A method of manufacturing esters of dicarboxyimidolevulinic acid and alkyl trans-4-oxo-2-pentenoate. This method includes two reaction steps, wherein the first step of said two reaction steps is a bromination of alkyl-levulinate, to obtain alkyl-(3 and 5)-bromolevulinate, and the second step of said two reaction steps is a synthesis of esters of dicarboxyimidolevulinic acid and alkyl trans-4-oxo-2-pentenoate, by reacting the alkyl-(3 and 5)-bromolevulinate obtained in said first step with dicarboxyimide anion.

Derivates of 8-aminolevulinic acid (DALA) have recently been the subject of extensive and increased investigation and research, because of their biological effects. New effects have been discovered for derivates of δ-aminolevulinic acid (DALA), such as anti-cancer effect, pesticide effect, and insecticide effect. This results in that derivates of DALA may be used in technical areas, such as anti-cancer agent, pesticide agent, insecticide agent, and as a plant growth factor.
Trans-4-oxo-2-pentenoate is also a compound of great chemical value, and it is therefore of great interest to find easy, economical and time saving methods to manufacture it. Trans-4-oxo-2-pentenoate is a reactive enone, that for example may be used in conjugate addition of ketones and similar compounds, such as for example Robinson annelations.
Neuberger, A. et al., J. Chem. Soc., 1954, p. 1820 describes the use of esters of 5-phtalimidolevulinic acid as precursors of DALA, through elimination of phtalic acid, by hydrolysis.
Lopez, R. F. V., et al., Adv. Drug Delivery Reviews, 56, p. 77-94, 2004, discloses the use of esters of δ-phtalimidolevulinic acid as a substitute for DALA, due to the relative stability in comparison to DALA, for instance when used as a PDT (photodynamic therapy) sensitizer.
Dabrowski Zbigniew et al., "The synthesis and application of 5-aminolevulinic acid derivatives in photodynamic therapy and photodiagnosis", Acta poloniae pharmaceutica, vol. 60, p. 219 to 224, 2003, describes a method to use ALA-esters in photodynamic therapy and photodiagnosis, in which method 5-bromoleulinate is reacted with phtalimide to obtain 5-phtalimidolevulinate. This method presents a number of disadvantages. Firstly, this method is in need of a distillation of the crude reaction mixture, obtained from the bromination of levulinic acid. Secondly, this method only reacts 5-bromoleulinate with phtalimide, which presents the disadvantage of a need to purify the product in a cumbersome purifying step at a very low temperature, which step is costly and time spending. This purifying step also results in a reaction rest containing brominated contaminations (the brominated contaminations constitute 65% of the used crude material, according to the article). Thirdly, as a result of the reaction steps according to this article, no trans-4-oxo-2-pentenoate is obtained, which compound has a significant economic and scientific value.
Katsumi et al., "Synthesis of 5-[4,5-13C2] and 5-[1,5-13C2]aminolevulinic acid", Journal of labelled compounds and radiopharmaceuticals, pages 569 to 576, 2002, describes the reaction between phtalimide and ethyl bromo[1,2-13C]acetate. The object in this article is not the same as the present invention, i.e. to obtain phtalimidolevulinic, or succinimidolevulinic, acid and trans-4-oxo-2-pentenoate. Thereby, the steps performed in this article fails to disclose the combined obtainment of said substances. Furthermore, in this respect this article includes a six step manufacturing process of C13 marked ALA, which manufacturing process is totally different from the present invention and has therefore used totally different substances. An intermediate product of this manufacturing process is however similar to one of the final products according to the present invention.
Other documents disclosing the state of the art are U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,058, which describes the manufacturing of aminolevulinic acid, and CN 1056868 and PL 104118, which two documents describes other reactions with phtalimide.
Hence, an improved method of manufacturing esters of dicarboxyimidolevulinic acid and alkyl trans-4-oxo-2-pentenoate (alkyl trans-β-acetylacrylate) would be advantageous and in particular needed to allow an increased yield, cost-effectiveness, time-effectiveness, and ease over the processes according to prior art, and it would be even more advantageous if esters of dicarboxyimidolevulinic acid and alkyl trans-4-oxo-2-pentenoate (alkyl trans-β-acetylacrylate) could be manufactured in the same reaction, said reaction being easy to operate, more economical than the processes according to the prior art, and that is time saving in comparison with the processes according to prior art. Furthermore, it would be of great advantage to provide a method of manufacturing esters of dicarboxyimidolevulinic acid and alkyl trans-4-oxo-2-pentenoate (alkyl trans-β-acetylacrylate) where cumbersome and costly distillation and purifying processes and the obtainment of brominated contaminations, according to the prior art, could be omitted.

Process for the preparation of alkyl 5-(dicarboximido) levulinate and alkyl 4-oxo-pentenoate


The present invention relates in some embodiments to a bottom supported drilling unit having two drilling stations for independently drilling (or otherwise working on) two wells simultaneously from a cantilever.

Mobile offshore drilling units and offshore well head platforms are widely used in both the development and exploitation of reservoirs under the seafloor. The seafloor is sometimes also referred to as the seabed or, in this context, simply the bottom.
For so-called moderate water depths, the various types of mobile offshore drilling units include so-called bottom-supported units which rest on the seabed. In the art the term rig or drilling rig is used to signify the drilling station, i.e. equipment typically including a mast or derrick which is used to perform the drilling process. However, the terms offshore drilling rig or drilling rig are also used to signify the entire unit such as a semisubmersible, jack-up drilling unit or ship with a drilling station. Examples of bottom-supported units include bottom-supported, self-elevating units. Jack-up drilling units are typical examples of such bottom-supported, self-elevating units; they comprise a main body in the form of a hull and a number of legs adapted to be lowered towards the seabed. The hull allows the jack-up drilling units to float and sail (by towing and/or self-propulsion) to their desired off-shore location with the legs in a raised position. A so-called heavy-lift ship or barge may also be used to transport a jack-up drilling unit to or near its location and is typically preferable for long transits. Once the unit is at its intended position the legs are lowered and brought into contact with the seabed, often by driving them into the seabed to secure them in place. Further lowering of the legs relative to the hull causes the hull to be elevated out of the water. Many jack-up drilling units have the drill floor and well center positioned on a cantilever system so that the drill floor is either placed on the cantilever or forms part of a deck of the cantilever. The cantilever can be extended horizontally outwards relative to the hull (typically from the main upper deck of the hull) of the jack-up drilling unit, thus allowing the well center to be positioned outside the periphery of the drilling unit defined by the hull of the drilling unit. While most bottom supported drilling units are jack-up drilling units with a hull and three legs other configurations are possible. Single and four-legged jack-up drilling units exist in the art and the main body does not need to be floating. Fixed-height bottom-supported structures are also feasible where the main body extends from the seabed and to the desired height of elevation over the sea. The term bottom-supported as used herein also includes indirect support by the seabed (e.g. by standing on or being attached to another structure on the seabed) or resting at a position in the seabed due to upper layers of the seabed being relatively soft.
It will be appreciated that drilling operations at moderate water depths involve considerations and challenges that are quite distinct from the considerations and challenges that are associated with drilling operations at large water depths. Deep-water drilling operations are typically performed from floating drilling vessels. As the extension and retraction of the tubulars to and from the seabed at deeper water levels are extensive tasks it has been suggested to provide deep-water drilling vessels with a main and an auxiliary drilling station. In such units, the auxiliary drilling station is designed to assist the main drilling station in the process of drilling a single well by performing tasks off the critical path, such as extending and retracting tubulars to and from the seabed.
Offshore production or well head platforms used for extracting hydrocarbons and/or other fluids or gasses from production wells are frequently fixedly installed for longer periods. They may simply rest on the seabed or otherwise be anchored or fixated at a desired position. Such platforms and others may be used for injection of water or other liquids or gasses into at least some of the wells (typically with the intent of increasing production from other wells which can be on the same platform or on another platform). The platforms frequently support or facilitate a plurality of wells and corresponding well-heads which will typically be installed on the production platform during or at the end of the drilling or well construction. In the context of a well head platform, drilling may be performed by a drilling station (sometimes also referred to as a drilling rig), having a well center, installed on the well head platform (e.g. for relatively large platforms) or, more typically, by a drilling unit placed next to the well head platform.
A plurality of wells may be processed at the same site, especially during development drilling, towards well-completion (involving drilling at least during certain stages) making the wells ready for extraction of hydrocarbon i.e. production, injection, or other functions where the well provides access to a hydrocarbon reservoir below the seabed.
The position of a drilling center (i.e. of the projection of the well center of the drilling station which is equally referred to as well-processing center) may be changed by moving the derrick and drill floor (this operation is normally referred to as "skidding") containing at least a part of the equipment responsible for drilling. On some (typically larger) well head platforms, a drilling station (typically in the form of a derrick and drill floor) may typically be arranged on rails or skids to allow the drilling station to traverse a deck of the platform and to be arranged over a well slot, i.e. the upper end of the well to be drilled or of an existing well (i.e. a previously completed well) for performing various well-processing tasks. Similarly, on a jack-up drilling unit, the derrick and drill floor is typically supported by a cantilever that can be moved forth (outwards from the hull or main body of the unit) to allow the drilling rig of the jack-up drilling unit to reach well slots on the platform. In some embodiments, the drilling station on the cantilever is arranged on skids on the cantilever to allow transverse movement of the drilling station. In some designs the cantilever and the drilling station is arranged so that the cantilever can pivot sideways or be moved sideways (relative to the hull or main body of the unit) the latter of which is typically referred to as an XY-cantilever.
When processing a number of wells, i.e. executing one or more well-processing tasks, the drilling center needs to be repositioned using the rails, skids, or cantilever, supporting the drilling station to bring its well center over the proper location for the next well when processing shifts from one well to the next. This continued repositioning takes time that increases proportionally with the number of wells to be processed. The repositioning time is effectively "non-productive time" in relation to direct well-progression even though it of course is required to progress the wells. Furthermore, challenges may arise in reaching the desired wells. A longer reach by a cantilever may reduce the maximum load that a cantilever can handle, the length of the cantilever may pose a constraint and physical structures on the platform (or drilling unit) may limit the movement of the cantilever.
When processing a number of wells, one well may be completed before moving on to the next. The well-processing steps may generally include certain sub-steps or sub-tasks, i.e. be formed of several steps carried out sequentially. Certain steps (overall or sub-tasks) may be denoted as "critical" or as being part of a "critical path", signifying that a next or later step or sub-task cannot be carried out until the critical step has been carried out. An example of a critical step is the drilling of a 16″ hole before inserting a 13⅜″ casing into the drilled hole.
When processing multiple wells at the same site using an offshore drilling unit, it is generally desirable to reduce the total time required to process the plurality of wells. It is also generally desirable to maintain the complexity and production cost of the offshore drilling unit low. It is also generally desirable to provide offshore drilling units that are flexible and can be utilized at multiple sites under different operational conditions. It is further generally desirable to provide offshore drilling units that are efficient yet safe in operation.


