise use wireless modems to transmit data , the inventor is not aware of a cellular telephone previously being used as a local / service / diagnostic tool , especially while also being used as an β internet data pipe β. in addition to the benefits of the cellular telephone device providing an β internet data pipe β and / or a cellular telephone connection to transmit the data / control commands , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular phone of the invention preferably can provide many of the benefits herein even without any such connection from the phone to the internet or to a cellular network . by way of example , even in such a β non - broadcasting β mode , the cellular phone can be used as a programmable , portable local / service / diagnostic tool , providing a user - friendly interface by which a service technician can extract relevant data , issue commands to the controlled / monitored system , etc . under such conditions , the remote viewer would not be receiving data , but the local service technician can benefit from a powerful tool not presently available to him . also under those conditions , the cell phone preferably is capable of storing the data for subsequent transmission ( such as via the internet or the cellular connection ). [ 0065 ] fig5 illustrates a block diagram of a preferred remote monitoring and control system for a network of embedded sensors and control devices . the erm technology provides an end - to - end solution , encompassing everything required for remote monitoring and control β from the erm sensor node , the erm gateway , to the erm server , providing a central gateway for all end - user access . [ 0066 ] fig6 depicts the data - flow of the preferred software architecture for the present invention β from the erm sensor node , the embedded gateway , then central server , and the end - user &# 39 ; s web browser . ( note that all connections to the internet preferably are originated by the remote gateway β thereby thwarting any remote attacks ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the erm server can be suitably practiced on any number of computing platforms . a preferred embodiment is a 750 mhz pentium iii computer , preferably running redhat linux version 7 . 0 or above , with a high - speed internet connection . the preferred software infrastructure can be broken down into four ( 4 ) categories : 1 . ermmonitor β java program , which handles incoming data from erm installations ( tim &# 39 ; s ), alerts , data storage in the database , and all β live β web browser connections . 2 . ermcontrol β java program , which handles β control β connections from web browser applet ( s ), queuing up and serving commands to erm installations ( tini &# 39 ; s ). 3 . webscripts β linux cron jobs , which run periodically to generate dynamic web content including cell phone pages , web statistics , and alert / error logs . 4 . database β a mysql db running on the same linux box , maintaining a central repository for all incoming data . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , all site - specific configuration information is accessed through web pages on the erm server , using cgi / perl scripts , providing end - user access to things like name , address , phone , e - mail , pager , password , as well as access to user - specific / selectable options β cell phone page , alerts , etc . [ 0073 ] fig7 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermmonitor application , which runs on the evcm server β accepting udp datagrams from the remote embedded gateway devices . the udp datagram is processed based on the stored configuration information β individually extracting each remote data block . the ermmonitor application preferably then forwards the latest data to each of three ( 3 ) threads : 1 . log file / database storage ; 2 . alert generation / e - mail notification ; and 3 . browser applet server . [ 0074 ] fig8 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermcontrol application , which runs on the erm server β managing control to and from the remote embedded control devices . tcp socket connections from web browser java applets are accepted β providing a secure mechanism for authentication and authorization , prior to accepting any requested commands . tcp socket connections are also accepted from the remote embedded gateway ( s ), where individual commands are extracted from the controlqueue maintained on the erm server . the apparatus and methods of my invention have been described with some particularity , but the specific designs , constructions and steps disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention . obvious modifications will make themselves apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art , all of which will not depart from the essence of the invention and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Electricity'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | 71388a52c01d9058203e94416d4c00cdebe60bc96c5b2ff2d6c78c0019f0a5e4 | 0.022949 | 0.001503 | 0.001595 | 0.000203 | 0.003372 | 0.001869 |
null | a preferred embodiment of the invention is generally illustrated in fig1 - 3 , with fig1 illustrating use of the invention in connection with automobile data , and fig2 and 3 illustrating use in connection with a spa / pool application . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various components and methods can be of any suitable brand and nature , so long as they provide the desired functionality described herein . in general terms , the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a combination of hardware and software to allow real - time transmission of data being generated by a system ( even one such as the human body ), using a device such as a cellular telephone . the preferred embodiment permits remote viewing and communication / control with the site / application from which the data originates . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular telephone component or device useful in the invention can be provided by programmable cellular telephones ( such as those discussed herein ), but could also be provided by other devices and technologies . wireless pagers as well as other technologies , can provide the preferred cellular networks that cover the vast majority of the planet , thereby making the invention easy to use , without the end - user having to create any communication infrastructure to get to and from the internet . preferably , the cellular telephone or similar device provides an internet communication interface , while connected ( via hardwiring or wirelessly ) to a β live β sensor / controller device in the monitored / controlled system . depending on the application , the sensor / controller device can be any of a wide range of devices , capable of reporting data , controlling the system , or both . also preferably , the invention includes a suite of hardware and software products provided for use on programmable cellular telephones or similar devices , such as the family of nextel / motorola java β’- powered phones ( e . g ., model i85s ). among other things , the invention preferably enables the cellular telephone to interface directly with a wide variety of devices , so that it can function as a service / diagnostic / monitoring device . in the preferred embodiment , the invention turns the phone into a powerful , highly configurable test tool . to enable the desired communication with a sensor / control device , the attached β device β preferably is in communication with the cell phone &# 39 ; s built - in serial port ( using appropriate serial communication parameters β baud rate , stop bits , parity , etc ). if a particular attached β device ( s )β does not support a standard serial interface , an adapter apparatus ( such as a cable , connector , box , etc .) can readily be provided and used to suitably create a suitable β serial β connection between the cell phone and the β device β. ( note that the serial port on the cellular phone is traditionally used for a wired connection to a pc or laptop computer β both for purposes of uploading software applications to the phone , as well as acting as a cellular modem connection to the internet , for the attached computer ). by way of example , in a specific embodiment such as the automotive application discussed herein , an adapter cable and suitable rs232 obd protocol conversion circuitry is required to establish communication between the phone and the vehicle &# 39 ; s industry β standard β j1962 obd connector . among other existing resources available to persons of ordinary skill in the art , the sae ( society of automotive engineers ) provides ample information to understand and construct such an adapter ( similar principles and resources can readily be used in fabricating and providing other adapters / hardware / software for applications other than automobiles obd data ). on a related point , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , as other communication channels ( other than the serial ports now available on current cell phones ) become available , the invention can be readily practiced using those other β non - serial β interface channels from the device to the phone . the cellular telephone preferably also functions as an internet gateway , delivering all or selected available data , in real - time , to a website / server such as the vtti erm ( embedded resource manager ) server . the data can be permanently and securely stored in an on - line database there , accessed from any web browser by a user having sufficient permissions ( passwords , etc .). the erm viewer , fig3 provides a real - time graphical interface through a suite of java β’ applets , allowing someone at a remote site ( such as a remote computer 10 , fig1 and 2 ) to β see β everything that the on - site service technician is seeing ( at , for example , location 20 , fig1 or location 30 , fig2 ), and , in some cases more ( see discussion elsewhere regarding the β more β that can be seen by a remote viewer , for virtually any application of the invention ). if desired , a cellular telephone can even be left β permanently β connected to the monitored device ( such as at locations 20 or 30 ), saving travel , hookup , and other time and expenses . remote commands preferably are supported through the erm control server delivering the appropriate command information to the remotely connected device through the cellular telephone . plotting applets allow for web - based viewing of all logged data , over any specified time interval , providing great flexibility in analysis . in a preferred configuration for automotive on board diagnostics , fig1 the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with any vehicle through the obd connector , a connector that is required on all vehicles sold in the us since 1996 ( typically , the vehicle &# 39 ; s connector is located under the dashboard , making it fairly simple to connect and use the cell phone in this application , and thereby to even be able to gather data while actually driving somewhere and under varying conditions , as discussed herein ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that many aspects and benefits of the invention can be practiced and realized by custom data connectors / collectors interfacing with the cellular telephone , rather that a β standard β connector such as the obd . even though the telephone &# 39 ; s programming preferably is standard to interface with the obd , that programming can be customized as may be needed / desired in any particular application . as for the preferred hardware to connect to the obd connector on any particular vehicle , there currently are three configurations of obd adapter blocks needed to cover all types of vehicles ( one works on ford vehicles , one on gm , and one for all other vehicles ). as indicated elsewhere , if bluetooth or other short - range wireless communication technology is incorporated into the obd β connection β on board the vehicle , the cellular phone can be configured ( with proper hardware and software ) to receive that wireless signal , rather than use any β adapter block β at all . preferably , the obd viewer software suite uses the obd connector connection to communicate a host of information , including diagnostic trouble codes ( dtc &# 39 ; s ), real - time vehicle performance data , and sensor status . the obdconnect java β’ midlet preferably delivers all the incoming obd data to the cellular telephone user , again , through a series of display forms ( see fig3 ). further support preferably is provided for graphing of selected real - time data ( rpm , vehicle speed , intake temp , ignition time , etc ) through a series of icons on the forms or other suitable user interface . for the remote display , a browser - based java β’ applet preferably provides a custom graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a familiar β gauge cluster β display , along with any current diagnostic trouble codes ( dtcs ), vehicle identification number , and all available contact information for that particular individual . support for remotely controlling parameters within the engine control module ( ecm ) is provided through the erm control suite ( including the ability for a service center to reset dtc &# 39 ; s ). in a preferred pool / spa service tool configuration ( fig2 ), the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with the on - board microprocessor powering the pool / spa control ( preferably in the form of a serial port on the pool / spa control , for which relevant communication specifications are typically available from each individual manufacturer β as mentioned above for the obd data specifications )β supplying detailed operational and diagnostic information . preferably , the spaconnect β’ java β’ midlet delivers all the incoming data to the on - site service technician through a series of display forms shown on the cell phone . control is supported through a series of icons on those forms , representing the different functions found on a pool or spa control ( jets on / off , blower on / off , spa lite on / off , filter settings , etc ). for the remote viewer / display , a browser - based java β’ applet provides a customized graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a clear and concise fashion β with support for many sophisticated command and diagnostic routines . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , among other things , the invention can include real - time downloading of new or updated firmware for the system being controlled / monitored ( in addition to downloads of applications and new software to the phone itself ), via the web β using the cell phone . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred apparatus and methods of the invention can be used in many other applications , systems , and processes . in addition , if desired , a preferred single cellular telephone can simultaneously hold programming so that it is capable of functioning in a plurality of such applications , without further or multiple downloads of programming ( such as java applets ) to the cellular phone . the number of programs / devices with which the cellular phone is capable of interfacing / monitoring / controlling is limited by the memory storage within the cellular phone , but current phones could readily hold 10 - 15 such programs , and future ( increased memory ) phone devices will presumably be able to hold even more . consequently , and by way of example , one telephone preferably could be used ( at the user &# 39 ; s election , and subject to the user &# 39 ; s control ) for ( 1 ) communication with devices at the user &# 39 ; s home ( such as a spa / pool / kitchen equipment / heater / ac / lights ), ( 2 ) to send data to the user &# 39 ; s doctor ( regarding the user &# 39 ; s health and / or vital signs or other diagnostic information ), and ( 3 ) to communicate data about the user &# 39 ; s automobile ( such as to a car dealer or service shop ). thus , a single user could be a pool / spa service technician ( using the phone in connection with onsite service work ), who also is a cardiac rehab patient ( using the phone to provide alerts and data to his health care center ), who also likes keeping an eye on the diagnostic codes are on his or her car ( using the phone as described above to monitor the car &# 39 ; s obd data ). with current operating systems , and serial port limitations , only one such application can be run at any given time , although future operating systems and connectivity mechanisms ( including bluetooth ), may permit multiple systems to be monitored / controlled simultaneously by a single telephone . in addition , for those embodiments using a cellular telephone , there is no need for the user ( such as a field technician ) to buy yet another costly , separate piece of communication equipment ( and to pay monthly service / access fees for the cellular or other communication service ). instead , the user can leverage the investment they have already made in their cellular telephone . further leveraging the internet access provided by the invention , such as through cellular telephones using the nextel network , the invention can deliver a whole host of services ( data logging , remote access , automatic alerts , etc .) that are not possible using other devices or technologies , let alone across such a wide array of applications . thus , the present invention provides numerous advantages over any existing technology of which the inventor is aware . for example , regarding the gecko electronics palm os β’- based spa tool ( pocket - tek ) discussed above , the invention can not only provide all the functionality of the gecko tool , but provides a remote user or users with a real - time remote window into all of the data an onsite user can see , and more . by way of example , if the onsite user is using a currently available cellular telephone with its relatively small display screen ( approximately 100 Γ 85 pixel black / white display ), the β remote engineer / tech support / observer β person ( viewing the data / system on a relatively much larger display such as a pc ) can β see β more than can be displayed in the smaller cell phone display . the β remote β viewing device ( such as a pc ) is therefore capable of more as a user interface device than is the cell phone . for instance , the β remote observer β preferably can access any / all historical data and have it displayed on the β remote viewing device β in the form of a graphical history plot , and can even print it out . as cell phones and similar devices advance , the differences in capability ( between the somewhat β limited β interface of current cell phones versus the more capable interface of current pcs ) may diminish , but other benefits of the invention will continue . similarly , in the arena of automotive scan tools , the invention can provide a service technician ( whether a car dealer , a service center , a gas station , or otherwise ) or even a car owner himself with all the functionality of the existing tools mentioned above , but ( as with the spa tool ) with a suite of internet technology tools to provide a real - time remote window into all the data the on - site person is seeing , and more ( similar to the β more β discussed above ). perhaps more importantly , the invention permits the user , technician , or even the manufacturer to take a β test drive β at any time , with the vehicle continuously transmitting all on - board diagnostic data to any selected destination , such as a secure internet website . the data can be stored there or viewed in real time , and in any case can include a mechanism for β tagging β the data at relevant points in time β for those nasty β only - happens - when - i &# 39 ; m - driving β glitches , noises , and rumbles β so that the service technician can easily see what was going on at the time of the problem . additional applications of the invention in the automobile industry are virtually unlimited . lube shops can use the invention to provide vehicle diagnostic scans with almost no expense on software or hardware infrastructure β hypothetically charging an extra fee for a 27 - point diagnostic scan . likewise , independent service shops can have access to all current manufacturers &# 39 ; data , without the purchase of a separate scantool ( approximately $ 2500 each currently ) from every auto maker , with no need for make - model - specific software . the low cost of equipment ( a nextel - type phone plus an obd adapter ) allows the shop to purchase only one scan tool , or at most , one per auto bay , and to use the tool out in the parking lot , on - site ( if called out to a vehicle that has stopped running ), or the like . the speed , efficiency , and quality of service can be improved , because all manufacturer - specific data can be displayed in their β current β form , as well as permitting the immediate selection and display ( back to the service technician ) of any recalls , warnings , or similar information relevant to the vehicle being tested , all via the erm internet server . in some or many of these situations , the β remote β viewer might actually be right beside the vehicle in the auto bay where it is being serviced , in the form of a pc logged onto the internet server site that is receiving the real - time data from the vehicle . yet another application of the invention regarding automobiles is automobile racing . sports such as nascar can create a revenue stream where one currently does not exist , and provides an off - track β fan β experience , by monitoring and displaying relevant data from various race cars over the internet , to subscribing customers . race car fans can thereby have a much deeper insight and involvement in the race they are watching , or the broadcast of the race may be displayed in an adjacent window in the fan &# 39 ; s browser , etc . automobile dealer service centers can achieve a better quality and more efficient result , as well as a faster turnover rate for their auto bays and equipment . the invention permits the service center access to vehicle diagnostic information / trip data prior to the customer &# 39 ; s arrival , thereby allowing the dealer to get a better handle on the potential problem , check parts availability , etc . loyalty to the dealer can be increased as well , if ( for example ) at the time of new / used vehicle purchase , the buyer is shown a demo of the invention application running on the cellular phone β highlighting the active role the dealer service center can play in the care and maintenance of the buyer &# 39 ; s car . as indicated above , car owners can use the invention to perform diagnostic scans on their cars at any time , saving between $ 50 -$ 150 a pop ( depending on where / when the scan / servicing would otherwise be done ), and also creating accountability for any repairs that are eventually made to the car . car owner end - users of the invention normally will require very minimal integration / support to adopt and use the invention . by way of example , each user can register online ( through either a website such as the nascar site , snap - on , etc . or directly on the invention &# 39 ; s internet server website ), where they will setup an account , and ultimately create their own personal car web page β with live view , and history display . all support to the car owner can be handled through the respective web site β via faq &# 39 ; s , tutorials , and problem report forms . as also mentioned above , historical data can also be archived and retrieved ( such as in an on - line database maintained on the internet or otherwise ) for any of the applications ( automobile or otherwise ) discussed herein . the availability of this information can permit much more effective use of time and resources . in the field of medical / health monitoring / reporting / analysis , again there are many companies providing localized solutions , where the burden of monitoring is put on the enduser ( to monitor , store , and / or upload the relevant vital signs or other data ). among the benefits of the present invention are : ( 1 ) it can provide a real - time , continuous uplink of the monitored data via the patient &# 39 ; s cellular telephone , securely delivering all the encrypted medical monitoring data for viewing by a physician or other medical personnel from any available web browser ; ( 2 ) in that same web browser , the medical personnel may also instantly pull up not only the real - time data that is being generated by the patient , but also a graphical history of the patient &# 39 ; s data ; ( 3 ) support for β alert β or warning / dangerous conditions can also generate a real - time message / alert ( such as an email and / or page ) to the physician or appropriate medical personnel in the event of a serious condition ; and ( 4 ) these and other aspects of the monitoring can be configurable through the web - based interface . by way of example , the telephone can be configured to interface with a commercially available heart rate monitor and temperature sensor for remote monitoring of β discharged β hospital patients ( an example would be a cardiac rehab patient who has recently undergone bypass surgery , and has been discharged by his hmo , but put on a β restricted activity β regimen ). using the invention , the hospital can keep close tabs on the patient , including setting alerts that trigger if the patient &# 39 ; s heart - rate exceeds a predetermined threshold . all data can be permanently logged into an online database , so that the physician is able to retrieve it for immediate analysis from any location ( hospital , home , vacation , office , hotel room , etc . ), thus providing a truly new level of patient care . further regarding benefits of the invention in health / medical applications , in embodiments in which the data is delivered from the patient using a network such as nextel &# 39 ; s , the patient can simply wear their chest strap heart - rate sensor ( or other sensing device ) connected to their cellular telephone , and the data will be continuously transmitted in real time . so long as the telephone is turned on , you do not have to β dial up β or call a number ; the data can find its way to a desired website or location such as the erm / rackspace server ( see fig1 and 2 ). the patient is free to move about ( take a walk , go to the store , return to the clinic for an exam ) all with complete monitoring of their vitals . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , in the preferred embodiment the cellular telephone component of the invention is used as a local / on - site service / diagnostic tool , including using the cellular telephone &# 39 ; s display screen . although other technologies use a cellular telephone as a β modem β or otherwise use wireless modems to transmit data , the inventor is not aware of a cellular telephone previously being used as a local / service / diagnostic tool , especially while also being used as an β internet data pipe β. in addition to the benefits of the cellular telephone device providing an β internet data pipe β and / or a cellular telephone connection to transmit the data / control commands , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular phone of the invention preferably can provide many of the benefits herein even without any such connection from the phone to the internet or to a cellular network . by way of example , even in such a β non - broadcasting β mode , the cellular phone can be used as a programmable , portable local / service / diagnostic tool , providing a user - friendly interface by which a service technician can extract relevant data , issue commands to the controlled / monitored system , etc . under such conditions , the remote viewer would not be receiving data , but the local service technician can benefit from a powerful tool not presently available to him . also under those conditions , the cell phone preferably is capable of storing the data for subsequent transmission ( such as via the internet or the cellular connection ). [ 0065 ] fig5 illustrates a block diagram of a preferred remote monitoring and control system for a network of embedded sensors and control devices . the erm technology provides an end - to - end solution , encompassing everything required for remote monitoring and control β from the erm sensor node , the erm gateway , to the erm server , providing a central gateway for all end - user access . [ 0066 ] fig6 depicts the data - flow of the preferred software architecture for the present invention β from the erm sensor node , the embedded gateway , then central server , and the end - user &# 39 ; s web browser . ( note that all connections to the internet preferably are originated by the remote gateway β thereby thwarting any remote attacks ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the erm server can be suitably practiced on any number of computing platforms . a preferred embodiment is a 750 mhz pentium iii computer , preferably running redhat linux version 7 . 0 or above , with a high - speed internet connection . the preferred software infrastructure can be broken down into four ( 4 ) categories : 1 . ermmonitor β java program , which handles incoming data from erm installations ( tim &# 39 ; s ), alerts , data storage in the database , and all β live β web browser connections . 2 . ermcontrol β java program , which handles β control β connections from web browser applet ( s ), queuing up and serving commands to erm installations ( tini &# 39 ; s ). 3 . webscripts β linux cron jobs , which run periodically to generate dynamic web content including cell phone pages , web statistics , and alert / error logs . 4 . database β a mysql db running on the same linux box , maintaining a central repository for all incoming data . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , all site - specific configuration information is accessed through web pages on the erm server , using cgi / perl scripts , providing end - user access to things like name , address , phone , e - mail , pager , password , as well as access to user - specific / selectable options β cell phone page , alerts , etc . [ 0073 ] fig7 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermmonitor application , which runs on the evcm server β accepting udp datagrams from the remote embedded gateway devices . the udp datagram is processed based on the stored configuration information β individually extracting each remote data block . the ermmonitor application preferably then forwards the latest data to each of three ( 3 ) threads : 1 . log file / database storage ; 2 . alert generation / e - mail notification ; and 3 . browser applet server . [ 0074 ] fig8 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermcontrol application , which runs on the erm server β managing control to and from the remote embedded control devices . tcp socket connections from web browser java applets are accepted β providing a secure mechanism for authentication and authorization , prior to accepting any requested commands . tcp socket connections are also accepted from the remote embedded gateway ( s ), where individual commands are extracted from the controlqueue maintained on the erm server . the apparatus and methods of my invention have been described with some particularity , but the specific designs , constructions and steps disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention . obvious modifications will make themselves apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art , all of which will not depart from the essence of the invention and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Electricity'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Textiles; Paper'? | 0.25 | 71388a52c01d9058203e94416d4c00cdebe60bc96c5b2ff2d6c78c0019f0a5e4 | 0.022949 | 0.001411 | 0.001595 | 0.000103 | 0.003372 | 0.002548 |
null | a preferred embodiment of the invention is generally illustrated in fig1 - 3 , with fig1 illustrating use of the invention in connection with automobile data , and fig2 and 3 illustrating use in connection with a spa / pool application . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various components and methods can be of any suitable brand and nature , so long as they provide the desired functionality described herein . in general terms , the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a combination of hardware and software to allow real - time transmission of data being generated by a system ( even one such as the human body ), using a device such as a cellular telephone . the preferred embodiment permits remote viewing and communication / control with the site / application from which the data originates . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular telephone component or device useful in the invention can be provided by programmable cellular telephones ( such as those discussed herein ), but could also be provided by other devices and technologies . wireless pagers as well as other technologies , can provide the preferred cellular networks that cover the vast majority of the planet , thereby making the invention easy to use , without the end - user having to create any communication infrastructure to get to and from the internet . preferably , the cellular telephone or similar device provides an internet communication interface , while connected ( via hardwiring or wirelessly ) to a β live β sensor / controller device in the monitored / controlled system . depending on the application , the sensor / controller device can be any of a wide range of devices , capable of reporting data , controlling the system , or both . also preferably , the invention includes a suite of hardware and software products provided for use on programmable cellular telephones or similar devices , such as the family of nextel / motorola java β’- powered phones ( e . g ., model i85s ). among other things , the invention preferably enables the cellular telephone to interface directly with a wide variety of devices , so that it can function as a service / diagnostic / monitoring device . in the preferred embodiment , the invention turns the phone into a powerful , highly configurable test tool . to enable the desired communication with a sensor / control device , the attached β device β preferably is in communication with the cell phone &# 39 ; s built - in serial port ( using appropriate serial communication parameters β baud rate , stop bits , parity , etc ). if a particular attached β device ( s )β does not support a standard serial interface , an adapter apparatus ( such as a cable , connector , box , etc .) can readily be provided and used to suitably create a suitable β serial β connection between the cell phone and the β device β. ( note that the serial port on the cellular phone is traditionally used for a wired connection to a pc or laptop computer β both for purposes of uploading software applications to the phone , as well as acting as a cellular modem connection to the internet , for the attached computer ). by way of example , in a specific embodiment such as the automotive application discussed herein , an adapter cable and suitable rs232 obd protocol conversion circuitry is required to establish communication between the phone and the vehicle &# 39 ; s industry β standard β j1962 obd connector . among other existing resources available to persons of ordinary skill in the art , the sae ( society of automotive engineers ) provides ample information to understand and construct such an adapter ( similar principles and resources can readily be used in fabricating and providing other adapters / hardware / software for applications other than automobiles obd data ). on a related point , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , as other communication channels ( other than the serial ports now available on current cell phones ) become available , the invention can be readily practiced using those other β non - serial β interface channels from the device to the phone . the cellular telephone preferably also functions as an internet gateway , delivering all or selected available data , in real - time , to a website / server such as the vtti erm ( embedded resource manager ) server . the data can be permanently and securely stored in an on - line database there , accessed from any web browser by a user having sufficient permissions ( passwords , etc .). the erm viewer , fig3 provides a real - time graphical interface through a suite of java β’ applets , allowing someone at a remote site ( such as a remote computer 10 , fig1 and 2 ) to β see β everything that the on - site service technician is seeing ( at , for example , location 20 , fig1 or location 30 , fig2 ), and , in some cases more ( see discussion elsewhere regarding the β more β that can be seen by a remote viewer , for virtually any application of the invention ). if desired , a cellular telephone can even be left β permanently β connected to the monitored device ( such as at locations 20 or 30 ), saving travel , hookup , and other time and expenses . remote commands preferably are supported through the erm control server delivering the appropriate command information to the remotely connected device through the cellular telephone . plotting applets allow for web - based viewing of all logged data , over any specified time interval , providing great flexibility in analysis . in a preferred configuration for automotive on board diagnostics , fig1 the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with any vehicle through the obd connector , a connector that is required on all vehicles sold in the us since 1996 ( typically , the vehicle &# 39 ; s connector is located under the dashboard , making it fairly simple to connect and use the cell phone in this application , and thereby to even be able to gather data while actually driving somewhere and under varying conditions , as discussed herein ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that many aspects and benefits of the invention can be practiced and realized by custom data connectors / collectors interfacing with the cellular telephone , rather that a β standard β connector such as the obd . even though the telephone &# 39 ; s programming preferably is standard to interface with the obd , that programming can be customized as may be needed / desired in any particular application . as for the preferred hardware to connect to the obd connector on any particular vehicle , there currently are three configurations of obd adapter blocks needed to cover all types of vehicles ( one works on ford vehicles , one on gm , and one for all other vehicles ). as indicated elsewhere , if bluetooth or other short - range wireless communication technology is incorporated into the obd β connection β on board the vehicle , the cellular phone can be configured ( with proper hardware and software ) to receive that wireless signal , rather than use any β adapter block β at all . preferably , the obd viewer software suite uses the obd connector connection to communicate a host of information , including diagnostic trouble codes ( dtc &# 39 ; s ), real - time vehicle performance data , and sensor status . the obdconnect java β’ midlet preferably delivers all the incoming obd data to the cellular telephone user , again , through a series of display forms ( see fig3 ). further support preferably is provided for graphing of selected real - time data ( rpm , vehicle speed , intake temp , ignition time , etc ) through a series of icons on the forms or other suitable user interface . for the remote display , a browser - based java β’ applet preferably provides a custom graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a familiar β gauge cluster β display , along with any current diagnostic trouble codes ( dtcs ), vehicle identification number , and all available contact information for that particular individual . support for remotely controlling parameters within the engine control module ( ecm ) is provided through the erm control suite ( including the ability for a service center to reset dtc &# 39 ; s ). in a preferred pool / spa service tool configuration ( fig2 ), the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with the on - board microprocessor powering the pool / spa control ( preferably in the form of a serial port on the pool / spa control , for which relevant communication specifications are typically available from each individual manufacturer β as mentioned above for the obd data specifications )β supplying detailed operational and diagnostic information . preferably , the spaconnect β’ java β’ midlet delivers all the incoming data to the on - site service technician through a series of display forms shown on the cell phone . control is supported through a series of icons on those forms , representing the different functions found on a pool or spa control ( jets on / off , blower on / off , spa lite on / off , filter settings , etc ). for the remote viewer / display , a browser - based java β’ applet provides a customized graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a clear and concise fashion β with support for many sophisticated command and diagnostic routines . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , among other things , the invention can include real - time downloading of new or updated firmware for the system being controlled / monitored ( in addition to downloads of applications and new software to the phone itself ), via the web β using the cell phone . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred apparatus and methods of the invention can be used in many other applications , systems , and processes . in addition , if desired , a preferred single cellular telephone can simultaneously hold programming so that it is capable of functioning in a plurality of such applications , without further or multiple downloads of programming ( such as java applets ) to the cellular phone . the number of programs / devices with which the cellular phone is capable of interfacing / monitoring / controlling is limited by the memory storage within the cellular phone , but current phones could readily hold 10 - 15 such programs , and future ( increased memory ) phone devices will presumably be able to hold even more . consequently , and by way of example , one telephone preferably could be used ( at the user &# 39 ; s election , and subject to the user &# 39 ; s control ) for ( 1 ) communication with devices at the user &# 39 ; s home ( such as a spa / pool / kitchen equipment / heater / ac / lights ), ( 2 ) to send data to the user &# 39 ; s doctor ( regarding the user &# 39 ; s health and / or vital signs or other diagnostic information ), and ( 3 ) to communicate data about the user &# 39 ; s automobile ( such as to a car dealer or service shop ). thus , a single user could be a pool / spa service technician ( using the phone in connection with onsite service work ), who also is a cardiac rehab patient ( using the phone to provide alerts and data to his health care center ), who also likes keeping an eye on the diagnostic codes are on his or her car ( using the phone as described above to monitor the car &# 39 ; s obd data ). with current operating systems , and serial port limitations , only one such application can be run at any given time , although future operating systems and connectivity mechanisms ( including bluetooth ), may permit multiple systems to be monitored / controlled simultaneously by a single telephone . in addition , for those embodiments using a cellular telephone , there is no need for the user ( such as a field technician ) to buy yet another costly , separate piece of communication equipment ( and to pay monthly service / access fees for the cellular or other communication service ). instead , the user can leverage the investment they have already made in their cellular telephone . further leveraging the internet access provided by the invention , such as through cellular telephones using the nextel network , the invention can deliver a whole host of services ( data logging , remote access , automatic alerts , etc .) that are not possible using other devices or technologies , let alone across such a wide array of applications . thus , the present invention provides numerous advantages over any existing technology of which the inventor is aware . for example , regarding the gecko electronics palm os β’- based spa tool ( pocket - tek ) discussed above , the invention can not only provide all the functionality of the gecko tool , but provides a remote user or users with a real - time remote window into all of the data an onsite user can see , and more . by way of example , if the onsite user is using a currently available cellular telephone with its relatively small display screen ( approximately 100 Γ 85 pixel black / white display ), the β remote engineer / tech support / observer β person ( viewing the data / system on a relatively much larger display such as a pc ) can β see β more than can be displayed in the smaller cell phone display . the β remote β viewing device ( such as a pc ) is therefore capable of more as a user interface device than is the cell phone . for instance , the β remote observer β preferably can access any / all historical data and have it displayed on the β remote viewing device β in the form of a graphical history plot , and can even print it out . as cell phones and similar devices advance , the differences in capability ( between the somewhat β limited β interface of current cell phones versus the more capable interface of current pcs ) may diminish , but other benefits of the invention will continue . similarly , in the arena of automotive scan tools , the invention can provide a service technician ( whether a car dealer , a service center , a gas station , or otherwise ) or even a car owner himself with all the functionality of the existing tools mentioned above , but ( as with the spa tool ) with a suite of internet technology tools to provide a real - time remote window into all the data the on - site person is seeing , and more ( similar to the β more β discussed above ). perhaps more importantly , the invention permits the user , technician , or even the manufacturer to take a β test drive β at any time , with the vehicle continuously transmitting all on - board diagnostic data to any selected destination , such as a secure internet website . the data can be stored there or viewed in real time , and in any case can include a mechanism for β tagging β the data at relevant points in time β for those nasty β only - happens - when - i &# 39 ; m - driving β glitches , noises , and rumbles β so that the service technician can easily see what was going on at the time of the problem . additional applications of the invention in the automobile industry are virtually unlimited . lube shops can use the invention to provide vehicle diagnostic scans with almost no expense on software or hardware infrastructure β hypothetically charging an extra fee for a 27 - point diagnostic scan . likewise , independent service shops can have access to all current manufacturers &# 39 ; data , without the purchase of a separate scantool ( approximately $ 2500 each currently ) from every auto maker , with no need for make - model - specific software . the low cost of equipment ( a nextel - type phone plus an obd adapter ) allows the shop to purchase only one scan tool , or at most , one per auto bay , and to use the tool out in the parking lot , on - site ( if called out to a vehicle that has stopped running ), or the like . the speed , efficiency , and quality of service can be improved , because all manufacturer - specific data can be displayed in their β current β form , as well as permitting the immediate selection and display ( back to the service technician ) of any recalls , warnings , or similar information relevant to the vehicle being tested , all via the erm internet server . in some or many of these situations , the β remote β viewer might actually be right beside the vehicle in the auto bay where it is being serviced , in the form of a pc logged onto the internet server site that is receiving the real - time data from the vehicle . yet another application of the invention regarding automobiles is automobile racing . sports such as nascar can create a revenue stream where one currently does not exist , and provides an off - track β fan β experience , by monitoring and displaying relevant data from various race cars over the internet , to subscribing customers . race car fans can thereby have a much deeper insight and involvement in the race they are watching , or the broadcast of the race may be displayed in an adjacent window in the fan &# 39 ; s browser , etc . automobile dealer service centers can achieve a better quality and more efficient result , as well as a faster turnover rate for their auto bays and equipment . the invention permits the service center access to vehicle diagnostic information / trip data prior to the customer &# 39 ; s arrival , thereby allowing the dealer to get a better handle on the potential problem , check parts availability , etc . loyalty to the dealer can be increased as well , if ( for example ) at the time of new / used vehicle purchase , the buyer is shown a demo of the invention application running on the cellular phone β highlighting the active role the dealer service center can play in the care and maintenance of the buyer &# 39 ; s car . as indicated above , car owners can use the invention to perform diagnostic scans on their cars at any time , saving between $ 50 -$ 150 a pop ( depending on where / when the scan / servicing would otherwise be done ), and also creating accountability for any repairs that are eventually made to the car . car owner end - users of the invention normally will require very minimal integration / support to adopt and use the invention . by way of example , each user can register online ( through either a website such as the nascar site , snap - on , etc . or directly on the invention &# 39 ; s internet server website ), where they will setup an account , and ultimately create their own personal car web page β with live view , and history display . all support to the car owner can be handled through the respective web site β via faq &# 39 ; s , tutorials , and problem report forms . as also mentioned above , historical data can also be archived and retrieved ( such as in an on - line database maintained on the internet or otherwise ) for any of the applications ( automobile or otherwise ) discussed herein . the availability of this information can permit much more effective use of time and resources . in the field of medical / health monitoring / reporting / analysis , again there are many companies providing localized solutions , where the burden of monitoring is put on the enduser ( to monitor , store , and / or upload the relevant vital signs or other data ). among the benefits of the present invention are : ( 1 ) it can provide a real - time , continuous uplink of the monitored data via the patient &# 39 ; s cellular telephone , securely delivering all the encrypted medical monitoring data for viewing by a physician or other medical personnel from any available web browser ; ( 2 ) in that same web browser , the medical personnel may also instantly pull up not only the real - time data that is being generated by the patient , but also a graphical history of the patient &# 39 ; s data ; ( 3 ) support for β alert β or warning / dangerous conditions can also generate a real - time message / alert ( such as an email and / or page ) to the physician or appropriate medical personnel in the event of a serious condition ; and ( 4 ) these and other aspects of the monitoring can be configurable through the web - based interface . by way of example , the telephone can be configured to interface with a commercially available heart rate monitor and temperature sensor for remote monitoring of β discharged β hospital patients ( an example would be a cardiac rehab patient who has recently undergone bypass surgery , and has been discharged by his hmo , but put on a β restricted activity β regimen ). using the invention , the hospital can keep close tabs on the patient , including setting alerts that trigger if the patient &# 39 ; s heart - rate exceeds a predetermined threshold . all data can be permanently logged into an online database , so that the physician is able to retrieve it for immediate analysis from any location ( hospital , home , vacation , office , hotel room , etc . ), thus providing a truly new level of patient care . further regarding benefits of the invention in health / medical applications , in embodiments in which the data is delivered from the patient using a network such as nextel &# 39 ; s , the patient can simply wear their chest strap heart - rate sensor ( or other sensing device ) connected to their cellular telephone , and the data will be continuously transmitted in real time . so long as the telephone is turned on , you do not have to β dial up β or call a number ; the data can find its way to a desired website or location such as the erm / rackspace server ( see fig1 and 2 ). the patient is free to move about ( take a walk , go to the store , return to the clinic for an exam ) all with complete monitoring of their vitals . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , in the preferred embodiment the cellular telephone component of the invention is used as a local / on - site service / diagnostic tool , including using the cellular telephone &# 39 ; s display screen . although other technologies use a cellular telephone as a β modem β or otherwise use wireless modems to transmit data , the inventor is not aware of a cellular telephone previously being used as a local / service / diagnostic tool , especially while also being used as an β internet data pipe β. in addition to the benefits of the cellular telephone device providing an β internet data pipe β and / or a cellular telephone connection to transmit the data / control commands , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular phone of the invention preferably can provide many of the benefits herein even without any such connection from the phone to the internet or to a cellular network . by way of example , even in such a β non - broadcasting β mode , the cellular phone can be used as a programmable , portable local / service / diagnostic tool , providing a user - friendly interface by which a service technician can extract relevant data , issue commands to the controlled / monitored system , etc . under such conditions , the remote viewer would not be receiving data , but the local service technician can benefit from a powerful tool not presently available to him . also under those conditions , the cell phone preferably is capable of storing the data for subsequent transmission ( such as via the internet or the cellular connection ). [ 0065 ] fig5 illustrates a block diagram of a preferred remote monitoring and control system for a network of embedded sensors and control devices . the erm technology provides an end - to - end solution , encompassing everything required for remote monitoring and control β from the erm sensor node , the erm gateway , to the erm server , providing a central gateway for all end - user access . [ 0066 ] fig6 depicts the data - flow of the preferred software architecture for the present invention β from the erm sensor node , the embedded gateway , then central server , and the end - user &# 39 ; s web browser . ( note that all connections to the internet preferably are originated by the remote gateway β thereby thwarting any remote attacks ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the erm server can be suitably practiced on any number of computing platforms . a preferred embodiment is a 750 mhz pentium iii computer , preferably running redhat linux version 7 . 0 or above , with a high - speed internet connection . the preferred software infrastructure can be broken down into four ( 4 ) categories : 1 . ermmonitor β java program , which handles incoming data from erm installations ( tim &# 39 ; s ), alerts , data storage in the database , and all β live β web browser connections . 2 . ermcontrol β java program , which handles β control β connections from web browser applet ( s ), queuing up and serving commands to erm installations ( tini &# 39 ; s ). 3 . webscripts β linux cron jobs , which run periodically to generate dynamic web content including cell phone pages , web statistics , and alert / error logs . 4 . database β a mysql db running on the same linux box , maintaining a central repository for all incoming data . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , all site - specific configuration information is accessed through web pages on the erm server , using cgi / perl scripts , providing end - user access to things like name , address , phone , e - mail , pager , password , as well as access to user - specific / selectable options β cell phone page , alerts , etc . [ 0073 ] fig7 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermmonitor application , which runs on the evcm server β accepting udp datagrams from the remote embedded gateway devices . the udp datagram is processed based on the stored configuration information β individually extracting each remote data block . the ermmonitor application preferably then forwards the latest data to each of three ( 3 ) threads : 1 . log file / database storage ; 2 . alert generation / e - mail notification ; and 3 . browser applet server . [ 0074 ] fig8 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermcontrol application , which runs on the erm server β managing control to and from the remote embedded control devices . tcp socket connections from web browser java applets are accepted β providing a secure mechanism for authentication and authorization , prior to accepting any requested commands . tcp socket connections are also accepted from the remote embedded gateway ( s ), where individual commands are extracted from the controlqueue maintained on the erm server . the apparatus and methods of my invention have been described with some particularity , but the specific designs , constructions and steps disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention . obvious modifications will make themselves apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art , all of which will not depart from the essence of the invention and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims . | Should this patent be classified under 'Electricity'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Fixed Constructions'? | 0.25 | 71388a52c01d9058203e94416d4c00cdebe60bc96c5b2ff2d6c78c0019f0a5e4 | 0.014954 | 0.017944 | 0.001503 | 0.086426 | 0.001205 | 0.056641 |
null | a preferred embodiment of the invention is generally illustrated in fig1 - 3 , with fig1 illustrating use of the invention in connection with automobile data , and fig2 and 3 illustrating use in connection with a spa / pool application . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various components and methods can be of any suitable brand and nature , so long as they provide the desired functionality described herein . in general terms , the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a combination of hardware and software to allow real - time transmission of data being generated by a system ( even one such as the human body ), using a device such as a cellular telephone . the preferred embodiment permits remote viewing and communication / control with the site / application from which the data originates . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular telephone component or device useful in the invention can be provided by programmable cellular telephones ( such as those discussed herein ), but could also be provided by other devices and technologies . wireless pagers as well as other technologies , can provide the preferred cellular networks that cover the vast majority of the planet , thereby making the invention easy to use , without the end - user having to create any communication infrastructure to get to and from the internet . preferably , the cellular telephone or similar device provides an internet communication interface , while connected ( via hardwiring or wirelessly ) to a β live β sensor / controller device in the monitored / controlled system . depending on the application , the sensor / controller device can be any of a wide range of devices , capable of reporting data , controlling the system , or both . also preferably , the invention includes a suite of hardware and software products provided for use on programmable cellular telephones or similar devices , such as the family of nextel / motorola java β’- powered phones ( e . g ., model i85s ). among other things , the invention preferably enables the cellular telephone to interface directly with a wide variety of devices , so that it can function as a service / diagnostic / monitoring device . in the preferred embodiment , the invention turns the phone into a powerful , highly configurable test tool . to enable the desired communication with a sensor / control device , the attached β device β preferably is in communication with the cell phone &# 39 ; s built - in serial port ( using appropriate serial communication parameters β baud rate , stop bits , parity , etc ). if a particular attached β device ( s )β does not support a standard serial interface , an adapter apparatus ( such as a cable , connector , box , etc .) can readily be provided and used to suitably create a suitable β serial β connection between the cell phone and the β device β. ( note that the serial port on the cellular phone is traditionally used for a wired connection to a pc or laptop computer β both for purposes of uploading software applications to the phone , as well as acting as a cellular modem connection to the internet , for the attached computer ). by way of example , in a specific embodiment such as the automotive application discussed herein , an adapter cable and suitable rs232 obd protocol conversion circuitry is required to establish communication between the phone and the vehicle &# 39 ; s industry β standard β j1962 obd connector . among other existing resources available to persons of ordinary skill in the art , the sae ( society of automotive engineers ) provides ample information to understand and construct such an adapter ( similar principles and resources can readily be used in fabricating and providing other adapters / hardware / software for applications other than automobiles obd data ). on a related point , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , as other communication channels ( other than the serial ports now available on current cell phones ) become available , the invention can be readily practiced using those other β non - serial β interface channels from the device to the phone . the cellular telephone preferably also functions as an internet gateway , delivering all or selected available data , in real - time , to a website / server such as the vtti erm ( embedded resource manager ) server . the data can be permanently and securely stored in an on - line database there , accessed from any web browser by a user having sufficient permissions ( passwords , etc .). the erm viewer , fig3 provides a real - time graphical interface through a suite of java β’ applets , allowing someone at a remote site ( such as a remote computer 10 , fig1 and 2 ) to β see β everything that the on - site service technician is seeing ( at , for example , location 20 , fig1 or location 30 , fig2 ), and , in some cases more ( see discussion elsewhere regarding the β more β that can be seen by a remote viewer , for virtually any application of the invention ). if desired , a cellular telephone can even be left β permanently β connected to the monitored device ( such as at locations 20 or 30 ), saving travel , hookup , and other time and expenses . remote commands preferably are supported through the erm control server delivering the appropriate command information to the remotely connected device through the cellular telephone . plotting applets allow for web - based viewing of all logged data , over any specified time interval , providing great flexibility in analysis . in a preferred configuration for automotive on board diagnostics , fig1 the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with any vehicle through the obd connector , a connector that is required on all vehicles sold in the us since 1996 ( typically , the vehicle &# 39 ; s connector is located under the dashboard , making it fairly simple to connect and use the cell phone in this application , and thereby to even be able to gather data while actually driving somewhere and under varying conditions , as discussed herein ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that many aspects and benefits of the invention can be practiced and realized by custom data connectors / collectors interfacing with the cellular telephone , rather that a β standard β connector such as the obd . even though the telephone &# 39 ; s programming preferably is standard to interface with the obd , that programming can be customized as may be needed / desired in any particular application . as for the preferred hardware to connect to the obd connector on any particular vehicle , there currently are three configurations of obd adapter blocks needed to cover all types of vehicles ( one works on ford vehicles , one on gm , and one for all other vehicles ). as indicated elsewhere , if bluetooth or other short - range wireless communication technology is incorporated into the obd β connection β on board the vehicle , the cellular phone can be configured ( with proper hardware and software ) to receive that wireless signal , rather than use any β adapter block β at all . preferably , the obd viewer software suite uses the obd connector connection to communicate a host of information , including diagnostic trouble codes ( dtc &# 39 ; s ), real - time vehicle performance data , and sensor status . the obdconnect java β’ midlet preferably delivers all the incoming obd data to the cellular telephone user , again , through a series of display forms ( see fig3 ). further support preferably is provided for graphing of selected real - time data ( rpm , vehicle speed , intake temp , ignition time , etc ) through a series of icons on the forms or other suitable user interface . for the remote display , a browser - based java β’ applet preferably provides a custom graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a familiar β gauge cluster β display , along with any current diagnostic trouble codes ( dtcs ), vehicle identification number , and all available contact information for that particular individual . support for remotely controlling parameters within the engine control module ( ecm ) is provided through the erm control suite ( including the ability for a service center to reset dtc &# 39 ; s ). in a preferred pool / spa service tool configuration ( fig2 ), the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with the on - board microprocessor powering the pool / spa control ( preferably in the form of a serial port on the pool / spa control , for which relevant communication specifications are typically available from each individual manufacturer β as mentioned above for the obd data specifications )β supplying detailed operational and diagnostic information . preferably , the spaconnect β’ java β’ midlet delivers all the incoming data to the on - site service technician through a series of display forms shown on the cell phone . control is supported through a series of icons on those forms , representing the different functions found on a pool or spa control ( jets on / off , blower on / off , spa lite on / off , filter settings , etc ). for the remote viewer / display , a browser - based java β’ applet provides a customized graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a clear and concise fashion β with support for many sophisticated command and diagnostic routines . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , among other things , the invention can include real - time downloading of new or updated firmware for the system being controlled / monitored ( in addition to downloads of applications and new software to the phone itself ), via the web β using the cell phone . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred apparatus and methods of the invention can be used in many other applications , systems , and processes . in addition , if desired , a preferred single cellular telephone can simultaneously hold programming so that it is capable of functioning in a plurality of such applications , without further or multiple downloads of programming ( such as java applets ) to the cellular phone . the number of programs / devices with which the cellular phone is capable of interfacing / monitoring / controlling is limited by the memory storage within the cellular phone , but current phones could readily hold 10 - 15 such programs , and future ( increased memory ) phone devices will presumably be able to hold even more . consequently , and by way of example , one telephone preferably could be used ( at the user &# 39 ; s election , and subject to the user &# 39 ; s control ) for ( 1 ) communication with devices at the user &# 39 ; s home ( such as a spa / pool / kitchen equipment / heater / ac / lights ), ( 2 ) to send data to the user &# 39 ; s doctor ( regarding the user &# 39 ; s health and / or vital signs or other diagnostic information ), and ( 3 ) to communicate data about the user &# 39 ; s automobile ( such as to a car dealer or service shop ). thus , a single user could be a pool / spa service technician ( using the phone in connection with onsite service work ), who also is a cardiac rehab patient ( using the phone to provide alerts and data to his health care center ), who also likes keeping an eye on the diagnostic codes are on his or her car ( using the phone as described above to monitor the car &# 39 ; s obd data ). with current operating systems , and serial port limitations , only one such application can be run at any given time , although future operating systems and connectivity mechanisms ( including bluetooth ), may permit multiple systems to be monitored / controlled simultaneously by a single telephone . in addition , for those embodiments using a cellular telephone , there is no need for the user ( such as a field technician ) to buy yet another costly , separate piece of communication equipment ( and to pay monthly service / access fees for the cellular or other communication service ). instead , the user can leverage the investment they have already made in their cellular telephone . further leveraging the internet access provided by the invention , such as through cellular telephones using the nextel network , the invention can deliver a whole host of services ( data logging , remote access , automatic alerts , etc .) that are not possible using other devices or technologies , let alone across such a wide array of applications . thus , the present invention provides numerous advantages over any existing technology of which the inventor is aware . for example , regarding the gecko electronics palm os β’- based spa tool ( pocket - tek ) discussed above , the invention can not only provide all the functionality of the gecko tool , but provides a remote user or users with a real - time remote window into all of the data an onsite user can see , and more . by way of example , if the onsite user is using a currently available cellular telephone with its relatively small display screen ( approximately 100 Γ 85 pixel black / white display ), the β remote engineer / tech support / observer β person ( viewing the data / system on a relatively much larger display such as a pc ) can β see β more than can be displayed in the smaller cell phone display . the β remote β viewing device ( such as a pc ) is therefore capable of more as a user interface device than is the cell phone . for instance , the β remote observer β preferably can access any / all historical data and have it displayed on the β remote viewing device β in the form of a graphical history plot , and can even print it out . as cell phones and similar devices advance , the differences in capability ( between the somewhat β limited β interface of current cell phones versus the more capable interface of current pcs ) may diminish , but other benefits of the invention will continue . similarly , in the arena of automotive scan tools , the invention can provide a service technician ( whether a car dealer , a service center , a gas station , or otherwise ) or even a car owner himself with all the functionality of the existing tools mentioned above , but ( as with the spa tool ) with a suite of internet technology tools to provide a real - time remote window into all the data the on - site person is seeing , and more ( similar to the β more β discussed above ). perhaps more importantly , the invention permits the user , technician , or even the manufacturer to take a β test drive β at any time , with the vehicle continuously transmitting all on - board diagnostic data to any selected destination , such as a secure internet website . the data can be stored there or viewed in real time , and in any case can include a mechanism for β tagging β the data at relevant points in time β for those nasty β only - happens - when - i &# 39 ; m - driving β glitches , noises , and rumbles β so that the service technician can easily see what was going on at the time of the problem . additional applications of the invention in the automobile industry are virtually unlimited . lube shops can use the invention to provide vehicle diagnostic scans with almost no expense on software or hardware infrastructure β hypothetically charging an extra fee for a 27 - point diagnostic scan . likewise , independent service shops can have access to all current manufacturers &# 39 ; data , without the purchase of a separate scantool ( approximately $ 2500 each currently ) from every auto maker , with no need for make - model - specific software . the low cost of equipment ( a nextel - type phone plus an obd adapter ) allows the shop to purchase only one scan tool , or at most , one per auto bay , and to use the tool out in the parking lot , on - site ( if called out to a vehicle that has stopped running ), or the like . the speed , efficiency , and quality of service can be improved , because all manufacturer - specific data can be displayed in their β current β form , as well as permitting the immediate selection and display ( back to the service technician ) of any recalls , warnings , or similar information relevant to the vehicle being tested , all via the erm internet server . in some or many of these situations , the β remote β viewer might actually be right beside the vehicle in the auto bay where it is being serviced , in the form of a pc logged onto the internet server site that is receiving the real - time data from the vehicle . yet another application of the invention regarding automobiles is automobile racing . sports such as nascar can create a revenue stream where one currently does not exist , and provides an off - track β fan β experience , by monitoring and displaying relevant data from various race cars over the internet , to subscribing customers . race car fans can thereby have a much deeper insight and involvement in the race they are watching , or the broadcast of the race may be displayed in an adjacent window in the fan &# 39 ; s browser , etc . automobile dealer service centers can achieve a better quality and more efficient result , as well as a faster turnover rate for their auto bays and equipment . the invention permits the service center access to vehicle diagnostic information / trip data prior to the customer &# 39 ; s arrival , thereby allowing the dealer to get a better handle on the potential problem , check parts availability , etc . loyalty to the dealer can be increased as well , if ( for example ) at the time of new / used vehicle purchase , the buyer is shown a demo of the invention application running on the cellular phone β highlighting the active role the dealer service center can play in the care and maintenance of the buyer &# 39 ; s car . as indicated above , car owners can use the invention to perform diagnostic scans on their cars at any time , saving between $ 50 -$ 150 a pop ( depending on where / when the scan / servicing would otherwise be done ), and also creating accountability for any repairs that are eventually made to the car . car owner end - users of the invention normally will require very minimal integration / support to adopt and use the invention . by way of example , each user can register online ( through either a website such as the nascar site , snap - on , etc . or directly on the invention &# 39 ; s internet server website ), where they will setup an account , and ultimately create their own personal car web page β with live view , and history display . all support to the car owner can be handled through the respective web site β via faq &# 39 ; s , tutorials , and problem report forms . as also mentioned above , historical data can also be archived and retrieved ( such as in an on - line database maintained on the internet or otherwise ) for any of the applications ( automobile or otherwise ) discussed herein . the availability of this information can permit much more effective use of time and resources . in the field of medical / health monitoring / reporting / analysis , again there are many companies providing localized solutions , where the burden of monitoring is put on the enduser ( to monitor , store , and / or upload the relevant vital signs or other data ). among the benefits of the present invention are : ( 1 ) it can provide a real - time , continuous uplink of the monitored data via the patient &# 39 ; s cellular telephone , securely delivering all the encrypted medical monitoring data for viewing by a physician or other medical personnel from any available web browser ; ( 2 ) in that same web browser , the medical personnel may also instantly pull up not only the real - time data that is being generated by the patient , but also a graphical history of the patient &# 39 ; s data ; ( 3 ) support for β alert β or warning / dangerous conditions can also generate a real - time message / alert ( such as an email and / or page ) to the physician or appropriate medical personnel in the event of a serious condition ; and ( 4 ) these and other aspects of the monitoring can be configurable through the web - based interface . by way of example , the telephone can be configured to interface with a commercially available heart rate monitor and temperature sensor for remote monitoring of β discharged β hospital patients ( an example would be a cardiac rehab patient who has recently undergone bypass surgery , and has been discharged by his hmo , but put on a β restricted activity β regimen ). using the invention , the hospital can keep close tabs on the patient , including setting alerts that trigger if the patient &# 39 ; s heart - rate exceeds a predetermined threshold . all data can be permanently logged into an online database , so that the physician is able to retrieve it for immediate analysis from any location ( hospital , home , vacation , office , hotel room , etc . ), thus providing a truly new level of patient care . further regarding benefits of the invention in health / medical applications , in embodiments in which the data is delivered from the patient using a network such as nextel &# 39 ; s , the patient can simply wear their chest strap heart - rate sensor ( or other sensing device ) connected to their cellular telephone , and the data will be continuously transmitted in real time . so long as the telephone is turned on , you do not have to β dial up β or call a number ; the data can find its way to a desired website or location such as the erm / rackspace server ( see fig1 and 2 ). the patient is free to move about ( take a walk , go to the store , return to the clinic for an exam ) all with complete monitoring of their vitals . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , in the preferred embodiment the cellular telephone component of the invention is used as a local / on - site service / diagnostic tool , including using the cellular telephone &# 39 ; s display screen . although other technologies use a cellular telephone as a β modem β or otherwise use wireless modems to transmit data , the inventor is not aware of a cellular telephone previously being used as a local / service / diagnostic tool , especially while also being used as an β internet data pipe β. in addition to the benefits of the cellular telephone device providing an β internet data pipe β and / or a cellular telephone connection to transmit the data / control commands , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular phone of the invention preferably can provide many of the benefits herein even without any such connection from the phone to the internet or to a cellular network . by way of example , even in such a β non - broadcasting β mode , the cellular phone can be used as a programmable , portable local / service / diagnostic tool , providing a user - friendly interface by which a service technician can extract relevant data , issue commands to the controlled / monitored system , etc . under such conditions , the remote viewer would not be receiving data , but the local service technician can benefit from a powerful tool not presently available to him . also under those conditions , the cell phone preferably is capable of storing the data for subsequent transmission ( such as via the internet or the cellular connection ). [ 0065 ] fig5 illustrates a block diagram of a preferred remote monitoring and control system for a network of embedded sensors and control devices . the erm technology provides an end - to - end solution , encompassing everything required for remote monitoring and control β from the erm sensor node , the erm gateway , to the erm server , providing a central gateway for all end - user access . [ 0066 ] fig6 depicts the data - flow of the preferred software architecture for the present invention β from the erm sensor node , the embedded gateway , then central server , and the end - user &# 39 ; s web browser . ( note that all connections to the internet preferably are originated by the remote gateway β thereby thwarting any remote attacks ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the erm server can be suitably practiced on any number of computing platforms . a preferred embodiment is a 750 mhz pentium iii computer , preferably running redhat linux version 7 . 0 or above , with a high - speed internet connection . the preferred software infrastructure can be broken down into four ( 4 ) categories : 1 . ermmonitor β java program , which handles incoming data from erm installations ( tim &# 39 ; s ), alerts , data storage in the database , and all β live β web browser connections . 2 . ermcontrol β java program , which handles β control β connections from web browser applet ( s ), queuing up and serving commands to erm installations ( tini &# 39 ; s ). 3 . webscripts β linux cron jobs , which run periodically to generate dynamic web content including cell phone pages , web statistics , and alert / error logs . 4 . database β a mysql db running on the same linux box , maintaining a central repository for all incoming data . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , all site - specific configuration information is accessed through web pages on the erm server , using cgi / perl scripts , providing end - user access to things like name , address , phone , e - mail , pager , password , as well as access to user - specific / selectable options β cell phone page , alerts , etc . [ 0073 ] fig7 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermmonitor application , which runs on the evcm server β accepting udp datagrams from the remote embedded gateway devices . the udp datagram is processed based on the stored configuration information β individually extracting each remote data block . the ermmonitor application preferably then forwards the latest data to each of three ( 3 ) threads : 1 . log file / database storage ; 2 . alert generation / e - mail notification ; and 3 . browser applet server . [ 0074 ] fig8 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermcontrol application , which runs on the erm server β managing control to and from the remote embedded control devices . tcp socket connections from web browser java applets are accepted β providing a secure mechanism for authentication and authorization , prior to accepting any requested commands . tcp socket connections are also accepted from the remote embedded gateway ( s ), where individual commands are extracted from the controlqueue maintained on the erm server . the apparatus and methods of my invention have been described with some particularity , but the specific designs , constructions and steps disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention . obvious modifications will make themselves apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art , all of which will not depart from the essence of the invention and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims . | Should this patent be classified under 'Electricity'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | 0.25 | 71388a52c01d9058203e94416d4c00cdebe60bc96c5b2ff2d6c78c0019f0a5e4 | 0.014954 | 0.002121 | 0.001503 | 0.00038 | 0.001205 | 0.003082 |
null | a preferred embodiment of the invention is generally illustrated in fig1 - 3 , with fig1 illustrating use of the invention in connection with automobile data , and fig2 and 3 illustrating use in connection with a spa / pool application . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various components and methods can be of any suitable brand and nature , so long as they provide the desired functionality described herein . in general terms , the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a combination of hardware and software to allow real - time transmission of data being generated by a system ( even one such as the human body ), using a device such as a cellular telephone . the preferred embodiment permits remote viewing and communication / control with the site / application from which the data originates . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular telephone component or device useful in the invention can be provided by programmable cellular telephones ( such as those discussed herein ), but could also be provided by other devices and technologies . wireless pagers as well as other technologies , can provide the preferred cellular networks that cover the vast majority of the planet , thereby making the invention easy to use , without the end - user having to create any communication infrastructure to get to and from the internet . preferably , the cellular telephone or similar device provides an internet communication interface , while connected ( via hardwiring or wirelessly ) to a β live β sensor / controller device in the monitored / controlled system . depending on the application , the sensor / controller device can be any of a wide range of devices , capable of reporting data , controlling the system , or both . also preferably , the invention includes a suite of hardware and software products provided for use on programmable cellular telephones or similar devices , such as the family of nextel / motorola java β’- powered phones ( e . g ., model i85s ). among other things , the invention preferably enables the cellular telephone to interface directly with a wide variety of devices , so that it can function as a service / diagnostic / monitoring device . in the preferred embodiment , the invention turns the phone into a powerful , highly configurable test tool . to enable the desired communication with a sensor / control device , the attached β device β preferably is in communication with the cell phone &# 39 ; s built - in serial port ( using appropriate serial communication parameters β baud rate , stop bits , parity , etc ). if a particular attached β device ( s )β does not support a standard serial interface , an adapter apparatus ( such as a cable , connector , box , etc .) can readily be provided and used to suitably create a suitable β serial β connection between the cell phone and the β device β. ( note that the serial port on the cellular phone is traditionally used for a wired connection to a pc or laptop computer β both for purposes of uploading software applications to the phone , as well as acting as a cellular modem connection to the internet , for the attached computer ). by way of example , in a specific embodiment such as the automotive application discussed herein , an adapter cable and suitable rs232 obd protocol conversion circuitry is required to establish communication between the phone and the vehicle &# 39 ; s industry β standard β j1962 obd connector . among other existing resources available to persons of ordinary skill in the art , the sae ( society of automotive engineers ) provides ample information to understand and construct such an adapter ( similar principles and resources can readily be used in fabricating and providing other adapters / hardware / software for applications other than automobiles obd data ). on a related point , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , as other communication channels ( other than the serial ports now available on current cell phones ) become available , the invention can be readily practiced using those other β non - serial β interface channels from the device to the phone . the cellular telephone preferably also functions as an internet gateway , delivering all or selected available data , in real - time , to a website / server such as the vtti erm ( embedded resource manager ) server . the data can be permanently and securely stored in an on - line database there , accessed from any web browser by a user having sufficient permissions ( passwords , etc .). the erm viewer , fig3 provides a real - time graphical interface through a suite of java β’ applets , allowing someone at a remote site ( such as a remote computer 10 , fig1 and 2 ) to β see β everything that the on - site service technician is seeing ( at , for example , location 20 , fig1 or location 30 , fig2 ), and , in some cases more ( see discussion elsewhere regarding the β more β that can be seen by a remote viewer , for virtually any application of the invention ). if desired , a cellular telephone can even be left β permanently β connected to the monitored device ( such as at locations 20 or 30 ), saving travel , hookup , and other time and expenses . remote commands preferably are supported through the erm control server delivering the appropriate command information to the remotely connected device through the cellular telephone . plotting applets allow for web - based viewing of all logged data , over any specified time interval , providing great flexibility in analysis . in a preferred configuration for automotive on board diagnostics , fig1 the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with any vehicle through the obd connector , a connector that is required on all vehicles sold in the us since 1996 ( typically , the vehicle &# 39 ; s connector is located under the dashboard , making it fairly simple to connect and use the cell phone in this application , and thereby to even be able to gather data while actually driving somewhere and under varying conditions , as discussed herein ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that many aspects and benefits of the invention can be practiced and realized by custom data connectors / collectors interfacing with the cellular telephone , rather that a β standard β connector such as the obd . even though the telephone &# 39 ; s programming preferably is standard to interface with the obd , that programming can be customized as may be needed / desired in any particular application . as for the preferred hardware to connect to the obd connector on any particular vehicle , there currently are three configurations of obd adapter blocks needed to cover all types of vehicles ( one works on ford vehicles , one on gm , and one for all other vehicles ). as indicated elsewhere , if bluetooth or other short - range wireless communication technology is incorporated into the obd β connection β on board the vehicle , the cellular phone can be configured ( with proper hardware and software ) to receive that wireless signal , rather than use any β adapter block β at all . preferably , the obd viewer software suite uses the obd connector connection to communicate a host of information , including diagnostic trouble codes ( dtc &# 39 ; s ), real - time vehicle performance data , and sensor status . the obdconnect java β’ midlet preferably delivers all the incoming obd data to the cellular telephone user , again , through a series of display forms ( see fig3 ). further support preferably is provided for graphing of selected real - time data ( rpm , vehicle speed , intake temp , ignition time , etc ) through a series of icons on the forms or other suitable user interface . for the remote display , a browser - based java β’ applet preferably provides a custom graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a familiar β gauge cluster β display , along with any current diagnostic trouble codes ( dtcs ), vehicle identification number , and all available contact information for that particular individual . support for remotely controlling parameters within the engine control module ( ecm ) is provided through the erm control suite ( including the ability for a service center to reset dtc &# 39 ; s ). in a preferred pool / spa service tool configuration ( fig2 ), the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with the on - board microprocessor powering the pool / spa control ( preferably in the form of a serial port on the pool / spa control , for which relevant communication specifications are typically available from each individual manufacturer β as mentioned above for the obd data specifications )β supplying detailed operational and diagnostic information . preferably , the spaconnect β’ java β’ midlet delivers all the incoming data to the on - site service technician through a series of display forms shown on the cell phone . control is supported through a series of icons on those forms , representing the different functions found on a pool or spa control ( jets on / off , blower on / off , spa lite on / off , filter settings , etc ). for the remote viewer / display , a browser - based java β’ applet provides a customized graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a clear and concise fashion β with support for many sophisticated command and diagnostic routines . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , among other things , the invention can include real - time downloading of new or updated firmware for the system being controlled / monitored ( in addition to downloads of applications and new software to the phone itself ), via the web β using the cell phone . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred apparatus and methods of the invention can be used in many other applications , systems , and processes . in addition , if desired , a preferred single cellular telephone can simultaneously hold programming so that it is capable of functioning in a plurality of such applications , without further or multiple downloads of programming ( such as java applets ) to the cellular phone . the number of programs / devices with which the cellular phone is capable of interfacing / monitoring / controlling is limited by the memory storage within the cellular phone , but current phones could readily hold 10 - 15 such programs , and future ( increased memory ) phone devices will presumably be able to hold even more . consequently , and by way of example , one telephone preferably could be used ( at the user &# 39 ; s election , and subject to the user &# 39 ; s control ) for ( 1 ) communication with devices at the user &# 39 ; s home ( such as a spa / pool / kitchen equipment / heater / ac / lights ), ( 2 ) to send data to the user &# 39 ; s doctor ( regarding the user &# 39 ; s health and / or vital signs or other diagnostic information ), and ( 3 ) to communicate data about the user &# 39 ; s automobile ( such as to a car dealer or service shop ). thus , a single user could be a pool / spa service technician ( using the phone in connection with onsite service work ), who also is a cardiac rehab patient ( using the phone to provide alerts and data to his health care center ), who also likes keeping an eye on the diagnostic codes are on his or her car ( using the phone as described above to monitor the car &# 39 ; s obd data ). with current operating systems , and serial port limitations , only one such application can be run at any given time , although future operating systems and connectivity mechanisms ( including bluetooth ), may permit multiple systems to be monitored / controlled simultaneously by a single telephone . in addition , for those embodiments using a cellular telephone , there is no need for the user ( such as a field technician ) to buy yet another costly , separate piece of communication equipment ( and to pay monthly service / access fees for the cellular or other communication service ). instead , the user can leverage the investment they have already made in their cellular telephone . further leveraging the internet access provided by the invention , such as through cellular telephones using the nextel network , the invention can deliver a whole host of services ( data logging , remote access , automatic alerts , etc .) that are not possible using other devices or technologies , let alone across such a wide array of applications . thus , the present invention provides numerous advantages over any existing technology of which the inventor is aware . for example , regarding the gecko electronics palm os β’- based spa tool ( pocket - tek ) discussed above , the invention can not only provide all the functionality of the gecko tool , but provides a remote user or users with a real - time remote window into all of the data an onsite user can see , and more . by way of example , if the onsite user is using a currently available cellular telephone with its relatively small display screen ( approximately 100 Γ 85 pixel black / white display ), the β remote engineer / tech support / observer β person ( viewing the data / system on a relatively much larger display such as a pc ) can β see β more than can be displayed in the smaller cell phone display . the β remote β viewing device ( such as a pc ) is therefore capable of more as a user interface device than is the cell phone . for instance , the β remote observer β preferably can access any / all historical data and have it displayed on the β remote viewing device β in the form of a graphical history plot , and can even print it out . as cell phones and similar devices advance , the differences in capability ( between the somewhat β limited β interface of current cell phones versus the more capable interface of current pcs ) may diminish , but other benefits of the invention will continue . similarly , in the arena of automotive scan tools , the invention can provide a service technician ( whether a car dealer , a service center , a gas station , or otherwise ) or even a car owner himself with all the functionality of the existing tools mentioned above , but ( as with the spa tool ) with a suite of internet technology tools to provide a real - time remote window into all the data the on - site person is seeing , and more ( similar to the β more β discussed above ). perhaps more importantly , the invention permits the user , technician , or even the manufacturer to take a β test drive β at any time , with the vehicle continuously transmitting all on - board diagnostic data to any selected destination , such as a secure internet website . the data can be stored there or viewed in real time , and in any case can include a mechanism for β tagging β the data at relevant points in time β for those nasty β only - happens - when - i &# 39 ; m - driving β glitches , noises , and rumbles β so that the service technician can easily see what was going on at the time of the problem . additional applications of the invention in the automobile industry are virtually unlimited . lube shops can use the invention to provide vehicle diagnostic scans with almost no expense on software or hardware infrastructure β hypothetically charging an extra fee for a 27 - point diagnostic scan . likewise , independent service shops can have access to all current manufacturers &# 39 ; data , without the purchase of a separate scantool ( approximately $ 2500 each currently ) from every auto maker , with no need for make - model - specific software . the low cost of equipment ( a nextel - type phone plus an obd adapter ) allows the shop to purchase only one scan tool , or at most , one per auto bay , and to use the tool out in the parking lot , on - site ( if called out to a vehicle that has stopped running ), or the like . the speed , efficiency , and quality of service can be improved , because all manufacturer - specific data can be displayed in their β current β form , as well as permitting the immediate selection and display ( back to the service technician ) of any recalls , warnings , or similar information relevant to the vehicle being tested , all via the erm internet server . in some or many of these situations , the β remote β viewer might actually be right beside the vehicle in the auto bay where it is being serviced , in the form of a pc logged onto the internet server site that is receiving the real - time data from the vehicle . yet another application of the invention regarding automobiles is automobile racing . sports such as nascar can create a revenue stream where one currently does not exist , and provides an off - track β fan β experience , by monitoring and displaying relevant data from various race cars over the internet , to subscribing customers . race car fans can thereby have a much deeper insight and involvement in the race they are watching , or the broadcast of the race may be displayed in an adjacent window in the fan &# 39 ; s browser , etc . automobile dealer service centers can achieve a better quality and more efficient result , as well as a faster turnover rate for their auto bays and equipment . the invention permits the service center access to vehicle diagnostic information / trip data prior to the customer &# 39 ; s arrival , thereby allowing the dealer to get a better handle on the potential problem , check parts availability , etc . loyalty to the dealer can be increased as well , if ( for example ) at the time of new / used vehicle purchase , the buyer is shown a demo of the invention application running on the cellular phone β highlighting the active role the dealer service center can play in the care and maintenance of the buyer &# 39 ; s car . as indicated above , car owners can use the invention to perform diagnostic scans on their cars at any time , saving between $ 50 -$ 150 a pop ( depending on where / when the scan / servicing would otherwise be done ), and also creating accountability for any repairs that are eventually made to the car . car owner end - users of the invention normally will require very minimal integration / support to adopt and use the invention . by way of example , each user can register online ( through either a website such as the nascar site , snap - on , etc . or directly on the invention &# 39 ; s internet server website ), where they will setup an account , and ultimately create their own personal car web page β with live view , and history display . all support to the car owner can be handled through the respective web site β via faq &# 39 ; s , tutorials , and problem report forms . as also mentioned above , historical data can also be archived and retrieved ( such as in an on - line database maintained on the internet or otherwise ) for any of the applications ( automobile or otherwise ) discussed herein . the availability of this information can permit much more effective use of time and resources . in the field of medical / health monitoring / reporting / analysis , again there are many companies providing localized solutions , where the burden of monitoring is put on the enduser ( to monitor , store , and / or upload the relevant vital signs or other data ). among the benefits of the present invention are : ( 1 ) it can provide a real - time , continuous uplink of the monitored data via the patient &# 39 ; s cellular telephone , securely delivering all the encrypted medical monitoring data for viewing by a physician or other medical personnel from any available web browser ; ( 2 ) in that same web browser , the medical personnel may also instantly pull up not only the real - time data that is being generated by the patient , but also a graphical history of the patient &# 39 ; s data ; ( 3 ) support for β alert β or warning / dangerous conditions can also generate a real - time message / alert ( such as an email and / or page ) to the physician or appropriate medical personnel in the event of a serious condition ; and ( 4 ) these and other aspects of the monitoring can be configurable through the web - based interface . by way of example , the telephone can be configured to interface with a commercially available heart rate monitor and temperature sensor for remote monitoring of β discharged β hospital patients ( an example would be a cardiac rehab patient who has recently undergone bypass surgery , and has been discharged by his hmo , but put on a β restricted activity β regimen ). using the invention , the hospital can keep close tabs on the patient , including setting alerts that trigger if the patient &# 39 ; s heart - rate exceeds a predetermined threshold . all data can be permanently logged into an online database , so that the physician is able to retrieve it for immediate analysis from any location ( hospital , home , vacation , office , hotel room , etc . ), thus providing a truly new level of patient care . further regarding benefits of the invention in health / medical applications , in embodiments in which the data is delivered from the patient using a network such as nextel &# 39 ; s , the patient can simply wear their chest strap heart - rate sensor ( or other sensing device ) connected to their cellular telephone , and the data will be continuously transmitted in real time . so long as the telephone is turned on , you do not have to β dial up β or call a number ; the data can find its way to a desired website or location such as the erm / rackspace server ( see fig1 and 2 ). the patient is free to move about ( take a walk , go to the store , return to the clinic for an exam ) all with complete monitoring of their vitals . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , in the preferred embodiment the cellular telephone component of the invention is used as a local / on - site service / diagnostic tool , including using the cellular telephone &# 39 ; s display screen . although other technologies use a cellular telephone as a β modem β or otherwise use wireless modems to transmit data , the inventor is not aware of a cellular telephone previously being used as a local / service / diagnostic tool , especially while also being used as an β internet data pipe β. in addition to the benefits of the cellular telephone device providing an β internet data pipe β and / or a cellular telephone connection to transmit the data / control commands , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular phone of the invention preferably can provide many of the benefits herein even without any such connection from the phone to the internet or to a cellular network . by way of example , even in such a β non - broadcasting β mode , the cellular phone can be used as a programmable , portable local / service / diagnostic tool , providing a user - friendly interface by which a service technician can extract relevant data , issue commands to the controlled / monitored system , etc . under such conditions , the remote viewer would not be receiving data , but the local service technician can benefit from a powerful tool not presently available to him . also under those conditions , the cell phone preferably is capable of storing the data for subsequent transmission ( such as via the internet or the cellular connection ). [ 0065 ] fig5 illustrates a block diagram of a preferred remote monitoring and control system for a network of embedded sensors and control devices . the erm technology provides an end - to - end solution , encompassing everything required for remote monitoring and control β from the erm sensor node , the erm gateway , to the erm server , providing a central gateway for all end - user access . [ 0066 ] fig6 depicts the data - flow of the preferred software architecture for the present invention β from the erm sensor node , the embedded gateway , then central server , and the end - user &# 39 ; s web browser . ( note that all connections to the internet preferably are originated by the remote gateway β thereby thwarting any remote attacks ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the erm server can be suitably practiced on any number of computing platforms . a preferred embodiment is a 750 mhz pentium iii computer , preferably running redhat linux version 7 . 0 or above , with a high - speed internet connection . the preferred software infrastructure can be broken down into four ( 4 ) categories : 1 . ermmonitor β java program , which handles incoming data from erm installations ( tim &# 39 ; s ), alerts , data storage in the database , and all β live β web browser connections . 2 . ermcontrol β java program , which handles β control β connections from web browser applet ( s ), queuing up and serving commands to erm installations ( tini &# 39 ; s ). 3 . webscripts β linux cron jobs , which run periodically to generate dynamic web content including cell phone pages , web statistics , and alert / error logs . 4 . database β a mysql db running on the same linux box , maintaining a central repository for all incoming data . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , all site - specific configuration information is accessed through web pages on the erm server , using cgi / perl scripts , providing end - user access to things like name , address , phone , e - mail , pager , password , as well as access to user - specific / selectable options β cell phone page , alerts , etc . [ 0073 ] fig7 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermmonitor application , which runs on the evcm server β accepting udp datagrams from the remote embedded gateway devices . the udp datagram is processed based on the stored configuration information β individually extracting each remote data block . the ermmonitor application preferably then forwards the latest data to each of three ( 3 ) threads : 1 . log file / database storage ; 2 . alert generation / e - mail notification ; and 3 . browser applet server . [ 0074 ] fig8 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermcontrol application , which runs on the erm server β managing control to and from the remote embedded control devices . tcp socket connections from web browser java applets are accepted β providing a secure mechanism for authentication and authorization , prior to accepting any requested commands . tcp socket connections are also accepted from the remote embedded gateway ( s ), where individual commands are extracted from the controlqueue maintained on the erm server . the apparatus and methods of my invention have been described with some particularity , but the specific designs , constructions and steps disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention . obvious modifications will make themselves apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art , all of which will not depart from the essence of the invention and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Physics'? | 0.25 | 71388a52c01d9058203e94416d4c00cdebe60bc96c5b2ff2d6c78c0019f0a5e4 | 0.018799 | 0.023682 | 0.002319 | 0.005554 | 0.002045 | 0.012451 |
null | a preferred embodiment of the invention is generally illustrated in fig1 - 3 , with fig1 illustrating use of the invention in connection with automobile data , and fig2 and 3 illustrating use in connection with a spa / pool application . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various components and methods can be of any suitable brand and nature , so long as they provide the desired functionality described herein . in general terms , the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a combination of hardware and software to allow real - time transmission of data being generated by a system ( even one such as the human body ), using a device such as a cellular telephone . the preferred embodiment permits remote viewing and communication / control with the site / application from which the data originates . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular telephone component or device useful in the invention can be provided by programmable cellular telephones ( such as those discussed herein ), but could also be provided by other devices and technologies . wireless pagers as well as other technologies , can provide the preferred cellular networks that cover the vast majority of the planet , thereby making the invention easy to use , without the end - user having to create any communication infrastructure to get to and from the internet . preferably , the cellular telephone or similar device provides an internet communication interface , while connected ( via hardwiring or wirelessly ) to a β live β sensor / controller device in the monitored / controlled system . depending on the application , the sensor / controller device can be any of a wide range of devices , capable of reporting data , controlling the system , or both . also preferably , the invention includes a suite of hardware and software products provided for use on programmable cellular telephones or similar devices , such as the family of nextel / motorola java β’- powered phones ( e . g ., model i85s ). among other things , the invention preferably enables the cellular telephone to interface directly with a wide variety of devices , so that it can function as a service / diagnostic / monitoring device . in the preferred embodiment , the invention turns the phone into a powerful , highly configurable test tool . to enable the desired communication with a sensor / control device , the attached β device β preferably is in communication with the cell phone &# 39 ; s built - in serial port ( using appropriate serial communication parameters β baud rate , stop bits , parity , etc ). if a particular attached β device ( s )β does not support a standard serial interface , an adapter apparatus ( such as a cable , connector , box , etc .) can readily be provided and used to suitably create a suitable β serial β connection between the cell phone and the β device β. ( note that the serial port on the cellular phone is traditionally used for a wired connection to a pc or laptop computer β both for purposes of uploading software applications to the phone , as well as acting as a cellular modem connection to the internet , for the attached computer ). by way of example , in a specific embodiment such as the automotive application discussed herein , an adapter cable and suitable rs232 obd protocol conversion circuitry is required to establish communication between the phone and the vehicle &# 39 ; s industry β standard β j1962 obd connector . among other existing resources available to persons of ordinary skill in the art , the sae ( society of automotive engineers ) provides ample information to understand and construct such an adapter ( similar principles and resources can readily be used in fabricating and providing other adapters / hardware / software for applications other than automobiles obd data ). on a related point , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , as other communication channels ( other than the serial ports now available on current cell phones ) become available , the invention can be readily practiced using those other β non - serial β interface channels from the device to the phone . the cellular telephone preferably also functions as an internet gateway , delivering all or selected available data , in real - time , to a website / server such as the vtti erm ( embedded resource manager ) server . the data can be permanently and securely stored in an on - line database there , accessed from any web browser by a user having sufficient permissions ( passwords , etc .). the erm viewer , fig3 provides a real - time graphical interface through a suite of java β’ applets , allowing someone at a remote site ( such as a remote computer 10 , fig1 and 2 ) to β see β everything that the on - site service technician is seeing ( at , for example , location 20 , fig1 or location 30 , fig2 ), and , in some cases more ( see discussion elsewhere regarding the β more β that can be seen by a remote viewer , for virtually any application of the invention ). if desired , a cellular telephone can even be left β permanently β connected to the monitored device ( such as at locations 20 or 30 ), saving travel , hookup , and other time and expenses . remote commands preferably are supported through the erm control server delivering the appropriate command information to the remotely connected device through the cellular telephone . plotting applets allow for web - based viewing of all logged data , over any specified time interval , providing great flexibility in analysis . in a preferred configuration for automotive on board diagnostics , fig1 the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with any vehicle through the obd connector , a connector that is required on all vehicles sold in the us since 1996 ( typically , the vehicle &# 39 ; s connector is located under the dashboard , making it fairly simple to connect and use the cell phone in this application , and thereby to even be able to gather data while actually driving somewhere and under varying conditions , as discussed herein ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that many aspects and benefits of the invention can be practiced and realized by custom data connectors / collectors interfacing with the cellular telephone , rather that a β standard β connector such as the obd . even though the telephone &# 39 ; s programming preferably is standard to interface with the obd , that programming can be customized as may be needed / desired in any particular application . as for the preferred hardware to connect to the obd connector on any particular vehicle , there currently are three configurations of obd adapter blocks needed to cover all types of vehicles ( one works on ford vehicles , one on gm , and one for all other vehicles ). as indicated elsewhere , if bluetooth or other short - range wireless communication technology is incorporated into the obd β connection β on board the vehicle , the cellular phone can be configured ( with proper hardware and software ) to receive that wireless signal , rather than use any β adapter block β at all . preferably , the obd viewer software suite uses the obd connector connection to communicate a host of information , including diagnostic trouble codes ( dtc &# 39 ; s ), real - time vehicle performance data , and sensor status . the obdconnect java β’ midlet preferably delivers all the incoming obd data to the cellular telephone user , again , through a series of display forms ( see fig3 ). further support preferably is provided for graphing of selected real - time data ( rpm , vehicle speed , intake temp , ignition time , etc ) through a series of icons on the forms or other suitable user interface . for the remote display , a browser - based java β’ applet preferably provides a custom graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a familiar β gauge cluster β display , along with any current diagnostic trouble codes ( dtcs ), vehicle identification number , and all available contact information for that particular individual . support for remotely controlling parameters within the engine control module ( ecm ) is provided through the erm control suite ( including the ability for a service center to reset dtc &# 39 ; s ). in a preferred pool / spa service tool configuration ( fig2 ), the cellular telephone is programmed to communicate with the on - board microprocessor powering the pool / spa control ( preferably in the form of a serial port on the pool / spa control , for which relevant communication specifications are typically available from each individual manufacturer β as mentioned above for the obd data specifications )β supplying detailed operational and diagnostic information . preferably , the spaconnect β’ java β’ midlet delivers all the incoming data to the on - site service technician through a series of display forms shown on the cell phone . control is supported through a series of icons on those forms , representing the different functions found on a pool or spa control ( jets on / off , blower on / off , spa lite on / off , filter settings , etc ). for the remote viewer / display , a browser - based java β’ applet provides a customized graphical user interface , delivering the information to the β remote β observer in a clear and concise fashion β with support for many sophisticated command and diagnostic routines . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , among other things , the invention can include real - time downloading of new or updated firmware for the system being controlled / monitored ( in addition to downloads of applications and new software to the phone itself ), via the web β using the cell phone . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred apparatus and methods of the invention can be used in many other applications , systems , and processes . in addition , if desired , a preferred single cellular telephone can simultaneously hold programming so that it is capable of functioning in a plurality of such applications , without further or multiple downloads of programming ( such as java applets ) to the cellular phone . the number of programs / devices with which the cellular phone is capable of interfacing / monitoring / controlling is limited by the memory storage within the cellular phone , but current phones could readily hold 10 - 15 such programs , and future ( increased memory ) phone devices will presumably be able to hold even more . consequently , and by way of example , one telephone preferably could be used ( at the user &# 39 ; s election , and subject to the user &# 39 ; s control ) for ( 1 ) communication with devices at the user &# 39 ; s home ( such as a spa / pool / kitchen equipment / heater / ac / lights ), ( 2 ) to send data to the user &# 39 ; s doctor ( regarding the user &# 39 ; s health and / or vital signs or other diagnostic information ), and ( 3 ) to communicate data about the user &# 39 ; s automobile ( such as to a car dealer or service shop ). thus , a single user could be a pool / spa service technician ( using the phone in connection with onsite service work ), who also is a cardiac rehab patient ( using the phone to provide alerts and data to his health care center ), who also likes keeping an eye on the diagnostic codes are on his or her car ( using the phone as described above to monitor the car &# 39 ; s obd data ). with current operating systems , and serial port limitations , only one such application can be run at any given time , although future operating systems and connectivity mechanisms ( including bluetooth ), may permit multiple systems to be monitored / controlled simultaneously by a single telephone . in addition , for those embodiments using a cellular telephone , there is no need for the user ( such as a field technician ) to buy yet another costly , separate piece of communication equipment ( and to pay monthly service / access fees for the cellular or other communication service ). instead , the user can leverage the investment they have already made in their cellular telephone . further leveraging the internet access provided by the invention , such as through cellular telephones using the nextel network , the invention can deliver a whole host of services ( data logging , remote access , automatic alerts , etc .) that are not possible using other devices or technologies , let alone across such a wide array of applications . thus , the present invention provides numerous advantages over any existing technology of which the inventor is aware . for example , regarding the gecko electronics palm os β’- based spa tool ( pocket - tek ) discussed above , the invention can not only provide all the functionality of the gecko tool , but provides a remote user or users with a real - time remote window into all of the data an onsite user can see , and more . by way of example , if the onsite user is using a currently available cellular telephone with its relatively small display screen ( approximately 100 Γ 85 pixel black / white display ), the β remote engineer / tech support / observer β person ( viewing the data / system on a relatively much larger display such as a pc ) can β see β more than can be displayed in the smaller cell phone display . the β remote β viewing device ( such as a pc ) is therefore capable of more as a user interface device than is the cell phone . for instance , the β remote observer β preferably can access any / all historical data and have it displayed on the β remote viewing device β in the form of a graphical history plot , and can even print it out . as cell phones and similar devices advance , the differences in capability ( between the somewhat β limited β interface of current cell phones versus the more capable interface of current pcs ) may diminish , but other benefits of the invention will continue . similarly , in the arena of automotive scan tools , the invention can provide a service technician ( whether a car dealer , a service center , a gas station , or otherwise ) or even a car owner himself with all the functionality of the existing tools mentioned above , but ( as with the spa tool ) with a suite of internet technology tools to provide a real - time remote window into all the data the on - site person is seeing , and more ( similar to the β more β discussed above ). perhaps more importantly , the invention permits the user , technician , or even the manufacturer to take a β test drive β at any time , with the vehicle continuously transmitting all on - board diagnostic data to any selected destination , such as a secure internet website . the data can be stored there or viewed in real time , and in any case can include a mechanism for β tagging β the data at relevant points in time β for those nasty β only - happens - when - i &# 39 ; m - driving β glitches , noises , and rumbles β so that the service technician can easily see what was going on at the time of the problem . additional applications of the invention in the automobile industry are virtually unlimited . lube shops can use the invention to provide vehicle diagnostic scans with almost no expense on software or hardware infrastructure β hypothetically charging an extra fee for a 27 - point diagnostic scan . likewise , independent service shops can have access to all current manufacturers &# 39 ; data , without the purchase of a separate scantool ( approximately $ 2500 each currently ) from every auto maker , with no need for make - model - specific software . the low cost of equipment ( a nextel - type phone plus an obd adapter ) allows the shop to purchase only one scan tool , or at most , one per auto bay , and to use the tool out in the parking lot , on - site ( if called out to a vehicle that has stopped running ), or the like . the speed , efficiency , and quality of service can be improved , because all manufacturer - specific data can be displayed in their β current β form , as well as permitting the immediate selection and display ( back to the service technician ) of any recalls , warnings , or similar information relevant to the vehicle being tested , all via the erm internet server . in some or many of these situations , the β remote β viewer might actually be right beside the vehicle in the auto bay where it is being serviced , in the form of a pc logged onto the internet server site that is receiving the real - time data from the vehicle . yet another application of the invention regarding automobiles is automobile racing . sports such as nascar can create a revenue stream where one currently does not exist , and provides an off - track β fan β experience , by monitoring and displaying relevant data from various race cars over the internet , to subscribing customers . race car fans can thereby have a much deeper insight and involvement in the race they are watching , or the broadcast of the race may be displayed in an adjacent window in the fan &# 39 ; s browser , etc . automobile dealer service centers can achieve a better quality and more efficient result , as well as a faster turnover rate for their auto bays and equipment . the invention permits the service center access to vehicle diagnostic information / trip data prior to the customer &# 39 ; s arrival , thereby allowing the dealer to get a better handle on the potential problem , check parts availability , etc . loyalty to the dealer can be increased as well , if ( for example ) at the time of new / used vehicle purchase , the buyer is shown a demo of the invention application running on the cellular phone β highlighting the active role the dealer service center can play in the care and maintenance of the buyer &# 39 ; s car . as indicated above , car owners can use the invention to perform diagnostic scans on their cars at any time , saving between $ 50 -$ 150 a pop ( depending on where / when the scan / servicing would otherwise be done ), and also creating accountability for any repairs that are eventually made to the car . car owner end - users of the invention normally will require very minimal integration / support to adopt and use the invention . by way of example , each user can register online ( through either a website such as the nascar site , snap - on , etc . or directly on the invention &# 39 ; s internet server website ), where they will setup an account , and ultimately create their own personal car web page β with live view , and history display . all support to the car owner can be handled through the respective web site β via faq &# 39 ; s , tutorials , and problem report forms . as also mentioned above , historical data can also be archived and retrieved ( such as in an on - line database maintained on the internet or otherwise ) for any of the applications ( automobile or otherwise ) discussed herein . the availability of this information can permit much more effective use of time and resources . in the field of medical / health monitoring / reporting / analysis , again there are many companies providing localized solutions , where the burden of monitoring is put on the enduser ( to monitor , store , and / or upload the relevant vital signs or other data ). among the benefits of the present invention are : ( 1 ) it can provide a real - time , continuous uplink of the monitored data via the patient &# 39 ; s cellular telephone , securely delivering all the encrypted medical monitoring data for viewing by a physician or other medical personnel from any available web browser ; ( 2 ) in that same web browser , the medical personnel may also instantly pull up not only the real - time data that is being generated by the patient , but also a graphical history of the patient &# 39 ; s data ; ( 3 ) support for β alert β or warning / dangerous conditions can also generate a real - time message / alert ( such as an email and / or page ) to the physician or appropriate medical personnel in the event of a serious condition ; and ( 4 ) these and other aspects of the monitoring can be configurable through the web - based interface . by way of example , the telephone can be configured to interface with a commercially available heart rate monitor and temperature sensor for remote monitoring of β discharged β hospital patients ( an example would be a cardiac rehab patient who has recently undergone bypass surgery , and has been discharged by his hmo , but put on a β restricted activity β regimen ). using the invention , the hospital can keep close tabs on the patient , including setting alerts that trigger if the patient &# 39 ; s heart - rate exceeds a predetermined threshold . all data can be permanently logged into an online database , so that the physician is able to retrieve it for immediate analysis from any location ( hospital , home , vacation , office , hotel room , etc . ), thus providing a truly new level of patient care . further regarding benefits of the invention in health / medical applications , in embodiments in which the data is delivered from the patient using a network such as nextel &# 39 ; s , the patient can simply wear their chest strap heart - rate sensor ( or other sensing device ) connected to their cellular telephone , and the data will be continuously transmitted in real time . so long as the telephone is turned on , you do not have to β dial up β or call a number ; the data can find its way to a desired website or location such as the erm / rackspace server ( see fig1 and 2 ). the patient is free to move about ( take a walk , go to the store , return to the clinic for an exam ) all with complete monitoring of their vitals . persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that , in the preferred embodiment the cellular telephone component of the invention is used as a local / on - site service / diagnostic tool , including using the cellular telephone &# 39 ; s display screen . although other technologies use a cellular telephone as a β modem β or otherwise use wireless modems to transmit data , the inventor is not aware of a cellular telephone previously being used as a local / service / diagnostic tool , especially while also being used as an β internet data pipe β. in addition to the benefits of the cellular telephone device providing an β internet data pipe β and / or a cellular telephone connection to transmit the data / control commands , persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the preferred cellular phone of the invention preferably can provide many of the benefits herein even without any such connection from the phone to the internet or to a cellular network . by way of example , even in such a β non - broadcasting β mode , the cellular phone can be used as a programmable , portable local / service / diagnostic tool , providing a user - friendly interface by which a service technician can extract relevant data , issue commands to the controlled / monitored system , etc . under such conditions , the remote viewer would not be receiving data , but the local service technician can benefit from a powerful tool not presently available to him . also under those conditions , the cell phone preferably is capable of storing the data for subsequent transmission ( such as via the internet or the cellular connection ). [ 0065 ] fig5 illustrates a block diagram of a preferred remote monitoring and control system for a network of embedded sensors and control devices . the erm technology provides an end - to - end solution , encompassing everything required for remote monitoring and control β from the erm sensor node , the erm gateway , to the erm server , providing a central gateway for all end - user access . [ 0066 ] fig6 depicts the data - flow of the preferred software architecture for the present invention β from the erm sensor node , the embedded gateway , then central server , and the end - user &# 39 ; s web browser . ( note that all connections to the internet preferably are originated by the remote gateway β thereby thwarting any remote attacks ). persons of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the erm server can be suitably practiced on any number of computing platforms . a preferred embodiment is a 750 mhz pentium iii computer , preferably running redhat linux version 7 . 0 or above , with a high - speed internet connection . the preferred software infrastructure can be broken down into four ( 4 ) categories : 1 . ermmonitor β java program , which handles incoming data from erm installations ( tim &# 39 ; s ), alerts , data storage in the database , and all β live β web browser connections . 2 . ermcontrol β java program , which handles β control β connections from web browser applet ( s ), queuing up and serving commands to erm installations ( tini &# 39 ; s ). 3 . webscripts β linux cron jobs , which run periodically to generate dynamic web content including cell phone pages , web statistics , and alert / error logs . 4 . database β a mysql db running on the same linux box , maintaining a central repository for all incoming data . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , all site - specific configuration information is accessed through web pages on the erm server , using cgi / perl scripts , providing end - user access to things like name , address , phone , e - mail , pager , password , as well as access to user - specific / selectable options β cell phone page , alerts , etc . [ 0073 ] fig7 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermmonitor application , which runs on the evcm server β accepting udp datagrams from the remote embedded gateway devices . the udp datagram is processed based on the stored configuration information β individually extracting each remote data block . the ermmonitor application preferably then forwards the latest data to each of three ( 3 ) threads : 1 . log file / database storage ; 2 . alert generation / e - mail notification ; and 3 . browser applet server . [ 0074 ] fig8 is a software flowchart for a preferred ermcontrol application , which runs on the erm server β managing control to and from the remote embedded control devices . tcp socket connections from web browser java applets are accepted β providing a secure mechanism for authentication and authorization , prior to accepting any requested commands . tcp socket connections are also accepted from the remote embedded gateway ( s ), where individual commands are extracted from the controlqueue maintained on the erm server . the apparatus and methods of my invention have been described with some particularity , but the specific designs , constructions and steps disclosed are not to be taken as delimiting of the invention . obvious modifications will make themselves apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art , all of which will not depart from the essence of the invention and all such changes and modifications are intended to be encompassed within the appended claims . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Is 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 71388a52c01d9058203e94416d4c00cdebe60bc96c5b2ff2d6c78c0019f0a5e4 | 0.018311 | 0.052734 | 0.002319 | 0.019409 | 0.002045 | 0.080566 |