A vehicle system includes a power electronics device and a coolant circuit thermally coupled to the power electronics device. The coolant circuit includes a fluidic pump and a fluid/air heat exchanger, an air pump configured to transfer air across the fluid/air heat exchanger, and a shutter device configured to control airflow across the fluid/air heat exchanger. A controller controls the fluidic pump to control coolant flow through the fluid/air heat exchanger to reject heat from the power electronics device to the coolant and correspondingly controls the air pump and the shutter device to control airflow across the fluid/air heat exchanger to reject heat from the coolant to achieve a preferred heat rejection from the power electronics device.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Known vehicle powertrain system systems include one or more torque actuators coupled to a transmission that transfers torque to a driveline for tractive effort. Known torque actuators include internal combustion engines and electric motor/generators. On-vehicle power electronics devices are employed to operate electric motor/generators, and can generate waste heat in the process. Service life of an electronic device, e.g., an on-vehicle power electronics device, can be shortened when exposed to temperatures that exceed design specifications. On-vehicle cooling circuits can be employed to manage temperature in an on-vehicle power electronics device. Elements of cooling circuits, e.g., fans and pumps, consume electric power thus affecting overall vehicle fuel consumption.

Method and apparatus for controlling a coolant circuit thermally coupled to a power electronics device


An oxidation method is capable of forming oxide films in an improved interfilm thickness uniformity. The oxidation method includes the steps of supplying an oxidizing gas and a reducing gas into a processing vessel 22 capable of being evacuated and holding a plurality of workpieces W arranged at predetermined pitches, and creating a process atmosphere containing active oxygen species and active hydroxyl species in the processing vessel 22 through the interaction of the oxidizing gas and the reducing gas. At least either of the oxidizing gas and the reducing gas is jetted into an upstream region S1, a middle region S2 and a downstream region S3, with respect to the flowing direction of the gas, of a processing space S containing the workpieces W.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oxidation method of oxidizing the surface of a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, and an oxidation system for carrying out the oxidation method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a semiconductor integrated circuit if fabricated by subjecting a semiconductor wafer, such as a silicon wafer, to processes including a film deposition process, an etching process, an oxidation process, a diffusion process and a modifying process. The oxidation process, for example, oxidizes the surface of a single-crystal or polycrystalline silicon film or a metal film. The oxidation process is used particularly for forming a gate oxide film and an insulating film for a capacitor.
Oxidation processes are classified into atmospheric oxidation processes to be carried out in an atmosphere of a pressure approximately equal to the atmospheric pressure in a processing vessel and low=−pressure oxidation processes to be carried out in a vacuum atmosphere in a processing vessel evacuated at a vacuum in terms of process pressure or into wet oxidation processes using, for example, steam generated by burning hydrogen by an external combustion apparatus, such as a wet oxidation process disclosed in Patent document 1, and dry oxidation processes not using steam and supplying only ozone or oxygen into a processing vessel, such as a dry oxidation process disclosed in Patent document 2.
Generally, insulating films formed by the wet oxidation process are superior to those formed by the dry oxidation process in terms of characteristics including compressive strength, corrosion resistance and reliability. Generally, the atmospheric wet oxidation process is able to form the insulating film at an oxidation rate higher than that at which the low-pressure wet oxidation process. However, the insulating film formed by the atmospheric wet oxidation process is inferior to that formed by the low-pressure wet oxidation process in thickness uniformity.
Conventional design rules for semiconductor integrated circuits are not very severe and hence the foregoing various oxidation processes have been used properly taking into consideration purposes of oxide films, process conditions and equipment cost. Recently, semiconductor integrated circuits need very narrow lines and very thin films, and severe design rules must be applied to designing semiconductor integrated circuits. Consequently, films having higher quality, higher characteristics and higher thickness uniformity have been required in recent years. The conventional oxidation processes are unable to cope with such high requirements.
An oxidation system disclosed, for example, in Patent document 3 carries out a wet oxidation process by supplying hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) separately into a space at the lower end of a vertical quartz reaction tube, generating steam through the interaction of H2 and O2 in a combustion space formed in a quartz cap, and supplying the steam upward toward wafers to oxidize the wafers. Since H2 is burned in the combustion space, the atmosphere in a downstream part of the space in the processing vessel has a high steam concentration and the atmosphere in an upper part of the space in the processing vessel has a low steam concentration because the steam is consumed as the same flows upward in the processing vessel. Consequently, in some cases, the thickness of an oxide film formed on the wafer is dependent on the position of the wafer in the processing vessel and oxide films of different thicknesses are formed on the wafers, respectively.
A batch-type oxidation system disclosed in Patent document 4 arranges a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a horizontal reaction tube and supplies O2 from one end of the reaction tube into the reaction tube or supplies O2 and H2 simultaneously into the reaction tube to form oxide films on the semiconductor wafers in a low-pressure atmosphere. This oxidation system forms a film in an atmosphere of a comparatively high pressure by a hydrogen-burning oxidation process. Since steam is a principal element of reaction in this oxidation system, it is possible that the difference in steam concentration between an upstream part and a downstream part of the space in the processing vessel with respect to the flowing direction of the gas is excessively large and oxide films having different thicknesses are formed on the semiconductor wafers.
A single-wafer processing oxidation system disclosed in Patent document 5 supplies oxygen gas and hydrogen gas into a processing vessel, generates steam in the vicinity of a semiconductor wafer, such as a silicon wafer, held in the processing vessel through the interaction of the oxygen gas and the hydrogen gas to form an oxide film by oxidizing the surface of the semiconductor wafer. When this single-wafer processing oxidation system is used, oxygen gas and hydrogen gas are supplied into the processing vessel through gas inlets at a short distance between 20 and 30 mm from the semiconductor wafer to generate steam in the vicinity of the surface of the semiconductor wafer through the interaction of the oxygen gas and the hydrogen gas, and a comparatively high process pressure is used. Consequently, the oxide film thus formed on the semiconductor wafer is unsatisfactory in thickness uniformity.
The applicant of the present invention patent application disclosed an oxidation method in Patent document 6. This oxidation method supplies an oxidizing gas, such as oxygen gas, and a reducing gas, such as hydrogen gas, simultaneously into an upstream part and a downstream part, respectively, of a processing chamber, makes the oxidizing gas and the reducing gas interact in a vacuum atmosphere to create an atmosphere containing, as principal elements, active oxygen species and active hydroxyl species, and oxidizes a silicon wafer or the like in this atmosphere.
The oxidation method disclosed in Patent document 6 will be briefly explained with reference to FIG. 4 showing a conventional oxidation system 2. The oxidation system 2 has a cylindrical, vertical processing vessel 6 and a resistance heater 4 surrounding the processing vessel 6. A wafer boat 8 is loaded into and unloaded from the processing vessel 6 through the lower open end of the processing vessel 6 by a wafer boat lifter. The wafer boat 8 holds semiconductor wafers W, such as silicon wafers, in a vertical arrangement. A H2 supply nozzle 10 for supplying H2 and an O2 supply nozzle 12 for supplying O2 are connected to lower parts of the side wall of the processing vessel 6. A discharge port 14 formed in the upper wall of the processing vessel 6 is connected to a vacuum pump or the like.
Hydrogen gas and oxygen gas supplied through the supply nozzles 10 and 12 into a lower part of a process chamber in the processing vessel 6 interact in the processing chamber at a pressure below 133 Pa in the processing vessel 6 to generate active oxygen species and active hydroxyl species. Those active species come into contact with the surfaces of the wafers W as the same rise in the processing vessel 6 to oxidize the surfaces of the wafers W.
Patent document 1: JP-A 3-140453
Patent document 2: JP-A 57-1232
Patent document 3: JP-A 4-18727
Patent document 4: JP-A 57-1232
Patent document 5: U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,273
Patent document 6: JP-B 2002-176052
Oxidation methods disclosed in Patent documents 1 to 6 are capable of forming oxide films of a satisfactory quality in high intrafilm thickness uniformity. However, those oxide films are unsatisfactory in interfilm thickness uniformity. It is inferred that such unsatisfactory interfilm thickness uniformity is due to a high active species concentration in an upstream part of the processing chamber with respect to the flowing direction of the gases and a low active species concentration in a downstream part of the processing chamber. Early solution of problems that may arise due to such unsatisfactory interfilm thickness uniformity is desired in these days when the severity of design rules for semiconductor devices and the reduction of line width film thickness are progressively increasing.
It may be possible to form films in satisfactory interfilm thickness uniformity by heating the wafers held on the wafer boat at different temperatures gradually changing in the direction of arrangement of the wafers by the so-called temperature tilt control. Since the respective temperatures of the wafers held on the wafer boat differ slightly from each other, the different wafers have different heat histories, respectively, and the different heat histories may affect adversely to the characteristics of the films. Accordingly, temperature tilt control is unacceptable.


A tag generation method for generating tags used in data packets in a broadcast encryption system is provided. The method includes detecting at least one revoked leaf node; setting a node identification (node ID) assigned to at least one node among nodes assigned node IDs at a layer 0 and to which the at least one revoked leaf node is subordinate, to a node path identification (NPID) of the at least one revoked leaf node at the layer 0; generating a tag list in the layer 0 by combining the NPID of each of the at least one revoked leaf nodes at the layer 0 in order of increment of node IDs of the corresponding at least one revoked leaf nodes; and generating a tag list in a lowest layer by repeatedly performing the setting and generation operation down to the lowest layer.

1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to tag generation in a broadcast encryption (BE) system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tag generation method in a BE system for efficiently reducing a tag size.
2. Description of the Related Art
The broadcast encryption (BE) system enables a transmitter, that is, a broadcast center, to effectively transmit information only to intended users among all users. The BE should be available effectively whenever a set of the intended users arbitrarily and dynamically changes. An important property of the BE is to revoke or exclude an unintended device or user, for example, an illegal user or an expired user.
In order to revoke or exclude an unintended device or user, each device stores a different key set assigned to that particular device, and a service provider stores the whole key set of the all devices.
Various schemes have been suggested for such a BE system. Generally, the BE system employs a layered node structure. Alternatively, the BE system may be implemented using a hierarchical hash-chain broadcast encryption scheme (HBES).
FIG. 1 depicts how to assign keys to nodes, respectively, in a conventional BE system. Referring to FIG. 1, nodes 0 through 3 are arranged in a circle. The respective nodes 0 through 3 correspond to users in the BE system. Each node i is assigned a unique node key Ki. In other words, the node key K0 is assigned to the node 0, the node key K1 is assigned to the node 1, the node key K2 is assigned to the node 2, and the node key K3 is assigned to the node 3.
To enable private communications between or among authorized users, a certain key shared only by the authorized users should be assigned to the nodes of the circular structure. For doing this, the unique keys assigned to the nodes are consecutively applied to a one-way hash function to generate key values, that is, key sets. The generated key values are assigned to the nodes, respectively, in a manner as shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1Node 0Node 1Node 2Node 3Key setK0H (K0)HH (K0)HHH (K0)HHH (K1)K1H (K1)HH (K1)HH (K2)HHH (K2)K2H (K2)H (K3)HH (K3)HHH (K3)K3
In Table 1, 'H' denotes the one-way hash function, and HH(K0)=H(H(K0)). The one-way hash function takes an input value of an arbitrary length and produces an output value of a fixed length. The one-way hash function has properties such that it is infeasible to find the input value using a given output value, and it is impossible to find another input value that produces the same output value as a given input value. In addition, it is impossible to find two different arbitrary input values that produce the same output value.
As mentioned above, the hash function is a function that is advantageously applied for data integrity, authentication, repudiation prevention, and the like. The one-way hash function may be HBES SHA −1.
Referring back to FIG. 1, in case that only the nodes 0, 1 and 2 want to secure a safe, or private, communication channel, they use HH(K0) as an encryption key. In doing so, the nodes 0, 1 and 2 may store HH(K0) corresponding to the encryption key or easily compute HH(K0) using a stored value. However, the node 3 cannot compute HH(K0) corresponding to the encryption key, using its stored HHH(K0).
Thus, a node excluded from the encryption communication channel, such as the node 3 in the above example, is referred to as a revoked node, and a nodes constructing the private communication channel are referred to as a privileged nodes. Therefore, in the above example, nodes 0, 1 and 2 would be the privileged nodes. The set of the nodes arranged in a circle are referred to as a node group.
To handle a large number of nodes, it is necessary to layer the structure of FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 depicts a layered structure of the circular node groups of FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 2, two layers of a layer 0 and a layer 1 are shown, and a node group at each layer consists of 4 nodes. The respective nodes are assigned the key values or key sets generated using the hash function in a manner as shown in Table 1. The nodes at the lowest layer 1 are leaf nodes.
Note that the nodes at the lower layer hold keys assigned to their parent nodes in the upper layer in the layered structure of FIG. 2. In addition, when a node is revoked from the communication channel, the parent node of the revoked node is also regarded as the revoked node.
For example, the node 3 of the node group 1 stores its assigned key set and the key set of the node 0 in the node group 0. If the node 1 of the node group 3 is revoked, the node 2 of the node group 0 is also regarded as the revoked node.
In the example, the nodes 3, 0 and 1 of the node group 0 can secure the encryption communication channel by using HH(K03), which is generated from the encryption key of the node 3 of the node group 0 K03 (0 denotes the number of the node group and 3 denotes the serial number of the node), as the encryption key.
The privileged nodes in the node group 3 can also secure the encryption communication channel by using HH(K32) generated from K32 as the encryption key.
Accordingly, a server is able to transmit the encrypted information to all the nodes but the node 1 of the node group 3 using HH(K03) and HH(K32) as the encryption key.
That is, the server transmits to the leaf nodes a temporary key encrypted using the selected encryption key as aforementioned, and content encrypted with the temporary key.
Upon receiving the encrypted data packets from the server, the leaf nodes require information as to which one of its stored keys is used to generate the encryption key and to decrypt the data packet.
Hence, when transmitting the encryption key, the server appends a tag to the data packets so that the leaf nodes can acquire the information relating to the encryption key. The tag contains information relating to the revoked nodes.
Thus, the leaf nodes can learn the encryption key of the received data packets and thus generate the encryption key by means of the information relating to the revoked nodes.
As the above examples illustrate, a transmission overhead, a storage overhead, and a computation overhead are necessary in the BE. The transmission overhead is a quantity of the header transmitted from the transmitter, the storage overhead is a quantity of a secret key stored by the user, and the computation overhead is a quantity of computation required for the user to acquire a session key. It is therefore desirable to reduce the overhead in the BE system, and specifically to reduce the transmission overhead according to the tag transmission.