null | referring to fig1 , an example motor vehicle 10 is shown having a vehicle body 12 that includes a rear compartment or bed 14 enclosed by side panels 16 and 18 as well as a tailgate 20 . a counterbalance hinge assembly 22 pivotally supports the tailgate 20 between the side panels 16 and 18 in a manner to be described in greater detail below . the tailgate 20 is pivotally supported between pillars formed by the side panels 16 and 18 . in the example shown , side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 are formed by respective inner and outer panels 24 and 26 of sheet metal joined at the ends by overlapping flanges or the like . in other examples , other materials may be used in constructing the side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 . the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 includes a torque rod 30 , which is linear and aligned along a pivotal axis between the side panels 16 and 18 . the torque rod 30 carries first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 . the first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 enable the torque rod 30 to be secured with respect to the tailgate 20 at one end , and with respect to the side panels 16 and 18 at a second end . in the example shown in fig2 , the first end assembly 32 pivotably supports the tailgate 20 at the left body pillar including inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 forms a left side vehicle hinge pin that includes a pivot member 40 having a cylindrical boss 42 and a mounting stem 44 . the mounting stem 44 secures the pivot member 40 to the vehicle pillar at the inner panel 24 . in one example , the stem 44 may be a square housing received in a square opening in the inner panel 24 of the left side panel 16 , and secured in position by welds , adhesive or other fasteners . in other examples , the stem 44 may include a threaded member that is received in a weld nut 45 mounted on a surface of the inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 receives an end of the torque rod to be secured to the tailgate 20 . this connection includes a bushing 46 , which is pivotally or rotatably received about the cylindrical boss 42 . in one example , the bushing 46 includes a cylindrical receptacle 48 and a stem 50 . the stem 50 includes an exterior configuration that is faceted to be retained in an opening 52 in a tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 . as used herein , a facet refers to any cross - section having at least one surface discontinuity that prevents rotation within a correspondingly shaped , compatible piece . in other examples , the bushing 46 is welded or otherwise attached to the tailgate wall 23 . one example stem 50 is modified or faceted to mount to the tailgate 20 . in another example , the surface of the receptacle 48 may fit in an enlarged opening in the tailgate wall 23 aligned with the pivotal axis and extending through a portion of the tailgate wall 23 . the receptacle 48 , or the stem 50 may be configured exteriorly or otherwise fastened to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and tailgate wall 23 so that the bushing 46 that receives the torque rod pivots with the tailgate 20 . fig3 illustrates an exploded view of the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 of fig2 . the stem 50 includes a chamber 66 that receives an end portion of the torque rod 30 . the end portion is faceted and corresponds to the chamber 66 as shown to lock the bushing 46 to the torque rod 30 . in one example , the torque rod 30 comprises a hexagonal shaft end and the opening 66 is compatibly configured to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and the torque rod end 67 . the second end assembly 34 includes a vehicle hinge pin for pivotally carrying the tailgate 20 adjacent to the right side panel 18 and includes a spriget 70 . the spriget 70 combines a key 78 with a mounting stem 72 for securing the key 78 to the right hand side panel 18 . the mounting stem 72 is received in an opening 76 . a fastener such as nut 77 ( fig2 ) or the like may be used to fasten the stem 72 to the side panel 18 . the key 78 has an elongated shape , the elongated shape being aligned in a direction intermediate the vertical , closed and the horizontal , open positions of the tailgate 20 to define a removal direction along the elongated axis of the key body 78 . the key 78 is received in the slot 83 of a bushing 90 and in the slot 84 of the pivot body 80 . the second end assembly 34 also includes a pivot body 80 having a cylindrical body 82 with a radial slot 84 aligned for reception of the key 78 . the pivot body 80 includes a stem 86 having a chamber 88 adapted to receive and secure the right end 87 of the torque rod 30 . the assembly 34 also includes a bushing 90 which can be mounted within an opening 85 of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 85 . the configuration of the opening 85 may non - rotatably retain the bushing 90 in the inner wall of the tailgate 20 . the bushing 90 may be retained in the opening 85 by a retainer , for example , a snap ring 91 engaged in a groove on the stem 94 . in one example , the stem 86 includes a groove 89 that receives a snap ring 91 at a position adjacent the end of stem 94 . when assembled , the right hand end 87 of the torque rod 30 is retained in a stationary position by the pivot body 80 passing through the bushing 90 mounted in the tailgate 20 . the rigid connection to the body side panel 18 is made by the bracket 74 and spriget 70 as assembled as discussed above . the left hand end 67 of the torque rod 30 is retained by the tailgate wall 23 to move with the tailgate 20 . thus , as the tailgate 20 is moved between the upright , closed position and the horizontal , open position , the torque rod 30 twists . in one example , the unbiased position of the torque rod 30 occurs when the tailgate 20 is aligned with the elongated axis of the key 78 , whereby spring tension is introduced to pivot the tailgate 20 away from the closed position when it is unlatched , and to raise it to the closed position when it has been unlatched from its open position . fig4 is an exploded view of another example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 with demonstrates a modification that eases assembly and repair . the stem 50 of the bushing 46 is correspondingly sized to fit in the opening 85 of a tailgate panel attachment bracket 54 . the attachment bracket 54 may provide the benefit of reinforcing the end panel of the tailgate and simplifying the formation of opening 52 that receives the bushing 46 . rather than trying to form a properly sized and configured opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 , the bracket 54 with opening 85 is placed next to an enlarged opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 . the openings 85 and 56 are aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the tailgate 20 . in one example , an upper flange 58 is bolted to the tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 with a bolt and nut 60 and 62 . in other examples , welds or other fasteners secure the flange 58 . the opening 85 is configured to avoid relative rotation between the stem 50 and the opening 56 such that when assembled , both the installation bracket 54 and the bushing 46 pivot with the tailgate 20 . the bracket 54 includes a releasable engagement clamp 104 on a flange 64 that is angled relative to the flange 58 . the clamp 104 includes a clamp seat 106 raised up through the tailgate wall 23 to align the clamp 104 on the pivotal axis . in the example shown , the bracket 54 includes an offset arm , bent as shown , to provide a raised position for the clamp 104 above the plane of the flange 64 . the seat 106 includes a cavity 108 which is aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the opening 56 and the bushing 46 . a clamping flange 110 includes a recess 112 configured in compliance with the faceted segment of the torque rod 30 such that clamping of the flange 110 against the clamping seat 106 rotationally fixes the torque rod 30 with respect to the bracket 54 , and thus the tailgate 20 . the raising of the clamp 104 to align the axis of the torque rod 30 with the pivotal axis by the raised seat 106 provides room for fasteners , such as the head of a rivet extending through aligned apertures in the seat 106 and the flange 110 . in one example , a single rivet 114 is used to retain one side of the flange 110 with the seat 106 . on the opposite side , the flange 110 includes a weld nut 116 that threadably receives a fastener 118 extending from beneath the seat 106 . the opening 119 in a bracket 96 is aligned with opening 98 , and mounted to the outside of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 carried by the bracket includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 119 . the configuration of the opening 119 rotationally fixes the bushing 90 to the tailgate wall 23 . as a result , the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may provide the benefit of loose assembly , and thus can be positioned before spring tension is applied to the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 . in one example assembly method , brackets 54 and 96 are attached to the tailgate 20 , by welding such that configured openings 85 and 119 align with the openings 52 and 98 in the tailgate wall 23 . this may beneficially enable configured openings 85 and 119 to be preferably sized , shaped and positioned after the tailgate has been manufactured , and overcomes the difficulty of shaping , sizing and aligning the apertures of the original tailgate panel stampings . the fastener 118 is initially installed in a pre - production or fabrication assembly procedure , for example , and left loose for tightening at the assembly plant . at the assembly plant , the entire bracket 54 is secured by welding or other fastening means to the tailgate 20 . an aperture at the bottom of the tailgate receives the clamp 104 of the bracket 54 . the torque rod 30 , carrying pivot body 80 at end 87 , is positioned such that end 67 is inserted through opening 98 to extend across the vehicle body 12 through the tailgate 20 and into the faceted , complementary hole formed by the recesses 112 and 108 . the torque rod 30 is inserted through the bushing 90 , which is already attached to bracket 96 in a prior operation . the fastener 118 is then tightened to provide proper biasing between the vertical , closed and horizontal , open positions . the assembly discussed above provides an assembly for simply removably mounting a closure member between spaced apart body side panels of a vehicle body by using a linear torque rod extending across the tailgate . the assemblies provide means for connecting the torque rod in driving engagement with the vehicle body hinge pin within the bushing and independently of the rotatable support of the bushing on the hinge pin . the illustrative examples permit the bushing 90 to be received laterally downwardly over at least a portion of the vehicle body hinge pin when the tailgate 20 is in the removal position . accordingly , the torque rod 30 is twisted in tension when the closure member is pivoted to either the closed or open positions from the removal position . this tension provides a counterbalancing effort to assist with pivotal movement of the tailgate 20 . the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may permit facile removal of the closure member from the vehicle body when the closure member is in the removal position . although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed , a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Fixed Constructions'? | Is 'Human Necessities' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 53ad2417c8bcf92b2a2bb57b30751fbe3aadc5c3b86ef4514123b11502605367 | 0.007813 | 0.002258 | 0.012451 | 0.00014 | 0.05835 | 0.002625 |
null | referring to fig1 , an example motor vehicle 10 is shown having a vehicle body 12 that includes a rear compartment or bed 14 enclosed by side panels 16 and 18 as well as a tailgate 20 . a counterbalance hinge assembly 22 pivotally supports the tailgate 20 between the side panels 16 and 18 in a manner to be described in greater detail below . the tailgate 20 is pivotally supported between pillars formed by the side panels 16 and 18 . in the example shown , side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 are formed by respective inner and outer panels 24 and 26 of sheet metal joined at the ends by overlapping flanges or the like . in other examples , other materials may be used in constructing the side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 . the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 includes a torque rod 30 , which is linear and aligned along a pivotal axis between the side panels 16 and 18 . the torque rod 30 carries first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 . the first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 enable the torque rod 30 to be secured with respect to the tailgate 20 at one end , and with respect to the side panels 16 and 18 at a second end . in the example shown in fig2 , the first end assembly 32 pivotably supports the tailgate 20 at the left body pillar including inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 forms a left side vehicle hinge pin that includes a pivot member 40 having a cylindrical boss 42 and a mounting stem 44 . the mounting stem 44 secures the pivot member 40 to the vehicle pillar at the inner panel 24 . in one example , the stem 44 may be a square housing received in a square opening in the inner panel 24 of the left side panel 16 , and secured in position by welds , adhesive or other fasteners . in other examples , the stem 44 may include a threaded member that is received in a weld nut 45 mounted on a surface of the inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 receives an end of the torque rod to be secured to the tailgate 20 . this connection includes a bushing 46 , which is pivotally or rotatably received about the cylindrical boss 42 . in one example , the bushing 46 includes a cylindrical receptacle 48 and a stem 50 . the stem 50 includes an exterior configuration that is faceted to be retained in an opening 52 in a tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 . as used herein , a facet refers to any cross - section having at least one surface discontinuity that prevents rotation within a correspondingly shaped , compatible piece . in other examples , the bushing 46 is welded or otherwise attached to the tailgate wall 23 . one example stem 50 is modified or faceted to mount to the tailgate 20 . in another example , the surface of the receptacle 48 may fit in an enlarged opening in the tailgate wall 23 aligned with the pivotal axis and extending through a portion of the tailgate wall 23 . the receptacle 48 , or the stem 50 may be configured exteriorly or otherwise fastened to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and tailgate wall 23 so that the bushing 46 that receives the torque rod pivots with the tailgate 20 . fig3 illustrates an exploded view of the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 of fig2 . the stem 50 includes a chamber 66 that receives an end portion of the torque rod 30 . the end portion is faceted and corresponds to the chamber 66 as shown to lock the bushing 46 to the torque rod 30 . in one example , the torque rod 30 comprises a hexagonal shaft end and the opening 66 is compatibly configured to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and the torque rod end 67 . the second end assembly 34 includes a vehicle hinge pin for pivotally carrying the tailgate 20 adjacent to the right side panel 18 and includes a spriget 70 . the spriget 70 combines a key 78 with a mounting stem 72 for securing the key 78 to the right hand side panel 18 . the mounting stem 72 is received in an opening 76 . a fastener such as nut 77 ( fig2 ) or the like may be used to fasten the stem 72 to the side panel 18 . the key 78 has an elongated shape , the elongated shape being aligned in a direction intermediate the vertical , closed and the horizontal , open positions of the tailgate 20 to define a removal direction along the elongated axis of the key body 78 . the key 78 is received in the slot 83 of a bushing 90 and in the slot 84 of the pivot body 80 . the second end assembly 34 also includes a pivot body 80 having a cylindrical body 82 with a radial slot 84 aligned for reception of the key 78 . the pivot body 80 includes a stem 86 having a chamber 88 adapted to receive and secure the right end 87 of the torque rod 30 . the assembly 34 also includes a bushing 90 which can be mounted within an opening 85 of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 85 . the configuration of the opening 85 may non - rotatably retain the bushing 90 in the inner wall of the tailgate 20 . the bushing 90 may be retained in the opening 85 by a retainer , for example , a snap ring 91 engaged in a groove on the stem 94 . in one example , the stem 86 includes a groove 89 that receives a snap ring 91 at a position adjacent the end of stem 94 . when assembled , the right hand end 87 of the torque rod 30 is retained in a stationary position by the pivot body 80 passing through the bushing 90 mounted in the tailgate 20 . the rigid connection to the body side panel 18 is made by the bracket 74 and spriget 70 as assembled as discussed above . the left hand end 67 of the torque rod 30 is retained by the tailgate wall 23 to move with the tailgate 20 . thus , as the tailgate 20 is moved between the upright , closed position and the horizontal , open position , the torque rod 30 twists . in one example , the unbiased position of the torque rod 30 occurs when the tailgate 20 is aligned with the elongated axis of the key 78 , whereby spring tension is introduced to pivot the tailgate 20 away from the closed position when it is unlatched , and to raise it to the closed position when it has been unlatched from its open position . fig4 is an exploded view of another example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 with demonstrates a modification that eases assembly and repair . the stem 50 of the bushing 46 is correspondingly sized to fit in the opening 85 of a tailgate panel attachment bracket 54 . the attachment bracket 54 may provide the benefit of reinforcing the end panel of the tailgate and simplifying the formation of opening 52 that receives the bushing 46 . rather than trying to form a properly sized and configured opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 , the bracket 54 with opening 85 is placed next to an enlarged opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 . the openings 85 and 56 are aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the tailgate 20 . in one example , an upper flange 58 is bolted to the tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 with a bolt and nut 60 and 62 . in other examples , welds or other fasteners secure the flange 58 . the opening 85 is configured to avoid relative rotation between the stem 50 and the opening 56 such that when assembled , both the installation bracket 54 and the bushing 46 pivot with the tailgate 20 . the bracket 54 includes a releasable engagement clamp 104 on a flange 64 that is angled relative to the flange 58 . the clamp 104 includes a clamp seat 106 raised up through the tailgate wall 23 to align the clamp 104 on the pivotal axis . in the example shown , the bracket 54 includes an offset arm , bent as shown , to provide a raised position for the clamp 104 above the plane of the flange 64 . the seat 106 includes a cavity 108 which is aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the opening 56 and the bushing 46 . a clamping flange 110 includes a recess 112 configured in compliance with the faceted segment of the torque rod 30 such that clamping of the flange 110 against the clamping seat 106 rotationally fixes the torque rod 30 with respect to the bracket 54 , and thus the tailgate 20 . the raising of the clamp 104 to align the axis of the torque rod 30 with the pivotal axis by the raised seat 106 provides room for fasteners , such as the head of a rivet extending through aligned apertures in the seat 106 and the flange 110 . in one example , a single rivet 114 is used to retain one side of the flange 110 with the seat 106 . on the opposite side , the flange 110 includes a weld nut 116 that threadably receives a fastener 118 extending from beneath the seat 106 . the opening 119 in a bracket 96 is aligned with opening 98 , and mounted to the outside of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 carried by the bracket includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 119 . the configuration of the opening 119 rotationally fixes the bushing 90 to the tailgate wall 23 . as a result , the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may provide the benefit of loose assembly , and thus can be positioned before spring tension is applied to the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 . in one example assembly method , brackets 54 and 96 are attached to the tailgate 20 , by welding such that configured openings 85 and 119 align with the openings 52 and 98 in the tailgate wall 23 . this may beneficially enable configured openings 85 and 119 to be preferably sized , shaped and positioned after the tailgate has been manufactured , and overcomes the difficulty of shaping , sizing and aligning the apertures of the original tailgate panel stampings . the fastener 118 is initially installed in a pre - production or fabrication assembly procedure , for example , and left loose for tightening at the assembly plant . at the assembly plant , the entire bracket 54 is secured by welding or other fastening means to the tailgate 20 . an aperture at the bottom of the tailgate receives the clamp 104 of the bracket 54 . the torque rod 30 , carrying pivot body 80 at end 87 , is positioned such that end 67 is inserted through opening 98 to extend across the vehicle body 12 through the tailgate 20 and into the faceted , complementary hole formed by the recesses 112 and 108 . the torque rod 30 is inserted through the bushing 90 , which is already attached to bracket 96 in a prior operation . the fastener 118 is then tightened to provide proper biasing between the vertical , closed and horizontal , open positions . the assembly discussed above provides an assembly for simply removably mounting a closure member between spaced apart body side panels of a vehicle body by using a linear torque rod extending across the tailgate . the assemblies provide means for connecting the torque rod in driving engagement with the vehicle body hinge pin within the bushing and independently of the rotatable support of the bushing on the hinge pin . the illustrative examples permit the bushing 90 to be received laterally downwardly over at least a portion of the vehicle body hinge pin when the tailgate 20 is in the removal position . accordingly , the torque rod 30 is twisted in tension when the closure member is pivoted to either the closed or open positions from the removal position . this tension provides a counterbalancing effort to assist with pivotal movement of the tailgate 20 . the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may permit facile removal of the closure member from the vehicle body when the closure member is in the removal position . although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed , a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Fixed Constructions'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Performing Operations; Transporting'? | 0.25 | 53ad2417c8bcf92b2a2bb57b30751fbe3aadc5c3b86ef4514123b11502605367 | 0.007813 | 0.074707 | 0.012451 | 0.007568 | 0.05835 | 0.143555 |
null | referring to fig1 , an example motor vehicle 10 is shown having a vehicle body 12 that includes a rear compartment or bed 14 enclosed by side panels 16 and 18 as well as a tailgate 20 . a counterbalance hinge assembly 22 pivotally supports the tailgate 20 between the side panels 16 and 18 in a manner to be described in greater detail below . the tailgate 20 is pivotally supported between pillars formed by the side panels 16 and 18 . in the example shown , side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 are formed by respective inner and outer panels 24 and 26 of sheet metal joined at the ends by overlapping flanges or the like . in other examples , other materials may be used in constructing the side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 . the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 includes a torque rod 30 , which is linear and aligned along a pivotal axis between the side panels 16 and 18 . the torque rod 30 carries first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 . the first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 enable the torque rod 30 to be secured with respect to the tailgate 20 at one end , and with respect to the side panels 16 and 18 at a second end . in the example shown in fig2 , the first end assembly 32 pivotably supports the tailgate 20 at the left body pillar including inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 forms a left side vehicle hinge pin that includes a pivot member 40 having a cylindrical boss 42 and a mounting stem 44 . the mounting stem 44 secures the pivot member 40 to the vehicle pillar at the inner panel 24 . in one example , the stem 44 may be a square housing received in a square opening in the inner panel 24 of the left side panel 16 , and secured in position by welds , adhesive or other fasteners . in other examples , the stem 44 may include a threaded member that is received in a weld nut 45 mounted on a surface of the inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 receives an end of the torque rod to be secured to the tailgate 20 . this connection includes a bushing 46 , which is pivotally or rotatably received about the cylindrical boss 42 . in one example , the bushing 46 includes a cylindrical receptacle 48 and a stem 50 . the stem 50 includes an exterior configuration that is faceted to be retained in an opening 52 in a tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 . as used herein , a facet refers to any cross - section having at least one surface discontinuity that prevents rotation within a correspondingly shaped , compatible piece . in other examples , the bushing 46 is welded or otherwise attached to the tailgate wall 23 . one example stem 50 is modified or faceted to mount to the tailgate 20 . in another example , the surface of the receptacle 48 may fit in an enlarged opening in the tailgate wall 23 aligned with the pivotal axis and extending through a portion of the tailgate wall 23 . the receptacle 48 , or the stem 50 may be configured exteriorly or otherwise fastened to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and tailgate wall 23 so that the bushing 46 that receives the torque rod pivots with the tailgate 20 . fig3 illustrates an exploded view of the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 of fig2 . the stem 50 includes a chamber 66 that receives an end portion of the torque rod 30 . the end portion is faceted and corresponds to the chamber 66 as shown to lock the bushing 46 to the torque rod 30 . in one example , the torque rod 30 comprises a hexagonal shaft end and the opening 66 is compatibly configured to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and the torque rod end 67 . the second end assembly 34 includes a vehicle hinge pin for pivotally carrying the tailgate 20 adjacent to the right side panel 18 and includes a spriget 70 . the spriget 70 combines a key 78 with a mounting stem 72 for securing the key 78 to the right hand side panel 18 . the mounting stem 72 is received in an opening 76 . a fastener such as nut 77 ( fig2 ) or the like may be used to fasten the stem 72 to the side panel 18 . the key 78 has an elongated shape , the elongated shape being aligned in a direction intermediate the vertical , closed and the horizontal , open positions of the tailgate 20 to define a removal direction along the elongated axis of the key body 78 . the key 78 is received in the slot 83 of a bushing 90 and in the slot 84 of the pivot body 80 . the second end assembly 34 also includes a pivot body 80 having a cylindrical body 82 with a radial slot 84 aligned for reception of the key 78 . the pivot body 80 includes a stem 86 having a chamber 88 adapted to receive and secure the right end 87 of the torque rod 30 . the assembly 34 also includes a bushing 90 which can be mounted within an opening 85 of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 85 . the configuration of the opening 85 may non - rotatably retain the bushing 90 in the inner wall of the tailgate 20 . the bushing 90 may be retained in the opening 85 by a retainer , for example , a snap ring 91 engaged in a groove on the stem 94 . in one example , the stem 86 includes a groove 89 that receives a snap ring 91 at a position adjacent the end of stem 94 . when assembled , the right hand end 87 of the torque rod 30 is retained in a stationary position by the pivot body 80 passing through the bushing 90 mounted in the tailgate 20 . the rigid connection to the body side panel 18 is made by the bracket 74 and spriget 70 as assembled as discussed above . the left hand end 67 of the torque rod 30 is retained by the tailgate wall 23 to move with the tailgate 20 . thus , as the tailgate 20 is moved between the upright , closed position and the horizontal , open position , the torque rod 30 twists . in one example , the unbiased position of the torque rod 30 occurs when the tailgate 20 is aligned with the elongated axis of the key 78 , whereby spring tension is introduced to pivot the tailgate 20 away from the closed position when it is unlatched , and to raise it to the closed position when it has been unlatched from its open position . fig4 is an exploded view of another example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 with demonstrates a modification that eases assembly and repair . the stem 50 of the bushing 46 is correspondingly sized to fit in the opening 85 of a tailgate panel attachment bracket 54 . the attachment bracket 54 may provide the benefit of reinforcing the end panel of the tailgate and simplifying the formation of opening 52 that receives the bushing 46 . rather than trying to form a properly sized and configured opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 , the bracket 54 with opening 85 is placed next to an enlarged opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 . the openings 85 and 56 are aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the tailgate 20 . in one example , an upper flange 58 is bolted to the tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 with a bolt and nut 60 and 62 . in other examples , welds or other fasteners secure the flange 58 . the opening 85 is configured to avoid relative rotation between the stem 50 and the opening 56 such that when assembled , both the installation bracket 54 and the bushing 46 pivot with the tailgate 20 . the bracket 54 includes a releasable engagement clamp 104 on a flange 64 that is angled relative to the flange 58 . the clamp 104 includes a clamp seat 106 raised up through the tailgate wall 23 to align the clamp 104 on the pivotal axis . in the example shown , the bracket 54 includes an offset arm , bent as shown , to provide a raised position for the clamp 104 above the plane of the flange 64 . the seat 106 includes a cavity 108 which is aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the opening 56 and the bushing 46 . a clamping flange 110 includes a recess 112 configured in compliance with the faceted segment of the torque rod 30 such that clamping of the flange 110 against the clamping seat 106 rotationally fixes the torque rod 30 with respect to the bracket 54 , and thus the tailgate 20 . the raising of the clamp 104 to align the axis of the torque rod 30 with the pivotal axis by the raised seat 106 provides room for fasteners , such as the head of a rivet extending through aligned apertures in the seat 106 and the flange 110 . in one example , a single rivet 114 is used to retain one side of the flange 110 with the seat 106 . on the opposite side , the flange 110 includes a weld nut 116 that threadably receives a fastener 118 extending from beneath the seat 106 . the opening 119 in a bracket 96 is aligned with opening 98 , and mounted to the outside of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 carried by the bracket includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 119 . the configuration of the opening 119 rotationally fixes the bushing 90 to the tailgate wall 23 . as a result , the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may provide the benefit of loose assembly , and thus can be positioned before spring tension is applied to the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 . in one example assembly method , brackets 54 and 96 are attached to the tailgate 20 , by welding such that configured openings 85 and 119 align with the openings 52 and 98 in the tailgate wall 23 . this may beneficially enable configured openings 85 and 119 to be preferably sized , shaped and positioned after the tailgate has been manufactured , and overcomes the difficulty of shaping , sizing and aligning the apertures of the original tailgate panel stampings . the fastener 118 is initially installed in a pre - production or fabrication assembly procedure , for example , and left loose for tightening at the assembly plant . at the assembly plant , the entire bracket 54 is secured by welding or other fastening means to the tailgate 20 . an aperture at the bottom of the tailgate receives the clamp 104 of the bracket 54 . the torque rod 30 , carrying pivot body 80 at end 87 , is positioned such that end 67 is inserted through opening 98 to extend across the vehicle body 12 through the tailgate 20 and into the faceted , complementary hole formed by the recesses 112 and 108 . the torque rod 30 is inserted through the bushing 90 , which is already attached to bracket 96 in a prior operation . the fastener 118 is then tightened to provide proper biasing between the vertical , closed and horizontal , open positions . the assembly discussed above provides an assembly for simply removably mounting a closure member between spaced apart body side panels of a vehicle body by using a linear torque rod extending across the tailgate . the assemblies provide means for connecting the torque rod in driving engagement with the vehicle body hinge pin within the bushing and independently of the rotatable support of the bushing on the hinge pin . the illustrative examples permit the bushing 90 to be received laterally downwardly over at least a portion of the vehicle body hinge pin when the tailgate 20 is in the removal position . accordingly , the torque rod 30 is twisted in tension when the closure member is pivoted to either the closed or open positions from the removal position . this tension provides a counterbalancing effort to assist with pivotal movement of the tailgate 20 . the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may permit facile removal of the closure member from the vehicle body when the closure member is in the removal position . although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed , a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention . | Is 'Fixed Constructions' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | 53ad2417c8bcf92b2a2bb57b30751fbe3aadc5c3b86ef4514123b11502605367 | 0.015869 | 0.007111 | 0.014954 | 0.008057 | 0.039063 | 0.007813 |
null | referring to fig1 , an example motor vehicle 10 is shown having a vehicle body 12 that includes a rear compartment or bed 14 enclosed by side panels 16 and 18 as well as a tailgate 20 . a counterbalance hinge assembly 22 pivotally supports the tailgate 20 between the side panels 16 and 18 in a manner to be described in greater detail below . the tailgate 20 is pivotally supported between pillars formed by the side panels 16 and 18 . in the example shown , side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 are formed by respective inner and outer panels 24 and 26 of sheet metal joined at the ends by overlapping flanges or the like . in other examples , other materials may be used in constructing the side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 . the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 includes a torque rod 30 , which is linear and aligned along a pivotal axis between the side panels 16 and 18 . the torque rod 30 carries first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 . the first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 enable the torque rod 30 to be secured with respect to the tailgate 20 at one end , and with respect to the side panels 16 and 18 at a second end . in the example shown in fig2 , the first end assembly 32 pivotably supports the tailgate 20 at the left body pillar including inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 forms a left side vehicle hinge pin that includes a pivot member 40 having a cylindrical boss 42 and a mounting stem 44 . the mounting stem 44 secures the pivot member 40 to the vehicle pillar at the inner panel 24 . in one example , the stem 44 may be a square housing received in a square opening in the inner panel 24 of the left side panel 16 , and secured in position by welds , adhesive or other fasteners . in other examples , the stem 44 may include a threaded member that is received in a weld nut 45 mounted on a surface of the inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 receives an end of the torque rod to be secured to the tailgate 20 . this connection includes a bushing 46 , which is pivotally or rotatably received about the cylindrical boss 42 . in one example , the bushing 46 includes a cylindrical receptacle 48 and a stem 50 . the stem 50 includes an exterior configuration that is faceted to be retained in an opening 52 in a tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 . as used herein , a facet refers to any cross - section having at least one surface discontinuity that prevents rotation within a correspondingly shaped , compatible piece . in other examples , the bushing 46 is welded or otherwise attached to the tailgate wall 23 . one example stem 50 is modified or faceted to mount to the tailgate 20 . in another example , the surface of the receptacle 48 may fit in an enlarged opening in the tailgate wall 23 aligned with the pivotal axis and extending through a portion of the tailgate wall 23 . the receptacle 48 , or the stem 50 may be configured exteriorly or otherwise fastened to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and tailgate wall 23 so that the bushing 46 that receives the torque rod pivots with the tailgate 20 . fig3 illustrates an exploded view of the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 of fig2 . the stem 50 includes a chamber 66 that receives an end portion of the torque rod 30 . the end portion is faceted and corresponds to the chamber 66 as shown to lock the bushing 46 to the torque rod 30 . in one example , the torque rod 30 comprises a hexagonal shaft end and the opening 66 is compatibly configured to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and the torque rod end 67 . the second end assembly 34 includes a vehicle hinge pin for pivotally carrying the tailgate 20 adjacent to the right side panel 18 and includes a spriget 70 . the spriget 70 combines a key 78 with a mounting stem 72 for securing the key 78 to the right hand side panel 18 . the mounting stem 72 is received in an opening 76 . a fastener such as nut 77 ( fig2 ) or the like may be used to fasten the stem 72 to the side panel 18 . the key 78 has an elongated shape , the elongated shape being aligned in a direction intermediate the vertical , closed and the horizontal , open positions of the tailgate 20 to define a removal direction along the elongated axis of the key body 78 . the key 78 is received in the slot 83 of a bushing 90 and in the slot 84 of the pivot body 80 . the second end assembly 34 also includes a pivot body 80 having a cylindrical body 82 with a radial slot 84 aligned for reception of the key 78 . the pivot body 80 includes a stem 86 having a chamber 88 adapted to receive and secure the right end 87 of the torque rod 30 . the assembly 34 also includes a bushing 90 which can be mounted within an opening 85 of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 85 . the configuration of the opening 85 may non - rotatably retain the bushing 90 in the inner wall of the tailgate 20 . the bushing 90 may be retained in the opening 85 by a retainer , for example , a snap ring 91 engaged in a groove on the stem 94 . in one example , the stem 86 includes a groove 89 that receives a snap ring 91 at a position adjacent the end of stem 94 . when assembled , the right hand end 87 of the torque rod 30 is retained in a stationary position by the pivot body 80 passing through the bushing 90 mounted in the tailgate 20 . the rigid connection to the body side panel 18 is made by the bracket 74 and spriget 70 as assembled as discussed above . the left hand end 67 of the torque rod 30 is retained by the tailgate wall 23 to move with the tailgate 20 . thus , as the tailgate 20 is moved between the upright , closed position and the horizontal , open position , the torque rod 30 twists . in one example , the unbiased position of the torque rod 30 occurs when the tailgate 20 is aligned with the elongated axis of the key 78 , whereby spring tension is introduced to pivot the tailgate 20 away from the closed position when it is unlatched , and to raise it to the closed position when it has been unlatched from its open position . fig4 is an exploded view of another example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 with demonstrates a modification that eases assembly and repair . the stem 50 of the bushing 46 is correspondingly sized to fit in the opening 85 of a tailgate panel attachment bracket 54 . the attachment bracket 54 may provide the benefit of reinforcing the end panel of the tailgate and simplifying the formation of opening 52 that receives the bushing 46 . rather than trying to form a properly sized and configured opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 , the bracket 54 with opening 85 is placed next to an enlarged opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 . the openings 85 and 56 are aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the tailgate 20 . in one example , an upper flange 58 is bolted to the tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 with a bolt and nut 60 and 62 . in other examples , welds or other fasteners secure the flange 58 . the opening 85 is configured to avoid relative rotation between the stem 50 and the opening 56 such that when assembled , both the installation bracket 54 and the bushing 46 pivot with the tailgate 20 . the bracket 54 includes a releasable engagement clamp 104 on a flange 64 that is angled relative to the flange 58 . the clamp 104 includes a clamp seat 106 raised up through the tailgate wall 23 to align the clamp 104 on the pivotal axis . in the example shown , the bracket 54 includes an offset arm , bent as shown , to provide a raised position for the clamp 104 above the plane of the flange 64 . the seat 106 includes a cavity 108 which is aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the opening 56 and the bushing 46 . a clamping flange 110 includes a recess 112 configured in compliance with the faceted segment of the torque rod 30 such that clamping of the flange 110 against the clamping seat 106 rotationally fixes the torque rod 30 with respect to the bracket 54 , and thus the tailgate 20 . the raising of the clamp 104 to align the axis of the torque rod 30 with the pivotal axis by the raised seat 106 provides room for fasteners , such as the head of a rivet extending through aligned apertures in the seat 106 and the flange 110 . in one example , a single rivet 114 is used to retain one side of the flange 110 with the seat 106 . on the opposite side , the flange 110 includes a weld nut 116 that threadably receives a fastener 118 extending from beneath the seat 106 . the opening 119 in a bracket 96 is aligned with opening 98 , and mounted to the outside of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 carried by the bracket includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 119 . the configuration of the opening 119 rotationally fixes the bushing 90 to the tailgate wall 23 . as a result , the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may provide the benefit of loose assembly , and thus can be positioned before spring tension is applied to the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 . in one example assembly method , brackets 54 and 96 are attached to the tailgate 20 , by welding such that configured openings 85 and 119 align with the openings 52 and 98 in the tailgate wall 23 . this may beneficially enable configured openings 85 and 119 to be preferably sized , shaped and positioned after the tailgate has been manufactured , and overcomes the difficulty of shaping , sizing and aligning the apertures of the original tailgate panel stampings . the fastener 118 is initially installed in a pre - production or fabrication assembly procedure , for example , and left loose for tightening at the assembly plant . at the assembly plant , the entire bracket 54 is secured by welding or other fastening means to the tailgate 20 . an aperture at the bottom of the tailgate receives the clamp 104 of the bracket 54 . the torque rod 30 , carrying pivot body 80 at end 87 , is positioned such that end 67 is inserted through opening 98 to extend across the vehicle body 12 through the tailgate 20 and into the faceted , complementary hole formed by the recesses 112 and 108 . the torque rod 30 is inserted through the bushing 90 , which is already attached to bracket 96 in a prior operation . the fastener 118 is then tightened to provide proper biasing between the vertical , closed and horizontal , open positions . the assembly discussed above provides an assembly for simply removably mounting a closure member between spaced apart body side panels of a vehicle body by using a linear torque rod extending across the tailgate . the assemblies provide means for connecting the torque rod in driving engagement with the vehicle body hinge pin within the bushing and independently of the rotatable support of the bushing on the hinge pin . the illustrative examples permit the bushing 90 to be received laterally downwardly over at least a portion of the vehicle body hinge pin when the tailgate 20 is in the removal position . accordingly , the torque rod 30 is twisted in tension when the closure member is pivoted to either the closed or open positions from the removal position . this tension provides a counterbalancing effort to assist with pivotal movement of the tailgate 20 . the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may permit facile removal of the closure member from the vehicle body when the closure member is in the removal position . although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed , a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | Is 'Textiles; Paper' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 53ad2417c8bcf92b2a2bb57b30751fbe3aadc5c3b86ef4514123b11502605367 | 0.009399 | 0.00038 | 0.022339 | 0.000116 | 0.046143 | 0.005554 |
null | referring to fig1 , an example motor vehicle 10 is shown having a vehicle body 12 that includes a rear compartment or bed 14 enclosed by side panels 16 and 18 as well as a tailgate 20 . a counterbalance hinge assembly 22 pivotally supports the tailgate 20 between the side panels 16 and 18 in a manner to be described in greater detail below . the tailgate 20 is pivotally supported between pillars formed by the side panels 16 and 18 . in the example shown , side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 are formed by respective inner and outer panels 24 and 26 of sheet metal joined at the ends by overlapping flanges or the like . in other examples , other materials may be used in constructing the side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 . the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 includes a torque rod 30 , which is linear and aligned along a pivotal axis between the side panels 16 and 18 . the torque rod 30 carries first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 . the first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 enable the torque rod 30 to be secured with respect to the tailgate 20 at one end , and with respect to the side panels 16 and 18 at a second end . in the example shown in fig2 , the first end assembly 32 pivotably supports the tailgate 20 at the left body pillar including inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 forms a left side vehicle hinge pin that includes a pivot member 40 having a cylindrical boss 42 and a mounting stem 44 . the mounting stem 44 secures the pivot member 40 to the vehicle pillar at the inner panel 24 . in one example , the stem 44 may be a square housing received in a square opening in the inner panel 24 of the left side panel 16 , and secured in position by welds , adhesive or other fasteners . in other examples , the stem 44 may include a threaded member that is received in a weld nut 45 mounted on a surface of the inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 receives an end of the torque rod to be secured to the tailgate 20 . this connection includes a bushing 46 , which is pivotally or rotatably received about the cylindrical boss 42 . in one example , the bushing 46 includes a cylindrical receptacle 48 and a stem 50 . the stem 50 includes an exterior configuration that is faceted to be retained in an opening 52 in a tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 . as used herein , a facet refers to any cross - section having at least one surface discontinuity that prevents rotation within a correspondingly shaped , compatible piece . in other examples , the bushing 46 is welded or otherwise attached to the tailgate wall 23 . one example stem 50 is modified or faceted to mount to the tailgate 20 . in another example , the surface of the receptacle 48 may fit in an enlarged opening in the tailgate wall 23 aligned with the pivotal axis and extending through a portion of the tailgate wall 23 . the receptacle 48 , or the stem 50 may be configured exteriorly or otherwise fastened to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and tailgate wall 23 so that the bushing 46 that receives the torque rod pivots with the tailgate 20 . fig3 illustrates an exploded view of the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 of fig2 . the stem 50 includes a chamber 66 that receives an end portion of the torque rod 30 . the end portion is faceted and corresponds to the chamber 66 as shown to lock the bushing 46 to the torque rod 30 . in one example , the torque rod 30 comprises a hexagonal shaft end and the opening 66 is compatibly configured to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and the torque rod end 67 . the second end assembly 34 includes a vehicle hinge pin for pivotally carrying the tailgate 20 adjacent to the right side panel 18 and includes a spriget 70 . the spriget 70 combines a key 78 with a mounting stem 72 for securing the key 78 to the right hand side panel 18 . the mounting stem 72 is received in an opening 76 . a fastener such as nut 77 ( fig2 ) or the like may be used to fasten the stem 72 to the side panel 18 . the key 78 has an elongated shape , the elongated shape being aligned in a direction intermediate the vertical , closed and the horizontal , open positions of the tailgate 20 to define a removal direction along the elongated axis of the key body 78 . the key 78 is received in the slot 83 of a bushing 90 and in the slot 84 of the pivot body 80 . the second end assembly 34 also includes a pivot body 80 having a cylindrical body 82 with a radial slot 84 aligned for reception of the key 78 . the pivot body 80 includes a stem 86 having a chamber 88 adapted to receive and secure the right end 87 of the torque rod 30 . the assembly 34 also includes a bushing 90 which can be mounted within an opening 85 of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 85 . the configuration of the opening 85 may non - rotatably retain the bushing 90 in the inner wall of the tailgate 20 . the bushing 90 may be retained in the opening 85 by a retainer , for example , a snap ring 91 engaged in a groove on the stem 94 . in one example , the stem 86 includes a groove 89 that receives a snap ring 91 at a position adjacent the end of stem 94 . when assembled , the right hand end 87 of the torque rod 30 is retained in a stationary position by the pivot body 80 passing through the bushing 90 mounted in the tailgate 20 . the rigid connection to the body side panel 18 is made by the bracket 74 and spriget 70 as assembled as discussed above . the left hand end 67 of the torque rod 30 is retained by the tailgate wall 23 to move with the tailgate 20 . thus , as the tailgate 20 is moved between the upright , closed position and the horizontal , open position , the torque rod 30 twists . in one example , the unbiased position of the torque rod 30 occurs when the tailgate 20 is aligned with the elongated axis of the key 78 , whereby spring tension is introduced to pivot the tailgate 20 away from the closed position when it is unlatched , and to raise it to the closed position when it has been unlatched from its open position . fig4 is an exploded view of another example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 with demonstrates a modification that eases assembly and repair . the stem 50 of the bushing 46 is correspondingly sized to fit in the opening 85 of a tailgate panel attachment bracket 54 . the attachment bracket 54 may provide the benefit of reinforcing the end panel of the tailgate and simplifying the formation of opening 52 that receives the bushing 46 . rather than trying to form a properly sized and configured opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 , the bracket 54 with opening 85 is placed next to an enlarged opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 . the openings 85 and 56 are aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the tailgate 20 . in one example , an upper flange 58 is bolted to the tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 with a bolt and nut 60 and 62 . in other examples , welds or other fasteners secure the flange 58 . the opening 85 is configured to avoid relative rotation between the stem 50 and the opening 56 such that when assembled , both the installation bracket 54 and the bushing 46 pivot with the tailgate 20 . the bracket 54 includes a releasable engagement clamp 104 on a flange 64 that is angled relative to the flange 58 . the clamp 104 includes a clamp seat 106 raised up through the tailgate wall 23 to align the clamp 104 on the pivotal axis . in the example shown , the bracket 54 includes an offset arm , bent as shown , to provide a raised position for the clamp 104 above the plane of the flange 64 . the seat 106 includes a cavity 108 which is aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the opening 56 and the bushing 46 . a clamping flange 110 includes a recess 112 configured in compliance with the faceted segment of the torque rod 30 such that clamping of the flange 110 against the clamping seat 106 rotationally fixes the torque rod 30 with respect to the bracket 54 , and thus the tailgate 20 . the raising of the clamp 104 to align the axis of the torque rod 30 with the pivotal axis by the raised seat 106 provides room for fasteners , such as the head of a rivet extending through aligned apertures in the seat 106 and the flange 110 . in one example , a single rivet 114 is used to retain one side of the flange 110 with the seat 106 . on the opposite side , the flange 110 includes a weld nut 116 that threadably receives a fastener 118 extending from beneath the seat 106 . the opening 119 in a bracket 96 is aligned with opening 98 , and mounted to the outside of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 carried by the bracket includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 119 . the configuration of the opening 119 rotationally fixes the bushing 90 to the tailgate wall 23 . as a result , the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may provide the benefit of loose assembly , and thus can be positioned before spring tension is applied to the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 . in one example assembly method , brackets 54 and 96 are attached to the tailgate 20 , by welding such that configured openings 85 and 119 align with the openings 52 and 98 in the tailgate wall 23 . this may beneficially enable configured openings 85 and 119 to be preferably sized , shaped and positioned after the tailgate has been manufactured , and overcomes the difficulty of shaping , sizing and aligning the apertures of the original tailgate panel stampings . the fastener 118 is initially installed in a pre - production or fabrication assembly procedure , for example , and left loose for tightening at the assembly plant . at the assembly plant , the entire bracket 54 is secured by welding or other fastening means to the tailgate 20 . an aperture at the bottom of the tailgate receives the clamp 104 of the bracket 54 . the torque rod 30 , carrying pivot body 80 at end 87 , is positioned such that end 67 is inserted through opening 98 to extend across the vehicle body 12 through the tailgate 20 and into the faceted , complementary hole formed by the recesses 112 and 108 . the torque rod 30 is inserted through the bushing 90 , which is already attached to bracket 96 in a prior operation . the fastener 118 is then tightened to provide proper biasing between the vertical , closed and horizontal , open positions . the assembly discussed above provides an assembly for simply removably mounting a closure member between spaced apart body side panels of a vehicle body by using a linear torque rod extending across the tailgate . the assemblies provide means for connecting the torque rod in driving engagement with the vehicle body hinge pin within the bushing and independently of the rotatable support of the bushing on the hinge pin . the illustrative examples permit the bushing 90 to be received laterally downwardly over at least a portion of the vehicle body hinge pin when the tailgate 20 is in the removal position . accordingly , the torque rod 30 is twisted in tension when the closure member is pivoted to either the closed or open positions from the removal position . this tension provides a counterbalancing effort to assist with pivotal movement of the tailgate 20 . the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may permit facile removal of the closure member from the vehicle body when the closure member is in the removal position . although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed , a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Fixed Constructions'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | 0.25 | 53ad2417c8bcf92b2a2bb57b30751fbe3aadc5c3b86ef4514123b11502605367 | 0.007813 | 0.000504 | 0.012451 | 0.000778 | 0.05835 | 0.014038 |
null | referring to fig1 , an example motor vehicle 10 is shown having a vehicle body 12 that includes a rear compartment or bed 14 enclosed by side panels 16 and 18 as well as a tailgate 20 . a counterbalance hinge assembly 22 pivotally supports the tailgate 20 between the side panels 16 and 18 in a manner to be described in greater detail below . the tailgate 20 is pivotally supported between pillars formed by the side panels 16 and 18 . in the example shown , side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 are formed by respective inner and outer panels 24 and 26 of sheet metal joined at the ends by overlapping flanges or the like . in other examples , other materials may be used in constructing the side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 . the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 includes a torque rod 30 , which is linear and aligned along a pivotal axis between the side panels 16 and 18 . the torque rod 30 carries first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 . the first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 enable the torque rod 30 to be secured with respect to the tailgate 20 at one end , and with respect to the side panels 16 and 18 at a second end . in the example shown in fig2 , the first end assembly 32 pivotably supports the tailgate 20 at the left body pillar including inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 forms a left side vehicle hinge pin that includes a pivot member 40 having a cylindrical boss 42 and a mounting stem 44 . the mounting stem 44 secures the pivot member 40 to the vehicle pillar at the inner panel 24 . in one example , the stem 44 may be a square housing received in a square opening in the inner panel 24 of the left side panel 16 , and secured in position by welds , adhesive or other fasteners . in other examples , the stem 44 may include a threaded member that is received in a weld nut 45 mounted on a surface of the inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 receives an end of the torque rod to be secured to the tailgate 20 . this connection includes a bushing 46 , which is pivotally or rotatably received about the cylindrical boss 42 . in one example , the bushing 46 includes a cylindrical receptacle 48 and a stem 50 . the stem 50 includes an exterior configuration that is faceted to be retained in an opening 52 in a tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 . as used herein , a facet refers to any cross - section having at least one surface discontinuity that prevents rotation within a correspondingly shaped , compatible piece . in other examples , the bushing 46 is welded or otherwise attached to the tailgate wall 23 . one example stem 50 is modified or faceted to mount to the tailgate 20 . in another example , the surface of the receptacle 48 may fit in an enlarged opening in the tailgate wall 23 aligned with the pivotal axis and extending through a portion of the tailgate wall 23 . the receptacle 48 , or the stem 50 may be configured exteriorly or otherwise fastened to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and tailgate wall 23 so that the bushing 46 that receives the torque rod pivots with the tailgate 20 . fig3 illustrates an exploded view of the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 of fig2 . the stem 50 includes a chamber 66 that receives an end portion of the torque rod 30 . the end portion is faceted and corresponds to the chamber 66 as shown to lock the bushing 46 to the torque rod 30 . in one example , the torque rod 30 comprises a hexagonal shaft end and the opening 66 is compatibly configured to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and the torque rod end 67 . the second end assembly 34 includes a vehicle hinge pin for pivotally carrying the tailgate 20 adjacent to the right side panel 18 and includes a spriget 70 . the spriget 70 combines a key 78 with a mounting stem 72 for securing the key 78 to the right hand side panel 18 . the mounting stem 72 is received in an opening 76 . a fastener such as nut 77 ( fig2 ) or the like may be used to fasten the stem 72 to the side panel 18 . the key 78 has an elongated shape , the elongated shape being aligned in a direction intermediate the vertical , closed and the horizontal , open positions of the tailgate 20 to define a removal direction along the elongated axis of the key body 78 . the key 78 is received in the slot 83 of a bushing 90 and in the slot 84 of the pivot body 80 . the second end assembly 34 also includes a pivot body 80 having a cylindrical body 82 with a radial slot 84 aligned for reception of the key 78 . the pivot body 80 includes a stem 86 having a chamber 88 adapted to receive and secure the right end 87 of the torque rod 30 . the assembly 34 also includes a bushing 90 which can be mounted within an opening 85 of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 85 . the configuration of the opening 85 may non - rotatably retain the bushing 90 in the inner wall of the tailgate 20 . the bushing 90 may be retained in the opening 85 by a retainer , for example , a snap ring 91 engaged in a groove on the stem 94 . in one example , the stem 86 includes a groove 89 that receives a snap ring 91 at a position adjacent the end of stem 94 . when assembled , the right hand end 87 of the torque rod 30 is retained in a stationary position by the pivot body 80 passing through the bushing 90 mounted in the tailgate 20 . the rigid connection to the body side panel 18 is made by the bracket 74 and spriget 70 as assembled as discussed above . the left hand end 67 of the torque rod 30 is retained by the tailgate wall 23 to move with the tailgate 20 . thus , as the tailgate 20 is moved between the upright , closed position and the horizontal , open position , the torque rod 30 twists . in one example , the unbiased position of the torque rod 30 occurs when the tailgate 20 is aligned with the elongated axis of the key 78 , whereby spring tension is introduced to pivot the tailgate 20 away from the closed position when it is unlatched , and to raise it to the closed position when it has been unlatched from its open position . fig4 is an exploded view of another example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 with demonstrates a modification that eases assembly and repair . the stem 50 of the bushing 46 is correspondingly sized to fit in the opening 85 of a tailgate panel attachment bracket 54 . the attachment bracket 54 may provide the benefit of reinforcing the end panel of the tailgate and simplifying the formation of opening 52 that receives the bushing 46 . rather than trying to form a properly sized and configured opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 , the bracket 54 with opening 85 is placed next to an enlarged opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 . the openings 85 and 56 are aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the tailgate 20 . in one example , an upper flange 58 is bolted to the tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 with a bolt and nut 60 and 62 . in other examples , welds or other fasteners secure the flange 58 . the opening 85 is configured to avoid relative rotation between the stem 50 and the opening 56 such that when assembled , both the installation bracket 54 and the bushing 46 pivot with the tailgate 20 . the bracket 54 includes a releasable engagement clamp 104 on a flange 64 that is angled relative to the flange 58 . the clamp 104 includes a clamp seat 106 raised up through the tailgate wall 23 to align the clamp 104 on the pivotal axis . in the example shown , the bracket 54 includes an offset arm , bent as shown , to provide a raised position for the clamp 104 above the plane of the flange 64 . the seat 106 includes a cavity 108 which is aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the opening 56 and the bushing 46 . a clamping flange 110 includes a recess 112 configured in compliance with the faceted segment of the torque rod 30 such that clamping of the flange 110 against the clamping seat 106 rotationally fixes the torque rod 30 with respect to the bracket 54 , and thus the tailgate 20 . the raising of the clamp 104 to align the axis of the torque rod 30 with the pivotal axis by the raised seat 106 provides room for fasteners , such as the head of a rivet extending through aligned apertures in the seat 106 and the flange 110 . in one example , a single rivet 114 is used to retain one side of the flange 110 with the seat 106 . on the opposite side , the flange 110 includes a weld nut 116 that threadably receives a fastener 118 extending from beneath the seat 106 . the opening 119 in a bracket 96 is aligned with opening 98 , and mounted to the outside of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 carried by the bracket includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 119 . the configuration of the opening 119 rotationally fixes the bushing 90 to the tailgate wall 23 . as a result , the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may provide the benefit of loose assembly , and thus can be positioned before spring tension is applied to the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 . in one example assembly method , brackets 54 and 96 are attached to the tailgate 20 , by welding such that configured openings 85 and 119 align with the openings 52 and 98 in the tailgate wall 23 . this may beneficially enable configured openings 85 and 119 to be preferably sized , shaped and positioned after the tailgate has been manufactured , and overcomes the difficulty of shaping , sizing and aligning the apertures of the original tailgate panel stampings . the fastener 118 is initially installed in a pre - production or fabrication assembly procedure , for example , and left loose for tightening at the assembly plant . at the assembly plant , the entire bracket 54 is secured by welding or other fastening means to the tailgate 20 . an aperture at the bottom of the tailgate receives the clamp 104 of the bracket 54 . the torque rod 30 , carrying pivot body 80 at end 87 , is positioned such that end 67 is inserted through opening 98 to extend across the vehicle body 12 through the tailgate 20 and into the faceted , complementary hole formed by the recesses 112 and 108 . the torque rod 30 is inserted through the bushing 90 , which is already attached to bracket 96 in a prior operation . the fastener 118 is then tightened to provide proper biasing between the vertical , closed and horizontal , open positions . the assembly discussed above provides an assembly for simply removably mounting a closure member between spaced apart body side panels of a vehicle body by using a linear torque rod extending across the tailgate . the assemblies provide means for connecting the torque rod in driving engagement with the vehicle body hinge pin within the bushing and independently of the rotatable support of the bushing on the hinge pin . the illustrative examples permit the bushing 90 to be received laterally downwardly over at least a portion of the vehicle body hinge pin when the tailgate 20 is in the removal position . accordingly , the torque rod 30 is twisted in tension when the closure member is pivoted to either the closed or open positions from the removal position . this tension provides a counterbalancing effort to assist with pivotal movement of the tailgate 20 . the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may permit facile removal of the closure member from the vehicle body when the closure member is in the removal position . although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed , a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Fixed Constructions'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Physics'? | 0.25 | 53ad2417c8bcf92b2a2bb57b30751fbe3aadc5c3b86ef4514123b11502605367 | 0.007813 | 0.135742 | 0.012451 | 0.078125 | 0.05835 | 0.106934 |