Tag generation method in broadcast encryption system


A broadcast digital transmission (BDT) receiver, computer-readable media, and associated method for receiving and processing of BDT signals from a plurality of transmitters. A BDT receiver includes an antenna to intercept broadcast radio signals and an analog front-end to down-convert it to a suitable frequency for digitization. A baseband signal processor acquires and tracks designated codes in BDT signals using a generalized correlator to produce time of arrival measurements thereof. A data processor, coupled to the baseband signal processor and with input from an auxiliary sensor and a digital database, first calibrates time offsets of said transmitters relative to the BDT receiver's time base and then operates on offset-adjusted time of arrival measurements to produce a position solution.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to radio geolocation and particularly to self-calibrating receivers for position location using periodic codes in such broadcast digital transmissions as broadcast digital television (DTV) signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Among different radio geolocation and navigation systems, there are two important systems in wide use today. One is the 100 kHz Long Range Navigation-C (LORAN-C) system which evolved to the present form in the mid-1950s. It uses terrestrial radio transmitters to provide navigation, location, and timing services for suitably equipped air, land and marine users, civil and military alike. A LORAN-C receiver measures the difference in times of arrival of pulses transmitted by a chain of three to six synchronized transmitter stations separated by hundreds of kilometers. There are many LORAN chains of stations around the globe. Modernization effort is underway to enhance the accuracy, integrity, availability, and continuity of the LORAN system, known as Enhanced LORAN or eLORAN for short.
The other is the increasingly popular satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS). Fully operational since 1994, the GPS relies upon a constellation of twenty-four satellites in six different orbital planes around the earth for position location, navigation, survey, and time transfer. Each satellite carries a set of ultra precise atomic clocks and transmits pseudo-noise code modulated signals at several frequencies. By tracking four or more satellites, a user can solve for the variables of longitude, latitude, altitude and time to precisely determine the user's location and calibrate its clock. More details are provided in the books entitled, Global Positioning System: Theory and Applications (Vols. I and II), edited by B. W. Parkinson and J. J. Spilker Jr., AIAA, 1996; Understanding GPS: Principles and Applications, edited by E. D. Kaplan, Artech House Publishers, 1996; Fundamentals of Global Positioning System Receivers—A Software Approach, by J. B. Y. Tsui, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000; and Global Positioning System, Signals, Measurements, and Performance, by P. Misra and P. Enge, Ganga-Jamuna Press, 2001.
Despite of its increased popularity, GPS cannot function well when the line-of-sight view between a receiver and a GPS satellite is obstructed due to foliage, mountains, buildings, or other structures. To satisfy the requirements of location-based mobile e-commerce and emergency call location (E911), there have been ongoing efforts so as to improve GPS receiver sensitivity to operate on GPS signals of very low power level. One approach is the assisted GPS (AGPS). The AGPS approach relies upon a wireless data link to distribute, in real time, such information as time, frequency, navigation data bits, satellite ephemeredes, and approximate position as well as differential corrections to special GPS receivers equipped with a network modem so as to reduce the uncertainty search space, to help lock onto signals, and to assist navigation solution. This approach, however, comes with a heavy price associated with installing and maintaining the wireless aiding infrastructure and services.
Another approach strives for weak GPS signal acquisition without network assistance. This is done by enhancing the sensitivity of standalone GPS receivers with extended coherent integration. As an example, the block-accumulating coherent integrating correlation at extended length (BACIX) algorithm is disclosed in the patent application Ser. No. 11/173,894, filed Jul. 1, 2005, entitled, Method and Device for Acquiring Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Signals of Very Low Power Level by the present inventor.
Amid the ongoing replacement of analog National Television System Committee (NTSC) television signals by an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) digital television (DTV) signal, there has been a considerable amount of efforts devoted to the use of DTV signals for position location, thus serving as a complement to and/or a substitute for GPS. This is exemplified by the U.S. Pat. No. 6,861,984, entitled, Position Location Using Broadcast Digital Television Signals, by M. Rabinowitz and J. J. Spilker Jr., issued Mar. 1, 2005.
Designed primarily for indoor reception, DTV signals exhibit several advantages. It is much higher in power (40 dB over GPS) and at lower and more diverse frequencies (nearly half of the spectrum between 30 MHz and 1 GHz). The geometry offered by a network of terrestrial DTV transmitters is superior to what a satellite constellation can provide. As such, it has better propagation characteristics with greater diffraction, larger horizon, and stronger penetration through buildings and automobiles. DTV signals have a bandwidth of 6 to 8 MHz, which is much wider than the primary lobe of GPS C/A-code (2 MHz), thereby minimizing the effects of multipath and permitting higher accuracy tracking.
With DTV transmitters fixed on the ground, their lines of sight to a user changes very slowly, only adding a small amount of Doppler shift to a DTV signal frequency. This allows the signal to be integrated over a long period of time, thus easing the task of acquisition and tracking of a weak signal considerably. As a further benefit, the component of a DTV signal that can be used for timing is of low duty factor (e.g., 1 of 313) in contract to GPS wherein the ranging code is repeatedly transmitted and has to be tracked continuously.
However, one inherent technical difficulty faced by position location using broadcast digital transmissions (BDT) such as DTV signals is the clock bias and drift of the signal timing source at a transmitter, which are unknown to a user initially. Although it may be possible to have all DTV stations use ultra-precise atomic clocks or GPS disciplined clocks, the synchronization of all signal transmissions across a large region is a daily operational challenge. It may also be possible to time-tag all transmissions and embed the clock offset information in the broadcast signals for all stations in a given region. However, these approaches require coordinated involvement of local DTV operators who are not in time transfer but rather broadcasting business.
Many inventions exemplified by the U.S. Pat. No. 6,861,984 by M. Rabinowitz and J. J. Spilker Jr. mentioned earlier make use of base stations, location servers, and monitor units to calibrate the DTV transmitters' timing biases and to provide the calibration data to mobile users via dedicated data links. The double difference technique may also be employed in these systems for positioning. There is a significant cost associated with installing and maintaining the infrastructure of base stations, location servers, and monitor units on a large scale. A user has to subscribe to a service coverage in addition to special equipment for the service signals.
Clearly, a user risks to experiencing service discontinuity when moving from one region (or a country for the matter) to another without a global service network in place or a valid global subscription. These prior-art approaches further prevent broadcast digital transmission (BDT) signals from being used for military applications as signals of opportunity (SOOP). A need therefore exists for a self calibrating position location system using broadcast digital transmissions such as DTV signals that does no require the service from external base stations, location servers, and monitor units. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.

Self-calibrating position location using periodic codes in broadcast digital transmissions


Compounds of the formula

Disclosed herein are colorant compounds. More specifically, disclosed herein are colorant compounds particularly suitable for use in hot melt or phase change inks.
Colorant compounds are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,958,406, 6,821,327, 7,053,227, and 7,211,131, the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference.
While known compositions and processes are suitable for their intended purposes, a need remains for improved colorant compounds. In addition, a need remains for colorant compositions particularly suitable for use in phase change inks. Further, a need remains for colorant compounds with a desirable magenta color. Additionally, a need remains for colorant compounds with desirable thermal stability. There is also a need for colorant compounds with good lightfastness. In addition, there is a need for colorant compounds that exhibit desirable solubility characteristics in phase change ink carrier compositions. Further, there is a need for colorant compounds that, when incorporated into phase change inks, exhibit reduced migration within a layer of printed ink. Additionally, there is a need for colorant compounds that, when incorporated into phase change inks, exhibit reduced crystallization within a layer of printed ink. A need also remains for colorant compounds that, when incorporated into phase change inks, enable production of prints that maintain uniform color over long periods of time without unevenness or blotching. In addition, a need remains for colorant compounds that, when incorporated into phase change inks, enable production of prints that retain their original color over long periods of time. Further, a need remains for colorant compounds that, when incorporated into phase change inks, enable production of prints that exhibit reduced sensitivity to image discoloration upon contact with human fingertips. Additionally, a need remains for colorant compounds that can be incorporated into phase change inks in desirably high concentrations. There is also a need for colorant compounds that can be manufactured easily and practically.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula

Abstract: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R66, m, n, p, and G are as defined herein.


A new and distinct variety of lilac shrub developed from a sport of a Syringa sp. plant. This new plant is mainly distinguished by its striking display of non-standard variegated leaves.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a new and distinct variety of lilac shrub which is a member of the genus Syringa and the family Oleaceae. This new ornamental shrub herein after referred to as 'New Patriot Variegated-Lilac' was discovered in 1985 by Jimmy Krsnak in a lilac planting in Mitchell, S. Dak. The planting which had been made many years previous was part of an old farmstead. Sheep had been allowed to graze in the area where the lilacs were planted. The lilacs were in very poor condition and were unrecognizable as to their true habit and size. However, growing among them were stems, which appeared to have partially yellow leaves. The stems were dug up and their root severed from the rest of the roots of an old lilac belived to be Syringa vulgaris. The parent of 'New Patriot Variegated-Lilac' cannot now be verified. By the time the new plant was grown, propagated and found to maintain it's characteristics, the farmstead had been bulldozed out and the entire area developed into a new residential area. 'New Patriot Variegated-Lilac' is believed to be a sport of Syringa vulgaris.
2. Description of Relevant Prior Art
'New Patriot Variegated-Lilac' will become a valuable member of the lilac family because of the variegation of its leaves and its growth habit. Traditionally, lilacs are best known for their fragrant spring flowers. The variegation in 'New Patriot Variegated-Lilac' brings a second and even more striking aspect of color to the plant. Additionally, the smaller size and slower growth rate will allow the new plant to be used as a specimen plant. Original propagation of 'New Patriot Variegated-Lilac' was made by layering. Asexual propagation has since been made via stem grafts onto Fraxinus pennsylvania root stock under the supervision of Norm Evers, Director of McCrory Gardens on the South Dakota State University Campus. An additional two generations of 'New Patriot Variegated-Lilac' were asexually propagated by softwood cuttings by Jimmy Krsnak. In all cases the characteristics of the new plant remained stable. No attempts to sexually propagate 'New Patriot Variegated-Lilac' were made.

Lilac plant named ‘New Patriot Variegated-Lilac’


Data input to an encrypting/decoding portion are input to an erroneous decoding detector. The erroneous decoding detector judges whether the data input are correctly decoded or not. For example, if it is judged that audio data input are not correctly decoded, the erroneous decoding detector does not output the audio data or outputs data indicating silence, thereby executing mute processing.

The present invention relates to an information processing device and method, and a recording medium, and particularly to an information processing device and method which are suitably used for a device for decrypting encrypted data, and a recording medium.
For example, in satellite broadcasts for distributing programs through a satellite, the program data are encrypted and then distributed to audiences so that a person who has no contract (i.e., a non-contractor) is prevented from watching/listening to the program. Accordingly, when the receiver of a person who has made a contract (i.e., a contractor) receives encrypted data, the encryption of the data thus received is canceled, and the contractor can watch/listen to the programs. On the other hand, when the receiver of a non-contractor receives encrypted data, the data are not decrypted and thus the non-contractor cannot watch/listen to the programs.
A key for decrypting the encrypted data (i.e., a key for authentication) is stored in the receiver for receiving the encrypted data as described above, and the encryption of the data is canceled (i.e., the encrypted data are decoded by using the key). The key is renewed every predetermined period so that a non-contractor is prevented from unjustly using the information of the key itself.
Communications of encrypted data (i.e., encrypted communications) are also carried out in a digital interface, such as an IEEE1394 interface. In the case of such encrypted communications, devices that mutually make communications with each other execute authentication processing, and if it is judged that the reception/delivery of the contents is permitted therebetween, the content-receiving side can decode (decrypt) the encrypted data (i.e., cancel the encryption) by jointly owning a key for canceling the encryption. In this encrypted communication, the key is renewed every predetermined period.
When the renewal processing of the key fails, the encrypted data cannot be decoded in some cases. Further, the decoding may fail due to other causes. When the decoding fails, backup may be carried out for decoding-failed data. Even when backup is not indispensable, noises may occur.