null | referring to fig1 , an example motor vehicle 10 is shown having a vehicle body 12 that includes a rear compartment or bed 14 enclosed by side panels 16 and 18 as well as a tailgate 20 . a counterbalance hinge assembly 22 pivotally supports the tailgate 20 between the side panels 16 and 18 in a manner to be described in greater detail below . the tailgate 20 is pivotally supported between pillars formed by the side panels 16 and 18 . in the example shown , side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 are formed by respective inner and outer panels 24 and 26 of sheet metal joined at the ends by overlapping flanges or the like . in other examples , other materials may be used in constructing the side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 . the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 includes a torque rod 30 , which is linear and aligned along a pivotal axis between the side panels 16 and 18 . the torque rod 30 carries first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 . the first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 enable the torque rod 30 to be secured with respect to the tailgate 20 at one end , and with respect to the side panels 16 and 18 at a second end . in the example shown in fig2 , the first end assembly 32 pivotably supports the tailgate 20 at the left body pillar including inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 forms a left side vehicle hinge pin that includes a pivot member 40 having a cylindrical boss 42 and a mounting stem 44 . the mounting stem 44 secures the pivot member 40 to the vehicle pillar at the inner panel 24 . in one example , the stem 44 may be a square housing received in a square opening in the inner panel 24 of the left side panel 16 , and secured in position by welds , adhesive or other fasteners . in other examples , the stem 44 may include a threaded member that is received in a weld nut 45 mounted on a surface of the inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 receives an end of the torque rod to be secured to the tailgate 20 . this connection includes a bushing 46 , which is pivotally or rotatably received about the cylindrical boss 42 . in one example , the bushing 46 includes a cylindrical receptacle 48 and a stem 50 . the stem 50 includes an exterior configuration that is faceted to be retained in an opening 52 in a tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 . as used herein , a facet refers to any cross - section having at least one surface discontinuity that prevents rotation within a correspondingly shaped , compatible piece . in other examples , the bushing 46 is welded or otherwise attached to the tailgate wall 23 . one example stem 50 is modified or faceted to mount to the tailgate 20 . in another example , the surface of the receptacle 48 may fit in an enlarged opening in the tailgate wall 23 aligned with the pivotal axis and extending through a portion of the tailgate wall 23 . the receptacle 48 , or the stem 50 may be configured exteriorly or otherwise fastened to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and tailgate wall 23 so that the bushing 46 that receives the torque rod pivots with the tailgate 20 . fig3 illustrates an exploded view of the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 of fig2 . the stem 50 includes a chamber 66 that receives an end portion of the torque rod 30 . the end portion is faceted and corresponds to the chamber 66 as shown to lock the bushing 46 to the torque rod 30 . in one example , the torque rod 30 comprises a hexagonal shaft end and the opening 66 is compatibly configured to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and the torque rod end 67 . the second end assembly 34 includes a vehicle hinge pin for pivotally carrying the tailgate 20 adjacent to the right side panel 18 and includes a spriget 70 . the spriget 70 combines a key 78 with a mounting stem 72 for securing the key 78 to the right hand side panel 18 . the mounting stem 72 is received in an opening 76 . a fastener such as nut 77 ( fig2 ) or the like may be used to fasten the stem 72 to the side panel 18 . the key 78 has an elongated shape , the elongated shape being aligned in a direction intermediate the vertical , closed and the horizontal , open positions of the tailgate 20 to define a removal direction along the elongated axis of the key body 78 . the key 78 is received in the slot 83 of a bushing 90 and in the slot 84 of the pivot body 80 . the second end assembly 34 also includes a pivot body 80 having a cylindrical body 82 with a radial slot 84 aligned for reception of the key 78 . the pivot body 80 includes a stem 86 having a chamber 88 adapted to receive and secure the right end 87 of the torque rod 30 . the assembly 34 also includes a bushing 90 which can be mounted within an opening 85 of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 85 . the configuration of the opening 85 may non - rotatably retain the bushing 90 in the inner wall of the tailgate 20 . the bushing 90 may be retained in the opening 85 by a retainer , for example , a snap ring 91 engaged in a groove on the stem 94 . in one example , the stem 86 includes a groove 89 that receives a snap ring 91 at a position adjacent the end of stem 94 . when assembled , the right hand end 87 of the torque rod 30 is retained in a stationary position by the pivot body 80 passing through the bushing 90 mounted in the tailgate 20 . the rigid connection to the body side panel 18 is made by the bracket 74 and spriget 70 as assembled as discussed above . the left hand end 67 of the torque rod 30 is retained by the tailgate wall 23 to move with the tailgate 20 . thus , as the tailgate 20 is moved between the upright , closed position and the horizontal , open position , the torque rod 30 twists . in one example , the unbiased position of the torque rod 30 occurs when the tailgate 20 is aligned with the elongated axis of the key 78 , whereby spring tension is introduced to pivot the tailgate 20 away from the closed position when it is unlatched , and to raise it to the closed position when it has been unlatched from its open position . fig4 is an exploded view of another example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 with demonstrates a modification that eases assembly and repair . the stem 50 of the bushing 46 is correspondingly sized to fit in the opening 85 of a tailgate panel attachment bracket 54 . the attachment bracket 54 may provide the benefit of reinforcing the end panel of the tailgate and simplifying the formation of opening 52 that receives the bushing 46 . rather than trying to form a properly sized and configured opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 , the bracket 54 with opening 85 is placed next to an enlarged opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 . the openings 85 and 56 are aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the tailgate 20 . in one example , an upper flange 58 is bolted to the tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 with a bolt and nut 60 and 62 . in other examples , welds or other fasteners secure the flange 58 . the opening 85 is configured to avoid relative rotation between the stem 50 and the opening 56 such that when assembled , both the installation bracket 54 and the bushing 46 pivot with the tailgate 20 . the bracket 54 includes a releasable engagement clamp 104 on a flange 64 that is angled relative to the flange 58 . the clamp 104 includes a clamp seat 106 raised up through the tailgate wall 23 to align the clamp 104 on the pivotal axis . in the example shown , the bracket 54 includes an offset arm , bent as shown , to provide a raised position for the clamp 104 above the plane of the flange 64 . the seat 106 includes a cavity 108 which is aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the opening 56 and the bushing 46 . a clamping flange 110 includes a recess 112 configured in compliance with the faceted segment of the torque rod 30 such that clamping of the flange 110 against the clamping seat 106 rotationally fixes the torque rod 30 with respect to the bracket 54 , and thus the tailgate 20 . the raising of the clamp 104 to align the axis of the torque rod 30 with the pivotal axis by the raised seat 106 provides room for fasteners , such as the head of a rivet extending through aligned apertures in the seat 106 and the flange 110 . in one example , a single rivet 114 is used to retain one side of the flange 110 with the seat 106 . on the opposite side , the flange 110 includes a weld nut 116 that threadably receives a fastener 118 extending from beneath the seat 106 . the opening 119 in a bracket 96 is aligned with opening 98 , and mounted to the outside of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 carried by the bracket includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 119 . the configuration of the opening 119 rotationally fixes the bushing 90 to the tailgate wall 23 . as a result , the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may provide the benefit of loose assembly , and thus can be positioned before spring tension is applied to the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 . in one example assembly method , brackets 54 and 96 are attached to the tailgate 20 , by welding such that configured openings 85 and 119 align with the openings 52 and 98 in the tailgate wall 23 . this may beneficially enable configured openings 85 and 119 to be preferably sized , shaped and positioned after the tailgate has been manufactured , and overcomes the difficulty of shaping , sizing and aligning the apertures of the original tailgate panel stampings . the fastener 118 is initially installed in a pre - production or fabrication assembly procedure , for example , and left loose for tightening at the assembly plant . at the assembly plant , the entire bracket 54 is secured by welding or other fastening means to the tailgate 20 . an aperture at the bottom of the tailgate receives the clamp 104 of the bracket 54 . the torque rod 30 , carrying pivot body 80 at end 87 , is positioned such that end 67 is inserted through opening 98 to extend across the vehicle body 12 through the tailgate 20 and into the faceted , complementary hole formed by the recesses 112 and 108 . the torque rod 30 is inserted through the bushing 90 , which is already attached to bracket 96 in a prior operation . the fastener 118 is then tightened to provide proper biasing between the vertical , closed and horizontal , open positions . the assembly discussed above provides an assembly for simply removably mounting a closure member between spaced apart body side panels of a vehicle body by using a linear torque rod extending across the tailgate . the assemblies provide means for connecting the torque rod in driving engagement with the vehicle body hinge pin within the bushing and independently of the rotatable support of the bushing on the hinge pin . the illustrative examples permit the bushing 90 to be received laterally downwardly over at least a portion of the vehicle body hinge pin when the tailgate 20 is in the removal position . accordingly , the torque rod 30 is twisted in tension when the closure member is pivoted to either the closed or open positions from the removal position . this tension provides a counterbalancing effort to assist with pivotal movement of the tailgate 20 . the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may permit facile removal of the closure member from the vehicle body when the closure member is in the removal position . although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed , a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention . | Should this patent be classified under 'Fixed Constructions'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Electricity'? | 0.25 | 53ad2417c8bcf92b2a2bb57b30751fbe3aadc5c3b86ef4514123b11502605367 | 0.002258 | 0.001068 | 0.003479 | 0.000179 | 0.014954 | 0.00007 |
null | referring to fig1 , an example motor vehicle 10 is shown having a vehicle body 12 that includes a rear compartment or bed 14 enclosed by side panels 16 and 18 as well as a tailgate 20 . a counterbalance hinge assembly 22 pivotally supports the tailgate 20 between the side panels 16 and 18 in a manner to be described in greater detail below . the tailgate 20 is pivotally supported between pillars formed by the side panels 16 and 18 . in the example shown , side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 are formed by respective inner and outer panels 24 and 26 of sheet metal joined at the ends by overlapping flanges or the like . in other examples , other materials may be used in constructing the side panels 16 and 18 and the tailgate 20 . the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 includes a torque rod 30 , which is linear and aligned along a pivotal axis between the side panels 16 and 18 . the torque rod 30 carries first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 . the first and second end assemblies 32 and 34 enable the torque rod 30 to be secured with respect to the tailgate 20 at one end , and with respect to the side panels 16 and 18 at a second end . in the example shown in fig2 , the first end assembly 32 pivotably supports the tailgate 20 at the left body pillar including inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 forms a left side vehicle hinge pin that includes a pivot member 40 having a cylindrical boss 42 and a mounting stem 44 . the mounting stem 44 secures the pivot member 40 to the vehicle pillar at the inner panel 24 . in one example , the stem 44 may be a square housing received in a square opening in the inner panel 24 of the left side panel 16 , and secured in position by welds , adhesive or other fasteners . in other examples , the stem 44 may include a threaded member that is received in a weld nut 45 mounted on a surface of the inner panel 24 . the first end assembly 32 receives an end of the torque rod to be secured to the tailgate 20 . this connection includes a bushing 46 , which is pivotally or rotatably received about the cylindrical boss 42 . in one example , the bushing 46 includes a cylindrical receptacle 48 and a stem 50 . the stem 50 includes an exterior configuration that is faceted to be retained in an opening 52 in a tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 . as used herein , a facet refers to any cross - section having at least one surface discontinuity that prevents rotation within a correspondingly shaped , compatible piece . in other examples , the bushing 46 is welded or otherwise attached to the tailgate wall 23 . one example stem 50 is modified or faceted to mount to the tailgate 20 . in another example , the surface of the receptacle 48 may fit in an enlarged opening in the tailgate wall 23 aligned with the pivotal axis and extending through a portion of the tailgate wall 23 . the receptacle 48 , or the stem 50 may be configured exteriorly or otherwise fastened to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and tailgate wall 23 so that the bushing 46 that receives the torque rod pivots with the tailgate 20 . fig3 illustrates an exploded view of the example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 of fig2 . the stem 50 includes a chamber 66 that receives an end portion of the torque rod 30 . the end portion is faceted and corresponds to the chamber 66 as shown to lock the bushing 46 to the torque rod 30 . in one example , the torque rod 30 comprises a hexagonal shaft end and the opening 66 is compatibly configured to avoid relative rotation between the bushing 46 and the torque rod end 67 . the second end assembly 34 includes a vehicle hinge pin for pivotally carrying the tailgate 20 adjacent to the right side panel 18 and includes a spriget 70 . the spriget 70 combines a key 78 with a mounting stem 72 for securing the key 78 to the right hand side panel 18 . the mounting stem 72 is received in an opening 76 . a fastener such as nut 77 ( fig2 ) or the like may be used to fasten the stem 72 to the side panel 18 . the key 78 has an elongated shape , the elongated shape being aligned in a direction intermediate the vertical , closed and the horizontal , open positions of the tailgate 20 to define a removal direction along the elongated axis of the key body 78 . the key 78 is received in the slot 83 of a bushing 90 and in the slot 84 of the pivot body 80 . the second end assembly 34 also includes a pivot body 80 having a cylindrical body 82 with a radial slot 84 aligned for reception of the key 78 . the pivot body 80 includes a stem 86 having a chamber 88 adapted to receive and secure the right end 87 of the torque rod 30 . the assembly 34 also includes a bushing 90 which can be mounted within an opening 85 of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 85 . the configuration of the opening 85 may non - rotatably retain the bushing 90 in the inner wall of the tailgate 20 . the bushing 90 may be retained in the opening 85 by a retainer , for example , a snap ring 91 engaged in a groove on the stem 94 . in one example , the stem 86 includes a groove 89 that receives a snap ring 91 at a position adjacent the end of stem 94 . when assembled , the right hand end 87 of the torque rod 30 is retained in a stationary position by the pivot body 80 passing through the bushing 90 mounted in the tailgate 20 . the rigid connection to the body side panel 18 is made by the bracket 74 and spriget 70 as assembled as discussed above . the left hand end 67 of the torque rod 30 is retained by the tailgate wall 23 to move with the tailgate 20 . thus , as the tailgate 20 is moved between the upright , closed position and the horizontal , open position , the torque rod 30 twists . in one example , the unbiased position of the torque rod 30 occurs when the tailgate 20 is aligned with the elongated axis of the key 78 , whereby spring tension is introduced to pivot the tailgate 20 away from the closed position when it is unlatched , and to raise it to the closed position when it has been unlatched from its open position . fig4 is an exploded view of another example counterbalance hinge assembly 22 with demonstrates a modification that eases assembly and repair . the stem 50 of the bushing 46 is correspondingly sized to fit in the opening 85 of a tailgate panel attachment bracket 54 . the attachment bracket 54 may provide the benefit of reinforcing the end panel of the tailgate and simplifying the formation of opening 52 that receives the bushing 46 . rather than trying to form a properly sized and configured opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 , the bracket 54 with opening 85 is placed next to an enlarged opening 56 in the tailgate wall 23 . the openings 85 and 56 are aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the tailgate 20 . in one example , an upper flange 58 is bolted to the tailgate wall 23 of the tailgate 20 with a bolt and nut 60 and 62 . in other examples , welds or other fasteners secure the flange 58 . the opening 85 is configured to avoid relative rotation between the stem 50 and the opening 56 such that when assembled , both the installation bracket 54 and the bushing 46 pivot with the tailgate 20 . the bracket 54 includes a releasable engagement clamp 104 on a flange 64 that is angled relative to the flange 58 . the clamp 104 includes a clamp seat 106 raised up through the tailgate wall 23 to align the clamp 104 on the pivotal axis . in the example shown , the bracket 54 includes an offset arm , bent as shown , to provide a raised position for the clamp 104 above the plane of the flange 64 . the seat 106 includes a cavity 108 which is aligned with the pivotal axis extending through the opening 56 and the bushing 46 . a clamping flange 110 includes a recess 112 configured in compliance with the faceted segment of the torque rod 30 such that clamping of the flange 110 against the clamping seat 106 rotationally fixes the torque rod 30 with respect to the bracket 54 , and thus the tailgate 20 . the raising of the clamp 104 to align the axis of the torque rod 30 with the pivotal axis by the raised seat 106 provides room for fasteners , such as the head of a rivet extending through aligned apertures in the seat 106 and the flange 110 . in one example , a single rivet 114 is used to retain one side of the flange 110 with the seat 106 . on the opposite side , the flange 110 includes a weld nut 116 that threadably receives a fastener 118 extending from beneath the seat 106 . the opening 119 in a bracket 96 is aligned with opening 98 , and mounted to the outside of the tailgate wall 23 . the bushing 90 carried by the bracket includes a chamber 92 adapted to pivotally receive body 82 of the pivot body 80 . in one example , the bushing 90 includes a stem 94 received in the correspondingly configured opening 119 . the configuration of the opening 119 rotationally fixes the bushing 90 to the tailgate wall 23 . as a result , the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may provide the benefit of loose assembly , and thus can be positioned before spring tension is applied to the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 . in one example assembly method , brackets 54 and 96 are attached to the tailgate 20 , by welding such that configured openings 85 and 119 align with the openings 52 and 98 in the tailgate wall 23 . this may beneficially enable configured openings 85 and 119 to be preferably sized , shaped and positioned after the tailgate has been manufactured , and overcomes the difficulty of shaping , sizing and aligning the apertures of the original tailgate panel stampings . the fastener 118 is initially installed in a pre - production or fabrication assembly procedure , for example , and left loose for tightening at the assembly plant . at the assembly plant , the entire bracket 54 is secured by welding or other fastening means to the tailgate 20 . an aperture at the bottom of the tailgate receives the clamp 104 of the bracket 54 . the torque rod 30 , carrying pivot body 80 at end 87 , is positioned such that end 67 is inserted through opening 98 to extend across the vehicle body 12 through the tailgate 20 and into the faceted , complementary hole formed by the recesses 112 and 108 . the torque rod 30 is inserted through the bushing 90 , which is already attached to bracket 96 in a prior operation . the fastener 118 is then tightened to provide proper biasing between the vertical , closed and horizontal , open positions . the assembly discussed above provides an assembly for simply removably mounting a closure member between spaced apart body side panels of a vehicle body by using a linear torque rod extending across the tailgate . the assemblies provide means for connecting the torque rod in driving engagement with the vehicle body hinge pin within the bushing and independently of the rotatable support of the bushing on the hinge pin . the illustrative examples permit the bushing 90 to be received laterally downwardly over at least a portion of the vehicle body hinge pin when the tailgate 20 is in the removal position . accordingly , the torque rod 30 is twisted in tension when the closure member is pivoted to either the closed or open positions from the removal position . this tension provides a counterbalancing effort to assist with pivotal movement of the tailgate 20 . the counterbalance hinge assembly 22 may permit facile removal of the closure member from the vehicle body when the closure member is in the removal position . although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed , a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | Is 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 53ad2417c8bcf92b2a2bb57b30751fbe3aadc5c3b86ef4514123b11502605367 | 0.009399 | 0.079102 | 0.022339 | 0.052734 | 0.046143 | 0.074707 |
null | referring now to fig1 a typical torpedo 10 is at the end of its run with its propellers 11 stopped . this stoppage could be occasioned by any one of several causes such as the expiration of a predetermined duty cycle , the exhaustion of an on - board fuel supply , et cetera , so that a torpedo engine 12 no longer turns the propellers . when the engine stops , an interconnected on - board alternator in a power supply circuit 13 stops turning so that it no longer provides ac power for a transformer - rectifier network included in the power supply circuit . prior to the stoppage of the engine , the power supply circuit delivers two levels of dc power at output leads 13a and 13b for a control circuit module 14 . the primary purpose of the control circuit is to actuate a squib 15 when power stops coming from circuit 13 . when the dc power no longer comes from circuit 13 , the squib is initiated ( explodes ) and weight 16 , usually lead , is dropped or ejected from the torpedo . since the torpedo is positively buoyant without this weight , recovery of the floating torpedo is a simple matter by a torpedo recovery craft . looking now to fig2 control circuit 14 receives a first level of dc input power from power source 13 at first input terminals 14a and 14b and dc power at a second level at an input terminal point 14c . these two dc power levels are transmitted to the control circuit via output leads 13a and 13b , respectively . as mentioned above , the dc power comes from a suitable transformer and rectifier arrangement associated with an alternator that is coupled to torpedo engine 12 . the exact details of the alternator - transformer - rectifiers are not shown since such arrangements are well known in the art and their inclusion is omitted so as not to belabor the obvious . a first charge storage circuit 20 receives dc power at terminal 14b and accumulates an initiating charge on a capacitor c3 . a field effect transistor ( fet ) circuit 30 has a fet q2 and serves to couple the initiating charge to squib 15 when certain conditions are present , as will be explained below . upon detonation of the squib , weight 16 is released and the torpedo can rise to the surface . a second charge storage circuit 40 is appropriately coupled to input terminal 14a and provides a predetermined charge on capacitor c2 which acts as a biasing source to inhibit the actuation of a transistor circuit 50 . the transistor circuit has a bipolar junction transistor ( bjt ) q1 , and functions in conjunction with the field effect transistor circuit to inhibit actuation of squib 15 until the torpedo engine stops or runs at a very low speed . a third charge storage circuit 60 receives the second level of dc power via terminal 14c and stores an accumulating charge on a capacitor c4 that is held there until the torpedo engine stops . a feedback loop 70 interconnects transistor circuit 50 and field effect transistor circuit 30 in such a manner as to further assure the appropriate actuation of squib 15 when the torpedo engine stops . as torpedo engine 12 provides rotational power for propellers 11 , power source 13 provides two levels of dc power , the first level at 40 volts dc at output lead 13a and the lower level at 15 volts dc on lead 13b . a - 15 volt level is coupled to a resistor r7 , if desired , for the purpose to be explained below . optionally , the power supplied at input terminal 14c can be delayed approximately 10 seconds to insure that full torpedo power is reached before third charge storage circuit 60 is activated . + 40 volt dc power is applied at terminal 14b and an initiating charge is stored in capacitor c3 , via diode d1 and resistor r3 to a + 40 volt dc value . resistor r4 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating an excessive charge on capacitor c3 . second charge storage circuit 40 has a resistor r1 and zener diode d2 to provide a simple + 20 volt dc voltage source which is filtered by capacitor c1 , resistor r2 and capacitor c2 . the charge of circuit 40 is applied to the base electrode of transistor q1 in circuit 50 to keep the transistor turned off until power fails at the end of a test or a practice run when the torpedo engine stops . when + 15 volts dc is applied at input terminal 14c of the third charge storage circuit 60 , capacitor c4 is charged through diode d3 and resistor r5 the capicator is in parallel with resistor r6 . resistor r6 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating excessive charge on capacitor c4 as well as providing an automatic discharging path for convenience in testing . when the torpedo engine quits , the + 40 volts dc appearing at input terminals 14a and 14b drops to zero volts dc . this condition causes the voltage at the base electrode of transistor q1 to fall until transistor q1 turns on . as transistor q1 turns on , capacitor c4 discharges through transistor q1 to the gate electrode of field effect transistor q2 and capacitor c5 . capacitor c5 charges rapidly and field effect transistor q2 starts to slowly turn on causing current to flow from its drain electrode to its source electrode which slightly raises the voltage of its source electrode . this small voltage increase is fed back through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 of feedback loop 70 and increases the voltage at the emitter of transistor q1 . this slight voltage increase is amplified by transistor q1 to increase the rate of rise of the field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage . in this manner , when field effect transistor q2 starts to turn on , the positive feedback creates a rapid clamping effect which switches field effect transistor q2 very quickly for low energy dissipation during switching . with field effect transistor q2 turned on , capacitor c3 dumps large currents through field effect transistor q2 to the one ohm squib 15 . the limiting factor is the gate electrode voltage which is limited to + 15 volts which causes the device to turn off if the source electrode voltage exceeds approximately + 10 volts . squib 15 current thus is limited to approximately 10 amperes . empirical data has demonstrated that as squib 15 fires , its resistance drops to virtually zero ohms . when this happens , squib 15 shorts the source electrode of field effect transistor q2 to ground but capacitor c5 prevents gate - to - source electrode voltage from changing instantaneously . current is also drawn through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 which reduces the voltage on capacitor c4 and turns off transistor q1 briefly . as a result , during the instant the squib is firing , current through field effect transistor q2 is held constant in spite of the reduced squib resistance . resistor r8 keeps field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage low when power is off and acts with resistor r7 and a - 15 v source to form a voltage divider when power is applied and transistor q1 is off . this pulls the gate electrode voltage even lower for an increased safety margin . from the foregoing , it is seen that both positive and negative feedback are selectively employed to create rapid turn on but to limit current during the firing of squib 15 . electro - mechanical relays always have contact bounce which would otherwise limit the turn on speed and create arcing and corrosion . contact currents exceeding 23 amperes were common in the electro - mechanical relay circuits and always exceeded the specifications of associated elements . the disclosed control circuit not only limits the current to approximately 10 amperes but uses a switch , a 2n6796 , field effect transistor q2 which is rated at 32 amperes . as a consequence , reliability is improved considerably . conceivably a similar circuit could be built using scr &# 39 ; s but such a circuit could be irreversibly triggered by a noise spike . this undesirable event can not occur with the disclosed circuit since it can be turned off after triggering to prevent squib 15 from inadvertently firing . typical component value in first charge storage circuit 20 include a 1n4148 diode d1 , a 3 . 9 kilohm resistor r3 , a 1 megohm resistor r4 and an 86 microfarad capacitor c3 . field effect transistor circuit 30 can include a 2n6796 field effect transistor q2 and a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c5 . second charge storage circuit 40 can include a 100 kilohm resistor r1 and 1n5540 20 volt zener diode d2 , a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c1 , a 100 kilohm resistor r2 and a 0 . 1 microfarad capacitor c2 . the transistor circuit 50 might include a 2n2946a transistor q1 , a 1 megohm resistor r7 and a 1 megohm resistor r8 . third charge storage circuit 60 can include a 1n4148 diode d3 , a 100 ohm resistor r5 , a 10 megohm resistor r6 and a 10 microfarad capacitor c4 . feedback circuit 70 has a one microfarad capacitor c6 and a 100 ohm resistor r9 in association with a 1 kilohm resistor r10 . any or all of the components enumerated above optionally are replaced by similar components with slightly different values . r1 , r2 , d2 , c1 and c2 may be replaced by any means of 20 vdc generation compatable with the circuit requirements . r4 , r6 , r10 and r7 could be eliminated with a reduction in safety margin and the output could drive other than the explosive squib if a particular application so requires . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | Is 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting' the correct technical category for the patent? | Should this patent be classified under 'Human Necessities'? | 0.25 | d6c4630626a563a12a35cf4b0cb4f2f5123719ebb132abf0a4f5d483efdb72ef | 0.009399 | 0.005371 | 0.002258 | 0.000055 | 0.087402 | 0.00071 |
null | referring now to fig1 a typical torpedo 10 is at the end of its run with its propellers 11 stopped . this stoppage could be occasioned by any one of several causes such as the expiration of a predetermined duty cycle , the exhaustion of an on - board fuel supply , et cetera , so that a torpedo engine 12 no longer turns the propellers . when the engine stops , an interconnected on - board alternator in a power supply circuit 13 stops turning so that it no longer provides ac power for a transformer - rectifier network included in the power supply circuit . prior to the stoppage of the engine , the power supply circuit delivers two levels of dc power at output leads 13a and 13b for a control circuit module 14 . the primary purpose of the control circuit is to actuate a squib 15 when power stops coming from circuit 13 . when the dc power no longer comes from circuit 13 , the squib is initiated ( explodes ) and weight 16 , usually lead , is dropped or ejected from the torpedo . since the torpedo is positively buoyant without this weight , recovery of the floating torpedo is a simple matter by a torpedo recovery craft . looking now to fig2 control circuit 14 receives a first level of dc input power from power source 13 at first input terminals 14a and 14b and dc power at a second level at an input terminal point 14c . these two dc power levels are transmitted to the control circuit via output leads 13a and 13b , respectively . as mentioned above , the dc power comes from a suitable transformer and rectifier arrangement associated with an alternator that is coupled to torpedo engine 12 . the exact details of the alternator - transformer - rectifiers are not shown since such arrangements are well known in the art and their inclusion is omitted so as not to belabor the obvious . a first charge storage circuit 20 receives dc power at terminal 14b and accumulates an initiating charge on a capacitor c3 . a field effect transistor ( fet ) circuit 30 has a fet q2 and serves to couple the initiating charge to squib 15 when certain conditions are present , as will be explained below . upon detonation of the squib , weight 16 is released and the torpedo can rise to the surface . a second charge storage circuit 40 is appropriately coupled to input terminal 14a and provides a predetermined charge on capacitor c2 which acts as a biasing source to inhibit the actuation of a transistor circuit 50 . the transistor circuit has a bipolar junction transistor ( bjt ) q1 , and functions in conjunction with the field effect transistor circuit to inhibit actuation of squib 15 until the torpedo engine stops or runs at a very low speed . a third charge storage circuit 60 receives the second level of dc power via terminal 14c and stores an accumulating charge on a capacitor c4 that is held there until the torpedo engine stops . a feedback loop 70 interconnects transistor circuit 50 and field effect transistor circuit 30 in such a manner as to further assure the appropriate actuation of squib 15 when the torpedo engine stops . as torpedo engine 12 provides rotational power for propellers 11 , power source 13 provides two levels of dc power , the first level at 40 volts dc at output lead 13a and the lower level at 15 volts dc on lead 13b . a - 15 volt level is coupled to a resistor r7 , if desired , for the purpose to be explained below . optionally , the power supplied at input terminal 14c can be delayed approximately 10 seconds to insure that full torpedo power is reached before third charge storage circuit 60 is activated . + 40 volt dc power is applied at terminal 14b and an initiating charge is stored in capacitor c3 , via diode d1 and resistor r3 to a + 40 volt dc value . resistor r4 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating an excessive charge on capacitor c3 . second charge storage circuit 40 has a resistor r1 and zener diode d2 to provide a simple + 20 volt dc voltage source which is filtered by capacitor c1 , resistor r2 and capacitor c2 . the charge of circuit 40 is applied to the base electrode of transistor q1 in circuit 50 to keep the transistor turned off until power fails at the end of a test or a practice run when the torpedo engine stops . when + 15 volts dc is applied at input terminal 14c of the third charge storage circuit 60 , capacitor c4 is charged through diode d3 and resistor r5 the capicator is in parallel with resistor r6 . resistor r6 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating excessive charge on capacitor c4 as well as providing an automatic discharging path for convenience in testing . when the torpedo engine quits , the + 40 volts dc appearing at input terminals 14a and 14b drops to zero volts dc . this condition causes the voltage at the base electrode of transistor q1 to fall until transistor q1 turns on . as transistor q1 turns on , capacitor c4 discharges through transistor q1 to the gate electrode of field effect transistor q2 and capacitor c5 . capacitor c5 charges rapidly and field effect transistor q2 starts to slowly turn on causing current to flow from its drain electrode to its source electrode which slightly raises the voltage of its source electrode . this small voltage increase is fed back through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 of feedback loop 70 and increases the voltage at the emitter of transistor q1 . this slight voltage increase is amplified by transistor q1 to increase the rate of rise of the field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage . in this manner , when field effect transistor q2 starts to turn on , the positive feedback creates a rapid clamping effect which switches field effect transistor q2 very quickly for low energy dissipation during switching . with field effect transistor q2 turned on , capacitor c3 dumps large currents through field effect transistor q2 to the one ohm squib 15 . the limiting factor is the gate electrode voltage which is limited to + 15 volts which causes the device to turn off if the source electrode voltage exceeds approximately + 10 volts . squib 15 current thus is limited to approximately 10 amperes . empirical data has demonstrated that as squib 15 fires , its resistance drops to virtually zero ohms . when this happens , squib 15 shorts the source electrode of field effect transistor q2 to ground but capacitor c5 prevents gate - to - source electrode voltage from changing instantaneously . current is also drawn through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 which reduces the voltage on capacitor c4 and turns off transistor q1 briefly . as a result , during the instant the squib is firing , current through field effect transistor q2 is held constant in spite of the reduced squib resistance . resistor r8 keeps field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage low when power is off and acts with resistor r7 and a - 15 v source to form a voltage divider when power is applied and transistor q1 is off . this pulls the gate electrode voltage even lower for an increased safety margin . from the foregoing , it is seen that both positive and negative feedback are selectively employed to create rapid turn on but to limit current during the firing of squib 15 . electro - mechanical relays always have contact bounce which would otherwise limit the turn on speed and create arcing and corrosion . contact currents exceeding 23 amperes were common in the electro - mechanical relay circuits and always exceeded the specifications of associated elements . the disclosed control circuit not only limits the current to approximately 10 amperes but uses a switch , a 2n6796 , field effect transistor q2 which is rated at 32 amperes . as a consequence , reliability is improved considerably . conceivably a similar circuit could be built using scr &# 39 ; s but such a circuit could be irreversibly triggered by a noise spike . this undesirable event can not occur with the disclosed circuit since it can be turned off after triggering to prevent squib 15 from inadvertently firing . typical component value in first charge storage circuit 20 include a 1n4148 diode d1 , a 3 . 9 kilohm resistor r3 , a 1 megohm resistor r4 and an 86 microfarad capacitor c3 . field effect transistor circuit 30 can include a 2n6796 field effect transistor q2 and a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c5 . second charge storage circuit 40 can include a 100 kilohm resistor r1 and 1n5540 20 volt zener diode d2 , a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c1 , a 100 kilohm resistor r2 and a 0 . 1 microfarad capacitor c2 . the transistor circuit 50 might include a 2n2946a transistor q1 , a 1 megohm resistor r7 and a 1 megohm resistor r8 . third charge storage circuit 60 can include a 1n4148 diode d3 , a 100 ohm resistor r5 , a 10 megohm resistor r6 and a 10 microfarad capacitor c4 . feedback circuit 70 has a one microfarad capacitor c6 and a 100 ohm resistor r9 in association with a 1 kilohm resistor r10 . any or all of the components enumerated above optionally are replaced by similar components with slightly different values . r1 , r2 , d2 , c1 and c2 may be replaced by any means of 20 vdc generation compatable with the circuit requirements . r4 , r6 , r10 and r7 could be eliminated with a reduction in safety margin and the output could drive other than the explosive squib if a particular application so requires . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Is 'Performing Operations; Transporting' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | d6c4630626a563a12a35cf4b0cb4f2f5123719ebb132abf0a4f5d483efdb72ef | 0.02063 | 0.008301 | 0.005219 | 0.005219 | 0.078125 | 0.014038 |
null | referring now to fig1 a typical torpedo 10 is at the end of its run with its propellers 11 stopped . this stoppage could be occasioned by any one of several causes such as the expiration of a predetermined duty cycle , the exhaustion of an on - board fuel supply , et cetera , so that a torpedo engine 12 no longer turns the propellers . when the engine stops , an interconnected on - board alternator in a power supply circuit 13 stops turning so that it no longer provides ac power for a transformer - rectifier network included in the power supply circuit . prior to the stoppage of the engine , the power supply circuit delivers two levels of dc power at output leads 13a and 13b for a control circuit module 14 . the primary purpose of the control circuit is to actuate a squib 15 when power stops coming from circuit 13 . when the dc power no longer comes from circuit 13 , the squib is initiated ( explodes ) and weight 16 , usually lead , is dropped or ejected from the torpedo . since the torpedo is positively buoyant without this weight , recovery of the floating torpedo is a simple matter by a torpedo recovery craft . looking now to fig2 control circuit 14 receives a first level of dc input power from power source 13 at first input terminals 14a and 14b and dc power at a second level at an input terminal point 14c . these two dc power levels are transmitted to the control circuit via output leads 13a and 13b , respectively . as mentioned above , the dc power comes from a suitable transformer and rectifier arrangement associated with an alternator that is coupled to torpedo engine 12 . the exact details of the alternator - transformer - rectifiers are not shown since such arrangements are well known in the art and their inclusion is omitted so as not to belabor the obvious . a first charge storage circuit 20 receives dc power at terminal 14b and accumulates an initiating charge on a capacitor c3 . a field effect transistor ( fet ) circuit 30 has a fet q2 and serves to couple the initiating charge to squib 15 when certain conditions are present , as will be explained below . upon detonation of the squib , weight 16 is released and the torpedo can rise to the surface . a second charge storage circuit 40 is appropriately coupled to input terminal 14a and provides a predetermined charge on capacitor c2 which acts as a biasing source to inhibit the actuation of a transistor circuit 50 . the transistor circuit has a bipolar junction transistor ( bjt ) q1 , and functions in conjunction with the field effect transistor circuit to inhibit actuation of squib 15 until the torpedo engine stops or runs at a very low speed . a third charge storage circuit 60 receives the second level of dc power via terminal 14c and stores an accumulating charge on a capacitor c4 that is held there until the torpedo engine stops . a feedback loop 70 interconnects transistor circuit 50 and field effect transistor circuit 30 in such a manner as to further assure the appropriate actuation of squib 15 when the torpedo engine stops . as torpedo engine 12 provides rotational power for propellers 11 , power source 13 provides two levels of dc power , the first level at 40 volts dc at output lead 13a and the lower level at 15 volts dc on lead 13b . a - 15 volt level is coupled to a resistor r7 , if desired , for the purpose to be explained below . optionally , the power supplied at input terminal 14c can be delayed approximately 10 seconds to insure that full torpedo power is reached before third charge storage circuit 60 is activated . + 40 volt dc power is applied at terminal 14b and an initiating charge is stored in capacitor c3 , via diode d1 and resistor r3 to a + 40 volt dc value . resistor r4 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating an excessive charge on capacitor c3 . second charge storage circuit 40 has a resistor r1 and zener diode d2 to provide a simple + 20 volt dc voltage source which is filtered by capacitor c1 , resistor r2 and capacitor c2 . the charge of circuit 40 is applied to the base electrode of transistor q1 in circuit 50 to keep the transistor turned off until power fails at the end of a test or a practice run when the torpedo engine stops . when + 15 volts dc is applied at input terminal 14c of the third charge storage circuit 60 , capacitor c4 is charged through diode d3 and resistor r5 the capicator is in parallel with resistor r6 . resistor r6 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating excessive charge on capacitor c4 as well as providing an automatic discharging path for convenience in testing . when the torpedo engine quits , the + 40 volts dc appearing at input terminals 14a and 14b drops to zero volts dc . this condition causes the voltage at the base electrode of transistor q1 to fall until transistor q1 turns on . as transistor q1 turns on , capacitor c4 discharges through transistor q1 to the gate electrode of field effect transistor q2 and capacitor c5 . capacitor c5 charges rapidly and field effect transistor q2 starts to slowly turn on causing current to flow from its drain electrode to its source electrode which slightly raises the voltage of its source electrode . this small voltage increase is fed back through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 of feedback loop 70 and increases the voltage at the emitter of transistor q1 . this slight voltage increase is amplified by transistor q1 to increase the rate of rise of the field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage . in this manner , when field effect transistor q2 starts to turn on , the positive feedback creates a rapid clamping effect which switches field effect transistor q2 very quickly for low energy dissipation during switching . with field effect transistor q2 turned on , capacitor c3 dumps large currents through field effect transistor q2 to the one ohm squib 15 . the limiting factor is the gate electrode voltage which is limited to + 15 volts which causes the device to turn off if the source electrode voltage exceeds approximately + 10 volts . squib 15 current thus is limited to approximately 10 amperes . empirical data has demonstrated that as squib 15 fires , its resistance drops to virtually zero ohms . when this happens , squib 15 shorts the source electrode of field effect transistor q2 to ground but capacitor c5 prevents gate - to - source electrode voltage from changing instantaneously . current is also drawn through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 which reduces the voltage on capacitor c4 and turns off transistor q1 briefly . as a result , during the instant the squib is firing , current through field effect transistor q2 is held constant in spite of the reduced squib resistance . resistor r8 keeps field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage low when power is off and acts with resistor r7 and a - 15 v source to form a voltage divider when power is applied and transistor q1 is off . this pulls the gate electrode voltage even lower for an increased safety margin . from the foregoing , it is seen that both positive and negative feedback are selectively employed to create rapid turn on but to limit current during the firing of squib 15 . electro - mechanical relays always have contact bounce which would otherwise limit the turn on speed and create arcing and corrosion . contact currents exceeding 23 amperes were common in the electro - mechanical relay circuits and always exceeded the specifications of associated elements . the disclosed control circuit not only limits the current to approximately 10 amperes but uses a switch , a 2n6796 , field effect transistor q2 which is rated at 32 amperes . as a consequence , reliability is improved considerably . conceivably a similar circuit could be built using scr &# 39 ; s but such a circuit could be irreversibly triggered by a noise spike . this undesirable event can not occur with the disclosed circuit since it can be turned off after triggering to prevent squib 15 from inadvertently firing . typical component value in first charge storage circuit 20 include a 1n4148 diode d1 , a 3 . 9 kilohm resistor r3 , a 1 megohm resistor r4 and an 86 microfarad capacitor c3 . field effect transistor circuit 30 can include a 2n6796 field effect transistor q2 and a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c5 . second charge storage circuit 40 can include a 100 kilohm resistor r1 and 1n5540 20 volt zener diode d2 , a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c1 , a 100 kilohm resistor r2 and a 0 . 1 microfarad capacitor c2 . the transistor circuit 50 might include a 2n2946a transistor q1 , a 1 megohm resistor r7 and a 1 megohm resistor r8 . third charge storage circuit 60 can include a 1n4148 diode d3 , a 100 ohm resistor r5 , a 10 megohm resistor r6 and a 10 microfarad capacitor c4 . feedback circuit 70 has a one microfarad capacitor c6 and a 100 ohm resistor r9 in association with a 1 kilohm resistor r10 . any or all of the components enumerated above optionally are replaced by similar components with slightly different values . r1 , r2 , d2 , c1 and c2 may be replaced by any means of 20 vdc generation compatable with the circuit requirements . r4 , r6 , r10 and r7 could be eliminated with a reduction in safety margin and the output could drive other than the explosive squib if a particular application so requires . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | d6c4630626a563a12a35cf4b0cb4f2f5123719ebb132abf0a4f5d483efdb72ef | 0.014526 | 0.002319 | 0.001648 | 0.000058 | 0.035645 | 0.001549 |
null | referring now to fig1 a typical torpedo 10 is at the end of its run with its propellers 11 stopped . this stoppage could be occasioned by any one of several causes such as the expiration of a predetermined duty cycle , the exhaustion of an on - board fuel supply , et cetera , so that a torpedo engine 12 no longer turns the propellers . when the engine stops , an interconnected on - board alternator in a power supply circuit 13 stops turning so that it no longer provides ac power for a transformer - rectifier network included in the power supply circuit . prior to the stoppage of the engine , the power supply circuit delivers two levels of dc power at output leads 13a and 13b for a control circuit module 14 . the primary purpose of the control circuit is to actuate a squib 15 when power stops coming from circuit 13 . when the dc power no longer comes from circuit 13 , the squib is initiated ( explodes ) and weight 16 , usually lead , is dropped or ejected from the torpedo . since the torpedo is positively buoyant without this weight , recovery of the floating torpedo is a simple matter by a torpedo recovery craft . looking now to fig2 control circuit 14 receives a first level of dc input power from power source 13 at first input terminals 14a and 14b and dc power at a second level at an input terminal point 14c . these two dc power levels are transmitted to the control circuit via output leads 13a and 13b , respectively . as mentioned above , the dc power comes from a suitable transformer and rectifier arrangement associated with an alternator that is coupled to torpedo engine 12 . the exact details of the alternator - transformer - rectifiers are not shown since such arrangements are well known in the art and their inclusion is omitted so as not to belabor the obvious . a first charge storage circuit 20 receives dc power at terminal 14b and accumulates an initiating charge on a capacitor c3 . a field effect transistor ( fet ) circuit 30 has a fet q2 and serves to couple the initiating charge to squib 15 when certain conditions are present , as will be explained below . upon detonation of the squib , weight 16 is released and the torpedo can rise to the surface . a second charge storage circuit 40 is appropriately coupled to input terminal 14a and provides a predetermined charge on capacitor c2 which acts as a biasing source to inhibit the actuation of a transistor circuit 50 . the transistor circuit has a bipolar junction transistor ( bjt ) q1 , and functions in conjunction with the field effect transistor circuit to inhibit actuation of squib 15 until the torpedo engine stops or runs at a very low speed . a third charge storage circuit 60 receives the second level of dc power via terminal 14c and stores an accumulating charge on a capacitor c4 that is held there until the torpedo engine stops . a feedback loop 70 interconnects transistor circuit 50 and field effect transistor circuit 30 in such a manner as to further assure the appropriate actuation of squib 15 when the torpedo engine stops . as torpedo engine 12 provides rotational power for propellers 11 , power source 13 provides two levels of dc power , the first level at 40 volts dc at output lead 13a and the lower level at 15 volts dc on lead 13b . a - 15 volt level is coupled to a resistor r7 , if desired , for the purpose to be explained below . optionally , the power supplied at input terminal 14c can be delayed approximately 10 seconds to insure that full torpedo power is reached before third charge storage circuit 60 is activated . + 40 volt dc power is applied at terminal 14b and an initiating charge is stored in capacitor c3 , via diode d1 and resistor r3 to a + 40 volt dc value . resistor r4 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating an excessive charge on capacitor c3 . second charge storage circuit 40 has a resistor r1 and zener diode d2 to provide a simple + 20 volt dc voltage source which is filtered by capacitor c1 , resistor r2 and capacitor c2 . the charge of circuit 40 is applied to the base electrode of transistor q1 in circuit 50 to keep the transistor turned off until power fails at the end of a test or a practice run when the torpedo engine stops . when + 15 volts dc is applied at input terminal 14c of the third charge storage circuit 60 , capacitor c4 is charged through diode d3 and resistor r5 the capicator is in parallel with resistor r6 . resistor r6 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating excessive charge on capacitor c4 as well as providing an automatic discharging path for convenience in testing . when the torpedo engine quits , the + 40 volts dc appearing at input terminals 14a and 14b drops to zero volts dc . this condition causes the voltage at the base electrode of transistor q1 to fall until transistor q1 turns on . as transistor q1 turns on , capacitor c4 discharges through transistor q1 to the gate electrode of field effect transistor q2 and capacitor c5 . capacitor c5 charges rapidly and field effect transistor q2 starts to slowly turn on causing current to flow from its drain electrode to its source electrode which slightly raises the voltage of its source electrode . this small voltage increase is fed back through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 of feedback loop 70 and increases the voltage at the emitter of transistor q1 . this slight voltage increase is amplified by transistor q1 to increase the rate of rise of the field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage . in this manner , when field effect transistor q2 starts to turn on , the positive feedback creates a rapid clamping effect which switches field effect transistor q2 very quickly for low energy dissipation during switching . with field effect transistor q2 turned on , capacitor c3 dumps large currents through field effect transistor q2 to the one ohm squib 15 . the limiting factor is the gate electrode voltage which is limited to + 15 volts which causes the device to turn off if the source electrode voltage exceeds approximately + 10 volts . squib 15 current thus is limited to approximately 10 amperes . empirical data has demonstrated that as squib 15 fires , its resistance drops to virtually zero ohms . when this happens , squib 15 shorts the source electrode of field effect transistor q2 to ground but capacitor c5 prevents gate - to - source electrode voltage from changing instantaneously . current is also drawn through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 which reduces the voltage on capacitor c4 and turns off transistor q1 briefly . as a result , during the instant the squib is firing , current through field effect transistor q2 is held constant in spite of the reduced squib resistance . resistor r8 keeps field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage low when power is off and acts with resistor r7 and a - 15 v source to form a voltage divider when power is applied and transistor q1 is off . this pulls the gate electrode voltage even lower for an increased safety margin . from the foregoing , it is seen that both positive and negative feedback are selectively employed to create rapid turn on but to limit current during the firing of squib 15 . electro - mechanical relays always have contact bounce which would otherwise limit the turn on speed and create arcing and corrosion . contact currents exceeding 23 amperes were common in the electro - mechanical relay circuits and always exceeded the specifications of associated elements . the disclosed control circuit not only limits the current to approximately 10 amperes but uses a switch , a 2n6796 , field effect transistor q2 which is rated at 32 amperes . as a consequence , reliability is improved considerably . conceivably a similar circuit could be built using scr &# 39 ; s but such a circuit could be irreversibly triggered by a noise spike . this undesirable event can not occur with the disclosed circuit since it can be turned off after triggering to prevent squib 15 from inadvertently firing . typical component value in first charge storage circuit 20 include a 1n4148 diode d1 , a 3 . 9 kilohm resistor r3 , a 1 megohm resistor r4 and an 86 microfarad capacitor c3 . field effect transistor circuit 30 can include a 2n6796 field effect transistor q2 and a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c5 . second charge storage circuit 40 can include a 100 kilohm resistor r1 and 1n5540 20 volt zener diode d2 , a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c1 , a 100 kilohm resistor r2 and a 0 . 1 microfarad capacitor c2 . the transistor circuit 50 might include a 2n2946a transistor q1 , a 1 megohm resistor r7 and a 1 megohm resistor r8 . third charge storage circuit 60 can include a 1n4148 diode d3 , a 100 ohm resistor r5 , a 10 megohm resistor r6 and a 10 microfarad capacitor c4 . feedback circuit 70 has a one microfarad capacitor c6 and a 100 ohm resistor r9 in association with a 1 kilohm resistor r10 . any or all of the components enumerated above optionally are replaced by similar components with slightly different values . r1 , r2 , d2 , c1 and c2 may be replaced by any means of 20 vdc generation compatable with the circuit requirements . r4 , r6 , r10 and r7 could be eliminated with a reduction in safety margin and the output could drive other than the explosive squib if a particular application so requires . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | Is 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is 'Textiles; Paper' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | d6c4630626a563a12a35cf4b0cb4f2f5123719ebb132abf0a4f5d483efdb72ef | 0.01001 | 0.000109 | 0.002258 | 0.000012 | 0.087402 | 0.002258 |
null | referring now to fig1 a typical torpedo 10 is at the end of its run with its propellers 11 stopped . this stoppage could be occasioned by any one of several causes such as the expiration of a predetermined duty cycle , the exhaustion of an on - board fuel supply , et cetera , so that a torpedo engine 12 no longer turns the propellers . when the engine stops , an interconnected on - board alternator in a power supply circuit 13 stops turning so that it no longer provides ac power for a transformer - rectifier network included in the power supply circuit . prior to the stoppage of the engine , the power supply circuit delivers two levels of dc power at output leads 13a and 13b for a control circuit module 14 . the primary purpose of the control circuit is to actuate a squib 15 when power stops coming from circuit 13 . when the dc power no longer comes from circuit 13 , the squib is initiated ( explodes ) and weight 16 , usually lead , is dropped or ejected from the torpedo . since the torpedo is positively buoyant without this weight , recovery of the floating torpedo is a simple matter by a torpedo recovery craft . looking now to fig2 control circuit 14 receives a first level of dc input power from power source 13 at first input terminals 14a and 14b and dc power at a second level at an input terminal point 14c . these two dc power levels are transmitted to the control circuit via output leads 13a and 13b , respectively . as mentioned above , the dc power comes from a suitable transformer and rectifier arrangement associated with an alternator that is coupled to torpedo engine 12 . the exact details of the alternator - transformer - rectifiers are not shown since such arrangements are well known in the art and their inclusion is omitted so as not to belabor the obvious . a first charge storage circuit 20 receives dc power at terminal 14b and accumulates an initiating charge on a capacitor c3 . a field effect transistor ( fet ) circuit 30 has a fet q2 and serves to couple the initiating charge to squib 15 when certain conditions are present , as will be explained below . upon detonation of the squib , weight 16 is released and the torpedo can rise to the surface . a second charge storage circuit 40 is appropriately coupled to input terminal 14a and provides a predetermined charge on capacitor c2 which acts as a biasing source to inhibit the actuation of a transistor circuit 50 . the transistor circuit has a bipolar junction transistor ( bjt ) q1 , and functions in conjunction with the field effect transistor circuit to inhibit actuation of squib 15 until the torpedo engine stops or runs at a very low speed . a third charge storage circuit 60 receives the second level of dc power via terminal 14c and stores an accumulating charge on a capacitor c4 that is held there until the torpedo engine stops . a feedback loop 70 interconnects transistor circuit 50 and field effect transistor circuit 30 in such a manner as to further assure the appropriate actuation of squib 15 when the torpedo engine stops . as torpedo engine 12 provides rotational power for propellers 11 , power source 13 provides two levels of dc power , the first level at 40 volts dc at output lead 13a and the lower level at 15 volts dc on lead 13b . a - 15 volt level is coupled to a resistor r7 , if desired , for the purpose to be explained below . optionally , the power supplied at input terminal 14c can be delayed approximately 10 seconds to insure that full torpedo power is reached before third charge storage circuit 60 is activated . + 40 volt dc power is applied at terminal 14b and an initiating charge is stored in capacitor c3 , via diode d1 and resistor r3 to a + 40 volt dc value . resistor r4 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating an excessive charge on capacitor c3 . second charge storage circuit 40 has a resistor r1 and zener diode d2 to provide a simple + 20 volt dc voltage source which is filtered by capacitor c1 , resistor r2 and capacitor c2 . the charge of circuit 40 is applied to the base electrode of transistor q1 in circuit 50 to keep the transistor turned off until power fails at the end of a test or a practice run when the torpedo engine stops . when + 15 volts dc is applied at input terminal 14c of the third charge storage circuit 60 , capacitor c4 is charged through diode d3 and resistor r5 the capicator is in parallel with resistor r6 . resistor r6 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating excessive charge on capacitor c4 as well as providing an automatic discharging path for convenience in testing . when the torpedo engine quits , the + 40 volts dc appearing at input terminals 14a and 14b drops to zero volts dc . this condition causes the voltage at the base electrode of transistor q1 to fall until transistor q1 turns on . as transistor q1 turns on , capacitor c4 discharges through transistor q1 to the gate electrode of field effect transistor q2 and capacitor c5 . capacitor c5 charges rapidly and field effect transistor q2 starts to slowly turn on causing current to flow from its drain electrode to its source electrode which slightly raises the voltage of its source electrode . this small voltage increase is fed back through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 of feedback loop 70 and increases the voltage at the emitter of transistor q1 . this slight voltage increase is amplified by transistor q1 to increase the rate of rise of the field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage . in this manner , when field effect transistor q2 starts to turn on , the positive feedback creates a rapid clamping effect which switches field effect transistor q2 very quickly for low energy dissipation during switching . with field effect transistor q2 turned on , capacitor c3 dumps large currents through field effect transistor q2 to the one ohm squib 15 . the limiting factor is the gate electrode voltage which is limited to + 15 volts which causes the device to turn off if the source electrode voltage exceeds approximately + 10 volts . squib 15 current thus is limited to approximately 10 amperes . empirical data has demonstrated that as squib 15 fires , its resistance drops to virtually zero ohms . when this happens , squib 15 shorts the source electrode of field effect transistor q2 to ground but capacitor c5 prevents gate - to - source electrode voltage from changing instantaneously . current is also drawn through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 which reduces the voltage on capacitor c4 and turns off transistor q1 briefly . as a result , during the instant the squib is firing , current through field effect transistor q2 is held constant in spite of the reduced squib resistance . resistor r8 keeps field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage low when power is off and acts with resistor r7 and a - 15 v source to form a voltage divider when power is applied and transistor q1 is off . this pulls the gate electrode voltage even lower for an increased safety margin . from the foregoing , it is seen that both positive and negative feedback are selectively employed to create rapid turn on but to limit current during the firing of squib 15 . electro - mechanical relays always have contact bounce which would otherwise limit the turn on speed and create arcing and corrosion . contact currents exceeding 23 amperes were common in the electro - mechanical relay circuits and always exceeded the specifications of associated elements . the disclosed control circuit not only limits the current to approximately 10 amperes but uses a switch , a 2n6796 , field effect transistor q2 which is rated at 32 amperes . as a consequence , reliability is improved considerably . conceivably a similar circuit could be built using scr &# 39 ; s but such a circuit could be irreversibly triggered by a noise spike . this undesirable event can not occur with the disclosed circuit since it can be turned off after triggering to prevent squib 15 from inadvertently firing . typical component value in first charge storage circuit 20 include a 1n4148 diode d1 , a 3 . 9 kilohm resistor r3 , a 1 megohm resistor r4 and an 86 microfarad capacitor c3 . field effect transistor circuit 30 can include a 2n6796 field effect transistor q2 and a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c5 . second charge storage circuit 40 can include a 100 kilohm resistor r1 and 1n5540 20 volt zener diode d2 , a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c1 , a 100 kilohm resistor r2 and a 0 . 1 microfarad capacitor c2 . the transistor circuit 50 might include a 2n2946a transistor q1 , a 1 megohm resistor r7 and a 1 megohm resistor r8 . third charge storage circuit 60 can include a 1n4148 diode d3 , a 100 ohm resistor r5 , a 10 megohm resistor r6 and a 10 microfarad capacitor c4 . feedback circuit 70 has a one microfarad capacitor c6 and a 100 ohm resistor r9 in association with a 1 kilohm resistor r10 . any or all of the components enumerated above optionally are replaced by similar components with slightly different values . r1 , r2 , d2 , c1 and c2 may be replaced by any means of 20 vdc generation compatable with the circuit requirements . r4 , r6 , r10 and r7 could be eliminated with a reduction in safety margin and the output could drive other than the explosive squib if a particular application so requires . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Fixed Constructions'? | 0.25 | d6c4630626a563a12a35cf4b0cb4f2f5123719ebb132abf0a4f5d483efdb72ef | 0.014526 | 0.014954 | 0.001648 | 0.074707 | 0.037354 | 0.035156 |