Information processing device and method, and recording medium


This invention relates to apparatus and methods for the treatment of fluids with magnetic fields and, in particular, to the disinfection of contaminated fluids by treating the fluids with a high-gauss magnet followed by ultraviolet radiation. Fluids can accumulate organic and non-organic contaminants from multiple and diverse sources. Magnetic treatment enhances the ability to separate hydrophobic contaminants from the fluid and the ability of that fluid to be disinfected. A wide variety of fluids can be treated with these methods including water to be made potable, industrial water and other fluids such as coolants and lubricants, oils, petrochemicals such as fuels, and beverages. Further, fluid can be exposed to UV radiation at a flow rate sufficient to prevent occlusion of UV-transmissible surfaces in the disinfection system by contaminants in the fluid or by removing a set amount of those contaminants. Using these methods, microorganism levels can be substantially decreased with a reduced need for biocides or other anti-bacterial or anti-fungal agents. These methods are highly effective at removing contaminants and extending the useful life of fluids such as coolants and reducing or eliminating the risks posed to workers by heavily contaminated or biocide-treated coolants.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for the disinfection of fluids and, in particular, to exposing fluids to magnetic fields and ultraviolet radiation.
2. Description of the Background
Industrial fluids such as machine tool coolants, cooling tower water and organic lubricants traditionally possess fairly short useful lives. Microbial contaminants find their way into these fluids and proliferate. Microorganisms feed on fluid components as well as contaminants that leak into the fluid. As the microorganisms flourish, the fluid becomes even more inviting to further growth as generation after generation of microbes degrade essential components of the fluid, and add even more organic nutrients to the fluid. This process of degradation creates noxious odors in the environment.
In an attempt to deal with this problem, biocides are added to fluids in an effort to destroy microorganisms or hinder microbial growth. These chemicals are quite toxic to humans and can quickly build up to toxic levels making repeated treatments impractical. Useful life for such fluids is only slightly extended. In addition, there are considerable environmental problems associated with disposal of contaminated and biocide-treated fluids, due in large part to the presence of the additives and contaminants. At present, fluid supplies tend to require frequent replacement.
Industrial fluids were commonly discarded by dumping in drains, sewers and rivers, causing extensive and prolonged environmental impact. In 1976, the EPA ruled that fluids such as oil-based coolants were contaminated waste and must be treated or a new way of disposal found (Public Law 94-580; Oct. 21, 1976). To meet this directive, centrifugation or filtration were considered as the primary choices for selective removal of contaminants. Filtration, although useful for removing certain contaminants, fails to remove others. Further, filters often clog or break requiring more overall costs than would have been incurred by complete fluid replacement. Centrifugation, the principal means for removing contaminated oils in coolant fluids found in larger machine tool plants, has a limited treatment rate. Similarly, cyclonic separators, in which the fluid is spun, are not able to remove all of the contaminants. Design limitations prevent reduction of contaminant concentration to no less than about two percent on a practical basis. This partial removal does not prevent bacterial regrowth or breakdown of coolant and oil components. Consequently, successful filtration and centrifugation processes, while essential for recycling for useful processing operations, only prolong the life of the fluid by a few weeks.
Ultraviolet (UV) treatment has been used to disinfect clear waters and some wastewater as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,634,025; 3,700,406; 3,837,800; 3,889,123, 3,894,236; 4,471,225 and 4,602,162. Each of these U.S patents describes a method touted to be designed to sterilize water-based fluids. The principal idea behind this technique was that UV radiation would penetrate the clear liquid to kill offending microorganisms. The conventional technology of UV treatment is limited because total quartz systems have a tendency to foul easily and maintenance costs were high. UV treatment proved to be unsuccessful for industrial fluids such as coolants, as coolants are opaque, or substantially so, and often contain significant levels of contaminants such as hydraulic and way oils and ferric compounds and complexes which are highly occlusive to ultraviolet light. Under these constraints, ultraviolet radiation cannot pass more than a very small distance, if at all, into the fluid stream (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,107). These contaminants and coolants blocked UV transmission directly and also indirectly by adhering to wall surfaces of submerged quartz UV lamps or to the inner surfaces of the UV transmissible tubing in a dry system design, wherein UV lamps are kept separated from the fluid being treated.
A number of measures to prevent the degradation of industrial fluids by microorganisms have been attempted with the objective of prolonging the life of the fluid and reducing odors and health risks associated with fluid spoilage. To minimize these risks and the hazards of contaminated coolant fluids, many facilities add appreciable levels of various biocide fluids to kill and inhibit the growth of microorganisms (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,137). In general, coolants and other fluids perform properly in the presence of these additives. However, people exposed to biocides commonly experience allergic reactions. In many cases, the biocides interacted with the skin of workers and caused various forms of hypersensitivity and dermatitis. In short, although bacterial counts can be reduced over the short term, biocides were often more problematic than the microorganisms themselves. Ultimately, the microorganisms overcome the biocides and the microbial degradation of coolant components and contaminants results in foul odors in the work environment.
Most conventional techniques, although useful in the short term, do not provide long term reduction of microbial counts in large industrial systems by more than a single log and, more importantly, only prolong coolant life for a short period despite their high cost. Other techniques such as aeration of the fluid and thorough cleaning of the lines and machines through which the coolant flows proved to be largely unsuccessful in maintaining low levels of bacterial populations. Bacteria regrow in this environment due to the presence of available nutrients, and overcome inhibitory factors introduced by aeration or chemical management. Ultimately, the bacteria take hold growing as biofilms that can produce scale deposits throughout the fluid containment and delivery system.
Other methods for the disinfection of industrial fluids include pasteurization. In this process, fluids are heated to a pasteurizing temperature for a required period of time and subsequently cooled to an operating temperature. This process is energy intensive and the costs, resulting from the heating and cooling steps, are high. Although attempts have been made to keep pasteurization temperatures below critical temperatures that destroy or denature the industrial fluids, constant temperature cycling negatively effects many of the chemicals found in the fluid. Consequently, there is a strong need for a safe and environmentally friendly method for the disinfection of industrial and other fluids.
Another problem with fluids, although not particularly coolant fluids, is the build-up of deposits in and along the walls that confine and guide the fluid along a particular path. Deposits in water-based fluids that are the most concern seem to be calcium in the form of lime, a combination of calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide, or other forms of calcium such as calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate and calcium phosphate. Scale also includes other elements such as magnesium hydroxide, zinc phosphate, sodium salts and various forms of iron oxides and silicates.
Scaling causes decreased heat transfer efficiency in, for example heat exchange systems such as radiators and cooling towers. Scaling can also seriously elevate temperatures within a scaled tube and cause over-heating of elements within a fluid system. The build-up of scale also leads to lower storage capacities in scaled tanks and reduced or complete blockage of fluid passage necessitating large costs for scale removal. These costs are often so high or the materials so damaged that complete replacement is often necessary.
Scale and other types of deposits can be corrosive to pipes and other surfaces within the fluid stream. Corrosion can be divided into at least eight unique forms, each with its own causes and effects which includes uniform corrosion, galvanic or two metal corrosion, crevice corrosion, pitting corrosion, intergranular corrosion, selective leaching, erosion corrosion and stress corrosion. The chemical constituents of the fluid on the system have a great influence on the type and extent of corrosion. An increased salt content, such as sodium, is well know to be strongly corrosive even to the most corrosion resistant materials. Scale serves as a habitat for bacteria in the fluid containment and delivery system and provides an ideal location for replication and subsequent formation of biofilms.
Attempts have been made for many years to prevent corrosion and scaling by treating the pipes themselves. In many cases, pipes would be machined to nearly absolute smoothness so that there were few places for deposits to take hold and collect. By reducing these sites it was believed that corrosion and scale formation could be significantly reduced. Alternatively, chemical compounds such as, for example, acids could be added to the fluid to prevent scaling and unwanted precipitation. However, many of these chemical compounds were damaging to the fluid or would effect subsequent use of the fluid and could not be utilized. Still other types of fluids could not be treated at all, either because the additives were harmful to the user or to the fluid itself.
Conventional methods for the control of scale formation within a system required control over solubility and nucleation and crystal growth within the fluid within the system. Acid treatment and ion exchange, two of the more common approaches, are designed to control solubility by preventing the formation of supersaturated solutions while others, including chemical inhibitors, control nucleation and crystal growth.
One of the more controversial methods for the prevention of scale and corrosion involves passing the fluid through an applied field (e.g. electrostatic, magnetic, electromagnetic). Since the 1950's, a large number of claims have been made as to why and how magnetic fields can reduce corrosion and scale formation in water-based fluids. For example, the magnetic treatment has been celebrated to reduce nucleation rates, alter the structure of crystals intimately involved with deposits, increase coagulation tendencies and reduce crystallization. Magnetic fields have also been purported to reduce precipitation rates, increase coagulation and alter the kinetics of crystal growth. Other studies have shown that magnetic water treatment produces no change to fluid conductivity, no change in material solubility and no changes in fluid pH. These reports have yet to be unscrambled scientifically. However, there do appear to be a number of real effects including reduced scaling and reduced corrosion.
The effects of magnetic treatment can be both immediate and long term. Immediate effects include reduced scaling while the magnetic field is being applied. Long-term effects, or memory, have also been observed in fluid after the magnetic field has been turned off. Scale accumulation and corrosion remain reduced for hours and sometimes days. The scientific explanation for this may be related to the rate of crystal formation. Calcium carbonate is found in at least two thermodynamic forms, the more stable calcite crystal which easily precipitates and the unstable argonite/vaterrite crystal which resists precipitation. Over time, thermodynamic considerations favor formation of calcite crystals and, thus, precipitation. Magnetic treatment favors formation of the less stable argonite/vaterrite crystals and thus, less precipitation. Once magnetic treatment has ended a period of time is required for the existing, unstable crystals to transition into the more stable calcite crystals. Thus imparting the memory effect.
Although applied fields, including magnetic treatment, have produced some level of success, microorganisms and deposits still exist as a problem in the industry.

Methods and apparatus for the application of combined fields to disinfect fluids

Administrators of The Tulane Educational Fund


A method is disclosed for reducing and compressing raw detector data to be transmitted of a quanta-counting detector. Count patterns are determined in the raw detector data, encoded with a reduced bit depth by comparison with the raw detector data, and the encoded count patterns are transmitted and decoded following the transmission. A data transmission path between a quanta-counting detector and a computer system is further disclosed, wherein program segments/modules are provided, which execute the afore-cited method steps during operation. Further, a CT system including such a data transmission path is also disclosed.

With quanta-counting x-ray detectors, signal processing channels are often used, which determine the counting rate with different energy thresholds. As a result, a measurement of the x-ray signal is not only described by an individual value per channel, but instead by a value for each energy threshold. With similar spatial resolution (pixel dimension) and with N energy thresholds, this usually results in N-times the data quantity. The data quantity per energy threshold barely changes since the dynamic range remains approximately the same in each instance.
In x-ray applications with a high photon flow, in particular in the field of computed tomography (CT), there is also an increasing problem of the counting rate per pixel having to be kept as small as possible in order to avoid overlaying the individual pulses ("pulse pile-up") and thus reducing the count efficiency. The surface of the pixel is therefore often segmented into M sub detector pixels so that the flow per sub detector pixel reduces to 1/M. However this results in a further increase in the data volume approximately by the factor M. Overall, with the same spatial resolution and same surface, the (raw) data volume therefore increases approximately by the factor M*N compared with an integrating detector in the CT.
In more precise terms, this means: since the surface of the pixel reduces, the dynamic range required per channel is also smaller by the factor 1/M, so that compared with the non-segmented pixel, the required data width per channel can be reduced by log 2(M) bits. If a pixel is subdivided, subsequently referred to as "macropixel", into 4×4 sub detector pixels for instance, each sub detector pixel sees approximately one sixteenth of the flow so that the data width of the measured value can be reduced by 4 bits compared with the non-segmented pixel. The dynamic region of a 16-times segmented pixel with 16 bit per sub detector pixel therefore corresponds approximately to that of a non-segmented pixel with 20 bits. In the concrete case with M=16, N=4 and by taking the reduction from 20 bits to 16 bits into account, a higher raw data rate of a counting detector by the factor 50 (˜16*4*(16/20)) is thus produced with four energy thresholds and 16 sub detector pixels to a macropixel compared with a currently integrating detector system. Since the data volume to be transmitted of conventional integrating detectors represents a challenge, a corresponding problem results on account of the data quantity of quanta-counting detectors which is higher by the factor 50.
In the field of conventional, integrating detector systems, various methods of reducing data are known. Such methods can basically also be transferred to counting detector systems and in this way generate a comparable, relative data reduction, but the problem of the approximately 50 times higher data rate with quanta-counting detectors nevertheless remains unresolved here.
It is known with counting detectors to reduce the data rate, by reducing the number of evaluated energy thresholds, thereby resulting in a proportional saving and can possibly be partially acceptable depending on each clinical scenario. Nevertheless, the advantages of the energy resolution of the quanta-counting detectors are as a result also at least partially forfeited again. Furthermore, a data reduction can already take place in the detector, by the values of the sub detector pixels present there being combined to form an overall value for the macropixel. In the extreme case, the data quantity can as a result be reduced to the quantity of a conventional system. The higher intrinsic local resolution and the spectral information of the different energy thresholds are however lost here. A data reduction through loss of information is therefore only generated by means of these measures.

Method for reducing and compressing raw detector data to be transmitted of a quanta-counting detector, detector transmission path and CT system


An acoustic transducer comprises a ferroelectric crystal having a plurality of spaced apart ferroelectric domain inverted regions and at least one non-inverted region. An electrode layer is disposed on one side of the crystal electrically contacting both the domain inverted portion and the non-inverted portion of the crystal. On a side of the crystal opposite the electrode layer, a first electrode is disposed on the domain inverted portion spaced apart from a second electrode disposed on the non-inverted portion. As a result, the acoustic transducer provides sub-transducers hooked in series having effective areas defined by the areas of their respective electrodes.

Acoustic transducers are generally based on piezoelectric materials. Most piezoelectric materials in common usage are also ferroelectric, i.e. they possess a permanent electric dipole, the direction of which may be reversed by the application of external stimuli such as electric fields, chemical treatment, and heat, in various combinations. Two of the most common materials for transducer construction in the acousto-optics industry, lithium niobate, formula LiNbO3, abbreviated as LN, and lithium tantalate, formula LiTaO3, abbreviated LT, are in this category. The piezoelectric element is the heart of the transducer as it converts electrical energy to acoustic energy, and vice versa. The piezoelectric is usually in the form of a thin parallel-sided plate and has thin electrodes attached to two of its opposite faces. When a periodic electric field is applied across the piezoelectric material, the local polarization in the material changes and produces a time-varying mechanical strain. It is this varying mechanical strain which propagates away from the transducer in the form of an acoustic wave.
Acoustic transducers are currently used for a variety of purposes. For example, ultrasonic transducers are used for imaging applications, such as medical imaging and industrial non-destructive testing. Acoustic transducers are also used for high power applications including medical treatment, sonochemistry and industrial processing. Ultrasonic transducers can inject ultrasound waves into the body, receive the returned wave, and convert the returned wave to an electrical signal (a voltage). Most medical ultrasound transducers are piezoelectric-based.
Devices in which an acoustic beam and an optical beam interact are generally referred to as "acousto-optic devices" or AO devices. Examples of common AO-based devices include acousto-optic tuneable filters (AOTFs), acousto-optic modulators, (also called "Bragg cells"), and acousto-optic deflectors. In most commercial AO devices, the acoustic beam is introduced into an acousto-optic (AO) interaction medium, such as TeO2, using an acoustic transducer in the form of a plate of a crystalline piezoelectric material, such as lithium niobate (LN). A top electrode is used to excite acoustic vibrations in the transducer. A metal ground electrode is used before bonding, and the metal top electrode is deposited on the upper surface, forming a structure analogous to a parallel plate capacitor. An RF generator is connected between the ground electrode and the top electrode via a suitable broadband electrical matching network to limit reflection of RF energy, and serves to produce mechanical vibrations in the plate due to the piezoelectric effect. These vibration waves pass into the AO interaction medium, where they produce changes of refractive index and hence diffraction of the incident optical fields, after which they are generally absorbed by a suitable absorber of acoustic waves to prevent acoustic reflections inside the interaction medium, which can degrade the performance of the device.
The local strength of the acoustic wave generated by a piezoelectric transducer depends on the product of (1) the local electric field strength and (2) the local piezoelectric activity, the latter being related to the crystal structure of the transducer. Usually the transducer used in acousto-optic devices is a single crystal of lithium niobate (LN). Lithium tantalate (LT) is less frequently used. A piezoelectric material such as LN is a so-called "hard ferroelectric" and it is difficult to manipulate the local piezoelectric strength in the way it is possible to manipulate the local piezoelectricity of a piezoelectric ceramic. This latter material being typically used in acoustic transducers for generation of lower frequency (tens to hundreds of KHz) acoustic waves for example in sonar applications. Thus, it is relatively easy to arrange for a sonar transducer launching an acoustic beam into water to be apodized by controlling the degree of local poling of the piezoelectric material, and so generate an acoustic beam of arbitrary spatial intensity distribution, but it is comparatively difficult to apodize the beam from a LN transducer launching an acoustic beam into an AO crystal. A designer generally has only two options in practice; to attempt alter the piezoelectric activity or to locally alter the electric field strength.
It has long been known that the domain structure of a ferroelectric material such as LN or LT may be inverted by a number of different techniques including, but not limited to, application of an electric field, heating, or chemical treatment along with heating. The inversion is generally maintained once achieved and does not require refresh cycles allowing use of this phenomena to produce ferroelectric memory. The non-volatility in ferroelectric memory is derived from two stable states of polarization and the energy barrier that must be overcome to switch between them. It is noted that all ferroelectric materials are also necessarily piezoelectric, (although the converse is not necessarily true), a consequence of the constraints of crystal symmetry at the atomic level.
A domain inverted layer can be formed on the surfaces of 36°-rotated y-cut plates of LN frequently used for longitudinal acoustic wave generation, by heating to 1100° C. for 2 hours (adjacent to positive surface, thickness of inverted layer formed approximately 160 μm). It is known to be important to ramp the temperatures up and down slowly to avoid cracking, and a temperature change of up to 50° C./minute is generally considered safe. In order to avoid loss of lithium from the surface of the LN, it is customary to flow argon gas containing water vapor over the sample during the heat cycling process.
It is generally difficult to domain-invert any LN or LT cut which contains the crystal c-axis, such as the x-cut. In comparison, inverting z-cut material is relatively easy and is routinely done at room temperature. The 36° rotated y-cut often used for longitudinal acoustic wave generation in AO has the c-axis inclined at 36-degrees to the plane of the crystal plate, and this makes it rather more difficult to invert. However, this can now be routinely inverted, such as disclosed in Nakamura K et al, "An ultrasonic transducer for second harmonic imaging using a LiNbO3 crystal", IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, Vol. 53, No. 3, March 2006, p 651-655 and Nakamura K, et al., "Broadband ultrasonic transducers using a LiNbO3 plate with a ferroelectric inversion layer", IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, Vol. 50, No. 11, November 2003, p 1558-1562.
There is significant interest in the generation and control of shear acoustic waves in AO devices, and in particular in AOTFs, and for this the z and the 36° rotated y-cuts are inappropriate because these devices require shear acoustic waves for operation, and the z and the 36° rotated y-cuts generate longitudinal waves. Usually the so-called x-cut or the 163° rotated y-cut are used to generate shear waves. The x-cut has the c-axis actually in the plane of the plate. However, it has been demonstrated that the x-cut can be inverted by depositing metal electrodes on one side of the plate and applying an electrical voltage between the electrodes while heating, in such a way that the c-axis is reversed in the region between the electrodes. The resulting inversion layer extends to a depth typically of a few tens of μm. Inversion in the other shear cut, the 163°-rotated y-cut, is only slightly more difficult than the 36° rotated y-cut as the c-axis is inclined to the plane of the plate by 17°, approximately one half of the value for the 36° rotated y-cut, but generally still enough to work with.
Although AO devices having transducers which include a domain inverted layer are known, such transducers do not significantly increase the radiation resistance, which is desirable in large area acoustic transducers because it facilitates broadband electrical matching and permits generation of spatially varying acoustic wave fields.