null | referring now to fig1 a typical torpedo 10 is at the end of its run with its propellers 11 stopped . this stoppage could be occasioned by any one of several causes such as the expiration of a predetermined duty cycle , the exhaustion of an on - board fuel supply , et cetera , so that a torpedo engine 12 no longer turns the propellers . when the engine stops , an interconnected on - board alternator in a power supply circuit 13 stops turning so that it no longer provides ac power for a transformer - rectifier network included in the power supply circuit . prior to the stoppage of the engine , the power supply circuit delivers two levels of dc power at output leads 13a and 13b for a control circuit module 14 . the primary purpose of the control circuit is to actuate a squib 15 when power stops coming from circuit 13 . when the dc power no longer comes from circuit 13 , the squib is initiated ( explodes ) and weight 16 , usually lead , is dropped or ejected from the torpedo . since the torpedo is positively buoyant without this weight , recovery of the floating torpedo is a simple matter by a torpedo recovery craft . looking now to fig2 control circuit 14 receives a first level of dc input power from power source 13 at first input terminals 14a and 14b and dc power at a second level at an input terminal point 14c . these two dc power levels are transmitted to the control circuit via output leads 13a and 13b , respectively . as mentioned above , the dc power comes from a suitable transformer and rectifier arrangement associated with an alternator that is coupled to torpedo engine 12 . the exact details of the alternator - transformer - rectifiers are not shown since such arrangements are well known in the art and their inclusion is omitted so as not to belabor the obvious . a first charge storage circuit 20 receives dc power at terminal 14b and accumulates an initiating charge on a capacitor c3 . a field effect transistor ( fet ) circuit 30 has a fet q2 and serves to couple the initiating charge to squib 15 when certain conditions are present , as will be explained below . upon detonation of the squib , weight 16 is released and the torpedo can rise to the surface . a second charge storage circuit 40 is appropriately coupled to input terminal 14a and provides a predetermined charge on capacitor c2 which acts as a biasing source to inhibit the actuation of a transistor circuit 50 . the transistor circuit has a bipolar junction transistor ( bjt ) q1 , and functions in conjunction with the field effect transistor circuit to inhibit actuation of squib 15 until the torpedo engine stops or runs at a very low speed . a third charge storage circuit 60 receives the second level of dc power via terminal 14c and stores an accumulating charge on a capacitor c4 that is held there until the torpedo engine stops . a feedback loop 70 interconnects transistor circuit 50 and field effect transistor circuit 30 in such a manner as to further assure the appropriate actuation of squib 15 when the torpedo engine stops . as torpedo engine 12 provides rotational power for propellers 11 , power source 13 provides two levels of dc power , the first level at 40 volts dc at output lead 13a and the lower level at 15 volts dc on lead 13b . a - 15 volt level is coupled to a resistor r7 , if desired , for the purpose to be explained below . optionally , the power supplied at input terminal 14c can be delayed approximately 10 seconds to insure that full torpedo power is reached before third charge storage circuit 60 is activated . + 40 volt dc power is applied at terminal 14b and an initiating charge is stored in capacitor c3 , via diode d1 and resistor r3 to a + 40 volt dc value . resistor r4 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating an excessive charge on capacitor c3 . second charge storage circuit 40 has a resistor r1 and zener diode d2 to provide a simple + 20 volt dc voltage source which is filtered by capacitor c1 , resistor r2 and capacitor c2 . the charge of circuit 40 is applied to the base electrode of transistor q1 in circuit 50 to keep the transistor turned off until power fails at the end of a test or a practice run when the torpedo engine stops . when + 15 volts dc is applied at input terminal 14c of the third charge storage circuit 60 , capacitor c4 is charged through diode d3 and resistor r5 the capicator is in parallel with resistor r6 . resistor r6 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating excessive charge on capacitor c4 as well as providing an automatic discharging path for convenience in testing . when the torpedo engine quits , the + 40 volts dc appearing at input terminals 14a and 14b drops to zero volts dc . this condition causes the voltage at the base electrode of transistor q1 to fall until transistor q1 turns on . as transistor q1 turns on , capacitor c4 discharges through transistor q1 to the gate electrode of field effect transistor q2 and capacitor c5 . capacitor c5 charges rapidly and field effect transistor q2 starts to slowly turn on causing current to flow from its drain electrode to its source electrode which slightly raises the voltage of its source electrode . this small voltage increase is fed back through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 of feedback loop 70 and increases the voltage at the emitter of transistor q1 . this slight voltage increase is amplified by transistor q1 to increase the rate of rise of the field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage . in this manner , when field effect transistor q2 starts to turn on , the positive feedback creates a rapid clamping effect which switches field effect transistor q2 very quickly for low energy dissipation during switching . with field effect transistor q2 turned on , capacitor c3 dumps large currents through field effect transistor q2 to the one ohm squib 15 . the limiting factor is the gate electrode voltage which is limited to + 15 volts which causes the device to turn off if the source electrode voltage exceeds approximately + 10 volts . squib 15 current thus is limited to approximately 10 amperes . empirical data has demonstrated that as squib 15 fires , its resistance drops to virtually zero ohms . when this happens , squib 15 shorts the source electrode of field effect transistor q2 to ground but capacitor c5 prevents gate - to - source electrode voltage from changing instantaneously . current is also drawn through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 which reduces the voltage on capacitor c4 and turns off transistor q1 briefly . as a result , during the instant the squib is firing , current through field effect transistor q2 is held constant in spite of the reduced squib resistance . resistor r8 keeps field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage low when power is off and acts with resistor r7 and a - 15 v source to form a voltage divider when power is applied and transistor q1 is off . this pulls the gate electrode voltage even lower for an increased safety margin . from the foregoing , it is seen that both positive and negative feedback are selectively employed to create rapid turn on but to limit current during the firing of squib 15 . electro - mechanical relays always have contact bounce which would otherwise limit the turn on speed and create arcing and corrosion . contact currents exceeding 23 amperes were common in the electro - mechanical relay circuits and always exceeded the specifications of associated elements . the disclosed control circuit not only limits the current to approximately 10 amperes but uses a switch , a 2n6796 , field effect transistor q2 which is rated at 32 amperes . as a consequence , reliability is improved considerably . conceivably a similar circuit could be built using scr &# 39 ; s but such a circuit could be irreversibly triggered by a noise spike . this undesirable event can not occur with the disclosed circuit since it can be turned off after triggering to prevent squib 15 from inadvertently firing . typical component value in first charge storage circuit 20 include a 1n4148 diode d1 , a 3 . 9 kilohm resistor r3 , a 1 megohm resistor r4 and an 86 microfarad capacitor c3 . field effect transistor circuit 30 can include a 2n6796 field effect transistor q2 and a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c5 . second charge storage circuit 40 can include a 100 kilohm resistor r1 and 1n5540 20 volt zener diode d2 , a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c1 , a 100 kilohm resistor r2 and a 0 . 1 microfarad capacitor c2 . the transistor circuit 50 might include a 2n2946a transistor q1 , a 1 megohm resistor r7 and a 1 megohm resistor r8 . third charge storage circuit 60 can include a 1n4148 diode d3 , a 100 ohm resistor r5 , a 10 megohm resistor r6 and a 10 microfarad capacitor c4 . feedback circuit 70 has a one microfarad capacitor c6 and a 100 ohm resistor r9 in association with a 1 kilohm resistor r10 . any or all of the components enumerated above optionally are replaced by similar components with slightly different values . r1 , r2 , d2 , c1 and c2 may be replaced by any means of 20 vdc generation compatable with the circuit requirements . r4 , r6 , r10 and r7 could be eliminated with a reduction in safety margin and the output could drive other than the explosive squib if a particular application so requires . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Is 'Physics' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | d6c4630626a563a12a35cf4b0cb4f2f5123719ebb132abf0a4f5d483efdb72ef | 0.02063 | 0.080566 | 0.005219 | 0.050293 | 0.078125 | 0.098145 |
null | referring now to fig1 a typical torpedo 10 is at the end of its run with its propellers 11 stopped . this stoppage could be occasioned by any one of several causes such as the expiration of a predetermined duty cycle , the exhaustion of an on - board fuel supply , et cetera , so that a torpedo engine 12 no longer turns the propellers . when the engine stops , an interconnected on - board alternator in a power supply circuit 13 stops turning so that it no longer provides ac power for a transformer - rectifier network included in the power supply circuit . prior to the stoppage of the engine , the power supply circuit delivers two levels of dc power at output leads 13a and 13b for a control circuit module 14 . the primary purpose of the control circuit is to actuate a squib 15 when power stops coming from circuit 13 . when the dc power no longer comes from circuit 13 , the squib is initiated ( explodes ) and weight 16 , usually lead , is dropped or ejected from the torpedo . since the torpedo is positively buoyant without this weight , recovery of the floating torpedo is a simple matter by a torpedo recovery craft . looking now to fig2 control circuit 14 receives a first level of dc input power from power source 13 at first input terminals 14a and 14b and dc power at a second level at an input terminal point 14c . these two dc power levels are transmitted to the control circuit via output leads 13a and 13b , respectively . as mentioned above , the dc power comes from a suitable transformer and rectifier arrangement associated with an alternator that is coupled to torpedo engine 12 . the exact details of the alternator - transformer - rectifiers are not shown since such arrangements are well known in the art and their inclusion is omitted so as not to belabor the obvious . a first charge storage circuit 20 receives dc power at terminal 14b and accumulates an initiating charge on a capacitor c3 . a field effect transistor ( fet ) circuit 30 has a fet q2 and serves to couple the initiating charge to squib 15 when certain conditions are present , as will be explained below . upon detonation of the squib , weight 16 is released and the torpedo can rise to the surface . a second charge storage circuit 40 is appropriately coupled to input terminal 14a and provides a predetermined charge on capacitor c2 which acts as a biasing source to inhibit the actuation of a transistor circuit 50 . the transistor circuit has a bipolar junction transistor ( bjt ) q1 , and functions in conjunction with the field effect transistor circuit to inhibit actuation of squib 15 until the torpedo engine stops or runs at a very low speed . a third charge storage circuit 60 receives the second level of dc power via terminal 14c and stores an accumulating charge on a capacitor c4 that is held there until the torpedo engine stops . a feedback loop 70 interconnects transistor circuit 50 and field effect transistor circuit 30 in such a manner as to further assure the appropriate actuation of squib 15 when the torpedo engine stops . as torpedo engine 12 provides rotational power for propellers 11 , power source 13 provides two levels of dc power , the first level at 40 volts dc at output lead 13a and the lower level at 15 volts dc on lead 13b . a - 15 volt level is coupled to a resistor r7 , if desired , for the purpose to be explained below . optionally , the power supplied at input terminal 14c can be delayed approximately 10 seconds to insure that full torpedo power is reached before third charge storage circuit 60 is activated . + 40 volt dc power is applied at terminal 14b and an initiating charge is stored in capacitor c3 , via diode d1 and resistor r3 to a + 40 volt dc value . resistor r4 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating an excessive charge on capacitor c3 . second charge storage circuit 40 has a resistor r1 and zener diode d2 to provide a simple + 20 volt dc voltage source which is filtered by capacitor c1 , resistor r2 and capacitor c2 . the charge of circuit 40 is applied to the base electrode of transistor q1 in circuit 50 to keep the transistor turned off until power fails at the end of a test or a practice run when the torpedo engine stops . when + 15 volts dc is applied at input terminal 14c of the third charge storage circuit 60 , capacitor c4 is charged through diode d3 and resistor r5 the capicator is in parallel with resistor r6 . resistor r6 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating excessive charge on capacitor c4 as well as providing an automatic discharging path for convenience in testing . when the torpedo engine quits , the + 40 volts dc appearing at input terminals 14a and 14b drops to zero volts dc . this condition causes the voltage at the base electrode of transistor q1 to fall until transistor q1 turns on . as transistor q1 turns on , capacitor c4 discharges through transistor q1 to the gate electrode of field effect transistor q2 and capacitor c5 . capacitor c5 charges rapidly and field effect transistor q2 starts to slowly turn on causing current to flow from its drain electrode to its source electrode which slightly raises the voltage of its source electrode . this small voltage increase is fed back through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 of feedback loop 70 and increases the voltage at the emitter of transistor q1 . this slight voltage increase is amplified by transistor q1 to increase the rate of rise of the field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage . in this manner , when field effect transistor q2 starts to turn on , the positive feedback creates a rapid clamping effect which switches field effect transistor q2 very quickly for low energy dissipation during switching . with field effect transistor q2 turned on , capacitor c3 dumps large currents through field effect transistor q2 to the one ohm squib 15 . the limiting factor is the gate electrode voltage which is limited to + 15 volts which causes the device to turn off if the source electrode voltage exceeds approximately + 10 volts . squib 15 current thus is limited to approximately 10 amperes . empirical data has demonstrated that as squib 15 fires , its resistance drops to virtually zero ohms . when this happens , squib 15 shorts the source electrode of field effect transistor q2 to ground but capacitor c5 prevents gate - to - source electrode voltage from changing instantaneously . current is also drawn through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 which reduces the voltage on capacitor c4 and turns off transistor q1 briefly . as a result , during the instant the squib is firing , current through field effect transistor q2 is held constant in spite of the reduced squib resistance . resistor r8 keeps field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage low when power is off and acts with resistor r7 and a - 15 v source to form a voltage divider when power is applied and transistor q1 is off . this pulls the gate electrode voltage even lower for an increased safety margin . from the foregoing , it is seen that both positive and negative feedback are selectively employed to create rapid turn on but to limit current during the firing of squib 15 . electro - mechanical relays always have contact bounce which would otherwise limit the turn on speed and create arcing and corrosion . contact currents exceeding 23 amperes were common in the electro - mechanical relay circuits and always exceeded the specifications of associated elements . the disclosed control circuit not only limits the current to approximately 10 amperes but uses a switch , a 2n6796 , field effect transistor q2 which is rated at 32 amperes . as a consequence , reliability is improved considerably . conceivably a similar circuit could be built using scr &# 39 ; s but such a circuit could be irreversibly triggered by a noise spike . this undesirable event can not occur with the disclosed circuit since it can be turned off after triggering to prevent squib 15 from inadvertently firing . typical component value in first charge storage circuit 20 include a 1n4148 diode d1 , a 3 . 9 kilohm resistor r3 , a 1 megohm resistor r4 and an 86 microfarad capacitor c3 . field effect transistor circuit 30 can include a 2n6796 field effect transistor q2 and a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c5 . second charge storage circuit 40 can include a 100 kilohm resistor r1 and 1n5540 20 volt zener diode d2 , a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c1 , a 100 kilohm resistor r2 and a 0 . 1 microfarad capacitor c2 . the transistor circuit 50 might include a 2n2946a transistor q1 , a 1 megohm resistor r7 and a 1 megohm resistor r8 . third charge storage circuit 60 can include a 1n4148 diode d3 , a 100 ohm resistor r5 , a 10 megohm resistor r6 and a 10 microfarad capacitor c4 . feedback circuit 70 has a one microfarad capacitor c6 and a 100 ohm resistor r9 in association with a 1 kilohm resistor r10 . any or all of the components enumerated above optionally are replaced by similar components with slightly different values . r1 , r2 , d2 , c1 and c2 may be replaced by any means of 20 vdc generation compatable with the circuit requirements . r4 , r6 , r10 and r7 could be eliminated with a reduction in safety margin and the output could drive other than the explosive squib if a particular application so requires . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | 0.25 | d6c4630626a563a12a35cf4b0cb4f2f5123719ebb132abf0a4f5d483efdb72ef | 0.02063 | 0.332031 | 0.005219 | 0.200195 | 0.079102 | 0.053467 |
null | referring now to fig1 a typical torpedo 10 is at the end of its run with its propellers 11 stopped . this stoppage could be occasioned by any one of several causes such as the expiration of a predetermined duty cycle , the exhaustion of an on - board fuel supply , et cetera , so that a torpedo engine 12 no longer turns the propellers . when the engine stops , an interconnected on - board alternator in a power supply circuit 13 stops turning so that it no longer provides ac power for a transformer - rectifier network included in the power supply circuit . prior to the stoppage of the engine , the power supply circuit delivers two levels of dc power at output leads 13a and 13b for a control circuit module 14 . the primary purpose of the control circuit is to actuate a squib 15 when power stops coming from circuit 13 . when the dc power no longer comes from circuit 13 , the squib is initiated ( explodes ) and weight 16 , usually lead , is dropped or ejected from the torpedo . since the torpedo is positively buoyant without this weight , recovery of the floating torpedo is a simple matter by a torpedo recovery craft . looking now to fig2 control circuit 14 receives a first level of dc input power from power source 13 at first input terminals 14a and 14b and dc power at a second level at an input terminal point 14c . these two dc power levels are transmitted to the control circuit via output leads 13a and 13b , respectively . as mentioned above , the dc power comes from a suitable transformer and rectifier arrangement associated with an alternator that is coupled to torpedo engine 12 . the exact details of the alternator - transformer - rectifiers are not shown since such arrangements are well known in the art and their inclusion is omitted so as not to belabor the obvious . a first charge storage circuit 20 receives dc power at terminal 14b and accumulates an initiating charge on a capacitor c3 . a field effect transistor ( fet ) circuit 30 has a fet q2 and serves to couple the initiating charge to squib 15 when certain conditions are present , as will be explained below . upon detonation of the squib , weight 16 is released and the torpedo can rise to the surface . a second charge storage circuit 40 is appropriately coupled to input terminal 14a and provides a predetermined charge on capacitor c2 which acts as a biasing source to inhibit the actuation of a transistor circuit 50 . the transistor circuit has a bipolar junction transistor ( bjt ) q1 , and functions in conjunction with the field effect transistor circuit to inhibit actuation of squib 15 until the torpedo engine stops or runs at a very low speed . a third charge storage circuit 60 receives the second level of dc power via terminal 14c and stores an accumulating charge on a capacitor c4 that is held there until the torpedo engine stops . a feedback loop 70 interconnects transistor circuit 50 and field effect transistor circuit 30 in such a manner as to further assure the appropriate actuation of squib 15 when the torpedo engine stops . as torpedo engine 12 provides rotational power for propellers 11 , power source 13 provides two levels of dc power , the first level at 40 volts dc at output lead 13a and the lower level at 15 volts dc on lead 13b . a - 15 volt level is coupled to a resistor r7 , if desired , for the purpose to be explained below . optionally , the power supplied at input terminal 14c can be delayed approximately 10 seconds to insure that full torpedo power is reached before third charge storage circuit 60 is activated . + 40 volt dc power is applied at terminal 14b and an initiating charge is stored in capacitor c3 , via diode d1 and resistor r3 to a + 40 volt dc value . resistor r4 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating an excessive charge on capacitor c3 . second charge storage circuit 40 has a resistor r1 and zener diode d2 to provide a simple + 20 volt dc voltage source which is filtered by capacitor c1 , resistor r2 and capacitor c2 . the charge of circuit 40 is applied to the base electrode of transistor q1 in circuit 50 to keep the transistor turned off until power fails at the end of a test or a practice run when the torpedo engine stops . when + 15 volts dc is applied at input terminal 14c of the third charge storage circuit 60 , capacitor c4 is charged through diode d3 and resistor r5 the capicator is in parallel with resistor r6 . resistor r6 prevents occasional high voltage spikes from integrating and accumulating excessive charge on capacitor c4 as well as providing an automatic discharging path for convenience in testing . when the torpedo engine quits , the + 40 volts dc appearing at input terminals 14a and 14b drops to zero volts dc . this condition causes the voltage at the base electrode of transistor q1 to fall until transistor q1 turns on . as transistor q1 turns on , capacitor c4 discharges through transistor q1 to the gate electrode of field effect transistor q2 and capacitor c5 . capacitor c5 charges rapidly and field effect transistor q2 starts to slowly turn on causing current to flow from its drain electrode to its source electrode which slightly raises the voltage of its source electrode . this small voltage increase is fed back through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 of feedback loop 70 and increases the voltage at the emitter of transistor q1 . this slight voltage increase is amplified by transistor q1 to increase the rate of rise of the field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage . in this manner , when field effect transistor q2 starts to turn on , the positive feedback creates a rapid clamping effect which switches field effect transistor q2 very quickly for low energy dissipation during switching . with field effect transistor q2 turned on , capacitor c3 dumps large currents through field effect transistor q2 to the one ohm squib 15 . the limiting factor is the gate electrode voltage which is limited to + 15 volts which causes the device to turn off if the source electrode voltage exceeds approximately + 10 volts . squib 15 current thus is limited to approximately 10 amperes . empirical data has demonstrated that as squib 15 fires , its resistance drops to virtually zero ohms . when this happens , squib 15 shorts the source electrode of field effect transistor q2 to ground but capacitor c5 prevents gate - to - source electrode voltage from changing instantaneously . current is also drawn through resistor r9 and capacitor c6 which reduces the voltage on capacitor c4 and turns off transistor q1 briefly . as a result , during the instant the squib is firing , current through field effect transistor q2 is held constant in spite of the reduced squib resistance . resistor r8 keeps field effect transistor q2 gate electrode voltage low when power is off and acts with resistor r7 and a - 15 v source to form a voltage divider when power is applied and transistor q1 is off . this pulls the gate electrode voltage even lower for an increased safety margin . from the foregoing , it is seen that both positive and negative feedback are selectively employed to create rapid turn on but to limit current during the firing of squib 15 . electro - mechanical relays always have contact bounce which would otherwise limit the turn on speed and create arcing and corrosion . contact currents exceeding 23 amperes were common in the electro - mechanical relay circuits and always exceeded the specifications of associated elements . the disclosed control circuit not only limits the current to approximately 10 amperes but uses a switch , a 2n6796 , field effect transistor q2 which is rated at 32 amperes . as a consequence , reliability is improved considerably . conceivably a similar circuit could be built using scr &# 39 ; s but such a circuit could be irreversibly triggered by a noise spike . this undesirable event can not occur with the disclosed circuit since it can be turned off after triggering to prevent squib 15 from inadvertently firing . typical component value in first charge storage circuit 20 include a 1n4148 diode d1 , a 3 . 9 kilohm resistor r3 , a 1 megohm resistor r4 and an 86 microfarad capacitor c3 . field effect transistor circuit 30 can include a 2n6796 field effect transistor q2 and a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c5 . second charge storage circuit 40 can include a 100 kilohm resistor r1 and 1n5540 20 volt zener diode d2 , a 0 . 01 microfarad capacitor c1 , a 100 kilohm resistor r2 and a 0 . 1 microfarad capacitor c2 . the transistor circuit 50 might include a 2n2946a transistor q1 , a 1 megohm resistor r7 and a 1 megohm resistor r8 . third charge storage circuit 60 can include a 1n4148 diode d3 , a 100 ohm resistor r5 , a 10 megohm resistor r6 and a 10 microfarad capacitor c4 . feedback circuit 70 has a one microfarad capacitor c6 and a 100 ohm resistor r9 in association with a 1 kilohm resistor r10 . any or all of the components enumerated above optionally are replaced by similar components with slightly different values . r1 , r2 , d2 , c1 and c2 may be replaced by any means of 20 vdc generation compatable with the circuit requirements . r4 , r6 , r10 and r7 could be eliminated with a reduction in safety margin and the output could drive other than the explosive squib if a particular application so requires . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | 0.25 | d6c4630626a563a12a35cf4b0cb4f2f5123719ebb132abf0a4f5d483efdb72ef | 0.014526 | 0.131836 | 0.001701 | 0.172852 | 0.037354 | 0.166992 |
null | Ξ³ - pga is different from other proteins , in that glutamate is polymerized via the Ξ³ - amide linkages , and thus is synthesized by a ribosome - independent manner . the location of genes responsible for pga synthesis is a matter of controversy : they were reported to be present in the genomic dna , while others suggested they are carried in plasmids . biosynthesis of pga is not entirely understood either . the most likely model of d - glutamic acid formation involves a series of glutamyl transamidation and alanine racemization reactions . a pyruvic acid aminotransferase reacts with l - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid to form Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid and l - alanine . l - alanine is subsequently converted into its d - form , which then reacts with Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid that yields d - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid . transfer of the glutamyl group from l - glutamine to either d - or l - glutamic acid or to a glutamyl dipeptide is catalyzed by a glutamyl transamidase and results in the formation of glutamyl di - and tripeptides , respectively . it was further shown that a transpeptidase reaction between Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides forming Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides of longer chain length was catalysed by a glutamyl transpeptidase . to sum up , a series of transamidation and transpeptidation reactions are believed to be responsible for the synthesis of the polyglutamyl polymers in b . licheniformis , while Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid is apparently a key intermediate . the starting material of the present invention is a polycarboxylic acid , the Ξ³ - pga , which was produced by bacillus licheniformis , strain atcc 9945a , which was maintained on 1 . 5 % ( w / v ) bouillon - agar slants . submerged cultivations were carried out in either a laboratory fermentor with 15 liters total / 12 liters useful volume ( new brunswick scientific , new brunswick , n . j ., u . s . a . ), or in 500 ml erlenmeyer flasks . the fermentation medium for all cultivations contained 20 g / l glutamic acid , 26 . 3 g / l citric acid . h 2 o , 7 g / l nh 4 cl , 0 . 5 g / l k 2 hpo 4 , 0 . 5 g / l mgso 4 . 7h 2 o , 0 . 15 g / l cacl 2 . 2h 2 o , 0 . 08 g / l mnso 4 . h 2 o , 0 . 05 g / l feso 4 . 7h 2 o , 80 g / 199 . 5 % glycerol . the temperature was maintained at 37 Β° c ., and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 4 with naoh prior sterilization . flasks were directly inoculated with 10 % vegetative b . licheniformis spores with a final concentration of up to 10 7 per ml and were kept on a new brunswick orbital shaker at 200 rpm . laboratory - scale fermentors were inoculated with 5 % 14 . 5 hours - old seed cultures that were formed in shaker - flasks as described above . aeration in the fermentor was carried out by purging air at 5 liters / min and stirring with two conventional , six - blade disk turbine impellers at 1000 rpm . cultivations were carried out for 164 hours . although the technical means to modify the oxygen transfer rate in a series of 500 ml shake - flasks are limited , varying the ratio of flask to medium volume does change the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) and could result in a gradient of oxygen input . high volumes within flasks lower specific oxygen transfer rate . growth ( microbial biomass formation ) was followed by the changes in the optical density of culture aliquots measured at Ξ» = 600 nm . volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) values of the shake - flasks ( characterized in table i .) were determined by the sulphite - oxidation method . the resulting culture medium was centrifuged at 10 , 000 rpm for 80 min and was filtered through a 0 . 01 ΞΌm pore size nitrocellulose membrane under vacuum , to remove the bacterial biomass . pga was precipitated by the addition of one and a half volume of acetone to the filtrate . the pga was re - dissolved in water , dialyzed against distilled water and freeze - dried . because the resulting product is very hygroscopic and is in fact composed of free pga acid ( pga - h ) and sodium salt of pga ( pga - na ) in an unknown ratio ( with possibly some higher valence cations bound to the carboxylic groups ), part of the pga was further purified and converted to the free acid form by treatment with ion - exchange resin . 100 g of amberlite 15 ( macroreticular cation - exchange resin in h + form ) was mixed with 5 liters of partially purified pga in solution and stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after decantation , pga solution was mixed again with a new batch of resin and the process repeated twice . the resulting pga - h solution is acidic ( ph of about 2 . 8 ) and has a much lower viscosity than the initial pga - na - pga - h mixture . anions from the fermentation medium were removed by dialysis against water for several days . subsequent freeze - drying yielded pure pga - h which is practically not hygroscopic . after freeze drying , aqueous solution were prepared from Ξ³ - pga . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . the extent of complexation is determined by the concentration of solutions and the ratio of Ξ³ - pga and lead ions . these complex formations can be performed at different ion concentrations . nanoparticles were also made by complexation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga derivatives and lead ions . the Ξ³ - pga was cross - linked with 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). the reaction took place in water in the presence of water soluble 1 -( 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide hydrochloride ). the cross - linking was performed in different proportions , from 1 % to 100 % relative to the carboxylic groups of Ξ³ - pga . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h . the solutions containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles were purified by dialysis for 7 days against distilled water and freeze - dried . this method is similar to the complexation of original Ξ³ - pga and lead ions : cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the solution containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in distilled water to produce Ξ³ - pga solution , concentration was between 0 . 5 and 10 mmol . the ph was adjusted to 2 . 6 with hcl solution . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 12 . 5 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 115 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 29 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 23 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 6 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 3 . 125 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . use and reuse of water requires purification to remove chemical and biological hazardous components . industrial wastewater and groundwater must be treated before discharge . development of new materials and techniques with increased affinity , capacity and selectivity for heavy metals is forced because the conventional technologies are often inadequate to reduce concentrations in wastewater to acceptable regulatory standards . a clear solution was obtained by mixing the solutions of pga and lead nitrate at ph = 2 . 3 . at this ph no lead binding occurred . by adjusting the ph to 4 . 0 , an opaque aqueous dispersion was immediately formed ; this demonstrates complex formation . the colloid dispersions were stable for at least one week . ultrafiltration of samples was performed after 24 hours . ultrafiltration membrane ( 62 mm in diameter ) made of polyethersulfone was obtained from amicon co . having mwco of 30 , 000 da . the permeate was clear , while the retentate remained an opaque dispersion . concentration of lead ions was measured by icp and is summarized in table 1 . the distribution of the lead ions demonstrates that pga has high affinity for lead ions . when the retentate was acidified , a clear solution was obtained and the polymer was recovered . materials . pb ( ii ) salt was pb ( no 3 ) 2 dissolved in distilled water , the water soluble chelating polymer used was poly gamma glutamic acid ( pga ) and crosslinked poly gamma glutamic acid . the average molecular weight of pga was determined to be 1 million by gel permeation chromatography . and poly ( acrylic acids ) paa ( mw = 1 Γ 100 kda , 4 . 5 Γ 100 kda and 7 . 5 Γ 100 kda ). acrylic acid ( aa )- co - bis -[ 2 -( methacryloyloxy )- ethyl ] phosphate ( bmoep ) was another nanoparticle that was investigated . reagents for crosslinking were cdi : 1 -( 3 ( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide methiodide , edbea : 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). a dialysis membrane of spectra / por ( spectrum medical industries ; molecular weight cut - off : 12 kda - 14 kda ) was used . different proportions of cdi , edbea ( 2 %, 5 %, 15 %, 25 %, 50 %, 100 %) the resulting polymer solution was dyalised for 7 days against water , and freeze - dried . ion binding was measured by dialysis method . concentration of residual toxic heavy metal was measured by par reagent and uv - vis photometry fig1 shows the structure of the polymers that were investigated . fig2 shows the water - soluble chelating polymer retained into dialysis tubing ( recovery cell ). this was immersed into 200 ml sample solution ( feed cell ) that contains the lead ions placed inside a beaker which was stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a constant speed . the concentration of lead ion was 5 ppm in experiments , and polymer in the recovery cell was 11 . 5 mg in 30 ml of water . fig1 shows the formation of nanoparticles by crosslinking reactions . a : from pga ( pganps ); and b : from polyacrylic acid ( paanps ). the experimental runs were carried out in the presence and absence of the chelating polymer in the recovery cell . the time course of change in concentration of metal ions in the feed cell was determined by sampling at fixed intervals , and measuring concentrations of the metal ions by spectrophotometry using a solution of as par indicator . fig2 is a diagram of experimental setup ( 1 ) water - soluble polymer ( 2 ) lead nitrate dissolved in distilled water ( 3 ) beaker a dialysis membrane allows complete permeation of only metal ions with no permeation of chelating polymer or metal - polymer complexes . therefore metal ions should be concentrated in the recovery cell . at lower ph ( e . g . ph = 2 ) the complex stability decreases and lead ions are not attracted by the polymers . for heavy metal binding purposes polymer based colloid particles have been designed . these particles , in a range of 40 - 250 nm , involve chelating group to bind pollutants . typical results of the time courses of ion concentration decrease in the feed cell are shown in fig4 and 5 . in the absence of a water - soluble chelating polymer , the concentration in both cells approach equilibrium , but almost all metal ions in the feed cell were recovered using the modified polymer ( pga ) and ( paa ). fig3 shows the highest concentration of lead was 5 ppm . the zig - zag line shows the decrease of the lead concentration in the feed cell during time intervals with adjustment of the lead to initial concentration every 24 hrs . the final measurement shows that the uptake still continues before equilibrium occurs . fig5 shows the uptake of lead by natural biopolymer produced by biotechnology process in our laboratory . the same protocol described above was used but with longer time courses even after equilibrium occurred . the observed intervals were 98 - 170 hours and 268 - 340 hours the lead concentration approached to zero and the lead concentration was continued to be adjusted in the feed cell to 5 ppm until equilibrium take placed . table 2 shows the binding capacity of synthetic ( aa - co - bmoep ), natural ( pga ) and modified natural biopolymer ( pganp ). fig3 shows crosslinked nanoparticles form complex bonds with free carboxylic groups and with the peptide bond . surface complexation and binding inside the particles may occur . fig4 shows the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified paa fig5 show the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified pga . | Is 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Human Necessities'? | 0.25 | ce888a240fe129a0a8787779ed636d120d2fb44cfbefff64bf5734c6f78e02c5 | 0.112793 | 0.019409 | 0.15332 | 0.004333 | 0.207031 | 0.012451 |
null | Ξ³ - pga is different from other proteins , in that glutamate is polymerized via the Ξ³ - amide linkages , and thus is synthesized by a ribosome - independent manner . the location of genes responsible for pga synthesis is a matter of controversy : they were reported to be present in the genomic dna , while others suggested they are carried in plasmids . biosynthesis of pga is not entirely understood either . the most likely model of d - glutamic acid formation involves a series of glutamyl transamidation and alanine racemization reactions . a pyruvic acid aminotransferase reacts with l - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid to form Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid and l - alanine . l - alanine is subsequently converted into its d - form , which then reacts with Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid that yields d - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid . transfer of the glutamyl group from l - glutamine to either d - or l - glutamic acid or to a glutamyl dipeptide is catalyzed by a glutamyl transamidase and results in the formation of glutamyl di - and tripeptides , respectively . it was further shown that a transpeptidase reaction between Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides forming Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides of longer chain length was catalysed by a glutamyl transpeptidase . to sum up , a series of transamidation and transpeptidation reactions are believed to be responsible for the synthesis of the polyglutamyl polymers in b . licheniformis , while Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid is apparently a key intermediate . the starting material of the present invention is a polycarboxylic acid , the Ξ³ - pga , which was produced by bacillus licheniformis , strain atcc 9945a , which was maintained on 1 . 5 % ( w / v ) bouillon - agar slants . submerged cultivations were carried out in either a laboratory fermentor with 15 liters total / 12 liters useful volume ( new brunswick scientific , new brunswick , n . j ., u . s . a . ), or in 500 ml erlenmeyer flasks . the fermentation medium for all cultivations contained 20 g / l glutamic acid , 26 . 3 g / l citric acid . h 2 o , 7 g / l nh 4 cl , 0 . 5 g / l k 2 hpo 4 , 0 . 5 g / l mgso 4 . 7h 2 o , 0 . 15 g / l cacl 2 . 2h 2 o , 0 . 08 g / l mnso 4 . h 2 o , 0 . 05 g / l feso 4 . 7h 2 o , 80 g / 199 . 5 % glycerol . the temperature was maintained at 37 Β° c ., and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 4 with naoh prior sterilization . flasks were directly inoculated with 10 % vegetative b . licheniformis spores with a final concentration of up to 10 7 per ml and were kept on a new brunswick orbital shaker at 200 rpm . laboratory - scale fermentors were inoculated with 5 % 14 . 5 hours - old seed cultures that were formed in shaker - flasks as described above . aeration in the fermentor was carried out by purging air at 5 liters / min and stirring with two conventional , six - blade disk turbine impellers at 1000 rpm . cultivations were carried out for 164 hours . although the technical means to modify the oxygen transfer rate in a series of 500 ml shake - flasks are limited , varying the ratio of flask to medium volume does change the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) and could result in a gradient of oxygen input . high volumes within flasks lower specific oxygen transfer rate . growth ( microbial biomass formation ) was followed by the changes in the optical density of culture aliquots measured at Ξ» = 600 nm . volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) values of the shake - flasks ( characterized in table i .) were determined by the sulphite - oxidation method . the resulting culture medium was centrifuged at 10 , 000 rpm for 80 min and was filtered through a 0 . 01 ΞΌm pore size nitrocellulose membrane under vacuum , to remove the bacterial biomass . pga was precipitated by the addition of one and a half volume of acetone to the filtrate . the pga was re - dissolved in water , dialyzed against distilled water and freeze - dried . because the resulting product is very hygroscopic and is in fact composed of free pga acid ( pga - h ) and sodium salt of pga ( pga - na ) in an unknown ratio ( with possibly some higher valence cations bound to the carboxylic groups ), part of the pga was further purified and converted to the free acid form by treatment with ion - exchange resin . 100 g of amberlite 15 ( macroreticular cation - exchange resin in h + form ) was mixed with 5 liters of partially purified pga in solution and stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after decantation , pga solution was mixed again with a new batch of resin and the process repeated twice . the resulting pga - h solution is acidic ( ph of about 2 . 8 ) and has a much lower viscosity than the initial pga - na - pga - h mixture . anions from the fermentation medium were removed by dialysis against water for several days . subsequent freeze - drying yielded pure pga - h which is practically not hygroscopic . after freeze drying , aqueous solution were prepared from Ξ³ - pga . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . the extent of complexation is determined by the concentration of solutions and the ratio of Ξ³ - pga and lead ions . these complex formations can be performed at different ion concentrations . nanoparticles were also made by complexation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga derivatives and lead ions . the Ξ³ - pga was cross - linked with 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). the reaction took place in water in the presence of water soluble 1 -( 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide hydrochloride ). the cross - linking was performed in different proportions , from 1 % to 100 % relative to the carboxylic groups of Ξ³ - pga . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h . the solutions containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles were purified by dialysis for 7 days against distilled water and freeze - dried . this method is similar to the complexation of original Ξ³ - pga and lead ions : cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the solution containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in distilled water to produce Ξ³ - pga solution , concentration was between 0 . 5 and 10 mmol . the ph was adjusted to 2 . 6 with hcl solution . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 12 . 5 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 115 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 29 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 23 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 6 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 3 . 125 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . use and reuse of water requires purification to remove chemical and biological hazardous components . industrial wastewater and groundwater must be treated before discharge . development of new materials and techniques with increased affinity , capacity and selectivity for heavy metals is forced because the conventional technologies are often inadequate to reduce concentrations in wastewater to acceptable regulatory standards . a clear solution was obtained by mixing the solutions of pga and lead nitrate at ph = 2 . 3 . at this ph no lead binding occurred . by adjusting the ph to 4 . 0 , an opaque aqueous dispersion was immediately formed ; this demonstrates complex formation . the colloid dispersions were stable for at least one week . ultrafiltration of samples was performed after 24 hours . ultrafiltration membrane ( 62 mm in diameter ) made of polyethersulfone was obtained from amicon co . having mwco of 30 , 000 da . the permeate was clear , while the retentate remained an opaque dispersion . concentration of lead ions was measured by icp and is summarized in table 1 . the distribution of the lead ions demonstrates that pga has high affinity for lead ions . when the retentate was acidified , a clear solution was obtained and the polymer was recovered . materials . pb ( ii ) salt was pb ( no 3 ) 2 dissolved in distilled water , the water soluble chelating polymer used was poly gamma glutamic acid ( pga ) and crosslinked poly gamma glutamic acid . the average molecular weight of pga was determined to be 1 million by gel permeation chromatography . and poly ( acrylic acids ) paa ( mw = 1 Γ 100 kda , 4 . 5 Γ 100 kda and 7 . 5 Γ 100 kda ). acrylic acid ( aa )- co - bis -[ 2 -( methacryloyloxy )- ethyl ] phosphate ( bmoep ) was another nanoparticle that was investigated . reagents for crosslinking were cdi : 1 -( 3 ( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide methiodide , edbea : 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). a dialysis membrane of spectra / por ( spectrum medical industries ; molecular weight cut - off : 12 kda - 14 kda ) was used . different proportions of cdi , edbea ( 2 %, 5 %, 15 %, 25 %, 50 %, 100 %) the resulting polymer solution was dyalised for 7 days against water , and freeze - dried . ion binding was measured by dialysis method . concentration of residual toxic heavy metal was measured by par reagent and uv - vis photometry fig1 shows the structure of the polymers that were investigated . fig2 shows the water - soluble chelating polymer retained into dialysis tubing ( recovery cell ). this was immersed into 200 ml sample solution ( feed cell ) that contains the lead ions placed inside a beaker which was stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a constant speed . the concentration of lead ion was 5 ppm in experiments , and polymer in the recovery cell was 11 . 5 mg in 30 ml of water . fig1 shows the formation of nanoparticles by crosslinking reactions . a : from pga ( pganps ); and b : from polyacrylic acid ( paanps ). the experimental runs were carried out in the presence and absence of the chelating polymer in the recovery cell . the time course of change in concentration of metal ions in the feed cell was determined by sampling at fixed intervals , and measuring concentrations of the metal ions by spectrophotometry using a solution of as par indicator . fig2 is a diagram of experimental setup ( 1 ) water - soluble polymer ( 2 ) lead nitrate dissolved in distilled water ( 3 ) beaker a dialysis membrane allows complete permeation of only metal ions with no permeation of chelating polymer or metal - polymer complexes . therefore metal ions should be concentrated in the recovery cell . at lower ph ( e . g . ph = 2 ) the complex stability decreases and lead ions are not attracted by the polymers . for heavy metal binding purposes polymer based colloid particles have been designed . these particles , in a range of 40 - 250 nm , involve chelating group to bind pollutants . typical results of the time courses of ion concentration decrease in the feed cell are shown in fig4 and 5 . in the absence of a water - soluble chelating polymer , the concentration in both cells approach equilibrium , but almost all metal ions in the feed cell were recovered using the modified polymer ( pga ) and ( paa ). fig3 shows the highest concentration of lead was 5 ppm . the zig - zag line shows the decrease of the lead concentration in the feed cell during time intervals with adjustment of the lead to initial concentration every 24 hrs . the final measurement shows that the uptake still continues before equilibrium occurs . fig5 shows the uptake of lead by natural biopolymer produced by biotechnology process in our laboratory . the same protocol described above was used but with longer time courses even after equilibrium occurred . the observed intervals were 98 - 170 hours and 268 - 340 hours the lead concentration approached to zero and the lead concentration was continued to be adjusted in the feed cell to 5 ppm until equilibrium take placed . table 2 shows the binding capacity of synthetic ( aa - co - bmoep ), natural ( pga ) and modified natural biopolymer ( pganp ). fig3 shows crosslinked nanoparticles form complex bonds with free carboxylic groups and with the peptide bond . surface complexation and binding inside the particles may occur . fig4 shows the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified paa fig5 show the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified pga . | Should this patent be classified under 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Performing Operations; Transporting'? | 0.25 | ce888a240fe129a0a8787779ed636d120d2fb44cfbefff64bf5734c6f78e02c5 | 0.203125 | 0.00592 | 0.59375 | 0.001457 | 0.292969 | 0.035156 |
null | Ξ³ - pga is different from other proteins , in that glutamate is polymerized via the Ξ³ - amide linkages , and thus is synthesized by a ribosome - independent manner . the location of genes responsible for pga synthesis is a matter of controversy : they were reported to be present in the genomic dna , while others suggested they are carried in plasmids . biosynthesis of pga is not entirely understood either . the most likely model of d - glutamic acid formation involves a series of glutamyl transamidation and alanine racemization reactions . a pyruvic acid aminotransferase reacts with l - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid to form Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid and l - alanine . l - alanine is subsequently converted into its d - form , which then reacts with Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid that yields d - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid . transfer of the glutamyl group from l - glutamine to either d - or l - glutamic acid or to a glutamyl dipeptide is catalyzed by a glutamyl transamidase and results in the formation of glutamyl di - and tripeptides , respectively . it was further shown that a transpeptidase reaction between Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides forming Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides of longer chain length was catalysed by a glutamyl transpeptidase . to sum up , a series of transamidation and transpeptidation reactions are believed to be responsible for the synthesis of the polyglutamyl polymers in b . licheniformis , while Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid is apparently a key intermediate . the starting material of the present invention is a polycarboxylic acid , the Ξ³ - pga , which was produced by bacillus licheniformis , strain atcc 9945a , which was maintained on 1 . 5 % ( w / v ) bouillon - agar slants . submerged cultivations were carried out in either a laboratory fermentor with 15 liters total / 12 liters useful volume ( new brunswick scientific , new brunswick , n . j ., u . s . a . ), or in 500 ml erlenmeyer flasks . the fermentation medium for all cultivations contained 20 g / l glutamic acid , 26 . 3 g / l citric acid . h 2 o , 7 g / l nh 4 cl , 0 . 5 g / l k 2 hpo 4 , 0 . 5 g / l mgso 4 . 7h 2 o , 0 . 15 g / l cacl 2 . 2h 2 o , 0 . 08 g / l mnso 4 . h 2 o , 0 . 05 g / l feso 4 . 7h 2 o , 80 g / 199 . 5 % glycerol . the temperature was maintained at 37 Β° c ., and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 4 with naoh prior sterilization . flasks were directly inoculated with 10 % vegetative b . licheniformis spores with a final concentration of up to 10 7 per ml and were kept on a new brunswick orbital shaker at 200 rpm . laboratory - scale fermentors were inoculated with 5 % 14 . 5 hours - old seed cultures that were formed in shaker - flasks as described above . aeration in the fermentor was carried out by purging air at 5 liters / min and stirring with two conventional , six - blade disk turbine impellers at 1000 rpm . cultivations were carried out for 164 hours . although the technical means to modify the oxygen transfer rate in a series of 500 ml shake - flasks are limited , varying the ratio of flask to medium volume does change the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) and could result in a gradient of oxygen input . high volumes within flasks lower specific oxygen transfer rate . growth ( microbial biomass formation ) was followed by the changes in the optical density of culture aliquots measured at Ξ» = 600 nm . volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) values of the shake - flasks ( characterized in table i .) were determined by the sulphite - oxidation method . the resulting culture medium was centrifuged at 10 , 000 rpm for 80 min and was filtered through a 0 . 01 ΞΌm pore size nitrocellulose membrane under vacuum , to remove the bacterial biomass . pga was precipitated by the addition of one and a half volume of acetone to the filtrate . the pga was re - dissolved in water , dialyzed against distilled water and freeze - dried . because the resulting product is very hygroscopic and is in fact composed of free pga acid ( pga - h ) and sodium salt of pga ( pga - na ) in an unknown ratio ( with possibly some higher valence cations bound to the carboxylic groups ), part of the pga was further purified and converted to the free acid form by treatment with ion - exchange resin . 100 g of amberlite 15 ( macroreticular cation - exchange resin in h + form ) was mixed with 5 liters of partially purified pga in solution and stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after decantation , pga solution was mixed again with a new batch of resin and the process repeated twice . the resulting pga - h solution is acidic ( ph of about 2 . 8 ) and has a much lower viscosity than the initial pga - na - pga - h mixture . anions from the fermentation medium were removed by dialysis against water for several days . subsequent freeze - drying yielded pure pga - h which is practically not hygroscopic . after freeze drying , aqueous solution were prepared from Ξ³ - pga . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . the extent of complexation is determined by the concentration of solutions and the ratio of Ξ³ - pga and lead ions . these complex formations can be performed at different ion concentrations . nanoparticles were also made by complexation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga derivatives and lead ions . the Ξ³ - pga was cross - linked with 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). the reaction took place in water in the presence of water soluble 1 -( 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide hydrochloride ). the cross - linking was performed in different proportions , from 1 % to 100 % relative to the carboxylic groups of Ξ³ - pga . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h . the solutions containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles were purified by dialysis for 7 days against distilled water and freeze - dried . this method is similar to the complexation of original Ξ³ - pga and lead ions : cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the solution containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in distilled water to produce Ξ³ - pga solution , concentration was between 0 . 5 and 10 mmol . the ph was adjusted to 2 . 6 with hcl solution . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 12 . 5 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 115 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 29 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 23 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 6 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 3 . 125 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . use and reuse of water requires purification to remove chemical and biological hazardous components . industrial wastewater and groundwater must be treated before discharge . development of new materials and techniques with increased affinity , capacity and selectivity for heavy metals is forced because the conventional technologies are often inadequate to reduce concentrations in wastewater to acceptable regulatory standards . a clear solution was obtained by mixing the solutions of pga and lead nitrate at ph = 2 . 3 . at this ph no lead binding occurred . by adjusting the ph to 4 . 0 , an opaque aqueous dispersion was immediately formed ; this demonstrates complex formation . the colloid dispersions were stable for at least one week . ultrafiltration of samples was performed after 24 hours . ultrafiltration membrane ( 62 mm in diameter ) made of polyethersulfone was obtained from amicon co . having mwco of 30 , 000 da . the permeate was clear , while the retentate remained an opaque dispersion . concentration of lead ions was measured by icp and is summarized in table 1 . the distribution of the lead ions demonstrates that pga has high affinity for lead ions . when the retentate was acidified , a clear solution was obtained and the polymer was recovered . materials . pb ( ii ) salt was pb ( no 3 ) 2 dissolved in distilled water , the water soluble chelating polymer used was poly gamma glutamic acid ( pga ) and crosslinked poly gamma glutamic acid . the average molecular weight of pga was determined to be 1 million by gel permeation chromatography . and poly ( acrylic acids ) paa ( mw = 1 Γ 100 kda , 4 . 5 Γ 100 kda and 7 . 5 Γ 100 kda ). acrylic acid ( aa )- co - bis -[ 2 -( methacryloyloxy )- ethyl ] phosphate ( bmoep ) was another nanoparticle that was investigated . reagents for crosslinking were cdi : 1 -( 3 ( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide methiodide , edbea : 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). a dialysis membrane of spectra / por ( spectrum medical industries ; molecular weight cut - off : 12 kda - 14 kda ) was used . different proportions of cdi , edbea ( 2 %, 5 %, 15 %, 25 %, 50 %, 100 %) the resulting polymer solution was dyalised for 7 days against water , and freeze - dried . ion binding was measured by dialysis method . concentration of residual toxic heavy metal was measured by par reagent and uv - vis photometry fig1 shows the structure of the polymers that were investigated . fig2 shows the water - soluble chelating polymer retained into dialysis tubing ( recovery cell ). this was immersed into 200 ml sample solution ( feed cell ) that contains the lead ions placed inside a beaker which was stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a constant speed . the concentration of lead ion was 5 ppm in experiments , and polymer in the recovery cell was 11 . 5 mg in 30 ml of water . fig1 shows the formation of nanoparticles by crosslinking reactions . a : from pga ( pganps ); and b : from polyacrylic acid ( paanps ). the experimental runs were carried out in the presence and absence of the chelating polymer in the recovery cell . the time course of change in concentration of metal ions in the feed cell was determined by sampling at fixed intervals , and measuring concentrations of the metal ions by spectrophotometry using a solution of as par indicator . fig2 is a diagram of experimental setup ( 1 ) water - soluble polymer ( 2 ) lead nitrate dissolved in distilled water ( 3 ) beaker a dialysis membrane allows complete permeation of only metal ions with no permeation of chelating polymer or metal - polymer complexes . therefore metal ions should be concentrated in the recovery cell . at lower ph ( e . g . ph = 2 ) the complex stability decreases and lead ions are not attracted by the polymers . for heavy metal binding purposes polymer based colloid particles have been designed . these particles , in a range of 40 - 250 nm , involve chelating group to bind pollutants . typical results of the time courses of ion concentration decrease in the feed cell are shown in fig4 and 5 . in the absence of a water - soluble chelating polymer , the concentration in both cells approach equilibrium , but almost all metal ions in the feed cell were recovered using the modified polymer ( pga ) and ( paa ). fig3 shows the highest concentration of lead was 5 ppm . the zig - zag line shows the decrease of the lead concentration in the feed cell during time intervals with adjustment of the lead to initial concentration every 24 hrs . the final measurement shows that the uptake still continues before equilibrium occurs . fig5 shows the uptake of lead by natural biopolymer produced by biotechnology process in our laboratory . the same protocol described above was used but with longer time courses even after equilibrium occurred . the observed intervals were 98 - 170 hours and 268 - 340 hours the lead concentration approached to zero and the lead concentration was continued to be adjusted in the feed cell to 5 ppm until equilibrium take placed . table 2 shows the binding capacity of synthetic ( aa - co - bmoep ), natural ( pga ) and modified natural biopolymer ( pganp ). fig3 shows crosslinked nanoparticles form complex bonds with free carboxylic groups and with the peptide bond . surface complexation and binding inside the particles may occur . fig4 shows the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified paa fig5 show the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified pga . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | ce888a240fe129a0a8787779ed636d120d2fb44cfbefff64bf5734c6f78e02c5 | 0.099609 | 0.251953 | 0.154297 | 0.53125 | 0.179688 | 0.22168 |