Acoustic transducers having localized ferroelectric domain inverted regions


A method of upgrading firmware during background operation in a storage area network (SAN) including at least one storage controller having programmable memory and RAM, where the at least one storage controller for controls data access between at least one host server and at least one storage device. The method includes temporarily suspending data access commands from the at least one host server, upgrading firmware stored in programmable memory, and copying a current version of firmware in a first memory address of RAM to a second memory address in the RAM. The current version of firmware in the first memory address in RAM is overwritten with the upgraded version of firmware. The controller is reinitialized, and data access commands from the at least one host server to the at least one storage device are provided by the at least one storage controller.

Networked attached storage (NAS) and storage area networks (SANs) are two recent technologies that attempt to allow computers to access network-connected hard disk drives and other mass storage devices using block-level commands so that the networked storage appears to be accessed as if it were physically attached to the workstation. In a NAS, the storage device connects directly to the network medium and does not require an intermediate server to provide access to the storage. In a SAN, a separate network of storage devices forms storage space that is allocated to different workstations and this separate network is itself connected to the network medium, which connects the different workstations.
Conventional SANs do not perfectly solve all the mass storage needs for an enterprise. In particular, maintenance and provisioning of the storage space within the conventional SAN is difficult to accomplish and wasteful of the physical resources. To address these concerns, many recent developments in this field have involved virtualizing the storage space so that there is little, or no, correlation between the physical disk drive devices where the data actually resides and the logical disk drive devices which are the targets for a workstation's data access request. One such currently produced product that is known in the industry and provides a substantially virtualized view of the storage space within a SAN is the MAGNITUDE® SAN manufactured by Xiotech Corporation of Eden Prairie, Minn.
The MAGNITUDE® SAN aggregates physical drives into a centralized "virtualized" storage pool and has the ability to stripe across and utilize all available space in a centralized storage pool. From this pool, a user carves out storage into "virtualized disks" and assigns that storage to whichever workstation that needs it. Within the SAN, the workstations see the MAGNITUDE® SAN's virtual disks as Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs). Within MAGNITUDE® SAN, virtualization refers to different levels of logical constructs rather than to physical storage devices (e.g. SCSI hard disk drives).
The MAGNITUDE® SAN is responsible for presenting the available virtualized disks as addressable devices on the Fibre Channel fabric. As a result, remote servers and workstations need only generate a typical block-level command (e.g., SCSI-3 command) to access blocks on an available logical drive. The MAGNITUDE® SAN, however, receives this conventional protocol request and converts it into a virtual request packet (VRP) for internal processing. The MAGNITUDE® SAN internally unencapsulates, parses and processes a VRP message utilizing translation tables in order to eventually generate SCSI commands to access multiple SCSI devices.
The MAGNITUDE® SAN enforces access controls at the virtualized disk level. Individual virtualized disks can be assigned to a specific workstation to allow the workstation and its storage to be isolated from another workstation and its storage.
Within the MAGNITUDE® SAN system, for example, there is at least one controller having firmware, that when executed, performs the many levels of translations needed to permit receiving a request involving a virtualized drive and actually performing data accesses to multiple physical devices.
The firmware in the controllers occasionally requires upgrades to improve performance. However, the servers and workstations must be powered down during such firmware upgrades. Accordingly, being denied access during these firmware upgrades may inconvenience customers utilizing the SAN. There remains the need, therefore, for a method of upgrading firmware in a controller without inconveniencing the users of the system.

Method for updating memory resident firmware as a background operation


A spectrum analyzer used for making a spectrum emission mask measurement reorganizes execution of the measurement so that all frequency bands to be measured at the same resolution bandwidth are measured in a single sweep, extending between the extreme frequency limits of those bands, thereby avoiding setup delays involved in specifying successive measurements for each band individually. Portions of each measurement which correspond to frequency bands to be measured at the respective resolution bandwidth of that measurement are extracted, resized as necessary, and assembled into a complete spectrum measurement.

The rapidly increasing adoption of mobile communications facilities, such as mobile telephone systems, has led to a growing demand for the associated user devices, such as mobile telephone handsets and other mobile stations (MS), and for the equipment comprising the network infrastructure, such as base stations. Avoidance of out of band emissions from transmitter circuitry in these devices and equipment is important both for the quality of service provided by the devices and for minimising potential interference caused to other users of the system. To this end, it is essential that the out of band emissions of every device are carefully measured by the manufacturer before shipment to ensure the device is compliant with prescribed limits on the strength of such emissions. Equally however, the manufacturers desire that these tests should be accomplished as quickly as possible, to minimise delays they introduce into production timescales.
In the case for example of equipment intended for use in so-called 3rd Generation mobile communications systems, using code division multiple access (e.g. W-CDMA and cdma2000 systems), the strength of out of band emissions is compared to a "spectrum emission mask" defining maximum acceptable emissions at various offsets from the intended transmitter carrier frequency. The test is specified in terms of a measurement of the CDMA carrier strength, and measurements of multiple (e.g. 4 or 5) frequency bands offset either side of that carrier frequency (see for example preliminary 3GPP Technical Specifications 25.141 and 34.121). The start and stop frequencies and resolution bandwidth are specified for each offset measurement.
One conventional approach to implementing this test involves using a spectrum analyser to measure each offset frequency band individually. This requires the analyser's settings (start frequency, stop frequency, resolution bandwidth and sweep time) to be set up appropriately for each offset, in accordance with the relevant specification. Each change of settings between successive offset measurements requires a small but finite setup time to complete, to input the required settings into the analyser and to allow the analyser to modify its internal operation accordingly. The large number of changes of setting required for the total number of offsets defined in the specifications results in a large cumulative setup time, and therefore a test which is slow overall.
Another known approach to the spectrum emission mask measurement is to use a vector analyser to measure individually successive segments of each offset frequency band, the frequency range of input signals for a segment being restricted to equal the resolution bandwidth. However, this involves performing a large number of complex Fourier transform computations on time-domain data, to generate the required frequency-domain result. The time required the accomplish these computations is generally unacceptably long for manufacturing test purposes.
It is an object of this invention to reduce overall test time for spectrum emission mask and similar measurements.

Method and apparatus for measuring a signal spectrum


Apparatus, systems, and methods for data movement in a memory device are described. In one embodiment, a memory controller comprises logic to move a row of data from a first row of a memory in a first section of a memory device to a second row of memory in a second section of the memory device without passing the data through a communication interface. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Many electronic devices include memory devices, e.g., Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) devices, which are structured as a matrix of rows and columns Data is typically stored in such memory devices in a row, with current modern Double Data Rate (DDR) DRAM devices having up to 16K-bits in a row (i.e., a page). These electronic devices use these memory devices to construct physical memory space of the underlining computing system. In some instances a computing system may need to copy (or move) a block of memory within its memory space. A typical block size is the operating system page size which is typically at least 4 Kilo Bytes (KB). However, most DRAM devices used to implement the memory space are designed with relatively narrow (e.g., 4-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit) Input/Output (I/O) interfaces. Moreover the communication interface width between DRAM Dual In Line Memory Modules (DIMMs) (a group of DRAM devices) and processors is standardized and also narrow as well (64 bits). Thus, in existing architectures moving a large block of data (such as a page in the operating system) in physical memory space requires multiple cycles which step through sequential addresses in a row via the communication interface used to communicate with the external physical memory devices. Accordingly, efficient techniques to move data from one row to another within a memory device may find utility, e.g., in memory systems.


A multi-position coaxial cable connector comprises a conductive housing and cover part mountable together for clamping coaxial leads therebetween. The conductive housing is provided with integrally moulded shrouds surrounding receptacle and pin contacts respectively. The contacts are mounted to a dielectric housing positioned in a recess of the housing and have a central bore with spring contacts therein. The central conductor of the leads can be inserted into the spring contacts for electrical connection thereto. Outer shielding of the coaxial leads are positioned in grooves of the housing and complementary recesses of the cover part engage in the grooves and tightly clamp the shielding to the housing around substantially the whole circumference for effective shielding.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector having coaxial terminals mounted therein, for interconnecting a coaxial cable to a complementary connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coaxial connectors and cables are well known and used in many different applications for transmission of electrical signals, in particular high speed digital pulses, TV antenna and other such applications. Coaxial cables are composed of an inner conductor surrounded by a dielectric, which is then surrounded by an outer conductive shielding. At a connection between coaxial conductors via a coaxial connector, shielding continuity much be ensured. Signal energy losses often occur at the connector assembly due to the reduced shielding effectiveness of the connector in comparison to the cable. These losses not only adversely affect the signal to be transmitted, but also generate electromagnetic noise that may affect other electronic apparatus. It is therefore desirable to provide a coaxial cable connector that has very effective shielding with minimum losses. In certain applications, a plurality of coaxial connections need to be made, and it would therefore be desirable to provide a coaxial cable with effective shielding that comprises a plurality of coaxial terminals. Furthermore, it is a continuing requirement to provide connectors that are not only cost-effective to manufacture, but having few parts and being cost-effective to assemble and handle. It would also be desirable to provide such connectors in a manner easy to couple, are sturdy and provide a reliable electrical connection.


A fixing device includes an endless fixing belt capable of rotational movement, a pressure roller that presses from the outside of the fixing belt, a nip forming member that is arranged on an inner circumference surface side of the fixing belt and forms a fixing nip region between the fixing belt and the pressure roller, a support member that supports the nip forming member from an opposite side to the fixing nip region, and a slide sheet provided between the fixing belt and the nip forming member. The support member includes two support portions. The slide sheet is fixed between the two support portions.

However, since the fixing method is required to use a plurality of fastening members on the upstream side and the downstream side, the number of members for fixing the slide sheet increases. Further, when the slide sheet is fixed by the fastening members on both the upstream side and the downstream side in the conveying direction of the recording medium, a space for fixing the slide sheet is required.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fixing device and an image forming device capable of reducing the number of members for fixing a slide sheet and realizing space saving for fixing the slide sheet.

Fixing device provided with slide sheet fixed between support portions and image forming device including fixing device


A new and distinct cultivar of Iberis plant named ‘Lavish’, characterized by its white and light lavender colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded-spreading growth habit, is disclosed.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Iberis plant botanically known as Iberis gibraltarica and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Lavish'.
The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Guadalupe, Calif. during the summer of 2010. The objective of the breeding program was the development Iberis cultivars that flower without vernalization and have a long blooming window.
The new Iberis cultivar is the result of open-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Iberis gibraltarica breeding selection coded NCT-12939-1, not patented, characterized by its white-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded-spreading growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is unknown. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated open-pollination during August 2011 in a controlled environment in Guadalupe Grande, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since August 2011 in Guadalupe, Calif. and Elburn, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.


The present invention provides a soccer table with special entertainment effect. The table frame of the soccer table has a table board, two long frames and two short frames mounted on the four sides of the table board. A predetermined number of control shanks are passing through the two long frames and can be translated and turned by player to control multiple shift blocks, so that the shift blocks can move a ball on the table board. An inner side of each the short frame is inwards recessed a concave curve surface. In the game, when the ball is hit to a curve surface, along the curve surface the ball will overfly and bounce to the table board. In addition, by the curve surface, the ball can be moved backward so that it is passed forward.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional game soccer table 10, there are many control shanks 16 mounted on the two long frames 14 of a table frame 12, and a opening 20 is respectively mounted on two short frames 18 of the table frame 12, forming a goal. During a game, place a ball in the soccer table 10, the player flatly move and turn the control shanks 16 to make the puppets 22 on the control shank kick the ball into the opening 20, so the player can obtain score and imitate the soccer sport.
It is the purpose of this kind of game to move the ball into the opening 20. If the ball does not enter into the opening 20, it will hit the inner side 19 of the short frames 18. Because the inner side 19 of the prior soccer table is a vertical plane, when the ball hits it, the ball will rebound directly horizontally, without any interest. Additionally, the rebound distance would be affected easily for the block of puppets 22 while the ball rebounds.
Furthermore, the player only can kick forth and dribble the ball to the puppet at the front court with the puppet at the back court while attacking the opponent within a traditional soccer table. For example, a player controls the white puppets as shown in FIG. 1, usually the player would move the ball with puppet (a) at the back court to the puppet (b) at the front court and to the puppet (c) at further distance in orders. Therefore the attack in the conventional soccer table is unattractive.

Soccer table with special entertainment effect


A hinge for a vehicle hood is provided. The hinge includes a hinge lower fixed to a vehicle body, and a hinge upper fixed to the hood and rotatably supported relative to the hinge lower. The hinge upper includes a first member rotatably supported relative to the hinge lower, and a second member fixed to the hood and relatively movable relative to the first member. The hinge further includes a first lock configured to be engageable with the first member to restrict rotation of the first member relative to the hinge lower. The first member and the second member are integrally rotatable relative to the hinge lower in a normal operation of opening and closing the hood. When the hood is caused to pop up, the first lock engages with the first member and the second member is relatively movable relative to the first member.

Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2007-062487 discloses a structure of a hinge for a vehicle hood, in which a hinge upper includes a linkage member and a fixed member fixed to a hood. According to this structure, the linkage member and the fixed member are integrally rotatable relative to a hinge lower in the normally opening operation of the vehicle hood, whereas in the pop-up operation of the vehicle hood, the linkage member is rotatable relative to the hinge lower and the fixed member and the food are rotatable together relative to the linkage member.
According to this structure disclosed in JP 2007-062487 A, a large force is required in the pop-up operation because the linkage member and the fixed member are popped up together with the hood.
In view of the above, the present invention seeks to provide a hinge for a vehicle hood, which can suppress the weight of movable members to be moved in the pop-up operation.


Disclosed is a tetra substituted cyclohexane having an ionophore in the one and two positions wherein the ionophore may be the same or different and is selected from the group consisting of a crown, a podand and a cryptand wherein the ionophore is capable of complexing with a metal or ammonium cation. Positions four and five are substituted by an electron donor group and an electron acceptor group. Also disclosed is a method for detecting the concentration of cations in a fluid by subjecting the fluid to the tetra substituted cyclohexane composition which will thereby complex the cation in the fluid. The cations are preferably alkali metal and alkaline earth metal cations. The fluid may be an aqueous or non-aqueous fluid or body fluids.

Ionophores are materials capable of forming complexes with charged species, preferably cations. Chromophores are chemical groups which when present in a compound give color to the compound by causing a displacement of, or appearance of, absorbance bands in the visible spectrum.
The equilibrium constants for alkali metal complexation of polyethylene glycol ethers can be measured by low temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy by using a method which makes use of conformational biasing. "Flipped-out" ionophores, such as trans-cyclohexano pentaethylene glycol diethyl ethers for the complexation of metal ions are disclosed in the Journal of The Chemical Society, Chemical Communications 1983, page 1409, M. Raban et al. An oral presentation as to conformationally biased intramolecular charged transfer interaction was made in the Spring of 1989 at the Wayne State University, Department of Chemistry, Detroit, Mich. by D. Durocher et al which disclosed the ketal 4-methylthiophenoxy-8,8-dimethyl-[4.3.0]-bicyclo-7,9-dioxo-nonane-3-ol-3,5 -dinitro benzoate.
The addition of barium and calcium to an azulene crown ether has been reported as resulting in a shift in the UV-visible absorbance spectra of the material. Chem. Ber., 1984, 117, 2839, H. G. Lohr, F. Vogtle, H. Puff and W. Schuh. Since the donor atoms of the ionophore are not directly incorporated into the chromophore, the shift in spectra must be due to the interaction of the cation with the negatively polarized five-membered ring in the azulene moiety. This interaction serves to stabilize the ground state and destabilize the excited state.
Chromoionophores have been developed that upon complexation exhibit bathochromic shifts, in the absorption maximum of the UV-visible spectrum. For this to occur, the donor portion of the ionophore that is incorporated into the chromophore must be attached at its electron-poor end. Quinone imine ionophore shows a bathochromic shift upon the addition of metal cations. Chem. Ber. 1981, 114, 638 J. Dix and F. Vogtle. An amino azulene chromoionophore shows significant bathochromic shift upon the addition of barium with the solution turning yellow to blue-violet. Chem. Ber. 1985, 118, 256, H. G. Lohr and F. Vogtle. Another chromoionophore that exhibits a large bathochromic shift in the presence of pyridine/lithium is an azophenol crown reported in Tetrahedron Lett., 1981, 22, 4407, T. Kaneda, K. Sugihara, H. Kamiya and S. Mitsumi. On addition of lithium chloride, the yellowish solution turns deep purple. Other alkali metal cations show no change in the spectra. The material azophenol cryptand shows a high selectivity for potassium in dioxane/morpholine as reported in European patent application 8310028. The color change allows the quantitative determination of potassium in solution or in test strips. In both cases, the material forms a neutral complex with the metal ion in the presence of base.
It has been reported that the synthesis and characterization of chromogenic spherand ionophores have high affinity for alkaline metal cations. Spherand chromophores exhibit a high affinity for both potassium and sodium in 80% dioxane/20% water upon addition of 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene, Journal of American Chemical Society, 1988, 110, 571 D. J. Cram, R. A. Carmack and R. C. Helgeson. Cram has also reported the synthesis and characterization of mixed sphero cryptand and sphero-crown type chromogenic ionophores. Journal of American Chemical Society, 1989, 111, 6339 R. C. Helgeson, B. P. Chech, E. Schapotau, C. R. Gebauer, A. Kumar and D. J. Cram.
None of the prior art demonstrates materials that have the capability of acting as both a chromophore and an ionophore whereby the ionophore can preferentially interact with metal ions and where there is a color change in the solution of the material but where the ionophore and chromophore are spacially separated and electronically insulated and where the color change derives primarily from a conformational change attendant upon complexation.

Tetra substituted cyclohexane composition