null | Ξ³ - pga is different from other proteins , in that glutamate is polymerized via the Ξ³ - amide linkages , and thus is synthesized by a ribosome - independent manner . the location of genes responsible for pga synthesis is a matter of controversy : they were reported to be present in the genomic dna , while others suggested they are carried in plasmids . biosynthesis of pga is not entirely understood either . the most likely model of d - glutamic acid formation involves a series of glutamyl transamidation and alanine racemization reactions . a pyruvic acid aminotransferase reacts with l - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid to form Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid and l - alanine . l - alanine is subsequently converted into its d - form , which then reacts with Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid that yields d - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid . transfer of the glutamyl group from l - glutamine to either d - or l - glutamic acid or to a glutamyl dipeptide is catalyzed by a glutamyl transamidase and results in the formation of glutamyl di - and tripeptides , respectively . it was further shown that a transpeptidase reaction between Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides forming Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides of longer chain length was catalysed by a glutamyl transpeptidase . to sum up , a series of transamidation and transpeptidation reactions are believed to be responsible for the synthesis of the polyglutamyl polymers in b . licheniformis , while Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid is apparently a key intermediate . the starting material of the present invention is a polycarboxylic acid , the Ξ³ - pga , which was produced by bacillus licheniformis , strain atcc 9945a , which was maintained on 1 . 5 % ( w / v ) bouillon - agar slants . submerged cultivations were carried out in either a laboratory fermentor with 15 liters total / 12 liters useful volume ( new brunswick scientific , new brunswick , n . j ., u . s . a . ), or in 500 ml erlenmeyer flasks . the fermentation medium for all cultivations contained 20 g / l glutamic acid , 26 . 3 g / l citric acid . h 2 o , 7 g / l nh 4 cl , 0 . 5 g / l k 2 hpo 4 , 0 . 5 g / l mgso 4 . 7h 2 o , 0 . 15 g / l cacl 2 . 2h 2 o , 0 . 08 g / l mnso 4 . h 2 o , 0 . 05 g / l feso 4 . 7h 2 o , 80 g / 199 . 5 % glycerol . the temperature was maintained at 37 Β° c ., and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 4 with naoh prior sterilization . flasks were directly inoculated with 10 % vegetative b . licheniformis spores with a final concentration of up to 10 7 per ml and were kept on a new brunswick orbital shaker at 200 rpm . laboratory - scale fermentors were inoculated with 5 % 14 . 5 hours - old seed cultures that were formed in shaker - flasks as described above . aeration in the fermentor was carried out by purging air at 5 liters / min and stirring with two conventional , six - blade disk turbine impellers at 1000 rpm . cultivations were carried out for 164 hours . although the technical means to modify the oxygen transfer rate in a series of 500 ml shake - flasks are limited , varying the ratio of flask to medium volume does change the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) and could result in a gradient of oxygen input . high volumes within flasks lower specific oxygen transfer rate . growth ( microbial biomass formation ) was followed by the changes in the optical density of culture aliquots measured at Ξ» = 600 nm . volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) values of the shake - flasks ( characterized in table i .) were determined by the sulphite - oxidation method . the resulting culture medium was centrifuged at 10 , 000 rpm for 80 min and was filtered through a 0 . 01 ΞΌm pore size nitrocellulose membrane under vacuum , to remove the bacterial biomass . pga was precipitated by the addition of one and a half volume of acetone to the filtrate . the pga was re - dissolved in water , dialyzed against distilled water and freeze - dried . because the resulting product is very hygroscopic and is in fact composed of free pga acid ( pga - h ) and sodium salt of pga ( pga - na ) in an unknown ratio ( with possibly some higher valence cations bound to the carboxylic groups ), part of the pga was further purified and converted to the free acid form by treatment with ion - exchange resin . 100 g of amberlite 15 ( macroreticular cation - exchange resin in h + form ) was mixed with 5 liters of partially purified pga in solution and stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after decantation , pga solution was mixed again with a new batch of resin and the process repeated twice . the resulting pga - h solution is acidic ( ph of about 2 . 8 ) and has a much lower viscosity than the initial pga - na - pga - h mixture . anions from the fermentation medium were removed by dialysis against water for several days . subsequent freeze - drying yielded pure pga - h which is practically not hygroscopic . after freeze drying , aqueous solution were prepared from Ξ³ - pga . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . the extent of complexation is determined by the concentration of solutions and the ratio of Ξ³ - pga and lead ions . these complex formations can be performed at different ion concentrations . nanoparticles were also made by complexation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga derivatives and lead ions . the Ξ³ - pga was cross - linked with 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). the reaction took place in water in the presence of water soluble 1 -( 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide hydrochloride ). the cross - linking was performed in different proportions , from 1 % to 100 % relative to the carboxylic groups of Ξ³ - pga . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h . the solutions containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles were purified by dialysis for 7 days against distilled water and freeze - dried . this method is similar to the complexation of original Ξ³ - pga and lead ions : cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the solution containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in distilled water to produce Ξ³ - pga solution , concentration was between 0 . 5 and 10 mmol . the ph was adjusted to 2 . 6 with hcl solution . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 12 . 5 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 115 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 29 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 23 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 6 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 3 . 125 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . use and reuse of water requires purification to remove chemical and biological hazardous components . industrial wastewater and groundwater must be treated before discharge . development of new materials and techniques with increased affinity , capacity and selectivity for heavy metals is forced because the conventional technologies are often inadequate to reduce concentrations in wastewater to acceptable regulatory standards . a clear solution was obtained by mixing the solutions of pga and lead nitrate at ph = 2 . 3 . at this ph no lead binding occurred . by adjusting the ph to 4 . 0 , an opaque aqueous dispersion was immediately formed ; this demonstrates complex formation . the colloid dispersions were stable for at least one week . ultrafiltration of samples was performed after 24 hours . ultrafiltration membrane ( 62 mm in diameter ) made of polyethersulfone was obtained from amicon co . having mwco of 30 , 000 da . the permeate was clear , while the retentate remained an opaque dispersion . concentration of lead ions was measured by icp and is summarized in table 1 . the distribution of the lead ions demonstrates that pga has high affinity for lead ions . when the retentate was acidified , a clear solution was obtained and the polymer was recovered . materials . pb ( ii ) salt was pb ( no 3 ) 2 dissolved in distilled water , the water soluble chelating polymer used was poly gamma glutamic acid ( pga ) and crosslinked poly gamma glutamic acid . the average molecular weight of pga was determined to be 1 million by gel permeation chromatography . and poly ( acrylic acids ) paa ( mw = 1 Γ 100 kda , 4 . 5 Γ 100 kda and 7 . 5 Γ 100 kda ). acrylic acid ( aa )- co - bis -[ 2 -( methacryloyloxy )- ethyl ] phosphate ( bmoep ) was another nanoparticle that was investigated . reagents for crosslinking were cdi : 1 -( 3 ( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide methiodide , edbea : 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). a dialysis membrane of spectra / por ( spectrum medical industries ; molecular weight cut - off : 12 kda - 14 kda ) was used . different proportions of cdi , edbea ( 2 %, 5 %, 15 %, 25 %, 50 %, 100 %) the resulting polymer solution was dyalised for 7 days against water , and freeze - dried . ion binding was measured by dialysis method . concentration of residual toxic heavy metal was measured by par reagent and uv - vis photometry fig1 shows the structure of the polymers that were investigated . fig2 shows the water - soluble chelating polymer retained into dialysis tubing ( recovery cell ). this was immersed into 200 ml sample solution ( feed cell ) that contains the lead ions placed inside a beaker which was stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a constant speed . the concentration of lead ion was 5 ppm in experiments , and polymer in the recovery cell was 11 . 5 mg in 30 ml of water . fig1 shows the formation of nanoparticles by crosslinking reactions . a : from pga ( pganps ); and b : from polyacrylic acid ( paanps ). the experimental runs were carried out in the presence and absence of the chelating polymer in the recovery cell . the time course of change in concentration of metal ions in the feed cell was determined by sampling at fixed intervals , and measuring concentrations of the metal ions by spectrophotometry using a solution of as par indicator . fig2 is a diagram of experimental setup ( 1 ) water - soluble polymer ( 2 ) lead nitrate dissolved in distilled water ( 3 ) beaker a dialysis membrane allows complete permeation of only metal ions with no permeation of chelating polymer or metal - polymer complexes . therefore metal ions should be concentrated in the recovery cell . at lower ph ( e . g . ph = 2 ) the complex stability decreases and lead ions are not attracted by the polymers . for heavy metal binding purposes polymer based colloid particles have been designed . these particles , in a range of 40 - 250 nm , involve chelating group to bind pollutants . typical results of the time courses of ion concentration decrease in the feed cell are shown in fig4 and 5 . in the absence of a water - soluble chelating polymer , the concentration in both cells approach equilibrium , but almost all metal ions in the feed cell were recovered using the modified polymer ( pga ) and ( paa ). fig3 shows the highest concentration of lead was 5 ppm . the zig - zag line shows the decrease of the lead concentration in the feed cell during time intervals with adjustment of the lead to initial concentration every 24 hrs . the final measurement shows that the uptake still continues before equilibrium occurs . fig5 shows the uptake of lead by natural biopolymer produced by biotechnology process in our laboratory . the same protocol described above was used but with longer time courses even after equilibrium occurred . the observed intervals were 98 - 170 hours and 268 - 340 hours the lead concentration approached to zero and the lead concentration was continued to be adjusted in the feed cell to 5 ppm until equilibrium take placed . table 2 shows the binding capacity of synthetic ( aa - co - bmoep ), natural ( pga ) and modified natural biopolymer ( pganp ). fig3 shows crosslinked nanoparticles form complex bonds with free carboxylic groups and with the peptide bond . surface complexation and binding inside the particles may occur . fig4 shows the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified paa fig5 show the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified pga . | Is 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is 'Textiles; Paper' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | ce888a240fe129a0a8787779ed636d120d2fb44cfbefff64bf5734c6f78e02c5 | 0.112793 | 0.000645 | 0.15332 | 0.000085 | 0.207031 | 0.011658 |
null | Ξ³ - pga is different from other proteins , in that glutamate is polymerized via the Ξ³ - amide linkages , and thus is synthesized by a ribosome - independent manner . the location of genes responsible for pga synthesis is a matter of controversy : they were reported to be present in the genomic dna , while others suggested they are carried in plasmids . biosynthesis of pga is not entirely understood either . the most likely model of d - glutamic acid formation involves a series of glutamyl transamidation and alanine racemization reactions . a pyruvic acid aminotransferase reacts with l - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid to form Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid and l - alanine . l - alanine is subsequently converted into its d - form , which then reacts with Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid that yields d - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid . transfer of the glutamyl group from l - glutamine to either d - or l - glutamic acid or to a glutamyl dipeptide is catalyzed by a glutamyl transamidase and results in the formation of glutamyl di - and tripeptides , respectively . it was further shown that a transpeptidase reaction between Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides forming Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides of longer chain length was catalysed by a glutamyl transpeptidase . to sum up , a series of transamidation and transpeptidation reactions are believed to be responsible for the synthesis of the polyglutamyl polymers in b . licheniformis , while Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid is apparently a key intermediate . the starting material of the present invention is a polycarboxylic acid , the Ξ³ - pga , which was produced by bacillus licheniformis , strain atcc 9945a , which was maintained on 1 . 5 % ( w / v ) bouillon - agar slants . submerged cultivations were carried out in either a laboratory fermentor with 15 liters total / 12 liters useful volume ( new brunswick scientific , new brunswick , n . j ., u . s . a . ), or in 500 ml erlenmeyer flasks . the fermentation medium for all cultivations contained 20 g / l glutamic acid , 26 . 3 g / l citric acid . h 2 o , 7 g / l nh 4 cl , 0 . 5 g / l k 2 hpo 4 , 0 . 5 g / l mgso 4 . 7h 2 o , 0 . 15 g / l cacl 2 . 2h 2 o , 0 . 08 g / l mnso 4 . h 2 o , 0 . 05 g / l feso 4 . 7h 2 o , 80 g / 199 . 5 % glycerol . the temperature was maintained at 37 Β° c ., and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 4 with naoh prior sterilization . flasks were directly inoculated with 10 % vegetative b . licheniformis spores with a final concentration of up to 10 7 per ml and were kept on a new brunswick orbital shaker at 200 rpm . laboratory - scale fermentors were inoculated with 5 % 14 . 5 hours - old seed cultures that were formed in shaker - flasks as described above . aeration in the fermentor was carried out by purging air at 5 liters / min and stirring with two conventional , six - blade disk turbine impellers at 1000 rpm . cultivations were carried out for 164 hours . although the technical means to modify the oxygen transfer rate in a series of 500 ml shake - flasks are limited , varying the ratio of flask to medium volume does change the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) and could result in a gradient of oxygen input . high volumes within flasks lower specific oxygen transfer rate . growth ( microbial biomass formation ) was followed by the changes in the optical density of culture aliquots measured at Ξ» = 600 nm . volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) values of the shake - flasks ( characterized in table i .) were determined by the sulphite - oxidation method . the resulting culture medium was centrifuged at 10 , 000 rpm for 80 min and was filtered through a 0 . 01 ΞΌm pore size nitrocellulose membrane under vacuum , to remove the bacterial biomass . pga was precipitated by the addition of one and a half volume of acetone to the filtrate . the pga was re - dissolved in water , dialyzed against distilled water and freeze - dried . because the resulting product is very hygroscopic and is in fact composed of free pga acid ( pga - h ) and sodium salt of pga ( pga - na ) in an unknown ratio ( with possibly some higher valence cations bound to the carboxylic groups ), part of the pga was further purified and converted to the free acid form by treatment with ion - exchange resin . 100 g of amberlite 15 ( macroreticular cation - exchange resin in h + form ) was mixed with 5 liters of partially purified pga in solution and stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after decantation , pga solution was mixed again with a new batch of resin and the process repeated twice . the resulting pga - h solution is acidic ( ph of about 2 . 8 ) and has a much lower viscosity than the initial pga - na - pga - h mixture . anions from the fermentation medium were removed by dialysis against water for several days . subsequent freeze - drying yielded pure pga - h which is practically not hygroscopic . after freeze drying , aqueous solution were prepared from Ξ³ - pga . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . the extent of complexation is determined by the concentration of solutions and the ratio of Ξ³ - pga and lead ions . these complex formations can be performed at different ion concentrations . nanoparticles were also made by complexation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga derivatives and lead ions . the Ξ³ - pga was cross - linked with 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). the reaction took place in water in the presence of water soluble 1 -( 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide hydrochloride ). the cross - linking was performed in different proportions , from 1 % to 100 % relative to the carboxylic groups of Ξ³ - pga . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h . the solutions containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles were purified by dialysis for 7 days against distilled water and freeze - dried . this method is similar to the complexation of original Ξ³ - pga and lead ions : cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the solution containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in distilled water to produce Ξ³ - pga solution , concentration was between 0 . 5 and 10 mmol . the ph was adjusted to 2 . 6 with hcl solution . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 12 . 5 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 115 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 29 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 23 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 6 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 3 . 125 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . use and reuse of water requires purification to remove chemical and biological hazardous components . industrial wastewater and groundwater must be treated before discharge . development of new materials and techniques with increased affinity , capacity and selectivity for heavy metals is forced because the conventional technologies are often inadequate to reduce concentrations in wastewater to acceptable regulatory standards . a clear solution was obtained by mixing the solutions of pga and lead nitrate at ph = 2 . 3 . at this ph no lead binding occurred . by adjusting the ph to 4 . 0 , an opaque aqueous dispersion was immediately formed ; this demonstrates complex formation . the colloid dispersions were stable for at least one week . ultrafiltration of samples was performed after 24 hours . ultrafiltration membrane ( 62 mm in diameter ) made of polyethersulfone was obtained from amicon co . having mwco of 30 , 000 da . the permeate was clear , while the retentate remained an opaque dispersion . concentration of lead ions was measured by icp and is summarized in table 1 . the distribution of the lead ions demonstrates that pga has high affinity for lead ions . when the retentate was acidified , a clear solution was obtained and the polymer was recovered . materials . pb ( ii ) salt was pb ( no 3 ) 2 dissolved in distilled water , the water soluble chelating polymer used was poly gamma glutamic acid ( pga ) and crosslinked poly gamma glutamic acid . the average molecular weight of pga was determined to be 1 million by gel permeation chromatography . and poly ( acrylic acids ) paa ( mw = 1 Γ 100 kda , 4 . 5 Γ 100 kda and 7 . 5 Γ 100 kda ). acrylic acid ( aa )- co - bis -[ 2 -( methacryloyloxy )- ethyl ] phosphate ( bmoep ) was another nanoparticle that was investigated . reagents for crosslinking were cdi : 1 -( 3 ( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide methiodide , edbea : 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). a dialysis membrane of spectra / por ( spectrum medical industries ; molecular weight cut - off : 12 kda - 14 kda ) was used . different proportions of cdi , edbea ( 2 %, 5 %, 15 %, 25 %, 50 %, 100 %) the resulting polymer solution was dyalised for 7 days against water , and freeze - dried . ion binding was measured by dialysis method . concentration of residual toxic heavy metal was measured by par reagent and uv - vis photometry fig1 shows the structure of the polymers that were investigated . fig2 shows the water - soluble chelating polymer retained into dialysis tubing ( recovery cell ). this was immersed into 200 ml sample solution ( feed cell ) that contains the lead ions placed inside a beaker which was stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a constant speed . the concentration of lead ion was 5 ppm in experiments , and polymer in the recovery cell was 11 . 5 mg in 30 ml of water . fig1 shows the formation of nanoparticles by crosslinking reactions . a : from pga ( pganps ); and b : from polyacrylic acid ( paanps ). the experimental runs were carried out in the presence and absence of the chelating polymer in the recovery cell . the time course of change in concentration of metal ions in the feed cell was determined by sampling at fixed intervals , and measuring concentrations of the metal ions by spectrophotometry using a solution of as par indicator . fig2 is a diagram of experimental setup ( 1 ) water - soluble polymer ( 2 ) lead nitrate dissolved in distilled water ( 3 ) beaker a dialysis membrane allows complete permeation of only metal ions with no permeation of chelating polymer or metal - polymer complexes . therefore metal ions should be concentrated in the recovery cell . at lower ph ( e . g . ph = 2 ) the complex stability decreases and lead ions are not attracted by the polymers . for heavy metal binding purposes polymer based colloid particles have been designed . these particles , in a range of 40 - 250 nm , involve chelating group to bind pollutants . typical results of the time courses of ion concentration decrease in the feed cell are shown in fig4 and 5 . in the absence of a water - soluble chelating polymer , the concentration in both cells approach equilibrium , but almost all metal ions in the feed cell were recovered using the modified polymer ( pga ) and ( paa ). fig3 shows the highest concentration of lead was 5 ppm . the zig - zag line shows the decrease of the lead concentration in the feed cell during time intervals with adjustment of the lead to initial concentration every 24 hrs . the final measurement shows that the uptake still continues before equilibrium occurs . fig5 shows the uptake of lead by natural biopolymer produced by biotechnology process in our laboratory . the same protocol described above was used but with longer time courses even after equilibrium occurred . the observed intervals were 98 - 170 hours and 268 - 340 hours the lead concentration approached to zero and the lead concentration was continued to be adjusted in the feed cell to 5 ppm until equilibrium take placed . table 2 shows the binding capacity of synthetic ( aa - co - bmoep ), natural ( pga ) and modified natural biopolymer ( pganp ). fig3 shows crosslinked nanoparticles form complex bonds with free carboxylic groups and with the peptide bond . surface complexation and binding inside the particles may occur . fig4 shows the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified paa fig5 show the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified pga . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Fixed Constructions'? | 0.25 | ce888a240fe129a0a8787779ed636d120d2fb44cfbefff64bf5734c6f78e02c5 | 0.208008 | 0.014954 | 0.474609 | 0.028931 | 0.335938 | 0.137695 |
null | Ξ³ - pga is different from other proteins , in that glutamate is polymerized via the Ξ³ - amide linkages , and thus is synthesized by a ribosome - independent manner . the location of genes responsible for pga synthesis is a matter of controversy : they were reported to be present in the genomic dna , while others suggested they are carried in plasmids . biosynthesis of pga is not entirely understood either . the most likely model of d - glutamic acid formation involves a series of glutamyl transamidation and alanine racemization reactions . a pyruvic acid aminotransferase reacts with l - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid to form Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid and l - alanine . l - alanine is subsequently converted into its d - form , which then reacts with Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid that yields d - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid . transfer of the glutamyl group from l - glutamine to either d - or l - glutamic acid or to a glutamyl dipeptide is catalyzed by a glutamyl transamidase and results in the formation of glutamyl di - and tripeptides , respectively . it was further shown that a transpeptidase reaction between Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides forming Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides of longer chain length was catalysed by a glutamyl transpeptidase . to sum up , a series of transamidation and transpeptidation reactions are believed to be responsible for the synthesis of the polyglutamyl polymers in b . licheniformis , while Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid is apparently a key intermediate . the starting material of the present invention is a polycarboxylic acid , the Ξ³ - pga , which was produced by bacillus licheniformis , strain atcc 9945a , which was maintained on 1 . 5 % ( w / v ) bouillon - agar slants . submerged cultivations were carried out in either a laboratory fermentor with 15 liters total / 12 liters useful volume ( new brunswick scientific , new brunswick , n . j ., u . s . a . ), or in 500 ml erlenmeyer flasks . the fermentation medium for all cultivations contained 20 g / l glutamic acid , 26 . 3 g / l citric acid . h 2 o , 7 g / l nh 4 cl , 0 . 5 g / l k 2 hpo 4 , 0 . 5 g / l mgso 4 . 7h 2 o , 0 . 15 g / l cacl 2 . 2h 2 o , 0 . 08 g / l mnso 4 . h 2 o , 0 . 05 g / l feso 4 . 7h 2 o , 80 g / 199 . 5 % glycerol . the temperature was maintained at 37 Β° c ., and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 4 with naoh prior sterilization . flasks were directly inoculated with 10 % vegetative b . licheniformis spores with a final concentration of up to 10 7 per ml and were kept on a new brunswick orbital shaker at 200 rpm . laboratory - scale fermentors were inoculated with 5 % 14 . 5 hours - old seed cultures that were formed in shaker - flasks as described above . aeration in the fermentor was carried out by purging air at 5 liters / min and stirring with two conventional , six - blade disk turbine impellers at 1000 rpm . cultivations were carried out for 164 hours . although the technical means to modify the oxygen transfer rate in a series of 500 ml shake - flasks are limited , varying the ratio of flask to medium volume does change the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) and could result in a gradient of oxygen input . high volumes within flasks lower specific oxygen transfer rate . growth ( microbial biomass formation ) was followed by the changes in the optical density of culture aliquots measured at Ξ» = 600 nm . volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) values of the shake - flasks ( characterized in table i .) were determined by the sulphite - oxidation method . the resulting culture medium was centrifuged at 10 , 000 rpm for 80 min and was filtered through a 0 . 01 ΞΌm pore size nitrocellulose membrane under vacuum , to remove the bacterial biomass . pga was precipitated by the addition of one and a half volume of acetone to the filtrate . the pga was re - dissolved in water , dialyzed against distilled water and freeze - dried . because the resulting product is very hygroscopic and is in fact composed of free pga acid ( pga - h ) and sodium salt of pga ( pga - na ) in an unknown ratio ( with possibly some higher valence cations bound to the carboxylic groups ), part of the pga was further purified and converted to the free acid form by treatment with ion - exchange resin . 100 g of amberlite 15 ( macroreticular cation - exchange resin in h + form ) was mixed with 5 liters of partially purified pga in solution and stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after decantation , pga solution was mixed again with a new batch of resin and the process repeated twice . the resulting pga - h solution is acidic ( ph of about 2 . 8 ) and has a much lower viscosity than the initial pga - na - pga - h mixture . anions from the fermentation medium were removed by dialysis against water for several days . subsequent freeze - drying yielded pure pga - h which is practically not hygroscopic . after freeze drying , aqueous solution were prepared from Ξ³ - pga . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . the extent of complexation is determined by the concentration of solutions and the ratio of Ξ³ - pga and lead ions . these complex formations can be performed at different ion concentrations . nanoparticles were also made by complexation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga derivatives and lead ions . the Ξ³ - pga was cross - linked with 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). the reaction took place in water in the presence of water soluble 1 -( 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide hydrochloride ). the cross - linking was performed in different proportions , from 1 % to 100 % relative to the carboxylic groups of Ξ³ - pga . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h . the solutions containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles were purified by dialysis for 7 days against distilled water and freeze - dried . this method is similar to the complexation of original Ξ³ - pga and lead ions : cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the solution containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in distilled water to produce Ξ³ - pga solution , concentration was between 0 . 5 and 10 mmol . the ph was adjusted to 2 . 6 with hcl solution . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 12 . 5 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 115 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 29 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 23 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 6 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 3 . 125 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . use and reuse of water requires purification to remove chemical and biological hazardous components . industrial wastewater and groundwater must be treated before discharge . development of new materials and techniques with increased affinity , capacity and selectivity for heavy metals is forced because the conventional technologies are often inadequate to reduce concentrations in wastewater to acceptable regulatory standards . a clear solution was obtained by mixing the solutions of pga and lead nitrate at ph = 2 . 3 . at this ph no lead binding occurred . by adjusting the ph to 4 . 0 , an opaque aqueous dispersion was immediately formed ; this demonstrates complex formation . the colloid dispersions were stable for at least one week . ultrafiltration of samples was performed after 24 hours . ultrafiltration membrane ( 62 mm in diameter ) made of polyethersulfone was obtained from amicon co . having mwco of 30 , 000 da . the permeate was clear , while the retentate remained an opaque dispersion . concentration of lead ions was measured by icp and is summarized in table 1 . the distribution of the lead ions demonstrates that pga has high affinity for lead ions . when the retentate was acidified , a clear solution was obtained and the polymer was recovered . materials . pb ( ii ) salt was pb ( no 3 ) 2 dissolved in distilled water , the water soluble chelating polymer used was poly gamma glutamic acid ( pga ) and crosslinked poly gamma glutamic acid . the average molecular weight of pga was determined to be 1 million by gel permeation chromatography . and poly ( acrylic acids ) paa ( mw = 1 Γ 100 kda , 4 . 5 Γ 100 kda and 7 . 5 Γ 100 kda ). acrylic acid ( aa )- co - bis -[ 2 -( methacryloyloxy )- ethyl ] phosphate ( bmoep ) was another nanoparticle that was investigated . reagents for crosslinking were cdi : 1 -( 3 ( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide methiodide , edbea : 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). a dialysis membrane of spectra / por ( spectrum medical industries ; molecular weight cut - off : 12 kda - 14 kda ) was used . different proportions of cdi , edbea ( 2 %, 5 %, 15 %, 25 %, 50 %, 100 %) the resulting polymer solution was dyalised for 7 days against water , and freeze - dried . ion binding was measured by dialysis method . concentration of residual toxic heavy metal was measured by par reagent and uv - vis photometry fig1 shows the structure of the polymers that were investigated . fig2 shows the water - soluble chelating polymer retained into dialysis tubing ( recovery cell ). this was immersed into 200 ml sample solution ( feed cell ) that contains the lead ions placed inside a beaker which was stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a constant speed . the concentration of lead ion was 5 ppm in experiments , and polymer in the recovery cell was 11 . 5 mg in 30 ml of water . fig1 shows the formation of nanoparticles by crosslinking reactions . a : from pga ( pganps ); and b : from polyacrylic acid ( paanps ). the experimental runs were carried out in the presence and absence of the chelating polymer in the recovery cell . the time course of change in concentration of metal ions in the feed cell was determined by sampling at fixed intervals , and measuring concentrations of the metal ions by spectrophotometry using a solution of as par indicator . fig2 is a diagram of experimental setup ( 1 ) water - soluble polymer ( 2 ) lead nitrate dissolved in distilled water ( 3 ) beaker a dialysis membrane allows complete permeation of only metal ions with no permeation of chelating polymer or metal - polymer complexes . therefore metal ions should be concentrated in the recovery cell . at lower ph ( e . g . ph = 2 ) the complex stability decreases and lead ions are not attracted by the polymers . for heavy metal binding purposes polymer based colloid particles have been designed . these particles , in a range of 40 - 250 nm , involve chelating group to bind pollutants . typical results of the time courses of ion concentration decrease in the feed cell are shown in fig4 and 5 . in the absence of a water - soluble chelating polymer , the concentration in both cells approach equilibrium , but almost all metal ions in the feed cell were recovered using the modified polymer ( pga ) and ( paa ). fig3 shows the highest concentration of lead was 5 ppm . the zig - zag line shows the decrease of the lead concentration in the feed cell during time intervals with adjustment of the lead to initial concentration every 24 hrs . the final measurement shows that the uptake still continues before equilibrium occurs . fig5 shows the uptake of lead by natural biopolymer produced by biotechnology process in our laboratory . the same protocol described above was used but with longer time courses even after equilibrium occurred . the observed intervals were 98 - 170 hours and 268 - 340 hours the lead concentration approached to zero and the lead concentration was continued to be adjusted in the feed cell to 5 ppm until equilibrium take placed . table 2 shows the binding capacity of synthetic ( aa - co - bmoep ), natural ( pga ) and modified natural biopolymer ( pganp ). fig3 shows crosslinked nanoparticles form complex bonds with free carboxylic groups and with the peptide bond . surface complexation and binding inside the particles may occur . fig4 shows the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified paa fig5 show the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified pga . | Should this patent be classified under 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | 0.25 | ce888a240fe129a0a8787779ed636d120d2fb44cfbefff64bf5734c6f78e02c5 | 0.203125 | 0.001808 | 0.59375 | 0.000278 | 0.292969 | 0.009155 |
null | Ξ³ - pga is different from other proteins , in that glutamate is polymerized via the Ξ³ - amide linkages , and thus is synthesized by a ribosome - independent manner . the location of genes responsible for pga synthesis is a matter of controversy : they were reported to be present in the genomic dna , while others suggested they are carried in plasmids . biosynthesis of pga is not entirely understood either . the most likely model of d - glutamic acid formation involves a series of glutamyl transamidation and alanine racemization reactions . a pyruvic acid aminotransferase reacts with l - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid to form Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid and l - alanine . l - alanine is subsequently converted into its d - form , which then reacts with Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid that yields d - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid . transfer of the glutamyl group from l - glutamine to either d - or l - glutamic acid or to a glutamyl dipeptide is catalyzed by a glutamyl transamidase and results in the formation of glutamyl di - and tripeptides , respectively . it was further shown that a transpeptidase reaction between Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides forming Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides of longer chain length was catalysed by a glutamyl transpeptidase . to sum up , a series of transamidation and transpeptidation reactions are believed to be responsible for the synthesis of the polyglutamyl polymers in b . licheniformis , while Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid is apparently a key intermediate . the starting material of the present invention is a polycarboxylic acid , the Ξ³ - pga , which was produced by bacillus licheniformis , strain atcc 9945a , which was maintained on 1 . 5 % ( w / v ) bouillon - agar slants . submerged cultivations were carried out in either a laboratory fermentor with 15 liters total / 12 liters useful volume ( new brunswick scientific , new brunswick , n . j ., u . s . a . ), or in 500 ml erlenmeyer flasks . the fermentation medium for all cultivations contained 20 g / l glutamic acid , 26 . 3 g / l citric acid . h 2 o , 7 g / l nh 4 cl , 0 . 5 g / l k 2 hpo 4 , 0 . 5 g / l mgso 4 . 7h 2 o , 0 . 15 g / l cacl 2 . 2h 2 o , 0 . 08 g / l mnso 4 . h 2 o , 0 . 05 g / l feso 4 . 7h 2 o , 80 g / 199 . 5 % glycerol . the temperature was maintained at 37 Β° c ., and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 4 with naoh prior sterilization . flasks were directly inoculated with 10 % vegetative b . licheniformis spores with a final concentration of up to 10 7 per ml and were kept on a new brunswick orbital shaker at 200 rpm . laboratory - scale fermentors were inoculated with 5 % 14 . 5 hours - old seed cultures that were formed in shaker - flasks as described above . aeration in the fermentor was carried out by purging air at 5 liters / min and stirring with two conventional , six - blade disk turbine impellers at 1000 rpm . cultivations were carried out for 164 hours . although the technical means to modify the oxygen transfer rate in a series of 500 ml shake - flasks are limited , varying the ratio of flask to medium volume does change the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) and could result in a gradient of oxygen input . high volumes within flasks lower specific oxygen transfer rate . growth ( microbial biomass formation ) was followed by the changes in the optical density of culture aliquots measured at Ξ» = 600 nm . volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) values of the shake - flasks ( characterized in table i .) were determined by the sulphite - oxidation method . the resulting culture medium was centrifuged at 10 , 000 rpm for 80 min and was filtered through a 0 . 01 ΞΌm pore size nitrocellulose membrane under vacuum , to remove the bacterial biomass . pga was precipitated by the addition of one and a half volume of acetone to the filtrate . the pga was re - dissolved in water , dialyzed against distilled water and freeze - dried . because the resulting product is very hygroscopic and is in fact composed of free pga acid ( pga - h ) and sodium salt of pga ( pga - na ) in an unknown ratio ( with possibly some higher valence cations bound to the carboxylic groups ), part of the pga was further purified and converted to the free acid form by treatment with ion - exchange resin . 100 g of amberlite 15 ( macroreticular cation - exchange resin in h + form ) was mixed with 5 liters of partially purified pga in solution and stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after decantation , pga solution was mixed again with a new batch of resin and the process repeated twice . the resulting pga - h solution is acidic ( ph of about 2 . 8 ) and has a much lower viscosity than the initial pga - na - pga - h mixture . anions from the fermentation medium were removed by dialysis against water for several days . subsequent freeze - drying yielded pure pga - h which is practically not hygroscopic . after freeze drying , aqueous solution were prepared from Ξ³ - pga . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . the extent of complexation is determined by the concentration of solutions and the ratio of Ξ³ - pga and lead ions . these complex formations can be performed at different ion concentrations . nanoparticles were also made by complexation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga derivatives and lead ions . the Ξ³ - pga was cross - linked with 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). the reaction took place in water in the presence of water soluble 1 -( 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide hydrochloride ). the cross - linking was performed in different proportions , from 1 % to 100 % relative to the carboxylic groups of Ξ³ - pga . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h . the solutions containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles were purified by dialysis for 7 days against distilled water and freeze - dried . this method is similar to the complexation of original Ξ³ - pga and lead ions : cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the solution containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in distilled water to produce Ξ³ - pga solution , concentration was between 0 . 5 and 10 mmol . the ph was adjusted to 2 . 6 with hcl solution . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 12 . 5 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 115 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 29 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 23 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 6 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 3 . 125 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . use and reuse of water requires purification to remove chemical and biological hazardous components . industrial wastewater and groundwater must be treated before discharge . development of new materials and techniques with increased affinity , capacity and selectivity for heavy metals is forced because the conventional technologies are often inadequate to reduce concentrations in wastewater to acceptable regulatory standards . a clear solution was obtained by mixing the solutions of pga and lead nitrate at ph = 2 . 3 . at this ph no lead binding occurred . by adjusting the ph to 4 . 0 , an opaque aqueous dispersion was immediately formed ; this demonstrates complex formation . the colloid dispersions were stable for at least one week . ultrafiltration of samples was performed after 24 hours . ultrafiltration membrane ( 62 mm in diameter ) made of polyethersulfone was obtained from amicon co . having mwco of 30 , 000 da . the permeate was clear , while the retentate remained an opaque dispersion . concentration of lead ions was measured by icp and is summarized in table 1 . the distribution of the lead ions demonstrates that pga has high affinity for lead ions . when the retentate was acidified , a clear solution was obtained and the polymer was recovered . materials . pb ( ii ) salt was pb ( no 3 ) 2 dissolved in distilled water , the water soluble chelating polymer used was poly gamma glutamic acid ( pga ) and crosslinked poly gamma glutamic acid . the average molecular weight of pga was determined to be 1 million by gel permeation chromatography . and poly ( acrylic acids ) paa ( mw = 1 Γ 100 kda , 4 . 5 Γ 100 kda and 7 . 5 Γ 100 kda ). acrylic acid ( aa )- co - bis -[ 2 -( methacryloyloxy )- ethyl ] phosphate ( bmoep ) was another nanoparticle that was investigated . reagents for crosslinking were cdi : 1 -( 3 ( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide methiodide , edbea : 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). a dialysis membrane of spectra / por ( spectrum medical industries ; molecular weight cut - off : 12 kda - 14 kda ) was used . different proportions of cdi , edbea ( 2 %, 5 %, 15 %, 25 %, 50 %, 100 %) the resulting polymer solution was dyalised for 7 days against water , and freeze - dried . ion binding was measured by dialysis method . concentration of residual toxic heavy metal was measured by par reagent and uv - vis photometry fig1 shows the structure of the polymers that were investigated . fig2 shows the water - soluble chelating polymer retained into dialysis tubing ( recovery cell ). this was immersed into 200 ml sample solution ( feed cell ) that contains the lead ions placed inside a beaker which was stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a constant speed . the concentration of lead ion was 5 ppm in experiments , and polymer in the recovery cell was 11 . 5 mg in 30 ml of water . fig1 shows the formation of nanoparticles by crosslinking reactions . a : from pga ( pganps ); and b : from polyacrylic acid ( paanps ). the experimental runs were carried out in the presence and absence of the chelating polymer in the recovery cell . the time course of change in concentration of metal ions in the feed cell was determined by sampling at fixed intervals , and measuring concentrations of the metal ions by spectrophotometry using a solution of as par indicator . fig2 is a diagram of experimental setup ( 1 ) water - soluble polymer ( 2 ) lead nitrate dissolved in distilled water ( 3 ) beaker a dialysis membrane allows complete permeation of only metal ions with no permeation of chelating polymer or metal - polymer complexes . therefore metal ions should be concentrated in the recovery cell . at lower ph ( e . g . ph = 2 ) the complex stability decreases and lead ions are not attracted by the polymers . for heavy metal binding purposes polymer based colloid particles have been designed . these particles , in a range of 40 - 250 nm , involve chelating group to bind pollutants . typical results of the time courses of ion concentration decrease in the feed cell are shown in fig4 and 5 . in the absence of a water - soluble chelating polymer , the concentration in both cells approach equilibrium , but almost all metal ions in the feed cell were recovered using the modified polymer ( pga ) and ( paa ). fig3 shows the highest concentration of lead was 5 ppm . the zig - zag line shows the decrease of the lead concentration in the feed cell during time intervals with adjustment of the lead to initial concentration every 24 hrs . the final measurement shows that the uptake still continues before equilibrium occurs . fig5 shows the uptake of lead by natural biopolymer produced by biotechnology process in our laboratory . the same protocol described above was used but with longer time courses even after equilibrium occurred . the observed intervals were 98 - 170 hours and 268 - 340 hours the lead concentration approached to zero and the lead concentration was continued to be adjusted in the feed cell to 5 ppm until equilibrium take placed . table 2 shows the binding capacity of synthetic ( aa - co - bmoep ), natural ( pga ) and modified natural biopolymer ( pganp ). fig3 shows crosslinked nanoparticles form complex bonds with free carboxylic groups and with the peptide bond . surface complexation and binding inside the particles may occur . fig4 shows the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified paa fig5 show the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified pga . | Is 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology' the correct technical category for the patent? | Is 'Physics' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | ce888a240fe129a0a8787779ed636d120d2fb44cfbefff64bf5734c6f78e02c5 | 0.112793 | 0.063477 | 0.15332 | 0.081543 | 0.207031 | 0.189453 |
null | Ξ³ - pga is different from other proteins , in that glutamate is polymerized via the Ξ³ - amide linkages , and thus is synthesized by a ribosome - independent manner . the location of genes responsible for pga synthesis is a matter of controversy : they were reported to be present in the genomic dna , while others suggested they are carried in plasmids . biosynthesis of pga is not entirely understood either . the most likely model of d - glutamic acid formation involves a series of glutamyl transamidation and alanine racemization reactions . a pyruvic acid aminotransferase reacts with l - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid to form Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid and l - alanine . l - alanine is subsequently converted into its d - form , which then reacts with Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid that yields d - glutamic acid and pyruvic acid . transfer of the glutamyl group from l - glutamine to either d - or l - glutamic acid or to a glutamyl dipeptide is catalyzed by a glutamyl transamidase and results in the formation of glutamyl di - and tripeptides , respectively . it was further shown that a transpeptidase reaction between Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides forming Ξ³ - glutamyl dipeptides of longer chain length was catalysed by a glutamyl transpeptidase . to sum up , a series of transamidation and transpeptidation reactions are believed to be responsible for the synthesis of the polyglutamyl polymers in b . licheniformis , while Ξ± - ketoglutaric acid is apparently a key intermediate . the starting material of the present invention is a polycarboxylic acid , the Ξ³ - pga , which was produced by bacillus licheniformis , strain atcc 9945a , which was maintained on 1 . 5 % ( w / v ) bouillon - agar slants . submerged cultivations were carried out in either a laboratory fermentor with 15 liters total / 12 liters useful volume ( new brunswick scientific , new brunswick , n . j ., u . s . a . ), or in 500 ml erlenmeyer flasks . the fermentation medium for all cultivations contained 20 g / l glutamic acid , 26 . 3 g / l citric acid . h 2 o , 7 g / l nh 4 cl , 0 . 5 g / l k 2 hpo 4 , 0 . 5 g / l mgso 4 . 7h 2 o , 0 . 15 g / l cacl 2 . 2h 2 o , 0 . 08 g / l mnso 4 . h 2 o , 0 . 05 g / l feso 4 . 7h 2 o , 80 g / 199 . 5 % glycerol . the temperature was maintained at 37 Β° c ., and the ph was adjusted to 7 . 4 with naoh prior sterilization . flasks were directly inoculated with 10 % vegetative b . licheniformis spores with a final concentration of up to 10 7 per ml and were kept on a new brunswick orbital shaker at 200 rpm . laboratory - scale fermentors were inoculated with 5 % 14 . 5 hours - old seed cultures that were formed in shaker - flasks as described above . aeration in the fermentor was carried out by purging air at 5 liters / min and stirring with two conventional , six - blade disk turbine impellers at 1000 rpm . cultivations were carried out for 164 hours . although the technical means to modify the oxygen transfer rate in a series of 500 ml shake - flasks are limited , varying the ratio of flask to medium volume does change the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) and could result in a gradient of oxygen input . high volumes within flasks lower specific oxygen transfer rate . growth ( microbial biomass formation ) was followed by the changes in the optical density of culture aliquots measured at Ξ» = 600 nm . volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( kla ) values of the shake - flasks ( characterized in table i .) were determined by the sulphite - oxidation method . the resulting culture medium was centrifuged at 10 , 000 rpm for 80 min and was filtered through a 0 . 01 ΞΌm pore size nitrocellulose membrane under vacuum , to remove the bacterial biomass . pga was precipitated by the addition of one and a half volume of acetone to the filtrate . the pga was re - dissolved in water , dialyzed against distilled water and freeze - dried . because the resulting product is very hygroscopic and is in fact composed of free pga acid ( pga - h ) and sodium salt of pga ( pga - na ) in an unknown ratio ( with possibly some higher valence cations bound to the carboxylic groups ), part of the pga was further purified and converted to the free acid form by treatment with ion - exchange resin . 100 g of amberlite 15 ( macroreticular cation - exchange resin in h + form ) was mixed with 5 liters of partially purified pga in solution and stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . after decantation , pga solution was mixed again with a new batch of resin and the process repeated twice . the resulting pga - h solution is acidic ( ph of about 2 . 8 ) and has a much lower viscosity than the initial pga - na - pga - h mixture . anions from the fermentation medium were removed by dialysis against water for several days . subsequent freeze - drying yielded pure pga - h which is practically not hygroscopic . after freeze drying , aqueous solution were prepared from Ξ³ - pga . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . the extent of complexation is determined by the concentration of solutions and the ratio of Ξ³ - pga and lead ions . these complex formations can be performed at different ion concentrations . nanoparticles were also made by complexation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga derivatives and lead ions . the Ξ³ - pga was cross - linked with 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). the reaction took place in water in the presence of water soluble 1 -( 3 -( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide hydrochloride ). the cross - linking was performed in different proportions , from 1 % to 100 % relative to the carboxylic groups of Ξ³ - pga . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h . the solutions containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles were purified by dialysis for 7 days against distilled water and freeze - dried . this method is similar to the complexation of original Ξ³ - pga and lead ions : cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c β¦ 10 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c β¦ 5 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of cross - linked Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the solution containing cross - linked Ξ³ - pga dropwise at different ratios . the mixture was diluted and the ph was adjusted to the desired ph value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . formation of Ξ³ - pga particles with bivalent lead ions at diverse stoichiometric ratios and concentrations were made . Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in distilled water to produce Ξ³ - pga solution , concentration was between 0 . 5 and 10 mmol . the ph was adjusted to 2 . 6 with hcl solution . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 12 . 5 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of Ξ³ - pga nanoparticles by lead ion complexation . 4 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 115 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 29 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . 100 mg Ξ³ - pga was dissolved in 50 ml of water to produce 10 mg / ml solution and then neutralized to ph 6 . 5 with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide . after the addition 23 mg of water soluble carbodiimide , the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and subsequently mixed with 6 ΞΌl of 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ) at ambient temperature for 24 hours . after this time the resulting solution containing cross - linked nanoparticles was purified by dialysis for 7 days against distillated water and freeze dried . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 6 . 25 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 3 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . cross - linked Ξ³ - pga solution ( c = 6 mmol , ph = 2 . 6 ) and pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution ( c = 3 . 125 mmol , ph = 2 . 3 ) were produced and used for preparation of nanoparticles by complexation with lead ion . 2 ml pb ( no 3 ) 2 solution was added to the 3 . 125 ml Ξ³ - pga solution dropwise . the mixture was diluted to 50 ml and the ph was adjusted to the ph = 7 . 0 value with 0 . 1 m sodium hydroxide solution . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature . use and reuse of water requires purification to remove chemical and biological hazardous components . industrial wastewater and groundwater must be treated before discharge . development of new materials and techniques with increased affinity , capacity and selectivity for heavy metals is forced because the conventional technologies are often inadequate to reduce concentrations in wastewater to acceptable regulatory standards . a clear solution was obtained by mixing the solutions of pga and lead nitrate at ph = 2 . 3 . at this ph no lead binding occurred . by adjusting the ph to 4 . 0 , an opaque aqueous dispersion was immediately formed ; this demonstrates complex formation . the colloid dispersions were stable for at least one week . ultrafiltration of samples was performed after 24 hours . ultrafiltration membrane ( 62 mm in diameter ) made of polyethersulfone was obtained from amicon co . having mwco of 30 , 000 da . the permeate was clear , while the retentate remained an opaque dispersion . concentration of lead ions was measured by icp and is summarized in table 1 . the distribution of the lead ions demonstrates that pga has high affinity for lead ions . when the retentate was acidified , a clear solution was obtained and the polymer was recovered . materials . pb ( ii ) salt was pb ( no 3 ) 2 dissolved in distilled water , the water soluble chelating polymer used was poly gamma glutamic acid ( pga ) and crosslinked poly gamma glutamic acid . the average molecular weight of pga was determined to be 1 million by gel permeation chromatography . and poly ( acrylic acids ) paa ( mw = 1 Γ 100 kda , 4 . 5 Γ 100 kda and 7 . 5 Γ 100 kda ). acrylic acid ( aa )- co - bis -[ 2 -( methacryloyloxy )- ethyl ] phosphate ( bmoep ) was another nanoparticle that was investigated . reagents for crosslinking were cdi : 1 -( 3 ( dimethylamino ) propyl )- 3 - ethyl - carbodiimide methiodide , edbea : 2 , 2 β²-( ethylenedioxy ) bis ( ethylamine ). a dialysis membrane of spectra / por ( spectrum medical industries ; molecular weight cut - off : 12 kda - 14 kda ) was used . different proportions of cdi , edbea ( 2 %, 5 %, 15 %, 25 %, 50 %, 100 %) the resulting polymer solution was dyalised for 7 days against water , and freeze - dried . ion binding was measured by dialysis method . concentration of residual toxic heavy metal was measured by par reagent and uv - vis photometry fig1 shows the structure of the polymers that were investigated . fig2 shows the water - soluble chelating polymer retained into dialysis tubing ( recovery cell ). this was immersed into 200 ml sample solution ( feed cell ) that contains the lead ions placed inside a beaker which was stirred with a magnetic stirrer at a constant speed . the concentration of lead ion was 5 ppm in experiments , and polymer in the recovery cell was 11 . 5 mg in 30 ml of water . fig1 shows the formation of nanoparticles by crosslinking reactions . a : from pga ( pganps ); and b : from polyacrylic acid ( paanps ). the experimental runs were carried out in the presence and absence of the chelating polymer in the recovery cell . the time course of change in concentration of metal ions in the feed cell was determined by sampling at fixed intervals , and measuring concentrations of the metal ions by spectrophotometry using a solution of as par indicator . fig2 is a diagram of experimental setup ( 1 ) water - soluble polymer ( 2 ) lead nitrate dissolved in distilled water ( 3 ) beaker a dialysis membrane allows complete permeation of only metal ions with no permeation of chelating polymer or metal - polymer complexes . therefore metal ions should be concentrated in the recovery cell . at lower ph ( e . g . ph = 2 ) the complex stability decreases and lead ions are not attracted by the polymers . for heavy metal binding purposes polymer based colloid particles have been designed . these particles , in a range of 40 - 250 nm , involve chelating group to bind pollutants . typical results of the time courses of ion concentration decrease in the feed cell are shown in fig4 and 5 . in the absence of a water - soluble chelating polymer , the concentration in both cells approach equilibrium , but almost all metal ions in the feed cell were recovered using the modified polymer ( pga ) and ( paa ). fig3 shows the highest concentration of lead was 5 ppm . the zig - zag line shows the decrease of the lead concentration in the feed cell during time intervals with adjustment of the lead to initial concentration every 24 hrs . the final measurement shows that the uptake still continues before equilibrium occurs . fig5 shows the uptake of lead by natural biopolymer produced by biotechnology process in our laboratory . the same protocol described above was used but with longer time courses even after equilibrium occurred . the observed intervals were 98 - 170 hours and 268 - 340 hours the lead concentration approached to zero and the lead concentration was continued to be adjusted in the feed cell to 5 ppm until equilibrium take placed . table 2 shows the binding capacity of synthetic ( aa - co - bmoep ), natural ( pga ) and modified natural biopolymer ( pganp ). fig3 shows crosslinked nanoparticles form complex bonds with free carboxylic groups and with the peptide bond . surface complexation and binding inside the particles may occur . fig4 shows the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified paa fig5 show the binding of toxic heavy metal ions by modified pga . | Is 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology' the correct technical category for the patent? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Electricity'? | 0.25 | ce888a240fe129a0a8787779ed636d120d2fb44cfbefff64bf5734c6f78e02c5 | 0.112793 | 0.000999 | 0.15332 | 0.000043 | 0.207031 | 0.001457 |
null | in accordance with the present invention , devices 102 a - g ( fig1 ) of an individual &# 39 ; s device - sphere cooperate to migrate a user &# 39 ; s session from any of devices 102 a - g and 108 to any other of devices 102 a - g and 108 . fig2 shows a simple session involving two applications 202 and 204 on a computer desktop 200 . in this illustrative example , computer desktop 200 is to be migrated from device 102 e to device 102 a . the user has been working on device 102 e , using application 202 ( fig2 ) to edit a text document and application 204 to edit a drawing , and now wishes to continue work using device 102 a using the same applications to edit the same data files . in this illustrative example , the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere includes devices 102 a g , device 108 , and server 110 . devices 102 a - g are coupled to one another through a local area network ( lan ) 104 , which can be owned and operated by the individual user in her home . there are a wide variety of computing devices that can be included in one &# 39 ; s device - sphere ; the devices shown in fig1 are merely illustrative . device 102 a is a laptop computer . device 102 b is a smart phone . device 102 c is a modern , networked television . device 102 d is a networked pvr ( personal video recorder ). device 102 e is a desktop computer . device 102 f is a nas ( network - attached storage ) appliance . device 102 g is a tablet computer . device 108 is remotely located , being connected to lan 104 though a wide area network ( wan ) 106 . in this illustrative embodiment , device 108 connects to lan 104 through wan 106 through a virtual private network ( vpn ) connection . in this illustrative embodiment , wan 106 is the internet . server 110 is also connected to lan 104 though wan 106 . server 110 provides cloud services to the individual user through any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . such cloud services can include e - mail , photo and video hosting and sharing , document editing and hosting , social networking , calendaring , and music streaming , for example . to migrate session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 e first saves data representing session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 300 ( fig3 ). the saving of session 200 can be triggered by a request of the user through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques or can be triggered automatically during shut - down of device 102 e in step 302 , device 102 e creates a session record such as session record 602 ( fig6 ) to represent session 200 ( fig2 ). user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 e . digital fingerprint 606 is a globally unique identifier of device 102 e . digital fingerprints offer the advantage of being more stable and less amenable to spoofing that are ip addresses and mac addresses . digital fingerprints are known and described in u . s . patent application publication 2011 / 0093503 for β computer hardware identity tracking using characteristic parameter - derived data β by craig s . etchegoyen ( filed apr . 21 , 2011 ) and that description is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . time stamp 608 specifies the current time and date and the creation time and date of session record 602 . loop step 304 ( fig3 ) and next step 310 define a loop in which device 102 e processes each of the user - space applications currently in use in session 200 according to steps 306 and 308 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 304 - 310 , the particular application processed by device 102 e is sometimes referred to as the subject application in the context of logic flow diagram 300 . in step 306 , device 102 e creates an application record such as application record 610 ( fig6 ) for the current application . application 612 identifies the subject application . in some embodiments , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime ( multipurpose internet mail extensions ) types , more recently referred to as internet media types . in step 308 ( fig3 ), device 102 e stores uri ( uniform resource identifiers ) and gui ( graphical user interface ) locations for each open file of the subject application . for each open file of the subject application , device 102 e creates an open file record 614 . uri 616 specifies the location of the open file , including the device on which the open file is stored . mime - type 618 specifies a type of data of the open file by mime type . mime types include a type and a subtype and can also include a number of additional parameters . for example , a web page in textual html has the mime type of β text / html β wherein the type is β text β and the subtype is β html .β a common additional parameter specifies the particular character set of the web page . gui position 620 specifies the location and size of the window in session 200 ( fig2 ) of the open file of the subject application , including the relative depth of the window so as to indicate the which windows occlude other windows . from step 308 ( fig3 ), processing by device 102 e transfers through next step 310 to loop step 304 to process the next application according to the loop of steps 304 - 310 . when all applications of session 200 have been processed , session record 602 ( fig6 ) represents all open files and gui locations of windows within session 200 ( fig2 ) and processing by device 102 e transfers to step 312 ( fig3 ). in step 312 , device 102 e broadcasts session record 602 ( fig6 ) to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere , i . e ., to devices a - g ( excluding itself ) and device 108 . in step 314 , device 102 e stores session record 602 in a location known to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device sphere . such a location can be in server 110 or device 102 f , which is a nas appliance , at a predetermined url . steps 312 and 314 seem redundant ; however , step 312 avoids reliance on an external server for managing one &# 39 ; s own device - sphere and step 314 provides backup for the situation in which none of the other devices of the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere are powered on or at least connected to a network . in alternative embodiments , the user can specify β through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques β the device within her device - sphere to which session record 602 should be sent . in these alternative embodiments , session record 602 can be sent by e - mail to device 102 a such that device 102 a can receive session record 602 whenever device 102 a is powered up and connected to the network . after step 314 , processing according to logic flow diagram 300 completes . to complete migration of session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 a uses the data representing session 200 to replication session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ). session restoration can be triggered automatically at start - up or can be requested by the user . in step 402 , device 102 a retrieves the most recent of session records 602 ( fig6 ) for which user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 a . time stamp 608 is used by device 102 a to determine which of session records is the most recent . device 102 a collects session records 602 by broadcasting a request for session records for the current user to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and by retrieving a session record from the predetermined url at which session records are stored for the subject user and her device - sphere . in an embodiment in which session record 602 is sent directly to device 102 a by direction from the user , an e - mail address for device 102 a is associated with session saving and restoration and the e - mail address is checked by device 102 a in step 402 ( fig4 ) to retrieve the session record . loop step 404 ( fig4 ) and next step 410 define a loop in which device 102 a processes each of the application records 610 of the session record according to step 406 and 408 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 404 - 410 , the particular application record processed by device 102 a is sometimes referred to as the subject application record in the context of logic flow diagram 400 . in step 406 , device 102 a launches an application identified by application 612 of the subject application record . as described above , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime types in some embodiments . in such embodiments , session record 602 includes only open file records 614 , and device 102 a skips step 406 . in step 408 ( fig4 ), device 102 a processes all open file records 614 ( fig6 ) to send uri 616 and gui position 620 to cause the application to open the file identified by uri 616 in a window located at gui position 620 . in embodiments in which application 612 is omitted , device 102 a uses mime - type 618 to determine an application predetermined to be the one to process the data file type specified in mime - type 618 within the operating system of device 102 a and launches an instance of that application , providing uri 616 and gui position 620 . the result is that a new window opens in a session on device 102 a in which the data file identified by uri 616 at a location specified by gui position 620 for an application qualified to process the data file . this process is illustrated by transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in this illustrative example , uri 616 of the subject open file indicates that the file is stored on device 102 f . it should be observed that the open file can be stored on any device at any location that can be specified by uri 616 . in step 502 , device 102 a launches a new application instance using uri 616 and gui position 620 in the manner described above with respect to step 408 ( fig4 ). devices 102 a - g and 108 can vary widely in display dimensions and display resolutions . accordingly , gui positions within the display of each device are approximated and scaled to accommodate opening of multiple windows given each devices display size . in addition , some device , such as smart phones , have such small displays that each new window can use the entire screen in some embodiments . in step 504 ( fig5 ), the newly launched application instance attempts to open the data file identified by the uri . in attempting to open the data file , device 102 a sends a request in step 506 to the device specified in the uri , e . g ., device 102 f in this illustrative example . along with the request , device 102 a sends a list of mime types that device 102 a is capable of handling . for some of the mime types , device 102 a has applications capable of properly processing that mime type . for other mime types , device 102 a is capable of converting a data file from that mime type to one that device 102 a is capable of processing properly . in step 508 , device 102 f sends responsive data representing the data file identified by the uri received in step 506 in a mime type data format that device 102 a supports as indicated by the mime types specified in the request of step 506 . if the requested data file is not in any of the mime types supported by device 102 a , device 102 f converts the data file to a mime type that is supported by device 102 a if device 102 f has the capacity to do so and denies the request otherwise . in some embodiments , device 102 f or device 102 a can determine that the ability to edit the data file in the mime type received should not be edited . such can be the case if the received mime type cannot handle formatting or features of the original format or if device 102 a has no editing applications for the received mime type . in either case , the data file will be opened in a β read only β mode on device 102 a . from step 408 ( fig4 ), processing by device 102 a transfers through next step 410 to loop step 404 to process the next application record according to the loop of steps 404 - 410 . when all applications records of session record 602 have been processed , session 200 ( fig2 ) will have been restored on device 102 a and processing by device 102 a of logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ) completes . opening a file in step 408 includes using the uri of the file to retrieve the file from a device in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and is illustrated in transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in step 502 , device 102 a creates a new instance of the application and , in step 504 , the new application instance attempts to open the file using the uri . the retrieval of the file specified by the uri is handled by the operating system of device 102 a , using a device identifier portion of the uri to identify the particular device within which the file is stored . in this illustrative example , the uri identifies device 102 f as the device on which the file is stored . accordingly , device 102 a sends the uri request to device 102 f in step 506 . in addition to the uri request , device 102 a sends data representing all mime types that device 102 a can process . device 102 a determines which mime types it can process by reference to mime - type associations 700 ( fig7 ). mime - type associations 700 includes a number of mime - type records 702 , each of which represents associations for a given mime - type , which is identified by mime - type 704 . each mime - type record 702 includes a number of associations 706 , which represent an application within device 102 a that can process data files of the given mime - type . application 708 identifies the application . priority 710 specifies a relative priority among all associations 706 of a given mime - type record 702 . read only 712 indicates whether ( i ) the application specified by application 708 can process the file in a manner in which the user can modify the file or ( ii ) the application and only display the file . the application identified by application 708 can be merely a conversion application that converts data files of the type specified by mime - type 704 to another type . upon receipt of the uri and mime types supported by device 102 a in step 506 ( fig5 ), device 102 f uses the uri to locate the data file identified by the uri and compares the mime type of the data file to the mime types supported by 102 a . if the mime type of the data file is not one supported by device 102 a , device 102 f uses its own set of mime - type associations 700 to determine whether device 102 f can convert the requested data file to a mime type that device 102 a can process . in step 508 , device 102 f sends the data file , as converted if converted , to device 102 a as the response to the uri request . device 102 a performs transaction flow diagram 500 for each uri to be opened . the end result is that session 200 is saved from device 102 e and restored to device 102 a . the user can thereafter continue editing the word processing document of window 202 and the drawing of window 204 . device 102 a is shown in greater detail in fig8 , which is equally representative of devices 102 b - g and 108 unless otherwise noted here . device 102 a includes one or more microprocessors 802 ( collectively referred to as cpu 802 ) that retrieve data and / or instructions from memory 804 and execute retrieved instructions in a conventional manner . memory 804 can include generally any computer - readable medium including , for example , persistent memory such as magnetic and / or optical disks , rom , and prom and volatile memory such as ram . as used herein , β computer - readable medium β excludes any transitory signals but includes any non - transitory data storage circuitry , e . g ., buffers , cache , and queues , within transceivers of transitory signals . cpu 802 and memory 804 are connected to one another through a conventional interconnect 806 , which is a bus in this illustrative embodiment and which connects cpu 802 and memory 804 to one or more input devices 808 , output devices 810 , and network access circuitry 812 . input devices 808 can include , for example , a keyboard , a keypad , a touch - sensitive screen , a mouse , a microphone , and one or more cameras . output devices 810 can include , for example , a display β such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd )β and one or more loudspeakers . network access circuitry 812 sends and receives data through computer networks such as lan 104 ( fig1 ). a number of components of device 102 a are stored in memory 804 . in particular , user space applications 820 , session migration logic 824 logic , and operating system 826 are each all or part of one or more computer processes executing within cpu 802 from memory 804 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital logic circuitry . as used herein , β logic β refers to ( i ) logic implemented as computer instructions and / or data within one or more computer processes and / or ( ii ) logic implemented in electronic circuitry . user space applications 820 are applications the user can use to view or edit data files . session migration logic 824 saves and restores sessions in the manner described above . operating system 826 is the operating system of device 102 a . an operating system is logic implemented in a computing device that provides services used by other logic implemented in the computing device . the services typically include management of computer resources such as file systems , peripheral device support , networking services , and computer process management . generally , most users don &# 39 ; t directly use an operating system but rather use logic that in turn uses the operating system to perform various tasks . examples of operating systems in use today include linux , unix , macos , and various incarnations of the windows operating system . in this illustrative embodiment , operating system 826 optimizes data traffic among devices 102 a - g and 108 in the manner described in co - pending , commonly owned u . s . patent application 61 / 770 , 662 filed feb . 28 , 2013 , by craig s . etchegoyen for β device - specific content delivery β and that description is incorporated herein by reference . digital fingerprint 822 , data files 830 , and mime - type associations 700 are data stored persistently in memory 804 . digital fingerprint 822 includes data specific to hardware elements of device 102 a , such as serial numbers and parameters of hardware components of device 102 a , to serve as a globally unique identifier of device 102 a . data files 830 includes one or more data files that the user might want to view or edit using any of user space applications 820 on any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . mime - type associations 700 are described above . the above description is illustrative only and is not limiting . the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents . it is intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , modifications , permutations , and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Should this patent be classified under 'Electricity'? | Is 'Human Necessities' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 9acb2176fd8580c9e3a4033227aef8210f09ccc7564dea4a80111b2e22ac5847 | 0.001648 | 0.014038 | 0.000019 | 0.000158 | 0.000191 | 0.005554 |
null | in accordance with the present invention , devices 102 a - g ( fig1 ) of an individual &# 39 ; s device - sphere cooperate to migrate a user &# 39 ; s session from any of devices 102 a - g and 108 to any other of devices 102 a - g and 108 . fig2 shows a simple session involving two applications 202 and 204 on a computer desktop 200 . in this illustrative example , computer desktop 200 is to be migrated from device 102 e to device 102 a . the user has been working on device 102 e , using application 202 ( fig2 ) to edit a text document and application 204 to edit a drawing , and now wishes to continue work using device 102 a using the same applications to edit the same data files . in this illustrative example , the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere includes devices 102 a g , device 108 , and server 110 . devices 102 a - g are coupled to one another through a local area network ( lan ) 104 , which can be owned and operated by the individual user in her home . there are a wide variety of computing devices that can be included in one &# 39 ; s device - sphere ; the devices shown in fig1 are merely illustrative . device 102 a is a laptop computer . device 102 b is a smart phone . device 102 c is a modern , networked television . device 102 d is a networked pvr ( personal video recorder ). device 102 e is a desktop computer . device 102 f is a nas ( network - attached storage ) appliance . device 102 g is a tablet computer . device 108 is remotely located , being connected to lan 104 though a wide area network ( wan ) 106 . in this illustrative embodiment , device 108 connects to lan 104 through wan 106 through a virtual private network ( vpn ) connection . in this illustrative embodiment , wan 106 is the internet . server 110 is also connected to lan 104 though wan 106 . server 110 provides cloud services to the individual user through any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . such cloud services can include e - mail , photo and video hosting and sharing , document editing and hosting , social networking , calendaring , and music streaming , for example . to migrate session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 e first saves data representing session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 300 ( fig3 ). the saving of session 200 can be triggered by a request of the user through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques or can be triggered automatically during shut - down of device 102 e in step 302 , device 102 e creates a session record such as session record 602 ( fig6 ) to represent session 200 ( fig2 ). user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 e . digital fingerprint 606 is a globally unique identifier of device 102 e . digital fingerprints offer the advantage of being more stable and less amenable to spoofing that are ip addresses and mac addresses . digital fingerprints are known and described in u . s . patent application publication 2011 / 0093503 for β computer hardware identity tracking using characteristic parameter - derived data β by craig s . etchegoyen ( filed apr . 21 , 2011 ) and that description is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . time stamp 608 specifies the current time and date and the creation time and date of session record 602 . loop step 304 ( fig3 ) and next step 310 define a loop in which device 102 e processes each of the user - space applications currently in use in session 200 according to steps 306 and 308 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 304 - 310 , the particular application processed by device 102 e is sometimes referred to as the subject application in the context of logic flow diagram 300 . in step 306 , device 102 e creates an application record such as application record 610 ( fig6 ) for the current application . application 612 identifies the subject application . in some embodiments , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime ( multipurpose internet mail extensions ) types , more recently referred to as internet media types . in step 308 ( fig3 ), device 102 e stores uri ( uniform resource identifiers ) and gui ( graphical user interface ) locations for each open file of the subject application . for each open file of the subject application , device 102 e creates an open file record 614 . uri 616 specifies the location of the open file , including the device on which the open file is stored . mime - type 618 specifies a type of data of the open file by mime type . mime types include a type and a subtype and can also include a number of additional parameters . for example , a web page in textual html has the mime type of β text / html β wherein the type is β text β and the subtype is β html .β a common additional parameter specifies the particular character set of the web page . gui position 620 specifies the location and size of the window in session 200 ( fig2 ) of the open file of the subject application , including the relative depth of the window so as to indicate the which windows occlude other windows . from step 308 ( fig3 ), processing by device 102 e transfers through next step 310 to loop step 304 to process the next application according to the loop of steps 304 - 310 . when all applications of session 200 have been processed , session record 602 ( fig6 ) represents all open files and gui locations of windows within session 200 ( fig2 ) and processing by device 102 e transfers to step 312 ( fig3 ). in step 312 , device 102 e broadcasts session record 602 ( fig6 ) to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere , i . e ., to devices a - g ( excluding itself ) and device 108 . in step 314 , device 102 e stores session record 602 in a location known to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device sphere . such a location can be in server 110 or device 102 f , which is a nas appliance , at a predetermined url . steps 312 and 314 seem redundant ; however , step 312 avoids reliance on an external server for managing one &# 39 ; s own device - sphere and step 314 provides backup for the situation in which none of the other devices of the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere are powered on or at least connected to a network . in alternative embodiments , the user can specify β through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques β the device within her device - sphere to which session record 602 should be sent . in these alternative embodiments , session record 602 can be sent by e - mail to device 102 a such that device 102 a can receive session record 602 whenever device 102 a is powered up and connected to the network . after step 314 , processing according to logic flow diagram 300 completes . to complete migration of session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 a uses the data representing session 200 to replication session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ). session restoration can be triggered automatically at start - up or can be requested by the user . in step 402 , device 102 a retrieves the most recent of session records 602 ( fig6 ) for which user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 a . time stamp 608 is used by device 102 a to determine which of session records is the most recent . device 102 a collects session records 602 by broadcasting a request for session records for the current user to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and by retrieving a session record from the predetermined url at which session records are stored for the subject user and her device - sphere . in an embodiment in which session record 602 is sent directly to device 102 a by direction from the user , an e - mail address for device 102 a is associated with session saving and restoration and the e - mail address is checked by device 102 a in step 402 ( fig4 ) to retrieve the session record . loop step 404 ( fig4 ) and next step 410 define a loop in which device 102 a processes each of the application records 610 of the session record according to step 406 and 408 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 404 - 410 , the particular application record processed by device 102 a is sometimes referred to as the subject application record in the context of logic flow diagram 400 . in step 406 , device 102 a launches an application identified by application 612 of the subject application record . as described above , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime types in some embodiments . in such embodiments , session record 602 includes only open file records 614 , and device 102 a skips step 406 . in step 408 ( fig4 ), device 102 a processes all open file records 614 ( fig6 ) to send uri 616 and gui position 620 to cause the application to open the file identified by uri 616 in a window located at gui position 620 . in embodiments in which application 612 is omitted , device 102 a uses mime - type 618 to determine an application predetermined to be the one to process the data file type specified in mime - type 618 within the operating system of device 102 a and launches an instance of that application , providing uri 616 and gui position 620 . the result is that a new window opens in a session on device 102 a in which the data file identified by uri 616 at a location specified by gui position 620 for an application qualified to process the data file . this process is illustrated by transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in this illustrative example , uri 616 of the subject open file indicates that the file is stored on device 102 f . it should be observed that the open file can be stored on any device at any location that can be specified by uri 616 . in step 502 , device 102 a launches a new application instance using uri 616 and gui position 620 in the manner described above with respect to step 408 ( fig4 ). devices 102 a - g and 108 can vary widely in display dimensions and display resolutions . accordingly , gui positions within the display of each device are approximated and scaled to accommodate opening of multiple windows given each devices display size . in addition , some device , such as smart phones , have such small displays that each new window can use the entire screen in some embodiments . in step 504 ( fig5 ), the newly launched application instance attempts to open the data file identified by the uri . in attempting to open the data file , device 102 a sends a request in step 506 to the device specified in the uri , e . g ., device 102 f in this illustrative example . along with the request , device 102 a sends a list of mime types that device 102 a is capable of handling . for some of the mime types , device 102 a has applications capable of properly processing that mime type . for other mime types , device 102 a is capable of converting a data file from that mime type to one that device 102 a is capable of processing properly . in step 508 , device 102 f sends responsive data representing the data file identified by the uri received in step 506 in a mime type data format that device 102 a supports as indicated by the mime types specified in the request of step 506 . if the requested data file is not in any of the mime types supported by device 102 a , device 102 f converts the data file to a mime type that is supported by device 102 a if device 102 f has the capacity to do so and denies the request otherwise . in some embodiments , device 102 f or device 102 a can determine that the ability to edit the data file in the mime type received should not be edited . such can be the case if the received mime type cannot handle formatting or features of the original format or if device 102 a has no editing applications for the received mime type . in either case , the data file will be opened in a β read only β mode on device 102 a . from step 408 ( fig4 ), processing by device 102 a transfers through next step 410 to loop step 404 to process the next application record according to the loop of steps 404 - 410 . when all applications records of session record 602 have been processed , session 200 ( fig2 ) will have been restored on device 102 a and processing by device 102 a of logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ) completes . opening a file in step 408 includes using the uri of the file to retrieve the file from a device in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and is illustrated in transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in step 502 , device 102 a creates a new instance of the application and , in step 504 , the new application instance attempts to open the file using the uri . the retrieval of the file specified by the uri is handled by the operating system of device 102 a , using a device identifier portion of the uri to identify the particular device within which the file is stored . in this illustrative example , the uri identifies device 102 f as the device on which the file is stored . accordingly , device 102 a sends the uri request to device 102 f in step 506 . in addition to the uri request , device 102 a sends data representing all mime types that device 102 a can process . device 102 a determines which mime types it can process by reference to mime - type associations 700 ( fig7 ). mime - type associations 700 includes a number of mime - type records 702 , each of which represents associations for a given mime - type , which is identified by mime - type 704 . each mime - type record 702 includes a number of associations 706 , which represent an application within device 102 a that can process data files of the given mime - type . application 708 identifies the application . priority 710 specifies a relative priority among all associations 706 of a given mime - type record 702 . read only 712 indicates whether ( i ) the application specified by application 708 can process the file in a manner in which the user can modify the file or ( ii ) the application and only display the file . the application identified by application 708 can be merely a conversion application that converts data files of the type specified by mime - type 704 to another type . upon receipt of the uri and mime types supported by device 102 a in step 506 ( fig5 ), device 102 f uses the uri to locate the data file identified by the uri and compares the mime type of the data file to the mime types supported by 102 a . if the mime type of the data file is not one supported by device 102 a , device 102 f uses its own set of mime - type associations 700 to determine whether device 102 f can convert the requested data file to a mime type that device 102 a can process . in step 508 , device 102 f sends the data file , as converted if converted , to device 102 a as the response to the uri request . device 102 a performs transaction flow diagram 500 for each uri to be opened . the end result is that session 200 is saved from device 102 e and restored to device 102 a . the user can thereafter continue editing the word processing document of window 202 and the drawing of window 204 . device 102 a is shown in greater detail in fig8 , which is equally representative of devices 102 b - g and 108 unless otherwise noted here . device 102 a includes one or more microprocessors 802 ( collectively referred to as cpu 802 ) that retrieve data and / or instructions from memory 804 and execute retrieved instructions in a conventional manner . memory 804 can include generally any computer - readable medium including , for example , persistent memory such as magnetic and / or optical disks , rom , and prom and volatile memory such as ram . as used herein , β computer - readable medium β excludes any transitory signals but includes any non - transitory data storage circuitry , e . g ., buffers , cache , and queues , within transceivers of transitory signals . cpu 802 and memory 804 are connected to one another through a conventional interconnect 806 , which is a bus in this illustrative embodiment and which connects cpu 802 and memory 804 to one or more input devices 808 , output devices 810 , and network access circuitry 812 . input devices 808 can include , for example , a keyboard , a keypad , a touch - sensitive screen , a mouse , a microphone , and one or more cameras . output devices 810 can include , for example , a display β such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd )β and one or more loudspeakers . network access circuitry 812 sends and receives data through computer networks such as lan 104 ( fig1 ). a number of components of device 102 a are stored in memory 804 . in particular , user space applications 820 , session migration logic 824 logic , and operating system 826 are each all or part of one or more computer processes executing within cpu 802 from memory 804 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital logic circuitry . as used herein , β logic β refers to ( i ) logic implemented as computer instructions and / or data within one or more computer processes and / or ( ii ) logic implemented in electronic circuitry . user space applications 820 are applications the user can use to view or edit data files . session migration logic 824 saves and restores sessions in the manner described above . operating system 826 is the operating system of device 102 a . an operating system is logic implemented in a computing device that provides services used by other logic implemented in the computing device . the services typically include management of computer resources such as file systems , peripheral device support , networking services , and computer process management . generally , most users don &# 39 ; t directly use an operating system but rather use logic that in turn uses the operating system to perform various tasks . examples of operating systems in use today include linux , unix , macos , and various incarnations of the windows operating system . in this illustrative embodiment , operating system 826 optimizes data traffic among devices 102 a - g and 108 in the manner described in co - pending , commonly owned u . s . patent application 61 / 770 , 662 filed feb . 28 , 2013 , by craig s . etchegoyen for β device - specific content delivery β and that description is incorporated herein by reference . digital fingerprint 822 , data files 830 , and mime - type associations 700 are data stored persistently in memory 804 . digital fingerprint 822 includes data specific to hardware elements of device 102 a , such as serial numbers and parameters of hardware components of device 102 a , to serve as a globally unique identifier of device 102 a . data files 830 includes one or more data files that the user might want to view or edit using any of user space applications 820 on any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . mime - type associations 700 are described above . the above description is illustrative only and is not limiting . the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents . it is intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , modifications , permutations , and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Electricity'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Performing Operations; Transporting'? | 0.25 | 9acb2176fd8580c9e3a4033227aef8210f09ccc7564dea4a80111b2e22ac5847 | 0.00592 | 0.050293 | 0.000024 | 0.001411 | 0.001282 | 0.024048 |
null | in accordance with the present invention , devices 102 a - g ( fig1 ) of an individual &# 39 ; s device - sphere cooperate to migrate a user &# 39 ; s session from any of devices 102 a - g and 108 to any other of devices 102 a - g and 108 . fig2 shows a simple session involving two applications 202 and 204 on a computer desktop 200 . in this illustrative example , computer desktop 200 is to be migrated from device 102 e to device 102 a . the user has been working on device 102 e , using application 202 ( fig2 ) to edit a text document and application 204 to edit a drawing , and now wishes to continue work using device 102 a using the same applications to edit the same data files . in this illustrative example , the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere includes devices 102 a g , device 108 , and server 110 . devices 102 a - g are coupled to one another through a local area network ( lan ) 104 , which can be owned and operated by the individual user in her home . there are a wide variety of computing devices that can be included in one &# 39 ; s device - sphere ; the devices shown in fig1 are merely illustrative . device 102 a is a laptop computer . device 102 b is a smart phone . device 102 c is a modern , networked television . device 102 d is a networked pvr ( personal video recorder ). device 102 e is a desktop computer . device 102 f is a nas ( network - attached storage ) appliance . device 102 g is a tablet computer . device 108 is remotely located , being connected to lan 104 though a wide area network ( wan ) 106 . in this illustrative embodiment , device 108 connects to lan 104 through wan 106 through a virtual private network ( vpn ) connection . in this illustrative embodiment , wan 106 is the internet . server 110 is also connected to lan 104 though wan 106 . server 110 provides cloud services to the individual user through any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . such cloud services can include e - mail , photo and video hosting and sharing , document editing and hosting , social networking , calendaring , and music streaming , for example . to migrate session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 e first saves data representing session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 300 ( fig3 ). the saving of session 200 can be triggered by a request of the user through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques or can be triggered automatically during shut - down of device 102 e in step 302 , device 102 e creates a session record such as session record 602 ( fig6 ) to represent session 200 ( fig2 ). user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 e . digital fingerprint 606 is a globally unique identifier of device 102 e . digital fingerprints offer the advantage of being more stable and less amenable to spoofing that are ip addresses and mac addresses . digital fingerprints are known and described in u . s . patent application publication 2011 / 0093503 for β computer hardware identity tracking using characteristic parameter - derived data β by craig s . etchegoyen ( filed apr . 21 , 2011 ) and that description is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . time stamp 608 specifies the current time and date and the creation time and date of session record 602 . loop step 304 ( fig3 ) and next step 310 define a loop in which device 102 e processes each of the user - space applications currently in use in session 200 according to steps 306 and 308 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 304 - 310 , the particular application processed by device 102 e is sometimes referred to as the subject application in the context of logic flow diagram 300 . in step 306 , device 102 e creates an application record such as application record 610 ( fig6 ) for the current application . application 612 identifies the subject application . in some embodiments , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime ( multipurpose internet mail extensions ) types , more recently referred to as internet media types . in step 308 ( fig3 ), device 102 e stores uri ( uniform resource identifiers ) and gui ( graphical user interface ) locations for each open file of the subject application . for each open file of the subject application , device 102 e creates an open file record 614 . uri 616 specifies the location of the open file , including the device on which the open file is stored . mime - type 618 specifies a type of data of the open file by mime type . mime types include a type and a subtype and can also include a number of additional parameters . for example , a web page in textual html has the mime type of β text / html β wherein the type is β text β and the subtype is β html .β a common additional parameter specifies the particular character set of the web page . gui position 620 specifies the location and size of the window in session 200 ( fig2 ) of the open file of the subject application , including the relative depth of the window so as to indicate the which windows occlude other windows . from step 308 ( fig3 ), processing by device 102 e transfers through next step 310 to loop step 304 to process the next application according to the loop of steps 304 - 310 . when all applications of session 200 have been processed , session record 602 ( fig6 ) represents all open files and gui locations of windows within session 200 ( fig2 ) and processing by device 102 e transfers to step 312 ( fig3 ). in step 312 , device 102 e broadcasts session record 602 ( fig6 ) to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere , i . e ., to devices a - g ( excluding itself ) and device 108 . in step 314 , device 102 e stores session record 602 in a location known to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device sphere . such a location can be in server 110 or device 102 f , which is a nas appliance , at a predetermined url . steps 312 and 314 seem redundant ; however , step 312 avoids reliance on an external server for managing one &# 39 ; s own device - sphere and step 314 provides backup for the situation in which none of the other devices of the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere are powered on or at least connected to a network . in alternative embodiments , the user can specify β through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques β the device within her device - sphere to which session record 602 should be sent . in these alternative embodiments , session record 602 can be sent by e - mail to device 102 a such that device 102 a can receive session record 602 whenever device 102 a is powered up and connected to the network . after step 314 , processing according to logic flow diagram 300 completes . to complete migration of session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 a uses the data representing session 200 to replication session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ). session restoration can be triggered automatically at start - up or can be requested by the user . in step 402 , device 102 a retrieves the most recent of session records 602 ( fig6 ) for which user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 a . time stamp 608 is used by device 102 a to determine which of session records is the most recent . device 102 a collects session records 602 by broadcasting a request for session records for the current user to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and by retrieving a session record from the predetermined url at which session records are stored for the subject user and her device - sphere . in an embodiment in which session record 602 is sent directly to device 102 a by direction from the user , an e - mail address for device 102 a is associated with session saving and restoration and the e - mail address is checked by device 102 a in step 402 ( fig4 ) to retrieve the session record . loop step 404 ( fig4 ) and next step 410 define a loop in which device 102 a processes each of the application records 610 of the session record according to step 406 and 408 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 404 - 410 , the particular application record processed by device 102 a is sometimes referred to as the subject application record in the context of logic flow diagram 400 . in step 406 , device 102 a launches an application identified by application 612 of the subject application record . as described above , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime types in some embodiments . in such embodiments , session record 602 includes only open file records 614 , and device 102 a skips step 406 . in step 408 ( fig4 ), device 102 a processes all open file records 614 ( fig6 ) to send uri 616 and gui position 620 to cause the application to open the file identified by uri 616 in a window located at gui position 620 . in embodiments in which application 612 is omitted , device 102 a uses mime - type 618 to determine an application predetermined to be the one to process the data file type specified in mime - type 618 within the operating system of device 102 a and launches an instance of that application , providing uri 616 and gui position 620 . the result is that a new window opens in a session on device 102 a in which the data file identified by uri 616 at a location specified by gui position 620 for an application qualified to process the data file . this process is illustrated by transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in this illustrative example , uri 616 of the subject open file indicates that the file is stored on device 102 f . it should be observed that the open file can be stored on any device at any location that can be specified by uri 616 . in step 502 , device 102 a launches a new application instance using uri 616 and gui position 620 in the manner described above with respect to step 408 ( fig4 ). devices 102 a - g and 108 can vary widely in display dimensions and display resolutions . accordingly , gui positions within the display of each device are approximated and scaled to accommodate opening of multiple windows given each devices display size . in addition , some device , such as smart phones , have such small displays that each new window can use the entire screen in some embodiments . in step 504 ( fig5 ), the newly launched application instance attempts to open the data file identified by the uri . in attempting to open the data file , device 102 a sends a request in step 506 to the device specified in the uri , e . g ., device 102 f in this illustrative example . along with the request , device 102 a sends a list of mime types that device 102 a is capable of handling . for some of the mime types , device 102 a has applications capable of properly processing that mime type . for other mime types , device 102 a is capable of converting a data file from that mime type to one that device 102 a is capable of processing properly . in step 508 , device 102 f sends responsive data representing the data file identified by the uri received in step 506 in a mime type data format that device 102 a supports as indicated by the mime types specified in the request of step 506 . if the requested data file is not in any of the mime types supported by device 102 a , device 102 f converts the data file to a mime type that is supported by device 102 a if device 102 f has the capacity to do so and denies the request otherwise . in some embodiments , device 102 f or device 102 a can determine that the ability to edit the data file in the mime type received should not be edited . such can be the case if the received mime type cannot handle formatting or features of the original format or if device 102 a has no editing applications for the received mime type . in either case , the data file will be opened in a β read only β mode on device 102 a . from step 408 ( fig4 ), processing by device 102 a transfers through next step 410 to loop step 404 to process the next application record according to the loop of steps 404 - 410 . when all applications records of session record 602 have been processed , session 200 ( fig2 ) will have been restored on device 102 a and processing by device 102 a of logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ) completes . opening a file in step 408 includes using the uri of the file to retrieve the file from a device in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and is illustrated in transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in step 502 , device 102 a creates a new instance of the application and , in step 504 , the new application instance attempts to open the file using the uri . the retrieval of the file specified by the uri is handled by the operating system of device 102 a , using a device identifier portion of the uri to identify the particular device within which the file is stored . in this illustrative example , the uri identifies device 102 f as the device on which the file is stored . accordingly , device 102 a sends the uri request to device 102 f in step 506 . in addition to the uri request , device 102 a sends data representing all mime types that device 102 a can process . device 102 a determines which mime types it can process by reference to mime - type associations 700 ( fig7 ). mime - type associations 700 includes a number of mime - type records 702 , each of which represents associations for a given mime - type , which is identified by mime - type 704 . each mime - type record 702 includes a number of associations 706 , which represent an application within device 102 a that can process data files of the given mime - type . application 708 identifies the application . priority 710 specifies a relative priority among all associations 706 of a given mime - type record 702 . read only 712 indicates whether ( i ) the application specified by application 708 can process the file in a manner in which the user can modify the file or ( ii ) the application and only display the file . the application identified by application 708 can be merely a conversion application that converts data files of the type specified by mime - type 704 to another type . upon receipt of the uri and mime types supported by device 102 a in step 506 ( fig5 ), device 102 f uses the uri to locate the data file identified by the uri and compares the mime type of the data file to the mime types supported by 102 a . if the mime type of the data file is not one supported by device 102 a , device 102 f uses its own set of mime - type associations 700 to determine whether device 102 f can convert the requested data file to a mime type that device 102 a can process . in step 508 , device 102 f sends the data file , as converted if converted , to device 102 a as the response to the uri request . device 102 a performs transaction flow diagram 500 for each uri to be opened . the end result is that session 200 is saved from device 102 e and restored to device 102 a . the user can thereafter continue editing the word processing document of window 202 and the drawing of window 204 . device 102 a is shown in greater detail in fig8 , which is equally representative of devices 102 b - g and 108 unless otherwise noted here . device 102 a includes one or more microprocessors 802 ( collectively referred to as cpu 802 ) that retrieve data and / or instructions from memory 804 and execute retrieved instructions in a conventional manner . memory 804 can include generally any computer - readable medium including , for example , persistent memory such as magnetic and / or optical disks , rom , and prom and volatile memory such as ram . as used herein , β computer - readable medium β excludes any transitory signals but includes any non - transitory data storage circuitry , e . g ., buffers , cache , and queues , within transceivers of transitory signals . cpu 802 and memory 804 are connected to one another through a conventional interconnect 806 , which is a bus in this illustrative embodiment and which connects cpu 802 and memory 804 to one or more input devices 808 , output devices 810 , and network access circuitry 812 . input devices 808 can include , for example , a keyboard , a keypad , a touch - sensitive screen , a mouse , a microphone , and one or more cameras . output devices 810 can include , for example , a display β such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd )β and one or more loudspeakers . network access circuitry 812 sends and receives data through computer networks such as lan 104 ( fig1 ). a number of components of device 102 a are stored in memory 804 . in particular , user space applications 820 , session migration logic 824 logic , and operating system 826 are each all or part of one or more computer processes executing within cpu 802 from memory 804 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital logic circuitry . as used herein , β logic β refers to ( i ) logic implemented as computer instructions and / or data within one or more computer processes and / or ( ii ) logic implemented in electronic circuitry . user space applications 820 are applications the user can use to view or edit data files . session migration logic 824 saves and restores sessions in the manner described above . operating system 826 is the operating system of device 102 a . an operating system is logic implemented in a computing device that provides services used by other logic implemented in the computing device . the services typically include management of computer resources such as file systems , peripheral device support , networking services , and computer process management . generally , most users don &# 39 ; t directly use an operating system but rather use logic that in turn uses the operating system to perform various tasks . examples of operating systems in use today include linux , unix , macos , and various incarnations of the windows operating system . in this illustrative embodiment , operating system 826 optimizes data traffic among devices 102 a - g and 108 in the manner described in co - pending , commonly owned u . s . patent application 61 / 770 , 662 filed feb . 28 , 2013 , by craig s . etchegoyen for β device - specific content delivery β and that description is incorporated herein by reference . digital fingerprint 822 , data files 830 , and mime - type associations 700 are data stored persistently in memory 804 . digital fingerprint 822 includes data specific to hardware elements of device 102 a , such as serial numbers and parameters of hardware components of device 102 a , to serve as a globally unique identifier of device 102 a . data files 830 includes one or more data files that the user might want to view or edit using any of user space applications 820 on any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . mime - type associations 700 are described above . the above description is illustrative only and is not limiting . the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents . it is intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , modifications , permutations , and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Should this patent be classified under 'Chemistry; Metallurgy'? | 0.25 | 9acb2176fd8580c9e3a4033227aef8210f09ccc7564dea4a80111b2e22ac5847 | 0.004456 | 0.000203 | 0.000066 | 0.000015 | 0.000488 | 0.000261 |
null | in accordance with the present invention , devices 102 a - g ( fig1 ) of an individual &# 39 ; s device - sphere cooperate to migrate a user &# 39 ; s session from any of devices 102 a - g and 108 to any other of devices 102 a - g and 108 . fig2 shows a simple session involving two applications 202 and 204 on a computer desktop 200 . in this illustrative example , computer desktop 200 is to be migrated from device 102 e to device 102 a . the user has been working on device 102 e , using application 202 ( fig2 ) to edit a text document and application 204 to edit a drawing , and now wishes to continue work using device 102 a using the same applications to edit the same data files . in this illustrative example , the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere includes devices 102 a g , device 108 , and server 110 . devices 102 a - g are coupled to one another through a local area network ( lan ) 104 , which can be owned and operated by the individual user in her home . there are a wide variety of computing devices that can be included in one &# 39 ; s device - sphere ; the devices shown in fig1 are merely illustrative . device 102 a is a laptop computer . device 102 b is a smart phone . device 102 c is a modern , networked television . device 102 d is a networked pvr ( personal video recorder ). device 102 e is a desktop computer . device 102 f is a nas ( network - attached storage ) appliance . device 102 g is a tablet computer . device 108 is remotely located , being connected to lan 104 though a wide area network ( wan ) 106 . in this illustrative embodiment , device 108 connects to lan 104 through wan 106 through a virtual private network ( vpn ) connection . in this illustrative embodiment , wan 106 is the internet . server 110 is also connected to lan 104 though wan 106 . server 110 provides cloud services to the individual user through any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . such cloud services can include e - mail , photo and video hosting and sharing , document editing and hosting , social networking , calendaring , and music streaming , for example . to migrate session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 e first saves data representing session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 300 ( fig3 ). the saving of session 200 can be triggered by a request of the user through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques or can be triggered automatically during shut - down of device 102 e in step 302 , device 102 e creates a session record such as session record 602 ( fig6 ) to represent session 200 ( fig2 ). user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 e . digital fingerprint 606 is a globally unique identifier of device 102 e . digital fingerprints offer the advantage of being more stable and less amenable to spoofing that are ip addresses and mac addresses . digital fingerprints are known and described in u . s . patent application publication 2011 / 0093503 for β computer hardware identity tracking using characteristic parameter - derived data β by craig s . etchegoyen ( filed apr . 21 , 2011 ) and that description is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . time stamp 608 specifies the current time and date and the creation time and date of session record 602 . loop step 304 ( fig3 ) and next step 310 define a loop in which device 102 e processes each of the user - space applications currently in use in session 200 according to steps 306 and 308 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 304 - 310 , the particular application processed by device 102 e is sometimes referred to as the subject application in the context of logic flow diagram 300 . in step 306 , device 102 e creates an application record such as application record 610 ( fig6 ) for the current application . application 612 identifies the subject application . in some embodiments , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime ( multipurpose internet mail extensions ) types , more recently referred to as internet media types . in step 308 ( fig3 ), device 102 e stores uri ( uniform resource identifiers ) and gui ( graphical user interface ) locations for each open file of the subject application . for each open file of the subject application , device 102 e creates an open file record 614 . uri 616 specifies the location of the open file , including the device on which the open file is stored . mime - type 618 specifies a type of data of the open file by mime type . mime types include a type and a subtype and can also include a number of additional parameters . for example , a web page in textual html has the mime type of β text / html β wherein the type is β text β and the subtype is β html .β a common additional parameter specifies the particular character set of the web page . gui position 620 specifies the location and size of the window in session 200 ( fig2 ) of the open file of the subject application , including the relative depth of the window so as to indicate the which windows occlude other windows . from step 308 ( fig3 ), processing by device 102 e transfers through next step 310 to loop step 304 to process the next application according to the loop of steps 304 - 310 . when all applications of session 200 have been processed , session record 602 ( fig6 ) represents all open files and gui locations of windows within session 200 ( fig2 ) and processing by device 102 e transfers to step 312 ( fig3 ). in step 312 , device 102 e broadcasts session record 602 ( fig6 ) to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere , i . e ., to devices a - g ( excluding itself ) and device 108 . in step 314 , device 102 e stores session record 602 in a location known to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device sphere . such a location can be in server 110 or device 102 f , which is a nas appliance , at a predetermined url . steps 312 and 314 seem redundant ; however , step 312 avoids reliance on an external server for managing one &# 39 ; s own device - sphere and step 314 provides backup for the situation in which none of the other devices of the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere are powered on or at least connected to a network . in alternative embodiments , the user can specify β through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques β the device within her device - sphere to which session record 602 should be sent . in these alternative embodiments , session record 602 can be sent by e - mail to device 102 a such that device 102 a can receive session record 602 whenever device 102 a is powered up and connected to the network . after step 314 , processing according to logic flow diagram 300 completes . to complete migration of session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 a uses the data representing session 200 to replication session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ). session restoration can be triggered automatically at start - up or can be requested by the user . in step 402 , device 102 a retrieves the most recent of session records 602 ( fig6 ) for which user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 a . time stamp 608 is used by device 102 a to determine which of session records is the most recent . device 102 a collects session records 602 by broadcasting a request for session records for the current user to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and by retrieving a session record from the predetermined url at which session records are stored for the subject user and her device - sphere . in an embodiment in which session record 602 is sent directly to device 102 a by direction from the user , an e - mail address for device 102 a is associated with session saving and restoration and the e - mail address is checked by device 102 a in step 402 ( fig4 ) to retrieve the session record . loop step 404 ( fig4 ) and next step 410 define a loop in which device 102 a processes each of the application records 610 of the session record according to step 406 and 408 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 404 - 410 , the particular application record processed by device 102 a is sometimes referred to as the subject application record in the context of logic flow diagram 400 . in step 406 , device 102 a launches an application identified by application 612 of the subject application record . as described above , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime types in some embodiments . in such embodiments , session record 602 includes only open file records 614 , and device 102 a skips step 406 . in step 408 ( fig4 ), device 102 a processes all open file records 614 ( fig6 ) to send uri 616 and gui position 620 to cause the application to open the file identified by uri 616 in a window located at gui position 620 . in embodiments in which application 612 is omitted , device 102 a uses mime - type 618 to determine an application predetermined to be the one to process the data file type specified in mime - type 618 within the operating system of device 102 a and launches an instance of that application , providing uri 616 and gui position 620 . the result is that a new window opens in a session on device 102 a in which the data file identified by uri 616 at a location specified by gui position 620 for an application qualified to process the data file . this process is illustrated by transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in this illustrative example , uri 616 of the subject open file indicates that the file is stored on device 102 f . it should be observed that the open file can be stored on any device at any location that can be specified by uri 616 . in step 502 , device 102 a launches a new application instance using uri 616 and gui position 620 in the manner described above with respect to step 408 ( fig4 ). devices 102 a - g and 108 can vary widely in display dimensions and display resolutions . accordingly , gui positions within the display of each device are approximated and scaled to accommodate opening of multiple windows given each devices display size . in addition , some device , such as smart phones , have such small displays that each new window can use the entire screen in some embodiments . in step 504 ( fig5 ), the newly launched application instance attempts to open the data file identified by the uri . in attempting to open the data file , device 102 a sends a request in step 506 to the device specified in the uri , e . g ., device 102 f in this illustrative example . along with the request , device 102 a sends a list of mime types that device 102 a is capable of handling . for some of the mime types , device 102 a has applications capable of properly processing that mime type . for other mime types , device 102 a is capable of converting a data file from that mime type to one that device 102 a is capable of processing properly . in step 508 , device 102 f sends responsive data representing the data file identified by the uri received in step 506 in a mime type data format that device 102 a supports as indicated by the mime types specified in the request of step 506 . if the requested data file is not in any of the mime types supported by device 102 a , device 102 f converts the data file to a mime type that is supported by device 102 a if device 102 f has the capacity to do so and denies the request otherwise . in some embodiments , device 102 f or device 102 a can determine that the ability to edit the data file in the mime type received should not be edited . such can be the case if the received mime type cannot handle formatting or features of the original format or if device 102 a has no editing applications for the received mime type . in either case , the data file will be opened in a β read only β mode on device 102 a . from step 408 ( fig4 ), processing by device 102 a transfers through next step 410 to loop step 404 to process the next application record according to the loop of steps 404 - 410 . when all applications records of session record 602 have been processed , session 200 ( fig2 ) will have been restored on device 102 a and processing by device 102 a of logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ) completes . opening a file in step 408 includes using the uri of the file to retrieve the file from a device in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and is illustrated in transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in step 502 , device 102 a creates a new instance of the application and , in step 504 , the new application instance attempts to open the file using the uri . the retrieval of the file specified by the uri is handled by the operating system of device 102 a , using a device identifier portion of the uri to identify the particular device within which the file is stored . in this illustrative example , the uri identifies device 102 f as the device on which the file is stored . accordingly , device 102 a sends the uri request to device 102 f in step 506 . in addition to the uri request , device 102 a sends data representing all mime types that device 102 a can process . device 102 a determines which mime types it can process by reference to mime - type associations 700 ( fig7 ). mime - type associations 700 includes a number of mime - type records 702 , each of which represents associations for a given mime - type , which is identified by mime - type 704 . each mime - type record 702 includes a number of associations 706 , which represent an application within device 102 a that can process data files of the given mime - type . application 708 identifies the application . priority 710 specifies a relative priority among all associations 706 of a given mime - type record 702 . read only 712 indicates whether ( i ) the application specified by application 708 can process the file in a manner in which the user can modify the file or ( ii ) the application and only display the file . the application identified by application 708 can be merely a conversion application that converts data files of the type specified by mime - type 704 to another type . upon receipt of the uri and mime types supported by device 102 a in step 506 ( fig5 ), device 102 f uses the uri to locate the data file identified by the uri and compares the mime type of the data file to the mime types supported by 102 a . if the mime type of the data file is not one supported by device 102 a , device 102 f uses its own set of mime - type associations 700 to determine whether device 102 f can convert the requested data file to a mime type that device 102 a can process . in step 508 , device 102 f sends the data file , as converted if converted , to device 102 a as the response to the uri request . device 102 a performs transaction flow diagram 500 for each uri to be opened . the end result is that session 200 is saved from device 102 e and restored to device 102 a . the user can thereafter continue editing the word processing document of window 202 and the drawing of window 204 . device 102 a is shown in greater detail in fig8 , which is equally representative of devices 102 b - g and 108 unless otherwise noted here . device 102 a includes one or more microprocessors 802 ( collectively referred to as cpu 802 ) that retrieve data and / or instructions from memory 804 and execute retrieved instructions in a conventional manner . memory 804 can include generally any computer - readable medium including , for example , persistent memory such as magnetic and / or optical disks , rom , and prom and volatile memory such as ram . as used herein , β computer - readable medium β excludes any transitory signals but includes any non - transitory data storage circuitry , e . g ., buffers , cache , and queues , within transceivers of transitory signals . cpu 802 and memory 804 are connected to one another through a conventional interconnect 806 , which is a bus in this illustrative embodiment and which connects cpu 802 and memory 804 to one or more input devices 808 , output devices 810 , and network access circuitry 812 . input devices 808 can include , for example , a keyboard , a keypad , a touch - sensitive screen , a mouse , a microphone , and one or more cameras . output devices 810 can include , for example , a display β such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd )β and one or more loudspeakers . network access circuitry 812 sends and receives data through computer networks such as lan 104 ( fig1 ). a number of components of device 102 a are stored in memory 804 . in particular , user space applications 820 , session migration logic 824 logic , and operating system 826 are each all or part of one or more computer processes executing within cpu 802 from memory 804 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital logic circuitry . as used herein , β logic β refers to ( i ) logic implemented as computer instructions and / or data within one or more computer processes and / or ( ii ) logic implemented in electronic circuitry . user space applications 820 are applications the user can use to view or edit data files . session migration logic 824 saves and restores sessions in the manner described above . operating system 826 is the operating system of device 102 a . an operating system is logic implemented in a computing device that provides services used by other logic implemented in the computing device . the services typically include management of computer resources such as file systems , peripheral device support , networking services , and computer process management . generally , most users don &# 39 ; t directly use an operating system but rather use logic that in turn uses the operating system to perform various tasks . examples of operating systems in use today include linux , unix , macos , and various incarnations of the windows operating system . in this illustrative embodiment , operating system 826 optimizes data traffic among devices 102 a - g and 108 in the manner described in co - pending , commonly owned u . s . patent application 61 / 770 , 662 filed feb . 28 , 2013 , by craig s . etchegoyen for β device - specific content delivery β and that description is incorporated herein by reference . digital fingerprint 822 , data files 830 , and mime - type associations 700 are data stored persistently in memory 804 . digital fingerprint 822 includes data specific to hardware elements of device 102 a , such as serial numbers and parameters of hardware components of device 102 a , to serve as a globally unique identifier of device 102 a . data files 830 includes one or more data files that the user might want to view or edit using any of user space applications 820 on any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . mime - type associations 700 are described above . the above description is illustrative only and is not limiting . the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents . it is intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , modifications , permutations , and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Electricity'? | Is 'Textiles; Paper' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 9acb2176fd8580c9e3a4033227aef8210f09ccc7564dea4a80111b2e22ac5847 | 0.00592 | 0.000778 | 0.000024 | 0.000132 | 0.001282 | 0.002548 |
null | in accordance with the present invention , devices 102 a - g ( fig1 ) of an individual &# 39 ; s device - sphere cooperate to migrate a user &# 39 ; s session from any of devices 102 a - g and 108 to any other of devices 102 a - g and 108 . fig2 shows a simple session involving two applications 202 and 204 on a computer desktop 200 . in this illustrative example , computer desktop 200 is to be migrated from device 102 e to device 102 a . the user has been working on device 102 e , using application 202 ( fig2 ) to edit a text document and application 204 to edit a drawing , and now wishes to continue work using device 102 a using the same applications to edit the same data files . in this illustrative example , the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere includes devices 102 a g , device 108 , and server 110 . devices 102 a - g are coupled to one another through a local area network ( lan ) 104 , which can be owned and operated by the individual user in her home . there are a wide variety of computing devices that can be included in one &# 39 ; s device - sphere ; the devices shown in fig1 are merely illustrative . device 102 a is a laptop computer . device 102 b is a smart phone . device 102 c is a modern , networked television . device 102 d is a networked pvr ( personal video recorder ). device 102 e is a desktop computer . device 102 f is a nas ( network - attached storage ) appliance . device 102 g is a tablet computer . device 108 is remotely located , being connected to lan 104 though a wide area network ( wan ) 106 . in this illustrative embodiment , device 108 connects to lan 104 through wan 106 through a virtual private network ( vpn ) connection . in this illustrative embodiment , wan 106 is the internet . server 110 is also connected to lan 104 though wan 106 . server 110 provides cloud services to the individual user through any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . such cloud services can include e - mail , photo and video hosting and sharing , document editing and hosting , social networking , calendaring , and music streaming , for example . to migrate session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 e first saves data representing session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 300 ( fig3 ). the saving of session 200 can be triggered by a request of the user through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques or can be triggered automatically during shut - down of device 102 e in step 302 , device 102 e creates a session record such as session record 602 ( fig6 ) to represent session 200 ( fig2 ). user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 e . digital fingerprint 606 is a globally unique identifier of device 102 e . digital fingerprints offer the advantage of being more stable and less amenable to spoofing that are ip addresses and mac addresses . digital fingerprints are known and described in u . s . patent application publication 2011 / 0093503 for β computer hardware identity tracking using characteristic parameter - derived data β by craig s . etchegoyen ( filed apr . 21 , 2011 ) and that description is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . time stamp 608 specifies the current time and date and the creation time and date of session record 602 . loop step 304 ( fig3 ) and next step 310 define a loop in which device 102 e processes each of the user - space applications currently in use in session 200 according to steps 306 and 308 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 304 - 310 , the particular application processed by device 102 e is sometimes referred to as the subject application in the context of logic flow diagram 300 . in step 306 , device 102 e creates an application record such as application record 610 ( fig6 ) for the current application . application 612 identifies the subject application . in some embodiments , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime ( multipurpose internet mail extensions ) types , more recently referred to as internet media types . in step 308 ( fig3 ), device 102 e stores uri ( uniform resource identifiers ) and gui ( graphical user interface ) locations for each open file of the subject application . for each open file of the subject application , device 102 e creates an open file record 614 . uri 616 specifies the location of the open file , including the device on which the open file is stored . mime - type 618 specifies a type of data of the open file by mime type . mime types include a type and a subtype and can also include a number of additional parameters . for example , a web page in textual html has the mime type of β text / html β wherein the type is β text β and the subtype is β html .β a common additional parameter specifies the particular character set of the web page . gui position 620 specifies the location and size of the window in session 200 ( fig2 ) of the open file of the subject application , including the relative depth of the window so as to indicate the which windows occlude other windows . from step 308 ( fig3 ), processing by device 102 e transfers through next step 310 to loop step 304 to process the next application according to the loop of steps 304 - 310 . when all applications of session 200 have been processed , session record 602 ( fig6 ) represents all open files and gui locations of windows within session 200 ( fig2 ) and processing by device 102 e transfers to step 312 ( fig3 ). in step 312 , device 102 e broadcasts session record 602 ( fig6 ) to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere , i . e ., to devices a - g ( excluding itself ) and device 108 . in step 314 , device 102 e stores session record 602 in a location known to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device sphere . such a location can be in server 110 or device 102 f , which is a nas appliance , at a predetermined url . steps 312 and 314 seem redundant ; however , step 312 avoids reliance on an external server for managing one &# 39 ; s own device - sphere and step 314 provides backup for the situation in which none of the other devices of the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere are powered on or at least connected to a network . in alternative embodiments , the user can specify β through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques β the device within her device - sphere to which session record 602 should be sent . in these alternative embodiments , session record 602 can be sent by e - mail to device 102 a such that device 102 a can receive session record 602 whenever device 102 a is powered up and connected to the network . after step 314 , processing according to logic flow diagram 300 completes . to complete migration of session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 a uses the data representing session 200 to replication session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ). session restoration can be triggered automatically at start - up or can be requested by the user . in step 402 , device 102 a retrieves the most recent of session records 602 ( fig6 ) for which user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 a . time stamp 608 is used by device 102 a to determine which of session records is the most recent . device 102 a collects session records 602 by broadcasting a request for session records for the current user to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and by retrieving a session record from the predetermined url at which session records are stored for the subject user and her device - sphere . in an embodiment in which session record 602 is sent directly to device 102 a by direction from the user , an e - mail address for device 102 a is associated with session saving and restoration and the e - mail address is checked by device 102 a in step 402 ( fig4 ) to retrieve the session record . loop step 404 ( fig4 ) and next step 410 define a loop in which device 102 a processes each of the application records 610 of the session record according to step 406 and 408 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 404 - 410 , the particular application record processed by device 102 a is sometimes referred to as the subject application record in the context of logic flow diagram 400 . in step 406 , device 102 a launches an application identified by application 612 of the subject application record . as described above , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime types in some embodiments . in such embodiments , session record 602 includes only open file records 614 , and device 102 a skips step 406 . in step 408 ( fig4 ), device 102 a processes all open file records 614 ( fig6 ) to send uri 616 and gui position 620 to cause the application to open the file identified by uri 616 in a window located at gui position 620 . in embodiments in which application 612 is omitted , device 102 a uses mime - type 618 to determine an application predetermined to be the one to process the data file type specified in mime - type 618 within the operating system of device 102 a and launches an instance of that application , providing uri 616 and gui position 620 . the result is that a new window opens in a session on device 102 a in which the data file identified by uri 616 at a location specified by gui position 620 for an application qualified to process the data file . this process is illustrated by transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in this illustrative example , uri 616 of the subject open file indicates that the file is stored on device 102 f . it should be observed that the open file can be stored on any device at any location that can be specified by uri 616 . in step 502 , device 102 a launches a new application instance using uri 616 and gui position 620 in the manner described above with respect to step 408 ( fig4 ). devices 102 a - g and 108 can vary widely in display dimensions and display resolutions . accordingly , gui positions within the display of each device are approximated and scaled to accommodate opening of multiple windows given each devices display size . in addition , some device , such as smart phones , have such small displays that each new window can use the entire screen in some embodiments . in step 504 ( fig5 ), the newly launched application instance attempts to open the data file identified by the uri . in attempting to open the data file , device 102 a sends a request in step 506 to the device specified in the uri , e . g ., device 102 f in this illustrative example . along with the request , device 102 a sends a list of mime types that device 102 a is capable of handling . for some of the mime types , device 102 a has applications capable of properly processing that mime type . for other mime types , device 102 a is capable of converting a data file from that mime type to one that device 102 a is capable of processing properly . in step 508 , device 102 f sends responsive data representing the data file identified by the uri received in step 506 in a mime type data format that device 102 a supports as indicated by the mime types specified in the request of step 506 . if the requested data file is not in any of the mime types supported by device 102 a , device 102 f converts the data file to a mime type that is supported by device 102 a if device 102 f has the capacity to do so and denies the request otherwise . in some embodiments , device 102 f or device 102 a can determine that the ability to edit the data file in the mime type received should not be edited . such can be the case if the received mime type cannot handle formatting or features of the original format or if device 102 a has no editing applications for the received mime type . in either case , the data file will be opened in a β read only β mode on device 102 a . from step 408 ( fig4 ), processing by device 102 a transfers through next step 410 to loop step 404 to process the next application record according to the loop of steps 404 - 410 . when all applications records of session record 602 have been processed , session 200 ( fig2 ) will have been restored on device 102 a and processing by device 102 a of logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ) completes . opening a file in step 408 includes using the uri of the file to retrieve the file from a device in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and is illustrated in transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in step 502 , device 102 a creates a new instance of the application and , in step 504 , the new application instance attempts to open the file using the uri . the retrieval of the file specified by the uri is handled by the operating system of device 102 a , using a device identifier portion of the uri to identify the particular device within which the file is stored . in this illustrative example , the uri identifies device 102 f as the device on which the file is stored . accordingly , device 102 a sends the uri request to device 102 f in step 506 . in addition to the uri request , device 102 a sends data representing all mime types that device 102 a can process . device 102 a determines which mime types it can process by reference to mime - type associations 700 ( fig7 ). mime - type associations 700 includes a number of mime - type records 702 , each of which represents associations for a given mime - type , which is identified by mime - type 704 . each mime - type record 702 includes a number of associations 706 , which represent an application within device 102 a that can process data files of the given mime - type . application 708 identifies the application . priority 710 specifies a relative priority among all associations 706 of a given mime - type record 702 . read only 712 indicates whether ( i ) the application specified by application 708 can process the file in a manner in which the user can modify the file or ( ii ) the application and only display the file . the application identified by application 708 can be merely a conversion application that converts data files of the type specified by mime - type 704 to another type . upon receipt of the uri and mime types supported by device 102 a in step 506 ( fig5 ), device 102 f uses the uri to locate the data file identified by the uri and compares the mime type of the data file to the mime types supported by 102 a . if the mime type of the data file is not one supported by device 102 a , device 102 f uses its own set of mime - type associations 700 to determine whether device 102 f can convert the requested data file to a mime type that device 102 a can process . in step 508 , device 102 f sends the data file , as converted if converted , to device 102 a as the response to the uri request . device 102 a performs transaction flow diagram 500 for each uri to be opened . the end result is that session 200 is saved from device 102 e and restored to device 102 a . the user can thereafter continue editing the word processing document of window 202 and the drawing of window 204 . device 102 a is shown in greater detail in fig8 , which is equally representative of devices 102 b - g and 108 unless otherwise noted here . device 102 a includes one or more microprocessors 802 ( collectively referred to as cpu 802 ) that retrieve data and / or instructions from memory 804 and execute retrieved instructions in a conventional manner . memory 804 can include generally any computer - readable medium including , for example , persistent memory such as magnetic and / or optical disks , rom , and prom and volatile memory such as ram . as used herein , β computer - readable medium β excludes any transitory signals but includes any non - transitory data storage circuitry , e . g ., buffers , cache , and queues , within transceivers of transitory signals . cpu 802 and memory 804 are connected to one another through a conventional interconnect 806 , which is a bus in this illustrative embodiment and which connects cpu 802 and memory 804 to one or more input devices 808 , output devices 810 , and network access circuitry 812 . input devices 808 can include , for example , a keyboard , a keypad , a touch - sensitive screen , a mouse , a microphone , and one or more cameras . output devices 810 can include , for example , a display β such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd )β and one or more loudspeakers . network access circuitry 812 sends and receives data through computer networks such as lan 104 ( fig1 ). a number of components of device 102 a are stored in memory 804 . in particular , user space applications 820 , session migration logic 824 logic , and operating system 826 are each all or part of one or more computer processes executing within cpu 802 from memory 804 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital logic circuitry . as used herein , β logic β refers to ( i ) logic implemented as computer instructions and / or data within one or more computer processes and / or ( ii ) logic implemented in electronic circuitry . user space applications 820 are applications the user can use to view or edit data files . session migration logic 824 saves and restores sessions in the manner described above . operating system 826 is the operating system of device 102 a . an operating system is logic implemented in a computing device that provides services used by other logic implemented in the computing device . the services typically include management of computer resources such as file systems , peripheral device support , networking services , and computer process management . generally , most users don &# 39 ; t directly use an operating system but rather use logic that in turn uses the operating system to perform various tasks . examples of operating systems in use today include linux , unix , macos , and various incarnations of the windows operating system . in this illustrative embodiment , operating system 826 optimizes data traffic among devices 102 a - g and 108 in the manner described in co - pending , commonly owned u . s . patent application 61 / 770 , 662 filed feb . 28 , 2013 , by craig s . etchegoyen for β device - specific content delivery β and that description is incorporated herein by reference . digital fingerprint 822 , data files 830 , and mime - type associations 700 are data stored persistently in memory 804 . digital fingerprint 822 includes data specific to hardware elements of device 102 a , such as serial numbers and parameters of hardware components of device 102 a , to serve as a globally unique identifier of device 102 a . data files 830 includes one or more data files that the user might want to view or edit using any of user space applications 820 on any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . mime - type associations 700 are described above . the above description is illustrative only and is not limiting . the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents . it is intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , modifications , permutations , and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Should this patent be classified under 'Electricity'? | Is 'Fixed Constructions' the correct technical category for the patent? | 0.25 | 9acb2176fd8580c9e3a4033227aef8210f09ccc7564dea4a80111b2e22ac5847 | 0.001648 | 0.013245 | 0.000019 | 0.001167 | 0.000191 | 0.036133 |
null | in accordance with the present invention , devices 102 a - g ( fig1 ) of an individual &# 39 ; s device - sphere cooperate to migrate a user &# 39 ; s session from any of devices 102 a - g and 108 to any other of devices 102 a - g and 108 . fig2 shows a simple session involving two applications 202 and 204 on a computer desktop 200 . in this illustrative example , computer desktop 200 is to be migrated from device 102 e to device 102 a . the user has been working on device 102 e , using application 202 ( fig2 ) to edit a text document and application 204 to edit a drawing , and now wishes to continue work using device 102 a using the same applications to edit the same data files . in this illustrative example , the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere includes devices 102 a g , device 108 , and server 110 . devices 102 a - g are coupled to one another through a local area network ( lan ) 104 , which can be owned and operated by the individual user in her home . there are a wide variety of computing devices that can be included in one &# 39 ; s device - sphere ; the devices shown in fig1 are merely illustrative . device 102 a is a laptop computer . device 102 b is a smart phone . device 102 c is a modern , networked television . device 102 d is a networked pvr ( personal video recorder ). device 102 e is a desktop computer . device 102 f is a nas ( network - attached storage ) appliance . device 102 g is a tablet computer . device 108 is remotely located , being connected to lan 104 though a wide area network ( wan ) 106 . in this illustrative embodiment , device 108 connects to lan 104 through wan 106 through a virtual private network ( vpn ) connection . in this illustrative embodiment , wan 106 is the internet . server 110 is also connected to lan 104 though wan 106 . server 110 provides cloud services to the individual user through any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . such cloud services can include e - mail , photo and video hosting and sharing , document editing and hosting , social networking , calendaring , and music streaming , for example . to migrate session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 e first saves data representing session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 300 ( fig3 ). the saving of session 200 can be triggered by a request of the user through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques or can be triggered automatically during shut - down of device 102 e in step 302 , device 102 e creates a session record such as session record 602 ( fig6 ) to represent session 200 ( fig2 ). user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 e . digital fingerprint 606 is a globally unique identifier of device 102 e . digital fingerprints offer the advantage of being more stable and less amenable to spoofing that are ip addresses and mac addresses . digital fingerprints are known and described in u . s . patent application publication 2011 / 0093503 for β computer hardware identity tracking using characteristic parameter - derived data β by craig s . etchegoyen ( filed apr . 21 , 2011 ) and that description is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . time stamp 608 specifies the current time and date and the creation time and date of session record 602 . loop step 304 ( fig3 ) and next step 310 define a loop in which device 102 e processes each of the user - space applications currently in use in session 200 according to steps 306 and 308 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 304 - 310 , the particular application processed by device 102 e is sometimes referred to as the subject application in the context of logic flow diagram 300 . in step 306 , device 102 e creates an application record such as application record 610 ( fig6 ) for the current application . application 612 identifies the subject application . in some embodiments , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime ( multipurpose internet mail extensions ) types , more recently referred to as internet media types . in step 308 ( fig3 ), device 102 e stores uri ( uniform resource identifiers ) and gui ( graphical user interface ) locations for each open file of the subject application . for each open file of the subject application , device 102 e creates an open file record 614 . uri 616 specifies the location of the open file , including the device on which the open file is stored . mime - type 618 specifies a type of data of the open file by mime type . mime types include a type and a subtype and can also include a number of additional parameters . for example , a web page in textual html has the mime type of β text / html β wherein the type is β text β and the subtype is β html .β a common additional parameter specifies the particular character set of the web page . gui position 620 specifies the location and size of the window in session 200 ( fig2 ) of the open file of the subject application , including the relative depth of the window so as to indicate the which windows occlude other windows . from step 308 ( fig3 ), processing by device 102 e transfers through next step 310 to loop step 304 to process the next application according to the loop of steps 304 - 310 . when all applications of session 200 have been processed , session record 602 ( fig6 ) represents all open files and gui locations of windows within session 200 ( fig2 ) and processing by device 102 e transfers to step 312 ( fig3 ). in step 312 , device 102 e broadcasts session record 602 ( fig6 ) to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere , i . e ., to devices a - g ( excluding itself ) and device 108 . in step 314 , device 102 e stores session record 602 in a location known to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device sphere . such a location can be in server 110 or device 102 f , which is a nas appliance , at a predetermined url . steps 312 and 314 seem redundant ; however , step 312 avoids reliance on an external server for managing one &# 39 ; s own device - sphere and step 314 provides backup for the situation in which none of the other devices of the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere are powered on or at least connected to a network . in alternative embodiments , the user can specify β through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques β the device within her device - sphere to which session record 602 should be sent . in these alternative embodiments , session record 602 can be sent by e - mail to device 102 a such that device 102 a can receive session record 602 whenever device 102 a is powered up and connected to the network . after step 314 , processing according to logic flow diagram 300 completes . to complete migration of session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 a uses the data representing session 200 to replication session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ). session restoration can be triggered automatically at start - up or can be requested by the user . in step 402 , device 102 a retrieves the most recent of session records 602 ( fig6 ) for which user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 a . time stamp 608 is used by device 102 a to determine which of session records is the most recent . device 102 a collects session records 602 by broadcasting a request for session records for the current user to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and by retrieving a session record from the predetermined url at which session records are stored for the subject user and her device - sphere . in an embodiment in which session record 602 is sent directly to device 102 a by direction from the user , an e - mail address for device 102 a is associated with session saving and restoration and the e - mail address is checked by device 102 a in step 402 ( fig4 ) to retrieve the session record . loop step 404 ( fig4 ) and next step 410 define a loop in which device 102 a processes each of the application records 610 of the session record according to step 406 and 408 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 404 - 410 , the particular application record processed by device 102 a is sometimes referred to as the subject application record in the context of logic flow diagram 400 . in step 406 , device 102 a launches an application identified by application 612 of the subject application record . as described above , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime types in some embodiments . in such embodiments , session record 602 includes only open file records 614 , and device 102 a skips step 406 . in step 408 ( fig4 ), device 102 a processes all open file records 614 ( fig6 ) to send uri 616 and gui position 620 to cause the application to open the file identified by uri 616 in a window located at gui position 620 . in embodiments in which application 612 is omitted , device 102 a uses mime - type 618 to determine an application predetermined to be the one to process the data file type specified in mime - type 618 within the operating system of device 102 a and launches an instance of that application , providing uri 616 and gui position 620 . the result is that a new window opens in a session on device 102 a in which the data file identified by uri 616 at a location specified by gui position 620 for an application qualified to process the data file . this process is illustrated by transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in this illustrative example , uri 616 of the subject open file indicates that the file is stored on device 102 f . it should be observed that the open file can be stored on any device at any location that can be specified by uri 616 . in step 502 , device 102 a launches a new application instance using uri 616 and gui position 620 in the manner described above with respect to step 408 ( fig4 ). devices 102 a - g and 108 can vary widely in display dimensions and display resolutions . accordingly , gui positions within the display of each device are approximated and scaled to accommodate opening of multiple windows given each devices display size . in addition , some device , such as smart phones , have such small displays that each new window can use the entire screen in some embodiments . in step 504 ( fig5 ), the newly launched application instance attempts to open the data file identified by the uri . in attempting to open the data file , device 102 a sends a request in step 506 to the device specified in the uri , e . g ., device 102 f in this illustrative example . along with the request , device 102 a sends a list of mime types that device 102 a is capable of handling . for some of the mime types , device 102 a has applications capable of properly processing that mime type . for other mime types , device 102 a is capable of converting a data file from that mime type to one that device 102 a is capable of processing properly . in step 508 , device 102 f sends responsive data representing the data file identified by the uri received in step 506 in a mime type data format that device 102 a supports as indicated by the mime types specified in the request of step 506 . if the requested data file is not in any of the mime types supported by device 102 a , device 102 f converts the data file to a mime type that is supported by device 102 a if device 102 f has the capacity to do so and denies the request otherwise . in some embodiments , device 102 f or device 102 a can determine that the ability to edit the data file in the mime type received should not be edited . such can be the case if the received mime type cannot handle formatting or features of the original format or if device 102 a has no editing applications for the received mime type . in either case , the data file will be opened in a β read only β mode on device 102 a . from step 408 ( fig4 ), processing by device 102 a transfers through next step 410 to loop step 404 to process the next application record according to the loop of steps 404 - 410 . when all applications records of session record 602 have been processed , session 200 ( fig2 ) will have been restored on device 102 a and processing by device 102 a of logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ) completes . opening a file in step 408 includes using the uri of the file to retrieve the file from a device in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and is illustrated in transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in step 502 , device 102 a creates a new instance of the application and , in step 504 , the new application instance attempts to open the file using the uri . the retrieval of the file specified by the uri is handled by the operating system of device 102 a , using a device identifier portion of the uri to identify the particular device within which the file is stored . in this illustrative example , the uri identifies device 102 f as the device on which the file is stored . accordingly , device 102 a sends the uri request to device 102 f in step 506 . in addition to the uri request , device 102 a sends data representing all mime types that device 102 a can process . device 102 a determines which mime types it can process by reference to mime - type associations 700 ( fig7 ). mime - type associations 700 includes a number of mime - type records 702 , each of which represents associations for a given mime - type , which is identified by mime - type 704 . each mime - type record 702 includes a number of associations 706 , which represent an application within device 102 a that can process data files of the given mime - type . application 708 identifies the application . priority 710 specifies a relative priority among all associations 706 of a given mime - type record 702 . read only 712 indicates whether ( i ) the application specified by application 708 can process the file in a manner in which the user can modify the file or ( ii ) the application and only display the file . the application identified by application 708 can be merely a conversion application that converts data files of the type specified by mime - type 704 to another type . upon receipt of the uri and mime types supported by device 102 a in step 506 ( fig5 ), device 102 f uses the uri to locate the data file identified by the uri and compares the mime type of the data file to the mime types supported by 102 a . if the mime type of the data file is not one supported by device 102 a , device 102 f uses its own set of mime - type associations 700 to determine whether device 102 f can convert the requested data file to a mime type that device 102 a can process . in step 508 , device 102 f sends the data file , as converted if converted , to device 102 a as the response to the uri request . device 102 a performs transaction flow diagram 500 for each uri to be opened . the end result is that session 200 is saved from device 102 e and restored to device 102 a . the user can thereafter continue editing the word processing document of window 202 and the drawing of window 204 . device 102 a is shown in greater detail in fig8 , which is equally representative of devices 102 b - g and 108 unless otherwise noted here . device 102 a includes one or more microprocessors 802 ( collectively referred to as cpu 802 ) that retrieve data and / or instructions from memory 804 and execute retrieved instructions in a conventional manner . memory 804 can include generally any computer - readable medium including , for example , persistent memory such as magnetic and / or optical disks , rom , and prom and volatile memory such as ram . as used herein , β computer - readable medium β excludes any transitory signals but includes any non - transitory data storage circuitry , e . g ., buffers , cache , and queues , within transceivers of transitory signals . cpu 802 and memory 804 are connected to one another through a conventional interconnect 806 , which is a bus in this illustrative embodiment and which connects cpu 802 and memory 804 to one or more input devices 808 , output devices 810 , and network access circuitry 812 . input devices 808 can include , for example , a keyboard , a keypad , a touch - sensitive screen , a mouse , a microphone , and one or more cameras . output devices 810 can include , for example , a display β such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd )β and one or more loudspeakers . network access circuitry 812 sends and receives data through computer networks such as lan 104 ( fig1 ). a number of components of device 102 a are stored in memory 804 . in particular , user space applications 820 , session migration logic 824 logic , and operating system 826 are each all or part of one or more computer processes executing within cpu 802 from memory 804 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital logic circuitry . as used herein , β logic β refers to ( i ) logic implemented as computer instructions and / or data within one or more computer processes and / or ( ii ) logic implemented in electronic circuitry . user space applications 820 are applications the user can use to view or edit data files . session migration logic 824 saves and restores sessions in the manner described above . operating system 826 is the operating system of device 102 a . an operating system is logic implemented in a computing device that provides services used by other logic implemented in the computing device . the services typically include management of computer resources such as file systems , peripheral device support , networking services , and computer process management . generally , most users don &# 39 ; t directly use an operating system but rather use logic that in turn uses the operating system to perform various tasks . examples of operating systems in use today include linux , unix , macos , and various incarnations of the windows operating system . in this illustrative embodiment , operating system 826 optimizes data traffic among devices 102 a - g and 108 in the manner described in co - pending , commonly owned u . s . patent application 61 / 770 , 662 filed feb . 28 , 2013 , by craig s . etchegoyen for β device - specific content delivery β and that description is incorporated herein by reference . digital fingerprint 822 , data files 830 , and mime - type associations 700 are data stored persistently in memory 804 . digital fingerprint 822 includes data specific to hardware elements of device 102 a , such as serial numbers and parameters of hardware components of device 102 a , to serve as a globally unique identifier of device 102 a . data files 830 includes one or more data files that the user might want to view or edit using any of user space applications 820 on any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . mime - type associations 700 are described above . the above description is illustrative only and is not limiting . the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents . it is intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , modifications , permutations , and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting'? | 0.25 | 9acb2176fd8580c9e3a4033227aef8210f09ccc7564dea4a80111b2e22ac5847 | 0.004456 | 0.001205 | 0.000062 | 0.000149 | 0.000488 | 0.001595 |
null | in accordance with the present invention , devices 102 a - g ( fig1 ) of an individual &# 39 ; s device - sphere cooperate to migrate a user &# 39 ; s session from any of devices 102 a - g and 108 to any other of devices 102 a - g and 108 . fig2 shows a simple session involving two applications 202 and 204 on a computer desktop 200 . in this illustrative example , computer desktop 200 is to be migrated from device 102 e to device 102 a . the user has been working on device 102 e , using application 202 ( fig2 ) to edit a text document and application 204 to edit a drawing , and now wishes to continue work using device 102 a using the same applications to edit the same data files . in this illustrative example , the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere includes devices 102 a g , device 108 , and server 110 . devices 102 a - g are coupled to one another through a local area network ( lan ) 104 , which can be owned and operated by the individual user in her home . there are a wide variety of computing devices that can be included in one &# 39 ; s device - sphere ; the devices shown in fig1 are merely illustrative . device 102 a is a laptop computer . device 102 b is a smart phone . device 102 c is a modern , networked television . device 102 d is a networked pvr ( personal video recorder ). device 102 e is a desktop computer . device 102 f is a nas ( network - attached storage ) appliance . device 102 g is a tablet computer . device 108 is remotely located , being connected to lan 104 though a wide area network ( wan ) 106 . in this illustrative embodiment , device 108 connects to lan 104 through wan 106 through a virtual private network ( vpn ) connection . in this illustrative embodiment , wan 106 is the internet . server 110 is also connected to lan 104 though wan 106 . server 110 provides cloud services to the individual user through any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . such cloud services can include e - mail , photo and video hosting and sharing , document editing and hosting , social networking , calendaring , and music streaming , for example . to migrate session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 e first saves data representing session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 300 ( fig3 ). the saving of session 200 can be triggered by a request of the user through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques or can be triggered automatically during shut - down of device 102 e in step 302 , device 102 e creates a session record such as session record 602 ( fig6 ) to represent session 200 ( fig2 ). user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 e . digital fingerprint 606 is a globally unique identifier of device 102 e . digital fingerprints offer the advantage of being more stable and less amenable to spoofing that are ip addresses and mac addresses . digital fingerprints are known and described in u . s . patent application publication 2011 / 0093503 for β computer hardware identity tracking using characteristic parameter - derived data β by craig s . etchegoyen ( filed apr . 21 , 2011 ) and that description is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . time stamp 608 specifies the current time and date and the creation time and date of session record 602 . loop step 304 ( fig3 ) and next step 310 define a loop in which device 102 e processes each of the user - space applications currently in use in session 200 according to steps 306 and 308 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 304 - 310 , the particular application processed by device 102 e is sometimes referred to as the subject application in the context of logic flow diagram 300 . in step 306 , device 102 e creates an application record such as application record 610 ( fig6 ) for the current application . application 612 identifies the subject application . in some embodiments , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime ( multipurpose internet mail extensions ) types , more recently referred to as internet media types . in step 308 ( fig3 ), device 102 e stores uri ( uniform resource identifiers ) and gui ( graphical user interface ) locations for each open file of the subject application . for each open file of the subject application , device 102 e creates an open file record 614 . uri 616 specifies the location of the open file , including the device on which the open file is stored . mime - type 618 specifies a type of data of the open file by mime type . mime types include a type and a subtype and can also include a number of additional parameters . for example , a web page in textual html has the mime type of β text / html β wherein the type is β text β and the subtype is β html .β a common additional parameter specifies the particular character set of the web page . gui position 620 specifies the location and size of the window in session 200 ( fig2 ) of the open file of the subject application , including the relative depth of the window so as to indicate the which windows occlude other windows . from step 308 ( fig3 ), processing by device 102 e transfers through next step 310 to loop step 304 to process the next application according to the loop of steps 304 - 310 . when all applications of session 200 have been processed , session record 602 ( fig6 ) represents all open files and gui locations of windows within session 200 ( fig2 ) and processing by device 102 e transfers to step 312 ( fig3 ). in step 312 , device 102 e broadcasts session record 602 ( fig6 ) to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere , i . e ., to devices a - g ( excluding itself ) and device 108 . in step 314 , device 102 e stores session record 602 in a location known to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device sphere . such a location can be in server 110 or device 102 f , which is a nas appliance , at a predetermined url . steps 312 and 314 seem redundant ; however , step 312 avoids reliance on an external server for managing one &# 39 ; s own device - sphere and step 314 provides backup for the situation in which none of the other devices of the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere are powered on or at least connected to a network . in alternative embodiments , the user can specify β through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques β the device within her device - sphere to which session record 602 should be sent . in these alternative embodiments , session record 602 can be sent by e - mail to device 102 a such that device 102 a can receive session record 602 whenever device 102 a is powered up and connected to the network . after step 314 , processing according to logic flow diagram 300 completes . to complete migration of session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 a uses the data representing session 200 to replication session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ). session restoration can be triggered automatically at start - up or can be requested by the user . in step 402 , device 102 a retrieves the most recent of session records 602 ( fig6 ) for which user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 a . time stamp 608 is used by device 102 a to determine which of session records is the most recent . device 102 a collects session records 602 by broadcasting a request for session records for the current user to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and by retrieving a session record from the predetermined url at which session records are stored for the subject user and her device - sphere . in an embodiment in which session record 602 is sent directly to device 102 a by direction from the user , an e - mail address for device 102 a is associated with session saving and restoration and the e - mail address is checked by device 102 a in step 402 ( fig4 ) to retrieve the session record . loop step 404 ( fig4 ) and next step 410 define a loop in which device 102 a processes each of the application records 610 of the session record according to step 406 and 408 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 404 - 410 , the particular application record processed by device 102 a is sometimes referred to as the subject application record in the context of logic flow diagram 400 . in step 406 , device 102 a launches an application identified by application 612 of the subject application record . as described above , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime types in some embodiments . in such embodiments , session record 602 includes only open file records 614 , and device 102 a skips step 406 . in step 408 ( fig4 ), device 102 a processes all open file records 614 ( fig6 ) to send uri 616 and gui position 620 to cause the application to open the file identified by uri 616 in a window located at gui position 620 . in embodiments in which application 612 is omitted , device 102 a uses mime - type 618 to determine an application predetermined to be the one to process the data file type specified in mime - type 618 within the operating system of device 102 a and launches an instance of that application , providing uri 616 and gui position 620 . the result is that a new window opens in a session on device 102 a in which the data file identified by uri 616 at a location specified by gui position 620 for an application qualified to process the data file . this process is illustrated by transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in this illustrative example , uri 616 of the subject open file indicates that the file is stored on device 102 f . it should be observed that the open file can be stored on any device at any location that can be specified by uri 616 . in step 502 , device 102 a launches a new application instance using uri 616 and gui position 620 in the manner described above with respect to step 408 ( fig4 ). devices 102 a - g and 108 can vary widely in display dimensions and display resolutions . accordingly , gui positions within the display of each device are approximated and scaled to accommodate opening of multiple windows given each devices display size . in addition , some device , such as smart phones , have such small displays that each new window can use the entire screen in some embodiments . in step 504 ( fig5 ), the newly launched application instance attempts to open the data file identified by the uri . in attempting to open the data file , device 102 a sends a request in step 506 to the device specified in the uri , e . g ., device 102 f in this illustrative example . along with the request , device 102 a sends a list of mime types that device 102 a is capable of handling . for some of the mime types , device 102 a has applications capable of properly processing that mime type . for other mime types , device 102 a is capable of converting a data file from that mime type to one that device 102 a is capable of processing properly . in step 508 , device 102 f sends responsive data representing the data file identified by the uri received in step 506 in a mime type data format that device 102 a supports as indicated by the mime types specified in the request of step 506 . if the requested data file is not in any of the mime types supported by device 102 a , device 102 f converts the data file to a mime type that is supported by device 102 a if device 102 f has the capacity to do so and denies the request otherwise . in some embodiments , device 102 f or device 102 a can determine that the ability to edit the data file in the mime type received should not be edited . such can be the case if the received mime type cannot handle formatting or features of the original format or if device 102 a has no editing applications for the received mime type . in either case , the data file will be opened in a β read only β mode on device 102 a . from step 408 ( fig4 ), processing by device 102 a transfers through next step 410 to loop step 404 to process the next application record according to the loop of steps 404 - 410 . when all applications records of session record 602 have been processed , session 200 ( fig2 ) will have been restored on device 102 a and processing by device 102 a of logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ) completes . opening a file in step 408 includes using the uri of the file to retrieve the file from a device in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and is illustrated in transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in step 502 , device 102 a creates a new instance of the application and , in step 504 , the new application instance attempts to open the file using the uri . the retrieval of the file specified by the uri is handled by the operating system of device 102 a , using a device identifier portion of the uri to identify the particular device within which the file is stored . in this illustrative example , the uri identifies device 102 f as the device on which the file is stored . accordingly , device 102 a sends the uri request to device 102 f in step 506 . in addition to the uri request , device 102 a sends data representing all mime types that device 102 a can process . device 102 a determines which mime types it can process by reference to mime - type associations 700 ( fig7 ). mime - type associations 700 includes a number of mime - type records 702 , each of which represents associations for a given mime - type , which is identified by mime - type 704 . each mime - type record 702 includes a number of associations 706 , which represent an application within device 102 a that can process data files of the given mime - type . application 708 identifies the application . priority 710 specifies a relative priority among all associations 706 of a given mime - type record 702 . read only 712 indicates whether ( i ) the application specified by application 708 can process the file in a manner in which the user can modify the file or ( ii ) the application and only display the file . the application identified by application 708 can be merely a conversion application that converts data files of the type specified by mime - type 704 to another type . upon receipt of the uri and mime types supported by device 102 a in step 506 ( fig5 ), device 102 f uses the uri to locate the data file identified by the uri and compares the mime type of the data file to the mime types supported by 102 a . if the mime type of the data file is not one supported by device 102 a , device 102 f uses its own set of mime - type associations 700 to determine whether device 102 f can convert the requested data file to a mime type that device 102 a can process . in step 508 , device 102 f sends the data file , as converted if converted , to device 102 a as the response to the uri request . device 102 a performs transaction flow diagram 500 for each uri to be opened . the end result is that session 200 is saved from device 102 e and restored to device 102 a . the user can thereafter continue editing the word processing document of window 202 and the drawing of window 204 . device 102 a is shown in greater detail in fig8 , which is equally representative of devices 102 b - g and 108 unless otherwise noted here . device 102 a includes one or more microprocessors 802 ( collectively referred to as cpu 802 ) that retrieve data and / or instructions from memory 804 and execute retrieved instructions in a conventional manner . memory 804 can include generally any computer - readable medium including , for example , persistent memory such as magnetic and / or optical disks , rom , and prom and volatile memory such as ram . as used herein , β computer - readable medium β excludes any transitory signals but includes any non - transitory data storage circuitry , e . g ., buffers , cache , and queues , within transceivers of transitory signals . cpu 802 and memory 804 are connected to one another through a conventional interconnect 806 , which is a bus in this illustrative embodiment and which connects cpu 802 and memory 804 to one or more input devices 808 , output devices 810 , and network access circuitry 812 . input devices 808 can include , for example , a keyboard , a keypad , a touch - sensitive screen , a mouse , a microphone , and one or more cameras . output devices 810 can include , for example , a display β such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd )β and one or more loudspeakers . network access circuitry 812 sends and receives data through computer networks such as lan 104 ( fig1 ). a number of components of device 102 a are stored in memory 804 . in particular , user space applications 820 , session migration logic 824 logic , and operating system 826 are each all or part of one or more computer processes executing within cpu 802 from memory 804 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital logic circuitry . as used herein , β logic β refers to ( i ) logic implemented as computer instructions and / or data within one or more computer processes and / or ( ii ) logic implemented in electronic circuitry . user space applications 820 are applications the user can use to view or edit data files . session migration logic 824 saves and restores sessions in the manner described above . operating system 826 is the operating system of device 102 a . an operating system is logic implemented in a computing device that provides services used by other logic implemented in the computing device . the services typically include management of computer resources such as file systems , peripheral device support , networking services , and computer process management . generally , most users don &# 39 ; t directly use an operating system but rather use logic that in turn uses the operating system to perform various tasks . examples of operating systems in use today include linux , unix , macos , and various incarnations of the windows operating system . in this illustrative embodiment , operating system 826 optimizes data traffic among devices 102 a - g and 108 in the manner described in co - pending , commonly owned u . s . patent application 61 / 770 , 662 filed feb . 28 , 2013 , by craig s . etchegoyen for β device - specific content delivery β and that description is incorporated herein by reference . digital fingerprint 822 , data files 830 , and mime - type associations 700 are data stored persistently in memory 804 . digital fingerprint 822 includes data specific to hardware elements of device 102 a , such as serial numbers and parameters of hardware components of device 102 a , to serve as a globally unique identifier of device 102 a . data files 830 includes one or more data files that the user might want to view or edit using any of user space applications 820 on any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . mime - type associations 700 are described above . the above description is illustrative only and is not limiting . the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents . it is intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , modifications , permutations , and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Electricity'? | Does the content of this patent fall under the category of 'Physics'? | 0.25 | 9acb2176fd8580c9e3a4033227aef8210f09ccc7564dea4a80111b2e22ac5847 | 0.00592 | 0.050293 | 0.000024 | 0.000109 | 0.001282 | 0.037842 |
null | in accordance with the present invention , devices 102 a - g ( fig1 ) of an individual &# 39 ; s device - sphere cooperate to migrate a user &# 39 ; s session from any of devices 102 a - g and 108 to any other of devices 102 a - g and 108 . fig2 shows a simple session involving two applications 202 and 204 on a computer desktop 200 . in this illustrative example , computer desktop 200 is to be migrated from device 102 e to device 102 a . the user has been working on device 102 e , using application 202 ( fig2 ) to edit a text document and application 204 to edit a drawing , and now wishes to continue work using device 102 a using the same applications to edit the same data files . in this illustrative example , the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere includes devices 102 a g , device 108 , and server 110 . devices 102 a - g are coupled to one another through a local area network ( lan ) 104 , which can be owned and operated by the individual user in her home . there are a wide variety of computing devices that can be included in one &# 39 ; s device - sphere ; the devices shown in fig1 are merely illustrative . device 102 a is a laptop computer . device 102 b is a smart phone . device 102 c is a modern , networked television . device 102 d is a networked pvr ( personal video recorder ). device 102 e is a desktop computer . device 102 f is a nas ( network - attached storage ) appliance . device 102 g is a tablet computer . device 108 is remotely located , being connected to lan 104 though a wide area network ( wan ) 106 . in this illustrative embodiment , device 108 connects to lan 104 through wan 106 through a virtual private network ( vpn ) connection . in this illustrative embodiment , wan 106 is the internet . server 110 is also connected to lan 104 though wan 106 . server 110 provides cloud services to the individual user through any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . such cloud services can include e - mail , photo and video hosting and sharing , document editing and hosting , social networking , calendaring , and music streaming , for example . to migrate session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 e first saves data representing session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 300 ( fig3 ). the saving of session 200 can be triggered by a request of the user through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques or can be triggered automatically during shut - down of device 102 e in step 302 , device 102 e creates a session record such as session record 602 ( fig6 ) to represent session 200 ( fig2 ). user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 e . digital fingerprint 606 is a globally unique identifier of device 102 e . digital fingerprints offer the advantage of being more stable and less amenable to spoofing that are ip addresses and mac addresses . digital fingerprints are known and described in u . s . patent application publication 2011 / 0093503 for β computer hardware identity tracking using characteristic parameter - derived data β by craig s . etchegoyen ( filed apr . 21 , 2011 ) and that description is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . time stamp 608 specifies the current time and date and the creation time and date of session record 602 . loop step 304 ( fig3 ) and next step 310 define a loop in which device 102 e processes each of the user - space applications currently in use in session 200 according to steps 306 and 308 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 304 - 310 , the particular application processed by device 102 e is sometimes referred to as the subject application in the context of logic flow diagram 300 . in step 306 , device 102 e creates an application record such as application record 610 ( fig6 ) for the current application . application 612 identifies the subject application . in some embodiments , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime ( multipurpose internet mail extensions ) types , more recently referred to as internet media types . in step 308 ( fig3 ), device 102 e stores uri ( uniform resource identifiers ) and gui ( graphical user interface ) locations for each open file of the subject application . for each open file of the subject application , device 102 e creates an open file record 614 . uri 616 specifies the location of the open file , including the device on which the open file is stored . mime - type 618 specifies a type of data of the open file by mime type . mime types include a type and a subtype and can also include a number of additional parameters . for example , a web page in textual html has the mime type of β text / html β wherein the type is β text β and the subtype is β html .β a common additional parameter specifies the particular character set of the web page . gui position 620 specifies the location and size of the window in session 200 ( fig2 ) of the open file of the subject application , including the relative depth of the window so as to indicate the which windows occlude other windows . from step 308 ( fig3 ), processing by device 102 e transfers through next step 310 to loop step 304 to process the next application according to the loop of steps 304 - 310 . when all applications of session 200 have been processed , session record 602 ( fig6 ) represents all open files and gui locations of windows within session 200 ( fig2 ) and processing by device 102 e transfers to step 312 ( fig3 ). in step 312 , device 102 e broadcasts session record 602 ( fig6 ) to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere , i . e ., to devices a - g ( excluding itself ) and device 108 . in step 314 , device 102 e stores session record 602 in a location known to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device sphere . such a location can be in server 110 or device 102 f , which is a nas appliance , at a predetermined url . steps 312 and 314 seem redundant ; however , step 312 avoids reliance on an external server for managing one &# 39 ; s own device - sphere and step 314 provides backup for the situation in which none of the other devices of the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere are powered on or at least connected to a network . in alternative embodiments , the user can specify β through physical manipulation of one or more user input devices and known gui techniques β the device within her device - sphere to which session record 602 should be sent . in these alternative embodiments , session record 602 can be sent by e - mail to device 102 a such that device 102 a can receive session record 602 whenever device 102 a is powered up and connected to the network . after step 314 , processing according to logic flow diagram 300 completes . to complete migration of session 200 ( fig2 ) from device 102 e to device 102 a , device 102 a uses the data representing session 200 to replication session 200 in the manner illustrated by logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ). session restoration can be triggered automatically at start - up or can be requested by the user . in step 402 , device 102 a retrieves the most recent of session records 602 ( fig6 ) for which user identifier 604 specifies the user name under which the current user is logged in within device 102 a . time stamp 608 is used by device 102 a to determine which of session records is the most recent . device 102 a collects session records 602 by broadcasting a request for session records for the current user to all devices in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and by retrieving a session record from the predetermined url at which session records are stored for the subject user and her device - sphere . in an embodiment in which session record 602 is sent directly to device 102 a by direction from the user , an e - mail address for device 102 a is associated with session saving and restoration and the e - mail address is checked by device 102 a in step 402 ( fig4 ) to retrieve the session record . loop step 404 ( fig4 ) and next step 410 define a loop in which device 102 a processes each of the application records 610 of the session record according to step 406 and 408 . during each iteration of the loop of steps 404 - 410 , the particular application record processed by device 102 a is sometimes referred to as the subject application record in the context of logic flow diagram 400 . in step 406 , device 102 a launches an application identified by application 612 of the subject application record . as described above , application 612 is omitted and associations within device 102 a for mime types in some embodiments . in such embodiments , session record 602 includes only open file records 614 , and device 102 a skips step 406 . in step 408 ( fig4 ), device 102 a processes all open file records 614 ( fig6 ) to send uri 616 and gui position 620 to cause the application to open the file identified by uri 616 in a window located at gui position 620 . in embodiments in which application 612 is omitted , device 102 a uses mime - type 618 to determine an application predetermined to be the one to process the data file type specified in mime - type 618 within the operating system of device 102 a and launches an instance of that application , providing uri 616 and gui position 620 . the result is that a new window opens in a session on device 102 a in which the data file identified by uri 616 at a location specified by gui position 620 for an application qualified to process the data file . this process is illustrated by transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in this illustrative example , uri 616 of the subject open file indicates that the file is stored on device 102 f . it should be observed that the open file can be stored on any device at any location that can be specified by uri 616 . in step 502 , device 102 a launches a new application instance using uri 616 and gui position 620 in the manner described above with respect to step 408 ( fig4 ). devices 102 a - g and 108 can vary widely in display dimensions and display resolutions . accordingly , gui positions within the display of each device are approximated and scaled to accommodate opening of multiple windows given each devices display size . in addition , some device , such as smart phones , have such small displays that each new window can use the entire screen in some embodiments . in step 504 ( fig5 ), the newly launched application instance attempts to open the data file identified by the uri . in attempting to open the data file , device 102 a sends a request in step 506 to the device specified in the uri , e . g ., device 102 f in this illustrative example . along with the request , device 102 a sends a list of mime types that device 102 a is capable of handling . for some of the mime types , device 102 a has applications capable of properly processing that mime type . for other mime types , device 102 a is capable of converting a data file from that mime type to one that device 102 a is capable of processing properly . in step 508 , device 102 f sends responsive data representing the data file identified by the uri received in step 506 in a mime type data format that device 102 a supports as indicated by the mime types specified in the request of step 506 . if the requested data file is not in any of the mime types supported by device 102 a , device 102 f converts the data file to a mime type that is supported by device 102 a if device 102 f has the capacity to do so and denies the request otherwise . in some embodiments , device 102 f or device 102 a can determine that the ability to edit the data file in the mime type received should not be edited . such can be the case if the received mime type cannot handle formatting or features of the original format or if device 102 a has no editing applications for the received mime type . in either case , the data file will be opened in a β read only β mode on device 102 a . from step 408 ( fig4 ), processing by device 102 a transfers through next step 410 to loop step 404 to process the next application record according to the loop of steps 404 - 410 . when all applications records of session record 602 have been processed , session 200 ( fig2 ) will have been restored on device 102 a and processing by device 102 a of logic flow diagram 400 ( fig4 ) completes . opening a file in step 408 includes using the uri of the file to retrieve the file from a device in the user &# 39 ; s device - sphere and is illustrated in transaction flow diagram 500 ( fig5 ). in step 502 , device 102 a creates a new instance of the application and , in step 504 , the new application instance attempts to open the file using the uri . the retrieval of the file specified by the uri is handled by the operating system of device 102 a , using a device identifier portion of the uri to identify the particular device within which the file is stored . in this illustrative example , the uri identifies device 102 f as the device on which the file is stored . accordingly , device 102 a sends the uri request to device 102 f in step 506 . in addition to the uri request , device 102 a sends data representing all mime types that device 102 a can process . device 102 a determines which mime types it can process by reference to mime - type associations 700 ( fig7 ). mime - type associations 700 includes a number of mime - type records 702 , each of which represents associations for a given mime - type , which is identified by mime - type 704 . each mime - type record 702 includes a number of associations 706 , which represent an application within device 102 a that can process data files of the given mime - type . application 708 identifies the application . priority 710 specifies a relative priority among all associations 706 of a given mime - type record 702 . read only 712 indicates whether ( i ) the application specified by application 708 can process the file in a manner in which the user can modify the file or ( ii ) the application and only display the file . the application identified by application 708 can be merely a conversion application that converts data files of the type specified by mime - type 704 to another type . upon receipt of the uri and mime types supported by device 102 a in step 506 ( fig5 ), device 102 f uses the uri to locate the data file identified by the uri and compares the mime type of the data file to the mime types supported by 102 a . if the mime type of the data file is not one supported by device 102 a , device 102 f uses its own set of mime - type associations 700 to determine whether device 102 f can convert the requested data file to a mime type that device 102 a can process . in step 508 , device 102 f sends the data file , as converted if converted , to device 102 a as the response to the uri request . device 102 a performs transaction flow diagram 500 for each uri to be opened . the end result is that session 200 is saved from device 102 e and restored to device 102 a . the user can thereafter continue editing the word processing document of window 202 and the drawing of window 204 . device 102 a is shown in greater detail in fig8 , which is equally representative of devices 102 b - g and 108 unless otherwise noted here . device 102 a includes one or more microprocessors 802 ( collectively referred to as cpu 802 ) that retrieve data and / or instructions from memory 804 and execute retrieved instructions in a conventional manner . memory 804 can include generally any computer - readable medium including , for example , persistent memory such as magnetic and / or optical disks , rom , and prom and volatile memory such as ram . as used herein , β computer - readable medium β excludes any transitory signals but includes any non - transitory data storage circuitry , e . g ., buffers , cache , and queues , within transceivers of transitory signals . cpu 802 and memory 804 are connected to one another through a conventional interconnect 806 , which is a bus in this illustrative embodiment and which connects cpu 802 and memory 804 to one or more input devices 808 , output devices 810 , and network access circuitry 812 . input devices 808 can include , for example , a keyboard , a keypad , a touch - sensitive screen , a mouse , a microphone , and one or more cameras . output devices 810 can include , for example , a display β such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd )β and one or more loudspeakers . network access circuitry 812 sends and receives data through computer networks such as lan 104 ( fig1 ). a number of components of device 102 a are stored in memory 804 . in particular , user space applications 820 , session migration logic 824 logic , and operating system 826 are each all or part of one or more computer processes executing within cpu 802 from memory 804 in this illustrative embodiment but can also be implemented using digital logic circuitry . as used herein , β logic β refers to ( i ) logic implemented as computer instructions and / or data within one or more computer processes and / or ( ii ) logic implemented in electronic circuitry . user space applications 820 are applications the user can use to view or edit data files . session migration logic 824 saves and restores sessions in the manner described above . operating system 826 is the operating system of device 102 a . an operating system is logic implemented in a computing device that provides services used by other logic implemented in the computing device . the services typically include management of computer resources such as file systems , peripheral device support , networking services , and computer process management . generally , most users don &# 39 ; t directly use an operating system but rather use logic that in turn uses the operating system to perform various tasks . examples of operating systems in use today include linux , unix , macos , and various incarnations of the windows operating system . in this illustrative embodiment , operating system 826 optimizes data traffic among devices 102 a - g and 108 in the manner described in co - pending , commonly owned u . s . patent application 61 / 770 , 662 filed feb . 28 , 2013 , by craig s . etchegoyen for β device - specific content delivery β and that description is incorporated herein by reference . digital fingerprint 822 , data files 830 , and mime - type associations 700 are data stored persistently in memory 804 . digital fingerprint 822 includes data specific to hardware elements of device 102 a , such as serial numbers and parameters of hardware components of device 102 a , to serve as a globally unique identifier of device 102 a . data files 830 includes one or more data files that the user might want to view or edit using any of user space applications 820 on any of devices 102 a - g and 108 . mime - type associations 700 are described above . the above description is illustrative only and is not limiting . the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents . it is intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , modifications , permutations , and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'Electricity'? | Is this patent appropriately categorized as 'General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology'? | 0.25 | 9acb2176fd8580c9e3a4033227aef8210f09ccc7564dea4a80111b2e22ac5847 | 0.004456 | 0.15625 | 0.000062 | 0.015442 | 0.000488 | 0.080566 |
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